マクロスF Episode 17
Macross F Ep. 17
Macross Frontier Anime

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis: Cathy punishes Micheal and Alto for allowing Sheryl on board Macross Quarter by making them do laps in unpowered (?) flight suits. Ozama arrives and requests a meeting with Cathy when she’s done. After their punishment is over, Micheal meets with the micronized Klan at a cafe. Klan has fixed herself up (as if for a date) and so gets angry when Micheal wants Klan to set up a meeting between him and a cute female pharmacist. However, Micheal’s motives aren’t known to Klan as he apparently wants to discuss the pill he discovered Grace attempting to give Sheryl back on Gallia 4. Micheal shushes Klan when he sees Luca being picked up in a limo across the street.

Ozama meets with Cathy in her room, where she reveals that someone with implants (at minimum) is involved in whatever is going on. With the cables unplugged all over the room, Ozama understands the need for hacking countermeasures. They are sure the people from Galaxy and Leon are involved in this somehow. The continue to discuss things, even making a mention of their own past relationship. Ozama comments on how the SMS currently can handle the Vajra with their weapons. After concluding their talk, Ozama asks if Cathy still knows how to make a pineapple cake, which she’d taught him to make for Ranka after he took the girl in. She asks why and his response is that he’s been remembering the old times.

At Ozama’s and Ranka’s home, guards are outside so Alto is climbing up one of the ally walls to gain entry into Ranka’s room, having been invited by Ranka. She reveals that Brera is out running an errand as is Ozama and that the guards are Brera’s idea. She leaves to prepare coffee, leaving Alto to look at some of her framed pictures. He then finds Ai-kun’s basket and when the critter leaps out onto his face, he is startled and falls backward onto the ground. After Ranka returns, she asks alto about the singing experiment and his thoughts. After hearing what he has to say, Ranka is encouraged and will give her best at the following day’s concert, which Alto plans on attending.

In Leon’s office, Leon discusses Fold Crystal with Luca, the heir to L.A.I. Luca speculates on Bilrer’s possible uses for Fold Crystal and figures Leon’s is the same. Leon is impressed with Luca’s reasoning, but Luca is wrong as Leon has a different reason for wanting Fold Crystal.
With that, Grace steps out, this time in a male body.

Ozama pays a visit to the Extraterrestrial Life-form Research Institute on Island 3. Using a service tunnel, Ozama tries to sneak into the guarded facility but soon finds bars blocking his path. Brera shows up behind Ozama with a weapon and a threat to kill Ozama if he moves. Ozama pulls his pistol and Brera takes out the nearby light in the tunnel. Ozama fires several times but is unable to his Brera. The emergency light comes on revealing Ozama and Brera with blades and a stalemate. Ozama wants to know what’s going on, but seeing Brera’s harmonica, he has a flash of a young boy and can’t believe it. Brera informs Ozama that Ranka’s singing is required as the SMS weapons are only effective for now. However, before things can go further, Brera receives and alert. The Vajra are inbound for an attack and they have to take care of it.

The Macross Quarter is dispatched and the SMS Skull Squadron launches. They fire their Reaction weapons at the incoming Vajra, but unlike last time, this time the Vajra simply shed their skin and keep coming. Brera, in his fighter, reveals that the Vajra are able to adapt so that weapons that had previously worked against them won’t work after a time. Further, his own beam weapon will soon be ineffective against the Vajra.

One Vajra makes a run on Macross Quarter and appears will hit the bridge with its attack, but the attack is intercepted by Ozama, who survives. He informs Brera that as long as he has breath, he’ll keep fighting the Vajra with whatever it takes to protect Ranka and the woman he loves (Cathy). He then takes and energy knife and attacks the Vajra despite his damaged fighter. Brera finds this foolish as the other SMS fighters join Ozama in the fight. Brera uses his gun, which can still take out Vajra.

After the fight, Michael, Luca, and Alto are seated in a balcony booth for Ranka’s concert. In a nearby booth, Cathy and Ozama sit and talk about things. Cathy suggests stopping by her place after the concert but is horrified when she discovers that Ozama is severely injured and bleeding badly. Later at the hospital, Micheal comments to Cathy on how emotional things would have been if Ozama had died. Inside Ozama’s hospital room, Ranka is not happy with Ozama nearly getting himself killed. He points to the slice of Pineapple Cake and asks if Ranka wants some. She says she only wants some if he makes it, which he promises to do.

Outside the hospital, Grace and Sheryl meet with Sheryl figuring it is time for a talk.

Review/Thoughts: I understand some of the songs here are from the rock group from Macross 7. However, I still can’t get passed that awful first episode with that whiny loser getting into a fighter and crying for people (and whatever alien beings there were) to listen to his song. Ugh. If you’ve seen it and wish to make a case for me to somehow press on, feel free to leave a comment.

Micheal — why hasn’t he acted earlier on that drug he realized was being used by Grace to poison Sheryl? I think I would have tried to get that taken care of sooner rather than later, especially since Sheryl’s life is at stake.

Speaking of Sheryl, I guess she gets to confront Grace next episode.

Well, now we know where Fold Crystal comes from. Hmmmm. Also, just where are those Vajra eggs located? One suspects somewhere on Macross Frontier.

Poor Klan. She reminded me of Shana from Shakugan no Shana in this episode. I don’t think she’s going to have any luck with Micheal.

Interesting that the Japanese used the Kanji for “Ai” and then spelled out “kun” in English for Ai-kun’s basket. While it seems a long shot at best for Macross Frontier to be licensed, it will force both the translator and the English dub director to deal with an honorific (the former assumes a non-FUNimation license). That makes me giggle in a terrible way.

You know, when Ozama revealed how injured he was at the concert, I really thought that we’d have a repeat of what happened in Macross. Instead, the writers pulled a fast one (especially since Ozama had escaped dying twice before in the episode) and turn it into a humorous moment at the hospital. So hats off to the writers for that one.

I liked the look back at Ozama taking Ranka in when she was a child. I hope Ozama can actually live through the series, end up with Cathy, and well have a happy life in this fictional world. ^_^