TV · Fall 1982 · 36 episodes · 26 min · Finished · Tatsunoko Production
ActionDramaMechaMusicRomanceSci-Fi
In 1999, a giant alien spacecraft crash lands on South Ataria island. Humanity proceeds to attempt to rebuild this marvel, but political conflicts centered around the Macross result in a global war. After 10 years, the Unification Wars are finally over, the new Earth United Nations Government is in power, and work on the Macross is complete.
On the day of the launching ceremony, its main cannon fires on its own, destroying an alien spacecraft. This fateful day marks the beginning of the war between the humans on the Macross and the Zentradi, a race of humanoid aliens of giant proportions.
(Source: AnimEigo)
On South Atalia Island in the South Pacific an alien warship crashes on Earth in the year 1999, bringing a raging global war to a halt. The united forces of Earth spend the next ten years developing its technology, rebuilding and refitting the ship. On the launch day of the ship (now christened the "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross”) an amateur pilot named Hikaru Ichijyo flies to the island to visit his friend Roy Focker and watch the launching. An alien armada enters Earth's star-system in pursuit of the ship. The armada is manned by a race of humanoid aliens known as the "Zentraedi". The Zentraedi send two scout ships to Earth to investigate. As the two ships approach the Earth they accidentally activate the automatic defenses aboard the Macross. The Macross fires a beam into space destroying both ships as they were entering a lunar orbit. The rest of the Zentraedi fleet witnesses the destruction of their scout ships and their general (Commander Breetai) orders them towards Earth. Roy was showing Hikaru the interior of a Valkarie fighter cockpit when the Macross fired. Roy tells Hikaru to wait in the cockpit while he goes to investigate what just happened. As the Zentraedi fleet advance on Earth they are attacked by Earth's orbital defense forces, but are easily beaten back. The Zentraedi press their attack towards Earth and Misa Hayase (the first officer of the Macross) mistakes Hikaru for a military pilot and orders him to take off. Hikaru, unfamiliar with combat, takes a near miss and his plane begins a nose dive. Misa orders him to switch to "Battleroid" mode, but Rick has no idea what she's talking about. Misa then tells Rick to pull the control marked "B" on his control panel. When he does his plane transforms into a giant robot and crashes into several building on the ground. Both Hikaru and the robot survive the crash with little damage.
2
COUNTDOWN
Oct 2, 1982 · 26 min
The Zentradi attack on South Ataria Island pauses briefly. Global wants Roy and his squad to return, but they are in the middle of a dogfight. Vanessa reports that enemy forces are entering the atmosphere, and Global orders Misa to dispatch helicopters to investigate. She informs him that he already has dispatched the helicopters. Near the Nyan-Nyan Chinese restaurant, everyone watches Hikaru's Valkyrie and wonders if it is an alien mecha. Minmay's cousin Yoshio runs across the street, and Minmay scolds him for running in front of the mecha. Yoshio wants to look at the mecha, so they go up to Minmay's room. Hikaru gets out of the Valkyrie and asks Minmay what the Valkyrie looks like. He has no clue why it turns into a mecha, and a truck driver tells him to get out of the way. Two Sea Sergeant helicopters approach the ocean and are destroyed by the Zentradi Regult battle pods. Global sees that the Zentradi want to surround the island. The government official comes to bridge and orders Global to launch. Global says the ship isn't outfitted, and the politician tells him to go into space and dock with the ARMD carriers. As everyone on the bridge listens in, Shammy realizes she doesn't want to go into space anymore. With no other choice, Global orders the ship to takeoff. As the ship rises, the gravity control system breaks away from the ship instead of lifting it up. The Macross crashes on the island again, and Global thinks it is a terrible ship. Hikaru tries to move the Valkyrie, but he puts too much thrust into it and crashes into Minmay's room. Luckily, Minmay and Yoshio are safe. Several trucks pull the Valkyrie out of the restaurant, and it crashes into another building. Roy calls Misa on the bridge to report that the enemy air forces have been destroyed. He asks her where Hikaru's Valkyrie is, and she tells him it crashed into the city earlier. She asks what the deal is with that pilot, and Roy promises to explain later. He breaks away from his squad and searches the city until he finds Hikaru. He's glad to see that Hikaru is alive, and he prepares to land.
Roy lands and transforms his Valkyrie into Battroid mode. Hikaru asks why the Valkyries transform into mecha, and Roy says it is a secret. He begins repairs on Hikaru's Valkyrie so that it becomes flight worthy In space, Vrlitwhai orders his ships to begin firing at South Ataria Island. The Regult squads surround South Ataria Island to prevent any escape. Roy and Hikaru both stare at Minmay as she and her family evacuate to a shelter, and they transform to GERWALK mode and take off. Minmay remembers she left something at home and runs off. The Zentradi ships begin their barrage from orbit, and Macross City is devastated. Roy is worried about Minmay, so he and Hikaru decide to look for her. The Regult squads begin their attack and many Valkyries are caught in firefights. Roy destroys a Regult pod attacking Minmay and tells Hikaru to watch her. As more pods attack, Roy provides cover fire while Hikaru grabs Minmay with the Valkyrie's hand and takes off. Roy asks how everything is, and Hikaru says he's fine. Roy says he doesn't care about him and only wants to make sure that Minmay is safe. Hikaru remembers that the plane is a two seater, and he thinks of he can get Minmay inside. A Regult attacks him, and he flies high in the air to avoid the missiles. His Valkyrie is attacked in the air, and the arm holding Minmay breaks off. As she freefalls through the air, Hikaru dives in after her and manages to get her in the cockpit. They return to the ground, and she thanks him for saving her. She sees that her hair is a mess, and when Hikaru asks her if her hair is more important than her life, she jokes that it's her hair. As Hikaru laughs, he slams into a Regult and crashes into the ground. When he stands up, he starts firing at the Regult until his gun pod runs out of ammo. To his shock, a giant man gets out of the Regult and approaches him. Roy kills the soldier and tells Hikaru that the Valkyries were built to fight those giants. He is quite surprised that they look like humans. Misa calls Roy and tells him to fly escort for the Macross. The ship's rocket engines, which were built on Earth, activate and begin lifting the ship. Roy takes off, but Hikaru is frozen in shock over what he has seen.
This episode continues on the cliffhanger from the first one. Hikaru has gone on quite a wild ride, but it's far from over. He expected to just hang out with Roy and see fireworks, but this is far different. What a coincidence that his path of destruction through the city leads him right to Minmay's house. Both he and Roy show what perverts they are by again staring at Minmay's legs. She's the right age for Hikaru, but she's definitely too young for Roy. The Zentradi press their attack here, and this is the first time we get to see their Regult battle pods (aka the 'chicken legs') in action. Now that the Macross has taken off after one blundered attempt, it's off to space to fight the Zentradi. Of course, nothing in that battle will go as planned either.
3
SPACE FOLD
Oct 16, 1982 · 26 min
As the Macross heads for space, Roy catches up with the ship to fly escort. He calls Hikaru and gets no response, so he figures Hikaru must still be in shock from the encounter with the enemy. He calls Misa and tells her he is going back to South Ataria Island to get Hikaru. Misa says something was odd about him, and Roy explains he is a civilian pilot. Hikaru is indeed still shocked by his encounter with the Zentradi, and he doesn't want Minmay to see the corpse. He tries to take off, but the Valkyrie crashes because the Zentradi soldier is holding onto the foot. Roy destroys several Regults before finding Hikaru. He sees the corpse holding onto the Valkyrie and jokes that aliens have the hots for Hikaru. He disconnects the cockpit from the Valkyrie and tucks it underneath his arm. Several Regults appear and attack, and Roy escapes. He reaches the air safely and heads for space. Hikaru and Minmay tell him they don't want to go to the Macross, and Roy promises to take Minmay back to South Ataria Island once the war ends. Hikaru and Roy begin arguing on the radio, and Hikaru calls Misa an old lady when she gets involved. Everyone on the bridge laughs, much to Misa's embarrassment. She gets angry and tells Hikaru he has some explaining to do about being in a Valkyrie. Nearby, Vrlitwhai and Exsedol track the ship's progress. They see the Macross is trying to join with it's space fleet, and they also want to prevent it from performing a space fold. Roy drives Hikaru and Minmay through the large corridors of the ship, and Hikaru wonders why war has started. Roy arrives at his destination, which is a hangar containing Hikaru's racer. Emergency stations are sounded, and Roy tells Hikaru and Minmay not to wander around because the ship is so large. As the Macross prepares to dock with two ARMD carriers, Vrlitwhai orders his ships to attack.
The Zentradi fleet begins its barrage and destroys the ARMD carriers. Global orders Claudia to take the ship back over South Ataria Island and activate the fold system. Claudia and Misa protest because the system hasn't been tested, and Global says if they stand still they'll be destroyed. He tells Claudia to set course for the far side of the moon, and when she protests again, he yells at her. Hikaru performs some repairs on his plane and tells Minmay that he'll take her back to South Ataria Island. As the countdown to the fold continues, Hikaru opens the nearby hangar door. He and Minmay squeeze into his plane and take off. As the Macross settles over South Ataria Island, Global orders the fold system to be engaged. A bubble of energy envelops the Macross, Hikaru's plane, South Ataria Island and some of the surrounding ocean. Vrlitwhai is shocked that they performed a fold within a planetary atmosphere, and he orders Exsedol to calculate their de-fold position. When the Macross de-folds in space, Vanessa detects and object beneath the ship. Global thinks it's the moon, but it's actually South Ataria Island, which the ship crashes into. Hikaru and Minmay find themselves in a field of junk, and several large objects hit the plane and cause air to leak out. Hikaru activates the rocket booster and heads for the Macross. Regult pods are attacking the ship, so all the hangar doors are closed. When a Regult crashes into the hull and creates a hole, Hikaru flies into it and performs a rough landing. Once all the Regults are destroyed, Global orders the civilians to be brought into the ship. Vanessa reports that they have de-folded near orbit of Pluto, not the moon. Everyone is shocked, and Global says they will just fold back to Earth again. He receives a call from the engine room and is informed that the fold system has vanished. As Global heads down to the engine room, he sees that they're in for a long trip.
The battle begun in the first two episodes continues here and reaches a brief conclusion, which sets up the space arc of the series and the journey back to Earth. There's more joking between Hikaru and Roy, and Hikaru has his first encounter with Misa. Though she is certainly not an old lady, he probably was so busy thinking about Minmay that he didn't get a good look at her. That will come back to haunt him in the near future. Global makes a miscalculation here that ends up dragging the Macross and South Ataria Island into deep space. And Hikaru and Minmay are trapped deep in the ship, which is what Roy warned them about. The crew may have escaped the Zentradi for the time being, but they'll be back very soon.
4
THE LONG WAIT
Oct 30, 1982 · 26 min
On the bridge, Global gives out orders to settle the civilian refugees from the island. He sees the aircraft carriers Prometheus and Daedalus floating nearby and orders Misa to have the work crews attach them to the ship. Since the ARMD carriers are gone, the aircraft carriers will serve as substitutes. Roy calls and wants to have a search party sent out to find Hikaru. Global says the priority is helping the 50,000 civilians, and Roy gets angry and cuts off the call. In the bowels of the ship, Hikaru tries to free his plane from the ropes it crashed into. Minmay says they should look for an exit, and they begin exploring the ship. She finds dripping pipes and accidentally burns herself. As they walk through the dark corridors, they eventually find a giant-sized airlock. Looking out the window, they see cars and buildings floating out in space. On the bridge, Kim makes coffee so that Misa and Claudia can take a short break. In the lower sections of the ship, Minmay tells Hikaru that she's thirsty, and he gets an idea. They get a steel rod and break open the pipes she burned herself on earlier. Minmay decides to take a shower in the flowing water, and Hikaru gets excited. Minmay looks at him strangely, and he decides he will wait. She asks him to place a piece of metal nearby as a screen. When he peeks through a hole to get a look, she screams. Hikaru brings her some clothes, and they return to the plane. He starts digging into his food, and Minmay wonders if they should ration it out. He says they will find an exit tomorrow, so it doesn't matter. Minmay falls asleep on Hikaru's soldier, and when a rat jumps on her, she thinks he's a pervert. When she goes over to lie on a sheet, she finds a bunch of rats. They laugh, and Hikaru jokes that he will make a deal with the rats to share the bed. Minmay falls asleep on his shoulder again.
Hikaru begins searching the area to make a map and find a way out. When he returns he finds Minmay cooking to extend their rations. He figures the daughter of chefs would do that, and Minmay explains that the owners of Nyan-Nyan are her aunt and uncle, not her parents. She tells him that her parents live in Yokohama, Japan, and run a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. Hikaru continues searching the area, and seven days pass since their crash landing. As their food supplies run out, Hikaru decides to use the airlock to go out into space and call for help. Minmay is worried because he doesn't have a spacesuit or an oxygen tank, but he believes he can hold his breath and use his flight suit. As he prepares to go out into space, Minmay spots a giant tuna. Hikaru goes out into space to capture the tuna. As he brings it back into the airlock, it falls on him and knocks him down. He breaks free and knocks on the door as he begins to suffocate. Minmay closes the airlock, which slices the tuna and leaves only the head inside. Hikaru can't go back into space because his flight suit is ripped. Misa and Claudia eat in the mess hall, and Claudia tells Misa that the civilians have begun to build a refugee camp. After twelve days have passed, Hikaru and Minmay begin to despair. She sings the song "Cinderella", and he tells her she has a lovely voice. She says she's always wanted to be a bride, but that won't happen now that they're going to die. Hikaru says they'll be okay, and he suggests they have a fake wedding ceremony. Minmay tells him they should get it over with and throw themselves into space so they can die together. He calls her crazy, and she apologizes and begins to cry. As he is about to kiss her, a dud Zentradi missile slams through the ceiling. The mayor and other civilians spot them and pull them out. Minmay is reunited with her family, and the mayor tells Hikaru that they rebuilt the city inside the ship. Hikaru collapses from malnutrition.
After the nonstop fighting in the first three episodes, we get a break from that here. While this is a slow moving episode, there is some good character development here. It is in this episode that we see the beginning of Hikaru and Minmay's friendship, and the beginning of Hikaru's attraction to her. Also, it is the first time that Minmay sings, which will develop more later on. Minmay goes kinda batty at the end of the episode, which is understandable after twelve days of confinement in the ship. However, wanting to commit suicide in space is a bit TOO much. We also get to see Macross City again, which after being destroyed by the Zentradi has been rebuilt inside the ship. Now that this is all settled, the long journey to Earth begins.
5
TRANSFORMATION
Nov 6, 1982 · 26 min
Macross City has been reconstructed inside the Macross, and the long journey back to Earth begins. At Nyan-Nyan, Minmay's aunt Lynn Feichun and uncle Lynn Shaochin return home with a small amount of rations. Minmay suggests they reopen the restaurant, but they say they don't have any food. Minmay reminds them that the restaurant was open during the Unification War, and she says they should go about their lives as usual. The mayor sees them setting up and thinks it's a good idea. Several soldiers come in to eat food and ask Minmay about her adventure. They ask if she did anything with Hikaru, and she says they are just friends. Hikaru overhears that and goes back to his room. He remembers how the day before Minmay said they should throw themselves into space together, but now they are just friends. In the engine room, Global is told by the chief engineer that the main gun cannot be fired anymore because the energy conduit connecting it to the main reactor vanished with the fold system. However, he suggests to Global the idea of a modular transformation to transform the ship and replace one conduit with another. Global says he can't do that because the city has just settled down, and a transformation could destroy it again. Hikaru looks at the scrap heap that used to be his racer, and Roy comes to visit him. He calls the racer a piece of scrap and takes Hikaru to an observation lounge to watch Valkyries in action. Hikaru is surprised they can fly in space, and Roy explains they have thermonuclear reaction engines. Roy asks Hikaru to join the military, and Hikaru asks Roy if girls can change from one day to the next. Roy laughs at him and sees that he has fallen for Minmay. He warns Hikaru that girls like her are fickle and other men could take her away. In lunar orbit, Exsedol shows Vrlitwhai video from the attack on South Ataria Island. They see that the inhabitants of Earth are miclones, which concerns Exsedol. He says there is a legend in the Zentradi military records about avoiding any planet with miclones. He says they should concentrate on the Macross, so Vrlitwhai orders his fleet to fold to the Macross's location. Upon de-fold he wants to send a ship out to test their strength.
Hikaru thinks about knocking on Minmay's door, and she comes upstairs. They talk in her room, and he notices a letter. Minmay says it was what she went back for, and Hikaru wonders if it's a letter from a boyfriend. It's actually a letter for a singing audition, but Minmay thinks it's pretty pointless now that they are so far from Earth. She asks Hikaru if he has a dream too, and he says his dream is nothing but a scrap heap now. On the bridge, Misa detects the approaching Zentradi, and Global orders everyone to go to battle stations. Roy prepares for battle and launches in his Valkyrie. Hikaru and Minmay walk up to a place to view the city, and Minmay tells Hikaru that he's just as good a pilot as Roy. As the battle rages, Vrlitwhai and Exsedol wonder why the Macross hasn't fired it's main gun. Exsedol thinks they should send in more ships to provoke them further, and Vrlitwhai agrees. With more ships attacking, Global has no choice but to order the modular transformation. A notice is sent around the ship about the transformation, and Hikaru and Minmay wonder what that means. He thinks he would be happier if the city was just destroyed, and Minmay calls him a selfish jerk. As they argue, the transformation begins and the ground breaks away under Minmay. As she is about to fall into the chasm, Hikaru rescues her. Roy continues fighting outside and sees that the Zentradi fight much better in space than they did on Earth. Once the transformation is complete, Global orders the main gun to be fired at the Zentradi ships. The attacking ships and Regults are destroyed, and Vrlitwhai and Exsedol are left in shock. Minmay tells Hikaru his wish came true, and he says he wasn't expecting it to happen. Hikaru decides that he's going to join the military and stop moping around.
After getting a break from the action with the last episode, it's back to the main story. There's quite a lot of plot developments here, and some character development too. In the character area, Hikaru is depressed for most of the episode about his plane being destroyed, and he's hesitant about joining the military, even if it means he can fly again. It all culminates in the argument between him and Minmay, but unfortunately that argument ends when he is forced to save her life again. On the plot side, we get an explanation about why the Zentradi abandon Earth to attack the Macross. It's not exactly explained what a miclone is, but according to Exsedol miclones (or humans) should be avoided. We also get to see the ship's famous transformation for the first time here, and it has some destructive consequences for Macross City. Now that Hikaru is going to become a soldier, there should be more action along the way.
6
BLITZKRIEG
Nov 13, 1982 · 26 min
A month has passed since the crew of the Macross won their first victory over the Zentradi. In that time, Hikaru has been undergoing rigorous training to become a Valkyrie pilot. In Macross City, Hikaru meets with Minmay and shows off his new uniform. Minmay stops in front of a dress shop and try on a dress in the window. Hikaru protests going inside, but Minmay drags him in. While she is trying on the dress, Misa, Shammy, and Kim enter the shop looking for lingerie. Embarrassed, Hikaru looks away and picks up the groceries he drops. Global heads down to where the fold system used to be to investigate a strange energy phenomenom. The chief engineer says he believes a barrier system can be developed from the phenomenom. Elsewhere, Vrlitwhai and Exsedol review the last battle, and they see no reason why the Macross transformed. Exsedol notes that the transformation limits their gravitational control. He thinks that the ship will head for Saturn and use ECM (electronic countermeasures) to escape. Vrlitwhai decides he will let them try their plan and then trap them. Minmay takes Hikaru back to Nyan-Nyan to see everyone, but Roy shows up and says he has orders. Hikaru walks to the base with Roy when they encounter Misa, Shammy, Vanessa, and Kim on the street. Roy introduces Hikaru to Misa, and both of them realize who they are. Misa tells him that it isn't proper for a man to be in a lingerie shop as she walks off. Hikaru and the rest of the Valkyrie pilots are called to a meeting, and an officer tells them they should spend time with whoever they want to see before the battle. Later that night, Hikaru meets Minmay in the park. She shows off her dress, but he doesn't notice it's the one she bought. Hikaru tells Minmay that they should take a picture, but she doesn't think she's very photogenic. He calls a cambot, and it takes their picture. Later, Roy visits Hikaru at the base and sees that he can't sleep. He thinks about how the hours before a battle are the worst. Hikaru tries to sleep, but he keeps thinking of the Zentradi he fought back on South Ataria Island.
The next day, the Macross enters orbit of Saturn. Misa gives the Valkyrie pilots orders over the intercom. They will attack through the Cassini Divide after passing through the ice-filled shadow zone. Roy's Skull squadron launches with Hikaru as its newest member. He sees all the pilots flying recklessly and decides to do so himself. Misa contacts him and tells him that his fancy flying could give him away to the enemy. He argues with her, and she tells him to shut up and follow his orders. He enters the shadow zone and is almost hit by an asteroid. When he slows down, Misa calls him and asks where all his confidence went. He grumbles to himself about how annoying she is, and Claudia wonders when he will stop insulting Misa. A Zentradi ship captained by Zeril is called by Vrlitwhai to capture the Macross. The Valkyries emerge from the other side of the shadow zone and attack the Zentradi. Exsedol is amazed that they are attacking with such inferior tactics, and Vrlitwhai thinks they don't realize how much he is holding back. Meanwhile, Global has the ship lowered into an asteroid field to surprise the Zentradi. The pinpoint barrier is activated, and it uses three balls of photon energy to move around the ship, which are controlled by three huge trackball mice. The ship is raised, and Global orders the main gun to be fired, but nothing happens. The chief engineer tells him that the pinpoint barrier is probably interfering with the cannon. The ship is now defenseless as Zeril's cruiser moves in to capture them. Misa has an idea and has all three pinpoint balls moved to the front of the Daedalus. Elsewhere, under attack, Hikaru lands on Zeril's, and a hatch opens beneath him, dropping him into the ship. He explores the area and runs into a Zentradi soldier. The soldier is frightened and freezes. Hikaru lifts his weapon to fire, but hesitates. At the same time, the Macross rams the ship with the Daedalus. The front of the super carrier is opened, and all the Destroids launch their missiles. Hikaru escapes from the ship just as it explodes. Vrlitwhai is shocked to see the miclones win another battle and decides he might have to call for reinforcements.
Well, there's another action packed episode. Even with all the action, there's still some character development. Hikaru may be a soldier now, but he's still the same person. As he wishes to get closer to Minmay, he also comes into conflict with Misa. The scenes in the lingerie shop and street are hilarious and provide some comic relief in a serious episode. Hikaru also screws up when flying in the shadow zone of Saturn's rings when he answers back to Misa. She's one person that you definitely don't talk to like that. Of course, he didn't learn his lesson the first time, so it's likely it'll take a few more rough encounters for him to get the picture.
7
BYE-BYE MARS
Nov 20, 1982 · 26 min
Exsedol informs Vrlitwhai that there is an abandoned miclone base on Mars. Vrlitwhai thinks it will be an excellent opportunity to lure in the Macross and capture it. For the operation he has called in reinforcements from the 7th sector Armored Division of the 109th branch of the Bodol main fleet. Exsedol is shocked, because that group is commanded by the infamous Quamzin Kravshera. Quamzin is known for getting drunk during a battle and killing most of his mean, which earned him the nickname "Ally Killer." Despite Quamzin's reputation, Vrlitwhai is sure that he can control him. Quamzin's ships suddenly de-fold from space in close proximity to Vrlitwhai's ship and crash into them. Quamzin calls to introduce himself, and his subordinate Oigul says he won the bet for the booze because they crashed into four ships. Vrlitwhai becomes angry and tells Quamzin he won't take any of his stupidity in this operation. Meanwhile, Hikaru, Roy, and the other Valkyrie pilots fight off attacking Regults and Fighter Pods. After the battle, Roy tells Hikaru he should go into town to relax. Hikaru runs into Minmay and hears an announcement about the battle that contradicts what he saw. She takes him to a cafe and gives him an invitation to her birthday party. On the bridge, Vanessa receives a transmission from Salla Base on Mars, and Global is surprised. During the Unification War, the soldiers at Salla Base were all killed on their way back to Earth by Anti-United Nations forces. Global decides they will stop at Mars to get supplies. Upon hearing mention of Mars, Misa thinks of her boyfriend, Riber Frurink. Riber was in the army and went to Mars, and Misa decided to join the army to be with him. Quamzin's forces plant gravity mines underneath the surface and wait for the Macross. The ship lands outside of their range and sends Valkyries and Destroid Spartans to secure the base. Misa asks Global for permission to investigate the base, and he agrees. He moves the ship closer to Salla Base, which brings it within the range of Quamzin's mines and his force of hundreds of Regults.
As the resupply continues, Hikaru and Roy patrol Salla Base. Hikaru asks Roy if he can have some leave time next week, and Roy says everyone in the squad has asked for a day off to go to Minmay's birthday party. Claudia interrupts and tells them not to chat, and Hikaru is surprised it isn't Misa on the radio. Claudia tells him that Misa is driving around nearby him. Misa enters the abandoned base to search for any signs of life, but she finds nothing. As Quamzin waits, he asks his man Gerao how much longer it will take for the mines to reach full power. One of the Regult pilots can't stand to wait and takes off, and Quamzin shoots him down with his Glaug. He says that if he can wait then his men can wait too. Vanessa detects the explosion, and Global orders Claudia to send a Cat's Eye recon plane to investigate. The Cat's Eye flies over the canyon where Quamzin is hiding and sends a report back to the Macross. Vanessa pulls up the report, and Global is shocked to see a thousand Regults in the canyon. Since that far outnumbers their own forces, Global tells Claudia to take off immediately. As the Macross attempts to take off, Gerao activates the gravity mines that prevent the ship from lifting off. Quamzin and his forces then emerge from the canyon and attack. As the attack continues, Global wonders how they can get to the underground mines. He has an idea, and he wonders if blowing up Salla Base's nuclear reactor will destroy the mines. When Vanessa runs a simulation that proves his theory, Global orders Misa to overload the reactor. At first she hesitates, but she agrees when he decides to send in Roy. Misa takes the elevator down to the reactor room and sets it on overload. When she tries to escape the compound, emergency doors trap her in a small corridor. Coincidentally, the corridor is where Riber's room is located. Roy tells Hikaru to rescue Misa, and Hikaru fights off many Regults to reach the base. He blasts the window open, and Misa yells at him and tells him to leave. He grabs her with his Valkyrie's hands and takes off just as Salla Base explodes. The Macross takes off, and Quamzin is angry that he lost a battle.
This is probably my favorite episode of the entire show because it was the first one I saw. The action and character development in this episode were enough to get me hooked on the entire series. Hikaru is starting to become used to the military life, and he has yet another encounter with Misa. He isn't featured much in this episode, which gives enough time to focus on her. This episode shows she is much more than a no nonsense military officer. She actually was in love before, and that love almost gets her killed. I was surprised she was willing to die just because she found Riber's room. It's kinda like when Minmay wanted to throw herself into space a few episodes back. On another note, in this episode we're introduced to one of the series' more colorful villains, the scheming Quamzin Kravshera. His own soldiers don't seem to like him, and Vrlitwhai
8
SWEET SIXTEEN
Nov 27, 1982 · 26 min
Following the Macross's successful escape from the trap on Mars, the Zentradi relentlessly attack the ship. Inside Macross City, Hikaru remembers that it is Minmay's sixteenth birthday today. At that moment, he is paged to report to Colonel Maistrov's office. In space, Quamzin prepares to attack the Macross under the guise that he is on a training flight. Maistrov has called a meeting to reward pilots who showed great courage during the battle on Salla Base. Hikaru is awarded a metal of honor. After the meeting ends, Roy asks Hikaru to follow him to his quarters. Hikaru is promoted from Sergeant to Lieutenant. As another surprise, Roy tells Hikaru that he'll have two subordinates: Corporal Maximilian Jenius and Corporal Hayao Kakizaki. Moments later, the two men arrive and are introduced to Hikaru. They ask Hikaru if they can join him wherever he's going, which happens to be Minmay's party in the city. On the bridge, Misa is shocked to read that Hikaru has been promoted. Claudia figures it is a reward for rescuing Misa on Salla Base. Kakizaki wonders where they are going, and he thinks it is a strip bar. When they arrive at the Chinese restaurant, Hikaru is amazed to see Minmay in a beautiful dress with her hair rolled up. He introduces her to Max and Kakizaki, and Max charms Minmay with his shyness. When Minmay asks for her present, Hikaru lies and says he forgot it at base. The mayor asks Minmay to sing a song, and she says Hikaru should sing in place of giving her a present. He says he can't sing, and Max volunteers to take his place. The mayor warns Hikaru that if he doesn't keep up he could lose Minmay to Max. On the bridge, Misa notices that the radar screens are empty. She realizes the Zentradi are jamming their radar in preparation for an attack. In space, Quamzin's forces being their approach on the Macross.
Back in Macross City, Minmay's party is interrupted when Misa sounds the battle alert. Hikaru, Max, Kakizaki and a dozen other pilots cram themselves into a taxi. Kakizaki asks Hikaru if Minmay is his girlfriend, and Hikaru tells him to be more considerate. Upon reaching the battle, Kakizaki is disappointed that they are on the rear defense line. When Kakizaki sees several Regult pods, he flies right in between them and is rescued by Hikaru. Nearby, Quamzin notices that the Ramidon quadrant is weak in defense and decides to attack there. As the pilots are engaged in battle, Hikaru and Kakizaki are amazed to see Max's incredible (and showy) fighting style. As the battle moves closer to the ship, Global orders the deployment of Destroid Defenders and Monsters on the hull. Quamzin and his forces land on the ship's hull and begin destroying the Destroid Defender and Monster forces. Hikaru, Max, and Kakizaki land on the hull to fight off the Regults. Kakizaki's Valkyrie is damaged, leaving Hikaru and Max to do the fighting. At that moment, Quamzin appears with his Glaug and attacks Hikaru. The two engage in a fierce battle, and Quamzin is surprised by Hikaru's fighting ability. During the exchange of fire, they each destroy each other's arms and pause to see who fires next. On the Zentradi flagship, Vrlitwhai is furious when he discovers that Quamzin has disobeyed orders. He orders Exsedol to active the signal beam that will force Kamujin to acknowledge him. After the battle, Hikaru remembers Minmay's birthday and runs off to get her a present. He arrives at Minmay's house to apologize, and she opens her window and asks if he brought the present. He searches his pockets and pulls out his medal of honor. Realizing it could be a gift, he tosses it up to Minmay. She loves the gift, and he wishes her a happy birthday as he runs off.
Well, now we have two new characters added to the mix: Max and Kakizaki. Max is shy and nerdy, and Kakizaki is a brute (and he seems to know a lot about strip bars). Although Max may claim to be inexperienced, he has incredible natural talent (which will manifest itself even more later on). Kakizaki is a dumb brute who has no skills to speak of, and he gains no skills. All he manages to do is talk a lot and get shot down. This episode also features a great battle between Quamzin and Hikaru. Even at this early stage, Hikaru closely matches the skills of Quamzin. That'll change eventually as he improves even further.
9
MISS MACROSS
Dec 4, 1982 · 26 min
In a café, Hikaru asks Minmay out to a movie, but she tells him she can’t because the restaurant is very busy. Hikaru notices the sky outside, and Minmay tells him it was created by the military. As they watch the sunset, she tells him that the Miss Macross beauty pageant will be staged soon and that the famous Jamis Merin is a contestant. Kakizaki finds Max working on his Valkyrie and tells him that Minmay has entered the contest. He says that since Hikaru gave them both Saturday off they should see the contest. Hikaru speaks to Minmay on the phone, and she tells him that the mayor entered her in the contest. On the Zentradi flagship, Exsedol shows Vrlitwhai a commercial from the Macross for the contest. Vrlitwhai orders a recon ship to launch and investigate the situation. Soldiers Loli Dosel, Conda Bromco and Warera Nantes launch in a Quel-Quallie recon ship under the code name "Blue Wind." The Macross Broadcasting System (MBS) begins its inaugural broadcast with the start of contest. The grand prize for the winner is a new Fanliner personal jet. On the bridge, Misa, Claudia and Vanessa laugh about Global being one of the judges. Claudia tells Misa that if she had entered the contest she could have won. The Quel-Quallie is picked up on sensors, and Misa calls Vermillion Squad to scramble, but Hikaru isn't at the base. In the city, Hikaru rides a bicycle to get to the contest in time. Backstage, Minmay asks Jamis to autograph a napkin, and her manager tells Minmay to use a proper autograph book. Hikaru watches with binoculars as Minmay comes on stage in a Chinese dress. The judges ask her if she has a boyfriend, and she says she has a cousin who is like a brother. Hikaru receives a page and calls the bridge, only to be lectured by Misa about being on duty. As he hails a taxi, Roy laughs at him and tells him to go for it.
Hikaru launches in a VF-1S Armored Valkyrie, which Misa tells him is only for special missions. The Zentradi block their transmissions, and as Hikaru changes channels he finds the contest. He eventually switches back to Misa, and she tells him to go by laser guidance instead of radar. On the Quel-Quallie, Loli watches the contest and is shocked to see men and women together. Hikaru tells Misa he is receiving static from her as an excuse to switch channels back to the contest. The swimsuit competition begins, and Hikaru eagerly awaits for Minmay to come out. While watching the contest, he doesn't realize that he is practically on top of the Quel-Quallie. He quickly engages reverse thrusters to avoid crashing into it. The Quel-Quallie fires missiles at him, and he hesitates briefly before shooting the missiles with his gun pod. Loli, Conda and Warera watch the contest and wonder if swimsuits are some kind of field uniform. They all realize that watching the contest makes them feel strangely aroused. They pick up Hikaru on their sensors and go to battlestations. Hikaru fires missiles at them, and they fire back and damage his armor. He ejects his armor and attacks them head on with his gun pod. The interior is damaged, and the three Zentradi retreat to the escape pod. Hikaru blasts through the front of the Quel-Quallie and breaks inside. The ship explodes with him inside of it and damages his Valkyrie. He wakes up later and finds the contest still running. Misa and Claudia continue to watch the contest, and Misa wonders what is keeping Hikaru. Roy tells Kakizaki and Max that the whole contest is rigged as a popularity stunt for Jamis. The audience votes on the finalists, and Minmay is the winner. Hikaru watches from his Valkyrie and can’t believe that Minmay won the contest.
When one is at war with an overwhelmingly strong alien race in space, the first thing they should obviously do is run a beauty contest. As ridiculous as such a thing may sound, it makes sense when there are so many civilians on board. They need something to remind them of home and keep their minds off the war, such as the contest or even the artificial clouds. Despite that, a parody of this strange concept can be seen in an episode of The Irresponsible Captain Tylor. There's a few interesting developments here, mainly in Hikaru’s relationship with Minmay. They are drifting apart slowly, and he's getting further away from his desire to be her boyfriend. It certainly doesn't help his case that she said in the contest she has no one she would consider a boyfriend. Also, her new fame from this contest is likely to drive them even further apart.
10
BLIND GAME
Dec 11, 1982 · 26 min
Loli, Conda and Warera make their report to Vrlitwhai and Exsedol. The strange things they describe make no sense, and Vrlitwhai wonders if he should send another recon group. Exsedol suggests capturing some samples and has an idea. A squad of Regults attacks, and Kakizaki takes some damage while Hikaru and Max score kills. Hikaru insists that they return to the ship, but Misa wants them to stick to their patrol schedule. Hikaru lectures her and says that in space the slightest damage can be fatal. Roy steps into the argument and tells Misa that Hikaru is right. Since the Zentradi are no longer blocking their transmissions, Global is able to send a message to U.N. Spacy High Command and get a response. The message states that the Zentradi seem to be interested only in the Macross and not Earth. Therefore, Global is ordered to use the Macross as a decoy to keep the Zentradi away from Earth to give the U.N. Spacy time to prepare. Oigul informs Quamzin of Exsedol's plan to fire a warning shot across the bow of the Macross. Quamzin tells Oigul that he has plans to make a more effective demonstration. He wants an old soldier who is about to retire make the shot and accidentally miss the target. Hikaru waits for Minmay in the city and is approached by Vanessa, Kim and Shammy. They ask him if he is waiting for a girl and if she is prettier than them. Hikaru says Minmay is about the same as them and receives a call from a phone bot. Minmay tells him that she can’t meet him because she has to take singing lessons to record an album. Vrlitwhai's fleet begins to fire several volleys across the bow of the Macross as a warning shot. Quamzin has his old soldier deliberately aim elsewhere and fire. Global has the pinpoint barrier activated, but the force of the blast overloads the barrier and destroys the ship’s radar tower.
With the attack over, fragments of destroyed asteroids surround the Macross. Global tries to contact the radar control room, but all the personnel are dead. Misa reports that it will take at least ten hours to fix the long-range radar. Claudia says they can move and use short-range radar, but Misa says they shouldn't do that when they don't know where the enemy is. She sees a Valkyrie and its dead pilot float by and is reminded of what Hikaru said. The Zentradi send out a message in human language demanding that Global surrender. Global is amazed that after only a few hours of no radio silence that the Zentradi deciphered their language. Global decides that he will have to risk sending out a Cat’s Eye recon plane. On Vrlitwhai's ship, a squad of Regults and a Quel-Quallie launch and head for the Macross. Misa volunteers to go out in the Cat's Eye and is escorted by Vermillion Squad. The Quel-Quallie reports their movements to Vrlitwhai, and he sees that they fell for his trap. The Regults attack, and Hikaru orders Kakizaki to protect Misa while they fight the Regults. Misa countermands the order and tells Kakizaki to go with them. Max notices that the Zentradi are acting strangely, so Hikaru decides to find Misa. While evading the Zentradi, the Cat's Eye pilot crashes into an asteroid and is killed. Misa tells Hikaru to forget her, but he and the others go into Vrlitwhai’s ship after her. They scare off the Zentradi soldiers, but Kakizaki and Max run out of ammo. Vrlitwhai jumps over a walkway and drop kicks Hikaru’s Valkyrie. Kakizaki blows a hole into the roof, and Max grabs Vrlitwhai and tosses him into space. As the three try to cut open a door with their lasers, Vrlitwhai crawls back into the ship. He grabs a pipe and smacks Kakizaki's Valkyrie from behind.
There's quite a lot going on in this episode. We have another confrontation between Hikaru and Misa, and this time he gets the better of her. His words seem to affect her when she sees the dead Valkyrie pilot in space. Since he accused her of being in a safe place all the time, it seems she impulsively volunteered for the Cat's Eye mission just to prove something to him. Human culture seems to be having an effect on the Zentradi since Loli, Conda and Warera can't even describe what they saw. Quamzin again meddles in things and does things his own way, but this time it actually helps Vrlitwhai. The episode ends with a cliffhanger of Vrlitwhai attacking Kakizaki. He sure must be strong if he can survive in the vacuum of space with no suit on.
11
FIRST CONTACT
Dec 18, 1982 · 26 min
Vrlitwhai smacks Kakizaki's Valkyrie with a metal pipe and disables it. He then attacks Hikaru and knocks his gun pod out of his hands. A soldier grabs Misa and places her in a sack, and several others attack Max. He quickly transforms to GERWALK mode and flies around the hangar to evade their fire. Vrlitwhai knocks Hikaru down, and Hikaru blasts Vrlitwhai in the face with exhaust from the soles of his feet. He then grabs Vrlitwhai and body slams him on the floor, but Vrlitwhai quickly recovers and impales his Valkyrie on a wall. Hikaru fires his lasers, but Vrlitwhai rips the Valkyrie's head off. Hikaru ejects from his Valkyrie and gains altitude, but Vrlitwhai jumps up and grabs him. Hikaru's Valkyrie then explodes, sucking Max into space. Exsedol performs DNA tests on Hikaru, Misa and Kakizaki and is shocked to discover that humans are very similar to Zentradi. Hikaru and Misa wake up, and he blames her for their current situation. He says women aren't suited to be soldiers and should do things like cooking or singing. Vrlitwhai wonders if he can handle this situation alone, and Exsedol suggests delivering the humans to Lord Golg Boddole Zer. Max finds a way back inside through a portion of the hull that has been blasted open, and the ship begins a fold operation. On the Macross, Vanessa picks up the fold, and Global wonders if Hikaru and Misa are dead. In the city, Roy meets Minmay outside of her restaurant and tells her that Hikaru is missing. She doesn't want to hear anymore and runs off crying. Misa sees that they have been folding for an hour, which equates to about ten days in normal space. Hikaru realizes he has missed Minmay's TV debut. He remembers her telling him about her debut song, "My Boyfriend is a Pilot." The ship finally de-folds, and everyone is shocked to see a huge Zentradi fleet in the middle of a battle. Vrlitwhai's ship begins approaching Boddole Zer'sFulbtzs-Berrentzs class mobile fortress.
Max explores the interior of the ship and hides in a bathroom when he sees a soldier coming around the corner. When the soldier enters the bathroom, Max kicks him and puts on his uniform. Vrlitwhai's ship enters Boddole Zer's mothership, and Boddole Zer tells Vrlitwhai he will be coming aboard to examine the humans. As he flies over in his shuttle he wonders if these humans have anything to do with Protoculture. Hikaru, Misa and Kakizaki are brought before Vrlitwhai, Exsedol, Boddole Zer, Loli, Conda and Warera. Misa records everything with a micro video recorder that was too small for the Zentradi to locate. Boddole Zer asks them when they made contact with the Supervision Army, and they say they don't know what he's talking about. Hikaru mentions that he was a civilian, and Boddole Zer doesn't understand the concept of people who don’t fight in wars. Boddole Zer shows them a video of a Zentradi fleet destroying a planet, and he says he has the power to destroy Earth and the Macross. Misa refuses to answer questions, and Boddole Zer grabs her in his hand. He wants to know why they became miclones, and Hikaru says they are born with the bodies they have. They don't understand this either, and Kakizaki explains that a man and a woman make love to create a baby. This baffles the Zentradi, and Boddole Zer asks Hikaru and Kakizaki to demonstrate a kiss. Hikaru says two men can't do that, so Misa volunteers. Hikaru tells her to kiss Kakizaki instead, but she says she’d rather kiss him. As they kiss, Boddole Zer and the others are shocked and disgusted. He says that it is Protoculture and has them taken away. Loli and the others ask what Protoculture is, and on pain of death Boddole Zer explains that their ancestors were part of a Protoculture where men and women lived together. On the Macross, Minmay thinks about Hikaru and then goes on stage to make her big debut with "My Boyfriend is a Pilot."
The cliffhanger from the last episode is continued here with an impressive fight between Hikaru and Vrlitwhai. We finally get to see in Valkyrie-to-Zentradi combat how well the Valkyries were designed to deal with the alien threat. However, even Vrlitwhai is too strong for Hikaru and gets the better of him. Hikaru and Misa continue to bicker here, and he makes some surprisingly sexist comments about women in the military. We also learn quite a lot about the Zentradi here, including Protoculture. It should be noted that in Macross Protoculture is completely different from how it is defined in Robotech. The story is still unresolved with everyone locked away in the brig, so we'll have to see how they get out of it next time.
12
THE BIG ESCAPE
Dec 25, 1982 · 26 min
Max continues to explore the ship, and Hikaru says they have to get out. He says that the next time a guard comes to bring them food, they should kiss to distract him and escape. Misa thinks that’s a crazy plan and refuses to go along with it. Boddole Zer tells Vrlitwhai that he wants to send a spy to the Macross, and Exsedol says contact with the Protoculture could destroy them. Boddole Zer thinks that if they could get reaction weaponry or knowledge on how to repair ships it would give them a great advantage over the Supervision Army. They wonder who they could possibly get to perform the mission, and Loli, Conda and Warera volunteer to become miclones. Misa thinks that it is important to get her video back to the Macross, so she reconsiders Hikaru’s plan. A guard opens the door, and Hikaru and Misa kiss to distract him. However, the guard is actually Max. He picks them up and places Hikaru and Misa in one pocket and Kakizaki in another. He says he didn't know Hikaru was into older women, and Hikaru objects. Max promises that if they get back to the Macross. He’ll keep their secret. A Zentradi soldier spots them, and Max attacks and transforms to GERWALK mode to escape. He flies right through the bridge and past Boddole Zer, Vrlitwhai and Exsedol. Soldiers shoot at Max’s Valkyrie, which loses power in an elevator. Everyone escapes just as it explodes and kills a Zentradi soldier. Boddole Zer decides to pull Vrlitwhai off the front line for his mistake and replace him with Moruk Laplamiz. Hikaru and Misa run off on their own and spot several miclone chambers in use. In a weapons storage room, Misa wonders if the Zentradi were human-sized in the Protoculture and if they genetically engineered themselves. A soldier grabs Misa and kicks Hikaru away. Misa drops the camera, and Hikaru grabs a massive Zentradi rifle and kills the soldier. She tells him to leave her, but he pries her out of the soldier's hand. Soldiers shoot at them on a bridge, and the floor crumbles beneath them and causes them to fall down a large chasm.
Hikaru dreams of Minmay and wakes up with Misa. She tells them that they fell into an area where water had collected, which saved their lives. Hikaru wonders how the Zentradi can have such an enormous fleet and not be able to repair their equipment. Misa thinks that perhaps they lost something when they went from human size to giant. She says this is evident from the fact that they have no civilians and that men and women live separately. Hikaru thinks it is rather sad that the Zentradi live only to fight, and Misa says that is just like her. She explains that her family has served in the military for over a century and that she graduated at the top of her class in the Academy. She says that Claudia teases her for thinking of duty so much. Misa asks Hikaru if he has someone he loves on the Macross, and she guesses it is Minmay because he said her name in his sleep. He says he'd like her to be his girlfriend, but now that she's famous she has no time for him. Misa says he at least has someone to go back to because her only lover is duty. He tells her she could definitely find someone if she acted more like a woman. They decide to leave and eventually find an open area with a wide view of all the ships docked inside the mothership. Max and Kakizaki catch up, and they decide to board a small ship that is loading supplies. The micloned spies board the same ship, and it joins with Laplamiz's fleet and folds. Ace pilot Milia Fallyna doesn't like the idea of a spy mission, and Laplamiz tells her that the miclones might be more dangerous than the Supervision Army. As the ship prepares to de-fold, Hikaru and the others get into a Regult to escape. Milia launches in her Queadluun-Rau mecha and carries a capsule with the three spies. She destroys several Valkyries and Destroids before leaving the pod inside the Macross. Hikaru and the others blast out of the ship in the Regult and drift in space. They manage to call the Macross, and Roy and two other pilots haul them back to the ship. Hikaru is glad to be back and runs through the city.
The trilogy of episodes that started back with episode 10 ends here. Hikaru and the others make their escape and manage to return to the Macross safely. We see that the Zentradi don’t do so well when it comes to repairing things, and Boddole Zer wants this knowledge to defeat the Supervision Army. Vrlitwhai gets taken out of the action, and we’re introduced to Zentradi females Laplamiz and ace pilot Milia Fallyna. She seems like she could be quite a match for an ace like Max. On another note, we get to see a new side to Misa here. Usually she's very military and by the book, but here we get to see her feminine side. Hikaru definitely has a point that she would do better in life if she acted more
13
BLUE WIND
Jan 8, 1983 · 26 min
On the bridge of the Macross, an operator wonders when they will ever reach Earth, and Claudia tells her she should ask the Zentradi fleet that is blocking them. In the bowels of the ship, Loli, Conda and Warera explore the area and realize they need to change their outfits to blend in. Vanessa, Kim and Shammy walk by after getting off duty and decide to head to the disco. They go into a nearby locker room to change clothes, and the spies realize they can get new outfits there. After the girls leave, the three spies go into the locker room and pry open all the lockers to get some clothes. Loli and Conda manage to find decent outfits, but Warera doesn't realize that he's put on a blouse and a skirt. In a briefing room, Misa, Hikaru, Max and Kakizaki give their report to Global, Colonel Maistrov and other members of the senior staff. With the exception of Global, none of the others believe the story about Zentradi history and Protoculture. An analyst gives an estimate to Global that the Zentradi main fleet consists of roughly four to five million ships. Global thinks that the idea of Protoculture explains why the Zentradi have ignored Earth and have performed strange attacks on the Macross. Global wants to get the information to Earth, and Maistrov wants to prepare a coded message to send to U.N. Spacy. Global tells him they won't be sending a message because he plans to break past the Zentradi fleet and head for Earth, which is only two days away. While no one is really happy that their story wasn't believed, Kakizaki is glad they all got promotions. The spies enter the city and are shocked when they see men and women closely interacting. Conda accidentally grabs a woman's breast and gets slapped, and Loli thinks the close interaction is perverse. Two skateboards skate by and cause Warera to fall down, which attracts attention. Loli and Conda realize that Warera is wearing women's clothes and run away. Warera runs into the women's restroom and gets beaten up. Elsewhere, a ceremony is held to congratulate Hikaru and the others for their return. Minmay gives everyone bouquets, and she kisses Hikaru and tells him that now they're both famous. She then performs her new single "My Boyfriend is a Pilot", and the spies are amazed by how the crowd is getting into the song. They feel strange and find that they like the song too.
Misa returns to the bridge and is welcomed back by Claudia and the bridge crew. Claudia asks Misa why she is on the bridge when she has special leave from Global, and Misa explains that she's most comfortable on the bridge. Vanessa, Kim and Shammy come up to the bridge and run over to Misa and hug her. Elsewhere, as Roy drives around in a jeep he spots Hikaru, Max and Kakizaki in another jeep and asks what they are doing. Hikaru says they are heading for the hangar since all the pilots were ordered to duty, and Roy tells him that doesn't apply to them since they have leave. Hikaru says it's an emergency, and Roy orders them to stop before he has them put in the brig. On her flagship, an officer asks Laplamiz what she intends to do about the Macross, and Laplamiz says she can't do anything because Boddole Zer hasn't given any orders. On his ship, Quamzin doesn't want the disgrace of allowing the Macross to escape, so he decides to attack. Global has the ship begin transformation, and the three spies get knocked around as the city transforms. As Quamzin's forces approach, Global has the Valkyrie squads launch and fires the main gun. The main gun damages several Zentradi ships, and Global has it fire again. The Zentradi ships begin firing, and the pinpoint barrier is deployed to protect the ship. Laplamiz is outraged that Quamzin is attacking on his own, and she has her fleet move to intercept his. Her ships block his line of fire and allow the Macross to slip through. Laplamiz orders Quamzin to stand down or prepare to fight her. Misa wonders what the Zentradi are doing, and Global tells her to worry about that later. With the Zentradi distracted, the Macross begins atmospheric re-entry. After safely entering the atmosphere, the ship touches down in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. External doors are opened to allow the citizens to go outside and see the sky. Hikaru, Max and Kakizaki go outside, and Hikaru feels like he's in a dream. Overhead, the Valkyrie squadrons fly by.
After a long journey, the Macross has finally returned to Earth. However, they may not have a very warm reception since U.N. Spacy wants them to stay away and act as a decoy. Hikaru and the others give their report on the Zentradi, but the fools of the senior staff don't believe them. They'll soon realize how wrong they are. We also get some comedy bits thanks to the misadventures of Loli, Conda and Warera. Wearing a dress is a classic example of how the Zentradi have no concept of human culture. They also don't seem to understand Minmay's performance. There's also a brief battle near the end, and attentive viewers will spot a glaring animation mistake. When Quamzin fires back at the Macross, we see that it's in ship mode, but this occurs after it had already transformed and fired the main gun. Looks like the animators were trying to slip in some smactock footage despite the obvious continuity error.
14
GLOVAL'S REPORT
Jan 15, 1983 · 26 min
In this clip show, Global records his report to U.N. Spacy on what has transpired since the beginning of the series. His report is set to clips of some of the major events from episodes 1-12. After recording his report, Global is brought some coffee by Misa. She watches the sunset and tells him she thought she'd never see such a sight again. Global feels the same and tells her he had a bad feeling when he took command of the ship. He felt that launching the Macross was a step humanity could never take back, and Misa thinks his premonition was correct. While I normally don't care for clip shows (especially so early into a show's run), this one is edited well and fits in to the overall storyline of the show by being handled as a report by Global.
15
HOMECOMING
Jan 22, 1983 · 26 min
On the Macross, Global and Misa take off in a transport plane and head for U.N. Spacy High Command in Alaska. On the bridge, Maistrov arrives to take over command and bumps his head on the threshold of the door. He pulls out a cigar to smoke, but Shammy tells him there is no smoking. Claudia's shift ends, so she leaves the bridge. Outside, a party is being held on the deck of the Daedalus. Loli, Conda and Warera take notes on what's happening, but they get drunk on beer and decide to take the day off. Elsewhere, Claudia goes to Roy's room and finds him sleeping in bed. She decides to take a shower, but he touches her butt and then grabs her and kisses her. Back on the Daedalus deck, Minmay is escorted to her Fanliner in a limo. She gets into the Fanliner with Hikaru, and her manager warns them both to come back on time. Hikaru takes off and is glad to be back in the air in a regular plane. Max and Kakizaki pull up beside him in their Valkyries, and Kakizaki says they'll leave him alone to pursue his love with Minmay. Hikaru says it isn't like that, and the two of them leave. Elsewhere, the transport plane lands on the surface of Alaska Base, which is heavily guarded by Monsters, Destroids and Valkyries. The plane is lowered on a platform to a subterranean level. Over the ocean, Minmay tells Hikaru that it's been a long time since they've been alone together. She tells him that she's going to be very busy when she returns because she has to film a TV show and her first movie. Hikaru asks her if she can keep up with a schedule like that, but she's fallen asleep. In Alaska, Misa and Global ride an elevator down the long shaft of the Grand Cannon. He asks her if she knows about the Grand Cannon, and she says she doesn't. He explains that it's a weapon based off the main gun of the Macross, which takes Earth's gravitational forces and turns it into energy. The six kilometer shaft they are traveling down acts as the barrel of the cannon. Global tells Misa a story of when he served under her father Admiral Takashi Hayase during the Unification War. She laughs at his story, and he tells her he hasn't seen her laugh in a long time. He tells her it will be very important for them to work hard to convince the high command of their findings.
Hikaru and Minmay arrive in Japan and fly by Mt. Fuji before landing in Yokohama. In Alaska, Misa and Global enter a conference room where the Admirals are displayed on large screens in a video conference. Misa begins to give her report on the Zentradi. In Yokohama, Hikaru and Minmay walk through Harbor View Hill Park and she shows him the New Marine Tower. After walking through the city, they go to Chinatown, and Hikaru is amazed by how different it looks from the rest of Japan. Minmay spots her family's restaurant, Mei Sha Roh, and runs inside with Hikaru. A waiter named Chin slaps himself when he sees Minmay and runs to get Minmay's mother Lynn Shigeyo. She can't believe that Minmay is alive and thought she was killed in the Unification War. She asks who Hikaru is, and Minmay introduces him and explains he saved her life. Her father Lynn Paoshun comes into the room and asks why she didn't call them earlier. In Alaska, the Admirals don't seem to fully believe what Misa has reported. Global asks about the release of the 56,000 civilians on the ship, and the Admirals tell him they will discuss that topic later. In Chinatown, Paoshun yells at Minmay and refuses to let her go back to the Macross. She says that she has to go back to her fans and do her job, and he says he doesn't want her to be like some prostitute for soldiers on a ship. Minmay's cousin Lynn Kaifun comes down when he hears all the noise, and he is amazed that Minmay is alive. He hasn't seen her since he left to join the peace movement, but he is glad she is alive. She tells him his parents are alive and well on the Macross. In Alaska, the Admirals pass down their decision. They will not allow the release of the civilians because they told the public that Anti-UN terrorists destroyed South Ataria Island. They don't want the public to know about the war with the Zentradi, and Global says Earth is in danger anyway. They leave with the meeting ends, and when Global asks Misa if she will visit her father, she refuses. In Chinatown, Kaifun decides he will go back to the Macross with Minmay to keep her safe. As Global and Misa head back to the ship, she reads a letter from her father asking her to leave the ship and tears it up.
After some battle-heavy episodes, this time we get a bit of plot advancement and character development. As expected, U.N. Spacy's reaction to the Zentradi report wasn't received any better than on the Macross. For military personnel, they seem more like politicians who are concerned with public image in their attempt to hide the war. They also seem very cold-hearted for wanting to use the 56,000 civilians as bait for the Zentradi. They seem determined to use their Grand Cannon to end the war, no matter what the losses might be. We also get to see Minmay's parents and her cousin Kaifun, who is now a recurring character. As a peace activist, I doubt he'd fit in on a warship, and he already doesn't seem to get along well with Hikaru.
16
BATTLE CRY
Jan 29, 1983 · 26 min
On the bridge of the Macross, the crew isn't too happy to hear about the decision from High Command. Vanessa, Kim and Shammy ask Global what he intends to do, and he tells them to just stick to their duties. They decide to go into town to relax. In the city, Kaifun enters the Nyan-Nyan, and his mother Feichun is shocked to see him. She runs over to hug him, but his father Shaochin stays in the kitchen and cries as he washes dishes. Nearby, the three spies stand outside a Japanese restaurant and stare at a bowl of tempura because they're starving. Loli breaks the glass display and starts biting into the tempura, but it's actually made of wax. The owner comes out and tells them to come inside because they must be starving if they're trying to eat wax food. Around the corner, Misa, Max, Vanessa, Kim and Shammy enter the Nyan-Nyan and find it packed with people. As they look for a table, they see that Hikaru is sitting at a large table by himself. They ask what's going on, and he explains that a homecoming party is being held for Kaifun since he ran away from home earlier. Vanessa and Kim think Kaifun is cute, and Misa is shocked by how much he resembles Riber. They mayor has Kaifun comes over and tells him that even though he hates the military it has cute girls. Everyone is surprised by this, and Kaifun says he hates fighting because all war ever leads to is destruction. Hikaru and the others agree that they didn't join the military because they like to destroy things. MBS interrupts Minmay's show with the announcement that the citizens won't be allowed to leave the ship. All the people in the restaurant become very angry and demand that Hikaru and the others explain. He says he doesn't know anything, and Misa asks everyone to calm down. The mob decides to take them hostage as a way to get off the ship, and Max punches someone when they grab Misa. The situation degenerates into an all-out brawl as men attack Hikaru and Max. Kaifun is attacked as well, but he uses defensive Kung Fu moves and defeats everyone without using a single attack. Misa offers him a handkerchief because he's bleeding, but he refuses to accept it since she's a soldier.
Quamzin decides to attack the Macross and heads for Earth in a small ship. Laplamiz is informed of Quamzin's unauthorized sortie and decides to punish him. Global orders the Valkyrie squadrons to launch and has Misa recalled to the bridge. After arriving, Misa stares into nothing and Claudia asks if she's found a boyfriend to daydream about. A U.N. Spacy base picks up the ship entering the atmosphere and fires interceptor missiles at it. The interceptor missiles hit the ship but cause little damage. As the ship flies over the Macross, Quamzin launches in his Glaug, followed by a large force of Regults and Fighter Pods. Global orders the Destroid Spartans to be deployed on the carrier decks to fight off the Regults. As Vermillion Squadron prepares for launch, Hikaru yells at Misa and asks if they have to shoot down a hundred thousand or a million more to stop the Zentradi. She's distracted and doesn't pay attention, and he's surprised she didn't chew him out for what he said. Hikaru, Max and Kakizaki manage to launch, but several Valkyries behind them are destroyed before they can take off. As they fight on the surface of the ship, a squad of Queadluun-Raus led by Milia approach. Laplamiz's orders are to stop Quamzin and not attack the humans, but Milia disobeys the order and begins destroying Valkyries. Max and Kakizaki stay on the carrier decks to fight off the Regults while Hikaru fights in the air. Laplamiz gives Quamzin a direct order to withdraw, and Quamzin tells Gerao to make sure the 'present' is delivered. Another ship appears and begins a kamikaze run, and Global orders a Daedalus Attack. When the time comes for the attack, Misa is distracted and performs the attack late. The Daedalus punches through the ship and fires missiles, which hit Hikaru's Valkyrie. Quamzin retreats in shame, and Global orders Misa to take immediate leave in her quarters. Misa cries in her room and realizes that Kaifun isn't Riber. At sea, rescuers find an unconscious Hikaru floating in the water. He is taken to a hospital aboard the ship and into the operating room.
After a clip show and character development episode, the Zentradi make their return here. Quamzin again disobeys orders, and no one seems to be able to keep him under control. I'm sure Vrlitwhai probably regrets ever calling him in for assistance. The citizens get pretty out of line in this episode, and Kaifun swiftly defeats them without laying a hand on any of them. You have to wonder exactly why a pacifist knows Kung Fu. Misa notices his resemblance to Riber, which distracts her for the rest of the episode and ends up nearly costing Hikaru his life.
17
PHANTASM
Feb 12, 1983 · 26 min
Hikaru lies unconscious in a hospital bed with a concussion. He dreams that he is running through the city to get to Minmay's first concert. As Minmay begins to sing "My Boyfriend is a Pilot," Vrlitwhai reaches out with his hand and grabs her. He takes her to his ship, and Minmay calls out to Hikaru to rescue her. Hikaru jumps into a Valkyrie and takes off, but he gets caught in the middle of a battle. Misa yells at him over the radio because civilians aren't supposed to be using Valkyries, and he calls her an old lady. Hikaru gets shot down and crashes into several buildings. Later, he walks through the streets and is embarrassed when he hears an announcement about how he hijacked a Valkyrie and crashed it. He wonders how he can rescue Minmay and decides to ask Roy for help. He tells Roy that he's decided to join the military just so he can save Minmay. As they walk through the street they run into Misa, Vanessa, Kim and Shammy. Misa recognizes him as the reckless civilian, and he recognizes her as the old lady. Roy tells Hikaru that if he passes the aptitude test that Misa will be his commanding officer. Hikaru passes a test on an obstacle course as well as Valkyrie target practice. After passing the test, Hikaru takes off in a Valkyrie but crashes into a Zentradi ship. He then goes out in an Armored Valkyrie and attacks a Zentradi fleet, but he gets shot down again. Finally, he tries to fly into space with a special bicycle but fails again. As he walks through the streets in embarrassment, Misa, Max and Kakizaki approach him and agree to help him rescue Minmay. They approach the Zentradi ship in space, and Misa suggests they infiltrate the ship by disguising a Valkyrie as a Zentradi soldier. They enter the ship and disguise Max's Valkyrie, but they are spotted by Zentradi soldiers. Max flies towards an elevator, and his Valkyrie is crippled by enemy fire. After getting off at another level, they run away just before the Valkyrie explodes and kills a Zentradi soldier.
Hikaru and Misa run towards a light when they hear Minmay's singing. They see South Ataria Island floating in a void with Vrlitwhai sitting on a building. Hikaru thinks that he should go alone now, and a Valkyrie magically appears in front of him. He hops in and flies over to where Vrlitwhai and Minmay are. He tells her he's come to rescue him, and she says she can't go because Kaifun doesn't want her to date soldiers. Vrlitwhai turns around, and his face turns into Kaifun's. He tells Hikaru he'll never let him have Minmay, so Hikaru says he's quitting the military and rips off his pilot's suit. Kaifun melts into the ground, and Hikaru grabs Minmay in his Valkyrie's hand as missiles approach. They take off and fly high in the sky, but the arm is shot off and Minmay begins to free fall. Hikaru goes after her and is able to get her in the cockpit. The Valkyrie is damaged as they reach space, and Hikaru decides to transform the Valkyrie into his Fanjet. The Fanjet crashes into the lower levels of the Macross, and Hikaru and Minmay begin to explore the area. They find a large window, and Minmay screams when she sees the Zentradi main fleet outside. As Hikaru looks, he realizes he is standing with Misa and then with Minmay again. Later, he breaks a water pipe so Minmay can take a shower, and she yells at him for peeping at her while she is naked. Minmay rests on Hikaru's shoulder, and paparazzi take pictures of them. Later, she sings a song and wonders if they will get out. He asks her what she would be if she wasn't a singer, and she says maybe a bride. Hikaru suggests they have their own ceremony, but he asks her if she's sure she wants him because she's so fickle. She tells him he doesn't care about her, and he apologizes and says they live in different worlds. As they are about the kiss, the wall crumbles behind them, and Hikaru finds himself kissing Misa in front of Boddole Zer. He asks where Minmay went, and Misa reminds him he is a soldier. Hikaru wakes up from the dream and realizes that it was quite strange.
The very existence of this strange episode is kind of an accident. When the series was bumped up to 36 episodes from 26, two clip shows were created to add to the episode count. One of course is episode 14, and the other is this one, which was edited by Shoji Kawamori. I'd say Kawamori does a good job of editing together random clips from the first dozen episodes to make a surrealistic dream for Hikaru. Though the episode may seem pointless, it is actually quite important in terms of character development. Although it's a dream, we see a lot of Hikaru's true feelings here. He feels that he's becoming ever more distant from Minmay ever since she became famous, and he finds himself thinking more and more of Misa in this dream.
18
FAREWELL, BIG BROTHER
Feb 19, 1983 · 26 min
In the hospital, Hikaru thinks about how he was shot down and thinks he's pathetic. Misa comes in to the room with flowers, and he's surprised to see her. She tells him she's sorry he was hurt because of the orders she gave. He's surprised that she's actually apologizing to him, and she tells him it was her fault. Hikaru says that if he had been a better pilot that he could have survived no matter what orders she gave. Misa says she's lost her confidence, and Hikaru tells her it isn't like her to say that kind of thing. She places the flowers in water and tells Hikaru to get better before leaving. Misa returns to the bridge, and Claudia tells her to stop moping because she felt the same way when she first met Roy. Claudia tells Misa that she should take a chance and tell Hikaru how she feels even though he's younger. Their conversation is interrupted when Global enters the bridge. Misa asks how much longer they will be staying in the Pacific Ocean, and Global answers that they will leave when they finish getting supplies. Roy, Max and Kakizaki go down to visit Hikaru and find he is depressed. They ask if Minmay came to visit, and he says a big star like her doesn't have time for him. Roy is glad that Hikaru isn't seriously hurt, and Max foolishly says that he shouldn't have been injured by those missiles. Kakizaki then foolishly says that he and Max are hoping to get their own squads, which makes Hikaru feel even worse. Roy decides they should leave, and Max asks if the flowers came from Minmay, to which Hikaru answers they came from Misa. Roy sees that Hikaru's problem is mental and needs special medicine. He meets with Claudia at a cafe to get Minmay's shooting schedule for her movie. Elsewhere, the three spies steal a Minmay singing doll and run into Kim, Vanessa and Shammy. Shammy asks them if they're lolicons, and Loli explains they work in the Bamboo House Disco. The girls then drag them along with them to the disco. In space, Quamzin argues with Milia about the Macross and tells her they have an ace pilot too. Roy visits the set of the martial arts movie Shao Pai Lon and asks Minmay to visit Hikaru. Kaifun says it's Hikaru's own fault because soldiers like to fight. As he drives through the city, he receives a call from Misa that they've spotted incoming enemies.
A Zentradi ship enters the atmosphere, and Milia's Queadluun-Rau squad launches. She tells the other pilots to make it so that she can find the ace from the Macross and fight him one-on-one. Roy launches in his Skull One and is joined by Max and Kakizaki since Hikaru isn't there to lead them. Max destroys several Queadluun-Raus on his own, and Milia realizes he is the ace Quamzin was talking about. She attacks him and is surprised that he can dodge her attacks. As they continue to fight, Claudia and Misa find the attack to be strange because the Zentradi aren't attacking the ship. Though Global doesn't want them to attack the ship, he agrees that it is odd. He sees that one enemy is making too much of an effort to fight Max, so he has Roy tell him to pull out of combat. In his hospital room, Hikaru receives a visit from Minmay. He asks how she knew about him, and she explains that Roy told her. She lies down on the bed and says she is very tired because she's only getting two hours of sleep a night. Before she can say much more, she falls asleep. When Milia continues to chase Max, Global sees that Max was indeed being targeted. Roy fights off several Queadluun-Raus, and his Skull One is damaged. Milia pulls in ahead of Max and heads for the Macross, and Global orders all the hatches to be sealed. Milia manages to get inside the ship and breaks into the city, followed by Max. Hikaru leaves his bed and watches them fight. Max shoots at Milia and damages her, and she can't believe she's losing. Global has the hatches opened to chase her out, and she fires several missiles and flies away. Max begins pursuit, but he is ordered to fall back as Milia escapes. Milia vows she will get revenge for her disgrace. Minmay's manager comes to the hospital and takes her away while Hikaru is gone. Two mechanics working on Roy's Skull One are shocked when they see the cockpit is full of blood. Roy plays the guitar in Claudia's quarters while she prepares her pineapple salad. He suddenly stops playing and falls over, and she sees his back is full of blood. At the hospital, Claudia collapses in tears when Roy is pronounced dead. As Hikaru plays with a biplane toy, Misa comes in and tells him Roy is dead. Hikaru drops the toy because he can't believe what Misa has said.
What a surprise this episode was. Who would have ever thought they'd kill Roy? There are some hints, though. As a rule in anime, when a character is about to be killed, that episode suddenly focuses entirely on them. So if you're watching a series and find a character who is generally ignored suddenly in the spotlight, chances are they're going to die. Roy's death brings sadness to the whole ship, but especially to Hikaru. With his sempai dead, Hikaru now has nothing left from his childhood and is forced to be more of a man in a war that seems to have no end.
19
BURSTING POINT
Feb 26, 1983 · 26 min
The Macross flies over a large city, and Global is told by U.N. Spacy that such flights are prohibited except in case of emergencies. Global insists that it is an emergency because he has 56,000 civilians aboard and can't fight to his full potential if he has to worry about them. He asks for permission to have them disembark, and he is instead ordered to fly out to the sea. Global says he can't do that because the gravity control system isn't perfected yet and the ship may crash over a city. While Global didn't get anything from U.N. Spacy, he started the dispute over radio over the hopes that some autonomous region not under the control of U.N. Spacy might be listening. Claudia decides to leave for a coffee break, and everyone sees that she is trying to hide her grief over Roy. Misa enters one of the observation lounges and finds Claudia sitting by herself, and she walks over when she spots Hikaru standing by himself. Minmay's "Shanghai Dandy" plays on the radio, and she asks him if Minmay will leave with the rest of the civilians when they find a place for them. He says she's going to stay with her aunt, uncle and Kaifun. Hikaru asks about the new barrier developed to replace the pinpoint barrier, and Misa says it's more effective but doesn't last as long. In the city, Minmay returns to her dressing room and collapses from exhaustion in Kaifun's arms. On the bridge, Shammy informs Global of a message from the North American Ontario Autonomous Region stating that they will take in all of the civilians. Global orders Claudia to change course immediately and head for Ontario. In space, Quamzin argues with Laplamiz about why he can't attack the Macross. Laplamiz says she doesn't understand what's going on, but her orders are not to attack until the spies return. Laplamiz asks Milia to stop Quamzin again, and Milia stuns her by saying she wants to be a miclone spy. As Milia is resized in the cloning chamber, she thinks to herself that she must defeat Max. In the Macross hangar, Max and Kakizaki find Hikaru working on Roy's Skull One, which is now his Valkyrie. Hikaru finds it odd that the plane of an ace like Roy now belongs to a guy who is always getting shot down. They tell him that the civilians will be dropped off in Ontario and decide to celebrate. In space, Quamzin launches in his booster-equipped Glaug, followed by a large squad of Fighter Pods. As they eat, Hikaru and the others are recalled to base and launch in their Valkyries.
After launching, Hikaru asks Max and Kakizaki to keep their guard up and make sure they don't get killed. Quamzin's forces enter the atmosphere and begin their attack. Hikaru is chased by three Fighter Pods, so he transforms into GERWALK and lets them overtake him so that he can destroy them from behind. Kakizaki compliments him on his skill, and Max saves him from being destroyed by a Fighter Pod. In the middle of the battle, a Queadluun-Rau delivers micloned Milia to the Macross. Quamzin calls Oigul to bring the ships down from space, and Vanessa picks up the ships entering the atmosphere. Global orders the omni-directional barrier to be placed on standby, and Claudia objects because they can't use their own weapons with the barrier up. Global says that now that they've found a place for the civilians that the priority is to protect them. Hikaru and the others fly over a mountain and encounter Quamzin's battleships. Global has the barrier activated, and Quamzin returns to his ship and orders Oigul to fire. The attack is deflected by the barrier, and Quamzin orders Oigul to keep firing. The barrier begins to become unstable, and Misa orders Hikaru to take out the battleships before they cause anymore damage to the barrier. Hikaru and the others land on the surface of the Zentradi ships and begin destroying gun turrets. Energy output begins to fall, and the barrier system begins to overload. Shammy reports that it will explode, and Misa orders all the Valkyrie teams to escape immediately. The barrier explodes and sends out a massive shock wave that engulfs and destroys several Zentradi ships. Quamzin's ship escapes without damage, and Kakizaki is killed when his Valkyrie lags behind and is caught in the shockwave. The Macross emerges from a crater that used to be a city, and Claudia reports that the surface has been destroyed in a 50 kilometer radius. The Ontario Autonomous Region calls the ship and now refuses to take the civilians. At the hospital, Kaifun is questioned by reporters about Minmay, and he makes an anti-war statement. Claudia and Misa don't agree with what he says, but the three spies watch the interview and find that they do agree with him. Hikaru is paged by Minmay, who asks him to visit her at the hospital. He ignores her and simply hangs up the phone.
Roy's death in the previous episode came as a surprise, but to follow it up with Kakizaki in this episode is shocking. With the consecutive deaths of two major characters, you'd think Yoshiyuki Tomino was working on this series. Despite that, Kakizaki's death was inevitable, and I'm somewhat surprised he lasted so long. For someone who talks a lot and has no piloting skills, he managed to last awhile, but there was no way he could have survived to the end of the series. The mood around the ship was already dark, and this destructive battle only adds to that. The hope of finding a safe haven for the civilians is dashed when the barrier overload destroys a whole city.
20
PARADISE LOST
Mar 5, 1983 · 26 min
Deep in space, Vrlitwhai and Boddole Zer view the footage from the battle between the Macross and Quamzin. Boddole Zer tells Vrlitwhai that there is disorder among the ranks, so he wants him to go back and take charge. Vrlitwhai agrees, but he also asks to be given command of the Adaclos fleet of 1,200 ships just in case. Vrlitwhai and Exsedol return to their ship, and they wonder if 1,200 extra ships will be enough. Vrlitwhai's fleet leaves the mothership and begins fold operations to return to Earth. On Earth, Sea Sergeant helicopters and Avenger II planes offload crates of supplies to the Macross. In his quarters, Hikaru tries to write a letter to Kakizaki's parents to inform them that he is dead, but he is unable to and begins to cry. Max knocks on his door, and they decide to go outside. Max doesn't understand why he's being promoted and given a team, and Hikaru explains that it's because he himself has been promoted to squadron commander. On the deck, they watch a Commanchero officer transport helicopter land and wonder what's going on. Max wonders if the rumors are true that they'll have to leave Earth. As the sun sets, Max comments that it might be the last one they ever see. Deep inside the ship, Loli and Conda work on a Regult while Warera makes beef stew. They eat their last meal while listening to Minmay and think about how they may never see Vanessa, Kim or Shammy again. In his office, Global examines the orders handed down by U.N. Spacy High Command. According to the orders, the Macross is to leave Earth within 24 hours or face an attack from U.N. Spacy. Misa comes into his office, and he tells her he never expected U.N. Spacy to force the civilians into this. He asks Misa to contact MBS, and he also calls the bridge and orders Claudia to prepare to launch. Vrlitwhai's fleet de-folds on the dark side of the moon, which is the signal for the spies to leave the Macross. The three split the controls of the Regult and blast out of the ship. They then travel through the water and eject the Regult's legs to fly into space.
The radar room picks up the massive de-fold of the Adaclos fleet on the dark side of the moon. On the bridge, Vanessa estimates that there are at least a thousand ships in the fleet. The radar room also picks up the Regult as a UFO, and it also picks up another UFO rendezvousing with the Regult to pick it up. Global orders Claudia to scramble Valkyries, and she scolds Kim and Shammy for complaining about the number of enemies. No word has come in from U.N. Spacy, and Global sees they're being thrown to the wolves. Shammy asks what U.N. Spacy is going to do, and he says they probably want the Macross to get destroyed so that they can open up negotiations with the Zentradi. Vrlitwhai contacts Laplamiz and tells her he will taking command. He says he's heard about her problems, and she tells him to be quiet unless he can do better. He and Exsedol then leave to hear the report from Loli, Conda and Warera. They show him items they've brought back from the Macross such as TV's, pianos and refrigerators. Vrlitwhai and Exsedol are astonished to hear about how men and women interact, and Vrlitwhai doesn't want to hear any more. Exsedol wants to see the Macross, but Vrlitwhai says that presents problems, so he'll have to settle for a report from the spies. They return to their quarters and pull out all the stuff they hid from Vrlitwhai like TV's and Minmay dolls. They call in other soldiers and give them candy and show them the Minmay dolls. On Earth, Global goes on air from the MBS station and explains to the citizens how his requests regarding them have been repeatedly ignored. He tells them that if they don't leave they'll be attacked by U.N. Spacy, and he says they can't fight Earth. The citizens become angry, and Global says he doesn't enough know how he can apologize to them. Minmay runs to his side and tells everyone to stick together because the Macross is their home now. She sings a song that is broadcast across Earth, and the Macross takes off and heads for space.
This episode continues the dark mood established in the previous two and provides some important plot developments. As expected, the Macross is banished from Earth, and I guess that's what happens when you destroy a city, even if by accident. Also, Vrlitwhai finally is back in the action after being out of sight for several episodes. Perhaps he can bring some control back to the mess that Laplamiz can't seem to control. The three spies return to their posts, and they don't seem happy about it. There is one plot hole that I find curious. They were delivered to the Macross by Milia in her Queadluun-Rau. So where exactly did they get (and hide) a Regult to escape with? That doesn't seem to make much sense.
21
A NEW DAWN
Mar 12, 1983 · 26 min
On the Macross, a party is held to celebrate the upcoming release of the movie Shao Pai Lon. Minmay has a drink alone outside, and her manager asks what she's doing. She tells him she's tired of her life, and she asks him if he can get a VIP seat for Hikaru. He leaves, and Jamis comes along and tries to deliberately spill wine on Minmay. In her hotel room, Minmay calls the barracks and is told Hikaru is on duty. She leaves a message saying that a seat has been reserved for him. Hikaru returns and is told Minmay left a message, but he runs out to call Minmay before hearing the rest of the message. He calls her hotel room, but she isn't there. The next day, Milia sees everyone in line for the movie and wonders if Max is in line. A limo pulls up, and the crowd cheers when Minmay and Kaifun get out. Inside the theater, the director Shoo Blackstone introduces Kaifun and Minmay. Minmay comes on stage and notices Hikaru isn't in the front row. She sings the movie's title song, and the movie begins. Milia watches Kaifun's martial arts skills and wonders if he's the one who defeated her. Hikaru feels uncomfortable hearing people gossip about Minmay dating Kaifun. Elsewhere, Vrlitwhai and Exsedol watch the movie and think it's an old combat record. They wonder why the miclones would watch something so old and primitive. As the fighting continues, they are shocked when Kaifun defeats a giant with one kick. Vrlitwhai can't believe the miclones have such power, and Exsedol thinks it explains the barrier in Ontario. In another part of the ship, Loli, Conda, Warera and other soldiers watch the movie and are amazed by it. In the movie, Kaifun kisses Minmay, and the Zentradi don't understand what that means. Loli and the others brag that they did it all the time with Minmay. When Hikaru sees Kaifun kiss Minmay, he can't take any more and pushes his way through the crowd to leave the theater.
As Hikaru leaves the theater, he trips in the crowd and accidentally grabs Misa's butt. They end up making a scene in front of the crowd, so she pulls him out of the theater. Before she can say anything else, a battle alert is sounded and the transformation sequence begins. Hikaru thinks they should head for a shelter, but Misa thinks they should head for the base. However, the street they are standing on begins to transform and rise up into the air. Minmay slips as the street splits in front of her, but Kaifun grabs her and saves her from falling to her death. As she looks up, for a split second she thinks that she sees Hikaru rescuing her instead of Kaifun. Hikaru and Misa travel through a narrow corridor and are boxed in when a wall behind them transforms. Misa blames him for getting them lost, but he says if they had gone down another path they would have been crushed. Hikaru wonders why a transformation occurred so quickly, and Misa says it's because Shammy is running the bridge in her absence. On the bridge, Shammy frantically gives orders that no one is able to understand. Misa pulls rank on Hikaru, and he stays quiet and ignores him. She asks him to speak because she gets lonely when people don't speak. He's surprised that she would make such an admission. He's also surprised that she would go to a movie, and she reminds him that she's a normal girl like anyone else. He wonders why she would go and figures out it's because she likes Kaifun. He teases her, and she jabs back at him by saying things can't be going so well between him and Minmay. He shuts up, and she apologizes. She tells him that Kaifun looks like someone she loved who died before she could say how she felt. He realizes that they both left the theater for the same reason. To pass the time, they discuss the war and Misa explains that the Zentradi are confused because they have split into two forces: one that thinks humanity is Protoculture and is afraid, and another that wants to fight. The two look at each other and begin to move closer, but the battle suddenly ends and the ships transforms again. As they stop to get a cola, Hikaru pushes Misa behind the machine when Kaifun and Minmay enter their hotel. Hikaru decides to return to the Prometheus, but Misa takes his hand and asks him to stay with her a little longer, which he does.
The situation with the war seems to become more complex with each new episode. The Macross has been banished from Earth, and it doesn't look like they'll be getting any support from U.N. Spacy. The Zentradi are still split in regards to what to do about the Macross, but the misunderstanding regarding the movie is bound to galvanize them into action. There's also changes occurring with the characters; the main focus now seems to be on Hikaru and Misa. Hikaru is coming to realize that he and Minmay live in different worlds and are getting further and further apart. Likewise, Misa is starting to see that though Kaifun may resemble Riber they're nothing alike. In addition to realizing this individually, it looks like they're realizing they might have more in common than they thought.
22
BATTLE HYMN
Mar 19, 1983 · 26 min
In the mothership, Boddole Zer watches Shao Pai Lon and the combat footage from the Ontario battle. If miclones really do possess such power, he thinks they are to be feared. On Vrlitwhai's ship, Loli and the others continue to show soldiers items from the Macross. The singing Minmay doll seems to be the favorite, and all the soldiers want to know more about her. More and more soldiers begin to abandon their posts to see the Minmay doll sing. Oigul informs Quamzin that men on their ship and Vrlitwhai's want to surrender and go to live on the Macross. Quamzin thinks that deserting to the miclones is unspeakable and damns the Macross. Boddole Zer calls Vrlitwhai and orders him to capture some humans. He says he believes that the humans are indeed Protoculture, and he wants to study them more before proceeding with the final stage. He says that culture has always affected the Zentradi badly, so they must learn as much about the civilization as they can and destroy it. Vrlitwhai orders the attack to begin, and the soldiers realize that if they attack the Macross they could kill Minmay. Loli suggests that they all surrender and defect. However, they first have to become miclones, so they convince a technician to help them. On the Macross, Hikaru thinks about Roy and Kakizaki and wonders why he's fighting in a fight he can't win. He walks through the ship and sees a poster of Minmay, and he decides if he fights to protect her it will be enough to keep him from running away. In the city, Minmay performs in concert and begins to sing "Love Drifts Away." On the bridge, Shammy, Vanessa and Kim relax on a coffee break and notice Claudia staring out into nothing. Claudia remembers walking down a street with Roy, and the girls realize the sad lyrics of the song must remind her of Roy. They notice Misa acting strangely, and she thinks of Kaifun as she listens to the song. Minmay finishes the song, and Kaifun thinks to himself about how beautiful she looks today.
Exsedol tells Vrlitwhai that they should try to trick the Macross into performing a Daedalus Attack. Vrlitwhai asks why, and he says if they position things in the right way they can get Regults to board the Macross after it attacks. However, it will mean deliberately aiming the bow of their ship at the Macross and having it heavily damaged. As the Regults prepare to launch, Loli and the other micloned Zentradi hide inside several units to prepare to escape. They don't understand why they suddenly have to move to the bow of the ship, but they know the target is still the Macross. Quamzin gets into his Glaug and launches with a squad of Regults. His orders from Vrlitwhai are to attack the first wave of Valkyries in space, and he's happy to oblige that kind of order. Global is informed of the approaching 30 ships, so he orders the Valkyries to launch and tells Misa to prepare a Daedalus Attack. Misa tells Hikaru to be careful because the Zentradi seem to be using strange formations. Hikaru and Max launch and become locked in combat with Quamzin. The city rocks from the attacks, and the citizens begin to flee from the concert hall. Kaifun jumps on stage and urges them to stay and let the concert continue. He tells Minmay to sing, so she begins "My Boyfriend is a Pilot." Vrlitwhai's ship approaches the Macross, and Global orders a Daedalus Attack. Vrlitwhai's ship is damaged, and Destroid Defenders coming out of the Daedalus are ambushed and destroyed by Regults. The Regults enter the Macross before it pulls away and begin to destroy the city. Misa calls Hikaru and orders him to return to the ship because the Regults are destroying the city. He asks about the concert hall, but she doesn't have any details. He and Max retreat and are followed into the ship by Quamzin and his men. Minmay performs "Shao Pai Lon" and stops when two Regults approach. The Zentradi soldiers look at the destruction they've cause and stand down. A stray blast hits the concert hall, and Kaifun is hit with a falling spotlight while trying to protect Minmay. Hikaru finds Regults that aren't fighting, and Milia watches Max in battle. Hikaru takes on several Regults alone while he heads for the concert hall to save Minmay.
After two episodes of some character and plot developments, we're treated to some battles here. This time the Zentradi get the upper hand, and Global's tactics are far too predictable and end up working against him. Now the Zentradi are inside the ship and are destroying the city. However, many don't seem to want to do this thanks to being exposed to culture by Loli, Conda and Warera. They even go far enough to get a bunch of other Zentradi to become miclones and defect. We also hear Boddole Zer mentioning the 'final stage', which means the destruction of humanity. Finally, it seems that Hikaru has lost faith in what he is fighting for and fixates on Minmay as a reason to keep on fighting. She's probably not a good choice since the two of them are so distant now.
23
RECKLESS
Mar 26, 1983 · 26 min
Hikaru destroys more Regults as he makes his way through the city. On another street, Quamzin and his men encounter three Regults wandering around aimlessly. He asks them what they're doing, and they say they don't want to fight because they're looking for Minmay. He shoots one of them, and the other two run away along with his own men. He begins chasing after his own men and executing them for desertion. Vanessa reports to Global that the Zentradi are in disarray, so he orders the Valkyrie teams to enter the ship and take control. Hikaru reaches the concert hall and sees Kaifun kiss Minmay. Misa calls him, and he tells her to send a rescue party before shutting off his radio. He then leaves just before Minmay pushes Kaifun away. Feeling angry, Hikaru rushes in and destroys several Regults by himself. Nearby, the micloned Zentradi exit their Regults and find a broken Minmay doll. They realize that they're responsible for all the damage done to the city. Vrlitwhai hears reports of men deserting, so he orders a retreat and asks Quamzin to detain the deserters instead of kill them. With the battle over, Hikaru is asked to report to the conference room. He is shocked to see Loli, Conda and Warera and asks what they're doing there. Misa says that they and 23 other Zentradi soldiers have defected to the Macross. Hikaru thinks it's preposterous to accept them after all the time they've been fighting; this pleases Maistrov and another colonel in opposition to Global, Misa and Max. Misa tells Hikaru that she thought he would understand the Zentradi based on his experience with them. She reminds him of what they saw on Vrlitwhai's ship and that the Zentradi know only war and nothing else. Hikaru questions the spies and asks them why they want to be on the Macross. The spies explain it is because humans are Protoculture and possess things the Zentradi lack. Hikaru changes his mind and agrees they should stay, which displeases Maistrov. Maistrov says aliens can't live with humans, and Misa thinks they have to to end the war. A physician enters and gives Global a report on Zentradi blood, which he hands to Maistrov.
Maistrov looks at the report and can't believe that human and Zentradi DNA are identical. Global thinks that this confirms Misa's earlier report, but Maistrov doesn't want to believe it. Global agrees to grant them asylum, but Maistrov objects and says such a decision should be made by U.N. Spacy. Global tells Maistrov he's out of line, and Maistrov leaves. Afterwards, Hikaru and Misa walk through the city and see the devastation. Misa didn't realize how bad it was from just looking at pictures on the monitor. As they walk through a less damaged area, Hikaru sees that no matter how much he tries not to, he always ends up back at the Nyan-Nyan restaurant. Feichun and Shaochin come out of the restaurant, and Hikaru and Misa run over to them. They say they want to go look for Kaifun and Minmay, but Hikaru tells them they're at the hospital. They ask if they were both injured, and she says it was only Kaifun. They want to head for the hospital immediately, and Hikaru and Misa agree to watch the restaurant for them. Inside, Hikaru sweeps up debris while Misa cleans the tables. She goes to get some tea from the kitchen, and Hikaru stares at a picture of Minmay and thinks about Kaifun kissing her. He sits down to have tea with Misa and asks if she's going to visit Kaifun. She tells him that her feelings are only the result of Kaifun's resemblance to Riber, and the situation with the defectors caused her to forget Kaifun. She asks Hikaru if he's told Minmay how he feels, and he says it doesn't matter now. She warns him that if he doesn't he'll regret it later. A battle alert is sounded, and Hikaru runs out to fight a small force of stragglers left behind. After the battle, Misa asks Global for permission to go down to Alaska to speak to her father. She believes that she can convince him and show him the three spies as proof that the war can be ended. Global agrees and tells her to leave immediately. Hikaru exits and elevator and turns a corner just as Misa comes around another corner and enters the elevator, but neither sees the other.
The cliffhanger from the last episode is resolved fairly quickly here. The situation continues to change with more Zentradi deserting in the face of human culture. Hikaru encounters Kaifun kissing Minmay, and this seems to finally push him to give up about her. Misa also realizes that her feelings for Kaifun are only because of his resemblance to Riber and nothing more. The defecting Zentradi bring with them a new hope for ending the war, but blind fools like Maistrov can't see that. Misa thinks she can convince her father of what they've discovered, but he doesn't seem like the type to listen.
24
SHOWDOWN
Apr 2, 1983 · 26 min
Misa rides in an elevator with Claudia, and Claudia tells her to cheer up. She asks Misa if she's told Hikaru that she's leaving, and she says he'll find out soon enough. Max prepares for duty in the hangar and sees that FAST packs have been mounted on Hikaru's Skull One. Misa boards the Star Goose shuttle and calls Hikaru on the radio to say goodbye. He asks why he hasn't heard about her leaving, and she says that the citizens might riot if they knew someone was leaving for Earth. She tells him that she has to convince the High Command that the war needs to end. She tells Hikaru that they might not let her come back to the Macross, so she wanted to say goodbye to him. The Star Goose launches, followed by Max's escort squad. Soon after the shuttle launches, Quamzin and his Regult forces detect the shuttle and move to attack. Max deploys his Valkyries to fight off the Regults, and Global sees that the first wave were only decoys. Sixty Regults close in on the Star Goose, and Global sends out reinforcements that will take 20 minutes to intercept. He tells Shammy to have Hikaru pilot the "Booby Duck" and explains that the mechanics know what that means. Hikaru prepares to launch in his Super Valkyrie, and Shammy gives him new codes he doesn't understand. Claudia asks her why she didn't give him the codes, and she says it's because Hikaru had the day off. Hikaru launches and flies to the battlefield at breakneck speed thanks to the FAST packs. He fires loads of missiles at the remaining Regults and destroys them all. Max's squad pulls back so that Hikaru can escort the Star Goose to Earth. Misa thanks Hikaru, and he says he should be thanking her for the times she's saved his life. He sends her a message in Morse code wishing for her safe return. He then pulls away as the Star Goose begins re-entry. In an arcade, Milia practices in a Valkyrie simulator. In Alaska, Takashi prepares for Misa's arrival.
In Alaska, Takashi stands on the runway and is informed that the Star Goose will be delayed by 20 minutes. An officer offers to take him back to the tower, but he decides to wait outside. On the Macross, Max sees Hikaru looking depressed and tells him that Misa will be back soon. Hikaru says he's not thinking about Misa, and Max drags him to an arcade to have some fun. At the arcade, Milia racks up loads of tokens in the game Battroid Attack. In Alaska, the damaged Star Goose lands and Takashi runs over to greet Misa. Hikaru and Max play Battroid Attack as well, and Max naturally gets many more tokens than Hikaru. Misa shows Takashi the report on Zentradi DNA, and he agrees to talk to the rest of the High Command about beginning negotiations. As Max prepares to cash in his tokens, he stops when he sees how beautiful Milia is and how good she is at the game. He offers to play her, and she agrees on the condition that he bet his bucket of tokens. As they begin to play the game, she thinks to herself that their simulation seems much like her battle with the ship's ace. Max defeats her and wins the game, and she realizes he is the ace who defeated her. She gets up to leave, but he asks her to meet him the next day for a date at the Happiness Forest Park. She agrees to the date and runs out of the arcade in embarrassment. Misa and Takashi ride an elevator down the Grand Cannon's shaft, and he tells her how much she reminds him of her late mother. He asks her if she has a man in her life, and she says no. Takashi takes her to see the Grand Cannon and says that after firing it they will begin negotiations. Misa strongly objects and says the Grand Cannon is like a child's toy compared to Zentradi weaponry. On the Macross, a press conference is held at the hospital and reporters ask Kaifun and Minmay about marriage. Kaifun says it's a possibility, and when asked about Hikaru, Minmay says he's just a friend. Hikaru watches the interview and goes to sit by himself next to an observation window. Claudia sits with him and tells him that though he has Minmay, there's a better match for him that he might not have seen because she's too close with him and they fight often.
There's plenty of developments in this episode as well. Hikaru's actions would seem to indicate that he's starting to see Misa in a different light. Maybe he finally understands that Minmay is too far away from him now. Misa's father makes a surprising revelation when he announces that the Grand Cannon will be used on the Zentradi. Misa tries to tell him how pointless that is, but he and the other officers have obviously made up their minds and want to use their big toy. Max beats Milia in the video game and tries to hit on her, but he doesn't have the slightest clue who she really is. Also, Hikaru gets some none-too-subtle romantic advice from Claudia, but will he follow it or stay hopelessly fixated on Minmay?
25
WEDDING BELLS
Apr 9, 1983 · 26 min
At the Happiness Forest Park, Max waits for Milia and wonders if he picked the wrong spot for them to meet. Milia appears out of nowhere and attacks him with a knife. He asks what's going on, and she tells him that she's a Zentradi Queadluun-Rau pilot and that she wants her revenge. She throws a knife at a tree and tells Max to take it so they can duel. She then attacks him, and he uses a rock to repel her attacks and reach the knife. With a knife of his own, Max repels her attacks and knocks the knife out of her hand. Milia falls to her knees and begins to cry. She says she's been defeated a third time now, and she asks him to kill her. Max tells her she is cute and picks her up and kisses her. At a lounge, Warera, Loli and Conda sit with Vanessa, Kim and Shammy and wonder if their request for asylum will be approved. Max walks up to Hikaru's table and asks for some advice. Max says that he's getting married to Milia, and Hikaru spits out his coffee at the shock of what Max has said. He asks Max how he could get married after one date, and Max says they are both certain of their love. He says there is one complication though: Milia is a Zentradi pilot. Hikaru tells him he can't marry an alien and that love is for fools. Max tells him that their love can conquer all and make the impossible possible. Max tells Hikaru that he wants him to meet Milia, and she comes out wearing a beautiful dress. Hikaru changes his mind and tells him he should speak to Global and get his permission since he's marrying an alien. Later, the wedding begins with fireworks being set off in space and rainbow colored lights lighting up a trail to the Macross. Hikaru's Skull One and several other Valkyries form an honor guard as Max and Milia fly towards the ship. As the ceremony progresses, Vrlitwhai watches it on his flagship and doesn't understand. He says that the miclones should kill Milia, and he can't comprehend them accepting her. Exsedol says it's something called 'love' and explains that men and women live together. After the wedding, Global gives a speech at the ceremony. He says that Milia is a Zentradi soldier and that people could hate her and her people for all the death they've caused in the war. But he says that the Zentradi have only known war for their entire existence, and they deserve a life of peace. Therefore, he announces the acceptance of the Zentradi refugees. In Alaska, Takashi can't believe what Global is doing. Misa asks him again to stop the Grand Cannon firing, but he says it's too late for that. Hikaru thinks to himself that the dream he and Misa have of ending the war might now become a reality.
On his flagship, Boddole Zer tells his fleet commanders that the Macross has caused them too much damage and must be stopped. He orders them to use the main fleet to destroy the ship. On the Macross, Minmay arrives at the wedding ceremony and congratulates Max and Milia on their marriage. She hopes that their marriage is the first step towards building a peaceful future with the Zentradi. To celebrate their marriage, Minmay performs the song "Runner." Vrlitwhai receives a call and is ordered to commence an all-out attack on the Macross and destroy it. As the fleet prepares to attack, many soldiers find that they don't want to go into battle and fight the Macross. The attack begins, and Global orders everyone to return to their duty stations. Max is told he doesn't have to fight this time, but he decides to go anyway. Milia says she wants to go with him and can help because she is an ace pilot. She says she wants to stand next to him, and he says he doesn't mind if they die together in battle on their wedding. Hikaru launches in his Skull One, followed by Max and Milia in Max's Valkyrie. As Max fights, Milia asks him not to destroy the Regults because she doesn't want to kill the pilots. Max says they could be killed, but she says it doesn't matter if they die together. She tells him to shoot the Regult's pelvic area to disable them, and he decides to show her how good a pilot. Max then begins to attack the Regults and disables them instead of destroying them. Hikaru calls him and asks him what he's doing, and Max asks him to excuse his fighting style. He says he wants to try something different, and Hikaru understands and does the same. In the Zentradi fleet, soldiers refuse to go into battle and commit mutiny. They take up arms and demand that the Zentradi make a cease fire with the Macross. Exsedol informs Vrlitwhai of the mutiny, and neither can believe what's going on. Vrlitwhai decides that he will follow the request of the mutineers, despite the fact that it violates Boddole Zer's orders. Later, Hikaru tries to get some sleep but can't due to the noise coming from Max and Milia's quarters. Milia doesn't understand the concept of heating water and sets a kettle on fire, and Max sees it'll be sometime before he gets some coffee again.
Well, this certainly is a rather odd episode. Max and Milia begin this episode as mortal enemies in combat, but by the end they are married and living together. This is probably due to the staff's need to compact the story. Originally, the series was planned for 39 episodes, but the sponsors wanted it compacted to 26. The story was then compacted to 26 episodes, but it was increased up to 36 during production due to its high ratings. Because of this story shuffle, some elements were explored more while others were compacted. The Max and Milia romance is obviously one of the ones that got compacted. However, the episode is still good and provides some forward motion for the story. It seems that Boddole Zer is at the end of his patience with the Macross, and the final battle approaches.
26
THE MESSENGER
Apr 16, 1983 · 26 min
The Macross goes on battle alert and prepares to fire its main gun when Vrlitwhai's flagship approaches. He sends a message that they are approaching alone and wish to negotiate for a cease fire. A group of Fighter Pods fly towards the Macross and are destroyed by Vrlitwhai's ship. Quamzin asks him what he's doing, and Vrlitwhai says if they don't open negotiations their fleet will tear itself apart. A Regult Tactical Scout launches and is escorted to the Macross by Hikaru's squad. After it lands, the pilot exits and brings down a micloned Exsedol. Exsedol thinks miclones must be rather helpless at their size, and he finds it odd to look at another Zentradi from their perspective. Maistrov pulls up in a jeep and introduces himself to Exsedol. He shakes Exsedol's hand as a sign of friendship and asks him to come to the conference room. He tells two soldiers to offer the Zentradi pilot food, and they wonder how they can possibly feed someone so big. As they drive through the city, Exsedol is shocked when he sees a billboard with a sexy girl on it. When Maistrov says it is difficult to explain, Exsedol assumes it is a military secret. He asks Maistrov about a nightie, and Maistrov stumbles and says that's a military secret too. Exsedol is brought into the conference room with Global and has a drink. Max and Milia come in, and Milia is surprised to see Exsedol. Hikaru comes in next, and Exsedol remembers him as one of the prisoners from before. Loli, Warera and Conda come in and are also shocked to see Exsedol. They begin to panic and try to explain things, but he tells them nothing will happen to them. Exsedol says two important people are missing, and he wants them to bring in Shao Pai Lon and the person at the center of their psychological attacks. They understand he wants Kaifun, but when he starts singing "My Boyfriend is a Pilot", they realize he also wants Minmay. The two of them are brought to the conference room, and Kaifun protests and says the military doesn't care about civilians. Global shuts him up and tells him they are conducting negotiations. Minmay asks Kaifun to cooperate because it could help bring about what he's always wanted. Global wonders if negotiations with Exsedol can be successful.
In Alaska, Takeshi goes to visit Misa in her new job as a radio operator. She mentions the negotiations and asks if it will be possible to avoid using the Grand Cannon. He says they probably will still use it because the cease fire only applies to Vrlitwhai's fleet, not all the Zentradi. On the Macross, Exsedol asks Kaifun what his rank is, and Kaifun says he is only a civilian. Exsedol doesn't understand because Kaifun has super powers, but Global explains that that was only a movie. Exsedol asks about the destructive power of the barrier, and Global explains that was purely technological. Exsedol sees that humans are Protoculture, and he explains that long ago those who were contaminated by Protoculture were destroyed. He also says that the main fleet will probably come and destroy Earth. Laplamiz asks Vrlitwhai why he called a cease fire, and he says the fleet is in no condition to fight. She says that doesn't matter since Boddole Zer's main fleet is coming. He can't believe she told Boddole Zer, and he explains to her that they will also be destroyed because they've been contaminated by Protoculture. He calls Exsedol and tells him that the main fleet of 4,790,122 warships is on the way. He asks Global if the Macross could escape from Earth, and Global says that's impossible. Exsedol sees that they have a common enemy, and he thinks there's a way to win. In Alaska, Misa drives through the base and heads to the Central Core to speak to her father. She asks Takeshi what will happen to the Macross, and he tells her it will be used as a decoy and probably be destroyed. She asks him to transfer her back to the ship, and he refuses. He says he won't send his only daughter to her death and is willing to lock her up in the brig if necessary. Vrlitwhai asks Laplamiz and Quamzin what they will do, and Laplamiz decides to fight at Vrlitwhai's side. Quamzin refuses to help and has his ships leave the area. Exsedol explains to Global that if they can destroy the 2,000 capital ships in the main fleet the other ships will retreat. He says they may never have a chance to hear a song, so he asks Minmay to sing. She agrees and sings "My Boyfriend is a Pilot." Suddenly, millions of ships begin to de-fold around Earth. Boddole Zer's main fleet has arrived.
Well, this was quite the episode. While there's no combat here, there's quite a lot of plot advancement. Misa tries to convince her father to stop the Grand Cannon's use and send her back to the Macross, but she fails on both counts. Exsedol has been micloned and sent in as a negotiator because Vrlitwhai realizes the situation has changed. However, Laplamiz and Quamzin can't see it as clearly as he can. Many Zentradi misunderstandings are cleared up, but it's too late now since the main fleet has arrived. While the Macross has fared well enough so far, 5 million ships is a ridiculously high amount of enemies to deal with. We'll see what happens when the final battle begins next time.
27
FORCE OF ARMS
Apr 23, 1983 · 26 min
As more Zentradi ships continue to de-fold around Earth, Global orders a battle alert. Max and Milia prepare to scramble, and Hikaru tells them to make sure they come back alive. He then goes over to Minmay and says he may never see her again, so he confesses that he loves her. In Alaska, the Grand Cannon is charged and a countdown begins to fire it. Boddole Zer's flagship de-folds, and he orders immediate bombardment of Earth. On the Macross, Destroid Monsters and Tomahawks are deployed alongside Valkyries. Global is given a report on the switch out to reaction weaponry, and he tells Exsedol that initially he had planned to use them against Vrlitwhai, not alongside him. As Hikaru prepares for battle, Minmay comes to visit him. She says she only thought of him as a friend and realizes that she really does like Kaifun. He tells her it's okay and that it's his fault for not saying anything before. He says it wouldn't have worked since he's a pilot and she's a star; he finds it ironic that they could live in two totally different worlds on one small ship. All the Zentradi ships power up and begin firing on Earth. Whole cities are annihilated in the blink of an eye from the attack. Hikaru and Minmay look out a window and can't believe what they're seeing. Minmay wonders if her parents are dead, and Hikaru thinks about Misa. Minmay begins to sing a song, but she stops and cries. Hikaru gets an idea and asks her if she'll sing for everyone. On Earth, the Alaska base remains intact, and Takeshi orders the immediate firing of the Grand Cannon. Global speaks to Vrlitwhai and asks him to transmit Minmay's song on all Zentradi military frequencies. Exsedol explains that since Boddole Zer's soldiers have never encountered Protoculture, the song will give them a temporarily psychological shock and disrupt the chain of command. Exsedol asks Minmay if she could also perform a kiss since it is the most effective way to shock the Zentradi. The Grand Cannon fires out into space and destroys a significant number of Zentradi ships. As Minmay prepares for her performance, Loli and the others visit her and wish her good luck. With the preparations completed, Minmay is called out to the stage to begin singing.
Global speaks to his forces and Vrlitwhai's to inform them they will be punching through the path created by the Grand Cannon. Minmay begins her performance by singing "My Boyfriend is a Pilot." Immediately, the Zentradi in Boddole Zer's fleet are confused. Hikaru launches in his Skull One equipped with FAST packs and begins unleashing a massive number of missiles against enemies. Nearby, Max and Milia fight together in their Valkyries. Minmay continues and sings "Shao Pai Lon." Afterwards, Kaifun comes on stage and kisses Minmay. The enemy Zentradi are disgusted by it and are destroyed while they're distracted. Hikaru remembers kissing Minmay after asking her to sing. He then destroys a battleship on his own with reaction missiles, but he is hit by a barrage of missiles himself. In Alaska, Misa desperately calls out for any survivors and receives a message from Takeshi. He tells her she was probably right and is killed in an explosion. Hikaru wakes up and hears Minmay's "Silver Moon, Red Moon." He finds he is being pulled into the atmosphere, so he ejects his damaged FAST packs and deploys his heat shield for re-entry. He flies over Earth's devastated surface and picks up Misa's distress calls. He tells her he will come to rescue her, but she says it's too dangerous. As Minmay begins to sing "Love Drifts Away", Global has all the energy from the pinpoint barrier focused into the two portions of the main gun. The Macross flies ahead of Vrlitwhai's ship and punches into Boddole Zer's flagship. Oigul asks Quamzin what they will do, and Quamzin says they will fight. Oigul says that means they will be fighting allies, and Quamzin says he doesn't care because he's the Ally Killer. Hikaru flies through the shaft of the Grand Cannon and cuts through a wall to get to Misa. As they fly out, an explosion damages the glass of his canopy and destroys it. The Macross breaks through into the central core of Boddole Zer's ship and fires all of its reaction missiles. It then activates the omni directional barrier for protection before Boddole Zer's ship explodes. Hikaru and Misa wonder if they're the only people left on Earth, and he tells Misa it's not so bad because she won't be alone. Hikaru picks up Minmay's singing on his radio and realizes that the Macross survived. He spots the damaged ship descending like a falling star into a nearby crater. He and Misa take off and head back to the Macross.
That was the final battle, and what a battle indeed. Though the Macross wins and beats Boddole Zer, it comes at a terrible price. They're not able to stop his plan to decimate Earth, and as a result most of humanity is dead. There's also a lot of character moments thrown in during the heavy action. Hikaru finally confesses his love for Minmay, but it looks like at the same time he's letting her go because he knows things wouldn't work out between them. Also, Takeshi realizes that Misa was right, but he only comes to that realization at the very end before his death. Though Boddole Zer is dead and the war is over, the series isn't. The message here seems to be that even in humanity's darkest moments there's always hope for something better that could rise out of the ruins.
28
RECONSTRUCTION BLUES
Apr 30, 1983 · 26 min
It is October 2011, and nearly two years have passed since the Rain of Death that killed most of humanity and decimated the Earth's surface. Now, Earth's population consists of some surface survivors, the civilians from the Macross and the Zentradi who remained behind. Hikaru flies over the wasteland and lands when he spots a field of grass and dandelions growing underneath the wreckage of a ruined Valkyrie. Nearby, Hikaru's wingmen call him and get no response. One of them thinks their patrols of the wasteland are pointless, and another says there could be problems due to angry Zentradi. He says that the Zentradi have only known war, and now it must be difficult to adjust to life on Earth. In Alaska, Macross City has been rebuilt around the crater where the Macross landed after the final battle with Boddole Zer years before. In the suburbs, Misa washes dishes in Hikaru's home. She wonders if she should charge him, but she reconsiders because he never asks her to clean his home. She goes into a room and finds a photo album near Hikaru's bed. She looks through the album and finds that it is filled with nothing but Minmay pictures. She turns a Minmay poster upside down before leaving the house and dropping the keys in the mail box. Hikaru remembers Roy telling him he joined the military because he loved to protect women, and when he turns on the radio he hears Minmay singing "Zero-G Love." He happens to find a live broadcast of a concert of hers in nearby Grante City. Kaifun announces that they must rebuild their city quickly and ignore the military. His wingmen contact him, and he tells them that flowers are growing outside of the area designated as part of the Nature Restoration Project. He then tells them they're on their own because he's heading to Grante City. Hikaru arrives at the concert and watches Minmay sing "Sunset Beach." In Macross City, Misa sits at a sidewalk cafe and sees that Hikaru still loves Minmay. She sees Max and Milia pass by with their baby daughter Komilia, and for a moment she imagines herself and Hikaru as parents.
In Grante City, Minmay watches as Kaifun chugs down a bottle of liquor. He's angry that the citizens paid them with supplies and food instead of money. Minmay tells him he should stop drinking and that they should be grateful for what they have. Kaifun says he doesn't want to accept anything from the military, and Minmay says she feels weird accepting things for her singing. Hikaru watches from nearby, and Minmay criticizes Kaifun for his feelings on the military. He wants to know why she's defending the military, and he says they'll never go to Macross City. She says that soldiers like Hikaru are better men than he is because they're trying to make the Earth like it used to be. Kaifun thinks it's the military's fault that the world was destroyed to begin with. Minmay says she thinks they should be apart for awhile and decides she will go to Macross City. Kaifun asks her how she plans to do that when it's over 5,000 km away. Hikaru receives a call from Vanessa and is ordered to fly to Bjorn City where three Zentradi have stolen Regults and are on a rampage. Misa returns home and receives a call from Vanessa to come to the command center on the Macross. As Hikaru heads for Bjorn City, Misa calls him and lectures him on his dereliction of duty, saying he is an unfit leader if he can't stick to his assignments. Hikaru's squad arrives at Bjorn City and encounters fierce resistance from the attacking Zentradi. One of the Valkyries is damaged, but Hikaru arrives and takes on all three Regults at once. They ignore his call for them to surrender, so he disables their Regults and forces them to abandon them and retreat. When Hikaru returns to Macross City, he finds Misa waiting for him and expects a lecture. She tells him that Global wants to see him, and she gives him an envelope filled with pictures of herself and runs away. On the Macross, Global tells Hikaru that what they've feared is finally happening: Zentradi are beginning to reject culture. Hikaru hopes that it's an isolated incident, but Global believes it's just the beginning. He thinks they should reassign the Zentradi they have on patrols to the Macross for supervision. Elsewhere, Minmay thinks to herself that she misses Hikaru. As Hikaru leaves the Macross, he wonders if Minmay and Kaifun aren't getting along.
Some may think, what story could there possibly be left to tell after the previous episode? Well, technically, none. Episode 27 was meant to serve as the finale for the series before it was extended to 36 episodes. Therefore, this episode and the ones that follow serve as an epilogue in the post-war period. While cities are springing up again, most of the Earth's surface is still devastated from the Rain of Death. Even though Space War I is technically over, the conflict between humans and Zentradi is yet to be resolved. It's interesting to see how the characters have changed after nearly two years. Max and Milia have a happy family. Minmay isn't happy, and Kaifun is an alcoholic. Hikaru doesn't know what he's doing anymore, and Misa is clearly in love with Hikaru. How this all plays out in the remaining portion of the series will be interesting.
29
THE ROBOTECH MASTERS
May 8, 1983 · 26 min
In Macross City, full size Zentradi become increasingly dissatisfied with the human way of life and leave the city to wander in the desert wasteland. In a small restaurant, Minmay begins a performance and has trouble singing "My Boyfriend is a Pilot." On the Macross, Global, Hikaru and Claudia meet with Exsedol to discuss his scientific report. At the restaurant, Minmay ends her performance and is told by Kaifun that she was horrible. She explains that she was surprised by how small the audience was. He wonders how the turnout will be for the next day's charity concert, and she tells him she doesn't know why she sings anymore. She also tells him he should charge less for tickets, but he says they need the money since they donate it to people who don't have anything. As they drive through the city, she tells him go to to Nyan Nyan for dinner, but she refuses. She opens the door and causes him to nearly crash before he agrees to take her to the restaurant. Exsedol gives his report and concludes that humans and Zentradi are nearly identical and both are descended somehow from the Protoculture. What's not known is what caused them to be different. Exsedol also says that one trait seems common in both species: a love for war. Hikaru objects and says that humans fight to protect themselves when attacked. Another officer notes that even before Space War I, humans constantly have fought wars throughout all recorded history. Hikaru thinks Exsedol's results distort the facts, and Exsedol asks him not to insert his personal opinions. In another part of the city, Minmay arrives at Nyan Nyan and his happily greeted by her aunt, uncle and the mayor. She asks them if she can stay, and they tell her the restaurant is still her home. Minmay returns to her room for the first time in years and looks around. She looks at a patched piece of ceiling material and is reminded of when she first met Hikaru and he crashed his Valkyrie into her room. She goes over to a drawer and pulls out Hikaru's medal of honor, which causes her to think of when he gave it to her for her birthday. She thinks that she hears him calling her, but when she runs to the window she finds no one is there.
The next day, Minmay walks through the city. Nearby, Hikaru jogs through the streets for morning exercise. Warera, Loli and Conda deliver laundry for their laundry service, and Conda tells Loli that he heard Minmay is in town. Loli is surprised because Minmay's supposed to give a concert in Stone City later. As they talk about her, she just happens to walk by and says hello. Warera runs up and asks her if she can autograph a shirt, but Loli says that belongs to a customer. Warera says he'll buy them new shirts, and all of them begin to argue over getting an autograph. Nearby, two full-sized Zentradi thugs threaten the mayor. His wife calls the military for help, but they grab her. Hikaru runs into Misa and asks her what she's doing out so early. She tells him she is worried about the city, and he says he is too. He explains that he's jogging because he thinks it would cause too much trouble if he goes out officially with his patrol unit. He tells Misa that he put her photos in his album, and he notices Minmay standing behind them. She cries and runs off, and he and Misa chase her but lose sight of her. They turn their attention elsewhere when they see two Zentradi fighting in the streets. Hikaru asks the mayor what's going on, and he says they're going crazy and trying to steal things. Hikaru asks the Zentradi to stop and asks them what their complaint is. They say they want to go back to space to fight wars, but he says they can't do that. Four Destroid Tomahawks surround them, but Hikaru asks them to hold fire. One of the Zentradi flicks Hikaru like a bug and knocks him against the Destroid's leg. Two of the Zentradi leave, and the third tells them they'll regret it if they leave culture behind. Far away, Quamzin is pleased to hear that more and more Zentradi are leaving the cities. He tells his men to seek them out and bring them to him, and he promises to restore micloned Zentradi to their former size. At Stone City, Minmay arrives just in time for her concert and tells Kaifun she wants to sing for herself. She goes out in front of the small audience and begins "Love Drifts Away." On the Macross, Global and Exsedol call Hikaru, Misa, Max and Milia in for a meeting. They explain that they've discovered the location of the Zentradi automated factory satellite. Global explains that the factory can produce battleships almost completely autonomously. He wants them to capture it because they need ships in case the Zentradi ever attack Earth again.
It seems that all is not well after the war. We're seeing here more evidence that the Zentradi are becoming more disenchanted with humanity's culture. This doesn't bode well for the military, but it plays right into Quamzin's hands. For some reason, Laplamiz has joined up with Quamzin, which is odd considering that at the end of the war she fought alongside Vrlitwhai and the Macross. Minmay is also becoming dissatisfied with what she's doing with her life, and Kaifun doesn't seem to be helping any with his behavior. The end of the episode brings up a new plot point: the Zentradi factory satellite. Even after two years, it seems that the U.N. Spacy is probably still recovering from the war and needs ships. Looks like everyone's going to be heading back to space soon.
30
VIVA MIRIYA
May 14, 1983 · 26 min
At the U.N. Spacy base at Macross City, space boosters are attached to Hikaru's, Max's and Milia's Valkyries so they can break out of the atmosphere. The Valkyrie squad launches, followed by a Star Goose shuttle carrying Misa, Claudia and Exsedol. The Valkyries and the Star Goose break out of Earth's atmosphere and fly to Vrlitwhai's ship. The Star Goose docks inside the ship while the Valkyries land on the surface and take a lift down with several soldiers. Vrlitwhai greets everyone and tells them they're looking well. As Hikaru and Max walk through the ship, they realize it's not the same experience as when they were last on it two years before. Max tells Hikaru they should have a party because he wants to have a house warming celebration for Milia. On the bridge, Vrlitwhai notes that it's been two years since his last battle, and he never expected his next one to be a joint operation with humans. Once all preparations are complete, Vrlitwhai orders the ship to begin a space fold. In the human-sized rooms, everyone has their attention on Max and Milia's baby daughter Komilia. Misa asks if she can hold Komilia, and Milia tells her that if she wants to hold a baby she should make her own. Max tells her to let Misa hold the baby, so Milia tosses her in the air for Misa to catch. Hikaru asks Max if Milia was mad about him bringing Komilia, and Max tells him he should worry about Misa. He says that Misa looks happy holding a baby, and he asks Hikaru if he'd like to see her holding a baby of her own. Misa asks them what they're talking about, and Hikaru says it's man talk. Later, Hikaru, Misa and Claudia leave. Claudia tells Hikaru to have fun and decides to go to bed, so Misa walks her to her room. Claudia lies down on her bed and says to herself that she was never able to hold Roy's baby. Misa returns to her room and finds Hikaru looking at a picture of her and Riber. As she is about to tell him something important, she and Claudia receive a call to report to the bridge. Vrlitwhai shows them pictures of a recently destroyed Supervision Army battleship. Misa wants to investigate it to learn more about the Supervision Army, but Exsedol says it could be booby trapped like the Macross was. Misa reluctantly agrees, and Vrlitwhai orders the final fold operation to begin.
Vrlitwhai's ship de-folds near the factory satellite, which is defended by a large Zentradi fleet. Vrlitwhai wants to call commander Dagao and ask him to surrender, but Misa suggests they do something to demonstrate they are the Protoculture. Vrlitwhai asks Exsedol what he thinks they should do, and Exsedol says a kiss would be quite a shock. Vrlitwhai asks Misa if she could kiss Hikaru again, but she is too embarrassed. Max and Milia launch in their Valkyries equipped with FAST packs and head for Dagao's ship. Vrlitwhai asks Dagao to surrender because they have culture now, and Dagao laughs and asks Vrlitwhai what he plans to do with a single ship. Hikaru reports for duty, and when Misa asks him to kiss her, he refuses. Milia asks Max what Hikaru's problem is, and he tells her Hikaru has no choice because Misa has made up her mind. Exsedol begins playing Minmay's "Zero G Love", and Dagao and the other Zentradi panic at the culture shock. Hikaru is momentarily distracted by Minmay's song, so Misa moves in and kisses him. Dagao and the Zentradi are further disgusted by this, and Max and Milia blast into the bridge. Milia identifies herself as a former Zentradi pilot, and she shows them Komilia to demonstrate the power of culture. The disgusted Zentradi soldiers run away out of fear of contamination. Hikaru's FAST pack equipped Skull Squadron launches, followed by Zentradi Regults, Glaugs and Queadluun-Raus. Dagao orders his men to attack, but his ship is destroyed by Zentradi fearful of contamination. The other Zentradi ships launch Regults, Glaugs, Fighter Pods and Nousjadeul-Gers to fight back. Hikaru, Max and Milia destroy many of them and take advantage of all the confusion. Vrlitwhai fires his ship's cannons, which disables another ship in the Zentradi fleet and causes them to finally surrender. Exsedol asks what to do with all the captured soldiers, and Vrlitwhai tells him to accept any soldier that wants to join them. His ship docks inside the factory satellite, and preparations are made to fold the entire factory back to Earth. The factory folds and after a long trip de-folds near the moon.
After several episodes, we finally get to see some space combat again. However, this time it's kind of odd seeing Valkyries and Regults fighting side-by-side. The factory satellite seems quite a massive force, and it will be necessary due to the fear of the Zentradi attacking Earth again. We also hear mention of the Supervision Army, so it seems they're still around out there somewhere. However, as Macross 7 explains, the Supervision Army is controlled by the Protodeviln, which humanity won't encounter for at least another 30 years. There's also some development here on the romance front, but Hikaru is still too blind to see what's going on. Even with Max and Claudia's encouragement and Misa's advances, he still doesn't realize that she's in love with him. Consequently, this episode is also Vrlitwhai's final appearance in the series. What he does after this is anyone's guess.
