Half retelling of the original Frontier series, half new story. Conspiracies arise within the Frontier government when Sheryl Nome arrives to the colonial fleet for her concert and is soon marked as a spy for Galaxy while childhood friends, Alto Saotome and Ranka Lee both try to achieve their dreams as the battle between Frontier and the Vajra draws closer.
This movie serves as part one of the Frontier retelling and will conclude with the second, The Wings of Goodbye.
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Comentários
KaminaKai
“The animations … the insert songs … this movie is simply amazing.” Macross Frontier: The False Songstress is an excellent example of bringing a two season long TV series to the movie theater. Unlike many recent TV-to-theater adaptation in which a large portion of the movie is nothing but recycled scenes from the TV original, the staffs behind this Macross movie has dedicated their time in rewriting the story, revising the character relations, composing new songs and OST, and most of all, using completely new animation and scenes on ~90% of the movie. In other words, there are no more than a couple of minutes ofreused materials from the TV series in this 120 minutes movie! So don’t be fooled if you are told this movie is nothing but a retell/summary of the original because that is far from the truth.
While the movie is paced so that a first time viewer with no prior background from the TV series can still follow the story at ease, but at the same time it will not bore those who have already watched the 25 episodes original because the story is so immensely different on so many different levels. However, with that said, I personally still recommend watching the TV series first before proceeding with this movie so that one would have more time to get accustom to the terminologies in that universe (ie. Deculture!). To fully appreciate the skillful remake of the story, one would need to have a solid understanding of the original creation.
The Macross series has been well known to many as a futuristic action-packed, mecha, sci-fi space opera with a healthy dose of romance and lots of aliens in the mix. But what really make this series differ from other mecha shows are the superb songs, soundtracks, and OST. In other words, the music. Music is an integral part of each and every Macross title dating back to the first series aired in 1982. Following this old tradition, Macross Frontier and its first movie have set numerous sales records in the anime music industry. In fact, it is not an exaggeration when it claims that its success is nearly unmatched in the history of anime music industry. Many of its albums reached Oricon’s weekly chart top three positions and maintained those positions for weeks! Of course it is always possible to argue that the successes of the albums are thanks to the skillful J-pop singer, May’n and to a lesser degree, Megumi Nakajima, the winner of the “Best Musical Performance” award.
Character growth/development tends to be lacking in recent TV-to-theater adaptations and before watching it, I sincerely hoped Macross Frontier: The False Songstress will allow me to write something positive for a change in this category. Fortunately for me (and for all the viewers), the main casts are quite realistic albeit the girls seem a bit more moody than their TV counterpart. While not on the level as its music production, the main characters do show enough depth and personality to make me view them as something more than a 2D character with voice (2.5D?).
Much like the music compartment, the animation of Macross Frontier and its movie has been highly regarded as top notch in their respective category. The fluidity in mecha motions during intense battle scenes must have struck many unprepared viewers like an intense thunder. It is rare to see Cel-shaded animation used so well that they seem natural to be part of the environment. What makes the animation more praise-worthy is the fact that the studio did not neglect the other aspects of the show (ie. not just the battle looks great). Simply put, the animation is without doubt THE selling point of the show. Even if you are not interested in mecha or galactic warfare or singing diva, the animation alone is enough to persuade you that this movie is great in its own way.
This two hours long movie is certainly a thrilling ride and well worth my time. There were moments that threw me off my seat, moments that I cheered for certain heroic deeds, and a particular moment that I thought was slightly awkward. But all in all, the “pros” of this movie heavily outweigh the “cons”, or perhaps I was being a bit unreasonable with my expectations. For the action-minded, both the introduction and climatic ending will not be a disappointment. For the music-minded, there are enough new and old songs in the mix to tease you into buying the albums. For all other viewers whether you are new to the Macross franchise or a diehard fan, the combination of beautiful divas, awesome looking mecha, and a love triangle fighting to save the galaxy should be a pretty good recipe to stir up your appetite.
canabliss
Okay, I'm not really a part of this website's community, I really just use it as an anime database. I also am not that good at writing reviews, but it's been weeks since this movie has been out on dvd and no one has written a review, so as a fan of the series and this movie I am going to have to do that. First of all, I can see why there are no reviews on MAL yet, this movie still isn't subbed. My Japanese skills are limited, since I'm not a fluent speaker yet, but I have been learning legitimately for about ayear and some months (I don't speak super kawaii desu), which means I can catch on to a lot of individual words and small sentences which helps me get an idea of what's going on. I also saw the series, which helped out. Well, anyway, to sum up, I am writing a review based on what I saw, I didn't understand every word of it (especially the big sciency words), but I did get the jist of the story.
First off, you don't even have to speak Japanese to tell this movie is rushed, although it's not as much of a wreck as Unlimited Blade Works, it's pacing is still kind of hectic, if you are going to watch this movie, whether you understand japanese or not, please watch the series first or you will be somewhat confused.
It is a remake of the series, so you will see some differences from the series, which to me are welcomed. I can't really say much or I risk spoiling the movie.
As with most Gekijouban, Utsuwari no Utahime's strong point is NOT the story, although the story isn't bad, what really takes it away is the presentation. This movie is a classic example of what you can do to a masterpiece of the series when given a lot more money to do a remake. The animations and fight scenes were absolutely amazing, probably the best animations I have ever seen. They were so good, at times I just found myself just completely awed by how good it was. Everything just went so far above the series, including Sheryl's concerts, the Frontier itself, the looks of the ships and vajra, the explosions, the macross cannon, ect.
The music was what stayed the most faithful to the series, although we get pretty much the same music maybe 1 or 2 new songs, it was not a letdown any less than the rest of the movie. Because one of the coolest things about Macross F was how they presented the animations during the music, such as concerts and ect. Well, they take it to a whole new level in this movie, what eyes can do to your music listening experience is just absolutely amazing, the director definitely knows this, and used it to their full advantage.
If I had to pick a weakness of this movie though was that there wasn't nearly as much action as I thought there was going to be. Especially for a gekijouban of a mech series. Mech Gekijouban usually say "screw the story" and give us action every 5 seconds. There really is only action in the beginning and end of the movie, with the middle being dramatic build up and story. Which isn't really bad, but they could have put a fight in the middle, that actually would have been pretty nice. Even if there wasn't as much action as there could have been, the action we did get was supurb, and the story was different enough from the series to constantly keep you somewhat on edge. The story goes up to about episode 7 in the series, when the Galaxy gets attacked by the vajra, but the ending is different than what happened in the series, so look forward to that.
Character-wise, Sheryl definitely played a bigger role with the vajra than she did in the series, but Ranka hasn't really done much in this movie. And Alto is the same Alto.
Overall, this movie was really damn good. If you are a fan of Macross F I strongly recommend you watch this whenever it's subbed. There is definitely enough changes to keep you interested. I now can't wait for the second movie, after watching this one, I wonder what kind of "different ending" they are going to give us, well, if anyone wants to give me a ticket to fly to Japan in February I'll gladly accept it.
WdaCdaShdaDid
You should definitely watch the anime series first. These films have so many points that were clearly made not for a new audience but for fans of the anime. A lot of character stories were revamped and this is almost like an AU where tons of awesome stuff you wish happened in the anime happens. Also, if you don't watch the anime first, a lot of things are not explained fully in the films and would probably not make much sense at all. Some characters are also kind of skipped over. If you've watched the anime, you know who they are and why they matterand why changes to their characters for the film matter, but if you have not seen the anime, it's like the creators throw a giant cast at you and expect you to care about people you barely know for no reason.
Story: This is not just the first half of the anime series squished into the time slot of a film. The first half does greatly draw from the beginning of the anime series, even down to frame-by-frame shots taken (but enhanced) from the anime. Things are also a bit out of order. For instance, Alto's teasing and training is in the second film, even though it was in episode 3 of the anime, but film 2 is very much Alto's story, so this makes a lot of sense. A number of small things have been removed to make the plot more fluid, and also focus on the pretty art. The second half of the film is almost entirely new story, and it's pretty enjoyable. If you've seen the anime, you will probably cheer a lot during the second half of the film. It ends on a high note and a lot of good things happen.
I like a lot of the narrative decisions they made. My main quibbles are these:
1) Someone clearly thought that there was not enough fanservice and far too much manservice in the anime, and rectified this in the films. The concerts in the films are longer and more boobservicey (e.g., Sheryl is seduced by a male version of herself for one concert, wherein she wears a thong with a pom pom on the butt). It's to the point where it's cringe-worthy at times (although the animation is a lot better and worth seeing), but if you can get past it, it doesn't truly ruin the story. Plus, they added a few things for the guys later on.
2) Women do not do a lot of the action in the films. In the anime, Ranka and Sheryl end up saving Alto a couple times, and Klan and Catherine are far more noticeably badass. This is almost entirely gone in the films. Almost immediately after we meet Catherine the first time, she basically faints from surprise. The films are a bit better because Ranka is a much stronger character overall in the films: she really knows what she wants and pursues it, spending a lot less time confused about what to do. The same is true for Sheryl. But it was a little worrying to see the women pushed back so much.
Art: They had a much bigger budget for the films, and it really shows. While they took a number of scenes from the show, they added a ton of new content. The concerts are quite gorgeous and the fighting scenes are pretty fun. Sheryl and Ranka get a lot of neat outfits to wear and the overall look of the film is much more refined and gorgeous.
Sound: Honestly, I enjoyed the music from the anime a lot better. It's still great in the films, most likely because they reused a number of songs from the show, and I hear that a lot of people like the film versions more, but I just didn't hear anything that really stood out to me. I paid more attention to the narrative changes and art. That being said, if you have not taken the time to check out the soundtrack for this franchise, please do so. It's worth the time.
Character: A lot of character revamps occurred for the films. Ranka and Alto are friends before the narrative even starts, which removes some of the contrived meetings and better explains why they're texting and seeing each other so much. Brera is also introduced almost from the beginning, which better explains his story. It's stuff like that which was changed to just remove a lot of the clutter, give more reasons for cast members to be involved in the plot, and allow more focus for the central plot.
I liked a lot of the changes they made. Sheryl and Alto get to hang out more (this is very much a film series for SherylxAlto fans, since they do a lot of cutesy stuff). Brera's character was also re-done very well, and his relationship with Alto is a let better: less of a testosterone-fueled conflict over Ranka, and more of one of camaraderie. One of the best changes by far for the films is the revamp of Grace's character. Her story in the anime feels so contrived and silly. In the films, you actually like her, and her relationship with Sheryl is incredibly sweet. Yet she's still a beautiful, intelligent, powerful badass.
Enjoyment: There are some things that are missing from the beginning of the anime that I am sad to see gone, and I did not like seeing the ridiculous amount of boobservice, but overall, I liked this film a lot and I like this narrative a lot more than the first half of the anime. On its own, it's very enjoyable and beautiful. It's definitely worth a watch (along with its sequel), especially if you're a fan of the anime.
CodeBlazeFate
*VERY MILD SPOILERS AHEAD* Huh.This is the first positive review I`ve given on MAL... and this is review #3... OK then... I apologize for the comparisons to the parent anime known as Frontier, but this is essential to reviewing this movie in particular. Anecdotes are fun. Have you ever heard of Evangelion? If so, you may have heard of the rebuild films: films that are an alternate setting to the original. The beginning ones retell the original story with some tweaks, while the later ones branch out to tell a whole new story, like with movie three, and the upcoming movie four. Why am I telling youthis seemingly irrelevant trivia? Because Macross Frontier had a similar deal. This movie, Macross F Movie 1: Itsuwari no Utahime, retells the first 10 episodes of the show, with many tweaks, for the first half. The second half of the film tells a new story. As for how well the film handled all of it, I`m sure you have some semblance of how I felt it did, given the score at the top right, but for those of you who want to know my full thoughts, let`s find out, shall we?
STORY: 6/10
This movie decided to retell the first 10-ish episodes of Macross Frontier, and it feels rather choppy, not helped by the numerous yet harmless changes made. Retellings in general dock points since they simply recap material fans of the parent story already know, just in a choppy and (depending on the quality) sloppy manner. Luckily, the film doesn't feel too sloppy, just choppy... for the first half. The second half is a bit more interesting. Sheryl Nome and Grace O`Connor have been labeled as spies from Macross Galaxy. Why the people at Frontier would assume that Galaxy has ill will towards them is beyond me. After Sheryl`s date with main lead Alto, and that whole suspicion debacle, he starts doubting her, and that trust is compounded when he sees her seemingly attacking his friend Ranka only for her to scold his and the Frontier military for their seemingly false accusations. I say seemingly because well, we`ll get to that in Movie 2. The alien race known as the Vajra continue their attack against humans that started shortly before the events of the first movie, and in the climax, are eliminated by frontier... for now...
CHARACTERS: 8/10
As for the main trio, not a whole lot was changed aside from Sheryl`s whole spy thing that gets resolved in the next film. Alto is still a seemingly rough guy with a heart of gold, Ranka is still the naïve upcoming songstress, albeit now, she`s childhood friends with Alto, and Sheryl is still the songstress with an ego problem yet still having a heart of gold. Everyone else from the original Macross Frontier is still kept in tact, even if we get less time for everyone to really develop and stand out. Overall, the are still the same people from Frontier, just with less development or time to get to know them.
ART: 9/10
One of the major problems in the art department as far as the Frontier anime goes is that while many scenes look good for `08 standards and other scenes look freakin` amazing, some scenes had to be sacrificed to look like something you`d normally see in some of Gonzo`s worst, even though this was done by studio Satelight. Luckily, this movie doesn't suffer from those problems. Now, it loos like a well done episode of Macross Frontier. The CG looks as brilliant as it did back in the original, and the actual hand drawn animation looks on par with that of `08-`09 standards. The performances done by Sheryl Nome look as great as ever, only with more emphasis on a style performance, however, there are no truly WOW moments in the movie aside from the astounding water effects, like say, Macross Frontier, or MF Movie 2: Sayonara no Tsubasa. Well, for what it is, the animation is still great.
SOUND: 7/10
Let`s get this out of the way. I only noticed THREE new songs in this movie. All of the songs were ripped straight out of the show, with exception to Universal Bunny (which is just ok; a bit weak by Sheryl Nome standards), the final song at the end, and the credits theme. However, the songs are still great, and that`s what counts. All of the songs are as great as I remember them, and the final song, while not quite as good as previous songs, is still a good track. Then again, a Macross installment without at least a decent soundtrack is nothing short of BLASPHIMA!!!
ENJOYMENT: 7/10
The first part of the movie was mostly entertaining, albeit a bit boring in places. The second half was pretty good, especially the climax. Even with how choppy and dull the first half was at times and how absolutely strange and somewhat irritating the mid-section's plot twist was, overall, this was still a decent movie, even if it's one of the weakest installments of the franchise, especially from an entertainment standpoint.
OVERALL: 7/10 RAW SCORE 74/100
Honestly, there`s not much left to say. I enjoyed this film, and it offered an interesting spin. If you enjoyed the show, give it a ride. Anything else I say will just be repeating things a third or forth time, so with that, I bid you adieu.
Silver92
This anime is outstanding, If you have seen the TV Series this is a must watch, however the plot is the same but the storyline is completely different because of new script and new scenes, a true fan will notice the similiarities.Re-used scenes were updated beautifully, the scenery of Frontier is amazing. The cell shading of the mecha is awesome, the battles are awesome (not too many), there will be some nostalagic mecha movements (a true fan will easily spot them) and qoutes. New Vajra creatures and Motherships can been seen. While you are watching the movie, take note of every little detail. you willlbe suprised, the shadow quality is amazing. Attention to detail: amazing, Even the cars are legit copies of the real deal in japan such as the toyotas (4mins in) and amazing Rx-8 that drives past.
There are a few suprisingly good sheryl nome fanservice as well as grace o'connar and some ranka. Sheryl nome gets overkill concert stages.
If you have watched the tv series, if you watch carefully there are alot of little unique and new things you didnt see in the tv series, something i noticed that was changed is how the fighters launch, instead of using the wheels to momentum, they just hover off and fly away which makes it more accurate. They also combined many battles into one and also no combined extended lion song sung by sheryl and ranka duet (the one sung in the last episode) =(. You may also be dissapointed, there isn't enough macross quarter action =(.
I am really looking forward to the seqeul as it will have even more new scenes script and most likely a suprisingly new storyline ending.
I recommened this movie to people who: are mecha fan, Macross Fan, Sheryl Nome fan, background singing during fighing scenes fans. You can watch either tv show (if you havent already) before or after the movie.
I hope i haven't spoiled too much of the movie, it is just soooo exciting to watch, Totally worth download 4.5gigs 720p with 5.1, Subs are out now by 4Chan subber good quality.
swordfish-san
Those who have seen Macross Frontier would expect more of the same of this top quality movie. The movie although has a near identical plot to the animated series has in fact some very specialised moments exclusive to the movie. Much of the story again revolves around the main protagonist Alto however has less of an emphasis to a RankaXAlto relationship but an all round SherylXAlto one. The music itself is once again top notched, with notable additions to the original music which stayed true to the theme of a 'Galactic Superstar'. Personally, I hoped for a bit more on characterisation as some felt likecard board cut outs to be stationed around the plot. But then again, you only have near 2 hours to achieve something so that is expected.
The art itself is epic in proportions for a mecha anime. Scenes of total chaos around the city is a marvel to watch and also the specific battle scenes in space is just outstanding. But in terms of eye candy what I found to be the crown jewel of the movie was the final scene which *Sub Spoiler* had a ship in a battleship.
Nadoki
After watching the whole season of Macross Frontier, the movie came about about 2 weeks after I finished it. This movie has pretty much the same story, but a different concept and ending. I was pleased with the outcome, and I would definitely watch it again. You will enjoy the anime and the movie and see how much they relate/change the story. A very good alternate ending indeed. I would recommend this to anyone that has seen the full season and wants a more happier story.
AbsoluteTheory
In similar fashion to "Do You Remember Love?", and several other anime movie adaptations, they ramped certain things up to 11; but in the shorter format, lost a lot of the plot and character development. All the subtlety is gone, and I'm not wild about the changes to the story. It's cool on its own, but I think the original is much better.
JuneNephthys
This retelling of Macross Frontier is reminiscent of the treatment that Escaflowne received in its theatrical release, and less like the Zeta Gundam films, where it is basically a recap with some refurbished scenes of animation. No disrespect to A New Translation! Though I had been meaning to write this review a week ago, it's really hard to say goodbye to Frontier. But, I suppose I should give it the send-off it deserves, or as Sheryl would say, "a long, long goodbye." This review of Macross F Movie 1: Itsuwari no Utahime and Macross F Movie 2: Sayonara no Tsubasa contains spoilers! You have been warned! —Story/Characters Synopsis:Half retelling of the original Frontier series, half new story. Conspiracies arise within the Frontier government when Sheryl Nome arrives to the colonial fleet for her concert and is soon marked as a spy for Galaxy while childhood friends, Alto Saotome and Ranka Lee both try to achieve their dreams as the battle between Frontier and the Vajra draws close.
Because of the divergence in plot, I see the television series as the Ranka route, because Alto clearly seems to be more interested in her than Sheryl and it is implied that he only has a short tryst with Sheryl out of pity and heartache over Ranka being captured by the Vajra. So, as you would expect, the films are the Sheryl route. Not just speculatively, it's confirmed! Alto actually makes a decision in the end!
The continuity of the retelling is a bit reworked to emphasize parts of the story that weren't as intelligible in the original series, as well as add in new details. Like, in this version, Sheryl knows the Vajra hymn that only Ranka knew in the series. And characters like Brera, are introduced much earlier into the plot. Most character personalities have stayed static, except that I would say that Sheryl is a lot more friendly and personable in this one. She's more standoffish and an ice queen archetype in the original anime. I'm not sure if they changed her personality to create more chemistry between her and Alto in a shorter run-time, or if the creators just legitimately wanted her to be more of a sweet, older sister character.
Either way, I like TV Sheryl and movie Sheryl, so I have nothing to complain about there. Though Mikhail and Klan aren't featured as much in the film, they make some cool cameos, and the film version makes use of Mikhail's nickname for Alto ("princess") for a subplot point that progresses Alto's development as a character.
There are many moments, like a beach scene in the film, that is a throwback to all of the couples: confirmed and unrequited, from the Galaxy Fleet. It's adorable and creates an air of nostalgia for the fans. Because of scenes like that, and the fact that the movie is basically a musical (due to all of the idol scenes condensed into a film format), I would one-hundred percent suggest that you watch the series before watching the films. If you do that, certain references and character moments won't be as beguiling to you!
Macross Frontier, as a whole, was a the twenty-fifth anniversary revival of the franchise and everything about it is a love letter to one of the most beloved sci-fi anime franchises to have ever come out of Japan. This series heavily emphasizes human connection, not war or murder. The Macross franchise is the peace and love, hippie-version of every other mecha show you've watched. Even if you're not a big fan of the original, like me, Macross Frontier brings the heart of the Macross universe's sprawling continuity into focus.
—Technical
Shoji Kawamori (director and original creator)
* AKB0048
* Chikyū Shōjo Arjuna
* Crusher Joe (mechanical design)
* Escaflowne
* Ghost in the Shell (mechanical design)
* Macross (mechanical design)
* Macross 7
* Macross Delta
* Macross Plus
* Macross Zero
* Macross: Do You Remember Love?
* Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (mechanical design)
* Transformers Zone (mechanical design)
* Transformers: Chōjin Master Force (mechanical design)
* Transformers: Scramble City (mechanical design)
* Transformers: The Headmasters (mechanical design)
Commentary: This film affirms my theory that the secondary director, Yasuhito Kikuchi, was mostly responsible for the sloppy directing blips in the TV anime version. Though, I'm sure that broadcast scheduling and fast-paced airing times had something to do with it as well. Mr. Kikuchi wasn't a part of the film and all the grievances that I had with the visuals from the series are cleaned up! The sakuga in the movie is incredible for the time it came out. The visuals alone would be rated highly. You could tell by the animation and the attention to detail that the animators really pored over every frame meticulously to make this project a success. It is glitzy and pretty, as all hell!
Maaya Sakamoto also makes a cameo as Ranka's mother and does the singing for tracks, such as:
* It Is So
* Nyan Nyan Service Medley
* Mother and Little Ranka's Darling
* Triangular
Aya Endō as Sheryl Nome, notable roles:
* Fūko Kurasaki, Accel World
* Quetzalcoatl, Fate/Grand Order
* Frederica Greenhill, The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: The New Thesis
* Komugi, Hunter x Hunter (2011)
* Miyuki Takara, Lucky Star
* Silky, Mahō Tsukai no Yome
* Totoko Yowai, Osomatsu-san
* Shirona, Pokémon: Generations
* Cattleya Baudelaire, Violet Evergarden
Commentary: Endō's role as Sheryl was very well-acted. She adapts very well from the progression from confident, bordering on full-blown narcissism, to a desperate, sickly, fallen idol. A captivating performance!
Megumi Nakajima as Ranka Lee, notable roles:
* Altlene, Busō Shinki
* Megumi Aino, Happiness Charge PreCure!
* Kinugasa, KanColle: The Movie
* Kaede Sakura, Kämpfer
* Yuzuki Eba, Kimi no Iru Machi
* Yō Kasukabe, Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sō Desu yo?
* Charlotte Abelfreyja Drossel, Violet Evergarden
Commentary: I wasn't the biggest fan of Nakajima's role as Ranka, though her singing for the OST was superb! Sometimes it was difficult to feel the emotion behind Ranka's struggles, because her speaking voice sounded too pitchy and unsophisticated. Ranka's character was still a strong proponent of the story, despite my struggles with initially acclimating to her voice.
Yūichi Nakamura as Alto Saotome, notable roles:
* Takeshi Tsuji, 3-gatsu no Lion
* Karamatsu Matsuno, Osomatsu-san
* Zen Seizaki, Babylon
* Silat, Berserk
* Tomoya Okazaki, Clannad
* Kyōhei Kadota, Durarara!!
* Gray Fullbuster, Fairy Tail
* Shigure Sōma, Fruit's Basket (2019)
* Greed, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
* Umetarō Nozaki, Gekkan Shōjo Nozaki-kun
* Oskar von Reuenthal, The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: The New Thesis
* Gai Tsutsugami, Guilty Crown
* Tetsurō Kurō, Haikyū!!
* Hōtarō Oreki, Hyōka
* Sōshi Miketsukami, Inu x Boku SS
* Bruno Buccellati, JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken Ōgon no Kaze
* Ryū Sanada, Kimi ni Todoke
* Tatsuya Shiba, Mahōka Kōkō no Rettōsei
* Io Fleming, Kidō Senshi Gundam Thunderbolt
* Ryōsuke Hazuki, Natsuyuki Rendezvous
* Kyōsuke Kyōsuke, Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai
* Guren Ichinose, Owari no Seraph
* N, Pokémon: Best Wishes
* Reinhard van Astrea, Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
* Yoshiyuki Hatori, Sekaiichi Hatsukoi
* Kojirō Shinomiya, Shokugeki no Sōma
* Ikuto Tsukiyomi, Shugo Chara!
Commentary: At times, I had trouble liking Alto, because of his inability to decide between Sheryl and Ranka, but even at his lowest moments, it was impossible to dislike him because of his seiyū. Not on Nakamura's fame, but by the pure talent that he puts into his performances. Sheryl and Ranka easily have a greater amount of screen time than Alto, by a lot, but the few moments that we have to look at his struggles and his past, are emotionally captivating and make for some of the best scenes in the series! Wonderful seiyū!
Megumi Toyoguchi as Klan Klang, notable roles:
* Mimiru, .hack//SIGN
* Meg, Burst Angel
* Revy, Black Lagoon
* Yumi Omura, Chobits
* Junko Enoshima, Danganronpa
* Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, Fate/Zero
* Winry Rockbell, Fullmetal Alchemist
* Chifuyu Orimura, IS: Infinite Stratos
* Sei Satō, Maria-sama ga Miteru
* Miriallia Haw, Gundam SEED
* Hikari, Pokémon
Commentary: A talented seiyū; she is the dark horse best girl in the series, because she's so dang likable! Her unrequited feelings for Mikhail and her down-to-earth practicality, turn into an intensely relatable and well-rounded character. I would compare her role in this series to her performances as Winry Rockbell in Fullmetal Alchemist and Miriallia Haw from Gundam SEED.
Hiroshi Kamiya as Mikhail Blanc, notable roles:
* Choromatsu Matsuno, Osomatsu-san
* Yuzuru Otonashi, Angel Beats!
* Kō Ichinomiya, Arakawa Under the Bridge
* Mephisto Pheles, Blue Exorcist
* Koyomi Araragi, Monogatari series
* Edogawa Ranpo, Bungō Stray Dogs
* Kōji Minamoto, Digimon: Frontier
* Izaya Orihara, Durarara!!
* Shinji Matō, Fate/stay night
* Nozomu Itoshiki, Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei
* Yūta Takemoto, Hachimitsu to Clover
* Ittetsu Takeda, Haikyū!!
* Kakushi Gotō, Kakushigoto: My Dad's Secret Ambition
* Seijūrō Akashi, Kuroko's Basketball
* Tieria Erde, Kidō Senshi Gundam 00
* Takeshi Natsume, Natsume Yūjin-chō
* Yato, Noragami
* Law Trafalgar, One Piece
* Kusuo Saiki, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
* Levi, Shingeki no Kyojin
Commentary: Hiroshi Kamiya has the morally ambiguous, effeminate male role nailed down to a T. His performance as Mikhail is no different: a likable jerkass with character complexities and commitment issues! Another S-grade seiyū in the cast!
Other famous seiyū in Macross F: Kikuko Inoue, Jun Fukuyama, Rie Tanaka, Aya Hirano, as well as the aforementioned Maaya Sakamoto.
Conclusively, recapturing the scenes from Macross Frontier, the films and the TV anime, leaves me with the same wistfulness that my favorite anime series, Urusei Yatsura, does. A feeling of wanting to return to that universe and see all the characters interact on screen again. When I first entered the franchise, I didn't expect to grow so attached to the Galaxy Fleet personnel or the two female leads so much that, in the end, I was as baffled as Alto on who to choose. So, thank you Shoji Kawamori and the rest of the staff for making such a painstakingly passionate addition to the franchise.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Other Macross Series Rankings:
Macross ★★★☆☆
Macross: Do You Remember Love? ★★☆☆☆
Macross II: Lovers Again ★★★☆☆
Macross Frontier ★★★★☆
Macross Delta ★★★☆☆
lethargilistic
Available officially in America for the first time, I went to see it without having seen anything "Macross" aside from vague memories of "Macross Plus" and "Robotech". I liked it quite a bit as a faux-jukebox musical. It's not my favorite example of any of my favorite genres, but it is an example OF a fuckton of my favorite genres all at once. Songs, cute girls, mechas, a little romance, some intrigue, some comedy, a side-hustle montage... That's the good stuff. It's kind of a shame that it's held back by its obsession with one-sided, increasingly obnoxious objectification of all the girls. Even the side-cast girls whohave no characterization at all in this version of events. It's all the more apparent when they "try" to be equal-opportunity by giving the main dude, Alto, a shower scene. No ass, No titty, No credit.
The movie's age also shows in how fast the action is. When they were able to go to full-CG mechas, a lot of mecha shows took the bewildering step of trying to animate everything as if it was happening in real-time rather than in a cartoon. You cannot see shit in this movie's action scenes.
And that's kind of an issue, too. As it was playing, I was having a lot of fun with it. But trying to discuss it with my friend as we were leaving... It's like empty calories. There's not a bunch there.
But it is an extremely complete-feeling movie for a (mostly) compilation film, which was refreshing. It's a neat story worth a watch.
JoeStraatmann
It's a good sampling about what is great about Macross in 00's clothing, even if it doesn't explain the universe itself super well (You're supposed to laugh when they bring up Sharon Apple as one of the great songstresses, by the way). The soft reset of the characters gives the clearest, most sympathetic view of the leads, and the movie lets them have half the screentime to exist and marinate in their circumstances. It still is a shallow, flashy action melodrama, and the lack of work to solidify the rest of the cast does hurt the second movie, but it's so much fun.
barsoapguy219
Macross Frontier: The False Songstress This is Macross. It’s a space opera about music, missiles, and a love triangle. And a pretty good one at that. It covers the first half of the TV series with some changes. I watched the TV series a while ago and don’t have a great memory of what happened. That said, this movie introduces everything you need to know to get into the universe. Some of the parts feel a little rushed but it does a good enough job with the characters and the story. Story 7/10 The story could get a little confusing if you are not paying attention tothe subtitles or you haven’t seen the TV show. The background story is standard fare for Macross: there is a space colonization fleet, insect aliens that fly through space and shoot machine guns from their antennae, our good guy squad of fighter pilots, a mostly benevolent government, a rival space colonization fleet, and maybe a secret plot to undermine our good guys.
The main story focuses on the three characters of the love triangle and the pilot squad. It plays out well. Our MC is an effeminate pilot who backs up the pop star during her concert. They hit it off and have a date through San Francisco riding on cable cars and eating hot dogs. Then there is our green-haired girl. She is already friends with the MC, a budding singer, and her old brother is the leader of the squad. She gets jealous of the two aforementioned characters and has to deal with it along with her career.
Where the TV series has us spend time with the squad in school, the movie just cuts to the chase. And good for it. I remember those middle episodes of the TV series being hard to get through. They lost focus and tried to shoe horn a high school drama into it.
The movie gets into the action quick and keeps up the pace. Things are interesting from the get go and the movie alternates between musical/action sequences, character development, and plot progression.
They introduce quite a few story threads (earring, manager issues, character backstories, etc.) that could have probably been cut to focus more on the characters and the main story. The side stuff was probably filler in the TV series and they thought it’d be interesting to cram as much in as possible. There were times when they played up the earrings that I thought took away from the drama and tension of the scenes. The setting, the characters, and the action were compelling enough at the climax that we didn’t need the trinket to remind us of the personal connection.
I was about the give the story an average grade, but I’m going to give it plus one for the intrigue involving a conspiracy of characters. It was a nice touch.
Characters 8/10
The characters are the strong part of the movie. Our main character, Alto, is a dud. He’s just kind of there and, as with anime at large, I really don’t get the ladies see in him. He’s got long hair, is effeminate, and is a pilot. Character traits? Ummm. He’s just kind of there.
The ladies are better characters. Sheryl is the established pop star. She’s entitled, arrogant, and haughty but has a soft side. She was going to hire a mercenary group for an unauthorized rescue mission for 120M credits. How does she pay? She slings her Vega Black credit card at the guy. “If that’s not enough, you can take royalties from my next album.” Nice.
Ranka is the green-haired loli. She’s sweet and innocent and needs to overcome her shyness to rise gain stardom. I recalled her being annoying in the show but I didn’t think that about her here. She’s just sweet and nice.
The supporting characters are your basic Macross cast. You get a rival pilot, the big brother squad leader, the squad, the captain and the bridge crew, and the pop star manager and some mysterious person with her. There was not enough time to really get into it with them but I did enjoy the limited time there was. Michael was the rival pilot and a solid #2 buddy/backup throughout. He was a smart guy and had a few good lines of dialogue with Alto pushing him to make a move with Ranka and then explaining past entertainers who were spies. Inglorious Basterds anyone? That was cool.
Overall, I liked the characters. There wasn’t any over-the-top dramatics or anything that really hit it out of the ballpark, but our band of characters were a cool group to spend a couple of hours with.
Music & Sound 10/10
The music was great. We get a (raunchy) Sheryl concert to start, the nonsense Aimo song that they lean on to try to build some mysterious back story, some more Sheryl tracks, Ranka winging it in the mall, a couple of ditties, and then the big concert at the end.
Fave track was Sagittarius 9 O’Clock, Don’t Be Late because it was catchy, had cool jet and missile action, and had spacey lyrics. I loved that they worked the space theme lyrics into the songs. Second best song was Diamond Crevasse. Again, it was catchy and space-themed and also, it served as the ending theme for the TV show where they showed montages of locations in SF. I loved that this was anime SF.
The Japanese voice acting was good. I liked that Ranka’s singing voice served as her VA.
The sound effects were completely adequate. Space jets, missiles, explosions, and all the rest.
Art 8/10
The art was pretty good. I liked the character designs. Our lead women were cute and wore character-appropriate outfits.
The space battles and jets were cool too. There was CGI and it didn’t suck.
And then there was the setting. They do the anime version of San Francisco and Los Angeles. It’s awesome. The setting was one of the big reasons I was able to make it through the TV series. I used to work at one of the intersections that they showed in the anime and walked the streets where the characters lived. They showed the landmarks and I loved it.
Enjoyment / Overall 8/10
I had a good time. This isn’t once-in-a-generation, ground-breaking, best-in-class movie. But it’s pretty stinking good. For me, it was about the music, the missiles, and anime San Francisco.
Solid stuff throughout. Incredible music, good characters, and good action.
