1-34. 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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1-32. 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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1-31. 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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1-29. 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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1-28. My Album/Reconstruction Blues.

Macross City - a metropolis build around
the immobile shell of the Macross.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross: My Album

Original Air Date - Macross: May 1, 1983.
Written by: Hiroyuki Hoshiyama. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro, Fumihiko Takayama.

Robotech: Reconstruction Blues

Original Air Date - Robotech: Apr. 10, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

It has been two years since the decisive battle against Boldazaa's forces, and the surviving humans are struggling to rebuild. Macross City, which sprang up around the now-immobile shell of the Macross, is a thriving metropolis, but the only other communities are small towns struggling to establish a foothold.

Hikaru, now a captain, flies regular patrols searching for other survivors, even though he knows this is a futile effort. On this day, he makes a small deviation when he spots a field of flowers that has sprouted outside the reclamation zone. He makes another detour when he learns that Minmay is singing in Granite City, a tiny community not far from his patrol area.

He has picked a bad day to neglect his duties. Some of the Zentradi have been growing restless, not adjusting well to the change from warriors to people expected to build things. A few of them have stolen weapons and battlepods, and are about to go on a rampage...


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

It has been two years since the decisive battle against Lord Dolza's forces, and the surviving humans are struggling to rebuild. The city that has sprung up around the now-immobile shell of the SDF-1 is a thriving metropolis, but the only other communities are small towns struggling to establish a foothold.

Rick Hunter, now a commander, flies regular patrols searching for signs of trouble. On this day, he makes a small deviation when he spots a field of flowers that has sprouted outside the reclamation zone. He makes another detour when he learns that Minmei is singing in Granite City, a tiny community not far from his patrol area.

He has picked a bad day to neglect his duties. The Zentraedi were bred for war, and some of them have adjusted poorly to peace. In the city of New Portland, a few of the aliens have stolen weapons and battlepods, and are about to go on a rampage...

Minmay seems to have had just about enough of Kaifun.

CHARACTERS:

Hikaru backslides considerably from the previous episode. That episode portrayed him letting Minmay go and moving forward. This episode sees him sleeping under a Minmay poster, with an album of photos of her at his bedside. He even deviates from his mission to take in her latest concert, lingering to spy on her and Kaifun. It's not really out of character; but after the last couple of episodes, it is disappointing.

The two year interval has made Kaifun into even more of a jerk than he was already. At Minmay's concert, he blames the military for their current situation urging the city to refuse the supplies the military provides - which, if the city leaders agree, would almost certainly result in deaths when needed food or medicine just isn't there. Oh, and he's become a drunk who's borderline abusive to Minmay.

At least she seems to finally recognize his shortcomings. When he drunkenly complains about them being paid in a box of supplies (which the community can't really spare), she gives him a much-deserved chewing out for his behavior and threatens to leave him behind. Robotech takes it even further, with Minmei flatly (and accurately) telling Kyle that the military is the only reason why he's even alive. All of which makes this the second episode in a row in which I actually find myself liking her.

Advantage: None.


NARRATION:

As usual, Robotech has more narration than Macross. Most of it's reasonably restrained, though... until the end, when the Robotech narrator goes over-the-top while extolling the heroism of the main characters, particularly Rick - whose behavior in this episode falls pretty far short of heroic.

Advantage: Macross.

Misa discovers Hikaru's album, filled with photos of Minmay.
Robotech makes sure to tell us exactly how she feels about that.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

Hikaru Stands Silently in a Field of Flowers; Rick Monologues: The episode opens with Hikaru, on patrol, coming across an unlikely sight: a field of flowers. He takes in the sight, recalling when as a young boy he chased after Roy's airplane on just such a field. Robotech, ever afraid of silence, puts an extended inner monologue over all of this. There are actually a few nice lines in there, notably Rick's observation about "a reminder of war... in a field of wildflowers" - but I prefer Macross's approach of letting us actually absorb the visuals for ourselves.

Lisa's Inner Monologue: Macross's Misa is first seen on her day off, tidying up Rick's home before stumbling across a photo album filled with pictures of Minmay. Robotech again fills the entire scene with Lisa's thoughts, which actually blunts the effectiveness of her reaction.

Roy: Hikaru imagines Roy berating him for moping, with Hikaru's vision of Roy bragging that he joined the military to attract women. Robotech transforms this into a flashback of when Rick joined the military, with Roy talking to him about duty and about how flying is no longer for fun. Both are appropriate to their respective series' characterization of Roy... though Robotech's version feels like something out of a John Wayne movie.

Conversation on the Bridge: In Macross, Kim asks Shammy why only Vanessa was promoted and not them, a question Shammy answers by rattling on about how much smarter and better looking she considers herself to be, with Kim giving a resigned sigh - perhaps realizing that, of the three of them, Vanessa has been the only one to actually focus on her job while on duty. In Robotech, the conversation is rewritten to be entirely about Lisa's relationship with Rick, because it's apparently unthinkable for the supporting characters to have concerns unrelated to the main cast.

The Conversation with the Admiral: When Hikaru talks to Global in Macross, it's clear they have both been worried about the Zentradi reverting to their warlike tendencies. Hikaru agrees with transferring the Zentradi under his command to inside duties. Which raises issues itself - discriminating against the aliens will hardly make them less likely to rebel - but, at least in the short term, might avoid catastrophe if there is a rebellion. In Robotech, Gloval's side of the conversation is similar, but Rick contributes nothing, simply stating that he will support the admiral's orders.

Advantage: Macross


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Macross uses its incidental music to strong effect. This is particularly true when Hikaru stands in the field of flowers, with an instrumental of Minmay's music both accentuating the emotion and subtly linking this moment with Hikaru's decision to divert to her concert.

I think Robotech actually misuses some of its music, specifically the heroic music that kicks in when Rick (finally) arrives at the site of the Zentraedi uprising. Lisa may be motivated by jealousy, but she's still 100% right to call his detour to Granite City a dereliction of duty. He doesn't deserve "big hero" music.

Advantage: Macross.

Hikaru discovers a field of flowers amidst the destruction.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

Macross continues to trust its audience to follow along and to absorb the visuals and emotional context, while Robotech continues to fill every silence by telling the viewers what they should think and feel. The excessive internal monologues in the Robotech version of this episode, combined with some inappropriate and intrusive use of background music, makes it the weaker version - though it still offers several good moments, including Minmei being more pointed in telling off Kyle than Macross's Minmay is with Kaifun.


OTHER MUSINGS:

It wouldn't be entirely accurate to label this a transitional episode. This is more a "new pilot," establishing the status quo for Macross's final arc: Humanity rebuilding, with trouble brewing among the Zentradi. There's even a callback to the series' start. Boobytrap established that a city had built up around the Macross while humanity studied and eventually rebuilt it. Now, humanity's first new metropolis has built up around the Macross again.

The bulk of this episode establishes the character relationships as they stand two years on. Just as some Zentradi cannot give up on war, Hikaru cannot make himself move on from Minmay despite his own resolution to do so. In Robotech, Lisa outright observes that Rick "doesn't seem like (he's) trying very hard" to move on from her. Meanwhile, Minmay is growing dissatisfied with her life with Kaifun (and we can probably guess what will happen next). While I won't pretend to be looking forward to eight more episodes of this triangle, all of this feels entirely convincing for these characters.

Even the action climax fits more into "establishing a new normal" than anything. For all its sound and fury, this is really the sci-fi/action equivalent of an angry man getting drunk and smashing windows to vent frustration. Its significance lies not in the incident, but in what it represents - a backlash against a new life that isn't living up to the Zentradi's expectations.

In a way, it's a parallel to what happened to the Zentradi fleet when the soldiers were exposed to human culture. Then, The Zentradi were hobbled by chaos, with their troops not wanting to destroy the source of the music and entertainment they'd fallen in love with. Now it's the humans' turn, with reconstruction hobbled as the Zentradi discover that life is going to be filled not by constant music and kissing beautiful women, but by hard work.

These are all smart and convincing developments. Winning a war is one thing; maintaining a peace, quite another. All of these new developments make sense, and this episode does a fine job of establishing the default situation for the show's final arc.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Love Drifts Away/Force of Arms
Next Episode: Lonely Song/The Robotech Masters

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1-26. Messenger/The Messenger

A chance for peace: Exsedol meets with Capt. Global.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Messenger

Original Air Date - Macross: Apr. 17, 1983.
Written by: Ken'ichi Matsuzaki. Directed by: Katsuhito Akiyama, Noboru Ishiguro.

Robotech: The Messenger

Original Air Date - Robotech: Apr. 8, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

After Lord Britai orders a cease-fire, Archivist Exsedol travels to the Macross as a peace envoy. He meets with Capt. Global, the other leaders on the ship, and the Zentradi defectors, and all of those present try to figure out what happens next. However, even if the cease-fire holds, there is still the issue of the Zentradi main fleet: more than 4 million ships, enough to overwhelm the Macross, Britai's fleet, and even Earth through sheer force of numbers!


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

After Lord Bree'tai is convinced to order a cease-fire, Exedore travels to the SDF-1 as a peace envoy. He meets with Capt. Gloval, the other leaders on the ship, and the Zentraedi defectors, and all of those present try to figure out what happens next. However, even if the cease-fire holds, there is still the issue of the Zentraedi main fleet: more than 4 million ships, enough to overwhelm the SDF-1, Bree'tai's fleet, and even Earth through sheer force of numbers!

The Zentradi defectors react to seeing Exsedol.

CHARACTERS:

One element of this episode that I appreciated in both versions: the captain is realistic in his reaction to the Zentradi peace overture. He is hopeful that the cease-fire is authentic, but he remains ready for a trap. When he leaves to meet with Exsedol, he orders Claudia to fire on the enemy if they do anything aggressive.

Several amusing moments are wrung from Exsedol's confusion about human culture. He fully believes that Kaifun actually possesses the superpowers seen in the martial arts movie. He also refers to Minmay's singing as a psychological attack; when the Macross command staff doesn't understand what he's talking about, he entertainingly performs a few lyrics from My Boyfriend Is a Pilot, complete with falsetto voice and exaggerated twisting motions.

Though these moments are funny, the episode never reduces him to a comedy figure. He's the perfect representative to the humans, reasonable and intelligent, but capable of being firm. The response of the renegade Zentradi to him is telling. Milia provides an instant salute, responding automatically to a superior officer. The three defectors quake in terror until he assures them that he isn't here to harm them. Given that this show was a product of the '80s, it's fair to compare this to the reactions of a Soviet defector arriving at a meeting only to find that the head of the KGB is the guest of honor.

Advantage: None.


NARRATION:

Robotech (again) doesn't trust its audience to keep up with the plot turns. Narration is layered over the entire scene in which Bree'tai's flagship shoots down Khyron's fighters to stop an attack on the humans, all to make sure that even the dumbest child will understand what's happening.

Macross lets the same scene play out without narration, because those writers did trust the viewers to comprehend. Besides, there's a Britai/Kamujin scene immediately after it that provides a full explanation. As a result, the Macross version of the scene is more dramatically effective... and it feels nice to be respected as a viewer rather than to be talked down to.

Advantage: Macross.

Exsedol has a plan - and it's a lot more detailed in Macross.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

Britai Acts Alone; Bree'tai Follows Orders: For some reason, the Robotech episode insists that the cease-fire was ordered by Lord Dolza, meaning that Bree'tai is just doing as he's been told. Macross makes it clear that Britai is acting alone, improvising to try to control the disorder within his fleet... which is the version that makes sense, given that in both episodes the crisis point comes when the main Zentradi fleet learns what is happening. I suspect this was a product of a very rushed translation/script writing process.

Animation Error Removed: Probably the only change that's for the better, and it's purely cosmetic: In the Macross episode, while Col. Maistroff drives Exsedol through the city, a red car randomly flashes onto the screen before blinking away again. Robotech snips away that shot, deleting the error.

Exsedol Encounters an Additional "Military Secret": Exsedol is stunned by a poster showing a woman in a skimpy swimsuit. The colonel, embarrassed, allows him to believe this is a "military secret." Robotech ends the scene there. Macross continues, with Exedole then noticing a brassiere in a shop window and asking for clarification of this "armor's" purpose, showing him - just like Milia - viewing everything through the lens of a fully militarized culture.

Robotech's Exedore Thinks Max Was a Zentraedi Prisoner: Another continuity error. In Macross, Exsedol recalls Hikaru from his time as a Zentradi prisoner, but he only recognizes Max from the wedding broadcast. In Robotech, Exedore seems to believe that Max was also a prisoner, even though he was the one who evaded capture and ended up breaking the others out. Oopsie.

Misa's Father Actually Has Two Brain Cells; Lisa's Does Not: Misa's father does not expect the cease-fire to hold. In Macross, he reasons that the cease-fire is only with the small portion of the Zentradi that are already here, and he predicts (accurately) that it won't apply to their main fleet. In Robotech, because Lisa's father is ambecile, his only justification is to huff that "the Zentraedi cannot be trusted."

Protoculture: For Macross's Zentradi, "protoculture" is human culture, with the threat being the disruption caused by exposure to such a different way of life. In Robotech, "protoculture" has been re-imagined as a MacGuffin to be chased, and so dialogue adjustments make clear that the Zentraedi want to recover the "protoculture factory" on the SDF-1. Bree'tai also informs Azonia that their fleet needs that factory because the Zentraedi supplies of protoculture have run out.

Exedole's Plan: Though Exsedol presents the same plan for dealing with the main fleet in both versions, the Macross episode allows him to share substantially more detail. The Robotech version skims over these same details, presumably on the theory that kids will find strategy boring.

Advantage: Macross


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Both episodes use their incidental scores to perfectly fine effect. The Robotech episode might get a slight edge from the music buildup near the end, when we see the main fleet, but it's not enough of one for me to give the nod to either version this time.

Advantage: None.


OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

This is an excellent episode. That said, the changes made slightly weaken the Robotech version. Some elements are simplified, such as Exsedol's plan. Others are dumbed down: Misa's father (Macross) responds to the peace talks with intelligent skepticism, while Lisa's father (Robotech) is just a warmongering idiot. Other changes introduce small but noticeable continuity errors. None of these are enough to remotely ruin the episode, but they do diminish it.

Britai explains their situation to Lap Lamiz. In Robotech,
Bree'tai also tells Azonia that their protoculture is running out.

OTHER MUSINGS:

Even in its Robotech version, Messenger is a terrific installment. It's a "calm before the storm" entry, made up mainly of characters sitting in rooms talking... but the characters not named Kaifun or Kyle (or, in Robotech, Lisa's father) are intelligent, the things they say are interesting, and the larger situational context makes it gripping even before the crisis point is reached.

The series continues to reinforce the theme about the power of culture. Exsedol expands on previous hints that Zentradi have been exposed to culture shock before, with results that were considered undesirable. The Zentradi defectors insist upon - and are, in fact, evidence of - the power of Minmay's songs. Exsedol outright admits that without her music, the fragile alliance being forged would not be possible.

It's also an episode that significantly raises the stakes, with the main fleet now a specter of oncoming doom. The final shots of the Zentradi main fleet filling the sky make for such a strong cliffhanger that it took an act of will for me to stop and write this review before moving on to the next installment.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Virgin Road/Wedding Bells
Next Episode: Love Drifts Away/Force of Arms

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