Makurosu furontia

Macross Frontier is the latest story in the Macross Saga. This Series is a visually stunning masterpiece. Having watched the original macross series and the stunning animation that has become this series signature, I was not disappointed when I watched this animation gem.

The story continues the tale of humans and zentradi coexisting and now fighting a new enemy called the Vajra. This plot combines with the focus on the lives of the pilots entwined with a couple of female leads involved in the music industry. This focus on giant hightech robot warfare as well as song is nothing new to the regular fans.

The interesting thing about this storyline is that although the setting is original I find the story to be heavily inspired by the American Robotech series. Now I know that some of you will say that it's the other way around. I am not denying that. I'm simply saying that Robotech fans will easily recognize much of the frontier storyline as it closely follows the Robotech series story line. But the Macross Frontier story line non the less stays true to the Macross storyline. As a Robotech fan I thoroughly enjoyed watching scenes which was pretty much identical in both series (but of course hugely better animated an executed in the Macross Frontier series). And yet the macross storyline will also deviate quite a bit and make up a completely new story.

I do however have a problem with the characters of the show. I quite simply don't find the feelings between characters to be as engaging and realistic as some of the previous series... then again, I believe that part of this reaction is due to the fact that I watched the first macross shows with English dub. I believe that there is a big gap between the American and Japanese way of conveying believable drama and emotion. Likewise I find the music inferior to the beautiful soundtracks in the Macross Plus series. But if the Japanese style works for you then my critique might very well be of little relevance to you.

My conclusion as such is that this show is definitely worth watching. The animation is a 10 for me. The story is 7 while the characters receive a 5 for lack of believability (so far). The Macross Plus as well as the Robotech series did a much better job with realistic characters in a realistic drama. I hope that an English dub will be forthcoming which will better suite my taste...

25 years after the original SDF Macross series, Kawamori steps back up to the plate and brings Macross back to the basics with Macross Frontier, and yields incredible results. After such lackluster sequels like Macross II and Macross 7, Frontier is a stunning epic that truly sits among the series' best.

Taking place in the year 2059 (50 Years after the events of Space War I in the original Macross) humanity is exploring and colonizing in space in order to insure its survival. Frontier is a colonization fleet headed towards the center of the Galaxy, things are going smoothly, until suddenly they are confronted with the deadly alien threat of the Vajra. Alto Saotome is a student at Mihoshi Academy (and a former Geisha actor) who suddenly gets swept into the conflict. He ends up joining SMS, a special military force formed in order to protect Frontier from the Vajra threat. What follows after wards is a string of conspiracies, love triangles, betrayals and mysteries that all culminates into one of the most epic finales in Macross history.

The first thing you'll notice is the amazing production quality. Frontier is a TV series, but the visuals can hold up even to the most beautifully animated anime film. That's due in part to the amazing CG work from Satelight and the blazingly fast and intense battle sequences. Macross fans will definitely scream with joy at the combat sequences, but within all of that Frontier never forgets the characters behind those transforming VF's.

The cast is memorable and lovable, even down to the most minor characters. From the innocent and cheerful Ranka Lee, to the surprisingly hot-blooded ship helm Bobby Margot. The good guys were very likable and the bad guys are truly detestable. The Vajra themselves are some of the most intimidating aliens you'll ever see in a Macross series. Every time they attack, you get a sense of dread that almost even dwarfs the Zentraedi from the original series. The direction is also amazing and clever as well, each event is further elevated with skill by the amazing score from Yoko Kanno, and the wonderful vocals of Megumi Nakajima and May'n. (Who both play the heroines Ranka and Sheryl)

The show also references many of the Macross series of the past, in which fans will have a ball pointing them all out. A lot of the plot seems to mirror the original Macross series, but Frontier manages to bring a lot of neat and surprising twists. The writers were smart enough NOT to completely copy the original.

The only thing I can find wrong with Frontier is that it ends too quickly. The story is told in a very tight 25 episodes, and there were a few plot points I wish the show could have elaborated on a little further. In the end, it left me wanting more. (Much of the show references the number 25, in which the show was created to celebrate Macross' 25th Anniversary) It stands as the shortest Macross TV series compared to the original and Macross 7. However, these were some of the most enjoyable 25 episodes I've seen in any anime. People new to Macross will love it, but longtime fans will get more of a treat out of this show.

Overall, Kawamori has crafted a Macross sequel worthy of the original, and stands as one of the most exciting anime shows I've seen in awhile.

This series does not take any cues from the Robotech adaptation. Unique unto itself like all previous Macross titles that came before. It is arguably the best of the franchise thus far.

Ultimately, with all Macross productions, the show invariably comes back to the enigma of the ancient Protoculture race and their far reaching influence and legacy over the galaxy.

The series focuses on the activities of a group of combat test pilots of the SMS (Strategic Military Services) group who are testing out the new cutting edge variable fighter VF-25 in combat exercises, the amnesiac orphaned teenage girl who is the ward of the squadron commander, a visiting pop idol Sheryl Nome on tour among the colony fleets and their comrades.

The mysterious Vajra appear to attack for no apparent reason and yet have far superior firepower to any enemy that humanity has ever encountered before. Equally mysterious is this girl's ability to affect the enemy's behavior through this unusual song she only vaguely remembers from her dead mother.

Over the course of the 25 episodes, we learn what the Vajra really are, how Ranka Lee can affect them with her singing and the many manipulations that have brought the Frontier Colonization fleet into conflict with this unusual species...

I think this is one of the best animes of all time. Sure, it hails the original Robotech/Macross in its plot, however as it was specifically made for the 25th anniversary, it was meant to. I loved nearly every bit of the series, and felt much remorse when it ended. To be honest, it was much better than "The Shadow Chronicles" in terms of animation and story. Of course, the original characters are dear to us, yet I have grown fond of the new characters in this series as well. Actually I think that it is the most deserving sequel, and that it actually lives up to the Macross Universe (having watched all the others).

The series is well directed and can stand up to any motion picture in terms of animation and plot. It is a must see for all Macross/Robotech fans.

I saw many Macross series, I guess my favorite one was Macross 7 as it at least had a lot of quite decent music, as most Macross had...

Macross Forntier however is absolutely based on it's visual side, with no other aspects taken care off. We can see a quite nice display of machinery, sci-fi equipment and themes that are most valid for such series, but on the other hand, they are mostly CG, it's one of those "Computer Made" animes, not a drawn one, like Cowboy Bebop Movie, Zone of The Enders, and quite a lot of rest. I do respect hard work people once put in their crations, but as I see computer-generated models, rendered and such, I know the work was much simplified and it's obvious I'd rather vote for a hard working animator that draws every scene one by one, and not only fix some 3D props, mixing them in shape of action-scene.

It does look nice, flashy, catchy, but as it's only thing this series has it does earn this one star. Whole rest, is awful...

Starting with Music! Unlike Macross 7 where band of our main hero - a weird champ with difficult but mysterious character, played us some nice Rock music, in Frontier we are back to most cheep, cheesy pop that hurts your ears the moment you hear it. It's so 'sweet' emotional gibberish, where words like: kiss, lover, my heart, baby are tossed against the listener's face like it was a bukkake party with rapist gummy-bears. Absolutely no style, kinds of songs that has no rhythm and you can't remember them even if you try, that's cause they are this cheapest kind of pop you can hear every year at any station, that gets outdated after a month and no one seems to remember it. Amount of pop music and color of "PINK" is sooo intense you simply BEG someone spills a bucket of black paint over your eyes for just a second.

Heroes: They have no characters, and every single one is a huge cliché of stereotype already knew from THOUSANDS of other animes. They are all perfect, beautiful, skillful, good, they have no floods(with minor exceptions) it's like watching a Barbie or Pony movie, in space... Main characters are AGAIN school kids who pilot GIANT ROBOTS and are only one's who can save the Galaxy, before EVIL consumes it. - Read this sentence once more and perform a palm face, now... I command you! So, those kids are basically this obvious scheme, we spend day at school and at night, we get into our huge robots and fight, just to go back to school and pretend like nothing happened or thousands of people haven't died at all. Be ready for tears, not yours, but tears of our protagonists, as they spill them in gallons, mourning any tragedy, starting from stepping on the tiniest grass leaf - what in this ULTRA-politically correct world is seen as act of terrorism. Everyone there is so hot that a cover of a DVD with all of characters displayed might be even mistaken for a hentai-porn. It's literally like a Sope Opera, but with no sense of humor, instead everything is taken seriously, with not even a trace of cynicism or sarcasm - what makes it even worse to watch.

Story... Is there any? A city-spaceship along with whole fleet is attacked one day by an ugly robo-bug enemy that slays humans for no particular reason and so our main hero enlists to become a pilot, so he and his 14-17 year old friends can save universe of hot schoolgirls that happen to be mostly army officers in mini-skirts.

And I wasn't sure if the main man of the series was actually a man at all. At first I tough It was a girl, basically most people there are girls, even if they claim to speak like men, and if not flat chests you would never have guessed. There is no sense no connection between scenes, things happen like in bad action game, where all of the sudden you are suppose to fight other enemies and so cut-scenes along with story are simply an excuse to introduce more "WeirdShit"! Come to think of it... it has more to do with Serious Sam series then with Macross I remember.

So... Let's sum it up shall we? It's just unbearable experience. This anime is a pain to your imagination, and insult to your intellect... unless you are completely brainless. Characters are spoon shallow copies of clichés, of clichés that were made of old clichés: Characters 0/10

Kids saving world in name of ideals, love, stuff like that, also unoriginal idea, that was already made so many times it's absolutely below any grade. Story 1/10

If it was drawn and not pc-made it would have been better. Or at least i would respect it more. Animation 7/10

Music -7/10 !!! MY EARS! MY EARS! AGHHHH!