Super Dimension Fortress Macross
Episodes 1 to 18
The perils of entering into a fandom as entrenched as Gundam’s is the amount of extra curricular work required to feel au fait. As a franchise, even at its most UC-focused, Gundam is in constant conversation with other non-Gundam shows. The most notable, evidenced by the shock in style and tone when moving from First Gundam to Zeta, is SDF Macross. I've always been curious about the original's influence having generally enjoyed non-committal dips into its subsequent work like Macross Plus and Macross Zero. With SDF Macross I finally felt compelled to return to the source and check it out. Turns out, it’s very entertaining and not at all a chore?!
I feel like I could write a whole post on Misa Hayase, first lieutenant of the aforementioned Super Dimension Fortress and chunky bangs legend. By this mid-point she’s the most interesting character by far; highly capable and prickly in an interesting way, like she made a decision to be respected rather than liked at some point earlier in life. Where she becomes maddening is how boy-daft she is and how much this preoccupation makes her ridiculous. So many of the male characters of this show are sexist buffoons, mocking caricatures almost, but it’s hard not to feel that it ultimately agrees with them when it does Misa so dirty, so often. I understand she’s the alternative love interest for Hikaru and I’m at least interested in the very circuitous route it’s taking to make that work, but I wish it wasn't at the expense of all the other interesting things about her. Minmay’s professional success making her less and less likely to be the romantic object she was initially set up to be feels quite heterodox and cool. It is frustrating to see Misa suffer the inverse - her own professional skill and strategic talent being subordinated to a relentless obsession with dudes. For as fresh and well-judged as SDF Macross feels compared to the contemporary Gundam shows, it still embodies Tomino’s deeply aggravating approach to women (fascinating conception; infuriating execution).
My hope for the second half of the show is to keep being audacious. Escalate and confound expectations. My favourite surprise so far is learning how marginal Roy Focker is as a character. His name is one you absorb through the fandom, even before watching, so I expected him to be way more central than he is. His death was shocking almost because he wasn’t much of a focal point. I’m up for more of that as an approach. The ship and its passengers being excommunicated by the UN also seems like a rich vein of drama (Misa tearing up her dad’s shitty letter got a cheer from me). What we need now is for the Zentradi is shake off this somewhat tiresome holding pattern they’ve been in. We hear so much about why they aren’t obliterating the Earth and humanity, but their total inaction beyond weird neurotic skirmishes doesn’t make much sense. As much as I like Milla, the internecine squabbling isn’t compelling as an antagonism either. The horny confused giants need to make a decision and propel this show to a conclusion.
Episodes 19 to 36
Oh boy, I had no idea what lay ahead when I wrote the first part of this review. Another nine or so episodes of solid entertainment that crescendos with humanity/the earth being annihilated to pop music and then... another nine episodes of utter shite. Tedious, ill-conceived nonsense that doesn't even succeed at being competent in what it endeavours to do. A grim demonstration of a show dismantling its own achievements in pursuit of its worst impulses that, until the very end, dispenses with any of the shrewdness or imagination that made it semi-tolerable up to that point. It's all love triangle all the time, folks, and the characters are truly the worst versions of themselves. Yes, somehow Kaifun is even more of an arse.
Still, that final episode does capture some of the earlier magic and I suppose all's well that ends well? I mean, absolutely not - SDF Macross determinedly wrecks its own legacy in its final stretch, but I appreciated that the finale allows Misa to take control of her life and lean into what makes her appealing, and Hikaru, primo dipshit that he is, finally recognises that. We also get a sweet reunion of the Macross bridge crew (with a cheer-worthy appearance of Claudia and Global) and a serviceable, if unearned final battle. The show partially redeems itself in never pitting Misa and Minmay against each other, even when the love triangle is forced to have something of a reckoning. The mutual respect both women show each other here is a marvel in how it resists the worse kind of romantic/sexist tropes and swerves the otherwise wretched gender politics of the show more broadly. I was genuinely impressed by that at the very least.
Still, SDF Macross is an extremely messy prospect. Were a loved one to grab you by the shoulders, earnestly look you in the eye and say "stop watching after ep 27" please take heed. They care about you. They want you to enjoy yourself. Resist any urge to judge for yourself. You'll keep watching and haemorrhage most of the goodwill you had. You'll flee to We Remember Love, desperate for a soothing balm, only to be confounded still. You'll condemn the franchise despite there being some pretty cool stuff down the line. Listen, it's me - I'm the loved one. Stop watching after ep 27.