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| Hikaru feels increasingly distant from Minmay. |
Original Air Date - Macross: Nov. 7, 1982.
Written by: Sukehiro Tomita. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro, Ryô Yasumura.
Original Air Date - Robotech: Mar. 8, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Directed by: Robert V. Barron.
PLOT - MACROSS:
The civilians rebuild their city inside the vast interior of the Macross. Minmay pushes her aunt and uncle to reopen their restaurant, certain that it would help raise everyone's spirits and make it feel as if life was returning to normal. Though he is staying with the family, Hikaru feels increasingly distant from Minmay. He is particularly stung when he overhears her responding to some pilots' lewd suggestions by insisting that he is "just a friend."
Meanwhile, Capt. Global learns that the only way to fire the Macross's main gun would be to put the entire ship through a modular transformation. This would cause enormous damage to the city just as the civilians are settling in. Global rejects this out of hand, insisting that he "just can't do it."
Until a Zentradi attack forces his hand...
PLOT - ROBOTECH:
The civilians rebuild their city inside the vast interior of the SDF-1. Minmei pushes her aunt and uncle to reopen their restaurant, certain that it would help raise everyone's spirits and make it feel as if life was returning to normal. Though he is staying with the family, Rick feels increasingly distant from Minmei. He is particularly stung when he overhears her responding to some pilots' questions about their relationship by insisting that he is "just a friend."
Meanwhile, Capt. Gloval learns that the only way to fire the main gun would be to put the entire ship through a modular transformation. This would cause enormous damage to the city just as the civilians are settling in. Gloval rejects this out of hand, insisting that it would be "just too much."
Until a Zentraedi attack forces his hand...
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| The bridge crew weighs the defense of the ship against disruptions to the civilians on board. |
CHARACTERS:
The captain clearly feels tremendous guilt for the results of his desperate space fold on the civilians. This impacts his military judgment in a bad way. Clearly, the ship needs to be able to use its most effective weapon to defend itself. His dismissal of the only solution to this problem likely worsens the damage done when he's (inevitably) backed into a corner later.
This is not a complaint, by the way - I rather like that the characters are flawed and human. This extends to the series' hero. Hikaru/Rick has already been far from flawless in the first four episodes. Here, confused at the sudden distance from Minmay, he becomes downright sullen. It doesn't necessarily make him likable, but it's a believable and relatable reaction for someone his age.
We also discover what Minmay went back for in Countdown. No, it wasn't her diary, but rather a letter confirming that she had secured a singing audition - presumably something she didn't want to tell her family about, hence her vagueness in that episode. I still think it's a bad scene, but at least now there's some context for what had seemed inexplicably stupid at the time.
Advantage: None.
NARRATION:
Both versions are about the same with regard to narration. The voice over is used to set the scene. There's a little more narration in Robotech, but it's been pared back greatly and is no longer stepping all over the drama.
Advantage: None.
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| Hikaru seeks advice from a very amused Roy. |
CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:
Robotech's Roy Is a Lot More Supportive: Confused by Minmay's changed attitude, Hikaru seeks advice from Roy. He asks if a woman can change overnight... and Roy responds by laughing uproariously and threatening to take the "fickle" girl off his young friend's hands. Robotech's Roy is a far better friend. He's still amused at Rick's inexperience with women, but he doesn't laugh at him (that bit's been snipped away) and he's generally supportive.
A Dialogue Change Creates a Minor Continuity Error: Just before the ship undergoes its modular transformation, a sullen Hikaru wishes that the whole city was destroyed. Robotech's Rick does not make that wish, probably because the writers felt that was pushing the character's unlikable side a bit too far. However, after the attack, as they oversee the damage, Minmei still remarks that Rick had made that wish. I'd actually call it a good change, if only the writers had kept it consistent. This already seems to be a trend for Robotech, though: A minor change is made, but lines referencing the original version are not changed along with it. I suspect it's a symptom of multiple writers working on different parts of the same episodes along with short turnaround times that kept such slip-ups from being caught.
Advantage: Macross. But only by a hair - The two versions are pretty close to identical.
INCIDENTAL MUSIC:
When the Zentradi attack, both versions use incidental cues to ramp up the drama. Unfortunately, this just makes clear how generic Macross's "tense music" is compared to Robotech's. The Macross musical sting that accompanies the alien attack sounds like it came from a studio library, while the Robotech music is considerably more distinct.
Advantage: Robotech.
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| The ship comes under attack! |
OVERALL ADVANTAGE: NONE:
The two versions are so close together, the Robotech episode could just about qualify as being a straight dub of the Macross one. One minor continuity slip aside, viewers will get basically the same viewing experience from either variant.
OTHER MUSINGS:
Transformation feels like a transitional piece. In its 25 minutes, the episode covers: the civilians recreating their city and returning to normal life; relationship issues with Minmay pushing Hikaru/Rick to an important decision; and the Zentradi locating the ship. It's all efficiently done, and to the episode's credit none of this plays out as checkbox-ticking. Even so, this installment is mainly focused on moving the series forward.
Oh, and is it a spoiler to reveal that the modular transformation is to make the ship into a giant robot? No, of course it's not. it's a 1980s sci-fi anime; of course the ship transforms into a giant robot...
Overall Rating: 6/10.
Previous Episode: Lynn Minmay/The Long Wait
Next Episode: Daedalus Attack/Blitzkrieg
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