The December issue (on sale November 10) of Japan's Newtype magazine previews the characters and the new VF-25 variable fighter design that will appear in Macross F (Frontier), next year's television sequel to the Macross franchise of love triangles, pop music, and robotic mecha. A 25th anniversary program special called "Frontiers of Macross" will broadcast this winter with a retrospective on the previous Macross project and clips from the new series.
The story of Macross F takes place in 2070s (three decades after the last major sequels, Macross Plus and Macross 7) aboard the 11th Macross Frontier super-long-distance colonization fleet with 10 million citizens. Ranka Lee (newcomer Megumi Nakajima, pictured above) is heading to the concert of Macross Frontier's top Galaxy Network idol, Sheryl Nome, when she encounters a pilot trainee named Alto Saotome — and when a mysterious enemy attacks the fleet. The story will also feature Ranka's older brother, the veteran pilot Ozma Lee, and the U.N. Forces' latest main variable fighter, the VF-25.
As previously reported, Macross creator Shoji Kawamori of Studio Nue will collaborate with the animation studio Satelight (Macross Zero, Noein) and music composer Yoko Kanno (Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop) for the series. Due to the rigors of composing a television series, Kawamori said that Kanno will be sharing her duties with another composer as she did with The Vision of Escaflowne and Aquarion. Kawamori will oversee the project and design the main variable fighters while Junya Ishigaki (Macross Zero's Destroids, Noein) and Takeshi Takakura (Appleseed movies, Noein) will contribute additional mechanical designs.
I'm excited, but then again I love Macross. So it appears that VF-17s, new Macross class ships, and Megaroad class ships will be featured. It appears this time the UN Spacy is fighting R-Type style space monsters. Also I saw Itano Circus! I hope Ichirou Itano is working on this show! He's the best robot choreographer ever.
I hope the new series is more like 'Macross Plus', e.g., focusing on adult relationships and interpersonal conflicts in between cool battle scenes, instead of the suck that I keep reading about 'Macross 7' and 'Macross Zero'.
Those gun nuts do not understand the meaning of "overkill," and will simply use weapon after weapon of mass destruction (WMD) until the monster is dead, or until they run out of weapons.
They have more WMD than there are monsters for us to fight. (More insanity here.)
I didn't really like Macross Zero, of course, but I was consoled by the fact that everyone involved was going to die in cleansing Zentraedi fire in a few years anyway. And the action was shit hot.
Well, my first reaction was slight dissapointment at the Zero styled CGI, though I won't turn off just because of that. The opening riffs on that song were pretty - to borrow a term from Spanks - boss.I'll certainly check it out.
Sidewinder wrote:I hope the new series is more like 'Macross Plus', e.g., focusing on adult relationships and interpersonal conflicts in between cool battle scenes, instead of the suck that I keep reading about 'Macross 7' and 'Macross Zero'.
Absolutely, Macross Plus still remains one of the best sci-fi/mecha animes I've seen, and anything that expands that is always a plus.
The VF-25's transform sequence reminds me a heck of a lot of the SV-51 with the way the chest gets folded up.
Also surprised to see that the VF-17 is still in service. You'd think after 30 years and Project Super Nova, the grunt machine should be VF-19s and spec ops the VF-22 by now.
Yoko Kanno for music = can't go wrong.
Definitely going to watch this for sure.
I know there is a method, but all I see is the madness.
My first thought was VF-19 chest folding, but yeah, it's a lot more complex than that. I'm going to be interested to see the model sheets for the VF-25.
The Nightmare might be more cost efficient than the VF-22. It's only 3 years older, and probably doesn't have all of the doodads the -22 does. And honestly? I think the VF-17 looks cooler, which is a good enough reason to keep it in service for the show.
I can't wait for this show to come out.
Twist the World and Ride the Wind
Cybertron's Finest - Justice League - Mecha Maniacs
..a new Macross series? Oh goddess. It's going to have some glaring flaw that's going to destroy it. Like that the power of love is the only weapon that can defeat the space monsters, or something...
It about DAMNED TIME. Ive been waiting to see that footage. They did a preview of it way back in August in Japan but nobody ever uploaded anything to the net till now.
"The Cosmos is expanding every second everyday, but their minds are slowly shrinking as they close their eyes and pray." - MC Hawking "It's like a kids game. A morbid, blood-soaked Tetris game..." - Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs)
Nephtys wrote:..a new Macross series? Oh goddess. It's going to have some glaring flaw that's going to destroy it. Like that the power of love is the only weapon that can defeat the space monsters, or something...
POWER TO THE MUSIC! POWER TO THE DESTINY!
Here's a new scan of the VF-25 thanks to Mr. March of the Macross Mecha Manual. I like how it resembles the DYRL pilot outfit. Especially the feet.
VF5SS wrote:[Kawamori will oversee the project and design the main variable fighters while Junya Ishigaki (Macross Zero's Destroids, Noein) and Takeshi Takakura (Appleseed movies, Noein) will contribute additional mechanical designs.
Not that I didn't just geekgasm all over my keyboard, but what happened to Kazutaka Miyatake? He gave us the iconic designs of virtually all of the Macross designs besides the VFs (SDF-1, Zentradi vessels, etc.).
Thinking it over some more, I'm not really excited by the VF-25. I'm not saying it's bad or anything, but I'm not freaking out over it. I still like the look of the YF-19 the best. The VF-25 with the white paint with purple-blue trim was nice looking, though.
Twist the World and Ride the Wind
Cybertron's Finest - Justice League - Mecha Maniacs
