The year is 2059. Around 2000 mankind was thrown into a war with a race who call themselves Zentradi. The Zentradi however surrendered, but this has forced us to break free from Earth. Now, we are looking for a second Earth in space. And for this reason, we have built gigantic ships, generation ships one might even say, on which we can house a few million people. These super-ships are obviously accompanied my escorts and awesome military might and firepower. The “Frontier” fleet has laid in a course to the center of the galaxy in order to find a new world for all of us.
In the beginning of the show, we witness the attack on the Frontier fleet by an enemy we later come to know as the Vajra. A somewhat insect-like race which seems have a hive sort of mind. Little does the fleet know that this is just the first of many hurdles they have to face on their search for a new place we can call home. The show primarily follows three characters and how they experience events, in personal life as well as what is happening to the fleet. While Sheryl Nome is known as the Fairy Of The Galaxy and is super-famous, Alto Saotome seems to harbor a deep affection for flying and eventually joins the military. Ranka Lee is a seemingly young schoolgirl with a troubled past. Eventually she is advised to try singing as a professional career, which ultimately makes her the Songstress Of Hope. Well as you might have guessed, the rabbit hole goes a bit deeper with her.
Ranka’s memories somehow seem to be connected to an incident of 11 years ago, when the 117th Large Exploration fleet mysteriously disappeared.
Apart from all the fast-paced and awesome action happening, there is a rather interesting love-triangle going on. I guarantee you want to know how it turns out… Honestly it would not be an easy decision for anyone in a similar situation, if you see what is happening in the show as a metaphor.
The Zentradi, who have allied with us a long while ago, are also aboard the Frontier. However in their real form they are much larger than us. If you’d stand beside a Zentradi, you’d have the size of a action figure. For this reason, a certain quantum-physics based procedure can be applied to them, so that they can either shrink to our size or grow back. This is extremely desirable for those Zentradi who wish to join the military forces and fly the defending jets. One of those Zentradis is Captain Klan, who at a later stage gets more involved in the lives of our characters and the events happening to the fleet.
After having seen the end just now and having witnessed how the pieces fall into place, I am just stunned and overwhelmed. It has been an incredible ride for everyone involved. The voice acting is top-notch, the music is delivered by Yoko Kanno. I don’t think that needs any further comment. I have particularly enjoyed how the bits and pieces of an episode have linked into each other… into endings, openings, or middle parts. It is difficult to describe it, really.
All I can say that it is a superbly done show which I am most certainly going to watch again someday. So if you’re into Sci-Fi, Mechas, Action, Love-Triangles, outstanding storytelling, touching conversations, and above all, magical and inspiring music, then this sure is the next anime for you.
Macross Frontier
Genre: Mecha, Romance, Space opera, Military science fiction
Directors: Yasuhito Kikuchi, Shōji Kawamori
Original Run: April 3, 2008 – September 25, 2008
Episodes: 25
Song of beauty, ring out across the galaxy!
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