マクロスF Episode 19
Macross F Ep. 19
Macross Frontier Anime

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis: Ranka has a dream of herself as a child with a young male child with her (Brera) as Ranka misses her mother. Sometime later, a parade to celebrate the fleet’s fold and escape from the Vajra is underway, but the star, Ranka, is missing. She’s disguised herself in glasses and with Brera, she’s looking for Ai-kun. Meanwhile, Alto sneaks his way back onto his family’s estate to pay Sheryl a visit, where he’s greeted at the hole in the fence by Yasaburo. When Alto sees Sheryl, he initially thinks he’s seeing his mother. Sheryl and Alto have a talk where Alto tells Sheryl to come see Ranka’s concert as he’ll be there as part of the performance. After Alto leaves, Sheryl and Yasaburo have a little talk about Alto’s past and his mother.

Elsewhere, Cathy and Ozama are on a “date” but in reality, are gathering the last of the information on Leon’s activities. Micheal and Klan are also on a date as this is Micheal’s payment to Klan for the information she gave. Ranka and Brera are on a sudo date of their own, having spend time looking for Ai-kun. Ranka learns that Brera’s past is much like hers in that he doesn’t remember his past or if he has siblings or not. Brera notes that Ranka hasn’t been as cheerful in her singing and as she reflects on his words, she realizes it is because of Alto. So when the concert starts and Alto, Micheal, and Luca spell out Ranka’s name with a heart through it, Ranka realizes that Alto is up there and find courage to sing with her whole heart.

This is observed from a distance by Sheryl, who’s not that pleased with things. However, she’s confronted by Klan and forced to the school’s roof. There, Alto and Micheal are having a talk with Micheal chastising Alto for not choosing between Sheryl and Ranka. Alto claims ignorance, so Micheal points to Ranka’s concert going on below them, citing her last two songs have been sung for Alto. At that time, Sheryl arrives, so Micheal beats a hasty retreat and joins Klan. As Ranka’s concert ends, she races up to the school roof to finally confess her feelings to Alto, only to find Sheryl and Alto embracing.

As Luca discovers the secret of Ai-kun (that the critter is a Vajra larva), Ozama and Cathy confront Leon for his planned coup d’etat. He tells them that they are too late as at that very moment, a sniper has targeted the president for assassination.

Thoughts/Review: I’m sick to death of this whole love-triangle thing. I just want it to be over already. Maybe that’s why I delayed watching this episode for so long. I just couldn’t work up any enthusiasm over the idea of “who will Alto pick while the fate of the fleet hangs in the balance?”

Well, I confess that I didn’t expect that Leon’s plot would be to get rid of the president. OK, why? And why now?

I hate to say this, but as this series has gone one, I find myself caring less and less about it. Beyond the love-triangle issue, I’m having a hard time placing a finger on the cause. I think it might be due to a lack of any real depth and a writing style that kind of meanders from here to there in an attempt to pick up symbolism from the previous Macross titles but losing some substance in the process.

Still, I’ll plug through this until the end.