April 17th, 2016 
AstroNerdBoy Macross Delta 01
Macross Δ 01
マクロスΔ 01
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
On board a freighter bound for the planet Al Shahal, a young, bishounen male named Hayate gets fired for being lazy, but is told to make his last day a good one. He finds a stowaway girl named Freyja Wion, who’s running away from a marriage and wants to join the female idol group called Walküre (Valkyrie), whom are protected by Delta Platoon, as the group uses their singing to counter a new disease called Var Syndrome, which seems to strike at random, causing folks to go insane and rage war on others. Hayate decides to help Freyja escape.
The pair are caught by Lt. Mirage Farina Jenmius of Delta Platoon, who mistakes Hayate as the stowaway from the ship. The three hear a song, which is targeted at a nearby Zentradi base, causing a squad of them to get Var Syndrome and start rampaging. The members of Walküre, whom are on the planet undercover to counter Var Syndrome after it had been predicted to be the next site of the breakout, transform to start a concert to calm the rampaging Zentradi. In orbit, the fleet is attacked by a Shinigami squad who hate the Walküre. Freyja joins in the singing, causing Walküre to react to this as Hayate jumps in a crashed fighter-mecha to get into the fight and help Freyja, both of them empowered by the song.
Thoughts/Review:
You know, I wasn’t sure I wanted to watch another Macross title. After watching this episode, I’m not sure I’ll be able to tolerate much of this.
Frankly, I’m tired of the whole, “Singing solves everything ’cause it sells CD’s, y’all!” The first song I was subjected to in this episode was not my cup of tea and frankly, just annoying.
I was also annoyed that the writers needed a way to make the Zentradi enemy for a bit so these idiot idol girls could sing their tedious song. Ugh.
There really should be no need for a military since songs solve all problems, but then I forget, there are Macross toys, models, and such to sell. So we need action sequences as well.
Basically, this episode sets up that there’s some new enemy, they apparently hate the Walküre as much as I do, and there’s some kind of singer that can activate the Var Syndrome for more bad guys, and an idol group can sing their song while carrying on a conversation as well. Oh yeah, and the guy wearing a hair barrette (gotta have a bishounen element, as happened in Macross Frontier) can pilot a pilot mecha awesomely as the stowaway girl he’s with can awesomely sing the Walküre song(s) for magical results.
While I’m ranting, what the heck is up with the Walküre and their magic girl transformation sequence? I was thinking, “Seriously? We are going full out mahou shoujo here, complete with naked henshin sequences? Instead of spells and attacks, these magic girls are going to use music?”
Maybe I’m just getting too old for this. I love the original Macross (there is no Robotech, only Macross), and I didn’t mind the singing there because it wasn’t magical in nature. In Macross, you had the warlike, segregated, giant humanoid Zentradi who were not familiar with music, hearing it and becoming curious about things to the point to where some questioned if what they were doing was right. That works and makes sense. Making music some magical cure (or cause) of some disease is just way too over the top.
Planet Ragna. Was that established in Macross Frontier? I can’t remember.
In the end, I was highly unimpressed with Macross Delta. I didn’t care for the songs, the battles weren’t that impressive to me, and I didn’t like any of the characters. However, I’m afraid I’m going to be in a minority with this opinion, based on things I’ve seen on the web.
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First Macross Delta review I’ve agreed with. I love Macross, and Macross has always been mecha and J-Pop, but previous series have mostly had a combination of a more serious tone, likeable characters with decent character development, and good old VF asskicking. This series so far has taken just about everything I like most about Macross and made it into fluffy extras backing up the magical Idoru squad. The final nail in the coffin for me is that I can’t stand the new songs. Not catchy, too cutesy, no thanks. Really sad to say I’m going to sit this one out.
My experience is probably a strange one, but: The only Macross (Zero) I’ve seen didn’t have any J-pop that I remember.
I don’t have anything against Macross (nor did I have any compelling reason to not see any of them until reading this review), but I don’t think it’s likely that there are any others in the series that I would want to watch. I was completely able to feel/believe the songs of creation and destruction as they were presented in Zero, but I have an uneasy feeling that the Power of Music applied to J-pop (as wonderful as some of it can be) would turn me off of both.
arimareji, check out Macross Plus, either the series or the movie. Next to Zero, it’s probably my favorite entry in the franchise, I’m guessing you’ll like it. You might even like Frontier – it’s kind of like Delta after it’s taken its ritalin and with better music and (so far) characters.
I haven’t seen Macross Plus yet. It is on my list. (I was going to try to watch Macross 7 once upon a time, but folks warned me away from that.)
Macross 7 is more the foundation for Delta than Macross Frontier was. Delta reads to me as a desperate grab for dwelling audience pool whom i believe isn’t into hard space opera style scifi anymore.
I love Macross, I dislike stuff with direction of music is the key to solving conflicts. I personally think that quality of writers is big issue too. Marketing success of the original’s series music thaat driving this stupid push for more idol girl groups.
I agree. While I can believe in fighters that can become mecha, idol babes performing an impromptu concert in the middle of a battle is just way over the top.
You HAVE to SEE ep 4 and the rest of Macross Delta if you are consider Macross fan. It because for the first time in macross history, Macross Delta will feature full scale Interstellar Galactic wars.
I don’t mind some J-pop, but I didn’t find these songs compelling. I actually liked the songs in Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R better, and I didn’t like them that much. (I do like the OP song, but not enough to get it.)
Hopefully, you’ll still be around to witness my plowing through the series. 😉
Completely disagree with you. I think Delta is better than Frontier
Firstly is NOT MAGICAL GIRLS ,just holographic tech
TRY watch ep 43 of Delta both of you(include comment
VF-1 make returning appearance which frontier never had
I know they aren’t magical girls, but as I see it, the series is clearly trying to capitalize on that by having this idol group “magically” transform (via technology) and have their music “magically” do wondrous things.
Just like Athur C Clarke says high tech is indistinguishable with magic and Delta has 8 years of tech advancement. Also reason Walkure song works due to they were same type as Ranka and Basara which able to convey song through fold receptor resonance which affect people mentally
I find it your comment Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R better than Macross Delta are very Insulting to Macross fan as I think Delta is way better than Frontier as in ep 2 and 3 of Delta already shows better world building and Character development than Frontier, hell Delta even have Actual VF-1 in combat in Delta where in Frontier it use in display.
Don’t tell me you don’t like dogfighting scene and don’t like design of VF-31 and Sv262. Also in ep 2 and ep3 there something big going on in Wind kingdom
By the WAY Planet Ragna is at outer rim of galaxy which neighbouring Wind kingdom while Frontier take place in around center of galaxy. Do research if you call yourself Macross fan
I even saw some people from forum who has same harsh comment and jump the gun negative view of delta with you, actually ADMIT THEY WERE WRONG ABOUT DELTA, WILIING TO TAKE BACK AND EAT EVERY WORD THEY SAYS ABOUT NEGATIVE COMMENT ON DELTA DURING EP 1 AND EVEN APOLOGIZE FOR THEIR QUiCK JUMP THE GUN COMMENT ON DELTA QUALITY.
I will recommend you to watch ep 2 and 3 of Delta, as to shows great world building scene and character development
#triggered
You are taking my remarks WAY too seriously. I’m having some fun with my remarks there. 🙂
The fight just didn’t do much for me. It didn’t grip me or look that impressive. But that’s just me.
I barely have time to write reviews and respond to comments. I’m doing some massive hours at work and after it is all said and done, I will have worked four weeks without a day off. ^_^;;; (But at least I have a job.)
That was always my plan. 🙂 Hopefully, I can get episode 2 out sometime this week.
You HAVE to SEE ep 4 and the rest of Macross Delta if you are consider Macross fan. It because for the first time in macross history, Macross Delta will feature full scale Interstellar Galactic wars.
That is the plan. I think I’ll finally get a day off this weekend. Hopefully, I can do something constructive and not sleep the whole day. ^_^;
I’m a little curious… would this have been any more palatable if they had been up-front and called it Macross: Because Reasons? If this lasts for a couple of seasons,Fuuka might have a rival for Most Absurd Combination of Coincidences.
I swear this sounds like the beginning of an atrocious Mary Sue fanfic.
I’m guessing Freyja is the orange-haired girl with blond streaks and tips, which I find all the more amusing after reading Ensign Sue Must Die (with a title character whose hair randomly changes colors). But this has kindofan unfortunate effect with her individualized ahoge… it looks like some sort of alien creature has taken up residence, perhaps as a pet.
…and sounds suspiciously like the premise of a zombie film, on first face. But hurray, this one has a cure!
Singing. (◞‸ლ)
Thank goodness their race(s) are apparently immune!
(…at least until the plot requires otherwise, three episodes from now)
Is it jaded of me to have been laughing hysterically by the end of this? (^_~)
I’m hesitant to look up the writers, because now I’m terribly afraid one of them will be named Wanabi Marisu.
Not true – they haven’t found a song to get people to mind their own business yet, but they’re working on it.
If you found this sort of thing painful, stay FAR away from Fuuka. This just keeps on reminding me of that train wreck.
Ha!ha! I doubt it ’cause the reasons are ¥¥¥. 😉
Yep.
Yeah, that’s not far fetched, only they aren’t quite dead yet. 😉 (But they do get that disgusting, veiny look.)
Ha!ha! Not at all. I would have been laughing hysterically, except I watched it. 😛
Noted!
in minute 02.41, what title song?
I’m not sure what you are asking.