Macross Frontier begins

orald · Post by **orald** » 15 Apr 2008 13:43

Yea yea, it's just a counter-action to this whole anime movement.
Everywhere anime! Anime in my beautiful internets!

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 19 Apr 2008 21:06

The english subtitles are out for Episode 3!

Macross Frontier Episode 3

Enjoy!

orald · Post by **orald** » 19 Apr 2008 22:52

I hope there's some good robotic alien tentacle sex in there.

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 20 Apr 2008 10:24

Actually, the absence of tentacle porn is the biggest criticism against this series so far. It'd be OMGZ MF IS TEH ROXORS! if they just went hentai

Japan Fun Fact Of The Day
Tentacle sex depicted in animated Japanese hentai shows was created to avoid Japanese censorship, which still remains in effect today. In live action Japanese pornography, it is considered obscene to show the male genitalia and all Japanese pornography is subjected to video masking. Tentacle sex bypasses these indecency laws and thus is considered acceptable in Japanese adult media.

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 20 Apr 2008 13:25

The third episode of Macross Froniter shifts gears into a more character driven pace, a welcome change from the two hectic, action-packed episodes that began the series. We get a really good dose of character development when Alto, Ranka and Sheryl are all stuck together in an emergency bunker, narrowly escaping decompression in the Island dome from a Vajra attack. The Vajra attack is truly viscious and Ozuma himself is injured during the attack. There's some really interesting developments on the fictional technology front. Though seemingly biological in some way, the Vajra can continue to operate even when it's head has been vaporized. Speaking of which, Mikhail's sniper gun pod, which at first appeared ballistic now seems to be some kind of energy based weapon, though many fans have pointed out that a sufficiently powerful rail gun would turn it's projectile into super hot plasma during firing and could act as a melting/vaporizing attack.

I find myself really enjoying the character relationships. Alto and Sheryl in particular provide a roller coaster of laughs being so at odds with each other. For all Sheryl's professionalism, she is still immature and often far too sure of herself for her own good. Alto continues his stubborn behaviour and has much to learn about keeping a cool head, but for all his faults he's no slouch and stands up to Sheryl's abuse every bit as good as she can give out. Ranka is the small center in the storm and has serious issues of her own. We find out she's only a surrogate sibling to Ozuma, who has taken her under his care during a past encounter with the Vajra that killed her entire family. Ranka is fragile, but also incredibly upbeat and determined in her own way. She seems able to befriend both Sheryl and Alto easily, despite the vast differences those two have with each other. Ranka seems poised to be a natural creator of understanding and culture, particularly through the time-honored theme of music in the Macross franchise. We're sure to see more. Lieutenant Glass has only a little to do in the episode, but it's quickly revealed Kathy has an intimate and somewhat risque relationship with Leon Mishima, a relationship which should create some interesting drama for future episodes.

Technically the show continues to impress. The character animation style is amazingly expressive, particularly during the final scenes of the episode with a sequence between Alto and Ranka. The SMS is described in more detail and the shortcomings of the New UN Spacy are again focused upon throughout this episode. The SMS, at least in Ozuma's eyes (however biased) seem to be the unsung heroes of this new age in the Macross universe; mostly unknown in life and largely forgotten in death, but courageously defending the Macross Frontier fleet. Mikhail and Luca explain to Alto that their enlistment into the SMS had to be a secret but eventually Alto himself is given entry into the SMS by Ozuma. The three friends are obviously in for some good and bad times ahead. For the first time, the third episode ends on a close without a cliff hanger and it feels like the opening act of this series has been played. It's been one hell of a great opening and I hope this show doesn't sabotage itself later on because so far it is one tight anime series.

Eagerly awaiting episode four.

Deculture!

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 23 Apr 2008 22:06

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 28 Apr 2008 12:33

Macross Frontier episode four continues to meet expectations and provides some great action and a lot of entertaining humor. The Zentradi make a very flashy return to the Macross universe as we're treated to three Meltrandi piloting newly designed Queadluun-Rau Lambda battle suits. Giant sized and all, the new Q-Rau proves it's just as deadly as the latest VF-25. Watching the Q-Rau in action is a true delight for long time Macross fans and the new CG animation doesn't fail to do this mecha justice. We also get some more setting embelishments as the main action in this episode takes place in amongst a 7,000 year-old Zentradi battle site filled with destroyed Zentradi warships and mecha. This provides more history for new fans and wlecome reference for old fans.

The characters continue to develop at a very satisfying pace. We learn that Alto, though being harshly run through the training guantlet at SMS, is highly skilled and exceeding the expectations of his fellow pilots. The montage of Alto's training provides some hilarious situations for our hero. Alto just can't seem to catch his breath taking a beating (literally) both at SMS from Ozuma or at school from his teachers. Meanwhile Ranka begins down a path to attaining her dreams and enters the 12th Miss Macross Frontier beauty pageant. Lt. Glass and her boyfriend Chief of Staff Leon Mishima are on hand for judging, but Glass notices Leon has plans for Ranka. Ranka is nervous and not quite as composed as she should be for the contest, but nonetheless gives her all in a great rendition of My Boyfriend Is A Pilot a song made famous by the original Macross idol Lynn Minmay. In amongst the contest, we are also introduced ever so briefly to Ranzo Saotome, Alto's disapproving father. Looks like more pressure is on the horizon for our dear hero

Episode four also provides a little background into Ranka's past and the Vajra. Seems the latest nemesis of the UNG has been attacking them in stages for a little more than 11 years now and is responsible for the death of Ranka's entire family aboard the 117th Research Fleet. It's also revealed that Alto has some more elaborate motives of his own, as he has a strong desire to defeat the Vajra and protect Ranka. It's likely no coincidence that Ranka was present at two major Vajra attacks, but we'll have to wait to see more.

Lastly, the meltran pilot Klan Klein is introduced in this episode. While a deadly and beautiful female pilot when in her giant sized Zentradi form, the poor woman has a rare genetic discrepency which causes her to revert to an adolescent girl when she undergoes the micloning process for reduction to human size. Mikhail in particular delights in mocking poor Klan Klein in her miclone form and provides some of the funniest moments in Macross Frontier to date. No doubt we can look forward to more fun from these two as the series progresses.

Again, the new Macross Frontier series pays plenty of homage to the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross series, but continues to charge in new directions. The homages often make us think we know what will happen, only to have the unexpected throw us right off. The series stands well on it's own, but as a long time fan I'm loving the way Kawamori is playing with audience expectations and constantly throwing us off what we think will happen.

Next up, episode five. Deculture!

orald · Post by **orald** » 28 Apr 2008 16:31

Can anyone explain to me this whole bleached/dyed caucasian look?
It's like an american show about a football team comprised wholly of Japanese players.

I'm quite curious as to why they do it. I know they have oriental characters here and there, but most seem to be actually caucasian(and girly looking, but that's beside the point...horny gay Japanese animators

).

Post by **Freakzilla** » 28 Apr 2008 17:04

I've often wondered that myself.

orald · Post by **orald** » 28 Apr 2008 17:23

You can see even in the background, those are caucasians.

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 28 Apr 2008 17:44

Going on the assumption you want a real answer, you should really be asking yourself why you think anime characters look caucasian/anglo to begin with. After all, why do most assume Bart or Homer Simpson are anglo when they are clearly yellow skinned? Can you imagine a Japanese person looking at the most popular cartoon in North America and wondering "Why do the Simpsons look asian?"

More seriously, I don't think anyone knows for sure. The simple answer is anime is cartoons just like any other artistic drawing. Anime is just another style of drawing characters and that's really all there is to it. Racial perceptions are what others bring to anime, not inherent in anime itself. The Simpsons don't look anglo, but we just assume they are because most of us are North American and we've no reason to think otherwise. Same thing for the Japanese, they assume anime characters are asian because they've never had reason to assume otherwise.

I have heard some say that because many of the early modern anime shows were heavily influenced by Disney animation, the look of anime is inherently "white." I don't totally dismiss the theory, but I don't embrace it either since it's really all too simple and not very incisive. Again the problem is thinking in terms of race rather than in terms of artistic style. Cartoons are ultimately caricatures of humans and except when they are intentionally trying to emulate a racial group, they are inherently non-ethnic in any meaningful sense.

Post by **Freakzilla** » 28 Apr 2008 19:45

I'm not sure I agree with you about The Simpsons. While they're yellow, their eyes are round and they have other caucasian features. They also portray a variety of races from Carl and Dr. Hibbert to Apu and the Mexican guy in the Bee costume.

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 28 Apr 2008 20:25

That's just the point Freak Z. Japanese people don't see their eyes in the same way you do. To them, the shape or diversity of their eyes is normal and as such, their animated caricatures are from their mindset, not our own. Also, the eyes in anime are not "rounded" in as much as they are "exaggerated." The style that Tezuka established with the first modern anime was a deliberate attempt to add expressiveness to a visual medium in which expression is difficult to communicate (in contrast to the subtlety of facial expression acheived by actors in live action). The eyes are the most expressive feature we have and thus they were emphasized in anime to facilitate displays of emotion.

orald · Post by **orald** » 29 Apr 2008 01:58

Yes, I'm looking for a serious answer.

So you're saying they just look caucasian to me because they match all the streotypical features of a caucasian, but for the anime makers they look Japanese dispite it?

The Simpsons have several races, and even the normal ones are clearly white americans, despite their wierd, inhuman yellow skin(I've never seen any picture of anyone with such yellow skin- either it's just a twinge yellowish in the case of Chinese/Japanese or it gets darker brown like Thai's etc) and 4 fingered hand.

Eastern animation presents elvish-like(or just "womanified") caucasian features. Trying to be politically correct won't help- there is a difference between shapes and colors of human races, and just like I look like a slavic decendant and not quite so semitic at all, so do these anime characters look "white".

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 29 Apr 2008 09:34

Oh, there's a surprise. You just wanted another opportunity to take a shot at someone. Note to the not-so-wise orald: just avoid the topic if you're going to troll it.

orald · Post by **orald** » 29 Apr 2008 16:02

Not getting what you're at, really. Why don't you ask Freak why he's "taking a shot at it". After all, he's agreed with me about their looks.
I'm just not convinced by your half excuse that tells me the opposite from what my eyes plainly see.

They have caucasian features. In contrast to those, there ARE some asian looking characters out there, in the same shows and animation jenre.

Explain it without saying they're not caucasian features.

Post by **Omphalos** » 29 Apr 2008 17:08

Looks caucasian to me too. I know a TON of asian girls who would like nothing more than to get an operation to remove part of the epicanthic fold on their eyes and make them wider. I dont think I have ever heard any thing wronger than the statement,

GamePlayer wrote:Japanese people don't see their eyes in the same way you do.

True, they may have a different definition of what "ordinary" is than me, but they see exactly what we all see. Ethnic differneces in the folds and shape of the eyes.

SandChigger · Post by **SandChigger** » 29 Apr 2008 18:29

I'm staying out of this one, you may have noticed.

They have at least two words that I know of for the different type of eyelid: hitoe for the almond-shaped type with the epicanthic fold and futae for the more "Western" type.

Personally, I find the former variety more attractive.

Give me a nice pair of hitoe eyes and a sexy unaji (nape) and ... ooh, I'm gone!

orald · Post by **orald** » 29 Apr 2008 18:38

I'm not that picky- give me something with a hole between its legs...no wait. Give me something, period.

Post by **Omphalos** » 29 Apr 2008 19:13

SandChigger wrote:I'm staying out of this one, you may have noticed.

They have at least two words that I know of for the different type of eyelid: hitoe for the almond-shaped type with the epicanthic fold and futae for the more "Western" type.

Personally, I find the former variety more attractive.

Give me a nice pair of hitoe eyes and a sexy unaji (nape) and ... ooh, I'm gone!

Me too man. Black hair and black eyes fucking do me in every time too.

Robspierre · Post by **Robspierre** » 29 Apr 2008 23:09

orald wrote:I'm not that picky- give me something with a hole between its legs...no wait. Give me something, period.

Here you go!

http://www.adameve.com/mens-adult-sex-t ... 12524.aspx

Rob

orald · Post by **orald** » 30 Apr 2008 02:08

Thanks for at least making it a plain URL so I can see what it is and not click it.

And why, pray tell, did you have such a link at the ready? Doing some purchases, are we?

SandChigger · Post by **SandChigger** » 30 Apr 2008 02:35

orald wrote:Thanks for at least making it a plain URL so I can see what it is and not click it.

Doesn't whatever browser you're using have a "Status Bar" (or similarly named thingy) display option so that you can see the URL before you click it?

How bleeding primitive.

^^^ There's your thing with a period.

Post by **Freakzilla** » 30 Apr 2008 04:00

Robspierre wrote: http://www.adameve.com/mens-adult-sex-t ... 12524.aspx

Rob

5 inches?

What am I supposed to do with the rest of it???

orald · Post by **orald** » 30 Apr 2008 08:06

There is, in fact, a status bar, but I don't rely on it, it doesn't seem to work all the time(though I guess it's only menu buttons in certain sites or something). Of course I can also right-click for the properties.

Feakzilla wrote:5 inches? What am I supposed to do with the rest of it???

Yea, right.

I'm guessing such things come at several sizes, Freak, you know, like condoms.

Of course CL only uses XL sized dildoes.