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| Hikaru rescues Minmay - mostly from her own stupidity... |
Original Air Date - Macross: Oct. 3, 1982.
Written by: Ken'ichi Matsuzaki. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro, Fumihiko Takayama, Yoshizo Tsuda.
Original Air Date - Robotech: Mar. 5, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Directed by: Robert V. Barron.
PLOT - MACROSS:
There's a lull in the battle, the humans having successfully turned away the first wave of the alien attack. It isn't long, however, before the Macross has detects a second wave, descending toward the ocean. This temporary respite will not last long.
Hikaru has landed his unfamiliar fighter, in robot form (!), near the home of Lynn Minmay. Roy Focker arrives to help repair his fighter, explaining some of its workings. But when the battle erupts again, Hikaru is tasked with flying the girl to safety, even though he still has only the most basic notion of how to operate the fighter!
Meanwhile, on the Macross, Capt. Global finds himself under increasing pressure to take off into space...
PLOT - ROBOTECH:
The humans have turned away the first wave of the alien attack, but the SDF-1 has detected a second wave, descending toward the ocean. It won't be long until the battle erupts again.
Rick Hunter has landed his unfamiliar fighter, in robot form (!), near the home of Lynn Minmei. Roy Fokker arrives to help repair the fighter, explaining some of its workings. But when the second wave hits, Rick is tasked with flying Minmei to safety, even though he still has only the most basic notion of how to operate the fighter!
Meanwhile, on the SDF-1, Capt. Gloval finds himself under increasing pressure to take off into space...
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| Minmay seems remarkably relaxed about the giant robot/planes that basically destroyed her home. |
CHARACTERS:
Rick in Robotech is more casual about trying to move the fighter, attempting to "throw a few switches and hope for the best." Macross's Hikaru, in the exact same scene, is nervous, clearly aware of the damage he's doing as he pleads aloud for the machine to work. Robotech's Rick is pretty open about his crush on Minmei, asking to go back once the attack hits to make sure she's safe. Macross's Hikaru has to be pushed into doing the same by Roy.
In both versions, First Officer Misa Hayase/Lisa Hayes has anticipated the captain's order to use patrol helicopters to observe the aliens' second wave. What's different is the captain's reaction. Macross's Captain Global compliments her on her efficiency; meanwhile, Robotech's Gloval complains about her being a "mind reader."
Advantage: Macross. But the difference is considerably narrower than in the first episode.
NARRATION:
I've already concluded that I'm going to find the Robotech narration consistently more intrusive than its Macross counterpart. Similar to the first episode, Macross uses its narration lightly, really only the beginning and end of the episode, while Robotech slathers the narration over almost any moment without dialogue.
This undercuts the effectiveness of the final shots of the Robotech episode. Both versions end with Hikaru/Rick absorbing a new revelation and being temporarily overwhelmed. Macross holds this moment in silence, however, letting us absorb the significance and Hikaru's shock. By contrast, Robotech starts right in with the narration, not giving us even a second to empathize with Rick's struggle.
Advantage: Macross.
INCIDENTAL MUSIC:
The Robotech incidental music really helps this particular episode. The action-heavy second half just feels more exciting, and it's thanks entirely to the score. There is an issue with overuse, however: As with the narration, Robotech plugs in music whenever characters aren't talking. Since this is an action-heavy episode, it isn't a problem here, but I suspect it will become one in the future.
Advantage: Robotech.
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| The captain watches helplessly as the engines lift right out of the ship's hull! |
CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:
The Lull Is Shorter: The first half of the episode occurs during a temporary lull in battle. Robotech trims this lull down. I don't think any actual scenes were removed, but the editing is generally tighter which, together with the more dynamic music, takes viewers much more quickly to the action-heavy second half.
The Captain Argues Over Taking Off: The captain argues with the government official who orders him to take off. The official is a bureaucratic imbecile in both versions. The Robotech version adds an extra dollop of sexism onto his character, with him condescendingly addressing the "girls" on the bridge as he makes his exit. Then - because Robotech doesn't trust its viewers to catch anything - an additional internal monologue is given to Capt. Gloval in which he fumes, "We're just not ready!"
Roy Takes Hikaru/Rick Through the Basics: When Roy helps to repair Hikaru's borrowed fighter, he takes some time to go over the basic operations of the machine. In Macross, he goes into as much detail as the basic situation will allow. In Robotech, this is pared down substantially. "Sorry, Rick, I know you'd probably like to know more before you fly this thing, but we have toys to sell!"
Minmay's Idiocy: Minmay is safe at the shelter when the second wave hits. This is no good, though, because the script needs to get her back together with Hikaru. The result? The worst scene in the series thus far, as Minmay becomes Officially Too Stupid to Live by running back into the city during the attack. The Robotech version alters this. Instead of going back because she "forgot something," Robotech's Minmei has a specific reason. Unfortunately, it's a hilariously stupid reason: She's worried that someone will find and read her diary. Unless she used her diary to confess to a series of gruesome serial murders... of infants and puppies... then I'd advise that neither the alien conquerors nor the human soldiers are likely to care much about the musings and fantasies of a teenage girl. I'm honestly not sure which version is worse: Macross's generic handwave or Robotech's idiocy.
Though some of the specific items I've listed favor Macross, I'm actually going to give the nod to Robotech. It comes down to one reason: pacing. There's no question the Robotech alterations dumb things down, offering broader characterizations and less detail... but this isn't an episode with a lot of nuances in the first place, so getting to the action faster ends up creating a more entertaining overall experience.
Advantage: Robotech.
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| Zentradi battlepods rise from the sea. |
OVERALL ADVANTAGE: ROBOTECH:
Countdown is focused very much on plot and action, which I think favors the strengths of Robotech. The edits help tighten the pace, while the stirring music greatly boosts the action scenes. In addition, because this episode is far less character-focused than Boobytrap, Robotech's weaknesses are less evident. Yes, Robotech simplifies things and does more handholding than Macross - but the overall differences are minor, and the faster pace and more exciting overall impression favors the Americanized version.
OTHER MUSINGS:
Though being "all plot" may favor Robotech, Countdown is weaker overall than Boobytrap in both versions. The entire 24 minutes feels like it exists to connect Plot Point A to Plot Point B.
There are some good visual moments. The second wave of the attack comes from the sea, and we are treated to an eerie moment in which the Zentradi battepods rise from the water before coming to land. Another effective flourish is the withholding of information about the nature of the aliens until the final shots. This allows the sophomore episode to end on a strong dramatic reveal. it also gives a good in-universe explanation for why the humans' fighters transform into robots other than just "to sell toys."
Overall, the episode is more functional than memorable on its own merits. Still, there's enough good here that I remain interested in the overall series.
Overall Rating: 6/10.
Previous Episode: Boobytrap
Next Episode: Space Fold
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