The Newbie and Short Questions thread

[Seto Kaiba]

Re: New Macross Class City Ship armour shells:

One think to keep in mind is that the shell might be more oriented toward defending the ship from natural phenomenon just as much (if not more so) as enemy attacks. Specifically asteroids (or their fragments, as I think I read somewhere that they blow them up).

But yeah, it may be a case of "isn't it cool to..." not quite being practical (in both the senses of defending against enemy attacks and being a place to project the sky from.

Not sure how much utility the shell would have for defending the ship from natural phenomena unless it were down... and they do like to leave it up. I'd guess the repulsion field (or whatever low-level energy shield that was which we saw arcing underneath the big red Vajra that shot the dome open in the first episode of Macross Frontier) might offer enough protection for the navigational hazards like micro-debris. Between that shield and the dome's surface, it's pretty tough stuff even without the shell. I suppose it might be useful to put the shell down for high-radiation locales and stuff like that, since it's proof against reentry and supposedly either is, or operates like, energy conversion armor.

Got anything on the sky projection thing?

[sketchley]

Got anything on the sky projection thing?

Other than they having them, nope. It's one of the aspects of Macross that hasn't been delved into - which is a shame, as it's kind of connected to how Sharon Apple manifests visually.

Edited May 10, 2014 by sketchley

[Nekko Basara]

Thanks again, Seto Kaiba and sketchley. I didn't recall that the island ships had shields, but now that you mention it, I can picture it. And regarding the other dangers of space, I agree that meteor showers (or whatever the proper term would be when you are in space) are another reason to have the shell. It feels to me like (similar to jets turning into robots) this is probably an area where the core concept is "because it's frikkin' cool" and then as much solid mechanical design as possible is built around that.

I have another question, and hopefully this will be a truly short one!

When Gamlin gives Mylene the ring at her birthday party, is he:

1) Proposing to her?

2) Suggesting he will propose to her (the old "engaged to be engaged")?

3) Giving her a gift, and cultural context or translation is making me read too much into it?

[VF5SS]

They're two teenagers who want to go steady.

[sketchley]

When Gamlin gives Mylene the ring at her birthday party, is he:

Funny you should ask that, as in the past couple of weeks I translated something directly addressing that: he gave her the ring as a memento just in case he didn't come back from the Stargazer mission.

[Nekko Basara]

Thanks, Veef and sketchley!

So, is it fair to say that all that "wear it on your left hand" and "diamond because I'm in Diamond Force" stuff was just typical Gamlin awkwardness?

[VF5SS]

"It's a Diamond because I am Diamond Force" is classic Gamlin awkwardness.

[Seto Kaiba]

Thanks again, Seto Kaiba and sketchley. I didn't recall that the island ships had shields, but now that you mention it, I can picture it.

Well, you don't really need to picture it... both pinpoint barriers and the "repulsion field" (looks to be a conformal barrier system) show up in Frontier.

When Gamlin gives Mylene the ring at her birthday party, is he:

1) Proposing to her?

2) Suggesting he will propose to her (the old "engaged to be engaged")?

3) Giving her a gift, and cultural context or translation is making me read too much into it?

Well, WRT #1 and #2, Milia was trying to arrange a marriage between Mylene and Gamlin for a good chunk of the series, ('cept one of the Encore episodes, where she tries to fix Gamlin up with Miho).

[Nekko Basara]

Well, you don't really need to picture it... both pinpoint barriers and the "repulsion field" (looks to be a conformal barrier system) show up in Frontier.

Sorry to be unclear. I mean I can picture the scene in my memory of the shields rolling up the tube-shaped ships, but I had forgotten it. I don't remember anything about the repulsion fields, though. Unless you mean - wasn't there some kind of energy that would close over dome breaches? I guess I have to go watch some more - oh no!

[Seto Kaiba]

Sorry to be unclear. I mean I can picture the scene in my memory of the shields rolling up the tube-shaped ships, but I had forgotten it. I don't remember anything about the repulsion fields, though. Unless you mean - wasn't there some kind of energy that would close over dome breaches? I guess I have to go watch some more - oh no!

Nah, it's when those Vajra ships start firing on Island-1... the Battle Frontier's CO orders maximum power to the repulsion field, and we see some kinda green energy shield spread across the ship. The dome breaches were sealed physically, some kinda smart material.

[Nekko Basara]

Thanks again!

I'm gonna keep going. How do the stabilizers on Mikhail's "sniper" gunpod function? I recall in at least one scene he leans it sideways against an asteroid, making them seem like some kind of omnidirectional bipod. But other times they are deployed in open space, making me think they might be arms with verniers on them that actively stabilize the weapon without physical support. Bottom line - I don't get what's supposed to be happening there.

[Seto Kaiba]

I'm gonna keep going. How do the stabilizers on Mikhail's "sniper" gunpod function? I recall in at least one scene he leans it sideways against an asteroid, making them seem like some kind of omnidirectional bipod. But other times they are deployed in open space, making me think they might be arms with verniers on them that actively stabilize the weapon without physical support. Bottom line - I don't get what's supposed to be happening there.

Your guess is as good as mine... though the word I've seen used for them is "balancers", and some remarks that they aid the craft in targeting. If I had to hazard a guess, and I want to stress that this is just me shooting in the dark, I'd say it sounds like something inside the balancers (maybe something like hydraulic fluid or compressed gas) is being used AMBAC-style to zero out minor variances in aim due to posture.

I'm not aware of anything that describes the function of those balancers though.

[Gubaba]

It also bothered Itano.

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=31482

[Nekko Basara]

Holy mackerel, that interview! Thanks, Gubaba!

Like I mentioned with the defense shells, there's always a point in jets-with-arms land (or humanoid mecha land in general) where the answer becomes "because it's cool." But once you get beyond that point, you have a bunch of smart, technically savvy guys working out all the details as realistically as they can from a given premise. It's really cool to get inside their heads.

It feels like Itano might be so close to the material that he didn't realize how arbitrary that point is. It apparently doesn't bother his sense of realism that the solution to "we need to destroy something in space" is to engineer a jet plane that turns into a giant robot-man and give it a colossal rifle, but it really irks him when the robot braces that rifle on an asteroid, or uses it in a tactically unsound way. Those are valid criticisms, but only within a context that inherently accepts a certain level of absurdity and no more. Tweak the dial just slightly, and you brace the rifle because it's thematically appropriate, and you shoot at close range because it's dramatic - no questions asked.

Anyways, Seto Kaiba, the "we're not sure" answers (and speculation) are great and I really appreciate them, because they help me feel I'm not just missing the obvious. It was such a relief, for example, reading how little clarity there is around the Plus "switch the ammo and shoot him with his own gun" scene. So, thank you again!

[Gubaba]

Then again this guy directed Blassreiter and Angel Cop so what does he know.

What he said.

[Mr March]

I like that definition; the level of absurdity and what works within that context. To be generous, I can understand folks being fond of something so much they have a hard time operating "outside the lines". After all, the success of the Macross formula and the emotional impact it has on fans is the reason we love Macross so much. But yes, we should all be able to accept a certain latitude to venture outside of that established format and enjoy Macross for what it is. Course, there are exceptions that would test even the most generous interpretation, but no need to turn this into yet another debate about you-know-which-Macross series

As for Itano, I have to say it's really becoming tiresome listening to these old guys spout "criticisms" that are in reality just poorly disguised obsolesence on their own part. Itano is signing to the same tune as the likes of Lucas, Benedict, etc, which is basically the same song really, only with tiny tedious variations. There's something these guys lack in their understanding of pop culture history before Macross and an inability to accept that nature abhors a vaccum going forward that really rubs me the wrong way. There's plenty to criticize about the Macross sequels, but listening to Itano harp about technical minutiae and then dive off into crticism of the strongest written character in Frontier is where the true absurdity lies. Some of what Itano says comes across as disturbing, if not outright misogynist. Perhaps that's not what he meant or perhaps the translation creates this faulty impression. But whether Itano's intentions are noble or nefarious, I don't like them either way. Is it so much to ask that at least one of my admired heroes NOT turn out to be such an angry old man stereotype?

[azrael]

I'm gonna keep going. How do the stabilizers on Mikhail's "sniper" gunpod function? I recall in at least one scene he leans it sideways against an asteroid, making them seem like some kind of omnidirectional bipod. But other times they are deployed in open space, making me think they might be arms with verniers on them that actively stabilize the weapon without physical support. Bottom line - I don't get what's supposed to be happening there.

If you've ever done some archery, the idea would be the same.

[Nekko Basara]

If you've ever done some archery, the idea would be the same.

Ooh, good call. I have no background with archery; I'd seen stabilizers on competition bows, but never understood what they did.

Reading about it a little more, it sounds like an equivalent system isn't used on heavy-barreled rifles because the weapon's own weight distribution serves much the same effect. But I guess they are used in some cases on lightweight guns like pellet rifles. I'm not sure how applicable this would be to a valkyrie-class rifle, but that seems to me like a good answer for at least the "what were they thinking" question.

[Saruta]

Two very different questions.

- Is there ANY indication why the pair of Michel and Klan did not resolve their problem by macronizing Michel, as happened to Max in DYRL for pretty similar reasons? (The only idea I could come up with is that DYRL is an in-universe movie, and macronizing a human is not possible in in-universe reality).

- Are any Fire Bomber music scores available? (The question originally comes from my near-9 year old son who plays a violin. Yeah, I can't really picture those melodies on the violin but he wants to try; besides, at least My Soul For You might actually work).

[azrael]

- Is there ANY indication why the pair of Michel and Klan did not resolve their problem by macronizing Michel, as happened to Max in DYRL for pretty similar reasons? (The only idea I could come up with is that DYRL is an in-universe movie, and macronizing a human is not possible in in-universe reality).

Never brought up. It would also reduce the number of women Michael could hit on???

- Are any Fire Bomber music scores available? (The question originally comes from my near-9 year old son who plays a violin. Yeah, I can't really picture those melodies on the violin but he wants to try; besides, at least My Soul For You might actually work).

Karaoke Fire! is probably your closest you will get.

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/VTCL-60053

[Tochiro]

Are any Fire Bomber music scores available? (The question originally comes from my near-9 year old son who plays a violin. Yeah, I can't really picture those melodies on the violin but he wants to try; besides, at least My Soul For You might actually work).

Quite a few band scores available over at Amazon Japan.

[Gubaba]

Two very different questions.

- Is there ANY indication why the pair of Michel and Klan did not resolve their problem by macronizing Michel, as happened to Max in DYRL for pretty similar reasons?

There was something about that in one of the books, but for the life of me, I can't find it now...

EDIT: ah, found it. Page 80 of the Macross F Official Fan Book. Because of his mixed blood, Michel can't macronize.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Gubaba

[Nekko Basara]

Why isn't Mylene in school?

I think Mylene tells Gamlin at one point that she goes to a prestigious girls school, but I took this to just be a fib that she or Milia made up to make her more presentable. Mylene seems to spend her time driving around in her own car, living in her own apartment, and playing in a rock band. Not that I want another school drama, but shouldn't a fourteen-year-old have classes?

[Scyla]

To be fair in almost any tv-series that is not about work/the workplace the protagonists seem to have much more spare-time than they should have.

[VF5SS]

Why isn't Mylene in school?

I think Mylene tells Gamlin at one point that she goes to a prestigious girls school, but I took this to just be a fib that she or Milia made up to make her more presentable. Mylene seems to spend her time driving around in her own car, living in her own apartment, and playing in a rock band. Not that I want another school drama, but shouldn't a fourteen-year-old have classes?

Mikimoto attempts to answers this in the manga Macross 7 Trash where it shows kids have their own VR pods in their houses that link them to a virtual class taught by a real teacher and the school itself is just for events like festivals and sports.

Of course Frontier just has the characters be in a school so ┐(‘～`；)┌

[Nekko Basara]

Mikimoto attempts to answers this in the manga Macross 7 Trash where it shows kids have their own VR pods in their houses that link them to a virtual class taught by a real teacher and the school itself is just for events like festivals and sports.

Of course Frontier just has the characters be in a school so ┐(‘～`；)┌

Thanks very much! I'm not familiar with anything past the animations, so I miss a lot of this info.

I imagine what happened is that the VR pod experiment worked out so badly, with a whole "lost generation" of kids becoming rock star pilots instead of engineers and salarymen, that they went back to a traditional school system by the time of Frontier. And by "traditional," I mean a curriculm that is all about variable fighters (and panties).

[VF5SS]

I dunno all the kids in Macross 7 Trash just had drama about their T-Link Crush sport where people use roller blade type shoes that let them hover. There's also military guys in powered armor kind of like the Ex-Gear.

[Nekko Basara]

There was something about that in one of the books, but for the life of me, I can't find it now...

EDIT: ah, found it. Page 80 of the Macross F Official Fan Book. Because of his mixed blood, Michel can't macronize.

Wait, so, if we go by DYRL, humans can be macronized. And if we go by Dynamite 7, zolans can be macronized. (I've never been real happy with either of those ideas, but whatever).

But a human-zolan mix can't?

[frothymug]

From what I remember reading in one of Sketchley's translations, Michael has what's called "miclone sickness". He runs a high risk of serious injury or death if he attempts the macronization process.

I don't remember that particular article saying anything about his lineage being the cause. I looked over Sketchley's site, but I can't find it. It was in a series of questions asked by the "interviewer" and answered (probably) by SK.

[Seto Kaiba]

Wait, so, if we go by DYRL, humans can be macronized. And if we go by Dynamite 7, zolans can be macronized. (I've never been real happy with either of those ideas, but whatever).

But a human-zolan mix can't?

Michael Blanc's heritage is an interesting subject, but various books have mentioned that he's got Human-Zentradi ancestry with a Zolan grandparent thrown in there for good measure. 's kind of ironic that he'd accuse Klan of having clumsy genes, when his are even worse in that respect. All she does is turn into a kid, whereas various sources have asserted that macloning would be either a one-way street or outright lethal for him.

[frothymug]

Michael Blanc's heritage is an interesting subject, but various books have mentioned that he's got Human-Zentradi ancestry with a Zolan grandparent thrown in there for good measure. 's kind of ironic that he'd accuse Klan of having clumsy genes, when his are even worse in that respect. All she does is turn into a kid, whereas various sources have asserted that macloning would be either a one-way street or outright lethal for him.

Ah, yes. I do remember that aforementioned article saying that it was possibly a one-way process for him. Can anyone cite that article?

[Gubaba]

There was something about that in one of the books, but for the life of me, I can't find it now...

EDIT: ah, found it. Page 80 of the Macross F Official Fan Book. Because of his mixed blood, Michel can't macronize.

Ah, yes. I do remember that aforementioned article saying that it was possibly a one-way process for him. Can anyone cite that article?

Yep.

[Cdr Fokker]

Quite a few band scores available over at Amazon Japan.

I happen to have my copy of "Fire Bomber Best Score" sitting on my desk here right now. I'm working on re-transcribing the guitar parts, to have a single guitar score for each song (or at least as much is feasible). I'm doing it not only because I can only play one guitar at a time, but also so that I can print up sheet music that makes more effective use of the page. Having the entire band score is awesome, but it does mean that not a whole lot of the actual song can fit on each page.

I am not planning on releasing said re-transcriptions, though, as the actual official score is still easily available and at reasonable prices.

[sketchley]

From what I remember reading in one of Sketchley's translations, Michael has what's called "miclone sickness". He runs a high risk of serious injury or death if he attempts the macronization process.

I don't remember that particular article saying anything about his lineage being the cause. I looked over Sketchley's site, but I can't find it. It was in a series of questions asked by the "interviewer" and answered (probably) by SK.

It comes from the Pash! Animation File 02: Macross Frontier magazine.

http://nomansland.site.nfoservers.com/MRG-Active-Archive/forums/index.php?topic=2077.msg37007#msg37007

- specifically the question on Kuran's ears (of all things they can ask about her...).

[Nekko Basara]

So, since Klan is half of this doomed equation, can we talk about her condition a little?

Is it specifically that her miclone form is locked into adolescent when miclonized, or just that it appears younger than her normal form? Meaning:

When Klan was actually five years old, would her miclone form already have appeared 13 (or whatever juvenile age it appears in Frontier) as well?

When Klan is 29, will her miclone form then be "adult" in appearance?