SDF Macross Episodes 15 and 16 – Orders

Much better than the past two episodes, this week the Global and Misa head to the UN Alaska HQ to make their report and receive the ship’s new orders. The civilian residents of the ship begin celebrating their return to Earth with a carnival celebration while the crew, temporarily under the command of Colonel Maistroff, gets a little time off while the Zentradi figure out who’s in charge now that they have three different fleets with three different commanders all trying to figure out what to do about the miclones, their homeworld, and the advanced ship they’ve been operating.

Global and Misa onboard the C-2 Greyhound-like transport. And what is going on with that VF-1 in the foreground?

The awkward temporary captain.

“In five minutes and fifteen seconds you will…”

By the time these guys get back they’re going to be irreversibly contaminated.

The bridge crew mans their posts at reduced alert and eventually everyone gets some time off. Claudia sneaks off first, deftly being noncommittal as to where she’s going. Which is to Roy’s quarters to spend some quality time together. Up on the deck of the Prometheus Hikaru gets to go flying in the plane Minmay won for him, taking her along for the trip. While airborne they talk about her recent success and she tells him how busy she is all the time, working on various projects and performances. Over in Alaska Global and Misa prepare to meet with the top UN commanders, including Misa’s father who we find out was Captain Global’s commanding officer during the Unification Wars. They also find out that the entire Alaska Base is almost one big cannon like the main weapon of the Macross. Could Gundam SEED have perhaps stolen the idea to locate a superweapon in Alaska. And now that I think of it, what’s with Alaska being the place for superweapons? Front Mission 3’s MIDAS was developed and tested there too.

Claudia is indeed a Zessei Bijin.

Daaaaawwwww.

Somehow the pilots all find time to have social lives. Just saying, Minmay.

Seems like Misa has fond memories of her father.

It’s so rarely that we see such a bright expression on her poor face.

“Second hand smoke contains a higher amount of toxic substances than direct smoke.”

November 11 would also not approve.

Continuing on their flight Minmay and Hikaru land in Yokohama so Minmay can visit her parents. Hikaru gets painfully reminded of his (lack of) relationship with Minmay by all the couples in Minato Mirai park, which is just the start for him. After making their way to Chinatown Minmay’s parents are surprised to see their daughter, having thought her dead in the Unification Wars. They don’t believe Minmay when she tells them about being an idol, though both she and Hikaru somehow neglect to mention the ZENTRADI FLEET HOVERING MENACINGLY IN ORBIT! Then we’re introduced to Minmay’s cousin Kaifun, grade A douchbag and maybe rival for Minmay’s affections. He disapproves of Hikaru just because he’s in the UN Forces, but nonetheless agrees to go back with them to the Macross to ease the worries of Minmay’s parents and to visit his own onboard.

Luckily the anti-UN forces (aka Celestial Being) didn’t add her to their long list of innocent victims.

“My soul hurts.”

“Well, after I tried out for Gundam Wing…”

Kind of creepy given the propensity for marrying your cousin still being ok in some anime. Let me guess, they’re not related by blood or something, right?

The Torment of Hikaru Ichijou.

At UN HQ the debriefing and questioning begins with a very skeptical high command trying to decide what to make of the fantastical things they’ve been told about the Zentradi. While they at first had a hard time believing the reports they were given, in the end they accept the report and order the Macross to keep buying time for the UN without engaging in peace negotiations at this time. They also order that all the civilians be kept onboard the Macross. When asked why, they tell the two officers that all the civilians onboard the Macross have been declared dead, victims of a Celestial Being attack on South Ataria Island in order to hide the fact that Earth is engaged in war against an alien species. Heading back to the Macross, we find out that Misa’s father wrote her a letter trying to get her to ask for reassignment from the Macross due to the dangers, which Misa rips up. Also returning to the ship are Hikaru, Minmay, and Kaifun, with Kaifun already proving an annoyance.

I’ve never really bought the reasoning behind sci-fi governments not telling the public when the conflict is on such a large and obvious scale.

We simply can’t have military commanders or democratically elected politicians being good, virtuous, or wise in an anime. That’s reserved for authoritarian, undemocratic royalty, duh.

Misa, in a subtle moment of badassery.

Good.

I wonder if this plane has a separately wired rear ejection seat?

Some time later on the ship the Genshiken infiltration team learns a quick lesson about display foods at a local restaurant while Max and the bridge bunnies head to Minamy’s restaurant for Kaifun’s welcoming party. Hikaru is already there waiting for them, looking dejected as Minmay spends all her time fawning over Kaifun. Minmay’s adolescent lack of awareness and consideration for Hikaru’s feelings is doing a number on him, but this is anime so let’s ignore that and talk about how adults are selfish. Anyway, Kaifun gets lot of attention from the girls for his looks, but introduces himself and shows how much of an ass he is by telling the table full of people defending his planet that he hates soldiers. To which they reply calmly and with tact, something Kaifun probably doesn’t even know the meaning of.

Good thing the Macross has Japanese-style restaurants or these guys would never figure out where the food comes from.

It’s Gendo Max. Maybe he’s going for the harem end.

You see Kaifun, this is your dad giving you an opening to be socially graceful and temper your lack of tact by agreeing with his compliment. See what he did there?

If Max wasn’t such a gentleman he’d kick your ass. The smile just means he knows he can but has decided that you’re not worth his time.

“What? All my cousin did was insult all of you and what you do for humanity. I don’t get it.” *facepalm*

While the party continues MBS interrupts Minmay’s music video to inform everyone that they are not being allowed to return home. The anger this stirs up among the civilians is as Capt. Global feared, and after a few moments of angrily asking why they turn to the soldiers in the room to explain it to them. Then one of the ignorant masses decides that it’ll be a great idea to take the pilots and operators hostage and demand to be let go. But before the mob can seize them the UN officers fight off the mob with pretty deft fighting from all involved. Kaifun also gets thrown into the scuffle, dodging rowdy plebs and causing several of them to hit into each other or objects in the room. After the rioting civilians get their asses handed to them and some reason returns to the room Kaifun delivers yet another stupid line about how he doesn’t use his Chinese martial arts to hurt people. Misa is all starry eyed at him after seeing a momentary resemblance to her dead love, but Kaifun is a dick of such an astronomically high level that he turns down her offer of a handkerchief because she’s in the UN Forces.

Seeing as how South Ataria Island was built around the crashed Macross, if you were on that island you were either military, a contractor for the military, or an entrepreneur trying to make money off of the former two. Sorry, but you knew the risks or were stupid enough to remain ignorant of them. You’ll get no sympathy from me.

Everybody was king fu fighting…

Even Hikaru did well for himself.

Oh so satisfying. Had to watch it a second time.

Oh yeah, those guys you threw, tripped, and made run into each other didn’t feel a thing. GAH HYPOCRISY!

Don’t fall for it Misa, he’s the emotional version of a trap.

“…but I’m a self-righteous, sure-to-get-someone-killed dumbass.”

Now at an opportune time to remind angry civilians and the cousin who will be first against the wall alike that there’s an intergalactic war going on, Kamjin decides to strike off on his own and enters Earth’s atmosphere in an assault craft to attack the Macross and force it back into space where he’s technically allowed to engage it. However Laplamiz is having none of it, and orders Millia and a strike force to intercept Kamjin’s forces and stop their unauthorized attack. Misa is still in a bit of a memory-induced haze from Kaifun’s appearance bringing up old sorrows when the attack begins. Quite a large force disembarks from the Zentradi assault ship and the Macross begins taking significant loses to its Valkyries and Destroids.

Laplamiz is going to take away your toys Kamjin.

The assault craft launches in a manner similar to the Komusai from the Zeon Musai-class cruisers (detaches from the bow).

Don’t boke Misa, or Maria will find you with her tsukkomi.

This. Is. A. SPARTAN!!!!

Another Destroid trying its best to defend the Macross against the much more mobile Zentradi battlepods.

The Macross’s compliment of fighters is also taking a beating. Hopefully Alaska is sending replacement VF-1s and pilots.

Just as Kamjin is successfully pressing his attack against the Macross Millia shows up with her squadron of Queadluun to break up the party, though even she has trouble listening to orders and downs a few Valkyries on her way. Kamjin is rebuked for trying to rules lawyer his orders and Laplamiz’s recovery craft descend to pick up his troops. Though not before he orders a ‘gift’ be sent to the UN ship.

Ah, my favorite Zentradi mecha thus far.

It even has a better viewscreen than the standard battlepod.

Technicalities.

This was a wonderful shot sequence. From descending retrieval craft, then rotating right and up to the ongoing battle, and then rotating again to a downward perspective showing the Macross from a pilot’s eye view. Nicely done.

Kamjin’s ‘gift’ being his assault craft being set on an autopilot course directly into the Macross. Global orders a Daedalus attack be prepared, but at the crucial moment Misa spaces out and only reacts in time to hit the craft in the side, causing all the missiles to fire out of the craft and towards Hikaru, who’s currently in hot pursuit of Millia.

Not very cost effective to make all your anti-aircraft guns mobile units, but very adaptable.

I want my ace combat.

The missed attack.

Friendly fire.

Misa cannot be excused for indirectly letting this happen, but I’ll be damned if I can’t blame Kaifun for being at the root of it.

While the Macross narrowly avoided being rammed by the assault ship, it was a close call and Captain Global orders Misa off duty to collect herself. Hikaru meanwhile is missing in the fight. Back in her quarters Misa is being thrown through a loop by Kaifun’s hypocritical Gundam Wing-speak and Hikaru’s offhand remark about how many Zentradi they’ll need to take out to get them to stop attacking. Misa needs a vacation or something, because the pressure seems to be getting to her lately. Meanwhile out at sea a search and rescue helicopter has found Hikaru floating unconscious and we’re left to wonder as to his state until next week.

Be glad he was so nice about it Misa.

Claudia is much concerned for her BFF.

Until the Zentradi language is only spoken in hell?

Thankfully the SAR helicopter is nearby.

Final Thoughts: – Wow do I hate Kaifun. But at the same time I kind of enjoy letting the hate flow through me when I trash him and his at best naïve ideals.

- If the UN HQ thinks they can buy enough time to use their underground cannon against the Zentradi then they’re putting way too much faith on a superweapon that appears to have a fixed barrel. It might work once, but then the Zentradi will know to avoid the one area of space that it can target.

- Yay more Claudia and Roy!

- Did I mention I hate Kaifun?