ghostlightning Posted July 31, 2009 Posted July 31, 2009 New Blog Post! I started the blog when Macross Frontier was already completed, so I kind of missed the ship. But now I've practiced a lot on some other anime so I can give this show the love that I've always wanted to give it. And so I share: yakk! deculture: a close encounter with macross frontier See you all there! Quote
ghostlightning Posted August 7, 2009 Author Posted August 7, 2009 (edited) New Post: Drawing a Triangle: Macross Frontier 02 (Hard Chase) Excerpt: I feel like the appropriate title for this episode is Chance Meetings. The conceit of the episode is how the protagonists serendipitously run into each other, setting up theri individual and collective narratives. Sheryl sets out to find Alto who she intends to ask about hear earring that she lost during her concert, but runs into Ranka who is her biggest fan. Alto runs into both at the end of the episode. The remnants of the Vajra find them all afterward. It is a conceit in that the probability of these meaningful meetings occuring in a tight and linear narrative succession should be quite low. But they were all going to meet anyway one way or another, so the narrative shoots for the dramatic star. I do feel that there needed to be a payoff less pedestrian for such a conceit, and there is; something that Frontier does that few other shows do, and I feel that is in its way superior than what’s been done before. [continue reading] Edited September 11, 2009 by ghostlightning Quote
ghostlightning Posted August 14, 2009 Author Posted August 14, 2009 New Post! Powerful Dialogue Sells the Show: Bakemonogatari 03 (Mayoi Snail 1) and Macross Frontier 03 (On Your Marks) Excerpt: There are two kinds of dialogue that I consider excellent, and while some shows may only have one of each, both add considerable value to the experience of watching them. These are: Expositional, qualified by economy (no text dumps explaining how the world works); and Color, often characterized by (but not limited to) capriciousness and cleverness (adding oodles of character to the characters participating in the conversation), also it is about something. For the purposes of this discussion, I mean dialogue simply as the words in the script (not strictly distinguishing exchanges between two or more characters). In this post I’ll look at two episode threes as examples: Macross Frontier, and Bakemonogatari. Continue reading ‘Powerful Dialogue Sells the Show: Bakemonogatari 03 (Mayoi Snail 1) and Macross Frontier 03 (On Your Marks)’ Quote
ghostlightning Posted August 21, 2009 Author Posted August 21, 2009 (edited) New Post! Moé Just Doesn’t Cut it: Macross Frontier 04 (Miss Macross) Excerpt: In talent(?)-based reality(?) television programs, there is this phenomenon wherein a less-than-talented but cute (contingent to subjective fan|fanbase appeal) contestant gets poor marks, bonus points for when the vicious judge shits all over her — often justified, and that contestant suddenly gets a massive amount of votes from the viewers. She stays in competition for another week, while a poor, often more talented contestant gets cut. It’s as if here’s a direct proportion to the amount of verbal abuse the contestant gets and the amount of supportive viewer response bestowed upon her. I can imagine this as some kind of ‘being hated on moe,’ which can be compounded by the said contestant’s (harmless) retardness, lack of actual ability, and clumsiness. In A Philippine talent show some years back, a Korean named Sandara Park [images ->] found her way to (very temporary) stardom through the very same process. She didn’t win the competition, but she endeared herself to the Philippine public. I imagine a similar (meta) dynamic in Macross Frontier. Ranka did not win Miss Macross 2052, and she’s a loli dojikko (she hit her head on the microphone) with endearing resolve to win a big girl’s battle (DFC vs oppai). This loss, while disappointing for her, had the fans (especially the new ones) invested in the show. She appealed to the older fans (especially some of the lifers like myself) by going Kyuun~ Kyuun~ and doing a cover of the first big hit in the Macross franchise: Lynn Minmay’s ‘My Boyfriend is a Pilot.’ Moe doesn’t cut it in the Miss Macross competition, but in the real fight — which is to win newer fans in the contemporary moe-preoccupied hobbyscape, she won big time. Continue reading ‘Moé Just Doesn’t Cut it: Macross Frontier 04 (Miss Macross)’ Edited August 21, 2009 by ghostlightning Quote
ghostlightning Posted August 28, 2009 Author Posted August 28, 2009 (edited) NEW POST! How to Date an Idol Excerpt: So you want to date an idol? The Macross franchise has the idols of mass destruction/galactic salvation (tier/class); and, it would be instructive I feel to see how they were wooed. I submit the examples who are at or close to the peak of their popularity: Sheryl Nome of Macross Frontier, and Lynn Minmay of Macross: Do You Remember Love? We shall learn through the examples of the pilots who became their boyfriends how the all-important first date went down. Continue reading ‘How to Date an Idol’ Edited September 11, 2009 by ghostlightning Quote
ghostlightning Posted September 4, 2009 Author Posted September 4, 2009 (edited) New Post! The False Farewell: Macross Frontier 06 (Bye Bye Sheryl) She doesn’t get to leave this episode, but delivers a farewell concert. I’ve mentioned in my post on episode two (Hard Chase) that what the Macross Franchise does very well is to stage musical set-pieces. By this I mean there is an actual live performance while events of consequence unfold whether propelling forward, or resolving the plot(s) of the narrative. At the end of this episode is such a set-piece performance that continues in the next, that in my opinion is part of a sequence that is one of the finest moments of the franchise. But first, several things happen that set up the Sheryl’s farewell concert. Continue reading ‘The False Farewell: Macross Frontier 06 (Bye Bye Sheryl)' Edited September 11, 2009 by ghostlightning Quote
ghostlightning Posted September 11, 2009 Author Posted September 11, 2009 New Post! An Introduction to Warfare in Macross: First Fight (Macross Frontier 07) A moment of silence as we remember love for the fallen, and the heroes during 9/11/2001. The episode itself is a showcase of the martial capabilities of the SMS. By this I mean the tactics, the personnel, and the ordnance; and how they all come together against what pretty much counts as an unkown foe. In the original series, the idea of transforming fighter craft in to humanoid giants is the product of intelligence that told the UN SPACY that the potential alien threat would be a race of 50-foot tall soldiers. The success of the variable fighters led to the design’s continued development and use well into the 2050s, despite not having the last major threat to be aliens with wildly variable size. In Macross Frontier, the Vajra are just as much a mystery to the Frontier branch of NUNS as the Zentraedi were to UN SPACY back in 2009. Hence, I would measure the worth of a crack (para)military unit by its ability to be dominant in the face of very little intelligence; for its ability to adapt against alien combat threats. Continue reading ‘An Introduction to Warfare in Macross: First Fight (Macross Frontier 07)’ Quote
ghostlightning Posted September 18, 2009 Author Posted September 18, 2009 New Post! Macross Frontier 08 PISSES ME OFF: We Remonstrate Love This is going to get ugly. Episode 08: ‘High School Queen’ is the ugliest work of animation in the Macross franchise. While I can’t prove this with scietific and statistical certainty, I will present images to exemplefy and demonstrate. There are other problematic things I do not like about this episode and what went on in it, but I will focus on how the character designs went to the shitter. I don’t usually hate on something, mostly I end up being indifferent to it. This episode is an exception [->] Note that I didn’t use past tense in describing my emotional state. This is a persistent and ongoing ulcer. Continue reading ‘Macross Frontier 08 PISSES ME OFF: We Remonstrate Love’ Quote
ghostlightning Posted October 2, 2009 Author Posted October 2, 2009 New Post: Friendly Fire: Macross Frontier 09 (How many ongoing narrative plot points is effectively moved forward despite telling a side-story; it’s a feat indeed) For the first time, the show employs a medias res-like device. The narrative is in the thick of the action: Alto calls for Michel to shoot the Large Type Vajra his VF-25F Messiah is grappling with. This is a Michel Blanc episode, the character who gave some impression of being Alto’s rival in flying. I get the impression from fellow fans that the rivalry aspect is underdeveloped. And I agree to a certain extent. However, this episode in my view settles the rivalry so much so that it doesn’t ever come in to play again. Besides, Alto may have relationships with other males that evoke a rivalry aspect, but it’s quite pathetic because he always has his ass handed to him. It’s quite remarkable in how this is rather out of place in the tradition of mecha pilot lead characters. Amuro fights his rival Char on equal terms. Kamille gets the better of Jerid many times. Isamu and Guld really get at it on equal terms. Alto just keeps getting his ass kicked. It’s a subversion I think, almost in-step with how he’s designed like a hawt trap, and is called ‘princess’ and is an actor who plays women parts (oyama) notable for delivering a rather legendary love scene. Yeah Alto is a strange one. And his histrionics is what sets up Michel’s story. Continue reading ‘Friendly Fire: Macross Frontier 09 (How many ongoing narrative plot points is effectively moved forward despite telling a side-story; it’s a feat indeed)’ Quote
Fortress_Maximus Posted October 15, 2009 Posted October 15, 2009 Interesting site. When is the next update? Quote
ghostlightning Posted October 16, 2009 Author Posted October 16, 2009 Interesting site. When is the next update? We Remember Love updates every 48 hours. Macross related posts update every week either Friday or Saturday. Check the Archives! Here are the Macross-related articles Quote
ghostlightning Posted October 17, 2009 Author Posted October 17, 2009 New Post Oh Macross, It’s Just a Popular Song, of Course it Was a Love Song: Do You Remember Love? Now to the real anniversary post! It’s been over one year of blogging here at We Remember Love, and it kind of bugs me that our first post is not a Macross one. I think it is only fitting that we do the show this blog is named after, Macross: Do You Remember Love? While nowhere as divided or polarized as opinions are regarding smash hits such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, quite the opposite: the anime as well regarded and loved. However, among fans of the franchise as a whole Macross: Do You Remember Love? does have differing reactions. Granted, I only sampled an extremely limited population but it is important I feel to note the reasons. Outside of the great final song and animation, it did a poor job on the story. The plot can be bothersome in that it brushes the weaker parts of the characters under the rug. Here are mine [->] There is an overwhelming amount of praise for the animation, and this is merited. But I think it all comes together in conjunction with the performance of the titular song, in one of the more remarkable sequences in animation: Ai oboete imasu ka? probably the most representative 10 or so minutes of the franchise as a whole. Continue reading ‘Oh Macross, It’s Just a Popular Song, of Course it Was a Love Song: Do You Remember Love?’ Quote
ghostlightning Posted October 25, 2009 Author Posted October 25, 2009 New Post! The Sighs of Kawamori Shouji: Macross Frontier 10 Self-reference is a frontier that the Macross franchise is always exploring. The very idea of “remembering love” is a core concept within it, and is something that I’ve taken as an ideology of appreciation. Subesequent installments in the franchise pay tribute to the original series and the other shows in the continuity that precede them. The manner and execution of this homage is, to me, a seperate form of entertainment itself. Fanservice? Yes. It’s my favorite kind. In this episode, the ‘innovation’ is that there is a Kawamori self-insert, an avatar of the series creator himself acts within the narrative. ‘Legend of Zero’ is the behind-the-scenes look at the filming of a movie, a biopic of Shin Kudo: Bird Human (Tori no Hito). The depiction has its similarities with the notable/controversial ‘documentary’ of the making of the ‘Legend of Mikuru’ film by the SOS-Dan, directed by Suzumiya Haruhi. Continue reading ‘The Sighs of Kawamori Shouji: Macross Frontier 10′ Quote
ghostlightning Posted October 31, 2009 Author Posted October 31, 2009 New Post! Discovered Deculture: My Fair Minmay ~ Dreaming Prelude The good people at The Galaxy Network gives us a great gift: a Super Dimension Macross (TV) side story in scenario form — this means the draft never got produced as TV series episodes. This is a big deal! Why, this covers material of Minmay in the infancy of her stardom. Minmay gets a bad rap for her immaturity as a teenager, exacerbated by the fact that she is the biggest star in a decimated race. I mean, there was literally no competition left. Also, in the form of the Zentraedi, anything she does is a guaranteed hit. This was an alien race that near literally (and ridiculously) had no culture. Thus, the events and her behavior at the end of the TV series rather damned her, and made it easy for the fans of the show to sympathize with how the love triangle was resolved. Continue reading ‘Discovered Deculture: My Fair Minmay ~ Dreaming Prelude’ Quote
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