Mecha Designer Credits for Macross II

[yellowlightman]

I remember discussing this with Renato a year or two back in Den Den Town, but I'm not sure if anyone has actually figured it out.

Generally, you see four mecha designers credited with working on Macross II: Atsushi Okuda, Junichi Akutsu, Kazumi Fujita, and Koichi Ohata. I've yet to see any actual credits for who did which design, but it's pretty obvious Ohata did the Marduk power suit designs. Recently I came across this image: http://dump.colonydrop.com/post/2183673367

It certainly suggests that Ohata designed the VF-2SS, as the rest of the designs are his creation. Kind of odd, as I would have credited the Valkyries to Fujita or Okuda. Has anyone ever seen any specific design credits for the mecha from II?

[yellowlightman]

And two minutes after I post this, Exo shows me this site: http://valkyrie2.cloud-line.com/ Which says:

No matter what the process was, as the result, VF-2SS Valkyrie II was created by unscheduled collaboration by Shoji Kawamori (basic concept) the father of Macross, Kazumi Fujita (original design) the chief designer of Z Gundam and Koichi Ohata (refine work) the finisher of this heroic figure.

[Save]

I'm also looking for concrete answers to this same question and a few others concerning Mac 2. I've recently meet a guy who knows Mac2's director and I'm hoping to meet with him at Comiket next week in hopes of getting pointed in the right direction and possibly connecting me with other who worked on it.

I know there are some here that take book translations as gospel but recently on two occasions I've been told by and heard a few creators say many books are wrong and specific content was not done by them.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Save

[Renato]

As I mentioned to Save over the weekend, I may be on the right path in terms of tracking down Ohata himself. However, I heard that he had some sort of serious illness relatively recently and may still be recovering.

I was under the impression Fujita designed the valks and Ohata refined them, with the Gigamesh and other Marduk stuff being all Ohata's creations. The other designers then took care of the rest of the mecha. But do not take my word for it.

(As for Kawamori, I interpret that paragraph from the vf-2ss website as an acknowledgment that he created the VF-1, upon which the VF-2 is heavily based, and that ends his "involvement".)

On a side note, Save, are you going to Comiket on the 31st? I might just have to go; one, because I half-expect trouble brewing in the wake of the Met's passing of "that bill" (concerning manga/anime content) and two, because I feel I ought to pay that "Gimlet" guy a visit since he worked so hard on that Megazone 25th Anniversary doujinshi.

EDIT-- I found the name of that OVA from the lat 80s with the "original" Gigamesh designs by Ohata that I mentioned to Save on Saturday night:

"Dai Majuu Gekitou: Hagane no Oni"

Edited December 21, 2010 by Renato

[Save]

Yeah I'll be going at least 2 of the 3 days of Comiket, need to pick up a Megazone 25th Anniversary doujinshi for myself and Howard. As of now K-Books and Toranoana have not been affected by "that law".

Edited December 21, 2010 by Save

[TheLoneWolf]

Save, Renato

If either of you happen to meet up with any of the creators of MII, please consider posting a transcript of your conversation with them. It seems like it's especially difficult to find reliable information on MII, and what better source of information than the creators behind the anime. Also, since the few interviews I've read took place while MII was still being released, it'd be interesting to read what they have to say about MII in hindsight.

[TehPW]

And two minutes after I post this, Exo shows me this site: http://valkyrie2.cloud-line.com/ Which says:

since when is the method of later VF's transformation anything like origami? i like the site but it started to stray from being useful to a rant quickly as you read sections of it...