35. Romanesque/Season's Greetings.

A depressed Minmay shows up at Hikaru's door.

Original Air Date: June 19, 1983.
Written by: Sukehiro Tomita. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro, Fumihiko Takayama.

Robotech: Season's Greetings

Original Air Date: Apr. 19, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

It's almost Christmas, and Minmay is depressed. In the wake of Kaifun's departure, she no longer wants to sing, and she flees from the recognition of her fans. With nowhere else to go, she shows up at Hikaru's door, begging him to let her stay - an interaction observed by Misa, who is heartbroken that her rival is now moving in with the man she loves.

Meanwhile, Kamujin and his renegade Zentradi are in the process of repairing his battle cruiser, using the skills taught to them by the humans. They are able to get many of the ship's systems working, but they will need a new reflex engine to get it fully operational. Kamujin orders an attack on the city, not only to steal what he needs, but also to deliver the humans a Christmas they will never forget!


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

It's almost Christmas, and Minmei is depressed. In the wake of Kyle's departure, she no longer wants to sing, and she flees from the recognition of her fans. With nowhere else to go, she shows up at Rick's door, begging him to let her stay - an interaction observed by Lisa, who is heartbroken that her rival is now moving in with the man she loves.

Meanwhile, Khyron and his renegade Zentraedi are in the process of repairing his battle cruiser. Much to Khyron's displeasure, his men report that they won't be able to complete the repairs unless they obtain more protoculture. Khyron orders an attack on the city, not only to steal what he needs, but also to deliver the humans a Christmas they will never forget!

It's hard work being the villain. Fortunately, Kamujin
enjoys his job... and Khyron really loves it.

CHARACTERS:

After the mess that was the last episode, the characters are thankfully back to being themselves. The episode focuses heavily on the same romantic triangle, but at least Hikaru, Misa, and Minmay are back to being likable - all of them flawed in their own ways, but all of them also fundamentally decent human beings.

The three leads are all characterized similarly in both Macross and Robotech. As usual, however, there are noticeable differences between the characterizations of Macross's Kamujin and Robotech's Khyron. Kamujin is intent on his goals, and he is absolutely the villain; but he also is an experienced commander who trusts what his men tell him. By contrast, when one of Khyron's subordinates gives him bad news about needing protoculture for the ship's engines, he goes full movie maniac, instantly threatening the man's life. When Macross's Kamujin breaks off the end attack, he simply radios instructions to his men. Not Khyron, though! He breaks off the attack to send a transmission to the city, gloating.

Simply put: Kamujin is a villain because of the things he does. Khyron actively pursues being visibly evil, and he seems to need to remind us of how evil he is every time he so much as breathes. I actually find Khyron to be fun - but while Kamujin is a fully realized character, Khyron is Batman's Joker if he was an alien.

Advantage: Macross.


NARRATION:

As with the past several installments, the Macross episode features no narration. The Robotech episode has quite a bit, with some internal monologues added on top of that. As with other character-focused episodes, it's clear that there was nervousness about some of the younger members of the audience following all of the emotional arcs.

Advantage: Macross.

Misa consoles herself by getting drunk at a bar,
something that's de-emphasized in Robotech.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

Khyron Needs "Protoculture" Instead of an Engine: In Macross, a reflex engine is required for the renegade Zentradi to complete repairs on their ship. When his engineer tells him that he cannot complete repairs as is, Kamujin accepts this without argument, because he knows that his subordinate is simply telling him the situation. In Robotech, the Zentraedi require "protoculture" - aka, the all-purpose MacGuffin that powers literally everything. Oh, and when Khyron is told that repairs are impossible without it, he snaps that this simple reality is "not good enough." Because unlike Kamujin, Khyron is an idiot.

Rick Thinks About Lisa: When the snowfall starts while he's leaving the base, Rick begins musing about how he was with Lisa the last time it snowed. This internal monologue does not appear in Macross, and I suspect it was added to push Rick's connection with Lisa in an episode that otherwise focuses on his relationship with Minmei.

Rick Accuses Minmei of Self-Pity: The first conversation between Hikaru and Minmay is mostly the same in both versions... with one notable exception. In Macross, Hikaru listens to Minmay and tries to comfort her as best he can. In Robotech, Rick calls Minmei out on her self-pity. This is a change that I like. Rick is 100% correct (and Macross Minmay is just as guilty of self-pity), and he's actually being a better friend by making her confront that. Score one for Robotech.

Misa Is Hungover; Lisa Is "Not Feeling Well": A minor change that I suspect comes down to mid-'80s US broadcast standards and practices. The Macross episode makes references to Misa being hungover after seeing Hikaru and Minmay together. Robotech deletes all references to a hangover. This has the effect of making Kim and Sammie's furtive conversation incoherent, and I'm not sure why it wasn't just removed.

Kamujin Orders His Men to Deliver His "Christmas Present," While Khyron Personally Gloats to the City: In both versions, Kamujin/Khyron leaves the city with a particularly nasty "Christmas present." In Macross, he radios his men to deliver it. In Robotech, he does the gloating villain thing by announcing it to the city before he leaves.

Advantage: Macross


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Both series use their scores to good effect. Robotech probably has the edge in the late episode action scenes, but Macross's score is better for the earlier character material. Neither has any musical moments that feel misjudged, so it works out to a wash.

Advantage: None.

Just in case you forgot this was a Christmas episode...

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

This time it's a close call, as both versions are good. Macross wins out mainly because of the villain. Robotech's Khyron has always been more overt in his villainy than Macross's Kamujin... and readers of these reviews know that there have been several times that I've found Khyron's camp to be more fun than Kamujin's grim determination. This time, however, Khyron is pushed too far into silent movie villain territory. Yes, by all means threaten the man who's telling you what is required to get your ship working, because that will make the engine all better.

Also, the Robotech episode loses the irony of this situation. Kamujin and his men are repairing the ship using the very skills taught to them by the humans... in order to wage war against the humans. I can't possibly think of any real-world situations this might parallel. It's an effective moment in the Macross episode, one that Robotech completely overwrites in favor of more Technobabble about protoculture.


OTHER MUSINGS:

Romanesque is a nice recovery from the abysmal episode-long character assassination that was Private Time. Hikaru, Misa, and Minmay are back to being themselves; and while the love triangle has never been my favorite part of the show, the script does a fine job of juggling that and the action story without ever losing focus on either strand.

It also represents a moment of truth for Hikaru. In the first part of the series, he disdained the military and desperately wanted to be with Minmay. By the end of this episode, Minmay has come to him, clearly wanting to be with him, and is asking him to quit the military. In short, his dream has been delivered - and in the next episode, I suspect he will conclude that he no longer wants what he once yearned for.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Private Time
Next Episode: Farewell to Tenderness/To the Stars (not yet reviewed)

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34. Private Time.

Misa waits for Hikaru, who is late for very stupid reasons...

Original Air Date - Super Dimension Fortress Macross: June 12, 1983.
Written by: Hiroshi Ônogi. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro.

Original Air Date - Robotech: Apr. 18, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

When Hikaru asks her out on a picnic date, Misa is so excited that she rushes early to the coffee shop that is their meeting place and settles in to wait patiently. But Hikaru is an imbecile. When Minmay calls him up out of the blue to ask him to meet her, he agrees - leaving Misa to continue waiting at the coffee shop and wonder what happened to him.

As fair reward for his stupidity, Hikaru has a truly terrible time. His date with Minmay is interrupted by Kaifun. He has arranged a last-minute concert appearance specifically to break them up, and he isn't above being an abusive lout to make sure he gets his way. When Hikaru tries to get back to Misa, he is stymied by an attack by Zentradi rebels. Breaking that up is no problem, but it makes him even later than he is already.

But at least Minmay gifted him with a nifty scarf...


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Lisa is thrilled when Rick asks her out on a picnic date, so much so that she waits patiently when she arrives on time to their coffee shop meeting place, with him nowhere to be seen. Rick is late for a very simple reason: He's an idiot. Minmei called him out of the blue to ask him to meet her, and he agreed - leaving Lisa alone at the coffee shop, wondering what might have happened to him.

As fair reward for his stupidity, Rick has a truly terrible time. His date with Minmei is interrupted by Kyle - and while he may be an abusive jerk, he isn't wrong to wonder why she has blown off the press conference he had gone to so much trouble to set up. After Kyle drags her out to meet her professional obligations, Rick runs into more trouble: an attack by Zentraedi rebels. Breaking that up is no problem, but it makes him even later than he is already.

Still, at least Minmei gifted him with a nifty scarf...

Hikaru meets Minmay and proceeds to have a really lousy time.

CHARACTERS:

In this episode, Hikaru - our hero - comes across as almost as much of a lout as Kaifun. All he has to do is to politely but firmly tell Minmay that he's already made a commitment for the day, and to offer to meet her the next day. But Hikaru has somehow missed every '80s sitcom episode that shows what a bad idea it is to try to have two dates simultaneously, with predictable results.

This is made even worse in Robotech, as Rick tells Minmei that he was meeting a male friend who was fine by changing plans. Hikaru's behavior was already bad enough; why make Rick's even worse? Voice actor Tony Oliver tries to offset this by adopting an air of affable cluelessness... but honestly, in this episode, Rick is just a jerk (and Hikaru, in the original, is barely any better).

The single biggest difference in characterization is Minmay. She's finally decided that she does love Hikaru and wants to make up for lost time. Sure, she should have called in advance rather than expecting him to drop everything and come to her. Still, given the limits of what she actually knows (which does not include Hikaru's budding relationship with Misa), none of her behavior is actively unreasonable - just a little self-centered and thoughtless, in a way that's entirely consistent with how she's been characterized in other episodes.

Robotech does everything short of inserting shots of Minmei drowning kittens to make sure that she comes across as badly as possible. She is whiny and petulant, complaining about her fame and the annoyance of being recognized. She is rude to the waiter at the restaurant (in Macross, the same interaction comes across as teasing and good-humored; in Robotech, she's borderline belligerent). Then Kyle arrives, and the entire context of him pulling her away from the date is changed to make her seem selfish and irresponsible.

Yes, I know the writers were putting their thumbs on the scale to make sure viewers were invested in Rick/Lisa and not Rick/Minmei. But this is nothing short of deliberate character assassination, and it's not even the first time Robotech has done this.

Advantage: Macross.


NARRATION:

The Robotech version adds narration to several sequences and also adds extra internal monologues. I'm not entirely sure why. This episode has so little plot, kids would be more likely to fall asleep than to get confused by anything.

Advantage: Macross.

Kaifun breaks up the date. In Robotech, he's arguably in the right.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

Misa Is Early to the Date; Lisa Isn't: In Macross, Misa thinks nothing of it when Hikaru isn't at the coffee shop, given that she arrived early. In Robotech, Lisa is instantly concerned because Rick is already late. Macross allows Misa's concern and frustration to build, while her early arrival also emphasizes how much this date means to her. The alterations mean that Lisa's worry begins to early, leaving little room for it to build in the rest of the episode. There's also an unintended side effect: Since Rick is already late when Lisa arrives, that implies that she is also late!

Minmay and the Waiter: A serious conversation between Minmay and Hikaru is interrupted by the waiter serving their wine. In Macross, Minmay wonders why he's serving them so early, and he responds that young people are always in a hurry. This exchange comes across as good-natured, sort of half-grousing/half-joking. In Robotech, Minmei is genuinely annoyed by the interruption, with the waiter snarking back about how "movie stars always complain."

Kaifun vs. Kyle: In Macross, Kaifun arrives to break up the date with a last-minute concert that he's drummed up, and it's obvious to all that he's done this specifically to separate Minmay and Hikaru. When Minmay balks, Kaifun becomes abusive, splashing water in her face and all but dragging her out. There is no reading of the scene in which he's anything but horrible, or in which she's anything but a victim.

But Robotech is so laser-focused on making us hate Minmei, the context is changed so that the abusive cousin/boyfriend now comes off as better than his victim. Kyle has already arranged, in advance, a press conference which she has blown off. Now she really is ignoring her professional obligations; and in this new context, her responses are those of a sulky child. It's bad enough as a scene in its own right; when viewed side-by-side with the Macross scene, the changes are nothing short of jaw-dropping.

The Bridge Crew Responds Differently to Misa's Phone Call: After Hikaru continues to not show, Misa calls the ship to find out if he has an official reason for missing their date. In Macross, this leads to an argument among the bridge crew, with Kim and Shammy bullying their male co-worker (again) until he finally snaps back at them. Disgusted by all of this, Misa hangs up. In Robotech, the bridge crew grows incensed about Rick standing Lisa up, and she hangs up in embarrassment.

Hikaru Gets Betrayed By His New Scarf: Hikaru finally reaches Misa in time to walk her home. It's cold, so he wraps the scarf around her - only for her to discover a couple's monogram for Hikaru and Minmay. Robotech has to cut the shot, since "H. I." doesn't exactly match up with "Rick Hunter," so in this version Lisa recognizes Minmei's perfume instead. My thanks to Gubaba Blog for pointing this out, as I missed it when first posting this review.

Kaifun's Farewell Speech is Better-Written than Kyle's: The episode ends with Kaifun saying farewell to Minmay. In Macross, he gives a speech about wanting to hear a song from her that has real kindness. In Robotech, he complains about her wasting her gifts. Kaifun's speech is better written... but in either version, who cares? The entire epilogue arc has painted him as a selfish, abusive lout, and allowing him even an inch of moral high ground feels incredibly wrong in both variants. Ah, well - At least he finally seems to be gone for good.

Advantage: Macross


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Macross again uses incidental versions of Minmay's songs as counterpoints to the (would-be) emotional moments, while Robotech recycles its standard cues. Both are fine, and honestly even a compositional masterpiece wouldn't have saved this episode. I'm going to give the nod to Robotech this time thanks to the episode's one action scene, which at least allows the American version to break out the bombast for a few entertaining minutes.

Advantage: Robotech.

Misa meets the episode's only well-written character.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

I found this to be a bad episode in either version. Macross is slightly better, mainly because the Robotech episode performs an all-out character assassination on Minmei. Still, it's only better in the way that being punched in the stomach is preferable to being kicked in the groin. Both are painful experiences best avoided - one just hurts a little bit more than the other.


OTHER MUSINGS:

A Rainy Night was a fine character episode that advanced the central relationship while also being consistently enjoyable. Private Time seems to want to answer the question: "What if we do that again, but this time make all the characters stupid and obnoxious?"

This episode's sole purpose seems to be to pad out the episode count. By the end of its 25 minutes, the only things that have changed are: (1) the progress in the Hikaru/Misa relationship from the last episode has been undone; and (2) Kaifun is gone. And while that second item is cause for celebration, it can't make up for how irritating the rest is.

The script treats its characters horribly. Hikaru has never come across worse, being not only indecisive but inconsiderate to both of his potential love interests. First he stands up Misa, then he just sits there like a useless lump as Kaifun roughly grabs Minmay's wrist and thows a drink in her face. Misa has been possessed by the spirit of a hapless doormat. Even in the Macross version, Minmay is heedless of others, and in Robotech she's rude on top of that. Oh, and Kaifun is given a farewell speech that seems to want to make him sympathetic. Because what terrible episode could be complete without granting an abuser the moral high ground?

I had previously regarded Global Report as the series' weakest installment, and that had the excuse of being a standard clip show. Well, Private Time is worse, using a tedious sitcom plot as a vehicle to make the main characters as unlikable as possible.


Overall Rating: 1/10.

Previous Episode: A Rainy Night
Next Episode: Romanesque/Season's Greetings

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33. A Rainy Night.

Claudia recalls the turning point in her relationship with Roy.

Original Air Date - Super Dimension Fortress Macross: June 5, 1983.
Written by: Hiroyuki Hoshiyama. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro, Tatsuya Kasahara.

Original Air Date - Robotech: Apr. 17, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

Misa feels guilty after using her rank to separate Hikaru and Minmay. When she attempts to apologize, Hikaru responds with scorn that borders on open hostility. That night, during a rainstorm, a miserable Misa finds her way to Claudia's house, where her friend fills her in on the start of her own relationship with Roy, which was a lot rockier than Misa had believed...


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Lisa feels guilty after using her authority as mission commander to separate Rick and Minmei. When she attempts to apologize, Rick responds with scorn that borders on open hostility. That night, during a rainstorm, a miserable Lisa finds her way to Claudia's house, where her friend fills her in on the start of her own relationship with Roy, which was a lot rockier than Lisa had believed...

Claudia shares her story with Misa.

CHARACTERS:

The episode draws heavy parallels between Claudia's relationship with Roy and Misa's would-be relationship with Hikaru. The connection between past Claudia and present Misa works quite well. In flashbacks, we see Claudia responding to Roy's flirtations with protests about appropriate behavior while on duty, which seems very much like the Misa of the present. Roy and Hikaru are less obviously alike; Roy actively pursued Claudia, while Hikaru mainly seems willfully oblivious to Misa's feelings. Still, some similarities become apparent in the final scene of the flashback. When Roy drops his playboy facade and honestly discusses his insecurities, it isn't hard to imagine Hikaru saying (or at least feeling) the same things.

Advantage: None.


NARRATION:

The Macross version is narration-free, and Claudia narrates only as much of the flashback as is necessary for viewers to reliably follow along.

Sadly, the same cannot be said of Robotech. Action-light episodes always seems to make the Robotech writers extra nervous, and the narrator just won't shut up. Worse, some of the narration sounds as if it's been ripped out of a Harlequin romance. In Macross, it's enough to see a distraught Misa running in the rain. In Robotech, the narrator has to tell us that she is "no longer able to distinguish between the rain and her tears."

When narrating the flashback, Robotech Claudia also gets in on the act, telling Lisa that because she was meeting Roy, the "heavy rain outside became a light spring shower." And I go from being genuinely involved in the character story to rolling my eyes at the purple prose. The Macross episode stays out of the way of the story and trusts the viewers to feel the emotions; the Robotech version overeggs the major emotional beats, which actually gets in the way of what we're meant to be feeling.

Advantage: Macross.

Hikaru and Misa walk in the rain. Their conversation
is a lot more on-the-nose in Robotech.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

The Tea: The episode begins with Claudia giving Misa a container of herbal tea to reconcile with Hikaru. Macross uses this to do some subtle world building, with both of them noting how rare this kind of tea is after the devastation of the final battle and Claudia admitting to having used her connections to stockpile it. This makes the tea into its own thread in the Macross episode, while the Robotech episode makes it seem like something that can just be purchased at the local grocery.

Rick Complains About His Patrol: Hikaru/Rick is first seen landing at the end of a patrol. In Macross, all indications are that this was a standard patrol, increasing Hikaru's annoyance when Misa asks him to report to her. In Robotech, Rick complains about this having been a "grueling" patrol. Perhaps the Robotech writers were trying to half-excuse his spiteful behavior by emphasizing his exhaustion.

The Bridge Crew Bullies Their Male Co-Worker: In Macross, Vanessa, Kim, and Shammy bully their male co-worker when he dares to laugh at their banter. This is meant to be comical, but it mainly makes them horribly unlikable; call me crazy, but workplace harassment isn't any funnier when it's woman-to-man than when it's the other way around. Robotech changes the scene, which should be a good thing... except that the replacement dialogue doesn't remotely fit with the young man's reactions. Really, this bit should have just been removed entirely.

Misa Gulps Down Wine: Both versions see her asking Claudia for "something stronger" than tea. In Macross, we see Misa gulp down two glasses in a matter of seconds. Robotech de-emphasizes this, I suspect because of the after-school weekday timeslot.

Roy's Banter with Claudia: In Macross, Roy first asks Claudia on a date during a mission, rattling her. Robotech inexplicably replaces this with some generic bravado about how "fun" combat is, with Roy dedicating his last kill to her.

Hikaru and Misa Talk About Tea: Macross circles back to the tea at the end. Misa suggests she and Hikaru share it. When Hikaru expresses regret at having no sugar. she assures him that all they need is hot water. Robotech eliminates this, instead having Lisa bluntly say that they need to talk seriously, because young audiences can't possibly be trusted to intuit what the entire last half hour has been about.

Advantage: Macross


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Macross's incidentals, some of which are instrumental versions of Minmay songs, are extremely effective and fit the low-key nature of this episode. By contrast, Robotech's more bombastic score, which often boosts action heavy installments, is badly out of place in this quiet little character piece.

Advantage: Macross.

An angry Hikaru berates Misa.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

A Rainy Night is a fine episode in either version. Though the narration in Robotech stifles a few moments, the actual dialogue is pretty good. I suspect the staff writers recognized that: (a) this was a good episode whose adaptation deserved more attention; and (b) that as a purely character-based episode, the dialogue needed to flow well for it to work. As a result, the Rick/Lisa story in Robotech works almost as well as the Hikaru/Misa one in Macross. It helps that all four main voice actors seem to be enjoying the more substantial script, delivering excellent performances.

That said, the American show still sands away several interesting details, notably the little sub-thread about the tea. The Macross episode ends with Hikaru and Misa walking through the rain, talking a little too earnestly about tea, one senses very specifically doing so to avoid talking about other things. This is in character (these are somewhat emotionally closed off characters) and it's rather charming. Meanwhile, the Robotech version replaces the tea discussion with Lisa telling Rick they have to talk seriously. It's fine as a scene in itself... but it feels very on the nose, and it isn't charming at all.

The Robotech version is still a good character piece. But as usual, particularly with character-based episode, the Macross version is simply better.

Roy parties with young female officers,
leaving Claudia feeling humiliated.

OTHER MUSINGS:

The flashbacks not only allow us to spend more time with Roy, one of the series' better supporting characters; they also add new layers to his personality, which recolor some of his actions and statements in the early episodes.

While viewers likely remember this as "the flashback episode," it actually takes a full nine minutes (in Macross at least) before the flashback starts. That's just shy of half the running time, and there are also several present-day scenes at the end. This means that, even with the prominence of the flashbacks, the script firmly establishes itself around the Hikaru/Misa relationship. That makes this principally about the main characters, with the Claudia/Roy story granting insight into their problems.

With sharp character writing, a well-balanced script, and (particularly in Macross) a terrific ending, A Rainy Night emerges as a rare gem in what's been an extremely uneven epilogue arc.


Overall Rating - Macross: 9/10.

Overall Rating - Robotech: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Broken Heart
Next Episode: Private Time

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32. Broken Heart.

Kamujin takes Minmay and Kaifun prisoner!

Original Air Date - Super Dimension Fortress Macross: May 29, 1983.
Written by: Hiroshi Ônogi. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro, Hiroshi Yoshida.

Original Air Date - Robotech: Apr. 16, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

Kamujin and his renegade Zentradi stage a raid on Minmay's latest concert, kidnapping her and Kaifun. Kamujin threatens to kill the two celebrities unless he is given a battleship. He's confident his terms will be met. After all, the new Earth government is fragile, and Minmay is a symbol for much of Earth's Zentradi population.

Hikaru and Misa are put in charge of a rescue mission, one that relies on Kamujin falling for a deception that Misa worries might be too obvious. Both are fully ready for the actual operation. However, Hikaru's desire to rescue Minmay and Misa's jealousy quickly create tension...


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Khyron and his renegade Zentraedi stage a raid on Minmei's latest concert, kidnapping her and Kyle. Khyron threatens to kill the two celebrities unless he is given the ultimate prize: the SDF-1 itself!

Of course, there's zero chance that Admiral Gloval and the Earth government will agree to such a request. Instead, it's agreed to send Rick Hunter on "Operation Star Saver," with Lisa coordinating the mission. However, Lisa worries that Rick won't be able to maintain the objectivity needed to complete the operation...

Minmay defends Misa from Kaifun's anger.

CHARACTERS:

There is roughly a full galaxy of difference between the demand made by Kamujin in Macross and the one made by Khyron in Robotech. Kamujin makes a demand that he has reason to believe the humans will grant. Khyron's demand in crazy on the face of it, and I'm surprised that neither Azonia nor his lieutenant, Grel, point this out. Basically, Khyron is made to look stupid and unbalanced in comparison to his Macross counterpart.

The characterization of Lisa in Robotech also differs from that of Misa in the Macross original. Misa is fiercely jealous almost from the start of the mission, reacting badly every time Hikaru even mentions Minmay's name. Robotech's Lisa behaves more professionally. Sure, there's an element of jealousy in her reactions, particularly at the end, but most of her behavior is filtered through a concern that Rick won't be able to keep his perspective for the mission. Given that nothing in the episode pays this off (since it wasn't a factor in the original version's script), it's a strand that goes nowhere.

Finally, while both Kaifun and Kyle are unbearable as always, Kyle is portrayed more negatively. Kaifun makes a valid, if futile, attempt to reach the Zentradi holding him and Minmay captive; Kyle just insults them and seems surprised when that doesn't work. Kaifun complains that Misa's operation endangered him and Minmay. This makes him a jerk, since he's yelling at someone who saved his life... but not as much of a jerk as Kyle, who shamelessly lies about Rick's conduct.

Basically, take it as read that every character behaves more simplistically - not to mention stupidly - in Robotech.

Advantage: Macross.


NARRATION:

There's no in-episode narration in either version.

Advantage: None.

Debating Kamujin's demands. In Macross, this is
actually interesting. Not so much in Robotech.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

The Abandoned Weapons: The episode opens with Hikaru and Misa finding a missile base recently abandoned by the Zentradi rebels, with a large weapons cache left behind. In Macross, the weapons are real and their abandonment sets up that Kamujin's ammo suppply is limited - something that pays off at the end. In Robotech, the weapons are counterfeit, the whole operation amounting to the humans falling for Khyron's distraction while he kidnaps Minmei.

Demands for the Hostages: Kamujin demands a battleship, a request that might conceivably be granted given Minmay's importance to the Zentradi who haven't rebelled. By contrast, Khyron's demand for the SDF-1 is ludicrous, and Khyron and Azonia simply aren't (or, at least, shouldn't be) either stupid or deluded enough to think otherwise.

The Admiral Discusses Options: In Macross, Admiral Global observes that Kamujin's hostage taking is very human, and that it appears that the rebel Zentradi are learning from humanity in all the wrong ways. There's also some discussion about Minmay's celebrity and how it complicates matters, particularly given the fragility of the new Earth government. All of this has been removed from Robotech, to the point that I'm not even sure why any of the scene was retained. Gloval and the others still talk for a bit; they just no longer actually say anything.

Misa and Hikaru Argue: In Macross, it's extremely clear that the arguments between Misa and Hikaru are driven by her jealousy. She also worries about the plan, which counts on Kamujin falling for what she sees as a pretty obvious ploy. Hikaru argues that the only alternative is a violent assault that will almost certainly get the hostages killed. In Robotech, no "Plan B" seems to exist, with neither Rick nor Lisa showing any doubts about the main plan working. This, and Lisa's fretting about Rick keeping his perspective during the fight, has the effect of making him more responsible for the tension between them - a complete reversal.

Kaifun Tries to Persuade the Zentradi, While Kyle Just Antagonizes Them: Kaifun urges the Zentradi to let them go, reminding them of the power of culture that led them to defect in the first place. It doesn't work, but at least it feels like a real effort. Robotech's Kyle... um... yells at the Zentraedi, calling them "baboons" and "cowards." Yes, insult the giants who are bred for war, that should go well.

Advantage: Macross


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Robotech has one thing going for it: the music. As usual, the Robotech score boosts the action scenes to a degree that the Macross score doesn't. There's also a strong moment that sees Khyron responding to Kyle's jibes about the Zentraedi's lack of culture by demonstrating a kiss with Azonia. The scene in similar in context in both versions - but the Robotech version uses the series' "alien/eerie" music, which emphasizes the wrongness of this moment from the usual Zentraedi viewpoint.

Advantage: Robotech.

Kaifun and Lap Lamiz kiss. In an otherwise woeful 
Robotech, the music in this scene is very well applied.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

To be clear, I think this is a pretty weak episode in either version. The whole thing feels rushed, oddly paced, and strangely unfinished. Even so, the Robotech is not only worse - it's much worse. The Macross episode at least touches on potentially interesting elements: the fragile government, Minmay's symbolic importance to the Zentradi, Misa's jealousy. The script doesn't quite know what to do with these elements, but at least they exist. Robotech sands them down to almost nothing when it doesn't jettison them entirely, leaving nothing beyond a thin cartoon story about cartoon heroes foiling a cartoon villain for the umpteenth time.

Robotech has an ongoing problem with awkward dialogue. This episode's dialogue is particularly bad. Conversations are clunky and downright juvenile, from Lisa's childlike wail about how "it isn't fair" for Rick to be sent on every mission, to Gloval entirely unironically apologizing to Khyron for his rudeness while the latter is making his hostage demands. It's as if the American writers, not only rushed but conscious that this episode was a bad one anyway, just shrugged their shoulders and churned out a single draft before moving to the next one - which, come to think of it, may not be entirely unlikely!

Like children playing at war:
The renegade Zentradi on the rampage.

OTHER MUSINGS:

The overall role of the last two episodes has been to refocus the final arc around the threat posed by Kamujin. The last episode saw him achieving a victory and attracting yet more Zentradi to his cause. This episode sees him failing, but only after making a bold attempt that rattles the entire Earth government.

In terms of the arc, this is structurally sound. Each episode's plot is relatively self-contained, but together they advance the threat of the rebel Zentradi in preparation for the big finale.

Unfortunately, while the last episode was better than this one, both share similar problems. The stakes just don't feel as high as they need to, and the characters seem a lot less clever than they should be, certainly less clever than they have been in the past.

The further along this final arc goes, the clearer it becomes that it's not quite working. Which is a shame. From a conceptual standpoint, I love what the writers are trying to do. The end of the war is not the end of the story. Between cultural differences and ongoing dissatisfaction with postwar life, a successful peace keeps slipping further and further away. The ideas are all there, and they're very strong ideas. They just don't seem to be coming together properly. I've read reports that the epilogue was a last minute addition to Super Dimension Fortress Macross when the episode count was raised from 27 to 36. If that is the case, I'm afraid it shows.

There are good moments, at least in Macross. Kamujin's rebels ride into battle at the start of the episode, but they behave less like soldiers than like children playing at war. This demonstrates not only that the rebel Zentradi are giving into their warlike tendencies, but also that they've lost their previous military discipline. There's another small moment late in the episode, in which a human uses a flamethrower to light the cigarette of a Zentradi ally. This reminds us that most of the Zentradi have remained with the humans, and that peaceful coexistence remains possible.

I also like the observation that Kamujin's plan here is very human, albeit one that mirrors humanity's worst traits. This echoes in his kiss with Lap Lamiz and his riding into battle in a way that reminds his soldiers of a western movie he has been watching. It's not that he's immune to cultural influence; he's just being influenced in the wrong ways.

These moments aren't enough to save even the Macross version from falling below the series' usual standards. They do, however, show the same frustrating issue as the epilogue arc itself: interesting ideas are present, but they aren't being developed to their potential.

As for the Robotech version? It doesn't even have interesting ideas. The only thing that keeps the Robotech episode above a "1" is good handling of the action climax. In all other respects, it's woeful.


Overall Rating - Macross: 4/10.

Overall Rating - Robotech: 2/10.

Previous Episode: Satan's Dolls/Khyron's Revenge
Next Episode: A Rainy Night

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31. Satan's Dolls/Khyron's Revenge.

Kaifun whips up a mob to chase Hikaru out of town.
To no one's surprise, this backfires spectacularly.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Satan's Dolls

Original Air Date - Macross: May 21, 1983.
Written by: Sukehiro Tomita. Directed by: Katsuhito Akiyama, Noboru Ishiguro.

Robotech: Khyron's Revenge

Original Air Date - Robotech: Apr. 15, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

Renegade Zentradi Kamujin attempts to keep his word to the other rebels to restore them to full size, ordering the theft of the miclone device in Trad City. Hikaru is able to stop the theft from this community, which is more than fifty percent Zentradi. But when he suggests placing the device in military custody to prevent further attacks, Minmay's cousin Kaifun whips up the crowd into a frenzy until Hikaru just leaves without the machine.

This means there's nothing to stop Kamujin from a second attack. This time, he leads it himself and takes time to target the communication towers so that the city can't call for reinforcements again. Thanks, Kaifun - I'm sure the residents will feel great about their freedom from the military while they're cleaning up rubble and burying the dead!

Meanwhile, Exsedol and Admiral Global share the results of their research into the Zentradi's origins...


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Renegade Zentraedi Khyron attempts to keep his word to the other rebels to restore them to full size, ordering the theft of the protoculture device in New Detroit, a city whose population is more than half Zentraedi. After stopping the theft, Rick Hunter plans to assign a full-time military guard to prevent more trouble. The town's mayor is about to agree... until Kyle shows up and practically starts a riot to force the soldiers to leave the city.

This means there's nothing to stop Khyron from a second attack. This time, he leads it himself and takes time to target the communication towers so that the city can't call for reinforcements again. Thanks, Kyle - I'm sure the residents will feel great about their freedom from the military while they're cleaning up rubble and burying the dead!

Meanwhile, with their protoculture reserves dangerously low, the Robotech Masters prepare for their journey. It will take decades for them to reach Earth - but when they do, they will be ready to lay claim to the protoculture factory!

Minmay disapproves of Kaifun's actions,
but she does not act to stop him.

CHARACTERS:

Minmay observes the confrontation between Hikaru and Kaifun from inside a car. She actually agrees with Hikaru, which is later affirmed by her certainty that the city is going to be attacked (Minmei's agreement with Rick is made even clearer in Robotech). Still, she does not intervene - something she berates herself for at the end.

Exsedol is distraught by discoveries about the Zentradi's origins. Few viewers will be surprised by his findings, which trade in pretty stock sci-fi concepts. Still, it's a shock for Exsedol, and the title of the Macross episode comes from his reaction to this discovery.

Advantage: None.


NARRATION:

Neither episode's narration is intrusive. That said, typical of the series, Robotech lays voice over atop several scenes that don't need it.

Advantage: Macross.

Lap Lamiz manipulates Kamujin into taking action.
Robotech's Azonia just stands there admiring him.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

The Robotech Masters: Yet another cutaway to the Masters, as Carl Macek's Americanized show uses the epilogue arc to create a prologue for the next generation's conflict. It works better here than in the previous two episodes. The scene follows directly on from their failed experiment in Viva Miriya, which helps it to feel like part of the overall story. It also helps that the cuts that make room for this scene are better chosen than in the previous episodes.

Vanessa, Kim, and Shammy Gossip: The big cut that makes room for the Masters' appearance? A moment of these three gossiping about Minmay's love life, which is abruptly cut off by a glare from Misa. This scene contributes nothing to characterization, theme, or story; it isn't particularly amusing; and I didn't miss it at all in the Robotech version.

The Reason for the Near-Riot: Hikaru plans to take the machine away from the city. Yes, he promises that it will be available for the city's Zentradi to use on request; but when you have to travel an unspecified but likely significant distance for a service, that effectively denies that service to a lot of people. In Robotech, Rick merely proposes putting a guard on the machine - the one that had just been targeted. In Macross, it makes sense that there would be resistance to Hikaru's proposal, so it makes sense that the crowd would go along with Kaifun. In Robotech, that makes a lot less sense. The machine is staying here, fully accessible to the public, just with some added security - which doesn't seem like something that people who just weathered an attack would object to. As presented in Robotech, I'd expect most of the crowd to tell Kyle to shut up and go away.

Hikaru and Minmay Share an Acid Trip: Well, that's what it looks like, anyway. At the tail end of Kaifun's protest, Hikaru and Minmay lock eyes, and we get a psychedelic dream/vision of them embracing against, um, swirls. This was removed from Robotech - and I wholeheartedly endorse its removal.

Lap Lamiz Manipulates Kamujin; Azonia Is Smitten with Khyron: After learning of the failed theft, Kamujin initially assigns the next attempt to his deputy. Lap Lamiz touches his shoulder and softly coos that he's the only Zentradi who hasn't become soft, which prompts him to take command himself. Robotech simplifies this, with Khyron already intending to oversee the operation personally while Azonia beams in approval.

Advantage: Macross. Though the actual cuts are well chosen, other interactions are simplified to bad effect.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

I'm giving Macross the nod mainly because of the ending. It's narratively identical in both versions: Hikaru/Rick arrives at the battle-scarred city just in time to watch Kaifun and Minmay drive away, while Exsedol's musings about his people are layered over it. Macross's presentation is much stronger, however, thanks to the use of one of Mari Iijima's songs, which makes an effective counterpoint to the scene. The Robotech version just doesn't carry the same weight.

Advantage: Macross.

Exsedol is shaken by a discovery about his people's origins.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

Robotech does a pretty good job this time integrating Southern Cross footage, certainly compared to the previous two installments. This marks the first time that the "Masters Prologue Arc" hasn't harmed the main episode. This is helped by the one major cut (the gossip scene) having been a pretty poor scene in the original, meaning that it was not missed in Robotech.

What does harm the episode are changes to two interactions. In Macross, there are legitimate reasons for the townspeople to resist Hikaru; Robotech, by changing this so that Rick is blameless, makes the townspeople seem irrational to even listen to Kyle. Another change to the interactions of Kamujin and Lap Lamiz strip away intriguing character dynamics, flattening what had been interesting moments into mere "villain scenes."

All of which leaves the Macross version clearly the superior one. As usual.


OTHER MUSINGS:

Despite the dramatic title, this episode is mostly setup. Kamujin's plans are advanced by his successful operation, but the "revenge" promised by the Robotech title never really materializes. The other major strand cements the Zentradi's origins, and in Macross is used to give backstory to the war between them and the Supervision Army. Ramifications from this, however, are left to future episodes (or possibly the Macross sequels, as there is very little of this show left).

Overall, this forms a necessary step in the show's epilogue arc, and it's a perfectly fine episode as far as it goes... but it's not one of the series' highlights.


Overall Rating: 6/10.

Previous Episode: Viva Maria/Viva Miriya
Next Episode: Broken Heart

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30. Viva Maria/Viva Miriya.

Milia brings her infant daughter along on a mission.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Viva Maria

Original Air Date - Macross: May 15, 1983.
Written by: Hiroshi Ônogi. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro.

Robotech: Viva Miriya

Original Air Date - Robotech: Apr. 12, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

Hikaru, Misa, Max, Milia, and Claudia find themselves working under the command of their former enemy, Lord Britai, on a mission to claim a Zentradi factory. If successful, this operation will reduce the threat of Zentradi attack and increase Earth's ability to defend itself, allowing the human/Zentradi forces to rapidly manufacture ships capable of repelling a new assault.

Max and Milia have brought their baby, Komilia, along. Misa is critical of them bringing an infant into a warzone... at least, until she gets a chance to hold the child, at which point her focus turns toward the future she would like with Hikaru. The couple has brought their child for a reason, however, and young Komilia will become a critical part of the battle ahead!


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Rick Hunter, Lisa Hayes, Max, Miriya, and Claudia find themselves working under the command of their former enemy, Lord Bree'tai, on a mission to claim the last remaining Robotech factory. If successful, this operation will reduce the threat posed by the Zentradi and the Robotech Masters, and will also increase Earth's ability to defend itself.

On Bree'tai's request, Max and Miria have brought their baby, Dana, on the mission. This isn't mere whim, with little Dana forming a critical part of Breetai's plan.

Meanwhile, the Robotech Masters begin their journey to Earth - but when a critical experiment fails, they also start becoming desperate...

The humans and Britai work together to prevent a new invasion.

CHARACTERS:

Though many of the Zentradi on Earth are chafing against their new existence, Britai seems happier than he's ever been. He's all smiles as he greets Exsedol and the humans, and he takes pride in his newly developed conversational skills. Even when the mission is underway, he seems more relaxed than before, including when he's interrupting the humans' conversations to steer them back to the task at hand. The dynamic of the mixed human/Zentradi crew is enjoyable throughout the episode, and I wouldn't mind seeing more of it - though with only a few episodes left, I doubt there will be much opportunity for that.

Advantage: None.


NARRATION:

The Robotech episode opens with an internal monologue from Rick in place of the usual opening narration. This actually works well, becasue there's a rather nice bit in which he muses about feeling "homesick for space." It rings true for the character and is just enough for me to give a rare nod to the American version in this one category.

Advantage: Robotech.

The Robotech Masters' experiment fails, making them more desperate.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

The Robotech Regulars Don't Know What the Mission Is: In Macross, everyone knows the basics of the mission before it begins. Some last-minute aspects of Britai's plan surprise them, but they at least know what their goal is. In Robotech, Bree'tai's plan has been kept a complete secret - which doesn't make a lot of sense, as springing surprises on people in the heat of battle is a very fine way to lead to avoidable errors.

The Baby's Name and the Episode's Title: In Macross, Max and Milia's baby is named Komilia Maria Fallyna Jenius, and the title of the episode (Viva Maria) applies to her. In Robotech, the baby is named Dana, with the adjusted title (Viva Miriya) instead applying to her mother.

The Baby's Presence: Macross's Milia and Max chose to bring Komilia, with Milia defending her decision by declaring that she is more than capable of protecting her daughter. The way the baby is used in the final battle is portrayed as an idea that Max and Milia came up with. In Robotech, young Dana is part of Bree'tai's plan from the start, and she's there because he asked for her to be brought.

The Return of the Robotech Masters: More Southern Cross footage is cut in to continue the setup for the next arc. This time, we see the Masters conducting an experiment to clone "Zor Prime." When the experiment fails, it becomes clear that they are desperate and have no choice but to recover the protoculture from Earth. 

A Dinner Party: In Macross, Max and Milia host a party, with Hikaru, Misa, and Claudia visiting. Misa fusses over the baby to a degree that makes Hikaru nervous, because he's not quite as clueless about Misa's feelings as he likes to pretend. Robotech removes all of this to make way for the "Robotech Masters" scene... which is a bit jarring, given that the following scene has been retained, complete with references to Lisa's enthusiasm for the baby.

The Derelict: Midway through the episode, Britai's ship encounters a derelict vessel. He and Exsedol identify it as a warship from the Supervision Army, their old enemies and the creators of the Macross. In Robotech, they instead state that it is an old Zentraedi ship. This renders the scene narratively pointless, meaning that this would have been a better scene for Robotech to cut than the dinner party.

A Better Edited Kiss: As part of Britai's plan, Hikaru and Misa kiss while one of Minmay's songs plays, all to throw the enemy Zentradi into disarray. This is basically the same in both shows, but Robotech cuts the scene a bit tighter, and it works slightly better as a result. It's not enough to make up for all the other changes for the worse, mind you... particularly since This Is My Time to Be a Star is playing during the scene, making me think that the Zentraedi are plugging their ears for a different reason than the writers intended...

Advantage: Macross


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

This is an area where Macross has grown steadily stronger throughout its run. Though Robotech's music is perfectly fine here, I think the parent show uses its score to stronger effect - particularly when an instrumental version of one of Minmay's songs plays toward the end.

Advantage: Macross.

Hikaru gets a thumbs-up from a Zentradi.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

Once again, squeezing Southern Cross footage into the episode weakens a decent episode, though not nearly as badly this time. As with the previous episode, I understand the reasoning. The first "generation change" was bound to be the hardest one for viewers to get past, and original animation was beyond the limits of the schedule and budget. I'm not going to argue that the Robotech producers needed to do whatever they could to at least try to keep it feeling like a single story.

Still, even if you don't know that this scene was taken from a different show, I think you'd know something was up: the differences in visual style and character art just stick out too much. Also, the cuts made to accommodate the new scene were not well judged. The scene with the derelict is a "spare part" in the new Robotech context, and it would have been a much more invisible removal than the one the producers selected.


OTHER MUSINGS:

Both versions of Viva Maria are entertaining and briskly paced, mixing just the right amount of humor into the now-familiar space action shenanigans. I'd argue that the battle is won a bit too easily. I also think there's a lot of untapped dramatic potential involving how strange it must feel for both sides of this joint mission to be working together; after all, it wasn't that long ago that each race was regularly trying to kill the other. But to actually mine that vein would have required a lot more than a single 25-minute episode.

The whole thing is played with a pretty light touch, honestly a bit too light for my tastes. But I had fun watching it, I laughed in the places I was meant to laugh, and I found the finale to be satisfying. It's not a "great" episode - but on its own terms, I think it manages to be a good one.


Overall Rating - Macross: 7/10.

Overall Rating - Robotech: 6/10.

Previous Episode: Lonely Song/The Robotech Masters
Next Episode: Satan's Dolls/Khyron's Revenge

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29. Lonely Song/The Robotech Masters.

Fossils of war. A Zentradi skeleton lies
with its treasure - a singing Minmay doll.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Lonely Song

Original Air Date - Macross: May 9, 1983.
Written by: Sukehiro Tomita. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro, Ryô Yasumura.

Robotech: The Robotech Masters

Original Air Date - Robotech: Apr. 11, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

Minmay feels restless. She's the biggest star on what's left of the Earth, but she is unhappy and confesses to Kaifun that she no longer knows why she sings. After an argument with him, she decides to spend the night with her aunt and uncle at their restaurant, but her trip brings her little peace.

The Zentradi are also growing restless. Bred for war, more and more of them find they cannot adjust to their new lives. A minor incident occurs when two Zentradi walk away from their factory jobs and start trouble downtown. Hikaru tries to defuse the situation - but with no way to offer the aliens what they demand, what chance is there for a lasting peace?


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

The Zentraedi are growing restless. Bred for war, many of them simply cannot adjust to their new lives. An incident occurs when two Zentraedi walk away from their factory jobs and start trouble downtown. Rick tries to defuse the situation - but with no way to offer the aliens what they demand, what chance is there for a lasting peace?

Meanwhile, after an argument with Kyle, Minmei decides to visit her aunt and uncle. She spends the night in her old room at their restaurant, but the trip brings her little peace.

And unbeknownst to all of them, the Robotech Masters have detected the effects of the battle against Lord Dolza. Recognizing the energy signature as belonging to Zor's battle fortress - the site of their lost protoculture factory - the Masters decide they must come to Earth...

Minmay is unhappy in her new life.

CHARACTERS:

It turns out that Hikaru is not completely clueless after all. When he runs into Misa, he lets her know that he added the photos she gave him to his album. He shares with Misa his worries about the growing Zentradi unrest. Hikaru very much wants to keep the peace, I think at least in part to prove Exsedol wrong in his conclusion that humans and Zentradi both enjoy fighting.

Minmay's visit to the restaurant seems to be an attempt to recapture the life she had on the Macross two years earlier. Like any attempt to relive an idealized version of days past, it is utterly doomed to failure. She witnesses Hikaru's standoff with the Zentradi, and she hears the lone Zentradi holdout calling after the others, invoking her as one of the reasons they came to Earth in the first place.

It's hard to say what she takes away from this. She returns to her life as a star, resolving that she will sing better than before. However, she also insists that she is now singing only for herself. This indicates that she's still trying to run away from who she's become, an effort every bit as doomed as hiding in the restaurant was.

Advantage: None.


NARRATION:

The Macross episode is bookended by a haunting visual, In the middle of the desert sits the skeleton of a Zentradi warrior, leaning back against his ship, holding in his hand the thing that convinced him to pursue a different life: a singing Minmay doll. Macross lets this play out with nothing but the sound of the wind, until the doll is dropped and begins to sing.

Naturally, Robotech has to stick narration over all of this, which greatly diminishes the impact.

Advantage: Macross.

The Robotech Masters decide to come to Earth. If this seems
like it's from a different show... Well, that's because it is.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

The Robotech Masters: Robotech's critics have often dubbed it "the Frankenstein series." It mostly hasn't lived down to that pejorative, at least not within "The Macross Saga." However, this episode - for the first time (not counting opening titles) - actually does a bit of Frankenstein-ing, splicing in footage from Super Dimenison Cavalry Southern Cross to create a new scene, one that attempts to prepare viewers for the upcoming transition to "The Masters Saga."

I am sympathetic to the showrunners' dilemma. As of this episode, Robotech was a week and a half away from a massive shift in story, cast, and tone, and creating a connection between the old story and the new would help to keep viewers from switching off. But the scene is dull, the Masters droning on for a couple minutes to give a plot recap and bicker about Zor's fortress and protoculture. Also, the visual style is noticeably different from the surrounding episode. It looks like what it is: Footage dropped in from an entirely different series!

Lots of Little Cuts: Since the Robotech episode opens with the above scene, a lot of small cuts are made to the rest of the episode. Long scenes between Minmay and Kaifun, in particular, are cut to the bone, leaving this entire strand underdeveloped for Robotech's Minmei and Kyle. No individual cut is that substantial on its own... but when you line them all up, they throw the episode's tone and pacing badly off balance.

Hikaru Is Much More Sympathetic to the Zentradi than Rick: Hikaru seems determined to protect the Zentradi. He admits that he can't grant their request to return to the main fleet, but he seems genuine in wanting to hear them out. Robotech's Rick is much colder. At one point, he even berates the Zentraedi for how they're repaying humanity's generosity in taking them in. Yes, Rick, very generous of you; that lopsided battle with Lord Dolza's fleet definitely left you plenty of room to be picky about your allies, didn't it? After that crack, I'm sympathetic to the angry aliens!

Advantage: Macross.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Both episodes use their scores to good effect. Even the Robotech Minmei song that closes the episode works reasonably well, its downbeat tone a good match for the context.

Advantage: None.

Hikaru negotiates with two angry Zentradi. It doesn't go well.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

One version opens on a haunting bit of visual poetry; the other opens on old men spouting Technobabble. I understand why Robotech used Southern Cross footage to stitch that scene together. I even understand why this episode was chosen, given that it's fairly light on story.

But understanding why these choices were made doesn't change that the Robotech version of this episode is harmed by that scene. The bookends of the Zentradi skeleton are disrupted, throwing off the structure of the episode. In addition, the cuts that make room for this new scene make a hash of the pacing.


OTHER MUSINGS:

I'm going to talk about the bookend just a little more, because the Macross version makes such good use of it. The image is simple yet meaningful: the decaying skeleton in the desert clutching a tiny doll - the symbol of the new and different life he wanted but never actually got... and the life that's failing to satisfy many of the Zentradi who survived to experience it. The episode moves from there to Minmay, botching a performance because, even though she's also survived to experience the life that she always wanted, she has become dissatisfied as well. Each image, character, and strand reflects the others, thematically unifying the episode from the start.

Where there's discontent, there is also going to be someone looking to benefit from it. That's where Kamujin (Khyron) comes in. With the Zentradi castaways at their most vulnerable, he offers the safety of familiarity, of belonging, and of the conflict that they've been conditioned to crave. He even promises to restore any miniaturized Zentradi to their full, giant size.

The war is over, and our heroes won. But two years later, with humanity's survival still in a fragile state, they seem to already be losing the peace...

All of this is effectively conveyed by Macross. But while all of this remains present in the Robotech episode, the added (unrelated) layer of the Masters throws it off balance, making the Americanized version of this episode into a choppy mess.


Overall Rating - Macross: 7/10.

Overall Rating - Robotech: 4/10.

Previous Episode: My Album/Reconstruction Blues
Next Episode: Viva Maria/Viva Miriya

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