COMPLETE MACROSS GIGANTIC POLL!!

So the big international Macross poll just happened and there is much tumult in a few VERY small circles about the results. There isn’t much that really surprises me, except for the low showing of the Macross 7 movie, which I think is EXCELLENT, one of the greatest Macross productions ever, but I guess we all have our complaints. In fairness, I didn’t vote for it, because I still think Do You Remember Love? is one of the greatest movies of all time.

(And yes, some of the votes were definitely split, unfairly. The YF-19 would’ve gotten WAY more votes had it not been divided between the Plus OVA and movie.)

Anyway, we have the results now, despite my complaints (although I have NO complaints about the lowest ranked production), and the complaints of other fortysomethings trying to convince themselves that nobody ever liked Delta (and they’re apparently REALLY invested in it failing, despite the fact that the failure of Delta means no more Macross), so here they are:

(If you want to see the breakdowns of gender and age, which is different than you might think, please check with Gwyn. He’s got all the screencaps.)

(And the results are here. Just click on 結果発表. It’ll give you the options of “Productions,” “Characters,” “Mecha,” and “Songs.”)

TOP PRODUCTIONS

1. Macross Frontier (TV) (2007)
2. Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? (Movie) (1984)
3. Macross 7 (TV) (1994)
4. Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~ (Movie) (2011)
5. Super Dimension Fortress Macross (TV) (1982)
6. Macross Delta (TV) (2015)
7. Macross Plus (OVA) (1994)
8. Macross Plus Movie Edition (Movie) (1995)
9. Movie Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre  (Movie) (2018)
10. Macross Dynamite 7 (OVA) (1997)
11. Macross Zero (OVA) 2002
12. Movie Macross F ~The False Diva~ (Movie) (2009)
13. Super Dimension Fortress Macross II – LOVERS AGAIN (OVA) (1992)
14. Movie Macross 7: The Galaxy is Calling Me! (Movie) (1995)
15. Super Dimension Fortress Macross Flashback 2012 (OVA) (1987)
16. Macross FB7 (Movie) (2012)

TOP FIFTY CHARACTERS

1. Sheryl Nome (Macross F)
2. Basara Nekki (Macross 7)
3. Ranka Lee (Macross F)
4. Sheryl Nome (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~)
5. Kaname Buccaneer (Macross Delta)
6. Lynn Minmay (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
7. Isamu Dyson (Macross Plus)
8. Freyja Wion (Macross Delta)
9. Roy Focker (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
10. Lynn Minmay (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
11. Misa Hayase (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
12. Roy Focker (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
13. Ranka Lee (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~)
14. Mikumo Guynemer (Macross Delta)
15. Mylene Flare Jenius (Macross 7)
16. Misa Hayase (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
17. Alto Saotome (Macross F)
18. Messer Ihlefeld (Macross Delta)
19. Sheryl Nome (Movie Macross F ~The False Diva~)
20. Mikhail [Michael/Michel] Braun (Macross F)
21. Maximilian Jenius (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
22. Klan Klang (Macross F)
23. Makina Nakajima (Macross Delta)
24. Kaname Buccaneer (Movie Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre)
25. Alto Saotome (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~)
26. Hikaru Ichijo (Super Dimension Fortress Macross) [FINALLY!!]
27. Gamlin Kizaki (Macross 7)
28. Guld Goa Bowman (Macross Plus)
29. Hayao Kakizaki (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
30. Flower Girl (Macross 7)
31. Reina Prowler (Macross Delta)
32. Hikaru Ichijo (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
33. Brera Stern (Macross F)
34. Sharon Apple (Macross Plus) [REALLY??]
35. Basara Nekki (Macross Dynamite 7)
36. Ozma Lee (Macross F)
37. Hayate Immelman (Macross Delta)
38. Milia Fallyna (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
39. Ranka Lee (Movie Macross F ~The False Diva~)
40. Ishter (Super Dimension Fortress Macross II – LOVERS AGAIN)
41. Maximilian Jenius (Macross 7)
42. Keith Aero Windermere (Macross Delta)
43. Hayao Kakizaki (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
44. Mirage Fallyna Jenius (Macross Delta)
45. Messer Ihlefeld (Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre)
46. Freyja Wion (Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre)
47. Maximilian Jenius (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
48. Mikumo Guynemer (Movie Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre)
49. Gigil (Macross 7)
50. Lynn Minmay (Super Dimension Fortress Macross Flashback 2012)

TOP FIFTY MECHA

1. YF-19 (Macross Plus)
2. VF-1S [Roy Focker Special] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
3. YF-29 Durandal [Alto Special] (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~)
4. VF-19 Custom Excalibur “Basara Nekki Special” (Macross 7)
5. VF-1S Strike Valkyrie [Roy Focker Special] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
6. VF-1S Strike Valkyrie [Hikaru Special] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
7. YF-19 (Macross Plus Movie Edition)
8. VF-31F Siegfried [Messer Use] (Macross Delta)
9. VF-25F Messiah [Alto Type] (Macross F)
10. VF-1J Valkyrie [Hikaru Type] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
11. SDF-1 Macross (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
12. VB-6 König Monster (Macross F)
13. HWR-00-MkII Monster (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
14. YF-21 (Macross Plus)
15. Sv-262Hs Draken III [Keith Use] (Macross Delta)
16. SDF-1 Macross (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
17. VF-19EF/A “Isamu Special” (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~)
18. Macross Quarter (Macross F)
19. VF-27γ Lucifer (Macross F)
20. VF-25S Messiah [Ozma Special] (Macross F)
21. VF-1A Super Valkyrie [Hikaru Type] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
22. YF-21 (Macross Plus Movie Edition)
23. VF-25G Messiah [Michael Type] (Macross F)
24. VF-1J Armored Valkyrie (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
25. HWR-00-MkII Monster (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
26. 26. VF-0S Phoenix (Macross Zero)
27. VF-31J [Hayate Use] (Macross Delta)
28. VF-31F [Messer Use] (Movie Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre)
29. VF-1S Super Valkyrie [Hikaru Special] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
30. VF-31F Siegfried [with Lilldrakens] (Movie Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre)
31. Reguld (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
32. VF-1A Valkyrie [Max Type] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
33. VF-25F Messiah [Alto Type] (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~)
34. VF-22S Sturmvögel II [Max Special] (Macross 7)
35. Battle Frontier (Macross F)
36. SLV-111 Daedalus (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
37. VF-4 Lightning III (Super Dimension Fortress Macross Flashback 2012)
38. MBR-04-MkVI Tomahawk (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
39. VF-171EX Nightmare Plus EX [Alto Type] (Macross F)
40. Sv-262Ba Draken III [Mirage Color] (Movie Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre)
41. VF-11 MAXL Custom [Mylene Type] (Macross 7)
42. VF-31J Custom [Hayate Use] (Macross Delta)
43. Glauj (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
44. VF-31C Siegfried [Mirage Use] (Macross Delta)
45. VF-1J Valkyrie [Max Type] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
46. Macross Quarter (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~)
47. Ghost X-9 (Macross Plus)
48. Queadluun-Rau [Milia Type] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
49. VF-19P Excalibur (Macross Dynamite 7)
50. TIE. Battle 7 (Macross 7) / VB-6 König Monster (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~) / VF-31S Armored Siegfried (Movie Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre)

TOP FIFTY SONGS

1. “Do You Remember Love?” by Lynn Minmay [Mari Iijima] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
2. “Lion” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n/Ranka Lee=Megumi Nakajima (Macross F) [Funny… the single was only attributed to the singers, not the characters…]
3. “Charging Loveheart” by Fire Bomber (Macross 7)
4. “Interstellar Journey” by Ranka Lee=Megumi Nakajima (Macross F)
5. “The Wings of Farewell ~ The End of Triangle” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n, Ranka Lee=Megumi Nakajima (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~)
6. “AXIA~I Love You but I Hate You” by Walküre (Macross Delta)
7. “Diamond Crevasse” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n (Macross F)
8. “Sagittarius 9PM Don’t Be Late” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n (Macross F)
9. “INFORMATION HIGH” by Sharon Apple [and NOT, again I must add, by Yoko Kanno] (Macross Plus)
10. “An Angel’s Paints” by Lynn Minmay [Mari Iijima] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love?)
11. “Forbidden Borderline” by Walküre (Macross Delta)
12. “Northern Cross” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n (Macross F)
13. “TRY AGAIN” by Fire Bomber (Macross 7)
14. “VOICES” by Myung Fan Lone [Akino Arai] (Macross Plus)
15. “Macross” by Makoto Fujiwara (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
16. “Nyan Nyan Service Medley” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n, Ranka Lee=Megumi Nakajima (Macross F)
17. “Angel Voice” by Basara Nekki (Macross Dynamite 7)
18. “Afterschool Overflow” by Ranka Lee=Megumi Nakajima (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~)
19. “DYNAMITE EXPLOSION” by Fire Bomber (Macross Dynamite 7… naturally)
20. “Empty Diamond Crevasse” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n (Macross F) (this is the one from Episode 20)
21. “My Boyfriend is a Pilot” by Lynn Minmay [Mari Iijima] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross) [The ORIGINAL Macross hit!!]
22. “Obelisk” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n (Movie Macross F ~The False Diva~)
23. “Triangler” by Maaya Sakamoto (Macross F)
24. “Absolute 5” by Walküre (Macross Delta)
25. “If I Love Only Once” by Walküre (Macross Delta)
26. “HOLY LONELY LIGHT” by Fire Bomber (Macross 7)
27. “SEVENTH MOON” by Fire Bomber (Macross 7)
28. “Universal Bunny” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n (Movie Macross F ~The False Diva~)
29. “Nyan Nyan FINAL ATTACK – Frontier Greatest Hits” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n, Ranka Lee=Megumi Nakajima (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~)
30. “Love Drifts Away” by Lynn Minmay [Mari Iijima] (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
31. “WANNA BE AN ANGEL” by Sharon Apple [Akino Arai] (Macross Plus Movie Edition)
32. “Runner” by Makoto Fujiwara (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
33. “Walküre Won’t Betray You” by Walküre (Movie Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre)
34. “Our Battlefield” by Walküre (Macross Delta)
35. “AXIA~I Love You but I Hate You” by Walküre (Movie Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre)
36. “REMEMBER 16” by Fire Bomber (Macross 7)
37. “The Destruction of Innocence” by Walküre (Macross Delta)
38. “Change!!!!!” by Walküre (Movie Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre)
39. “GIRAFFE BLUES” by Walküre (Macross Delta)
40. “Hoshikira” by Ranka Lee=Megumi Nakajima (Movie Macross F ~The False Diva~)
41. “Walküre Won’t Stop” by Walküre (Movie Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre)
42. “HEART&SOUL” by EMILIA with BASARA NEKKI (Movie Macross 7: The Galaxy is Calling Me!)
43. “PLANET DANCE” by Fire Bomber (Macross 7)
44. “Lion” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n/Ranka Lee=Megumi Nakajima (Movie Macross F ~The False Diva~)
45. “Fairy” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n (Macross F)
46. “dShooting Starb” by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n, Ranka Lee=Megumi Nakajima (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~)
47. “Triangler (fight on Stage) by Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n, Ranka Lee=Megumi Nakajima (Macross F)
48. “God Bless You” by Walküre (Macross Delta)
49. “Rainbow Bear-Bear” by Ranka Lee=Megumi Nakajima (Movie Macross F ~The Wings of Farewell~)
50. “What ’bout my star@Formo” by Ranka Lee=Megumi Nakajima, Sheryl Nome STARRING May’n (Macross F)

ANNOUNCEMENT: New Delta Movie And Crossover Live!

Thanks to @gwyncampbell for the photo!

So this isn’t really a news blog, but this is pretty big: at the Walküre event last night, they announced a Crossover Live on June 1 and 2, 2019, as well as a new (COMPLETELY new, according to the sign) Delta movie.

I assume this will push further back the “2018 TV project” that was announced back in 2017 (if it hadn’t been pushed back already… that was announced before the first Delta movie, so it may have been off the table since then), but I think the success of Passionate Walküre caught everyone by surprise.

There’s no date listed yet, nor any information about the movie itself. Any of that will probably be a long time in coming.

For the concert, though, it’s going to feature Mari Iijima (Minmay), Yoshiki Fukuyama (Basara), Chie Kajiura (Mylene), May’n (Sheryl), Megumi Nakajima (Ranka), and the five members of Walküre. If it’s anything like previous concerts, there will also be surprise guests, like perhaps Yoko Kanno. Me, I’m hoping that Holy Raz (Sara) is there, since she seems to have fallen off the face of the earth (or just been whisked away across the dimensions).

Anyway, good times ahead!

(And as always… for the latest Macross News, check decultureshock.com. It will ALWAYS be there first!)

TRANSLATION: Macross Delta Vol. 1 is now COMPLETE!!

And now, after nearly two years of (admittedly off-and-on) work, my translation of Macross Delta Vol.1 – The Girl of Al Shahal, the novelization by Ukyou Kodachi, is finally finished!

There are still some bits that I’m unsure about or not entirely happy with, but overall, I’m pretty proud of it. Not least because this is the longest translation I’ve ever done, quite a bit longer than the Misa novella.

Now the bad news… I have Delta Vol. 2, but checking it, there are a few substantial reasons that I have for not tackling it yet. So instead, I’m going to get some other projects out of the way first. I’d like to say that I’ll get to it soon, but it’ll probably be a few years. (There’s also the fact that Vol. 3 still hasn’t been released, over a year after Vol. 2 came out… I know that author Ukyou Kodachi is focusing primarily on Boruto right now, so I was expecting the next Delta book to take a while… but now I’m wondering if it’ll be coming out at all…)

Anyway, it’s not like I don’t have a lot on my plate right now… I’m still working on the Do You Remember Love novel and Macross the First, and I’ve got a new translation project that should be ready to be unveiled soon, and a new rewatch series that will start in July. So yeah… we’re gonna have to leave the story of Macross Delta hanging for a while, but we’ll be exploring other parts of the Macross universe instead.

(And just in case you haven’t read them yet, I invite you to check out my other translations, plug plug!)

At any rate, THIS book is done, so I hope you enjoy it!

The First REAL Review in English of the Delta Movie

Well, the Macross Delta movie, Passionate Walküre, came out a couple of days ago, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve seen (and if you’re REALLY like me, with increasing annoyance) people across various sites, forums, and Facebook groups attempting to “review” the movie based on badly-translated internet spoilers and rumors.

To me, this is a really stupid thing to do. And so, since I haven’t seen the movie (and likely won’t be able to until the blu-ray comes out), here’s my good friends at the Speaker PODCast, delivering the first review in English by people who understood the dialogue. It’s nearly four hours long, but I spent the morning listening to it, and I can confirm that it’s totally worth it. Adrian, especially, even adds some behind-the-scenes anecdotes that you won’t hear anywhere else. Give it a listen (if you want spoilers)!

 

“Oh My GOD! It’s a MIRAGE!!”

So… if you’ve seen the new Walküre music video, “Walküre wa Uragiranai” (not necessarily easy to do outside of Japan, since it’s region-blocked on YouTube and all…), you might have noticed that it plays on conventions of Japanese juvenile delinquent shows from the ’70s in much the same way that the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” video did with American cop shows from the ’70s.

So my friend Doug, noticing this, placed “Sabotage” over the Walküre video, with no edits or rearranging of scenes, and the results speak for themselves… They’re Buddy Rich when they fly off the handle.

 

 

TRANSLATION: Macross Delta Vol. 1, Interlude

And finally, FINALLY in this little interlude that happens between Chapters 4 and 5, we meet the Windermereans! Some of them, at least.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

TRANSLATION: Macross Delta Vol. 1, Chapter 4

And here’s the next chapter of the Delta novelization. Mostly it’s just a reshuffling of the events of Episode 3, but there are some curious new things added as well. This was also the longest chapter of the book, so I feel like I’ve hit a milestone of sorts.

Next up, the shortest chapter of the book.

TRANSLATION: Macross Delta Vol. 1, Chapter 3

And here it is, FINALLY: the next chapter of Macross Delta Vol. 1, the novelization by Ukyo Kodachi. Yeah it’s been over a year since I posted the last one… I’ll try to stick to a more regular schedule now.

Anyway enjoy! And note the bizarre little cameo from a character you’d never expect to show up in Delta!

THE GREAT MACROSS REWATCH – Anison World Matsuri ~Japan Kawaii Live~

ANISON WORLD MATSURI ~JAPAN KAWAII LIVE~

ICONIC SCENE: “We love hamburger!” (Pic from the Anime Expo Facebook page.)

PERFORMANCE DATE: June 30, 2017

There was something of a sonic boom among western Macross Delta fans (yes, they exist) this last spring, when it was announced that Minori Suzuki and JUNNA (Freyja and singing-Mikumo) of Walküre would be performing at Anime Expo at the elaborately named “Anison World Matsuri ~Japan Kawaii Live~.” They’d be performing on the opening night (or “Day 0”), June 30, 2017, in an idol-themed concert along with IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls, Wake Up Girls!, and Aquors (from “Love Live! Sunshine!!”). And I think that’s the most exclamation points I’ve ever used in a single sentence that WASN’T sarcastic…

Anyway, this was greeted with a lot of shock, despite the fact that, when you think about it, the majority of Macross singers have performed in the US at least once (and, in Fire Bomber’s case, actually recorded an album, “ACOUSTIC FIRE!!” here). In this case, of course, it wasn’t the entire Walküre group, but I think we were all pretty happy to take what we could get.

Since I got my ticket last-minute (i.e. on the day of the concert), I wasn’t going to be sitting near the front like some of my friends were. In fact, the only seats available were on the “mezzanine” (although it looked more like a “second balcony” to me), while everyone else was in the orchestra section. While it meant I was pretty far from the stage, it did give me a good view of the audience.

The show was nearly sold out, but not quite. I’d say the mezzanine was about half or two-thirds full, while the rest of the place was packed. The Microsoft Theater holds 7100 people, so I’d say that a little under seven thousand were there.

How many people were there specifically for Walküre is an open question. Just talking to random people, it seemed like Aqours and Wake Up Girls! were the biggest draws, followed by Walküre. That said, while the audience was appreciative of Cinderella Girls and Wake Up Girls!, they seemed to go especially wild for Walküre.

A lot of this, I’m sure, had to do with their performance. Now, all of the groups performed well (as far as I know… I left right after Walküre, thus missing Aqours), but the first two were… a little impersonal. The impression I got was that they were both doing pretty much the same set that they do in Japan, just shorter. They performed their hits, introduced themselves in Japanese, and did a couple of skits, also in Japanese. Walküre seemed set to do the same, coming out and singing a couple of songs, and then JUNNA said, between songs, “We love HAMBURGER!!” This led to a long conversation about where to get a good hamburger.

Well, Californians know what’s what, and so the crowd started shouting “In-n-Out! In-n-Out!” The thing is, Minori and JUNNA had apparently already tried In-n-Out, and loved it. I think this was lost on most of the crowd, who seemed to think they were recommending something new to the girls, rather than affirming that they’d already had the best.

(Incidentally, in case you’re curious, my favorite hamburger in L.A. is not In-n-Out, although it’s quite good (especially “Animal Style”) but the plainly-named “Pie ‘n’ Burger” in Pasadena. Excellent burger, and well worth the trip if you’re in Los Angeles.)

Anyway, more than the music, this bit of mike chatter totally won over the crowd, and Twitter was ablaze with people who had never heard of Walküre or Macross, but were now inspired to seek it out.

I said before that the concerts were really a communal focus point for Macross, solidifying the fans together in a way that just watching a show on TV could never do, even if you talk about it on social media afterwards. And I think that was proven here. It seemed like most of the crowd hadn’t previously known the show (although A LOT of the crowd had their glowsticks turned to red or purple and Minori was visibly moved when she tried to teach the crowd how to do the “Whoa-whoa-WhoaWhoaWhoa!” bit for “When My Rune Shines Bright” and it turned out that many people already knew it), but I’m sure there were many, MANY new fans made that night.

We’ll see what happens in the future. For right now, with a movie, a series, and another concert on the horizon, everything seems fine.

(If you want to hear more, including our friend Nicole’s amazing personal encounter with Minori, be sure to check out the podcast here at Decultureshock.)

Anyway, the Macross Rewatch has now once again come to an end. Thanks for reading! It will be revived again later, and I’ll have a different series rewatch coming up next year. First, though, will come some long-awaited translations.

THE GREAT MACROSS REWATCH – Delta Mini-Theatre 9

DELTA MINI-THEATRE 9

ICONIC SCENE: Yes, they’re a boy band now.

RELEASE DATE: March 24, 2017

This one, on the final blu-ray, pulls out all the stops. For one thing, it’s almost twice as long as the previous shorts. For another, it features EVERYONE, even Q-Lulu.

The highlight is obviously the Aerial Knights singing “When My Rune Shines Bright” at karaoke, but Captain Johnson’s big lecture is also great, especially since Berger’s theme music starts playing as soon as the captain starts launching into his long history lesson. So yeah, it sure SEEMS like the show is poking fun at itself. which isn’t a bad thing.