Macross 7 Discussion

[MisaForever]

I'm sure there have been many threads similar to this but since I can't find any recent ones, here we go.

So I'm plowing my way through Mac7 with about 10 episodes to go. Haven't watched the OVA, movie, or Dynamite yet, just the original series so NO SPOILERS. I just have a few questions that I'm sure all of you have answers for.

- Why do all of Mylene's songs sound like they are being sung in an actual sound studio whereas Basara's singing sounds normal and like he's actually there? I know that the VA's and song vocalists are different for both but Mylene's just always sound weird. Could they not get Chie to record her songs so they at least sounded live and not pre-recorded?

- Is Gigil actually in love with Sivil or just somehow dedicated to her?

- I assume it is spelled Protodeviln since that's how it's pronounced and subbed, though I have seen it spelled Protodevlin.

- Why is every Valk destroyed like cannon fodder except for Diamond and Emerald Squads? LOL

Thanks in advance. I love 7. BOMBAAAAH!!

Edited October 18, 2016 by MisaForever

[Master Dex]

Welcome to the madhouse, lol. It gets even better in Encore, the movie, and Dynamite. (Some people think Dynamite isn't good, but I love it.... then again some think all of 7 is bad.. it is different yes, but I actually like it).

This is amusing cause I just started an M7 rewatch myself to get my by the last month of my deployment. I'm up to episode 19 but I've seen it all. So let me take a stab at your questions.

1. I don't know honestly.. part of it might be the noticeable disparity between Chie Kajiura and Tomo Sakurai's voices. Tomo gives Mylene a rather high pitched and childlike voice that fits her personality and temperment, and age, while Chie's singing suddenly transformers Mylene into a much older and almost (to me) sultry sounding musician. Most of the music was likely pre-recorded... but even if so the reason Basara's probably sounds so natural is likely up to the true masterful work of Yoshiki Fukuyama, of whom I'm quite the fan of thanks to this show. The man is like John Lennon if he were Japanese, and he, along with his various bands over time (including Hummingbird which was still together when M7 was being made) were notable for always making live performances sound as good as studio performances. He might just simply be a natural at it, and it makes Kajiura-san sound less good by comparison.

2. It is hard to decide if the Protodeviln are really experiencing the same human like emotions, but I think Gigil definitely did love Sivil. I don't think Sivil shared that feeling nor even considered such a thing until Basara... erm... awoke within her such feelings. Course at that point Sivil was more obsessed with Basara, but she did seem to acknowledge Gigil in the end.

3. It's Protodeviln.. others are just misspellings. Yeah, it's a weird word.

4. Because it's a Macross show... only the heroes get to do well, lol. Joking aside though, the actual reason is by the time this show takes place, the VF-11C is an outdated model, and already slated for replacement by the VF-19 (a full role out that we know never actually happens since between this and Frontier the UNG is reorganized into the NUNG and NUNS adopts the VF-171 as a cheaper option instead before beginning the decentralized fleet's choice method of VF development). So frankly, the VF-11 pilots are just woefully under armed against the enemy they are fighting (which is something of a trope Macross tends to use, as the same is true of the VF-171 pilots in Frontier when fighting the Vajra early on, except they got upgrades later).

Also I assume you meant Diamond and Emerald squads, heh. Bit early for Delta, lol.

Hope that helps.

[MisaForever]

Welcome to the madhouse, lol. It gets even better in Encore, the movie, and Dynamite. (Some people think Dynamite isn't good, but I love it.... then again some think all of 7 is bad.. it is different yes, but I actually like it).

This is amusing cause I just started an M7 rewatch myself to get my by the last month of my deployment. I'm up to episode 19 but I've seen it all. So let me take a stab at your questions.

1. I don't know honestly.. part of it might be the noticeable disparity between Chie Kajiura and Tomo Sakurai's voices. Tomo gives Mylene a rather high pitched and childlike voice that fits her personality and temperment, and age, while Chie's singing suddenly transformers Mylene into a much older and almost (to me) sultry sounding musician. Most of the music was likely pre-recorded... but even if so the reason Basara's probably sounds so natural is likely up to the true masterful work of Yoshiki Fukuyama, of whom I'm quite the fan of thanks to this show. The man is like John Lennon if he were Japanese, and he, along with his various bands over time (including Hummingbird which was still together when M7 was being made) were notable for always making live performances sound as good as studio performances. He might just simply be a natural at it, and it makes Kajiura-san sound less good by comparison.

2. It is hard to decide if the Protodeviln are really experiencing the same human like emotions, but I think Gigil definitely did love Sivil. I don't think Sivil shared that feeling nor even considered such a thing until Basara... erm... awoke within her such feelings. Course at that point Sivil was more obsessed with Basara, but she did seem to acknowledge Gigil in the end.

3. It's Protodeviln.. others are just misspellings. Yeah, it's a weird word.

4. Because it's a Macross show... only the heroes get to do well, lol. Joking aside though, the actual reason is by the time this show takes place, the VF-11C is an outdated model, and already slated for replacement by the VF-19 (a full role out that we know never actually happens since between this and Frontier the UNG is reorganized into the NUNG and NUNS adopts the VF-171 as a cheaper option instead before beginning the decentralized fleet's choice method of VF development). So frankly, the VF-11 pilots are just woefully under armed against the enemy they are fighting (which is something of a trope Macross tends to use, as the same is true of the VF-171 pilots in Frontier when fighting the Vajra early on, except they got upgrades later).

Also I assume you meant Diamond and Emerald squads, heh. Bit early for Delta, lol.

Hope that helps.

Wow, you hit the nails on the heads.

I bolded some of your answers that were EXACTLY what I was thinking. I hear many Beatles-like riffs and styling when listening to some of the songs (I have the Ultra Fire album). And yes, Chie makes Mylene sound much older and sultry. Good word.

That all makes sense so I'm glad I assumed most of it. I love the series so far and am pretty sure I'll love everything else once I see them.

What's the best order to watch everything in BTW?

[Master Dex]

Good question, because the movie takes place somewhere between episodes 38 and 40 of the show (it is an estimate based on a couple of the villains that appear), and Encore is often speculated to be between episodes 39 and 42.. so roughly the same time. Encore however is just 3 extra episodes that have nothing to do with the main story so they can literally be viewed whenever (well actually, they have to be before the last episode at least for reasons). The order for encore is fluid, but the release list has Fleet of the Strongest Women first (and imo the best one), followed by On Stage, and Which one do you love? being last.

Dynamite 7 is a lot easier as it takes place after the series finale and represents something of a wrap up for the cast. Though it is an entirely new plot with a completely new soundtrack which got its own album (except for the song Angel Voice, which is not on the Dynamite album but has a very important appearance in the OVA).

[MisaForever]

Cool, okay. That helps out. Thanks

[hachi]

>>What's the best order to watch everything in BTW?

I watched the series first and then everything else after. Everything else after was like dessert.

I mean, after all those repeating songs you'll welcome the new songs haha. I loved Heart & Soul and Angel Voice.

[JB0]

I've been rewatching 7 myself lately, with some friends.

One thing that really struck me is how much care Mylene gets in the animation.

She's wearing a different outfit every episode, and I haven't noticed them recycling clothes. The closest Basara gets to a new outfit is an episode where they swapped the shirt and bandanna colors, and I think that was an accident. Which is really bizarre given how readily Basara steals the spotlight every episode.

I also noticed the "vampire" plotline just gets dropped without any resolution. They simply stop talking about them shortly after Sivil wakes up. It is actually kinda shocking if you're looking for it.

And while I've spent years complaining about how Basara is a brick wall in a spotlight... I grudgingly admit the character has some nuance going on. He is hard to pin down, and widely open to interpretation, but there are strong hints of motivation and definite thoughts deeper than "LISTEN TO MY SONG" running through his head.

He's still far closer to "force of nature" than "relatable human", but... like I said, I grudgingly admit there's some human in there.

[MisaForever]

JB0:

All that is true, good points. Also it seems like Mylene's face is quite different from scene to scene but I just blame that on bad animation.

BTW now I understand your "Dr. Chiba is Lady M" theory.

[MisaForever]

>>What's the best order to watch everything in BTW?

I watched the series first and then everything else after. Everything else after was like dessert.

I mean, after all those repeating songs you'll welcome the new songs haha. I loved Heart & Soul and Angel Voice.

Sounds good, thanks.

[MadCatChiken]

I hear many Beatles-like riffs and styling when listening to some of the songs (I have the Ultra Fire album).

I thought the song Heart and Soul especially the live variant is very Led Zeppelin with the switching between 12 and 6 strings and the riff just before the guitar solo. Also Holy Lonely Night on Fukuyama Fire has some Deep Purple/Richie Blackmore esque solo and riffing too. In fact does anyone know if Fukuyama has any non macross stuff on Spotify or equivalent?

Just started a rewatch of 7 after Delta disappointment. (Just finished a Frontier rewatch). Good to listen to some rock again.

Edited October 20, 2016 by MadCatChiken

[Master Dex]

I thought the song Heart and Soul especially the live variant is very Led Zeppelin with the switching between 12 and 6 strings and the riff just before the guitar solo. Also Holy Lonely Night on Fukuyama Fire has some Deep Purple/Richie Blackmore esque solo and riffing too. In fact does anyone know if Fukuyama has any non macross stuff on Spotify or equivalent?

Just started a rewatch of 7 after Delta disappointment. (Just finished a Frontier rewatch). Good to listen to some rock again.

Not that I've seen on the major streaming services.. though Google Play has a surprising amount of Japanese stuff that will show up in a similar to category (but the closest to Fukuyama is probably JAM Project, of which he is a member).

Honestly if you want to listen to Fukuyama's work, just look into his several albums. They are all good in different ways, and if you want even more than that you can look up some of Hummingbird's discography (Fukuyama-san's band around the time Macross 7 was being made). They're all easy enough to find online for purchase (they are also easy enough to find other ways but I am not going to tell you where or how of course as doing it that way is for you to decide and figure out).

[MisaForever]

Why is Dedako Baby!!! so freaking addicting.

Edited October 21, 2016 by MisaForever

[Master Dex]

Why is Dedako Baby!!! so freaking addicting.

You'll eventually get over it, but Seventh Moon will be with you forever, lol. (Cause it is at the beginning of every episode, good thing it is a good opening song.. though like Dynamite Explosion more).

[MisaForever]

You'll eventually get over it, but Seventh Moon will be with you forever, lol. (Cause it is at the beginning of every episode, good thing it is a good opening song.. though like Dynamite Explosion more).

Yeah, they're all good songs. Been listening to all of them in my car lately.

[Mazinger]

My personal favorites:

* Angel Voice

* Dynamite Explosion

* My Soul for you

* Submarine Street (acoustic preferred)

* Remember 16 (acoustic preferred)

* Heart & Soul

Though I love M7, totsugeki Love Heart, Planet Dance, and Holy Lonely Night, the traditional favorites, just don't do it for me.

I may be weird though, because I much prefer any song from Delta to ANY song from Frontier.

[MisaForever]

So.... I watched the Macross 7 movie: Ginga ga Ore wo Yondeiru!

Umm.... hmmmm..... so I enjoyed it but so much of it didn't MAKE ANY SENSE.

- Why was Emilia on that planet living in a cave IN THE FIRST PLACE??? Did her family disown her?

- Why was her singing/noise causing issues for the town?

- Why did her mech exhaust different colors? What effect, if any did it have?

- Why did the movie end so abruptly?

- Why was it only 30 minutes??!! Hardly a movie.

Overall I enjoyed it, especially the little kid but.... C'mon!!

Edited October 22, 2016 by MisaForever

[Master Dex]

So.... I watched the Macross 7 movie: Ginga ga Ore wo Yondeiru!

Umm.... hmmmm..... so I enjoyed it but so much of it didn't MAKE ANY SENSE.

- Why was Emilia on that planet living in a cave IN THE FIRST PLACE??? Did her family disown her?

- Why was her singing/noise causing issues for the town?

- Why did her mech exhaust different colors? What effect, if any did it have?

- Why did the movie end so abruptly?

- Why was it only 30 minutes??!! Hardly a movie.

Overall I enjoyed it, especially the little kid but.... C'mon!!

Easy answers really.

Emilia needed a remote enough area to practice singing that wouldn't be too disruptive, she actually says this. As it turns out, she was still being a bit disruptive since the sound of her voice carried and scared the townsfolk (which is why it was an issue btw). No one wants really loud noises where they live. Talk to anyone who lives near train tracks, airport flight lines, and wind farms. As for why she wanted to sing macronized instead of the easier to manage miclone size... she probably just preferred being macro honestly. That's her mother's Zentradi blood in her, and while Milia has adapted to being a miclone, many Zentradi just like their larger size more (such as Exedol, though his reasons are slightly vain).

Her mech has multicolored smoke machines installed because it is flashy and she is training to be a performer. It's showmanship, lol. Basara's valkyrie was putting on a laser light show at the same time after all. Don't tell me you've never seen a smoke machine used at a concert before, lol.

The movie ended abruptly because it had a 30 minute run time, lol. It has that because it was a theatrical movie for a Japanese anime series. This was actually very common in the 90s and early 2000s for there to be short half our movies made for TV shows, especially if they got more than one movie. Today more full length movies are happening but a common thing to do back then was to have multiple shows get movies and then theaters would double feature them and play them back to back for the price of one ticket. Often to two movies would be made by the same production company I'd surmise. In this case Macross 7 the movie was double billed with the release of Macross Plus Movie Edition (which played second, and while that one was feature length, it was a good opportunity to cash in on the fans of both Macross Plus and 7).

[hachi]

I liked Emilia's singing voice more than Mylene's. Quite powerful. I think it would have been great to have more epic duets with her and Basara.

[MisaForever]

Easy answers really.

Emilia needed a remote enough area to practice singing that wouldn't be too disruptive, she actually says this. As it turns out, she was still being a bit disruptive since the sound of her voice carried and scared the townsfolk (which is why it was an issue btw). No one wants really loud noises where they live. Talk to anyone who lives near train tracks, airport flight lines, and wind farms. As for why she wanted to sing macronized instead of the easier to manage miclone size... she probably just preferred being macro honestly. That's her mother's Zentradi blood in her, and while Milia has adapted to being a miclone, many Zentradi just like their larger size more (such as Exedol, though his reasons are slightly vain).

Her mech has multicolored smoke machines installed because it is flashy and she is training to be a performer. It's showmanship, lol. Basara's valkyrie was putting on a laser light show at the same time after all. Don't tell me you've never seen a smoke machine used at a concert before, lol.

The movie ended abruptly because it had a 30 minute run time, lol. It has that because it was a theatrical movie for a Japanese anime series. This was actually very common in the 90s and early 2000s for there to be short half our movies made for TV shows, especially if they got more than one movie. Today more full length movies are happening but a common thing to do back then was to have multiple shows get movies and then theaters would double feature them and play them back to back for the price of one ticket. Often to two movies would be made by the same production company I'd surmise. In this case Macross 7 the movie was double billed with the release of Macross Plus Movie Edition (which played second, and while that one was feature length, it was a good opportunity to cash in on the fans of both Macross Plus and 7).

Okay. Obviously I'm over-thinking it. Thanks for the answers and sorry for all the questions.

I think my main frustration was that it /WAS/ so short and I wanted to see more of Emilia and more depth to her.

[Master Dex]

Okay. Obviously I'm over-thinking it. Thanks for the answers and sorry for all the questions.

I think my main frustration was that it /WAS/ so short and I wanted to see more of Emilia and more depth to her.

You and me both! It was also clear she and Basara were hitting it off, and since Basara usually doesn't even react to women being interested in him that was pretty telling!

I still want to see a Jenius family reunion OVA where everyone appears and naturally plot requires them to all team up as a family of ace pilots (and Mirage) to, I don't know, save the day or something.

[MisaForever]

I liked Emilia's singing voice more than Mylene's. Quite powerful. I think it would have been great to have more epic duets with her and Basara.

Yeah, she had a great voice.

[David Hingtgen]

My personal favorites:

* Angel Voice

* Dynamite Explosion

* My Soul for you

* Submarine Street (acoustic preferred)

* Remember 16 (acoustic preferred)

* Heart & Soul

Though I love M7, totsugeki Love Heart, Planet Dance, and Holy Lonely Night, the traditional favorites, just don't do it for me.

I thought I was the only "Heart and Soul" fan here. Sometimes I wonder if it's even better than Holy Lonely Light. (but it's not) We really need more Emilia songs...

[Master Dex]

I always liked Flash in the Dark more, but Heart and Soul is definitely good. Fukuyama-san even did a solo version of it on Fukuyama Fire.

[Scyla]

I also prefer Flash in the Dark but Heart and Soul is still one of my favorite M7 songs.

[JB0]

Heart and Soul ++

[Mazinger]

Actually forgot about Flash in the Dark, that really is a good one.

[Marzan]

Heart and Soul is absolutely magnificent. One of the absolute top Macross songs of all. It has everything. Emilia matches Basara's pipes which is not that easy to do.

I'd like to hear Junna have a a go at doing a cover version of it

[Kelsain]

I think my main frustration was that it /WAS/ so short and I wanted to see more of Emilia and more depth to her.

I think we ALL wanted to see more of Emilia, in every way that can be interpreted.

Really, Emilia was a very good character - more engaging in that 1/2 hour than many other characters that had a full series. Not just dissing Delta here, I'm talking full franchise.

One of the best voices in a 30 year series about singing, great mecha skillz, good backstory & a great Mikimoto character design (supported by the high production value of the short).

She really was a "Flash in the Dark."

[MisaForever]

I think we ALL wanted to see more of Emilia, in every way that can be interpreted.

Really, Emilia was a very good character - more engaging in that 1/2 hour than many other characters that had a full series. Not just dissing Delta here, I'm talking full franchise.

One of the best voices in a 30 year series about singing, great mecha skillz, good backstory & a great Mikimoto character design (supported by the high production value of the short).

She really was a "Flash in the Dark."

+1 to all this.

Also.... I'm almost done with just the last two Dynamite episodes to go. But..... space whales/hippies/animals eating each other/weird music? Was the director of Dynamite on something at the time? LOL I don't quite get it.

[Mazinger]

+1 to all this.

Also.... I'm almost done with just the last two Dynamite episodes to go. But..... space whales/hippies/animals eating each other/weird music? Was the director of Dynamite on something at the time? LOL I don't quite get it.

Whales and space combine together quite logically.

[Master Dex]

+1 to all this.

Also.... I'm almost done with just the last two Dynamite episodes to go. But..... space whales/hippies/animals eating each other/weird music? Was the director of Dynamite on something at the time? LOL I don't quite get it.

You mean Kawamori? I actually really like Dynamite.. you have to kinda see past the obvious and read into the story. Basara and the stuff he does is never blatantly obvious so why should the message of the story be? Besides... they are just called whales, it is actually a space-born organism that is capable of travel via fold energy transfer... duh.. lol.

And weird music? Most of Dynamite Fire kicks ass... and the ones that don't so much aren't even played in the OVA!

[MisaForever]

You mean Kawamori? I actually really like Dynamite.. you have to kinda see past the obvious and read into the story. Basara and the stuff he does is never blatantly obvious so why should the message of the story be? Besides... they are just called whales, it is actually a space-born organism that is capable of travel via fold energy transfer... duh.. lol.

And weird music? Most of Dynamite Fire kicks ass... and the ones that don't so much aren't even played in the OVA!

Well, Dynamite Explosion itself is great. It's the songs that Mylene sings, at least in the first two episodes, aren't really as catchy or good as her others IMO. And Basara sings some weird song while a bunch of wildlife scenes are displayed.

I dunno. I'll finish it and let you know.

[Kelsain]

GO! Is one of my favorite Fire Bomber songs.

[Master Dex]

Well, Dynamite Explosion itself is great. It's the songs that Mylene sings, at least in the first two episodes, aren't really as catchy or good as her others IMO. And Basara sings some weird song while a bunch of wildlife scenes are displayed.

I dunno. I'll finish it and let you know.

Feel the Universe is a wonderful song! One of my favorites from that album. It's a very Basara song too (and if you know him, it fits Fukuyama a lot too, and adds a bit to his Lennon-eqsue visage. Though you might have to watch the lyrics more closely to really see that, I get flashes of 'Imagine' from some of the lines).

Edited October 26, 2016 by Master Dex

[MisaForever]

Feel the Universe is a wonderful song! One of my favorites from that album. It's a very Basara song too (and if you know him, it fits Fukuyama a lot too, and adds a bit to his Lennon-eqsue visage. Though you might have to watch the lyrics more closely to really see that, I get flashes of 'Imagine' from some of the lines).

Eh. Okay, we'll agree to disagree on some of the songs. I prefer the upbeat, rock n' roll songs of his honestly.

I'm sure it is very 'Basara' hence some of my issue with his character but he's still cool.