マクロスF Episode 08
Macross F Ep. 08

SPOILER Summary: Ranka is working in the Zentradi mall at a vegitable stand, singing. However, she’s not having much success there. In addition to having a TV appearance, her manager has news for her. She’s been accepted to the Mihoshi Academy, where Alto also attends. While Alto doesn’t seem to keen on this development, Nana is very happy about it. However, before Ranka can be shown around, Sheryl makes a grand appearance on campus, causing great commotion. She apparently has permission to come to the school under a cultural exchange agreement. She finds it interesting that Ranka just transfered in and begins referring to Alto as her slave. He’s not happy about this, but she doesn’t care and she plays Alto’s guilt over losing her earring. Ranka is a bit disturbed by this but distracted by a critter in the bushes.

Meanwhile, Kathy and Leon are discussing the rescue of the Dulfim and how it survived. The location of the Macross Galaxy is still unknown. Ozama drops off his report to Kathy, taking the time to makes some remarks about her getting older. Meanwhile Leon sees the footage of the mystery fighter taken by Alto sent to him by a staff member. The staff member also reports that they’ve finished quiet deployment concerning Ranka. Leon expresses being somewhat interested in Ranka.

Sheryl wants to fly, so up on the school’s roof (designed like the old Macross flight deck), she puts on Luca’s flight power-suit sans the wings. As Alto, Ranka, Nana, Luca, and Michael watch, Sheryl attempts to successfully pick up eggs with the suit. She fails repeatedly getting egg all over herself, Ranka, and Nana and causes Luca to fret over “Samson” (the name he’s given his suit). Later in the showers, Sheryl asks about Ranka’s career. Ranka says its going slowly so Sheryl offers her a spot on an upcoming TV appearance with Sheryl (Sheryl doesn’t know the details of it, leaving those things to Grace). Nana is offended by this and Sheryl wonders if Nana’s attracted to Alto. Ranka turns down the offer from Sheryl, wishing to do things on her own, which Sheryl respects.

The critter from before is seen with Sheryl’s panties and runs off with them as the guys, thinking about scoring panties Sheryl has worn, go off in search of the panties. Sheryl tells Ranka to keep her TV appointment. Sheryl races up to where Luca, Michael, and Alto are and takes Luca’s personal power-flight suit (sans the wings again). However, she’d not been shown how to stop it and so while she races around, she has to stop herself by slamming into walls, causing great damage. Alto sees this and takes off while Sheryl catches up to the critter. She gets her panties but has fallen off the roof, where Alto arrives in his flight suit and catches her. Sheryl decides she wants Alto to fly her around.

Ranka runs to get to the studio, she gets a call from her manager stating that her TV appearance has been canceled due to a special show being done by Sheryl. Depressed by this sudden turn of events, Ranka looks up to see the advertisements for Sheryl everywhere. She heads to her special place and sees the critter who’d stolen the panties. After petting it, she starts singing to it. She hears a harmonica being played to the tune of her song. It is the mysterious humanoid alien pilot that Alto had seen previously.

The following day at school, Sheryl announces she is officially transferring to Mihoshi Academy and that she’ll be entering the Pilot Course program, which is what Alto, Luca, and Michael are in. Both Alto and Ranka are shocked by this, as is the rest of the class.

Thoughts: Well, it figures that the writers would come up with some way to have the love-triangle aspects furthered. What better way than to have Sheryl and Ranka attend the same school as Alto? I don’t know if Sheryl’s age was given earlier, but for some reason, I figured her to be in her early 20’s. I think it would have been a bit more interesting to have her be a bit older than Alto, but it doesn’t really matter. After this episode, I want Ranka to be the “chosen one” more than ever.

As to the episode itself, the main story only received a few mentions, but what is so special about Ranka (beyond her surviving a Vajra attack years earlier)? That will be interesting to learn. It will also be interesting to see if Sheryl does indeed become a pilot.

While I didn’t laugh, I did enjoy this comedy outing. I suppose everyone needed a break after the last episode. While I don’t normally notice animation quality, I did notice some stark shortcomings at times, likely due to how much time and money were spent prior to this.