| Sketchley's Translations Main Index | Macross Portal |
| By AARON SKETCHLEY (aaronsketch@HOTdelete_thisMAIL.com) | Ver 2.1 2014.08.30 |
| F01A: Macross F Eps. 1 "Close Encounter" |
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Story
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Commentary
This series, which was produced in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Macross, was the first Macross series produced in the 4 years after "Macross Zero", and the first Macross TV series produced in the 13 years after "Macross 7". Production of the series began under General Director Kawamori Shoji's conviction that he could make the Macross TV series that he himself imagined using the know-how accumulated up until that point from the experimental 3DCG that appeared within such productions as "Macross Zero" and "Genesis of Aquarion".
Nakajima Ai, who plays role of Ranka, one of the twin heroines that highlight this series, achieved a vivid debut by winning from among more than 5,000 applicants for the role in the "Victor Vocals & Voice Audition" that was held in the year preceding Macross F's original broadcast.
About 3 months before the start of the series's original broadcast, this first episode was pre-broadcast in the special program: "25th Anniversary Congratulations! THAT Macross WILL be Returning Special!!", which was produced to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Macross.
Staff
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Cast
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Song
"Sagittarius 9 PM, Don't be Late" Sheryl Nome (May'n)
What'bout My Star?" Sheryl Nome (May'n)
Characters and Mechanic that appear
Note: items that appear are in colour with a yellow background; (y) in the following. Items that don't appear are black and white.
Character
(y) Saotome Aruto / (y) Ranka Lee / (y) Sheryl Nome / (y) Ozuma Lee / (y) Catherine Glass / (y) Mihaeru Braun
(y) Luca Angeloni / Kuran Kuran / Nene / Laramia / (y) Canaria Bernstein / Matsuura Nanase / (y) Geoffry Wilder
(y) Bobby Margo / (y) Monika / (y) Miina / (y) Ram / (y) Grace O'conner / (y) Leon Mishima / Burera Stern
(y) Henry Gilliam / (y) Howard Glass
Mechanic
Macross Frontier / Macross Quarter / (y,A) VF-25S / (y,N/S) VF-25F / VF-25G / RVF-25
Koenig Monster / Kwadoran-Rhea / Cheyenne II / (y) VF-171 / (y) RVF-171 / VF-171EX (Aruto) / VF-171EX (standard)
RVF-171EX / (y) AIF-7S / VF-27γ / Macross Galaxy / (y) Vajra (small) / (y) Vajra (large)
(y) Battle Frontier
N: Normal, S: equipped with Super Parts, A: equipped with Armour Pack
Topics: A New Valkyrie Image Created by 3DCG
In the hand-drawn picture era of the "Macross" series, there were often productions where the slender Battroid forms were drawn with somewhat plump fighter forms. On the other hand, in "Macross F", which uses mechanically drawn 3DCG, the slender proportions of the fighter form were retained in battroid form, because the transformation from fighter to battroid is reproduced without any deformation in the VF. "Macross F" presented this new image of the Battroid to the viewer.
Topics: Macross Song Compilation
The genre of music handled in Macross changes with the series, such as Lynn Minmei's idol songs, Fire Bomber's rock, and Sharon Apple's whimsical tunes. However, in Macross F, the whole range is adopted as a compilation of the genres that have been used up until it's release, from famous songs with rock to idol songs with Enka. Of course, the cry "listen to my song" that Sheryl yells out at the start of the concert is based on "Macross 7"'s Nekki Basara's famous line, "listen to my song!".
Translators Note: stuff getting lost in translation - "Listen to my song": Sheryl uses a feminine possessive pronoun and Basara uses a masculine one.
Preview of the Next Episode
Ranka and Sheryl. Meeting the two girls will lead Aruto to an unexpected future. Next time, "Hard Chase". The song of pursuit resounds in the galaxy.
Supplement
Three versions of the first episode were produced: the "Deculture Edition", that was broadcast in a pre-series special, the normal broadcast edition, and the "Yack Deculture Edition", a complete version of the episode that was included on the DVD release.