マクロスF Episode 15
Macross F Ep. 15
Macross Frontier Anime

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis: Grace is in the medical tube and communing with others before being brought online (for lack of a better term). Discussion of their mission dealing with the Macross Frontier, the Songstress of the Galaxy (codenamed Fairy-9, aka: Sheryl Nome), and Ranka (codenamed Code Q-1, aka: Queen). Meanwhile on the Macross Frontier, Leon briefs the president on their resource losses during the last Vajra attack and mildly rebukes the president for smoking since they lost so much air. The president feels his smoking is the least of their worries.

In the hospital, Sheryl has a blood sample taken which Grace swaps for a fake one, using her cybernetic abilities to do so. Sheryl is also a bit depressed about Ranka’s rising star now that footage of her appearance on Gallia 4 has been found and released. Grace comforts Sheryl before leaving her room and going to the hospital roof. There, she remarks on Sheryl’s strength and how Sheryl shouldn’t be alive. With that, she proclaims Project Fairy a failure while setting her sights on he Queen (Ranka). She then drops the vial of blood onto the street below, where a small cleaning robot removes the mess.

Elsewhere, Ozama and Cathy are discussing the situation and Alto’s summoning to the SMS owner, Mr. Bilrer. Ozama doesn’t like how things are, especially since it is confirmed that the mystery fighter is Brera’s. Cathy knows Ozama suspects her father (the president), so she tells him that she has done her own investigation and knows that her father is not involved. Ozama and Cathy both reach the same conclusion — Cathy’s boyfriend and presidential aid Leon must be behind things that have been happening. For his part, Leon reflects on how he’s scored a strike with Ranka.

Back at the hospital, Alto pays Sheryl a visit. She’s happy by this, but less happy to see that Ranka is with him. As the news airs discovered footage of Ranka’s performance for the Zentradi on Gallia 4, the three head to a balcony. Ranka is embarrassed by the footage of herself singing, so Sheryl decides to take some advantage of the situation with Alto. Ranka ends up countering as the two girls are putting Alto on the spot. He decides to thank them both for their help to him before two security people from the president’s office arrive for Ranka. At the same time, Alto receives his official summons to see the SMS owner.

Grace observes Alto reach his destination from a distance as she and Brera head for Leon’s office. Ranka is there and Leon tells her that she may have the key to defeat the Vajra with song. As such, Ranka is being put on a special project. Grace and Brera enter with Grace being the project leader and Brera her bodyguard. Meanwhile, Alto finally meets the owner of the SMS, the Zentradi named Richard Bilrer.

Thoughts/Review: Initially, there was intrigue for me about how Grace, Leon, & Brera all fit into this story. Now, it just comes off as some massive conspiracy that after years of plotting, planning, and scheming is finally possibly paying fruit. I hate conspiracy theories and that has clouded my opinion of this episode.

That aside, what the smeg is this all about anyway?

As to the episode, I see my fellow bloggers call it a recap episode. In some ways that is true and in some ways it isn’t. There’s certainly an amount of reused animation and a recap as far as things go concerning Ranka and Sheryl from an outsiders (I guess the people yacking about it are cyborgs like Grace) . The writers pushed the love-triangle almost to a head with Alto between both Sheryl and Ranka. However, with Brera being assigned to Ranka as bodyguard, who knows what will happen.

The president went up in my eyes with his reaction to Leon’s remarks about pollution. Just blow more smoke because pollution WILL be the least of the worries if the Vajra attack.

I liked the nod to Lin Minmei in this episode. Ranka is very much like Lin, only not annoying. ^_^

I think I may understand the SMS a bit better with the Zentradi Richard Bilrer being in charge. For some odd reason, it made sense to me in a weird sort of way. We’ll see where the writers that this.

Since the Zentradi SMS Pixie pilot Raramia Rerenia was apparently killed last episode, I am disappointed that when we see Klan, she’s in happy mode nursing Micheal back to to health. I would have liked for the writers to have at least touched on Raramia Rerenia’s passing.