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| Hikaru uses a giant Zentradi weapon. |
Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Big Escape
Original Air Date - Macross: Dec. 26, 1982.
Written by: Sukehiro Tomita. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro.
Robotech: The Big Escape
Original Air Date - Robotech: Mar. 19, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.
PLOT - MACROSS:
Hikaru, Misa Hayase, and Kakizaki are still prisoners, trapped in a cell in the Zentradi main fleet. Hikaru and Misa hatch a plan to escape, relying on the revulsion the aliens showed when they kissed. That plan is made redundant, however, when Max opens their cell to free them.
The Zentradi are preparing a plan of their own. One-time recon pilots Loli, Warera, and Condi volunteer to be reduced to "miclones" to blend in with the humans. While an enemy attack distracts the Macross, the three will be smuggled onto the human ship to observe their society up close.
Which actually provides the perfect opportunity for the newly escaped human prisoners to find their way home...
PLOT - ROBOTECH:
Rick, Lisa, and Ben are still prisoners, trapped in a cell in the Zentraedi main fleet. Rick and Lisa hatch a plan to escape, relying on the revulsion the aliens showed when they kissed. That plan is made redundant, however, when Max opens their cell to free them.
The Zentraedi are preparing a plan of their own. One-time recon pilots Bron, Rico, and Kondo volunteer to be reduced to "micronians" to blend in with the humans. While an enemy attack distracts the SDF-1, the three will be smuggled onto the human ship to observe their society up close.
Which actually provides the perfect opportunity for the newly escaped human prisoners to find their way home...
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| Misa and Hikaru share a quiet moment. |
CHARACTERS:
This episode sees quieter and more contemplative conversations between Hikaru and Misa. When they aren't screaming or arguing, they actually complement each other pretty well. Misa has another good episode, taking what they've observed of the Zentradi and extrapolating several conclusions, notably when observing the poor maintenance on the alien ship. She states her resolve that they have to find a way to end the war, as there is no chance Earth could defeat the Zentradi in conventional warfare.
Kakizaki/Ben has been mostly the "dumb comedy relief," but he gets some decent material this time. When his two superiors start to get into another argument, he defuses it... mostly by uniting them in thinking that he's an idiot, but in this instance, he seems to do it on purpose. He's also entirely competent during the escape, even showing a better sense of direction than Max.
This episode sees the introduction of yet another new character in Milia/Miriya, a female Zentradi who is known for her expert combat skills. Her screentime is very slight, but she still makes a strong impression. She also dominates her first engagement with the humans, leaving even Roy agape at her skill.
Finally, this episode sees the three Zentradi recon pilots volunteering to be shrunk down to infiltrate the SDF-1 and gather information on their society. They are already eager at the thought of seeing more of this strange civilian society. Since I don't remember anything of this subplot, I look forward to seeing it develop in future episodes.
Advantage: None.
NARRATION:
There is only a tiny skim of recap narration, with the rest playing out uninterrupted. This is mercifully true in both versions. The Robotech narration builds up the lore change to what protoculture is by informing us that there's a hidden protoculture factory on the SDF-1. Outside of that, the narrator establishes the basic situation and then gets out of the way.
Advantage: None.
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| Hikaru rushes to reunite with Minmay, in a scene not included in Robotech. |
CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:
Likely recognizing that this episode was both a critical one and that it had very little fat on it, Robotech cuts little and changes less:
Tightened Dialogue Scenes: Nothing to specifically highlight, but a few expository scenes have been tightened slightly for Robotech, particularly some of the bits with the three Zentradi recon pilots-turned-spies.
Censorship Audio Change: During the escape, a Zentradi soldier is blown up. In Macross, you hear his dying scream. In Robotech, he blows up silently.
The Ending: Robotech ends the episode with Rick and company being rescued. Since this wasn't intended to be the ending, it's rather abrupt. Macross keeps going for another thirty seconds (the length of one commercial) to show Hikaru running through the city to find Minmay, which works better as an episode ending both by giving a much-needed slight tag and by returning the focus to Hikaru as a character, rather than ending it on pure plot.
Advantage: Macross. But this time, it's a very slight advantage.
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| Britai's going to need to replace a few windows... |
A DIALOGUE CHANGE FOR THE BETTER:
Most of the time, Robotech's dialogue changes are for the worse - sometimes far worse. This episode sees a rare dialogue change that manages to be an improvement.
During the escape, Misa is grabbed by a Zentradi. Hikaru shoots the alien, but she's still caught in the corpse's giant grip. She orders him to save himself so that at least one of them can report back, while he insists that he will not leave "a girl." Actually, Hikaru... if recapture was imminent, it would be your duty to leave, given the stakes involved in surviving to report back.
Robotech changes this so that Rick doesn't come across as an idiot (Lisa does in this scene, but that's true in both versions). As Rick frees her from the dead Zentraedi's grip, he sighs that "sometimes women don't make any sense, even if they are officers," even as he extends his hand to pull her free.
Yes, a skim of '80s sexism is there in both versions. But in the Robotech episode, Rick seems exasperated by a legitimately stupid order, and there's at least an indication that he might withdraw if recapture was imminent. Meanwhile, all indications are that Macross's Hikaru would reject the order even if the situation demanded it.
I can see the epitaph: "Here lies Hikaru Ichijyo, who doomed the Earth thanks to misplaced chivalry."
Advantage: Robotech.
INCIDENTAL MUSIC:
The Macross incidentals remain forgettable, but in this episode they are also well used, supporting the action without overpowering it. Near the end of the episode, the Robotech theme swells up during the humans' final escape... and it calls attention to itself while actually distracting from what's happening on screen.
Beyond this, the episode's climax sees the escapees finding their ship thanks to a broadcast of Minmay's singing. I will say that Robotech's This Is My Time to Be a Star works better here than it did in the last episode, with the audio effects of the battle meshing pretty well with the song. However, Macross's My Boyfriend Is a Pilot is simply a better song, and its lyrics complement the on-screen action.
Advantage: Macross.
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| Minmay sings during the closing battle. This scene works pretty well in both versions. |
OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:
...But this time, it's by a razor-thin margin.
Robotech neither cuts nor changes much - a good choice, since this episode is very lean. Robotech voice actor Cam Clarke, as Max, is particularly good when teasing Rick and Lisa for their kiss, making that scene funnier in Robotech than in Macross. All the voice actors in both versions are terrific.
Honestly, if it weren't for Robotech's abrupt ending, I'd call this one even. As it stands, Macross just edges it - but this is an excellent episode either way.
OTHER MUSINGS:
Thankfully, the animation issues that plagued the previous two episodes are nowhere to be seen. This is a relief, because it would be a real shame for bad animation to pull down this good a script.
The story benefits from being the finale of a three-parter. The big exposition was already dealt with in the previous two installments, leaving this to just gallop forward. Action scenes are both exciting and creative, particularly in the use of the different sizes of the humans and the Zentradi. Hikaru struggles to use a giant rifle to bring down an enemy soldier; Zentradi struggle to either spot or hit the tiny humans as they scamper around; and it requires all three human pilots to make use of the controls of a Zentradi battlepod. At all points, the episode remembers the different scale and makes good use of it.
In the end, Big Escape is an episode that doesn't put a foot wrong. It's fast paced and exciting, and yet it keeps focus on the characters, with each major character receiving at least one good moment. This is easily the best episode yet.
Overall Rating: 10/10.
Previous Episode: First Contact
Next Episode: Blue Wind
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