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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1-22. Love Concert/Battle Hymn.

Defectors: The Zentradi spies plan their return to the Macross.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Love Concert

Original Air Date - Macross: Mar. 20, 1983.
Written by: Hiroshi Ônogi. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro, Tatsuya Kasahara.

Robotech: Battle Hymn

Original Air Date - Robotech: Apr. 2, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

Unrest is spreading among the Zentradi battle fleet. Spies Loli, Warera, and Conda returned from the Macross with information for their superiors, as planned... but they also brought back stories and objects that tantalize the other Zentradi, with a singing Minmay doll particularly catching the soldiers' attention. The spies persuade many of the others that life is better aboard the human ship, and they hatch a plan to defect during the next attack.

Their wait is not a long one. Lord Boldozaa has ordered Britai to capture a "miclone" for study as a prelude to a final assault. Britai decides to take it a step further, plotting to lure the Macross into performing a Daedalus attack and then turning it against them by sending in a boarding party.

The attack comes in the middle of Minmay's latest concert. With destruction surrounding her, and with no chance for either her or her audience to reach any kind of shelter, she does the only thing she can: Keeps singing.


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Unrest is spreading among the Zentraedi battle fleet. Spies Rico, Bron, and Konda returned from the SDF-1 with information for their superiors, as planned... but they also brought back stories and objects that tantalize the other Zentraedi, with a singing Minmei doll particularly catching the soldiers' attention. The spies persuade many of the others that life is better aboard the human ship, and they decide to defect during the next attack.

Their wait is not a long one. Lord Dolza has ordered Breetai to capture a "micronian" for study as a prelude to a final assault. Breetai is delighted when Exedore hatches a plan to lure the human ship into performing a Daedalus attack and then turning it against them by sending in a boarding party.

The attack comes in the middle of Minmei's latest concert. With destruction surrounding her, and with no chance for either her or her audience to reach any kind of shelter, she does the only thing she can: Keeps singing, even as the battle rages.

Hikaru decides on his reason to fight: protecting Minmay.

CHARACTERS:

In the first half of the episode, Macross's Kaifun and Robotech's Kyle come across as more than a little creepy, but in different ways. Kaifun is fixated on Minmay in a clearly romantic way. Kyle is also attracted to his cousin... but in an inner monologue just before the Act break, he expresses frustration at people paying attention to her instead of to the war. This adds an extra element to an already disturbing character, indicating that he resents Minmei even as he feels drawn to her. The close-up on his eyes just before the fade-out does nothing to make him seem less malevolent.

Both versions of the episode show Hikaru/Rick succumbing to fatalism. Surprisingly, this is more blatant in Robotech, as Rick wonders if he's going to "go out fighting" the way Roy and Ben did. He seizes on fighting to protect Minmei, and is shouting her name as a battle cry in the episode's closing moments.

Meanwhile, Minmay receives another good episode. Unsurprisingly, Macross handles her concert heroism better. When she resumes singing during the attack, her voice catches and falters for several seconds as she battles her own fear. In Robotech, someone basically just starts the record playing, with Minmei singing at full voice from the very start. Robotech also features a small gaffe here, with the "singing" animation starting a second or two before the actual music cuts in.

Advantage: None. Minmay is better in Macross, as usual, but I prefer Rick's more outright fatalism in Robotech, making this one a wash.


NARRATION:

Robotech's opening recap feels unusually strained and awkward. It's as if the translators/scriptwriters couldn't quite decide which bits of exposition to focus on, and it becomes labored as they try to squeeze in too much.

Advantage: Macross.

Lord Bodolzaa fears what the humans might be capable of.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

The Nature of Protoculture: This is an ongoing issue, given that the Robotech writers seized on "protoculture" as a way to combine all three series. In Macross, Lord Boldazaa states that the humans are protoculture, and he wants them destroyed because of the inevitable effect they will have on the Zentradi. Robotech's Dolza believes that the humans have protoculture, which in this version is a type of technology, and that makes them dangerous. As ever, the Macross version of "protoculture" directly connects to the show's themes, while Robotech diminishes it to an undefined MacGuffin.

Britai's Plan Becomes Exedore's: The plan to board the Macross is entirely Britai's in the original version. Robotech has Exedore come up with the plan, with Breetai's contribution amounting to smiling and nodding.

One Song vs. Two: In Macross, the spies use a wire to flip a switch on the singing Minmay doll, which makes it start into a second song. This part of the scene has been trimmed out of Robotech, with a line added in which the spies let the others know that there is a second song.

Added Flashbacks: While Rick leans next to Minmei's poster, the Robotech episode adds flashbacks to The Long Wait. The Robotech episode also extends an existing flashback while Lisa is thinking of Kyle, adding dialogue to it. All of this is fine, if a little hamfisted - but then Lisa has an internal monologue indicating that Kyle's words are making sense to her, even though both Macross's Misa and Robotech's Lisa have previously firmly (and, given the overall situation, quite correctly) rejected his stance.

Advantage: Macross.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

This is an action-heavy episode, which would usually tip this category in Robotech's favor. However, this episode frames itself around Minmay's concert - and by this point, it goes without saying that the Macross version of the concert is better in general, along with the Macross songs making an effective complement to the action.

Advantage: Macross.

Kaifun urges Minmay to keep singing during the attack.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

This one's a closer call than the last, as both versions of the episode work well. The deciding factors are ongoing issues: by turning "protoculture" into a plot device, Robotech harms it own thematic depth; and... well, in an episode framed around a Minmay concert, there's no getting around how much better a singer Macross's Minmay is.


OTHER MUSINGS:

In both versions, this is a good episode. I found the most interesting thread to be the three spies and their effect on the fleet. Knowing that they risk execution if they're caught, they and their fellow soldiers still resolve to defect in order to enjoy a life they'll never be able to have among their own people. The Cold War parallels in this 1980s show are obvious, but there's also something universal in their craving for music, culture, and romance.

The episode advances multiple threads. During the attack, Milia/Miriya finally identifies Max as the enemy she's been stalking. The Zentradi decide on a new plan for the humans, with it becoming clear that the impasse Hikaru and Misa discussed is now breaking, and not in humanity's favor. The show is headed toward another Act change, and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Though some of the character art is less detailed than in other installments, I'd make a fair guess as to why: The end battle scenes have many moving elements at work, from the combat animations to the flames to the destruction in the city. I'd wager all of those elements took a lot of time and effort to complete, and I can't blame the animators for taking a few short cuts elsewhere.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Micro Cosmos/A New Dawn
Next Episode: Drop Out/Reckless

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1-18. Pineapple Salad/Farewell, Big Brother.

Roy and Claudia make plans that, inevitably, get interrupted.

Original Air Date - Macross: Feb. 20, 1983.
Written by: Hiroyuki Hoshiyama. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro, Fumihiko Takayama.

Robotech: Farewell Big Brother

Original Air Date - Robotech: Mar. 27, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

Hikaru is making a good recovery, but the hospital insists on keeping him for observation because of his head wound. He receives a visit from Misa, who feels guilty about giving the order that resulted in his injury... but he hears nothing from Minmay, who isn't even aware of his crash. Roy takes it on himself to ask her to visit Hikaru, much to her cousin's annoyance.

On the Zentradi fleet, Kamujin responds to ace pilot Milia's jibes about his recent defeat by telling her that the Macross has an ace of its own. Unable to ignore a challenge, Milia launches an attack, determined to flush out this pilot - leading her into a one-on-one duel with Max!


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Rick is making a good recovery, but the hospital insists on keeping him for observation because of his head wound. He receives a visit from Lisa, who feels guilty about giving the order that resulted in his injury... but he hears nothing from Minmei, who isn't even aware of his crash. Roy takes it on himself to ask her to visit Rick, much to her cousin's annoyance.

On the Zentraedi fleet, Khyron responds to ace pilot Miriya's jibes about his recent defeat by telling her that "there is one aboard that alien ship whom (she) cannot best." Unable to ignore a challenge, Miriya launches an attack, determined to flush out this pilot - leading her into a one-on-one duel with Max!

A guilt-stricken Misa visits Hikaru.

CHARACTERS:

We get a couple of good scenes spotlighting the Roy/Claudia relationship, which is explicitly paralleled with the not-quite relationship between Hikaru and Misa. Robotech makes the parallel even more blatant, with Claudia outright telling Lisa that she and Roy got their start in much the same way as Lisa and Rick.

As was indicated by his nightmare in the last episode, Hikaru is questioning his abilities in the wake of the crash. He refuses to allow Misa to blame herself, telling her that if he was a better pilot, then he would not have been shot down. He's also frustrated by his eternal holding pattern with Minmay, and he is downright aggressive in turning off the radio when it plays one of her songs. However, when Minmay does finally visit and he learns just how exhausted she is (the Macross episode has her admit to getting only two hours of sleep per night), he responds with genuine compassion.

The competitive streak between Milia and Kamujin, and the entirely one-sided competition between her and Max, is also well done. I remember just enough about the show that I know where it's going, but I'm still enjoying watching it unfold.

Advantage: None.


NARRATION:

Macross features no narration. We're dropped into the action and left to follow it with no interruptions outside the mid-episode Act break, with even the ending allowed to play with no commentary. This keeps the viewer with the characters, to very strong effect in the final moments.

Robotech features its standard narration. It's not overly intrusive for the bulk of the episode. Unfortunately, those ending moments? The narrator talks right over them.

Advantage: Macross.

Zentradi ace Milia finds a worthy rival.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

Claudia's Pineapple Salad: In Macross, Claudia has just learned how to make a pineapple salad. While on a date with Roy, she offers to serve it to him for dinner. In Robotech, it appears to be a standby dish of hers, with Roy asking her to make her "famous pineapple salad" when he next comes over.

Kyle Is Even More Unlikable than Kaifun: When Roy drops by the set of Minmay's film, Kaifun overhears him telling her about Hikaru's injury. Complete ass that he is, he can't help but sneer that it's Hikaru's fault for insisting on fighting. In Robotech, Kyle doesn't hear most of the conversation. Instead, he reacts with possessive jealousy to Roy's mere presence. Because it wasn't enough for the character to be unlikable; he has to be creepy too!

Khyron Gets a Better Line than Kamujin: Kamujin's challenge to Milia is a straightforward statement that the human ship has a legitimate ace. Robotech's Khyron goes further, telling Miriya that there is a human pilot that she cannot best. It's basically the same information in both versions, but the Robotech line is a lot more memorable.

Max's Reaction to the Duel: Max's duel with Milia is the episode's major action sequence. In both versions, he is winning and in active pursuit of the enemy pilot when he's ordered to return to the ship. In Macross, that's the end of the scene, with the episode cutting to Milia swearing to even the score. In Robotech, Max clearly shares in her sense of competition; when Lisa tells him that he's won, he looks wistfully up at the retreating Miriya and replies, "Not decisively." It's a tiny adjustment, but an effective one.

Advantage: Robotech. By a hair.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Both episodes use their scores well, but Robotech edges this one out by simply having better music for the end action sequence.

Advantage: Robotech.

Roy convinces Minmay to visit Hikaru.
Naturally, Kaifun is annoyed.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: NONE:

Very little was changed between versions. I prefer the Khyron/Miriya exchange in Robotech over the Kamujin/Milia one in Macross, and I prefer Max's sense of competitiveness during the Robotech duel... but I prefer the Roy/Minmay scene in Macross, not to mention that Macross's ending is more effective thanks to the absence of the usual narrator.

I also think the Macross episode has by far the better title. Pineapple Salad sounds like an episode that will be basically light-hearted fluff. Then the ending comes, upending the context.


OTHER MUSINGS:

"I'm looking forward to some pineapple salad!"

"Captain, what is 'pineapple salad' code for?"
-Misa and Capt. Global are confused by Roy's non-sequitur.

This is an excellent episode in either version. Not much ultimately changes with regard to the Macross's overall situation... but for the main characters, everything is changed. It is entirely fair to say that this will be a noticeably different series moving forward.

The episode checks in with all of the major human characters. Hikaru is out of the action, of course, but the script takes care to keep focus on him. The show opens and closes on him, and it returns to him often enough to show how much he's wrestling with being sidelined and with his new doubts about his piloting skills; I hope the latter continues to be followed up and isn't simply discarded the next time he's in the cockpit.

Roy and Claudia receive the most visible focus. Despite early episodes (in Macross at least) indicating that Roy has a reputation as a scoundrel, their relationship appears to be a healthy one. She trusts him implicitly, tracking down Minmay for him so that he can arrange for her to visit Hikaru. For Roy's part, his first thought after the mission is to go to Claudia. Since circumstances have left the flight deck empty, he ends up leaving without waiting for any check-in procedures.

Though those are the focal characters, time is made to check in with others. Misa's friendship with Claudia and her attraction to Hikaru are both touched on. The three Zentradi spies get an amusing moment involving the young female bridge officers and a stolen Minmay doll. Speaking of Minmay, her overwhelming schedule and clear exhaustion make her more sympathetic here than she's been in a long time.

All the strands are balanced with care. Despite the many threads touched on, no character is lost in the shuffle. In a mere 25 minutes, this episode check in with all these characters, furthers several of their dynamics, and does this without ever feeling rushed. If that were all that could be said, that would be enough for me to be impressed by this episode.

Then comes the ending. I remember viewing this after school in the mid 1980s, and I was stunned. What happens here... It just wasn't something that was seen in an afternoon cartoon at that time. With regard to the original series, it's notable that this comes at the exact midpoint. Macross has changed its status quo a couple of times. Originally, most episodes fell into a comfortable pattern of the Zentradi chasing the human ship through space and the humans escaping at the end. Then the action shifted to Earth, but Kung Fu Dandy and this episode both seemed to be more or less replicating the same structure.

Pineapple Salad ends with a genuine shakeup that signals that the show isn't going to be "safe" anymore. The final moments provide at least three different memorable images, to make sure it stays in your head for a bit after watching: a hospital bed, a toy airplane, and the titular pineapple salad.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: Phantasm
Next Episode: Burst Point/Bursting Point

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1-17. Phantasm.

Minmay is kidnapped. In a nightmare, hence the giant hand.

Original Air Date - Macross: Feb. 13, 1983.
Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro.

Original Air Date - Robotech: Mar. 26, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MACROSS:

Hikaru has been seriously injured in battle with the Zentradi. Now he lies unconscious in a hospital bed, his subconscious trying to stitch together the events of the past year.

In his dream, he is still a civilian, watching Minmay's latest concert. Mid-performance, Zentradi leader Britai appears and kidnaps her. Hikaru is determined to rescue the woman he loves... but every time he begins, he ends up being shot down. And when he finally reaches Minmay, she seems less than excited at the rescue...


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Rick has been seriously injured in battle with the Zentraedi. Now he lies unconscious in a hospital bed, machines monitoring both his physical condition and his delusions as his subconscious tries to stitch together the events of the past year.

In his dream, he is still a civilian, watching Minmei's latest concert. Mid-performance, Zentraedi leader Breetai appears and kidnaps her. Rick is determined to rescue the woman he loves... but every time he begins, he ends up being shot down. And when he finally reaches Minmei, she seems less than excited at the rescue...

Even unconscious, Hikaru can't stop chasing Minmay.

CHARACTERS:

This episode focuses on Hikaru's would-be relationship with Minmay. He has spent the first half of the series obsessed with her. For her part, she's vacillated between periods in which she's encouraged his interest and ones in which she's treated him as practically a stranger. He believes her attitude toward him changed after she became famous. If you actually rewatch a couple of the early episodes, however, her hot/cold behavior started before that point.

The script does a good job of layering elements of Hikaru's character. He's still very young, so it's not surprising that his subconscious stitches together a juvenile hero fantasy in which he proves himself by rescuing the girl. For the most part, however, the Zentradi become a substitute for all the forces he blames for keeping him and Minmay apart: her career, her schedule, and - most specifically - her cousin. And yes, all the things he blames are entirely to do with her and not him.

Despite this, even in a dream he isn't able to blot out the level of the threat posed by the Zentradi. Not very many episodes ago, he watched their fleet destroy a planet. That memory is too vivid, and it and other anxieties break through into the Hero Story his brain wants to create.

Another interesting element is that, every time Hikaru tries to rescue Minmay, he ends up crashing. "Whenever I fly, I get shot down," he laments, his injury appearing to have shaken his confidence. His subconscious attempts to circumvent this by having him fly a "magic bicycle" - but that ends just as badly.

Advantage: None.


NARRATION:

Macross starts by reading out the details of Hikaru's crash and condition, as if from an official report. After that, there is no narration at all until the "Next Time" blurb.

Robotech has the traditional opening recap. It also ends with the narrator responding to Rick's, "It was just a dream," statement at the end. In between, the only narration is the typical Act Break mini-recap. However, every cut back to Rick's hospital bed is accompanied by the medical machines informing us of his physical and mental state, which serves basically the same purpose - and is as overdone as many of Robotech's expository voice-overs have been.

I prefer the Macross approach, which helps to boost the atmosphere by just taking us through the nightmare. By breaking away from the dream for multiple bits of quasi-narration, the Robotech episode undercuts the dreamlike atmosphere that is one of the episode's biggest assets.

Advantage: Macross.

Hikaru hallucinates a bit of the opening credits.
In Macross, this is accompanied by the theme song.

CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:

Minmay's Music: The Macross version of this episode gives Minmay at least three songs, one of which ("Zero-G Love") is quite catchy. Robotech sticks Minmei with, "To Be in Love," a track so treacly that it did the impossible and made me actually miss "This Is My Time to Be a Star."

Opening Titles Takeoff: Both versions see the hero going through the takeoff procedure from the opening credits. Macross makes this into a meta joke, playing the theme song over Hikaru's launch - then cutting the music off when he gets shot down. Robotech drops the self-referential gag, playing the visuals out with launch chatter over Rick's takeoff. Pity - It was a good gag, one that would have been easy to recreate with the Robotech theme.

Hikaru Suffers a Lot More Humiliation than Rick: Within the dream, both Hikaru and Rick keep getting shot down when they attempt to rescue Minmay. In Macross, each of Hikaru's failures is punctuated by the laughter of onlookers, with the shipwide announcer dubbing him "The Crash King." In Robotech, Rick is only actively mocked once, while the women on the bridge crew express admiration for his refusal to give up.

Rick Becomes More Aware of Reality: As the episode nears its end, the Robotech writers have Rick become more aware of reality. I actually think this is the one change that's for the better, as it indicates that his consciousness is reasserting itself. When he relives the events of Episode Four, in which he and Minmei were trapped in an isolated section of the ship, he calmly tells her that they will be found in two weeks. He also complains about Minmei falling asleep every time he tries to discuss anything important and even comments on his growing affection for Lisa.

Advantage: Macross. One change for the better doesn't make up for the other changes being for the worse.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Both episodes use their scores to good effect. Macross is more artful, using Minmay's songs as incidental music. Robotech doesn't have that luxury (the less we have to hear of Minmei's songs, the better), but it makes up for it courtesy of its more dynamic soundtrack.

Advantage: None.

Hikaru attempts to fly a bicycle into space. It doesn't go well.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:

By immersing the viewer in Hikaru's dream, Macross manages to be more effective overall. It also helps that Macross's Minmay can sing, and that this episode gives her some new songs. That said, I did like some of the changes to Robotech's ending - just not enough to consider it the stronger overall version.


OTHER MUSINGS:

The second clip show in a span of four episodes. Dramatically speaking, that's at least one too many; but I'm inclined to give it a pass, since I'm pretty sure the first clip show at least was a response to production realities.

Phantasm makes considerably more creative use of the clip show format than Global Report did. Instead of just a straight retelling, the clips are used to explore Hikaru's emotional state. Small bits of new footage are intercut to strong effect, particularly the use of Kaifun. As a bonus, any minor visual discontinuities can be shrugged off as confusion from Hikaru's dream state.

Overall, this was an engaging and interesting story, and one of the better clip shows I can recall watching.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Kung Fu Dandy/Battle Cry
Next Episode: Pineapple Salad/Farewell Big Brother

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