| Sketchley's Translations Main Index | Macross Portal |
| By AARON SKETCHLEY (aaronsketch@HOTdelete_thisMAIL.com) | Ver 2.0 2014.06.24 |
| Episode: Plus 05A, B, C & D: Macross Plus Movie Edition |
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Story
(...)
Commentary
This production is an anime movie edition that reedited all four episodes of "Macross Plus", which was developed as an OVA series, and added new cuts that extend over about 20 minutes. It was screened together with "Macross 7 The Galaxy Is Calling Me", the movie production of "Macross 7", which was being produced in parallel at the same time, and became a topic of conversation among fans. Its premiere was roughly three months after the release of the last OVA volume, and it is possible to surmise that the OVA that became the basis for this movie itself was produced assuming that there would be this movie version.
Kawamori Shouji, who was the general director at the time the episodes were reorganized, personally worked on the production of the movie, and added a few changes to the story's chronological order. The opening episode, when compared to the OVA, has an especially speedy development, and that time is spared for the dogfight that amounts to the climax of the film, and is depicted in overwhelmingly beautiful shots.
The new cuts that were added at the time of the theatrical release had a strong impression that was even more polished in mainly the directing and the mecha pictures and animation. First-class creators, such as Anno Hideaki, Ohashi Yoshimitsu, and Kimura Takahiro, not to mention Itano Ichirou, had their names entered on the list of staff in charge of the genga, and they conveyed their extraordinary enthusiasm toward drawing pictures. The greatest highlight scene is the aforementioned climax dogfight scene between the YF-21 and the Ghost X-9, which depicts the limits of a dogfight. The appearance of Guld, whose body is exposed to G forces that exceed his limits and is crushed while evading an immense missile barrage fired from the Ghost X-9, cannot help but be extremely heroic. The depiction of the battle in this scene, which was so tremendous that it challenged the limits of animation, is handed down among fans as the greatest masterpiece among the "Itano Circus" productions by Itano Ichirou.
Song
"Voices" Myung Fang Lone (Arai Akino)
"Santi-U" Sharon Apple (Gabriela Robin)
"Wanna Be An Angel" Sharon Apple (Arai Akino)
"Idol Talk" Sharon Apple (Arai Akino)
"The Borderline" Sharon Apple (Arai Akino)
"My Boyfriend's A Pilot" Kate Matthieu (Takano Urara)
"Information High" Sharon Apple (Melodie Sexton)
"A Sai En" Sharon Apple (Raiche Coutev Sisters)
"Torch Song" Sharon Apple (Gabriela Robin)
* "My Boyfriend's A Pilot" is sung by Kate in the Karaoke box scene.
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) Isamu Dyson / (y) Guld Goa Bowman
(y) Myung fang Lone / (y) Millard Johnson / (y) Jan Newman
(y) Lucy MacMillan / (y) Marge Guldoa / (y) Sharon Apple
(y) Raymond Marle / (y) Supreme Commander Higgins / (y) Kate Mathieu / (y) Morgan Mattieu / (y) Kate's children / (y) Dr. Worth
Mechanic
(y,N/S) YF-19 / (y,N/S) YF-21 / (y) YF-19 Fold Booster Equipped / (y) YF-21 Fold Booster Equipped
(y,N/S) VF-11B / (y) Ghost X-9 / (y) Macross / (y) Monster
(y) Target Drone / (y) 8-Engine All-Wing Giant (Person) Bomber / (y) Stellar Whale / (y) Macross City Helicopter / (y) Earth Defence Fleet / (y) Automatic Defence Satellite / (y) Automatic Interception System
N: Normal, S: equipped with FAST packs or Super Parts.
Cast
(...)
[Captions and quotes from the episode]
Topics: Scenes Changed From The OVA
Isamu showed acrobatic flight techniques in his first flight in the YF-19. In it, in one of the scenes newly added in the movie version, is the scene were he surrenders himself to free fall from the skies, and evades by skimming on the ground. Also, several completely new episodes were added in places like the conversation Myung had with Raymond, and the scene where she expresses her concern toward Sharon.
Topics: Scenes Changed From The OVA
Episodes that depict Isamu and Lucy's love patterns are also newly added in the movie version, such as the night date and the bedroom scene. Under that influence, care was also added to the scene at the place of the fire, and Isamu, who gives priority to Lucy -which differs from the OVA-, doesn't head out to rescue Myung. Even though a small part of Isamu's goodwill is brought down, it is connected with the result of making Guld's devotion stand out all the more.
Topics: Scenes Changed From The OVA
At the time that Macross Plus was being made into a movie, the greatest reorganization was the series of scenes that were related to the minor collision between Isamu's and Guld's aircrafts. In the OVA edition, Isamu is seriously injured due to Guld's aircraft making a live ammunition attack while performing manoeuvres in the prototype aircraft. Although those scenes were cut in the movie version, these two episodes were cut and pasted together, connected in a way that didn't have any inconsistencies.
Topics: Scenes Changed From The OVA
Millard and Lucy's conversation at New Edwards Base, when they were concerned about Isamu and others, is one of the new episodes that was newly added at the time it was made into a movie. While spotlighting the past, when Millard took an aircraft out without permission when he was young -just like Isamu-, the scene delved into Millard's humanity as a superior officer who sympathizes with him.
Topics: Scenes Changed From The OVA
The ultra high-speed dogfight that unfolded between the Ghost X-9 and the limiter released YF-21 was also a scene that was greatly expanded upon at the time the series was made into a movie. Even within that, the scene that dizzily unfolds the dogfight while the YF-21 avoids a large quantity of missiles -which includes drawings to the extent of that abnormality, and a lot of cuts-, is referred to as "the legendary 5 seconds", and was deified by members of the fans.
Topics: Scenes Changed From The OVA
There were a lot of new cuts and additional episodes in the developments just before the climax, such as the clip of Isamu's boyhood -seen in a dream- when he is awoken by Myung's song, the scene where Myung pities Sharon -who sticks to her distorted love-, and Isamu and Myung's talk when they reunite at the end. All are connected to the result of giving the "Macross Plus" production even more depth.
END