マクロスF Episode 04
Macross F Ep. 04

SPOILER Summary: Alto is put through a rigorous training regiment while Ranka prepares for the Miss Macross pageant, the two keeping in touch via text mail. Alto promises to attend and does, not knowing that Ozama has decided to schedule Alto’s final test to join the SMS during the pageant. Alto is there for Ranka, but is summoned away. Ranka flubs up a bit when she sees he’s missing from the audience, but does manage to pull through in the end. The S.M.S. Pixie Squadron are the ones that Alto, Mikhail and Luca will go up against. Before they reach the site of the battle, Alto notices the long, dead body of a Zentradi warrior floating in the asteroid field.

The mock battle is engaged, but suddenly a Vajra appears. Lt. Klan Klein orders the others to flee since they don’t have live rounds but she does. Alto thinks back of the story where Ozama informed him of what happened to Ranka, so he loses it and decides to attack with an energy blade. The Vajra easily shrugs him off and damages his craft, forcing Klan to come in and rescue him. However, she’s unable to make much damage on the Vajra, but the time she took to engage the enemy, Alto manages to return to the body of the Zentradi to retrieve its weapon. He attacks at point-blank range, and despite the age of the weapon, it works perfectly, destroying the Vajra.

Back at the SMS HQ, Ozama chastises Alto for his actions but casually throws in a remark on the Zentradi weapon he retrieved. Klan remarks on how durable Zentradi weapons are, even after centuries and emerges from her mecha unit. She is a Zentradi and she gives Ozama her opinion of Alto, who has passed the final test. Alto celebrates at Nyan-Nyan with Mikhail and Luca and they are served by Ranka, who did not win the Miss Macross contest. Klan shows up with the other members of her squad, who’ve been micronized so that they are normal human sized. However, due to a genetic anomaly, Klan’s micronized form is that of a young girl, as is her personality. As such, Mikhail enjoys teasing her and she chases him around the restaurant.

The following day, Alto is feeling exhausted from having stayed up so late. As he makes his way to school, he’s ambushed by Sheryl, who trips him.

Thoughts: I wondered when the Zentradi were going to show up. It was nice to see them again, even if Klan Klein is going to be comic material in her micronized size.

Speaking of the Zentradi, I remember thinking how odd it was for them to just encounter a dead warrior from so many, many years before. I’m not much of a fan of the old “how convenient” setups, which is what this was. How convenient they found the body and had time to check it out before the final simulated battle. How convenient that a Vajra suddenly attacks. How convenient that even the Zentradi squad, who had some live rounds, couldn’t make a scratch. How convenient that Alto was able to race back, grab the weapon, and destroy the enemy.

As to Alto and Ranka, I do like their friendship. After this episode, I’d be more willing to accept a romantic relationship between the two of them. I’m glad the writers didn’t go for the age-old plot of the male lead being forced to stand up the female. Having him summoned during the Miss Macross pageant was better, IMO. Having Ranka not go off the deep end over it (though clearly his sudden absence unnerved her a bit) was good. We’ll see how the apparent love-triangle goes. I’m not looking forward to that to be honest with you.

As to the rest of the episode, I could have done without all the fanservice, but oh well.