Kita ze Inbou! - キタぜ陰謀!

Series Information

ANN Encyclopedia | AniDB | AnimeNfo
Genres: Drama, Mecha, Science Fiction
OP: [Triangular] by Maaya Sakamoto
ED: [Diamond Crevasse (ダイアモンド クレバス)] by Sheryl Nome starring May’n / May Nakabayashi
マクロス FRONTIER

[ Episode 1: クロース・エンカウンター ]

FRONTIER. Angelic Sheryl. Princess Alto. Nyan-Nyan!

[Enjoyment Value: 11/10]

Huh? What’s that? An EV rating at the beginning of Leon’s thoughts? You damn right it’s right at the start because, dear god, I LOVE MACROSS SO MUCH. I’ve been a fan of the series since I was a child and first saw Macross Plus and then I found out about the others slowly. Now Macross FRONTIER is before me and I was completely blown away. It really pays to watch both the Deculture edition of the episode as well as the Broadcast version. There are some rather distinct differences to be found and, well, honestly I believe it deserves to be watched more than once. The premiere is EASILY one of the best of the season and gives Geass R2 and Soul Eater more than a run for its money. Come and delve into my fanboy thoughts of this superb introduction into the newest world of Macross.

Pardon me but does “HOLY SHIT” reflect just how much I was astounded by the premiere of Macross? My eyes were assaulted with AMAZING animation, character designs, backgrounds, and excellent battle choreography. My ears were blessed with sounds only Kanno Yoko can produce and by none other than the voice of the Galactic Angel Sheryl Nome. Going on to the characters, Sheryl has instantly become a favorite of mine. Her demeanor and behavior intrigued me from the opening and I’m quite interested in seeing why she acts the way she does in certain situations such as when she was approached by Alto. Ah yes, Alto. He’s a pretty good guy and so far is a pretty good main lead which isn’t easy to accomplish. I can’t not mention how much fun is poked at him for looking like a girl. There’s one particular guy who calls him “Princess Alto” as well. Priceless stuff.Lanka is pretty cute and quite the cheerful girl. She’s going to be an interesting character to keep up with. After seeing all three of them, I think this episode pretty much sets up what I call the “Macross Deculture Triple Threat of Love Triangle”. If you’re a fan of Macross then you probably already know why I even bothered to point that out in such a ridiculous manner. Either way, these three are already turning out to be among the best characters of the season.

I’d like to point out a few of the changes between the two versions of the episode. There were notable cuts and rearrangements throughout the broadcast episode which were most notably the arrival of Sheryl via shuttle and a few others. The biggest change was the extended concert scene which really has me torn. While I loved the mixture of the concert and the battle in the special broadcast I also fell for the extended concert scene because I loved seeing Alto holding Sheryl in his arms while she continued to sing so beautifully despite it not being scripted.

The OP was lovely. I loved it. It fit perfectly with the sequence itself and personally I thought it was fitting for a Macross series, especially when you look at the love triangle aspect. Not to mention it is titled Triangular to begin with! The ED was too short to form a full opinion on but I liked what I heard so far.

If you aren’t already watching Macross Frontier, then what the hell are you doing? GO IT WATCH NOW!

It’s been a while since the christmas preview of Macross Frontier, and now it’s April and finally get a taste of this space opera that supposes to be the greatest adventure that doesn’t involve area 11. I’ll get this right out of the way: Satelite has done a superb job with the animation, and there is no other soul I can think of, besides Soul Eater or Code Geass, that compares to it on the animation department. The soundtrack is also epic thanks to Yoko Kanno and the OP was very uplifting as well. I didn’t like the ED as much, though.

The show also has a lot of CG, and while normally I detest this graphic form when it comes to Japanese animation, I have to say that in Macross it contributes a lot to the overall visual style. The different battleships look stylish and the aliens look menacing than most creatures I have seen in recent memory.

The plot in Macross was my main problem of it because everything was moving so fast and nothing is known. One moment we see an over-estatic young girl who is excited to see her idol performs in her local town and the next, an alien attack on a space colony. I do have to say I love how they intergrated the attack on the colony and the performance of Sheryl Norme together. Her song surprisingly complimented the dogfight scene with all the acrobatics and laser being shot, it was definitely the most memorable moment of the episode.

I also like the fact the broadcast version of this episode is different that the christmas one. In the christmas one what’s emphasized is how Alto and his crew are preparing for testing their suits whereas the final broadcasts version cuts the entire scene all the way to when Alto flies for the first time. I also liked the scene when Alto, despite the words of his leader, tries to pull off his corkscrew and almost knocks the arrogant Sheryl, but manages to save her. She, being a “pro” and all, manages to keep on performing despite the obvious blunder.

There were some cool moments in Macross, but I admit, I wanted the story to flow better because as of now, I am confused. Why is Alto mad at Sheryl for not saving her fans during the attack? Did she have her own rescue ship? How does the girl, Lanka, is related to all this and who was the man at the millitary who referred to her before the attack? Her father? And most importantly, who are those alien race that sought destruction upon the colony? I’ll watch a few more episodes to see if gets any more organized, but I can at least say it’s one hell of a ride.

7.5/10