Macross F: The Movie - The Itsuwari no Utahime - Review and Recommendation "Macross F: The Movie - The Song of the Night" is an anime film released in 2009, and is the latest in the Macross series directed by Shoji Kawamori. This work is the first part of a two-part series that reconstructs the TV series "Macross F", and is a work that combines a grand space story, beautiful music, and deep human drama. Below, we will provide a detailed review and recommendation of this movie. story In the year 2059, the galactic immigrant fleet "Macross Frontier" is heading for a new world. Life is the same, but there is a sense of claustrophobia, as if trapped in the glass-walled immigrant fleet. Meanwhile, a boy named Alto Saotome, who aspires to be a pilot, is dissatisfied with the environment around him. Then, a concert tour by the galaxy's top diva, Sheryl Nome, comes to the fleet. Alto goes to the concert venue with Ranka Lee, a girl who admires Sheryl. However, the fleet is suddenly attacked by the heavy armored lifeform "Vajra" and is engulfed in flames. To protect the girls, Alto boards the latest variable fighter VF-25 and throws himself into the battle. And as he flies through the flames, a legendary "song" that shakes the universe and a new "mystery" surrounding the girls awaits him. Commentary "Macross Frontier: The Movie - The Song of Itsuwari no Hime" is a new reconstruction of the TV series, depicting the first half of the story. Set aboard the Macross Frontier fleet in the year 2059, it depicts the love triangle between Alto, Sheryl, and Ranka, and the battle against the Vajra. The film is further enhanced by beautiful visuals reflecting the vision of director Shoji Kawamori, and moving music by Yoko Kanno. In particular, the singing voices of Sheryl and Ranka function as an important element of the story, deeply moving the viewer. cast The cast of this production is as follows: - Alto Saotome: Yuichi Nakamura
- Sheryl Nome: Aya Endo
- Ranka Lee: Megumi Nakajima
- Ozma Lee: Katsuyuki Konishi
- Michael Brand: Hiroshi Kamiya
- Luca Angeloni: Jun Fukuyama
- Clan Clan: Megumi Toyoguchi
- Brera Stern: Soichiro Hoshi
- Bobby Margo: Kenta Miyake
- Catherine Glass: Sanae Kobayashi
- Grace O'Connor: Kikuko Inoue
- Leon Mishima: Tomokazu Sugita
- Canaria Berstein: Houko Kuwashima
- Monica Lang: Rie Tanaka
- Meena Roshan: Aya Hirano
- Lam Hoa: Kaori Fukuhara
- Henry Gilliam: Takashi Ohara
The performances of each cast member express the individuality of the characters well and play an important role in making the story more exciting. In particular, the performances of Yuichi Nakamura's Alto, Aya Endo's Sheryl, and Megumi Nakajima's Ranka leave a strong impression on the audience. Main Staff The main staff of this work are as follows: - Original author: Shoji Kawamori, Studio Nue
- Director, Valkyrie Design: Shoji Kawamori
- Directed by: Yasuhito Kikuchi
- Screenplay: Hiroyuki Yoshino, Shoji Kawamori
- Character design: Risa Ebata, Yuichi Takahashi
- Mechanical design: Junya Ishigaki, Takeshi Takakura
- Conceptual design: Kazutaka Miyatake
- Art setting: Akihiro Hirazawa
- Specification: Masahiro Chiba
- Mechanical art: Hidetaka Tenjin
- CG Technical Director: Hiroshi Yagishita
- Chief animation director: Risa Ebata
- Animation directors: Yuichi Takahashi, Hiroki Marufuji, Atsushi Irie, Futoshi Fujikawa, Norihito Okago
- Storyboard: Shoji Kawamori, Yasuhito Kikuchi, Takao Abo, Kiyoshi Matsuda, Takayuki Tanaka
- Art director: Shunichiro Yoshihara
- Color design: Kumiko Nakayama
- Director of photography: Itsuro Sasakura
- Music: Yoko Kanno
- Sound Director: Masafumi Mima
- Animation production: Satelight, Eightbit
- Produced by Big West, Macross F Movie Production Committee
Under the direction of Director Shoji Kawamori, the entire staff worked together to complete this work. In particular, Yoko Kanno's music expresses the rich emotion of the story and captures the hearts of viewers. Additionally, the character designs by Risa Ebata and Yuichi Takahashi, and the mechanical designs by Junya Ishigaki and Takeshi Takakura also add to the appeal of the work. Main Characters The main characters of this work are as follows: - Alto Saotome: A high school student attending the pilot training course at Bisei Academy High School. A young man who is mistaken for a woman. Due to conflicts with his father, he aims to become a Valkyrie pilot, but after a Vajra attack he decides to join the "SMS"...
- Sheryl Nome: A top idol from the Macross Galaxy fleet. She is a woman with a particularly high sense of pride, perhaps due to her beauty and outstanding singing ability. She is so popular that it is said, "There is not a day that goes by in this galaxy that goes by without hearing Sheryl's song."
- Ranka Lee: A high school student at a girls' high school. Ozma's younger sister. A big fan of Sheryl, she is a cheerful girl. She works part-time at the Chinese restaurant "Nyan Nyan". She has loved singing since she was a child and dreams of becoming a singer.
- Ozma Lee: Skull Platoon Leader of the private special military organization "SMS". He was once a member of the New United Nations Army, so he has plenty of combat experience. He is very sweet towards his younger sister Ranka. Although he seems a bit careless, he also has a strict side when it comes to missions.
- Michael Blanc: A high school student attending the pilot training course at Mihoshi Academy High School. A young man who cannot help but flirt with any woman he sees. He is a good rival of Alto, and is the one who gave her the nickname "Princess Alto". He has excellent shooting skills.
- Luca Angeloni: A high school student attending the pilot training course at Bisei Gakuen High School. A young man who is a junior to Alto and the others. He often gets flustered among the troublesome seniors. However, he is a genius when it comes to handling computers and military electronic equipment.
Each character's background and personality are well-drawn, allowing viewers to empathize with their growth and struggles. In particular, the love triangle between Alto, Sheryl, and Ranka is a central theme of the story and deeply touches viewers. Main Robot Items The main robots and items that appear in this work are as follows. - VF-25 (Normal): As of 2059, a new generation VF is being developed as a successor to the New Unified Forces' VF-171. Offensive armaments include machine guns, beam cannons, laser machine guns, and new gunpods, but as this is a top-secretly developed machine, details are unknown.
- VF-25 (with Super Pack): An additional system exclusive to the VF-25. Equipped with the highly maneuverable Fast Pack option. The armor is stronger than the Super Packs of the previous VF series. Like the Armored Equipment, it can be transformed and flown while still equipped.
- VF-25S Ozma (normal): As of 2059, this new generation VF is being developed as a successor to the New Unified Forces' VF-171. Its offensive armaments include machine guns, beam cannons, laser machine guns, and a new type of gunpod, but details are unknown as it is a top-secretly developed machine. The S-type has various enhanced systems as a captain's exclusive machine. It features traditional yellow and black lines.
- VF-25S Ozma (Armored): An additional heavy armor system exclusively for the VF-25. It is installed for the purpose of increasing the amount of weapons carried. In the VF-1 era, the armored parts were limited to use only in Battroid mode, but in the VF-25, it is possible to transform and fly while still equipped. Detailed data is unknown.
- VF-171: A multi-purpose heavy variable fighter developed based on the VF-17. As of 2059, it is the most common manned variable fighter/bomber, and is used as the main aircraft of the New United Nations Army in the Macross Frontier fleet. The VF-171 is easy to handle even for average pilots and can be used for many purposes.
- Macross Frontier: Macross Frontier is a large-scale immigrant fleet with a total population of 10 million people. Macross Frontier is composed of various large and small spaceships with the flagship Island One at its center. About half of the population on board the ship lives on Island One.
- EX-Gear: A special suit that acts as an ejection seat and life-saving unit for the new VF, while also being a reinforced exoskeleton-type powered suit. It can fly as is thanks to its small jet engine and large adjustable wings. The pilot training course at Mihoshi Academy High School uses training EX-Gear, with the assumption that the new VF will be piloted. Although the equipment is simplified, the basic performance is the same as that of the military version, so it can be directly attached to the cockpit of the new VF.
- Vajra: A mysterious extraterrestrial life form.
- VF-25G Michael's (normal): As of 2059, this new generation VF is being developed as a successor to the New United Nations VF-171. Its offensive armaments include machine guns, beam cannons, laser machine guns, and a new type of gunpod, but details are unknown as it is a top secret development. Michael's machine is painted blue. It comes standard with a sniper rifle.
- VF-25G Michael's (with Super Pack): An additional system exclusive to the VF-25. Equipped with the highly maneuverable Fast Pack option. The armor is stronger than the Super Packs of the previous VF series. Like the Armored Equipment, it can be transformed and flown while still equipped.
- RVF-25 Luca's (normal): As of 2059, this is a new generation VF being developed as a successor to the New Unified Forces' VF-171. Its offensive armaments include machine guns, beam cannons, laser machine guns, and a new type of gunpod, but as this is a top secret development, the details are unknown. Luca's machine is painted green. Its electronic warfare equipment has been strengthened, and it is fitted with a large radome on the back.
- RVF-25 Luca's (with Super Pack): An additional system exclusive to the VF-25. Equipped with the highly maneuverable Fast Pack option. The armor is stronger than the Super Pack of the previous VF series. Like the Armored Equipment, it can be transformed and flown while equipped.
- Quadran Rare (Clan unit): A mobile weapon used by the Zentradi (mainly female soldiers) since ancient times. It is more like an aerial combat pod than an infantry powered suit. Developed to fit the particular physique of female officers, it has a unique shape with only a chest and no torso. The Quadran Rare is equipped with a movable beam cannon on the back. Other improvements include a triple laser pulse gun on the arm. Deployed with the SMS Pixie Platoon, its maneuverability is comparable to that of the latest VF-25.
- Quadran Rare (Nene's and Laramia's): A mobile weapon used by the Zentradi (mainly female soldiers) since ancient times. It is more like an aerial combat pod than an infantry powered suit. Developed to suit the particular body shape of female officers, it has a unique shape with only a chest and no torso. The Quadran Rare is equipped with a movable beam cannon on the back. Other improvements include a triple laser pulse gun on the arm. Deployed with the SMS Pixie Platoon, its maneuverability is comparable to that of the latest VF-25.
- VB-6 Konig Monster: Developed based on the Destroid Monster used in the First Interstellar War, this large variable bomber is equipped with overwhelming firepower. It can transform into three forms, Shuttle Mode, Gerwalk Mode, and Destroid Mode, depending on the situation. It has very thick armor and very high defensive power, but the body is heavy and freedom of movement is limited. In cooperation with VF, it deploys operations that make use of its four railguns and large capacity payload.
- VF-27: A mysterious variable fighter of unknown affiliation. A cutting-edge aircraft not deployed to either the SMS or the New United Nations. Its combat performance far exceeds that of the VF-25, but its combat maneuvers are so high-performance that they are beyond the ability of a human pilot to withstand them. Lines directly inherited from the VF-22 can be seen in the silhouette of the nose and various parts of the limbs, and the main wings are equipped with boosters that boast high maneuverability.
- Ghost: An unmanned fighter developed by the New Joint Forces to combat the limitations of manned fighter jets. Because it is an unmanned aircraft, it has excellent maneuverability and is highly versatile from reconnaissance to combat, but it also has many weaknesses due to being an unmanned aircraft. Luca uses his own Ghost.
- Destroid Work: A dedicated work mecha that utilizes the mobility of the Destroid as a land combat weapon. It is not equipped with weapons, but is equipped with manipulators suitable for precision work.
- Macross Quarter: The flagship of SMS, a private military provider stationed in the Frontier Fleet. Although it is about the size of a medium-sized ship at 400m, similar to the Armed-class, it has a transformation system that transforms it from a fortress ship type (navigation mode) to an assault type (combat mode). It is also equipped with a main gun, the "Macross Cannon," on its starboard side, which has the same destructive power as other Macross series. The port side is equipped with an aircraft carrier function. Despite being a medium-sized ship, it boasts the maneuverability and combat performance of a fighter jet.
These robots and items are essential elements in the progression of the story, providing viewers with realistic battle scenes. In particular, the VF-25 series variable fighters capture the hearts of viewers with their beautiful design and high combat performance. These robots and items also play an important role in the battle against the Vajra, heightening the tension of the story. Related Titles "Macross F: The Movie - The Itsuwari no Utahime" is a part of the Macross series and is related to the following works: - The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
- Super Dimension Fortress Macross II LOVERS AGAIN
- Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?
- Macross Plus
- Macross Plus MOVIE EDITION
- Macross 7
- Macross 7 Unaired Episodes
- Macross 7 The Galaxy is Calling Me!
- Macross Dynamite 7
- Macross Zero
- Celebrating the 25th anniversary! Macross is coming back!
- Macross F
- Macross F Nyan×2 Music Clip
- Macross fufonfia
- Macross F: The Wings of Goodbye
- Macross F Super Dimension Super Live PS Home with Love
- Macross FB7 Listen to my song!
- Macross Delta
- Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre
- Macross Super Space Seminar!!
These works are important for gaining a deeper understanding of the history and worldview of the Macross series, and are useful references for enjoying "The Movie Macross F: The Itsuwari no Utahime" even more. In particular, the TV series "Macross F" is a prequel to this film, and is a must-watch to understand the background of the story. Theme songs and music The theme songs and music for this work are as follows: - ED1: That's right.
- Lyricist: Maaya Sakamoto
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Ranka Lee (Nakajima Megumi)
- IN1: What's my star?
- Lyricist: hal
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Sheryl Nome starring May'n
- IN2: Universal Bunny
- Lyrics: Shihori, PA-NON, Gabriela Robin
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Sheryl Nome starring May'n
- IN3: Welcome To My Fan Club's Night!
- Lyricist: hal
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Sheryl Nome starring May'n
- IN4: Aimo
- Lyricist: Gabriela Robin
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Sheryl Nome starring May'n, Ranka Lee (Nakajima Megumi)
- IN5: pink monsoon
- Lyricist: Gabriela Robin
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Sheryl Nome starring May'n
- IN6: My boyfriend is a pilot
- Lyricist: Akane Asa
- Composer: Kentaro Haneda
- Arrangement: Hisaaki Hogari, Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Ranka Lee (Nakajima Megumi)
- IN7: What's my star? @Formo
- Lyricist: hal
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Ranka Lee (Nakajima Megumi)
- IN8: Starlight Natto
- Lyricist: Hiroshi Ichikura
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Ranka Lee (Nakajima Megumi)
- IN9: Pioneer Heavy Equipment
- Lyricist: Hiroshi Ichikura
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Ranka Lee (Nakajima Megumi)
- IN10: Dynam Superalloy
- Lyricist: Kageji Kurokawa
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Ranka Lee (Nakajima Megumi)
- IN11: Daruma Seminar
- Lyricist: Hiroshi Ichikura
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Ranka Lee (Nakajima Megumi)
- IN12: Super Space Restaurant Niangniang
- Lyricist: Hiroshi Ichikura
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Ranka Lee (Nakajima Megumi)
- IN13: FamilyMart Cosmos
- Lyricist: Hiroshi Ichikura
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Ranka Lee (Nakajima Megumi)
- IN14: Sagittarius ☆ 9pm Don't be late
- Lyricist: Gabriela Robin
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Sheryl Nome starring May'n
- IN15: Diamond Crevasse
- Lyricist: hal
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Sheryl Nome starring May'n
- IN16: Fairy
- Lyrics: Mana Anju, Gabriela Robin
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Sheryl Nome starring May'n
- IN17: Obelisk
- Lyricist: Gabriela Robin
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: Sheryl Nome starring May'n
- IN18: Lion
- Lyricist: Gabriela Robin
- Composer: Yoko Kanno
- Arrangement: Yoko Kanno
- Sung by: May'n, Megumi Nakajima
These songs express the emotions of the story in a rich way and capture the hearts of viewers. In particular, the singing voices of Sheryl and Ranka function as an important element of the story, deeply moving viewers. Yoko Kanno's music also enhances the worldview of the story, providing beautiful melodies that remain in the hearts of viewers. Evaluation "Macross F: The Movie - The Dancing Singer" is a work that combines a magnificent space story, beautiful music, and deep human drama, leaving a strong impression on viewers. In particular, the love triangle between Alto, Sheryl, and Ranka is the central theme of the story, and it deeply moves viewers. In addition, the VF-25 series variable fighters play an active role in the battle against the Vajra, providing viewers with realistic battle scenes. Furthermore, Yoko Kanno's music expresses the rich emotions of the story, capturing the hearts of viewers. The combination of these elements makes "Macross F: The Movie - The Dancing Singer" a work that deeply moves and satisfies viewers. Recommendation "Macross F: The Movie - The Dancing Singer" is recommended not only for fans of the Macross series, but for anyone who loves science fiction anime and music. This is a must-watch film, especially for those who want to enjoy a grand space story, beautiful music, and deep human drama. Also, those who have already watched the TV series "Macross F" will be able to revisit the first half of the story through this film and gain a deeper understanding. Furthermore, by watching the second part of this film, "Macross F: The Movie - The Wings of Goodbye," you can get a full picture of the story. Please watch "Macross F: The Movie - The Dancing Singer" and experience its moving beauty. |
