THAT Animeblog

108 Comments so far

1. Impz August 24th, 2008 2:05 am

   I actually got really turned off by Ranka this episode, despite my obvious preference for a green haired DFC compared to a full-bodied pink-haired bishoujo. Nonetheless, I find myself supporting Sheryl more and more, as her strong personality (despite being weak at times of personal pain) and her attitude of never giving up much more pleasant than the childish and ridiculous actions and antics of Ranka.

   If anything, Sheryl’s slap and hug routine really pulled out the shots for me, and I am very impressed with Sheryl. In fact, I will go as far to say that Sheryl should be with Alto, simply because she knows what is love compared to the selfish and blinded love of Ranka. Ranka is way too young, childish and emotionally unstable (due to her maturity) to have Alto’s love for now.

   Sheryl, on the other hand, is the one that alleviated the spirits of those in the moment of despair. As she said clearly, if Ranka is the songstress of hope, I believe Sheryl to be the Healer in imminent despair. Her voice, despite the inability to fend off the Vajra, can relieve and heal the hearts of everyone who is fearful of death. They might still die, but because of Sheryl, she gives back calmness.

   Of course, the biggest pull to the heart is definitely the death of Mikhail. Since it is clear that he has been sucked away into outer space with his body pierced through front to back by a Vajra, I think it’s pretty apparent that he’s dead, gone and out of the picture.

   It’s one of the more poignant and beautiful scenes in Macross Frontier by any degree. I almost cried, which is almost unthinkable in a mecha series, but the pull to my heart is so strong because it is definitely the worst thing ever when the person you love dies right in front of you in order to protect you from harm. He never did say that he loved her. That’s the saddest thing for Klan, but she’s still fricking awesome in my books.

2. mel August 24th, 2008 6:14 am

   Sheryl’s almost too awesome for words. Same with Klan. The scene with Michael was powerful.

   Ranka wishing herself (and everyone else)dead was about the lowest she has sunk so far. I didn’t like her before and now I just can’t stand her. The parallels are interesting, when you consider how they started and where they are. Ranka wishing she died because of her crush and refusing to help. Sheryl actually dying and trying to hang on and help people. Ranka can’t be blamed totally for causing the attack, but like you said her refusal to do something is the problem here.

   Unless there is some epic character growth or epic trolling, I just can’t picture Ranka with Alto right now. When she flashed back to Brera I really wonder if she even loves Alto in the first place.

   Also Minmay > Ranka. Minmay at least sung and saved the day even with her heart broken, if you consider DYRL.

3. rollchan August 24th, 2008 7:38 am

   what will happen to Klan2x?

   this is so saddening…

4. Cherubium August 24th, 2008 7:46 am

   Ranka really is down in the dumps.

   GO Sheryl!!!!

   Wah I want Grace to be stabbed and sent into space T_T

5. Ascaloth August 24th, 2008 8:07 am

   This episode is proof that Sunrise CAN do a proper death scene, as well as making it such that there is no doubt in the minds of the viewers that it’s for real. Why the Sunrise A-team of Code Geass can’t do the same as the B-team of Macross Frontier still eludes me, although the revelation of Sunrise executive meddling did explain a lot.

   No, honestly. This is the closest I have gotten to shedding tears in a mecha anime. That speaks a great deal for itself.

   Overly harsh on Ranka? Not in the least, Crusader-shogun.

   Someone give Sheryl a Core Drill.

6. bakaneko August 24th, 2008 8:16 am

   I can’t believe I’m going to speak for Ranka here but there are still six or so episodes left, and Ranka has to hit bottom or gone astray, so to speak, before she will mature, just like how everyone of us go thru in the rite of passage. Granted her cost of growing up was countless numbers of lives, one of which, and probably not the last, was someone close to her.

   Even Sheryl in the first episode, as Crusader had pointed out over and over, was very unlikeable too. Don’t forget that her indifference toward her fans as she drove off in her limousine amidst the first Vajra attack on Frontier seemed just as heartless as Ranka in this episode. The difference here is that Sheryl’s immaturity happened at a time when it would not cause catastrophe while Ranka’s resulted in consequence far less remediable and forgivable.

   Don’t get me wrong. I detested everything she did in this episode. Even after seeing her friend Nanase lying on the burning ground could she not think of the gravity of the situation but just how warm and tender Alto’s hand was. So damn selfish and conceited. Outright hardheaded.

   As much as Sheryl on the surface cared for no one, she was very emotional and tenderly toward anyone she saw in agony; unlike Ranka, who on the surface seemed the cute innocent girl who would sing for everyone, in reality had no respect for her fans or much anyone else, going to look for her pet instead of the parade made for her, and sang only for her Alto, whom, as Crusader said, she wanted more of his loving than loving him.

   But let me bring it back to my original point: everyone of us has some life lessons that wake us up and turned us around in a heartbreaking way, some with more consequences than others, which leave various degrees of scars. The scar will run deep for Ranka, but hopefully deeper scar means a greater character in the future. She still has six episodes left. Let’s hold off our ropes and pitchforks and see how Ranka will redeem herself first. We can all be Sheryl too: slap to reprimand but hug to reassure.

7. Milestailsprowe August 24th, 2008 8:17 am

   I blame Luca for Mikhails death cause hew as there suited up adn didnt fire a single shot

8. Westlo August 24th, 2008 8:27 am

   Uh Ascaloth this is produced by Studio Satelite who have done such works as Macross Zero, Noein (underrated show), Shugo Chara and Hellsing Ultimate. Nothing to do with Sunrise.

   And the best animation from Sunrise in tv series doesn’t come close to Satelite, Sunrise haven’t been near the top of the animation tree since Bones was formed. Ep 12 fight in Noein > everything Sunrise have done in the last 5 years.

9. vjean August 24th, 2008 8:34 am

   Thanks for a great write up on this one Crusader !
   As her memories slowly return, Ranka is almost ready to reconnect with Brera as a sibling. However she’s not at all ready for an adult relationship with Alto. The slap scene seemed like 2 parents dealing with their out of control child, not a love triangle. Sheryl was awesome throughout. The only humorous moment in this episode was the end of Cathy’s engagement. The loss of Mikhail was hard to watch – and your tribute is appreciated.

10. Ascaloth August 24th, 2008 10:03 am

    @Westlo,

    Oh dear, and to think that all this time I’ve been watching Frontier thinking I’m going to have to admit that Sunrise can come up with good stuff once in a while. I am such an idiot. :p

    Even so, you might not want to let certain people hear you say what you said about Sunrise, if only to avoid more whining and ranting.

11. tofu August 24th, 2008 10:27 am

    who shall be the next to go?

12. jack August 24th, 2008 10:46 am

    I haven’t turned on Ranka over this episode (which I suppose means I’m not going to turn on her at all), but damn if it didn’t put things in perspective.

    She’s a kid, caught up in events beyond her current comprehension. She’s got no learning curve to tell her how to roll with the punches. This is her learning curve. Couldn’t hit the ground running, mentally? She’s a kid. Should she win the hand of the fair princess? She’s a kid. Is she culpable for the events that have cored themselves around her?

    In time she may be able to stand in line and fire six aimed shots a minute, but at this point she’ll throw down her arms and run, or keep loading round after round until there’s no more room to cram them in, or in the best case scenario fire once and then throw down her arms and run. She’s good with preparation and nobody should let Episode 12 stray from their minds, the cute thing has heart. She has no discipline though. She also has no perspective, and must interpret things as how they relate to her, and Haruhi-sama knows Grace has done her no favors (I think she’s regressed, of all things) and likely with malice of forethought. She’s a kid. She’s not doing this on purpose. We expected too much from her, and she just couldn’t deliver.

13. Zentari August 24th, 2008 10:55 am

    @Crusader : I take back every bad thing I have ever said about you.

14. mel August 24th, 2008 11:03 am

    She’s a kid

    Pretty much an easy way to sum it up. She might have flashes of brilliance, but for the most part she’s a kid. A spoiled confused kid at that.

15. Eirias August 24th, 2008 11:15 am

    @jack, mel

    Ranka is 16, this is true. Sheryl is 17. She isn’t acting like a child.

16. jack August 24th, 2008 11:26 am

    @Eirias

    That recommends Sheryl more than it condems Ranka. Sheryl is a jewel who Will Never Go Hungry Again, and Ranka is a commoner who’s spent her entire mentally accessable lifetime in a multi-person conspiracy Not to Wake the Baby. Seriously, her father-figure ditched the best thing he had going to raise her without angst flare-ups. I’m surprised he settled for lying to her that he wasn’t going back to piloting instead of not going back to piloting, it’s the biggest non-concession he made to her. Ranka’s acting like a child because for various non-malicious and non-extraordinary reasons she hasn’t become an adult yet, not because she warrents contempt.

17. jack August 24th, 2008 11:38 am

    Like her descsion not to follow biohazard procedure and report Ai-kun and maybe have him chucked into an incinerator as an anomoulous biological. If she’d followed the rules, Ai-kun would have at the least been taken away from her, that was as deep as the theory penetrated. Somewhere on Galaxy, a cute as a button cyborg-girl just made the same call about a warf rat. It’s infuriating, but it’s normal. We long for the person on the spot to be a wee hollander who will stand through the night and keep the land safe from flood, but mostly it’s just Ranka out there.

18. tueac August 24th, 2008 12:04 pm

    ranka is the modern min mei… which means that she is going to most likely suffer the same fate…

    in career and maybe in life… when someone is push up high, the sudden fall will be painful, especially when that someone have no pillar/s…

    the truth is ranka will be useless after the crisis… much like our(Team Singapore) table tennis manager… and coach…

19. Haesslich August 24th, 2008 12:48 pm

    Here’s the issue: Ranka’s never had to deal with disappointment before (good going, Ozma – way to baby her all the way to adulthood where the damage can be WORSE), which means she didn’t know how to cope with it here. Worse yet, no matter how much Ranka says she loves Alto, does things for Alto, and is disappointed she didn’t know anything about Alto’s Kabuki past… what does she do? The answer is… either a) nothing, or b) what she’s told to do. There’s never her ‘acting for her own interest’ or even ‘asking questions’.

    Look at episode 10: she’s upset she didn’t know Alto was a kabuki performer, which is where he got his advice about not forcing things from (which he gave her earlier that episode). So, after that… what does she do? Nothing. She doesn’t seem to pump Grace for info (Sheryl did this), doesn’t ask his friends about his past (Mikhail would be a natural person to turn to, since he’s in Skull Squadron), doesn’t even talk to Alto except once or twice (at Gallia 4 and when she asked if she should keep singing in Episode 17). She doesn’t tell him she likes him, and expects Alto to run after her confessing love when she expects him to. And then when she sees him standing with Sheryl doesn’t even really ask what’s going on, but runs away assuming the worst and is unwilling to fight for him or even inquire as to what WAS really going down.

    Worse yet, she’s had zero character development over the past eight episodes – at least Alto and Sheryl have grown some as characters. Ranka’s just sat there on the sidelines expecting everything to be handed to her, because she’s Ranka and it’s always happened. Part of the point of a drama is watching how characters deal with situations and change for the better or worse. Ranka’s done no changing, and when she starts wishing herself dead and doing nothing (not even looking shocked or horrified) as people die around her, there’s very little sympathy that will be mustered.

    Ranka isn’t a professional, isn’t disciplined, and isn’t grown up – those aren’t excuses for what happened here. Even a child will often try to do SOMETHING in the middle of a disaster, be it hide or look scared or try to help others. Only very young children (ages 4 or under) will stand there crying and not care about what’s going on around them for the most part. If next episode shows her whining ‘oh, woe is me… everyone around me is dying but woe is me…’, then she’ll have successfully completed the Lin Minmay school of ‘How to be a Self-Absorbed Bitch and Lose Your Man in 5 easy steps’.

    Good going, Ozma – you really fucked everyone now. You should’ve let Ranka deal with at least a BIT of disappointment instead of spoiling her to the point where not having everything go her way made her wish she and everyone else was dead.

    Hell, she’s with her love interest and all she can think about is Brera? Yeah, we know how much you ‘love’ Alto… since you didn’t even get to know him, don’t seem interested in trying to help him keep you alive, etc.

20. Nakki August 24th, 2008 3:17 pm

    I fully agree with you about Ranka. Personally, I don’t dislike Ranka, I even liked her in the beginning. But episode 19 and 20 have really made any respect for her disappear to the hole. No more kind-guy game for Ranka, it’s time to face up and receive your own trouble, Ranka.

    The starlight Date light up my dislike for Ranka, and it worsen on this episode. I mean, sure I don’t blame Ranka for being heartbroken and all, she’s still new in love. But her way of dealing with the “imagined” rejection is far too shallow in any perspective. Who would say, “I want to die” just because you saw someone you loved being with another woman? I would say that she is childish and spoiled, not innocent and inexperienced anymore. Saying the thing over this trivial matter of imagination is anything but shallow for a woman. No way I can accept that as a woman myself.

    Moreover she reject Alto begging for her to sing to save the people, and I emphasize on “the people”. So she would sing only if Alto was in real danger, like in Episode 13, not even prioritizing the people beforehand? This is no more pure love, as the biased Ranka fans called, this is pure self-centered and not healthy admiration. I also wonder how in the heck did she refuse to sing because she does not want to be a tool to kill the vajras, yet ACCEPT the job beforehand and yes, she has been informed of this in Episode 16 or 17… This is just so selfish and indecisive of Ranka at this point of stage.

    Sheryl, on the other hand, has really shown me of why I liked her in the first place. As you pointed out, she grew from “the bitch” prima donna into the selfless woman who can comfort those who are in despair, even though she does not have power like Ranka. I don’t even think any praise from me is needed anymore, as she has proven to anyone alive that she indeed is incredible, despite her being “normal” and handicapped with death. She can do what Ranka can’t do:Trying to realize people’s hope amidst of her own despair. And I agree that Alto/Sheryl is in more sense right now, since Ranka still need to grow up from her childhishness first before having any romantic relationship with anyone. And I must say Sheryl’s relationship development with Alto fleshes out their true personal character development, making their relationship more interesting in any way possible. This is one form of mutual love that I have been seeking in animes over these years-The relationship that build up both participants’ personality in the process. And, yes, even though Alto could reject Sheryl, the fact that his growth until now, i.e. facing his own past that he has been running away from, is because of Sheryl would not change, and vice versa. I would call Alto a dope though for rejecting Sheryl

    With Ranka, I just see the act of protecting (Protecting # love here), and even though we were being smacked in the face with the supposed-to-be-romantic events more than Sheryl, just one event with Sheryl outdo any of his personal character growth with Ranka, which involve Ranka, Ranka, and ALWAYS Ranka more than Alto ownself and did not help any development for either characters. I believe Sheryl is reaching the finishing line far more in front of Ranka (The ‘gentle’ smile in this episode help X) FINALLY THE HIME-SAMA TURNS TO OUJI-SAMA… Only for one moment though ^^u), as long as Kawamori does not screw up his brain and decide ‘the wisher who does nothing to know him win’ BS. When he does that, I would have lost my respect for him that he managed to get from SDFM and Escaflowne. Nothing can save Alto/Ranka now for me, even if there is Ranka sudden development to Sheryl’s point in this episode (which is absurd, sudden being the key-Sheryl have to do that in the whole 19 episodes, Ranka is only given 1-4 episodes if the triangle are supposed to end early. I’ll give my 2 cents it would end in 22-25 or even in the next episode of 28 episodes).

    All I can hope is that Ranka would redeem herself in the next episode (Azure Ether from gg subs). It is said that she would make a major decision, so she should get the justified character development for now, as little it may be. All I can hope for now is that Ranka would finally be able to grow up and bloom to a beautiful flower she should be able to in the end…

    Also, I would like to know what would be Klan’s role in the future, given that she is the only one who have the knowledge of Sheryl’s illness. In regard to this, IF Klan died in the next episode, then all hope for Sheryl to recover would be lost, as the girl would carry this secret of her to the grave judging from her personality. So unless Klan lives to tell the tale to Alto or anyone possible, or the hard-headed girl finally gives in and admit, or Grace bitch it out to the world, I would have to buy a tissue box because the previous one was already spent for this episode…

    Michael, R.I.P. I would not cry anymore, as you have been given the perfect heroic death and has proven to the world that yes, you indeed is honourable man *salutes* Now Alto surely have to have the character development I have been waiting for (His is so overshadowed by the girls that I want to see his real character growth now) So that Michael death would not be in true despair and vain not counting the heroic act of saving one he loves.

21. Kaori August 24th, 2008 3:20 pm

    People using the excuse that Ranka is a “kid” (mind you she is 16 damn years old, she is a teenager, not a kid.) to excuse her actions is just as revolting. Who cares if Ranka is a “kid”? She knew when vajras attacks that it is her job to sing, she has done this in the previous episodes and just because her heart may have been broken is no excuse to let the people suffer.

    She “loves” Alto yet she refused to sing even after he begged her!? Is that someone Alto should be in a relationship with? She couldn’t sing even for HIM, Ranka just needs to be killed off and have her body dumped behind a dumpster with Ai-Kun fapping on it. I’m done with her and her bs.

22. square August 24th, 2008 3:54 pm

    Great write up but the “heart and soul” should have been a clip from the Macross 7 movie where Basara and Emilia sing “heart and soul” <3

    Ranka did try to sing in the end with a “nudge” from Sheryl. No one other Grace knows that there’s a correlation between Ranka’s emotion and the Vajra.

    I’m pretty proud of Alto his ep. He’s shown he’s grown into his role as a soldier. He upchucked in his first combat (ep1) but his time he took charge and did what he could.

    Of course Sheryl is awesome we all know that :3

    Michel, I think he can quote himself from ep 17 “if he died it would have been incredibly emotional”. Sad to see him go but he went out like the man he was.

23. zqube August 24th, 2008 4:30 pm

    So does that mean if the show stays on track Ranka will lose? I was never on the Ranka ship so that doesn’t bother me. Will they have Ranka rise up from this new low by the end of the show?

    I sure hope not because I like the current course that the plot is taking.

24. indr0008 August 24th, 2008 7:13 pm

    i was once in the ranka ship……stupid me
    ahhh another week of turmoil in the wait of another episode of Sherylicous (damn i sound like a pervert)

25. Crusader August 24th, 2008 7:25 pm

    @Impz
    Yeah Sheryl seems to have out shined Ranka for most of this series, it’s a real pity since there was ample opportunity for Ranka to grow up a bit but they all kind of fizzled out in the end. Sheryl did what she could and that is all anyone can really ask of her. Ranka however this time did nothing… At least Alto-hime and Sheryl have some basis of mutaul attraction, with Ranka we have damsel in distress de jour.

    Mikhail certainly had a death worth of song, too bad Klein will have to go at it alone. Hopefully she will live on to carry on his memory.

    @mel
    Yeah DYRL Minmay was at least decent enough to sing a song that Misa found. I doubt Ranka will be wanting to sing a Sheryl song anytime soon. That Brera flashback just made Ranka seem even worse in light of her inaction.

    @rollchan
    Hopefully Klein will find some one else in a few years, but right now I hope she kicks some bug butt.

    @Ascaloth
    Other than Satelite =/= Sunrise Mikhail did have one of the more powerful deaths this season. In Rolo’s case it was dependent on whether or not you could forgive Rolo for all the wrongs he has committed. If you can’t Rolo’s death was too clean for such an evil shouta.

    @bakaneko
    Hopefully Ranka will never know why the Vajra reaceted the way they did to her song if she did she would be even more scared from the knowledge that her emo state brought about a Vajra murder streak. When Sheryl left in episode 1 she did one of three tenets of Patton: We herd cattle, we drive sheep. Lead me, follow me, or get the hell out of my way. Sheryl got the hell out of the way, while Ranka followed, but failed to contribute even after her dear friend Nanase was injured.

    Ranka messed up big time and while I don’t doubt that she will recover, its kind of late for that unless we focus only on Ranka and at the speed things are going Ranka is not going to have the spotlight to herself. If the rumors of Kawamori concluding the triangle sooner rather than later then Ranka has such dismal development with Alto-hime that it would take a major ass pull to justify it in the wake of this catastrophe. Ranka has had ample chances to grow up and so far hasn’t seized them to the fullest. Right now she is a kid.

    @Milestailsprowe
    Luca was at least firing his weapon and co9ming up with a plan. the poor Shouta can’t fight but at least he was trying to do something.

    @Westlo
    Gundam 00 had some good animation though some of the more recent episodes do fall under the moniker of QUALITY, but yeah Sunrise has no hand in Macross.

    @vjean
    Cathy broke up with Leon, that was how it was. End of story.

    Since Ranka can only think about Brera in her dreams these days I wish her all the best, but I agree. Ranka is not ready to enter a serious relationship, not yet anyway.

    @tofu
    I would ask for Leon to die, but more likely than not Klein seems to be a possible candidate.

    @jack
    I agree that much was expected of her and for a long time I was really hoping that Ranka would grow up. She may be 16 but mentally she is younger. I thnk this episode hammered home just how little Ranka has come in terms of maturity and might be a signal that Ranka will not be blossoming into womanhood by series end. My hopes for Ranka were high after episode 12, but then Brera, Grace, and now this happened and it’s just been a down hill slide for Ranka.

    I know she is a kid, but that is starting to become a problem Ranka cannot run away from this. She has to grow up or be a huge non-factor in the hard times to come. Ranka might have hero worshiped Sheryl, but it has become plain that Ranka has not learned much about courage or maturity from her hero. Ozma may have cared but it seems that Ranka is far too accustomed to hand outs and encouragement to the point that they have crippled her ability to stand tall alone.

    @Zentari
    No hard feelings, though I am not sure what you said though I probably should pry any more than that.

    @Erias
    Yeah though truth be told like Minmay Ranka is acting like a kid with fame thrust upon her, and we know how that has not to date turned out well.

    @jack
    I think Ranka is not a commoner, more like a princess. Many people like Elmo, Ozma, Bobby, Alto-hime, Sheryl, and Nanase have helped her along at one point or another. Ranka never had to deal with real adversity alone and Ozma seems to have made sure of it for fear that Ranka might relapse back to a catatonic state. Here all that was taken away and Ranka was ill prepared to cope. She may be nearing her adult years, but given her upbringing Ranka will have to ween herself from all that support that seems to have a been a detriment in the long run.

    @tueac
    Ranka at least wasn;t being a bitch like Minmay, so Ranka might be given a kinder fate.

    @Haesslich
    For the most part I agree, but to be fair I think Ozma being a single father figure and deathly afraid of Ranka going catatonic on him was a major driving force in his keep Ranka happy mentality. I am sure Ozma did all he could though perhaps if Ozma had dated Cathy this would have all been avoided since Ranka would no longer have been the sole receiver of Ozma’s attention. Being a single parent is tough, the results sometimes aren’t too different from how Ranka ended up. Ozma probably came from teh school of throw money at the kid school of parenting. Kawamori knows that scoring Sheryl tickets for Ranka was no small feat in itself. At least with Cathy we know that she was mother material given how she’s helped raise Ram, Monica, and Mina. Such a pity Ranka did not benefit from Cathy the wise, at least Ranka could have had more help with her bid for Miss Macross.

    Ranka has had development of a sort, unfortunately it was all with the Kaifun equivalent. Though to be fair Brera isn’t as unlikeable as Kaifun was. Still you are right after Galia 4 Ranka hasn’t made many advances on Alto-hime nor has she been using her new found fame to get more information. I am sure that as Savior of the fleet an audience with Ranzo and Yasaburo would have been more than possible. Given how Ranka is vital to the war effort calling upon Ozma and the rest of Skull Squadron to be part of her guard would have also been possbile. Sadly since Ranka is vulnerable to suggestion and always accepts teh advice of other unquestioningly it comes as a small surprise that Ranka has only gotten farther from her beloved hime.

    The lower Ranka sinks, Sheryl seems to shine all the more brilliantly for not making Minmay moves. If Ranka is still emo in the next ep with “woe is me” she will be at Minmay levels of hideousness. Even if Kawamori has been playing around with some themes and tropes of SDF Macross I don’t think Kawamori would go so far as to allow for a Minmay win, at least I hope not.

    That dreaming of Brera moment was just awful and made Ranka seem more unlikable. If the Shinji move of “I want to die” after her heartbreak was not bad enough along with her I will sing of no one move, then the Brera flashback was just a kick in the nuts. It just brought back memories of Kaifun again, and if Ranka “dumps” Alto-hime for Brera then I think Ranka might even surpass Minmay in terms of ugliness of personality. Given how much Ranka has been thinking of Brera as of late it seems plausible, though I hope it won’t happen.

    @Nakki
    While Mikhail is no longer with us I am sure that Alto-hime will finally make a decision as not to suffer the same tragedy as Mikhail and honor his comrade’s memory. Right now Alto-hime would be a dope for rejecting Sheryl, though their last alone time was vastly different from their previous meetings. I wasn’t behind Sheryl in episode one since she reminded me of the worst aspects of Minmay, funny how Ranka ended up channeling Minmay while Sheryl started making Misa moves.

    I think that many of us were expecting Ranka to be the savior of the fleet and songstress of the galaxy without the negative shadow of Minmay hanging over her, but it seems that the in series assertion that Ranka is the new Minmay has rung more true than we ever would have wanted.

    @Kaori
    Ranka might redeem herself later, but right now I just hope that her first disappointment in life is in love. That would at least be a wake up call since nothing else seemed to motivate her to fully realize her potential. Ranka could have at least sung to save Nanase, her friend of many years, the friend who always and still did believe in Ranka from day one. Shafting Nanase over heart break was a really bad move on Ranka’s part, so I understand how frustrated you feel to want Ranka to reap such a fate.

    @square
    Sorry, for got about that one it’s been a long time since I last revisited Macross 7, though Huey Lewis and the News still did a good rendition of “Heart and Soul.” Ranka sang but in the aftermath went back to doing nothing, and her refusal the first time was already damning considering it was Alto-hime whoe was begging Ranka.

    Soldier-hime finally showed up to the party and I love it…

    “If When he died it would have been was incredibly emotional” should be Mikhail’ epitaph. Still he went out like a true beloved of Klein should have, with guns blazing and the bodies of his enemies littering the ground.

    @zqube
    Going by Kawamori’s prior history it seems that Ranka is losing, though Kawamori is a wily old director so nothing is beyond him. If it were to conclude with a Ranka end while she is emo then it would be a major downer character development wise.

    @indr0008
    In a few years I might be able to support Ranka again, but right now she has failed me to the point where I don’t want to keep out any more hope for her to grow up.

26. ani_d August 24th, 2008 8:38 pm

    Sigh. ^^

    “….but what I cannot forgive is that when shit hit the fan all Ranka could do was cry and be useless to everyone. Here was her chance to grow up take the flight deck and sing her heart out to save the fleet, instead she delivers a massacre and feels nothing for anyone else.”

    Well…see…even if Ranka sang her heart out, acted like a good Vajra tool like everyone wants her to be, and pretended she was okay, her chest will still hurt and it will still drive the Vajra wild. Nothing will change. Absolutely nothing. Ranka’s emotions controlled the Vajra.

    This is a set-up episode. This massacre can not be prevented by anything. Unless of course Ranka had the ability to completely command her heart to stop feeling pain and brainwash herself that she was never in love with Alto so that the moment she saw Alto hugging another girl, she would not be bothered and could just forget that she was going to confess to him. This way she would not feel like she wanted to die and she would’ve acted MORE composed and more rational. The Vajra would’ve still be swaying happily with the people instead of casting doomsday to Frontier.

    I’ve only seen a handful of people who actually saw the whole picture and didn’t jump on Ranka for acting like a human being. Which is sad because I never even expected that they would be this harsh on Ranka for something she’s not even aware of. Atleast wait till she’s not out in the dark like this before judging whether you want to throw tomatoes at her or not.

    She was being hated because she acted so useless, but it’s not like Ranka can actually do anything but grasp Alto’s hand and follow their lead like any civilian would. And I don’t even think that Ranka didn’t care about Nanase/Sheryl at all just because she didn’t scream their name. People react differently. The thought of warm hands occured to her as a comfort because the situation she was in at that moment was very distressing. It wasn’t because she was fangirling over Alto again, despite her bestfriend like that, or realizing that she had a brother complex. Come on now. ^^ That was like a memory shard from her traumatic past stirred by this similar event.

    Just think if every normal 16 year old girl who gets their heartbroken the first time can summon Vajra legion like this, the world will be nonexistent now. Atleast this blog is aware that this episode is a set-up for a major character development for Ranka. Sheryl has already overcome her hurdles, it’s now Ranka’s turn. I think this is where the fun will start. I’m thinking Ranka is the one who destroyed the 117th fleet as well. She’s like a ticking timebomb. She might choose to leave Frontier if this turns out to be the case.

27. Crusader August 24th, 2008 9:00 pm

    Ranka could have focused on singing for the sake of all the people who supported her in her life, but when the chips were down only her broken heart mattered, not Ozma, not Nanase, not even Alto-hime. It would have been fine if Ranka simply sang the first time and failed and did something other than hide behind Alto-hime. Her initial reaction and subsequent actions are what I have problems with. To suggest that Alto-hime should love Ranka in order to keep her happy is absurd. Love is a two-way street and Ranka dreaming of Brera is not in a state where she could love Alto-hime in a mature relationship.

    Ranka acted like a human being, a human child to be precise. She could have done more than she did. Luca could have used a hand, maybe Klein might have needed one too. Every trooper would love to have an ammo runt, but what did Ranka do? She hid instead of passing ammo. Just because Ranka’s actions are expected of a child does not make them any less cowardly and craven. Ranka can’t be a kid forever, she just proved that she was still a kid despite having most of the series come and go. At the very least if grasping hime’s hand is all that she can do (which I still don’t buy since Ranka can make a barricade, pass on ammo, or carry water for Mikhail and Alto-hime) she did not have to think of Brera. That was what really sealed it.

    Ranka will get over it, but in what time frame? Even if she does at this point it might be too late since there are other things to deal with for the remaining eps. Ranka will learn nothing and remain a child if Alto-hime chooses her as she is now.

    The big picture is that Ranka is still self absorbed child little different from how she was in the first part of the series. When the chips are down Ranka is still a child. Right now with Ranka being a kid, its no longer cute, it’s just sad that she didn’t mature since Galia 4 and now the Fleet is paying for it.

28. Cherubium August 24th, 2008 9:14 pm

    It seems now that it’s going to end as SherylXAlto and Ranka going off to be queen of the Vajra, travelling off to another part of the galaxy. Do cyborgs age? Cos if they don’t then Brera would probably stay with his sister.

29. Haesslich August 24th, 2008 9:35 pm

    ani_d: She didn’t do anything to pursue Alto, and then she’s surprised when she finds him (apparently) with someone else? Talk about SPOILED, expecting someone to fall in love with you because you love them but not enough to even find out what they like and dislike. She’s acting like a child… which at the age of 16 is pretty bad, but I blame Ozma for not helping Ranka grow up any. He’s protected her so much that she’s expecting everything to come to her, because she’s ALWAYS been the center of Ozma’s world.

    As I noted earlier, here’s the decision point – she can either pull herself together and start acting for herself and her beliefs… or she can sit there and whine like a Gundam SEED character and do nothing but cry about how she hurts and how even as her friends are dying she can’t do anything but feel hurt.

30. ani_d August 24th, 2008 10:13 pm

    @Crusader
    “Ranka could have focused on singing for the sake of all the people who supported her in her life, but when the chips were down only her broken heart mattered, not Ozma, not Nanase, not even Alto-hime. ”

    She doesn’t know that the Vajra is being controlled by the darkness in her heart. She can focus her mind for the sake of all the people, but she can’t focus on her heart to stop feeling pain. Her heart is in pain at that moment in time, that is why the Vajra went wild. This is the root of everything. Have you ever had a time where you were so disappointed you felt like everything didn’t matter? This is a very normal reaction, and this is what happened to Ranka. I think the fact that she snapped in her own way just made her more human. Ranka’s not always sweet and obedient, she gets frustrated too.

    “She could have done more than she did. Luca could have used a hand, maybe Klein might have needed one too.”

    Like what? ^^ In front of SMS base, Klan was standing there lecturing Michael. There was nothing Ranka could do. Ranka and Alto were just in the corner holding hands like some couple. While Luca was doing his thing. They didn’t do any barricades. They didn’t pass any ammos. Even Sheryl just stood there being protected while Michael and Alto were firing at the Vajra. I’m pretty sure if there was an ammo sitting beside Ranka that needed to be passed to Alto, she would do it. Who wouldn’t?

    Also, Ranka went with Luca to the Fold amp, she was still planning to sing. That was their plan. She was cooperating.

    “At the very least if grasping hime’s hand is all that she can do (which I still don’t buy since Ranka can make a barricade, pass on ammo, or carry water for Mikhail and Alto-hime) she did not have to think of Brera. That was what really sealed it.”

    She has to remember Brera because that warm hand was a relic of her memories. Her memories are coming back. I’m perfectly sure she’s not starting to realize that she has a thing for her brother lol She sees Alto’s hand as a source of comfort.

    “Ranka will get over it, but in what time frame?”

    I’m not sure if you’re a fan of spoilers, but maybe you should look at the spoiler summary for the future episodes if you want to know when. I really can’t picture Ranka running away from this once she finds out that her connection to the Vajra caused this mayhem. She’ll more likely bring this all down on herself. The story wouldn’t be looking this much at her if she were to end up as the biggest “spoiled brat who lost everything cuz of her brattiness” in the end.

    As for as Ranka ending up with Alto, I still think he’ll end up with her especially now that Sheryl is becoming more independent of Alto and finding her own place (songstress life). I just don’t think that Alto will be blackmailed to make Ranka happy to save humanity. He’ll end up choosing her on his own accord, but this would only happen once Ranka overcomes this hurdle and learns to give.

    On another note, I think I just heard “parting” and “song of tragic love” in the previews. Maybe Ranka’s going to accept that Alto doesn’t love her (after the scene on the roof) and give up on him next episode?:P Klan needs her own show just by having those pissed off eyes. I think that was the most badass looking eyes I’ve seen in this series lol

31. Crusader August 24th, 2008 10:42 pm

    If so then Ranka has no place in her heart for those who care for her. That is rather sad if that is the case. When Nanase was injured there was no cry from Ranka, her BBFL. I don’t demand that her heart be calm, but Alto-hime should have had only to ask the first time. When Ranka refused she made clear that no one-else mattered. I have a problem not with how Ranka sang, but how she outright refused the first time she was asked to. Frustrated is something you can feel and wallow in in peace time, but when bullets start flying there is only duty and little room for wangst unless you want to get killed or get others killed. Ranka refused to sing the first time she was asked to for the sake of everyone including every person who ever cared about her. I didn’t expect her song to work the first time, but I did expect Ranka to try and sing when asked to the first time for her blatant refusal she deserved that Sheryl slap.

    She could have helped carry Klein’s clothes, and any kid who can read and knows the color green and the shape of a box can carry an ammo can. It’s quite alright for Ranka to recall her beloved Brera, but that does not help RankaxAlto-hime in any way at all. If Ranka is still needy and learning the ropes of independence the last thing she needs is some one to hold her hand and walk her through it. If Ranka can’t stand tall alone then she doesn’t have a prayer if she finds someone to carry her every step of the way. Just because Sheryl can function on her own doesn’t mean she will end up alone. Misa could have stood tall without Hikaru, and we all know who won that round.

32. Cerrian August 24th, 2008 10:52 pm

    “She doesn’t know that the Vajra is being controlled by the darkness in her heart. She can focus her mind for the sake of all the people, but she can’t focus on her heart to stop feeling pain. Her heart is in pain at that moment in time, that is why the Vajra went wild. This is the root of everything. Have you ever had a time where you were so disappointed you felt like everything didn’t matter? This is a very normal reaction, and this is what happened to Ranka. I think the fact that she snapped in her own way just made her more human. Ranka’s not always sweet and obedient, she gets frustrated too. ”

    Whether or not Ranka’s heart can sway the Vajra in one direction or another is irrelevant. As far as everyone one on Frontier is concerned, all that is needed is Ranka’s songs, not her emotional state. That’s why the reason she’s being so heavily criticized is because Ranka threw a selfish tantrum when she initially refused to sing while people were dying. Ranka knew her singing had a distracting effect on the Vajra, and yet when the people of Frontier needed her voice the most, when people were literally getting massacred and dying around her, she refuses and throws a tantrum?!?

    It’d be a whole different story had Ranka faced the situation, sucked it up, and sing despite whatever emotions might be roiling about her, but she didn’t and for that she’s being damned by many.

33. ani_d August 24th, 2008 11:07 pm

    This episode pretty much confirms that Ranka is the modern Minmei, but will she have the same fate as Minmei? Less likely.

    Noone is arguing that Ranka acted mature here because she didn’t. It was one of those days. Like I said, she just snapped. We don’t crucify people just because they flew off the handle. They’re just human. I can understand if Ranka didn’t sing AT ALL. However, she did once she got a hold of herself. Despite her heartbreak, she PRETENDED she was okay and sang. This just made more harm than good. No matter how much she acts mature, as long as her heart feels the pain, her emotions will still reach the Vajra. Nothing would change.

    This isn’t really something worth hanging her on the stake especially if we all know that she WILL redeem herself in the future. I think it’s very evident that if Ranka obediently obeyed Alto and didn’t even express frustration, that scene will just make her character development less uneventful. It’s because Ranka was portrayed as very immature, contrary to Sheryl, that her character development would have more impact once it sets. I just see it as a ploy from the writers to escalate the drama. So no need to be that harsh on her. I actually like where things are going for her lol Ranka needs this turn of events.

    What I didn’t need was Michael’s death though, and seeing him kicked into outerspace to ensure 100% death.

34. Crusader August 24th, 2008 11:22 pm

    It was a Minmay move, we might forgive Ranka, but we shall never forget. DYRL Minmay had a credible shot, SDF Minmay deserved nothing. Ranka is leaning very much into SDF Minmay territory. We shall see if Kawamori has forgiven her and if he will bless RankaxAlto-hime.

    When Kawamori offs an ace you can be sure that it will be for reals and will be seared into your memory.

35. Cerrian August 24th, 2008 11:27 pm

    I have a problem calling Ranka the modern Minmei because to me Minmei represented the corruption and isolation of fame. Ranka doesn’t seem to have been tainted with the stereotypical traits of arrogances, selfishness, and loneliness that we normally associate with fame.

    Ranka’s problems are more about her maturity and her transition to womanhood than anything else.

36. Crusader August 25th, 2008 12:03 am

    Minmay represents that and more, in my opinion. It wasn’t fame that got to her head she was treating Hikaru badly even before she made it big. Ranka is approaching Minamy levels of selfishness with this ep though it might be short term. Ranka’s fame has isolated her although unlike Minmay she likes her first love or at least think she does. In any case Ranka is the Minmay analogue given how Ranka got famous later, has the power of song, and dallies with another boy, who was a brother figure. Ranka shares more similarities than differences. She failed to take Miss Macross, but got her fame, two different paths same destination. Brera has not been revealed as her brother and yet Ranka was willing to ditch work for Ai-kun and Brera, but not for Alto-hime. Ranka’s refusal to sing was a Minmay move, and while Ranka is a much more pleasant personality her failings are quite similar to Minmay’s. She is hardly Minay, but Ranka has made a Minamy move by refusing to sing and thinking of herself rather than others. Minmay never did anything for Hikaru and just waltzed back into his life after rejecting him the first time and fully expecting that things would go back to the way they were.

    Minmay only came back for the sake of her own happiness because her last time of happiness was with Hikaru. Ranka does some things for Alto-hime, but she expects, demands, and gets a lot more from hime than she gives. Just like how Minmay barely knew Hikaru, Ranka barely knows Alto-hime. The title of Modern Minmay is somewhat correct in that Ranka shares much in common with her predecessor at this point. As to whether or not Ranka can escape Minmay’s fate remains to be seen.

37. Nakki August 25th, 2008 1:13 am

    @Crusader
    Ah, the Minmay reference. I actually does not want to brought it up, since this is not SDFM or DYRL, but Frontier. The story will take a different path even though there are homages to them (the curse of Pinapple, which is broken btw, and the others-you know better than me )

    To me Frontier is something new with mix of this and that from all Macross Series but ultimately, nothing can change the fact that its story was taking its own way rather than following or contradicting the SDFM. Sure Pineapple was contradicting from the original, but in retrospect, this may or may not change Minmay’s curse which is now implanted on Ranka. Only the master of troll, Kawamori-sama can change this. Judging from his animes before though, I would suspect romantic scenes means nothing for the last resolve. Admit it, Escaflowne has more romantic scenes between Allen/Hitomi or the senpai/Hitomi which I don’t buy as like the others since we know Van-sama is the winner, no matter twist or screwing brains the troll-fu master take Macross F is the only one I was screwed by troll-fu Kawamori, aside of DYRL…

    But yes, at this rate Ranka is taking the cursed path of SDFM Minmei… This does not bode well for her character. At this rate she is regressing rather than improving, still being spoiled and wishy-washy… I don’t dare to mention relationship right now, since it’s Kawamori we are talking about Not to mention both Ranka and Sheryl mostly have elements from Minmay though different Minmay at the same time, SDFM and DYRL respectively. So both girls can have the chance to win if Kawamori going to contradict the original, but which original? DYRL or SDFM?

    Kawamori has already fried my brain though, so I just give it to the shippers respectively to argue about that and I’ll just sit back with popcorn now My joy will be complete if Kawamori give the blessing to Alto/Sheryl rather than Alto/Ranka, since I support the pairing more since Sheryl start developing in Episode 5 ^-^ It also makes me remember Noe relationship with the dumb fool whose name I have forgotten-too bad the writers give the choice to the obvious childhood friend scenario.

    @ani_d
    No one really hate or dislike Ranka. Ambivalent yes, but not likely hate (aside from interrupting the Alto/Sheryl shipping ^^;) But please, no matter how many symphathetic scenes that Macross F gave, Ranka is just terrible, Terrible in this episode. Sure this is a set-up, like you said. But humans will remember more the bad aspect of life more than the joy itself. A black dot in the middle of white paper would not be ignored easily. Even when Ranka can grow, I doubt a lot would be able to forgive the SDFM Minmay move she pulled in this episode.

    She is just human, but human grows. In this matter, I take that she has not grown emotionally that much. She has been given more than enough episode to show her growth but nooo, I never see any growth except 13, and she is, I dare to say, decreasing in her growth-seeking protection and comfort from Alto yet again and again in every episode. Can you see, as a woman yourself who had gone through the phase, how childish and attention depraved baby she is?

    That aspect alone would not help her in relationship if you support Alto/Ranka. No matter how much romantic scenes been showed (which I’m sorry to say I don’t see the romance) if the participant is shown not ready to enter a relationship yet, the relationship would juggle heavily on one side, the one that seeks attention will demand all the attention to be given. It is quite sad to think the romance is only depending on the protection and comfort given by a side, and the other just take it for granted…

    But then again it’s your preference, so it’s okay to think about Alto/Ranka relationship working in your vision. Only time will tell, and Kawamori’s confusing brain can give the result. Until then, let’s support our respective pairing faithfully. Screw whoever think fangirls and fanboys are crazy, because we are humans like them after all

38. Westlo August 25th, 2008 1:25 am

    “As for as Ranka ending up with Alto, I still think he’ll end up with her especially now that Sheryl is becoming more independent of Alto and finding her own place (songstress life).”

    Wow just wow lol….. It’s funny how you guys deny that Ranka uses Alto as crutch yet than state that Sheryl is too independent to not need Alto. So much for equality in a relationship. I find it hilarious that on Japanese image boards that Sheryl and Alto pics are given the tag AruxSherri and that Ranka and Alto pics are given the tag Alto! Alto! Alto!. So fitting.

39. Swampstorm August 25th, 2008 2:06 am

    I think that Ranka’s current problems stem from the fact that she chose to become Frontier’s symbol of hope for the wrong reasons. In episode seventeen, she decided to commit to her role because she wanted Alto’s approval. I suspect that there was an underlying expectation here on Ranka’s part that Alto would reciprocate her feelings if she followed through.

    Episode nineteen explores this idea a bit further, wherein Ranka comes to the conclusion that the only reason why she’s singing is for Alto’s sake. Her decision to skip the parade similarily suggests that her heart really isn’t in her job anymore.

    In this episode, when Alto asks for Ranka’s help, she tells Alto that she doesn’t want to be a tool to fight the Vajra, and has a flashback to her realization that she only was singing because of Alto. Since she feels that her expectations for Alto were betrayed, she no longer has the desire to follow through with her singing.

    The problem boils down to the fact that Ranka has blurred the boundaries between her personal needs and the obligations of her career. In so doing, not only did she lose sight of her original goal (to be heard by everyone and to not go unnoticed), but she also treated her responsibilities as secondary to her personal needs. Sheryl intervened in order to remind Ranka that a professional must follow through with their responsibilities, first and foremost.

    While it can be difficult to do your job when you’re in a state of emotional turmoil, part of learnig to be responsible is in learning how cope with those emotions.

    Sheryl too has a lot of issues weighing on her mind, because her illness has stolen her chances of having a future. You can see this in the way that she echoes Nanase’s word “Hope…” during the conversation between Nanase and Ranka. Likewise, even her decision to sing amidst despair carries a double meaning: she’s not just referring to the despair of the people around her, but her own despair as well.

    There are two things that Sheryl does well in this episode.

    First, Sheryl recognizes that she needs to set aside her personal needs in order to resolve the task immediately at hand. We’ve seen this before during episode 6 (”If it’s a pilot’s job to fight, then it’s my job to sing!”), episode 13 (where she tells Alto that she and Michael do what they can to free Ranka while Alto keeps Brera occupied), and in this episode, where she tells Alto that it’s more important that he put an end to the conflict than come back and get her. She has her priorities in order.

    Secondly, Sheryl takes her painful feelings and manages to produce something positive from it. When Canaria’s husband tells his son that he’ll die to protect him, Sheryl echoes these words, which lead her to her decision to sing. The impression that I took from this was that those words reminded Sheryl that the people around her had so much more to live for than her, which is why she needed to help raise them out of their despair.

    When you look at the lyrics to Diamond Crevasse, it’s carries a different meaning depending on the context. The song speaks about trying to stay strong (”waiting for a hopeless miracle”) after being forced to say goodbye to a loved one, and the thought of meeting again in another lifetime. In one sense, Sheryl’s words echo the sentiments of the people in the shelter, uncertain of the safety of the loved ones whom they have been separated from. In another sense, they echo the sentiments of Michael’s final farewell to Klan. Lastly, the words carry an intensely personal meaning in Sheryl’s own feelings for Alto, and her sorrow at the thought of a future that they cannot share.

    The reason why music connects people is because it is simultaneously personal and universal. Sheryl didn’t suppress her feelings in order to sing; rather, she sang because she understood how everyone’s feelings were linked, in spite of their different circumstances. That’s why she was able to put her heart into it.

    I’m a bit worried that Sheryl still hasn’t told Alto that she’s dying, though. Now that she’s found this purpose for herself, I wonder if she intends on pushing herself until she drops, without letting anyone else know.

40. D.J August 25th, 2008 3:06 am

    I watched it once and got a lump in my throat, twice and I got misty, third time, tears. *Now I’ll have no gratuitous Mikhail shot of the week!*

    I have to watch it once more to get my screen caps so I’m probably going to bawl my eyes out.

    In fact hubby rolled his eyes at me for getting so upset, I’m a girl dammit, I get sad when my pretty boy snipers die. At least there is still some hope for Webber since they haven’t produced a body yet.

    Ah the curse of love, Webber shags Mao and is missing presumed dead, Mikhail gets a confession and kiss from Klein and he’s pulled out of a hull breach ’sigh’

    I’m with Klan GIVE ME BACK MY MICHEL-KUN KAWAMORI!!!!!!!! Yeah, yeah its not going to happen and his death will spur many into action, but it still sucks.

    Of course I feel a bit guilty for mentioning the pineapple pudding in my last summary. But of course he death was already set in stone the minute he began to mentor Hime. I knew it, I called it from the beginning, but I lived in denial because I adored his character so much.

    I’m glad they gave him such a heroic death though and the sight of his glasses all alone there is just so poignant.

    As for Ranka, you have six episodes girl, six episodes to grow up and that’s it. Because even if you grow up at this point I don’t think you deserve Hime anyway.

    Bobby and I will NOT hand him over to you, you are totally not worthy!

41. D.J August 25th, 2008 3:32 am

    Oh and I forgot to say, nice use of that poem Crusader. Since I took History in school I had the opportunity to go to Ypres and see the War Memorial, they still even have a mock ups of the trenches there. Although it doesn’t smell at bad as the mock trenches in the Imperial War museum back home in England, where they re-created the smell of burning bodies and cordite Very sombering indeed.

    I’ve always liked that poem,as well as Do not go gentle into that goodnight by Dylan Thomas, and this one by anon:

    Do not stand at my grave and weep;
    I am not there, I do not sleep.
    I am a thousand winds that blow.
    I am the diamond glints on snow.
    I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
    I am the gentle autumn rain.
    When you awaken in the morning’s hush
    I am the swift uplifting rush
    Of quite birds in circled flight.
    I am the soft stars that shine at night.
    Do not stand at my grave and cry;
    I am not there, I did not die.

42. Lowlife August 25th, 2008 4:47 am

    LOL! When I say that face slap I almost put in my copy of DYRL to see how it matched up!!!!! BEST SCENE EVER!

43. forgottendiary August 25th, 2008 6:19 am

    I always love your commentaries. Thanks for this! Looking forward to next week’s episode!

    All Hail Sheryl!

    <3

44. manga August 25th, 2008 6:53 am

    The way they showed the ep: The more Ranka sang with no feelings involved = more vajra that attack the people.

    When you think back: Basara who had no intrest didn´t sing at all cause he knew even if he did it would do no good.

    For Ranka´s song to be effective it has to have a very high emotional conviction from her. Otherwise it´ll end up like crap. Like the show have showed and this ep really shows. As long as she is singing for herself she will never have any effect on the vajra.

    She has to find something to sing for to be able to cancel the vajra. Emotional signals are what singing is about. Sheryl sang so much better in this ep than the last time.

    Oh well. We can argue about this for eternity. My two cents anyway.

45. Shin August 25th, 2008 6:56 am

    Woooo, am I the only person remaining on the Ranka camp? Well, I won’t argue over the fact that she acted really selfishly in this episode, though I still feel too much of the blame has been put on her; moreso when it came to Michel’s death. That said, my greenhaired princess neeeded a wakeup call of sorts though it’s such a pity that it had to unfold in such a manner. As her remaining(?) fanboy, I sincerely pray that she gets her priorities right and redeem herself in the remaining episodes.

    Ranka, now and forever. :<

46. Westlo August 25th, 2008 7:04 am

    She will redeem herself, it’s blazingly obvious, but that doesn’t excuse her obvious flaws that have been on display for a while now that have been highlighted in recent episodes. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your view it’s obvious what will eventually make her mature or go a long way to it.

47. shinz August 25th, 2008 8:42 am

    Crusader This is well written (very harsh thought). But I don’t know how you will write when they will made her change in a radical/amazing way and if Alto actually loves Ranka and not sheryl.
    Shin, you’re not the only person remaining on the Ranka camp ! Those who root for sheryl are just taking the bait here, if they think Ranka is done !!!!!

    Westlo “Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your view it’s obvious what will eventually make her mature or go a long way to it.”

    If by that you imply Alto will dump her or she will be heart broken because alto will end up with sheryl, you’re daydreaming.

48. JustinStrife August 25th, 2008 9:08 am

    Shinz you’re actually the one who’s day dreaming. Ranka has shown she can’t function unless it’s to please Alto, or involves Alto somehow. She pushes aside any thoughts of her friends and focuses only on a guy who’s saved her life and given her advice. She uses Alto like an emotional crutch, and will never get any character growth unless she learns to let go. Until she learns to let go of him, she’ll never be able to have a chance with him. Sheryl’s proven she can live without him, and doesn’t need him to live, to sing, etc, so she has the maturity to have a relationship. Ranka hasn’t shown she can do that yet.

    I wonder if any of you Ranka shippers have ever been in a relationship before…

49. Kururu August 25th, 2008 11:16 am

    For some reason it feels good to nanase getting injured like that. Maybe she should have just died…..along with luca. =p

50. Crusader August 25th, 2008 1:02 pm

    @Nakki
    I am sure that Macross Frontier will be its own series, but as much things change somethings stay the same.

    @Westlo
    Well Sheryl can stand alone, but I agree that Sheryl might not have to stand alone…

    @Swampstorm
    Ranka did forget what her initial goal was and now she’s going to pay for it. I agree that Ranka took the job in the first place because she thought that would indirectly get Alto-hime to like her. Perhaps in the end Ranka’s fast track towards fame was her way of trying to be like Sheryl and as a result be able to do what Sheryl did with Alto-hime. Sadly Ranka seems to think that fame and glamor are what Alto-hime wanted in a woman and failed to note that Sheryl was not only dragging Alto-hime around, but also supporting hime as well. If Ranka’s career was intended to help her build more confidence the way she got it was not through blood sweat, toil, and tears and thus it seems that Ranka was not prepared for it. For all the effort that Elmo put into making Ranka a star it seems that in the end Ranka never did know how much Elmo worked his butt off and how it hurt him to see Ranka allow Grace to take over.

    This rendition of Diamond Crevasse was indeed for everyone. Sheryl knows what she has to do and Alto-hime knows where his duty lies. If nothing else they have both gained much from their time together, hopefully they won’t have to part ways. It be real tragic if they had no future of any sort together, but it would make for a good tragic ending, though hopefully Macross Frontier will continue the tradition of happy or at least bittersweet endings.

    @D.J
    I am sure Klein appreciates your sentiments.

    I was hoping that since Mikhial had Max’s colors and was on the Jenius path that Mikhail and Klein would one day have a gaggle of kids just like Max and Millia. sadly it was not to be. Though perhaps this might up the chances of Ozma living and we’ll get OzmaxCathy.

    It might even be less than six episodes if Kawamori makes good on using Mikhail’s death to spurr on the development. After all Mikhail’s last few words to Alto-hime were about making a choice and doing your best for the one you love. It be really sad if Mikhail’s last words were lost on Alto-hime. the preview roughly mentioned “teh torment in people’s hearts leads to a time of parting” and Alto-hime seems to be in rush somewhere. It be nice if Kabuki-hime confessed his love to avoid Mikhail’s fate of being unable to say it until death. If Ranka were to get Alto-hime at this point it would have to be an EPIC Hail Mary otherwise it might fall flat.

    @Lowlife
    Now if only SDFM Minmay got that good of a slap…

    @forgottendiary
    Thanks. right now I think Sheryl has won more support with this one ep than most of us though possible when we first saw Sheryl in episode 1.

    @manga
    At least Basara made everyone listen to his song, and his failings were not from a lack of trying. Ranka needs a visit from Basara more than Sheryl right now, Ranka has sunk to a new low and only Basara can save her since Ranka spurned hime, and I will not look kindly upon having Brera pull her out of this one…

    @Shin
    I think the Ranka camp is just silent on the issue since it was Ranka’s darkest hour and she did little to redeem herself. Ranka was not directly responsible for Mikhail’s death, but she did refuse to try ans save every one the first time hime asked her. It was a move that for me brought back old feelings of hatred I felt for Minmay. Ranka will bounce back, but at this stage Ranka has squandered so much time in remaining a kid that by the time she becomes a woman that Alto-hime might already have come to decision. It’s a pity that what may finally force Ranka to grow up is a tragedy of this magnitude instead of her own will in the wake of Galia 4.

    @Westlo
    I am sure that in time we will forgive Ranka, but I doubt we will forget this incident. If Ranka does end up alone then this episode will definitely be the one to highlight why.

    @shinz
    If it is an epic Hail Mary by Ranka then probably but right now things look so grim for Ranka that hime better have some good reasons to take Ranka as she is now. Maybe Ranka will put herself back together, but it better be a lasting change mostly because I have held out hope in vain in the wake of Episode 10, and 12 only to see Ranka with Brera…

    The problem isn’t that Alto-hime will dump Ranka for Sheryl, hime hasn’t started a relationship of love with either of them Ranka can’t be dumped since she was never really in a relationship with hime to begin with. Alto-hime will choose one over the other, and if Ranka isn’t chosen we know more about the reasons why than the reasons against it. Puppy love is fine, but in Kawamori’s past works puppy love is hardly enough.

    @JustinStrife
    No need to get combative comrade. Ranka has been using hime as a crutch and lately Brera as well. If Ranka can make that drastic change and stop being a kid, then there might be enough reasons for Alto-hime to choose Ranka, but right now Sheryl seems to have earned more of hime’s respect and admiration. At least we have seen hime treat Sheryl with tenderness, all we see with Ranka is a young man and a child. Hime has been cordial, but I haven’t seen that spark yet.

    @Kururu
    Luca at least now has a reason to RAGE and kill.

51. Haesslich August 25th, 2008 3:43 pm

    Swampstorm: Ranka wasted ten episodes of possible character development… and now she’s got half of that time left to try to make any progress with Alto, if she really does want him rather than having hero-worship due to his initial save of her first by getting her to the Sheryl concert (Episode 1) as well as his rescues of her (Episode 2, attempted in 13, attempted in 16). She’s had ten episodes to inquire about Alto’s past, talk to him to find out what sorts of things he’s done and what he likes and dislikes, and so forth. She’s had all that time to try to get close to him, even with her career… and she’s only seen him once when her guards aren’t around, and has apparently not really gone into any depth with regards to finding out about Alto versus her fantasy image of him.

    As you’ve pointed out, she’s blurring the lines between career and personal wants (I wouldn’t call them needs, precisely)… and made a whole whack of assumptions, as she always has, and now they’ve blown up into mistakes of potentially fleet-killing proportions. Ozma has to shoulder his share of blame here; I can understand him not wanting her going catatonic, but his coddling her all the way to adulthood has crippled Ranka’s emotional development… and the difference between a child’s mistakes and an adult’s are more in terms of scale and consequences – you can shrug off a child’s temper-tantrum, but an adult’s temper tantrum is likely to get one fired or prosecuted depending on what happens.

    Ranka was expecting everything to come to her… and now is horribly upset since it HASN’T. And all because she either didn’t act, did only as she was told, or did it for the wrong reasons. She didn’t even stop to ask what was going on when she saw Alto with Sheryl – merely assumed that Alto had betrayed her, which is why she didn’t want to sing for him anymore.

52. ani August 25th, 2008 4:52 pm

    Hey hey Shin and…Shinz lol You’re certainly not alone in the Ranka camp. Last time I checked, Japan is Ranka nation.

    “Wow just wow lol….. It’s funny how you guys deny that Ranka uses Alto as crutch yet than state that Sheryl is too independent to not need Alto.”

    Er…Sheryl just shut down Alto when he tried to give her the same treatment he’s giving to Ranka. Even if Sheryl likes Alto, she’s NOT going to fall apart if she doesn’t get him. I always found it weird that there were actually people who even thought that Sheryl will fall to pieces if she doesn’t get together with Alto. She’s not that weak unlike Ranka.

    And I can see why people are thinking that Alto/Ranka can’t happen BECAUSE Ranka is weak. : I think different because I’m pretty sure Ranka will blossom by the end of everything. It’s not like Alto’s got turned off by her behavior here. He seems to be more protective of her and even looks content beside her next episode. Well, we’ll see how it’ll turn out. I’m just having good vibes that all will turn out fine is all.

53. vjean August 25th, 2008 5:17 pm

    Dear Ranka,
    Dissociative disorders are associated with significant difficulties in relationships and at work. People with these conditions often aren’t able to cope well with emotional or professional stress, and their dissociative reactions — from tuning out to disappearing — may distress loved ones and cause colleagues to view them as unreliable.
    Psychotherapy for dissociative disorders often involves techniques, such as hypnosis, that help you remember and work through the trauma that triggered your dissociative symptoms. The course of your psychotherapy may be long and painful, but this treatment approach often is very effective in treating dissociative disorders
    Creative art therapy uses the creative process to help people who might have difficulty expressing their thoughts and feelings. Creative arts can help you increase self-awareness, cope with symptoms and traumatic experiences, and foster positive changes. Creative art therapy includes art, dance and movement, drama, music and poetry.
    Cognitive therapy or talk therapy helps you identify unhealthy, negative beliefs and behaviors and replace them with healthy, positive ones. It’s based on the idea that your own thoughts — not other people or situations — determine how you behave. Even if an unwanted situation has not changed, you can change the way you think and behave in a positive way.
    Best of luck in the next episodes.
    Love,
    Sheryl
    (apologies to Mayo Clinic)

54. westlo August 25th, 2008 7:02 pm

    “Last time I checked, Japan is Ranka nation.”

    I like how the only place where ranka isn’t overwhelmed by sheryl (yet) somehow equates to ranka nation. when it comes to popularity in japan ranka is far from minmei….

    Also livejournal who were one of the few pro ranka english places is no in favor of shryl going by their latest polls.

55. d3v August 25th, 2008 7:10 pm

    And finally Kawamori has revealed the truth! It’s not pineapple salad that kills, but rather it is being a blonde-haired playboy. And on that note, I would say that tragic as it was, Mikhail-sama’s death was probably on the same level of GAR-ness as Fokker’s death in DYRL.

56. Crusader August 25th, 2008 9:21 pm

    @ani
    Sheryl didn’t shoot down Alto-hime at any point, we might have seen more but Ranka stepped in. If Alto-hime chose Ranka at this point it would just vindicate Ranka’s sit and wait mentality that has gotten her into so much trouble. Ranka might fall apart if Alto-hime chooses Sheryl, but other than that there seems little in the way to force Ranka to change. Since Ranka didn’t care enough to sing the first time finding out that her song aggravated the Vajra might not even phase her enough for a character shift. Ranka needs to be disappointed at least once on a major scale other wise we’ll end up with the same old Ranka. Right now Ranka has realized her ambition albeit through less than honorable means, she has been given way too many handouts, if she gets Alto-hime as well it would be a handout as well since Ranka made no effort to make such a relationship one of mutual benefit.

    Besides I will not hand over my Kabuki-hime so long as Ranka keeps dreaming of Brera.

    @vjean
    Hehe I don’t think Sheryl would make such a move but Ranka does need some therapy right now.

    @westlo
    Polls mean nothing, it’s Kawamori’s project, and he will declare a winner.

    @d3v
    No, not confessing your love fore your woman before going to battle can negate pineapples. The Goddess of Love saves those who don’t wait to confess their burning passion. Otherwise pineapples still come with a health advisory.

57. mike_s_6 August 25th, 2008 9:33 pm

    Looks like the LJ community did turn pro-Sheryl *__*

    Anyone has the links to the Japanese polls?

58. manga August 25th, 2008 10:05 pm

    Sure he made everyone listen to his song. Untill he feelt that his singing wasn´t oing and he started thinking on why he was singing and for who. Then he stopped.

    Didn´t sing at all for a couple of eps and then when he found a reason to sing again he came back better than ever.

    Ranka doesn´t want to be a tool and since she has her own connection with the vajra that she doesn´t know of she kinda sends out multiple signals. Wondered what would have happened if she hadn´t missunderstood what happened between Sheryl and Alto-hime…

    Oh well, more thoughts, more stuff to think about and so on. We´ll never know since I don´t think it´ll be any extra episodes with a changed scenario.

59. The Sojourner August 25th, 2008 10:55 pm

    I am not exactly that mad at Ranka as I had expected this to happen, sans the tragedy that Ranka was unwillingly responsible for. She appeared to me as the girl who will be disappointed due to unrealistic expectations and make over 9000 blunders when this show first started. Just like the DYRL and the original SDF Macross, Frontier has a very subtle theme of growing up. Ranka is learning it the hard way.

60. d3v August 26th, 2008 12:30 am

    @Crusader
    Actually, Fire Bomber negates pineapples.

61. Crusader August 26th, 2008 12:50 am

    @manga
    There is a time and a place to be emo, a battlefield is no such place for such failings. Ranka was never a tool she was always the Vajra Queen, all she had to do was rid herself of the evil viziers Grace and Leon, but she didn’t so…

    Well hopefully it will be end game for the love triangle soon.

    @The Sojourner
    I think most of us are denouncing Ranka because of her initial refusal to sing rather than fail at singing. Moreover we have waited a long time in the hopes of seeing Ranka grow but now that we are approaching the end game Ranka proved that she was still a child. I agree that Alto-hime and Sheryl have grown up a bit, but Ranka is going to have learn fast and soon.

    @d3v
    Well Bobby was always willing to loan his Fire Bomber discs… a shame Mikhail was too busy for stuff like oldies.

62. The Sojourner August 26th, 2008 1:19 am

    Absolutely. It was that brief moment of selfishness that is making us upset about Ranka. Surely she will make it to the finish line but the thing is, like you guys have been talking about, is whether she will make it in time or not.

63. manga August 26th, 2008 6:54 am

    … Crusader: Look at Ranka´s singing career. As soon as Grace took over the management she was a tool. For fighting the vajra, for giving Leon the opportunity he wanted, for some at this point unknown reason that has connection the vajra.

    Now she is starting to understand what her singing has done. Don´t get me wrong, I feelt really angry with Ranka when I watched the ep as she was all Minmei, anything else than herself was meaningless so I feelt really happy when Sheryl slapped her.

    But oh well. I agree with you, hopefully it´ll be the end of the love triangle soon.

64. shinz August 26th, 2008 8:58 am

    I read people talking about 28 episode ? But I thought it was going to be 25 ?
    Alto will make his choice soon enough to, at last ending this triangle which is driving us crazy( for some ). Alto ? Ranka? Sheryl ?
    I find it strange that people prefer arguing about Sheryl who for them will end up with alto even thought she is dying… Shouldn’t you debate about the way to find a cure or something before starting with the Sheryl will win ?
    Sheryl’s fan prefer her to end up with alto, it’s not a big deal for you if she dies ? If you had to choose, you had prefer her to die but to be picked by alto at the end, rather than seeing him end up with Ranka ?
    Reading some post here make it looks like that.

65. Crusader August 26th, 2008 11:27 am

    @The Sojourner
    Time will tell though I am hoping for closure or at least major signs of closure with the next ep as not to have Mikhail die in vain.

    @manga
    Ranka didn’t get with Grace until ep 15 so for 15 eps Ranka could have grown to be a stronger person to cope with having to deal with Grace a bit better. Grace and Leon aren’t even keeping Ranka on a tight leash given how Ranka can simply run off with Brera in tow and Ranka did demonstrate that it was possible to see other people without Brera. Alas Ranka’s childishness just made her all the more vulnerable, and easier to mold given how Grace and Leon didn’t seem to care when Ranka ran off. Ranka had been with Elmo for most of her career and for her to let him take the shaft kind of sealed her fate as nothing good can come at the expense of those who worked the hardest.

    I am sure Kawamori won’t drag this out, at least I hope he won’t.

    @shinz
    Episode tally is still unknown at this point. I don’t think that Sheryl will die in the series even if they don’t give her a cure. Just because Sheryl’s time will come sooner than Alto-hime’s doesn’t mean that they can’t share something special in the time they have left. Since there is no cure yet there is little point in wishing for one, so long as Sheryl has her love for Alto-hime reciprocated at least she can die after having known what it was to love and be loved.

    Ranka has all the time in the world, but for Sheryl even if death is at her doorstep that is not a reason to stop living. Besides Miyo-sama was fated to die before her husband and yet she was able to be happy and have a son. What’s the point in living if all you have to look forward to is loneliness? With Sheryl I am sure she would at least want to be truly happy for once before she dies. All men are fated to die any way, might as well grasp happiness while you can. Right now Sheryl can more easily grasp happiness than she can get a cure. Besides Sheryl has already accepted that she will die sooner rather than later, but she at least deserves some closure on her relationship with Alto-hime.

66. Luke August 26th, 2008 7:06 pm

    RIP President Howard Glass
    RIP 2nd Lt. Michael Blanc, SMS

    *salute*

    I hate Ranka with a passion but I did feel a bit sorry for her. People have forgotten what it is to be heartbroken. One of the worst feelings in the world. I KIND OF had sympathy for her. But at the end like everyone else has mentioned. Ranka only cares about herself. I hope Ranka doesnt mature over one episode cuz then that would be bullshit.

    I dont understand how Macross Frontier has a bunch of Uraga and Guantanomo class carriers plus battle 25 yet no NUNS Fighters made it into the city to fight the Vajra.

    Last but not least, I love Sheryl even more!

67. f_w August 27th, 2008 4:41 am

    Predictions;
    Ranka has not reached all time low in this series yet, she will recover and plunge even further, before somehting happens at the end most likely, what that is up in the air.

    Pure speculation;
    Mikhail may be dead, but so perhaps was Brera, cyborg time perhaps, with a pinch of memory wipe as Brera seems to suffer(or is that the natural result from brain damage from when he died?)

    Too bad about ranka, liked her more in the beginning, and thought she was more mature then the 8-12 she behaves like lately.
    I thought Sheryl was a bitch at the start, but she shines more and more by each episode we see, and now she shines like the sun.

    -Allot- of people died, it may be time to start to train the population up, if they have the capability to arm the populous still, i bet a shit load of stuff got damaged and destroyed, and they are probably a long freaking way from anywhere and resupply/help.
    Not that it would help against the mature bugs, or the bug ships.

68. Westlo August 27th, 2008 6:57 am

    @ Shin

    “If by that you imply Alto will dump her or she will be heart broken because alto will end up with sheryl, you’re daydreaming.”

    I like the inclusion of the word dump, just sums up Ranka fans who seem to reach and make stuff up. Instead of replying I suggest you go read up on the episode 23 spoiler that came out today

    @ mai

    “Anyone has the links to the Japanese polls?”

    Here’s 3 polls from the same site a few months apart

    http://www.vote5.net/anime/htm/1206894587.html
    Mar 31 poll, Sheryl 1st, Ranka 2nd, Alto 3rd.

    http://www.vote5.net/anime/htm/1211369207.html
    May 21 poll, Sheryl 1st, Alto 2nd, Ranka 5th.

    http://www.vote5.net/anime/htm/1215357986.html

    Sheryl domination.

69. shinz August 27th, 2008 9:46 am

    “I like the inclusion of the word dump, just sums up Ranka fans who seem to reach and make stuff up. Instead of replying I suggest you go read up on the episode 23 spoiler that came out today”

    I already read those spoilers
    Alto will spend time with an ill Sheryl. If it weren’t for her disease I don’t think Alto will always be with her.
    You’re of those biased Sheryl fan man, you’re famous
    I hope you will survive at a Sheryl dumped. yeah I said dumped because Alto will know she is dying and will stay with her out of pity … But return to Ranka at the end .

    And polls mean nothing, the fan aren’t Kawamori, so stop your propaganda like someone else said to you in another blog.
    By the way have you seen the pic of the shocked/depressed Sheryl ????????????????
    Sheryl will not end up with Alto. you should resign yourself to accept the thruth, man.

    ahem, Alto will confesses his feeling yes, but it seems he will say her he likes her just as a friend
    It’s a shame for sheryl ’s fan !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

70. Crusader August 27th, 2008 6:00 pm

    @Luke
    NUNS VF-171s were busy trying to fight the bugs out in space since Ranka’s pain made them fold in for her. There is a time and a place for what Ranka did, but when Vajra start coming with hostile intent it is no time to do anything but shoot.

    @f_w
    If Ranka sinks farther at this point she better have some damn good reasons we are running out of time.

    @Westlo
    I saw some spoilers for 23-25 on 4chan not sure if they are the truth though, we shall see if they are right in time I suppose.

    @shinz
    Right now I have my doubts that Ranka can pull it off after this debacle she’s been pretty static characterwise for most of the series and right now stinks of damsel in distress de jour. Kawamori has not favored them before, he might start now but as much things change many things stay the same…

71. Haesslich August 27th, 2008 6:04 pm

    My last browser ate my response, so here’s the summary for Shinz:

    Seriously, shippers like you are why I hate going to Macross forums at all – picking schoolyard like “My favorite is better than your favorite” fights like your egos and e-penises depended on your being right to be validated. It makes me want to see Ranka not only lose, but DIE painfully. I want to see Kawamori troll you all, and to see you all either commit suicide because your favorite lost or else call Macross Frontier the “Worst Show EVAH!” as a result.

    Ranka has five episodes to get herself together before the series is over… and she wasted ten episodes doing nothing to advance things. Either she pulls things together… or she ‘loses’. Besides which, the spoilers so far only indicate that Alto’s cooking for Sheryl, and Sheryl’s still got Vajra AIDS. No more data is available.

72. Zentari August 27th, 2008 6:32 pm

    @shinz : There’s a fine line between trolling and pure idiocy.You are WAY past that line…

73. Kate123 August 27th, 2008 7:02 pm

    I feel bad for Mikhail! Jeebus.

    Actually, I don’t want to go into a deeper character analysis for these characters because it’s a waste of time. Even if Sheryl or Ranka’s type of character will be good for Alto, it doesn’t mean that Alto will end up with her. I just like to go concentrate on how they deliver things because no matter how tangled things get right now, the fated couple will get together. The author will make it so that happens under any circumstance….much like in the earlier episodes where we all thought Ranka will be left behind in Frontier, but something happened in Galia and uh huh…Even the spoilers kept us in the dark.

    I don’t blame Ranka for how she acted. I’m pulling a Klan. I’m a girl so I know.

    You get heartbroken, you feel like everything should disappear at that certain moment. Then here comes the love of your life, the reason you are singing and the reason why you’ve made it this far, whom you just saw “hook up” with Sheryl-san and offers his hand to you. You start to take his hand and HE asks you to sing for the city because that’s what you’re good for. To him you’re nothing but a tool for the Vajra, he loves another woman, and he sees you as a tool to protect everyone. A tool. Not a love interest. A tool. THAT hurts.

    “Stop this. I’m not a TOOL to fight the Vajra!” That’s the real reason behind this line boys. Girls should know what I’m talking about even if they hate Ranka.

    I would’ve said the same thing even if my city is on the line. No matter how much I treasure my family, they’re not the FIRST thing that will register in my mind the moment Alto told me to sing for the city. The first thing that will come to mind is: “The love of my life sees me as a tool.” Welcome to women’s psychology 101.

    Ranka needed to be slapped to get a HOLD of herself, and she finally agreed. Too bad it was the wrong move.

    Is the spoiler for 23 true? That doesn’t look…good for Sheryl.

74. Haesslich August 27th, 2008 7:24 pm

    Kate123: The usual spoiler source is missing. The only confirmed scans we have so far indicate that Alto was cooking for Sheryl, and that Sheryl’s still sick. Nothing else of note has come across yet.

    And as I said in response to your posts earlier, the problem is that she’s still a child who expects the world to center around her. It’s not a ‘woman’ thing so much as a ‘kid’ thing – she had expectations because Ozma always doted on her and made him the center of her world, and got saved by Alto once or twice… so expected to be the center of HIS world… because she liked him (but didn’t tell him) and expected him to ‘know’ that magically.

75. Kate123 August 27th, 2008 7:52 pm

    “so expected to be the center of HIS world… because she liked him (but didn’t tell him) and expected him to ‘know’ that magically.”

    But you don’t know that she expected him to know that he’s the center of her world thus he’ll love her. Did Ranka say that? She’s not expecting Alto to tell her he loves her. She was planning to tell him what she feels. What she DIDN’T expect is seeing Alto hook up with Sheryl. She just reacted from the pain of seeing that. A kid doesn’t care that the love of her life sees her as a tool, she WOULDN’T get it. A kid wouldn’t comprehend that everyone is using her as a tool. A kid will sing to please. When Ranka realized the real reason why she’s singing, she starts growing up and separates from that “kid”. Ozma noticed this too in 14, didn’t he? Ranka emanated the aura of a woman WHEN she talked about being with Alto. We didn’t see that woman resurface after that event, but now that Ranka knows the real reason why she’s singing, mark my words, that WOMAN will resurface again.

    Right now, Ranka is more….She’s not a girl, and she’s not YET a woman. (Britney!) THAT’S where she’s at.

76. Haesslich August 27th, 2008 8:15 pm

    The problem is that Ranka didn’t say anything – period. She just expected him to love her, as Ozma had always cared for her as his little sister. That’s why I called her spoiled – so when she went up the stairs, saw Sheryl being caught by Alto… and assumed the worst, that he was dating Sheryl, and that he’d basically cheated on her. That’s why she initially didn’t want to sing – it was AFTER he said that he wanted her to sing that she said she didn’t want to be a tool.

    Emotionally, she’s still a child – children don’t understand the concept of ‘duty’, nor do they understand that the world doesn’t circle around them. They make assumptions worse than that of an adult’s, who may consider that other factors exist outside of their control. Ozma said she was starting to grow up… except that he failed to note that emotionally she hasn’t. Not one whit – she expected to have Alto like her because she sang, expected him to understand without being told that she was singing to please him. And then, when he asked her to sing to ’stop the Vajra’, she rejected it because she didn’t want to sing anymore. Children can understand they’re being used as tools – and like Ranka here, they would reject being used if they felt they wouldn’t get what they wanted by being used.

    A child will sit back and expect things to be handed to them – a teenager is learning that they have to start pursuing things to get them, while an adult will know they have to work to get what they want.

77. Kate123 August 27th, 2008 8:34 pm

    A kid doesn’t know love, doesn’t think naughty thoughts when she invites a guy to her room, touch her lips while thinking of a guy. They don’t do those things. Ranka does. If Ranka is a kid, Ozma would NOT notice something surface from her resolve in episode 14. She’s barely there, but then she took a step back. And now trying to step into the “woman’s domain” again. Ranka is just in the middle.

    I think you dismissed what I said about her expecting Alto to love her. NOTHING about this was stated. She doesn’t expect Alto to love her back. She expects him to be alone on that roof so that she can confess. What she doesn’t expect is to see him with another girl, worse, hugging another girl. She was just hurt.

    Anyone who sees Sheryl and Alto in that state would automatically assume they’re together. What is there to ask? The two didn’t even say anything and just looked at her. That much alone confirmed it.

    “Children can understand they’re being used as tools – and like Ranka here, they would reject being used if they felt they wouldn’t get what they wanted by being used.”

    My long essay up there was ignored. There’s a fine line between a kid throwing a tantrum because she couldn’t get what she wants (they’ll throw a tantrum over a piece of a rock, over ANYTHING) and a female being selfish because she was hurt (this only happens if that something worth throwing tantrum over means a LOT to them). Ranka is in love with Alto. Everyone can critic how immature she is, but one thing is for sure, the girl’s feelings for Alto is pure. Pure enough that those feelings made her thread folds to join a crossfire.

78. Crusader August 27th, 2008 10:08 pm

    @Haesslich
    But shipping makes things som much more fun…

    Seriously though I just hope it doesn’t get out of hand. So far my personal leanings are towards Sheryl simply because she’s made so much more progress from her initial personality. Not sure how many of us qualify as shippers, but it I can’t help but BAAAWWWW every romantic moment in the series. So far I think most of us are enjoying every moment that Alto-hime and Sheryl are on a collision course, Ranka too, but her moments are criminally low. I think that given how the mecha genre as a whole seems to have been making in roads into other viewerships it is probably inevitable that some shipping will occur. Even if Macross is mecha Kawamori has been making the shoujo fanboy within very happy. Right now I think Kawamori is playing it right and Frontier does have some tinge of romance, I have high hopes for Frontier. Let’s hope that Kawamori will give use Battle Frontier vs Battle Galaxy. XD

    Well in any case do you have a link to where I can see Alto-hime cooking for Sheryl? Just curious.

    @Kate123
    For me it wasn’t that Alto-hime was asking Ranka to sing because she was a tool, but rather that Ranka was to only one who could. Hime cares about Ranka in some capacity, but Ranka is kind of arrogant if she thinks that hime will come to her. Ranka should have considered the magnitude of her job when she agreed to sing, the people of Frontier believed in her supported her, and at that point Ranka just gave them the finger.

    Ranka had time to let it register and the shock to set in a bit. Her rejection of Alto-hime’s plea pretty much meant that since hime didn’t love her that Alto-hime wasn’t worth saving. Heart broken or not if Ranka really did love Alto-hime she would have sung if only so that her beloved might live. Just my two cents on the matter.

    Gender is no excuse for failing in one’s duty if you don’t give it your all when people are dying all around you someday you will regret it assuming you have a heart, IMHO.

79. Suma Sang August 28th, 2008 12:47 am

    I just want to point out that its ridiculous to lay it on Ranka for the unexpected flashback of Brera in the midst of the chaos. Why have so many criticized her for this and act like its a betrayal of sorts? It surfaced suddenly and unexpectedly; warmth = safety and security. There are not romantic implications involved. She’s getting her memory back. That’s all it meant, but people act like she stabbed a puppy or something.

    Yes, Ranka is IMMATURE and NAIVE; I think that has been covered quite thoroughly. But it’s almost unfair to compare her with Sheryl, since the latter has had steel in her from the beginning. While Ranka is indeed weaker than her rival, she has led a sheltered but NORMAL life and has turned out to be a normal girl because of it, not a spoiled princess. Sheryl, as we’ve all seen in a flashback, has been introduced to the harshness of life from an early age, and has been forced to mature quickly because of the responsibilities thrust upon her through her career and through the the rise of trying to attain her dreams. That’s why she has the backbone that Ranka lacks. Ranka is indeed the weaker character; there’s no denying that. But what we’ve also learned about Ranka is that she is ’softer’ than Sheryl, more sensitive, and is really a more gentler soul with a naivety that borders on innocence. She didn’t want to leave Nanase and Sheryl behind when they got separated, but she was forced to. And running away from Alto and Sheryl on the rooftop wasn’t that much of a stretch in character for Ranka since she is not really a confrontational person to begin with, and also the fact that she didn’t know how to deal with the unfamiliar pain of a broken heart, especially being of the ‘first love’ kind of nature.

    Though I’m defending Ranka, I’ve always been more of an Alto/Sheryl fan (ever since the beginning!), yet I even see Alto not ending up with anybody (as some love triangles go). That would probably be most fair in the end anyways.

80. Westlo August 28th, 2008 1:00 am

    @ Crusader

    Those 23-25 spoilers are fake, only the ep 23 spoiler is out and this conflicts with the fake spoiler for 23 listed in the 23-25 batch.

    http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=1841102&postcount=1530

    Pic of TV life included.

    @ Shin
    “I already read those spoilers
    Alto will spend time with an ill Sheryl. If it weren’t for her disease I don’t think Alto will always be with her”

    Than your reading comprehension is lacking since while it mentions Sheryl has the V Virus it says nothing about Alto knowing about it.

    “You’re of those biased Sheryl fan man, you’re famous”

    No doubt man.

    “I hope you will survive at a Sheryl dumped. yeah I said dumped because Alto will know she is dying and will stay with her out of pity … But return to Ranka at the end .”

    I’m not worried about it.

    “And polls mean nothing, the fan aren’t Kawamori, so stop your propaganda like someone else said to you in another blog”

    Mai asked for polls and I provided it, you can blame my foil and your fellow Ranka shipper Ani_d mentioning Japan = Ranka nation for the topic even being brought up. And nowhere did I or anyone else state that the popularity of a character in a poll has any bearing on the result so I don’t even know why you mention that.

    “By the way have you seen the pic of the shocked/depressed Sheryl ????????????????”

    No I haven’t seen it since that pic doesn’t exist, atm it’s a rumor from the chinese BBS and nothing more. It’s rather sad that Ranka fans have to grasp on this rumored pic to try and keep your hopes up XD

    And even if the pic is real god forbid it might not have anything to do with the triangle, I mean she could be telling Alto she’s dying, or Galaxy makes their move and reveals themselves. Are those 2 scenarios sad or shocking enough for you?

81. shinz August 28th, 2008 1:14 am

    @crusader I respect your opinion but I disagree. We will see soon who was right

    @Haesslich this is rude. Just because I talked about a sad Sheryl in a picture makes me a kid ?
    You should re-read your post and think about it.
    Westlo is talking about spoilers but purposely omit a crucial element in the spoilers because it doesn’t favour his pairing ? Is this called being fair ou unbiased ? I don’t think so.
    And when I talked about it I become the bad guy here ?!
    Kate 123 said “My long essay up there was ignored.” and is not a Ranka fan.
    I hope to you here when Alto will choose his girl , really

    @zentari There is also one between beeing a fan and a fanatic…
    People should stop to pick a fight just because someone said something true about Sheryl. I hope to see you too !

    @Westlo ” that pic doesn’t exist” OMG!!!!!!
    I didn’t know some people were ready to go as far in that triangle. Congratulation man !

82. Westlo August 28th, 2008 1:42 am

    ^ Typical Ranka shipper lol

    I would so lol if i start a rumor and it got used against me by people reaching for anything they can.

83. Crusader August 28th, 2008 3:09 am

    @Kate123
    I think that Haesslich is right about Ranka being more childlike in her bearing than being a woman. Ranka is just entering her first teenage years and straddles that gray area where she has qualities of both. I Don’t get the sense that Ranka is ready for an adult relationship, and right now seems to want something like puppy love rather than the whole nine yards of growing old together. It is hard to ignore that while Ranka never explicitly says about being the center of attention her actions tend to make her out to be a bit self centered.

    When Ozma doubted Ranka’s singing career she called Alto-hime in the middle of class, not exactly the best time to ask for advice. When Ranka saw hime’s paper plane at the Zentradi mall she assumed it was for her. Ranka knew that Sheryl and Alto-hime were getting closer, but she never did muster the courage to do anything. Nanase even told Ranka what was going on and yet when she asked Alto-hime to see her for his birthday she automatically assumed that he would be there despite having no confirmation. When Ranka finally decided to confess it was only after she had assumed that she could not be rejected since the flight team’s performance was obviously Alto-hime’s confession to her, the thought that it might just have been part of the program did not occur to her.

    Ranka knew that Alto-hime was on the roof, she should not have been so presumptuous as to believe hime was all alone and waiting for her. If Ranka were an adult and mature she would have steeled herself for the possibility of rejection. Sheryl was still around so it was a possible that things between Sheryl and Alto-hime had progressed. I think that part of the reason why Ranka was so devastated was that the possibility that Alto-hime could love Sheryl was never a serious consideration. After all Alto-hime listens to Ranka, and has saved Ranka before. Ranka was now more popular than Sheryl and she had Grace’s services as well Ranka was a star, so she thought she had become equal to Sheryl if not a bit superior because Alto-hime rescued her more than once and Sheryl seems to treat hime badly.

    I don’t think Ranka was in a mature mindset when she went to the roof she was only prepared for a yes and expected things to be rosy from then on. Ranka wanted and expected puppy love, but when her wish fell flat Ranka broke down hard. Heart break is universal for men and women, no one gender feels rejection more acutely than the other, I have seen grown men break down after a Dear John letter from a former partner of a unilateral breakup while they are thousands of miles away. For adults even if there is heart break there is still a job to be done, Ranka was still in her kid mentality and thought that it was the end of the world. Ranka’s perceived arrogance and neediness stem from the fact that Ranka wanted Alto-hime to work around her schedule for hime to make time for her rather than the other way around. At least Sheryl had the courtesy of meeting hime at places along his usual route (SMS). Ranka made no effort to see hime on her own initiative and instead opted to call hime and make Alto-hime scale a building. Thing is Ranka never seriously tried to see Alto-hime on her own she wanted Alto-hime to see her. With Sheryl she had the good sense to find ways to see Alto-hime.

    Given how Ranka seems to know incredibly little about Alto-hime and only seeks hime at her own convenience I don’t think that Ranka is so much as in love with Alto-hime, as she has a crush on the Kabuki-hime that saved her and encouraged her. I think Ranka is more in love with her own preconceived image of Alto-hime than who hime actually is. Given how Ranka didn’t actively seek to be with Alto-hime Ranka seems to have expected hime to come to her like some white knight on a white horse. Reality it seems did work that way, and since Ranka never knew that Alto-hime was a thick headed hime when it came to love it just brings into question what excatly about hime does Ranka like most about hime?

    If the basis of Ranka’s attraction is that she finds hime pretty, likes how hime listens to her, and has always come to save her, then to be honest that is a rather shallow basis for a romantic relationship. Ranka hardly supported Alto-hime when he was down and out and getting his ass kicked by Brera, the fellow whom Ranka rewarded with soft cream.

    Right now given how Ranka dug a hole for herself and forsook her fans with her initial rejection, Ranka is not yet a woman. Ranka is learning about love, but she has a long way to go before she fully understand what it means to love another person. Ranka has made no sacrifices for Alto-hime, yet she would have hime drop everything he is dong to see her at her own convenience.

    @Suma Sang
    Since Ranka is competing for Alto-hime’s hand comparisons between her and Sheryl will inevtivably be drawn. Ranka is naive and immature, but that is part of the problem Ranka in episode one was the same thing and now 20 episodes later she hasn’t change much at all. Perhaps Ranka dreaming of Brera was automatic, but if her own heart is confused then she really has no right to be angry with Alto-hime since Ranka’s feelings are unclear despite her resolve to confess. Ranka did out on a date with Brera while she professed to loving Alto-hime. It was a shame to see that Ranka not only stayed roughly the same characterwise, but she has done some rather despicable things that bring into question her pure love for Alto-hime.

    @Westlo
    Thanks for the link and the clarification.

    @shinz
    Comrade Haesslich has problems with shipping, let’s just leave it at that. Besides Haesslich is a fellow Macorss fan of many years, it’s just that he really takes issue with Ranka making Minmay moves like many Macross Vets, including me, but he’s more hot blooded than the rest of us. I am sure he was raging at shippers in general, and meant nothing personal. I am sure this thing will blow over soon.

    @Westlo and shinz
    Okay using my MODLY powers I ask that you two go elsewhere until episode 21 airs, or you two can be more civil about this. So please stop attacking eacthother.

84. D.J August 28th, 2008 4:10 am

    I actually don’t care about the Triangle right now, I’m more interested in poor Klan and her broken heart.

    I can’t wait to see her lay the smack down on the Varja.

85. Zentari August 28th, 2008 5:20 am

    @D.J : Seconded, KLEIN SMASH is going to be epic .

    PS: Once again,I’m finding myself agreeing more and more with Crusader….time to see a doctor ?

86. Westlo August 28th, 2008 6:10 am

    Oh btw that pic included in the tv life scan is from episode 10, if that’s the pic you ranka fans think is the sad/shocked Sheryl pic than lmao.

87. ShadowCat August 28th, 2008 12:49 pm

    You all say that Ranka should focus on her singing.That is very easy to say…
    How can she sing if she is in the middle of a deppresion(coused by heartbreak)?Did any of you gone trough a real one?
    She can’t do it because she doesn’t have the power to give or fight any more.She knows that she’s no big deal and she knows the times that she had screewed up and on top of it all she is looseing in front of Sheryl and doesn’t have the power to go on.In order for her to save the others she needs to be saved 1st.That’s how things are.
    Give her a reason to believe that she will have her share of happiness and I’m shore she will get up and ‘fight’ like never before and pay her ‘debts’ twise from all her heart.Ha , ha if it only could be like this.
    Stop compareing Sharyl to Ranka an Ranka to Sheryl.They are completely different as personality, age, social status, family background and everything else.Ranka is still a kid(although she is slowly starting to evolve into a woman) and all she sees is death and despair ,those who say that ‘everything is gonna be all right’ are dropping out like flyes ,of course she wants to give up everything.
    Don’t forget that at this age her brain is functioning diffrent from the others that are older.She doesn’t have a true sence of responsibility, that will develop later (anatomy, remember…) and she is very sensitive -takes thing harsher than they are(I can’t remember the name of the hormone that couses this…)
    Lol guys, what do you know about a girl/womans heart? Nothing much I see.
    I’m a woman and I was a girl not that long ago and I know what is like to be in Ranka’s sistuation.It’s a mini hell , believe me .
    This episode was very sad ,poor Mikhail .I hate it when everybody starts to die off towards the end (but not without confessing ,lol-just to be harder).We should have discussed more over him and Klein and his actions rather than fight over Ranka/Sheryl issues.Shame on us.
    @Kate123 +@ani +@shinz+@Westlo-I LOVED your comment guys.Some people actually think! XP
    @Crusader- How old are you? Do you have any ideea what love is? Love is absolute and it’s never pure from everyone’s point of view.I can give my all and my best and you will still think that I didn’t.That’s how things are.
    Love is not that prity, sometimes you are ready to sacrefice everything even if you know that you’ll regret it and have your ‘revenge’ like this:you know what my dears (world and lover included), save yourself the world couse I’m too busy wishing that I was never born.
    A woman’s heart can be extremly fragile, once broken it can take a long time to regain her stenght and logic and if the world is at is ends and she’s the one to save it , well that’s not helping.

    OK, I ruined enough this page with my horrible english , bye guys.
    Sheryl ,do what you want with who you want ad DIE allready (or get cured somewhere far far away).Jesh , you made me hate her….even trough she is great O.o
    PS:kids are the sweetest and the crulest creatures on the world, don’t forget that.(By CSI(Maiami was it?) and Cowboy Beebop XD)

88. Crusader August 28th, 2008 2:27 pm

    @D.J
    Klein is going to smash some bug, she’ll be fine even if she has to go out like a Meltran.

    @Zentari
    You are now certifiably insane report for your lobotomy now!

    @ShadowCat
    I am old enough and yes I have known what it is like to have loved and lost. Ranka did not do her best, she did nothing but wallow in her own heart break. Just because Ranka is a girl doesn’t mean she has a pass to tell the Fleet to go to hell in a tantrum. I know how things are and to be honest crying about something is not doing one’s best. There is duty there is obligation there is responsibility a person who forgets those things is a miserable creature who can never be truly be free unless kept so by the exertions of better people than himself. Heart break is not a license to reject one’s responsibilities, it is merely an excuse and a poor one at that. Ranka never sacrificed much of anything for the sake of her love, if that is what you call love then so be it, but do not mistake that your view of love is absolute. “Wishing that you were never born” is a slight on one’s parent’s and God’s gift of a soul, but if you must die for something so petty then so be it, just don’t mistake that such an action is anything less than cowardice. Ranka wanted to die and in doing so was willing to let the whole fleet die with her, that to me is sickening no matter the protests of heart break. If a person wants to live they better be ready to be disappointed from time to time and yes Ranka better get use to it because one will love many times before they find the right person.

89. Zentari August 28th, 2008 3:07 pm

    @ShadowCat: She’s 16.Read that again , she’s not some 10-12 year old that cries herself in her room when mommy shouted at her…She’s so pampered and self-centered that leads to her being useless to say the least .She can be cute all she wants, but the fact that she’s a spoiled greenhaired attention grabbing child does not change.Understandable ? Yes. Excuseable ? No, not by a long shot.

    @Crusader : NEVER! I reject your reality and substitute my own !

90. Haesslich August 28th, 2008 5:00 pm

    Incidentally, 21’s out. Oh, and let’s see if the spoiler tag works…

    Show ▼

    She gets Brera to pull a knife on Alto and after saying how she feels (finally, progress of sorts) she says she’s leaving to join the Vajra and to take Ai-kun home. Then she leaves with Brera, who can be remote-controlled by Grace into leaving her behind ith the Vajra.

    At least she does something. Finally. It’ll probably’ll get Alto and company shot for treason, but she did it. Incidentally, since Kate123 and her Ranka-shippers ignored anything I posted, I will say this; she’s acting childish but she’s almost a fricking adult and has little excuse to do so. Being a girl doesn’t mean you get away with murder because you’re ‘emotional’ – most of the old-school and post-feminists I know would kick your asses for saying she should be acting disempowered and using her gender as an excuse to behave in a way men expect her to behave.

    She WAS expecting a lot from her dream-Alto which didn’t happen, because she never bothered to talk to him or see him, or even try to find out who he was. She’s sat there the whole time waiting for him to notice her affections for him, when he’s made it clear he’s a thickheaded lug… and was disappointed when he didn’t come running into her arms. She didn’t consider any other possibility existed when she sat there for ten episodes, and so got disappointed.

    At least she’s doing something NOW (Ep 21).

91. Laz August 28th, 2008 6:38 pm

    This was the mot depressed I’ve been watching anything since Roy Fokker passed away. Yeah … I know these are jsut characters in an anime but I/we do get attached to them. Klan was my fvorite character as she reminded me most of the Misa character … pining for someone she loved, waiting for those feeling to be returned.

    So sad. I watched this episode 3-4 times this week. I really hope they tie things up nicely and in the end I can say “Damn this series was kick ass.”.

    Great comments everyone …

92. Crusader August 28th, 2008 9:29 pm

    @Zentari
    Get a bottle of whiskey now! Altering reality can only be done through a bottle of Jack…

    @Haesslich
    Yeah I just saw a raw of 21 just now… While Ranka did do something I can’t say that it seemed like she did anything overall in a positive manner. At least Ranka did something for once though it might already be too little to late.

    Show ▼

    If Ranka somehow nabs Alto-hime it will be one of the weirdest confessions in all of anime, though it already is a weird regardless if Ranka is successful or not. Hopefully your better at this than I am but from what I could tell Ranka seemed to be running away from everything with the two things that still care about her in the way she wants, Brera and Ai-kun. Alto-hime seemed to be more preoccupied with his rage over the Vajra and offered no definite answer to Ranka’s confession. In fact it feels as though hime could not even say he loved Ranka too if ony as a lie to keep her there, I suspect that Ranka has given up , again, and would rather just confess and leave without learning hime’s answer.

    Still I have mixed feelings about it on the one hand I am elated that Ranka did something, but one the other hand I can’t believe how Ranka refused to sing one more song for the sake of the dead. It was kind of ominous how Brera was smiling the whole time and how Ranka was crying on his shoulders. As Kaifuns go Brera was at least tolerable because he could fight for real, but now it seems Brera is much more insidious. I bet he learned from Grace. Nevertheless there will be no RankaxAlto-hime development from now on of any import since distance makes it nigh impossible, so at least one shipping camp will have little to nothing to work with. So I trust that you are a bit pleased in the end about what Ranka did.

    Well it was good to see Klein kick ass, though what do you think of the Meltran improvised Ex-Gear? I fell out of my seat when I saw it, and fell out again when Klein found some Zentran comrades to go bug hunting. In all it was a good episode though it seems Luca got a more manly look after Nanase got hurt and Mikhail died.

    @Laz
    Glad to have another Macross fan along for the ride.

93. Haesslich August 28th, 2008 10:44 pm

    Crusader: I’m not pleased by the development… just pleased that she’s done something on her own initiative. Even if this means she’s likely to face Frontier as an enemy the next time she meets them, and Alto-hime may well shoot at her if he sees her again. Either she’s given up on Alto or else she really didn’t think things through or ignored Alto’s feelings on a wide variety of subjects because they don’t match up with her dream-Alto’s image.

    As for Klein? Mecha-Klein is sexy, especially if that’s Mikhail’s Super Pack she’s wearing.

94. Crusader August 28th, 2008 11:21 pm

    @Haesslich
    It will be worse if the Vajra come back again and kill more people from Frontier. In Alto-hime’s case it seems that hatred has trumped love and affection, much like how it is for most people.

    Well it was blue and all so I am thinking yes Klein not only made a necklace out of Mikhail’s glasses but also used his super pack to make an Ex-Gear for Meltrans. Mecha Musume Klein was indeed glorious and awesome.

95. Nakki August 28th, 2008 11:46 pm

    Something’s wrong here… In Macross F Official site…

    In Macross F Official Site (www.macrossf.com), Episode 22 is named True Begin(ing) which should be the title for 23?! Why is it not Northern Cross?! What the…? I was sure RAW Preview told me it is Northern Cross… ?_?

    As for Episode 23… After watching the raw, it feels too rushed… And

    While Ranka have some development there,i.e. finally have the guts to make decision by herself, this episode really proves that neither Alto or Ranka actually know each other well… I mean, how in the heck does she ask Alto to come with her to Vajra side? Haven’t she seen how Alto shot down vajras before this? And did she not think about Michael at all?! I am torn for this episode about my feeling for Ranka…

    But we finally knew why Alto wanted to fly now… It’s because of Miyo okaa-sama Ironically, we knew this from Ranka though…

    Also, Battle Frontier FTW!

    Hope the spoiler tag work… I don’t wanna spoil anyone who haven’t watched this…

96. Kate123 August 28th, 2008 11:59 pm

    Not a spoiler or anything but for Episode 21. This is the part where I go, “I told you so.” That’s all. Thanks.

97. Haesslich August 29th, 2008 12:08 am

    Kate123: How does ’she isn’t a child’ match up with “she didn’t seem to expect Alto NOT to shoot at Ai-kun because he’s a Vajra, and that he’d follow her to Vajra-land since she ‘knows him well enough’ to think that he’d do so’? She didn’t consider the consequences of asking him along, or even his feelings on the matter. She just expected him to go along with her wishes.. and when he didn’t, had Brera pull a knife on him and engaged in Plan B, which was to say she was leaving and that she liked him.

    She made progress of sorts, but I don’t see that as being the act of a grown woman yet. The grown woman would at least have known him well enough to try to explain the situation BEFORE Ai-kun showed up and presented itself as a target.

    Ranka doesn’t know Alto at all – she didn’t think of his feelings, understand his position, or that he might not be the ideal man she created in her head without consulting anyone else on the matter. About the only thing that she did which involved any sort of progress was tell him (finally) that she had feelings for him, but ‘goodbye, I’m going to the Vajra now’.

    Right after Mikhail died too. Yup, good way to snare his heart… not. Now he can’t even force himself to LIE to keep you around, much less admit he likes you (if he does)… not in front of the knife-wielding Brera and ‘attacked Alto on their first meeting’ Ai-kun.

98. Nakki August 29th, 2008 12:32 am

    @Crusader

    By the holy power of the mods, please delete the 11.30 P.M. message of mine. I also fail to use the spoiler tag… ;_; Truly sorry for anyone who read the spoilers…

99. Kate123 August 29th, 2008 12:58 am

    @Haesslich
    “How does ’she isn’t a child’ match up with “she didn’t seem to expect Alto NOT to shoot at Ai-kun because he’s a Vajra, and that he’d follow her to Vajra-land since she ‘knows him well enough’ to think that he’d do so’?”

    You’ll be able to figure it out once you stop looking at Ranka from a wrong perspective.

100. LurkerJay August 29th, 2008 1:12 am

     gyaaaa! spoiler tags not work! must bee-tee the sub tonight! i wanna see Double-K pwnage!

101. Crusader August 29th, 2008 1:20 am

     @Kate123
     I have to second Haesslich here on this one, Ranka did not woman up so far as I could tell, she did finally confess but only after putting Alto-hime under duress. When hime hit the wall it was not “Alto-kun” that she cried out first…

     More over even with that Ranka ran away in the end with Brera and Ai-kun. Bringing Ai-kun and Alto-hime together was not that great of an idea. If Ranka expected Alto-hime to be so forgiving then Ranka was sadly mistaken and it again kind of showed how she misread hime again.

     @Nakki
     Done

102. Zentari August 29th, 2008 6:56 am

     Does anyone have any idea when the subs will come out ?

103. ShadowCat August 29th, 2008 5:51 pm

     @Crusader I understand what you mean but sometimes people get in the stage when they just don’t care because they became miserably, for an amount of time your reasoning and feelings stop.
     The heartbreak started ‘it’ but it’s not the couse (there is much more here), so it can’t be an excuse.
     You say that she didn’t sacrefice much or anything for her love.Maby, maby not…but she did feel kind of defeated by Sheryl from the very begining.It’s like you know that you should give everyting because that’s what people say and even you believe that it’s the right thing to do , but when the moment comes something inside you sceems:don’t do it because if you loose (65% probalility) you won’t be able to hadle it.
     I didn’t say that my view is absolute , I sad that love is absolute .And what I wanted to say is that no mather how you object love can be selfish and still be love.Isn’t my right to be happy , isn’t my right to choose my destiny and isn’t my right to do with my life what I want? Yes it is….God gave me the choise to suicide if I want, It’s a terrible sin and I will pay an eternity for it ,but still ,if I want I can do it , this is my bussiness with God.
     Slight on one’s parents? That’s funny…my mom said the exact words (I wish you where never….) a lot when I was 16-18.If she has the right to say it than so do I.Of course that in the end when our brain begins to function normally again we always say: damn, that was extremly stupid from me.
     Cowardice?Not allways.There are cases when ending your life might be for the best of everybody (that’s the person’s coclusion):you are not strong enough, you screwed up a lot, you can’t find the reason and the power to go on and people might get a better chance to have a good life without you(couse you are not there anymore to make things worst and hurt others).Ok, but this are extremes , and with God’s will many of those who think this way find their way back to the road.
     So my dear, it’s not necesarrily about heart break it’s more about the fact that you realise that you could have done more and that you begin to see yourself as a complete failiure beacuse of your own stupidity, get it?
     And you can never get use to heartbreaks, you can get over it or not,that’s all.
     >.> This was a very strange thing to say ‘get use to it’….like this should and will happen all your life.
     @Zentari-So? 15-16 is the age when you let go of childhood.You’re still a kid, add a dose of hormonal changes (the 2nd one of your life+you experience romance in a different way than those above 18) to it and you got the reccepy for a desaster.
     The center of resposibility and the center of fear (along with other things)fully develop at the age of 18 or over it.So you can’t be considered an adult until then(even if you have experienced both of them:fear , responsibility ).Some countries put 3 more years to it (just to make shore),so you are legally adult at the age of 21 (when every center of your brain is 100%fully developed).That’s why you are considered a kid until 18.
     Sleep time…XD

104. SweetHex August 30th, 2008 10:57 am

     Alright, I’ll admit that I am a fan of Ranka, she was the underdog for the most part and through the series she was progressing VERRRYYY slowly, but I was definitely disappointed with her in this episode. She gave me reason to side for Sheryl a bit. I’m still on Ranka’s side, although with how the story is going I feel like you never know what will happen to either Ranka or Sheryl. Maybe they’ll both die somehow…

     HOWEVER, I still understand how she was feeling at the time. Everyone keeps saying things about her being a “kid” but I think that it’s not a factor about being a kid. It’s her first love – so to say. First loves are always the hardest to deal with if you should find yourself heartbroken. And I definitely felt bad for Ranka witnessing the Alto with Sheryl. Who would not only feel down, but embarrassed just as you were going to confess. But hands down my emotion was there for Klan.

     Why do people wait for the last minute to tell the ones they love just how they feel. Poor Klan. Now she has to deal with the fact that Michel did love her. She’s going to have to live with knowing they could have had a lifetime together. Damn Vajra!

     I watched the raw for episode 21 and I must say I’m dying to see what happens after plus wikipedia has small summaries. I’m trying to find some spoilers for 22 and 23.

     Ultimately everyone, I think the blame needs to be on Alto because he won’t make up his damn mind. No matter what mistakes Sheryl or Ranka could make, Alto is the one who has to choose and I think he’s the denses of all. At least they know they love him and show him. If he just wants to be friends with everyone – FRIGGIN LET THEM DOWN ALREADY!

105. Zentari August 30th, 2008 1:17 pm

     @ShadowCat: I think however there IS a diffence on how a 12 year old acts in comparison to a 16 year old, no ? Besides even if that’s not the case you STILL have proved my point (i.e. Ranka is immature).

106. Halcyon August 30th, 2008 1:22 pm

     Poor Klan ;_;
     She finally gets Michel to answer her feelings and he winds up dying. At least he got a chance to let her know her love was reciprocated and he went down sacrificing himself for the one he loved. ;_;

     This episode was one of the best for Macross F. It had a little bit of everything. Drama, Romance, Epic Battles, Character Death, Nudity.

     I’m leaning towards Sheryl end, atm. Even if she has Aids she’s the only one who seems to be a good match for Alto. She has the necessary toughness to put him in his place and make sure he has his priorities straight and she’s a lot more straightforward when it comes to pursuing Alto than Ranka is.

107. ShadowCat August 30th, 2008 6:52 pm

     @Zentari .WEll….I didn’t see her smashing her had to the flor and hiting it with her hands screaming:mommy I wan’t to play with Alto-(hime) kun…Did u?:)).Soooooooooooo she’s not acting like a 12 year old.
     And I have never sad that she is mature.Immature people are inpredictable and great dreamers,that’s the beauty of it.
     Don’t worry, the ’spectators’ have to hate Ranka at this point so we all go ‘yeah!’ when she’ll save the world and probably do some sacrefices.These Tv anime-dramas…tsk tsk tsk.

108. Kevin October 2nd, 2008 12:51 am

     I still understand how she was feeling at the time. Everyone keeps saying things about her being a “kid” but I think that it’s not a factor about being a kid. It’s her first love – so to say. First loves are always the hardest to deal with if you should find yourself heartbroken. And I definitely felt bad for Ranka witnessing the Alto with Sheryl. Who would not only feel down, but embarrassed just as you were going to confess. But hands down my emotion was there for Klan.

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