Macross Delta 04 Review (Please buy our CD and models ’cause “Macross”!)

Macross Delta 04
Macross Δ 04
マクロスΔ 04

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Macross Delta 04A party is thrown for Freyja becoming a member of Walküre and Hayate becoming a member of Delta Squadron. At the party, the two learn that Walküre will be doing a Vaccine Concert on Planet Randor at the request of its government. The following day, the carrier Aether detaches as the left arm of Macross Elysion to take Walküre and Delta Squad to Randor. Hayate is given his first look at his bird, a VF-31 Siegfried variable fighter. Walküre members Makina and Reina have tuned the fighter for him so he doesn’t have to use the AI or wear a helmet. Freyja comes by, but after having a chat with Hayate, she is somewhat calmer about the concert.

Macross Delta 04Before Walküre make their jump to the concert stage, Mikumo gives a warning to Freyja about performing or losing her job. Freyja flubs her landing, thanks to nerves, and her nervousness causes Mikumo to again warn her about failure leading to unemployment. During the concert, Walküre are targeted for attack by Aerial Knights from the Windermere Kingdom. Delta Squad defends, but young Windermere Prince Heinz sings a song from his planet that causes the UN Spacy support fighter pilots to become possessed by Var Syndrome. Hayate defends Freyja, allowing her to join Mikumo in song to counter the Var Syndrome affects. The Aerial Knights cause a hologram of their leader, Roid Brehm, to appear, where he declares war on the New United Government as Delta Squad gets word of an invasion on Planet Vordor.

Thoughts/Review:

So, this episode was partially an advertisement for the Walküre CD and partially an advertisement for the new Macross models and such.

Macross Delta 04

Mikumo comes off as quite a bitch in this episode. It is obvious that Freyja is very nervous, so naturally, threatening her twice with being fired if she doesn’t perform well is going to help her performance anxiety, right? 🙄

Macross Delta 04

Fortunately for Macross Delta, Freyja is such an airhead, such threats don’t hang around her head too long, allowing her to do her thing in a critical moment.

Macross Delta 04

The emphasis on Freyja being from Windermere at the start of the series now become evident as the bishounen losers are revealed to be from there as well.  Let me guess — this puts doubt on Freyja being a member of Walküre, right?

Macross Delta 04

Speaking of Freyja, the episode had her be a fan of LIN Minmei (Super Dimension Fortress Macross), Fire Bomber (Macross 7), Sheryl Nome (Macross Frontier), and Ranka Lee (Macross Frontier) were nice nods to the franchise’s previous TV incarnations, even if it came off a bit forced. (I’ve yet to watch Macross 7, but I hear it is pretty awful, so it hasn’t been high on my list.)

Macross Delta 04

I still don’t like the “helmets are for losers” Hayate. I want him to take a head injury in the worst kind of way. It annoyed me that Walküre members Makina and Reina enabled him in his stupidity.

Macross Delta 04

Finally, while the battle and use of the Delta Squad fighters as part of the concert are an attempt to boost sales of those models, the battle stuff did come off better here to me than it did in the first episode.

Macross Delta 04

In the end, this episode was OK for what it was. I’ve no clue what stick got up the Windermere bishounen losers’ arse to declare war on everyone, but I guess there would be an action element of the series without it. Maybe we’ll learn something in the next episode.

Macross Delta 04

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12 Responses to “Macross Delta 04 Review (Please buy our CD and models ’cause “Macross”!)”

  1. ctrn says:

    Well…. I’m going to tell the truth… I didn’t watch Macross 7 yet. The set-up is good: Max Genius, Mirya, their daughter… but the comments were always negative (as all turned to be bad, even the mechas) and there are 50+ episodes so….

    Back on Delta: Freyja and Mirage are the most potable characters until now. I don’t even remember the names of the others, except from Hayate and Mikumo, whose to me are the worst characters.

    Just a question: With all the importance of the magic “fold singing”, where are Sheryl and Ranka? They both are Vajra Queens right? They can easily resolve the Var hijacking attack and all the Windermere Army and Prince problem back from a concert hall in Frontier, with a super-long-distance-hyper-folding-singing-attack, maybe with a new remix of “ai oboete imasu ka?”

    I believe that one of them can crush Walkure just humming on the shower…

    • AstroNerdBoy says:

      Well…. I’m going to tell the truth… I didn’t watch Macross 7 yet. The set-up is good: Max Genius, Mirya, their daughter… but the comments were always negative (as all turned to be bad, even the mechas) and there are 50+ episodes so….

      Yeah, that’s why I haven’t watched more than the first episode.

      I don’t even remember the names of the others, except from Hayate and Mikumo, whose to me are the worst characters.

      Yeah, I have to look up the names of the others.

      As to Mikumo, she didn’t irritate me until this episode. Before, she was the cliched, “cool” beauty. But here, she was just awful.

      Just a question: With all the importance of the magic “fold singing”, where are Sheryl and Ranka?

      Heh!heh! Yeah, one would think they’d be important, but then they have to be put on the shelf ’cause “new characters” need to be sold. 😉

      (Although, I suppose it is possible to have them come back for a cameo.)

  2. Charleston says:

    So what do you think f Sv-262(transformation and battleroid) comapred to VF-27

    Also what do you think of Frejya lifespan?

    Those ep 4 change your view of Delta as many old macross fan who has neagtive view on Delta has change their opinion after ep 4

    By the way Macross 7 COULD have been good series as it has good battle scene and Basara. Main problem was that it drag story too long and too many filter episode as main story at at least 13 episode or 25 episode at best.

    • AstroNerdBoy says:

      So what do you think f Sv-262(transformation and battleroid) comapred to VF-27

      I don’t know if I can compare at the moment (I should be in bed sleeping). The battle looked fine.

      Also what do you think of Frejya lifespan?

      The cynic in me says this is just a way to tug at heartstrings, possibly by having something bad happen with Freyja down the road, or just to show that she wouldn’t have much of a career as a singer. Otherwise, I’m not sure what this will ultimately mean, other than being a bit of trivia.

      As to episode 4 itself, I can’t say my overall negative view of Macross Delta has been changed much. The concert was something I saw as merely an advertisement to sell the music CDs in Japan and the battles, while they looked good, were ultimately just an advertisement to sell models (though they’ll never be as popular as Gundam models). I’m going to keep watching though. 🙂

      • Charleston says:

        Her lifespan the main reason that she become popular in macross fanbase as she already live out half of her lifespan, despite that she determined to fulfilled her dream to become great idol as she does not have much time left and her genki ness and heart of steel despite her short lifespan makes me like Frejya more than Ranka and Minmay(sorry if you’re oldies fan)

        • AstroNerdBoy says:

          Freyja isn’t a unique character. Her being a combination of airhead, optimist, cheerful, determined, clumsy, etc. are an old trope. Making her life span shorter isn’t unique either, though usually, it is some other thing causing the character to have a shortened lifespan (illness, for example).

          Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike the character, but I can’t help but see her short lifespan as being an artificial means of tugging at the heart strings.

          • Charleston says:

            You have to watch ep 6 of delta. It has a lot of Dogfight which superior than Plus and Zero and has major character development for Hayate

          • AstroNerdBoy says:

            Yeah, I’m way behind. I hope to catch up this week.

  3. arimareiji says:

    I still don’t like the “helmets are for losers” Hayate. I want him to take a head injury in the worst kind of way.

    Between the two traumas, I’m guessing he prefers “physical” to “emotional”. Sometimes, shaking off bad memories is much easier said than done. (Link and product name not safe for sensitive souls.)

    • AstroNerdBoy says:

      They’ve made Hayate the “rebel without a care” type MC, and wearing a helmet is somehow conformity. Don’t get me wrong; were this his own personal motorcycle or aircraft, I’d say, “Do what you want.” But in a military setting, even a paramilitary unit like Delta Squad, you strap yourself in, wear the helmet, and follow orders. Hayate’s “frack that” attitude is why I want him to be injured badly. (Won’t happen, but one can dream.)

      • arimareiji says:

        I could easily be wrong, but I still think our opinions come close to meeting. Mine lies somewhere in the 3-way intersection of it being pointless affectation (“I’m cool by being different in a way that matters to no one”), snowflakiness (“my individuality always trumps the needs of the many”), and “too much willing suspension of disbelief required”, and I wonder if you might be similarly located but in different words.

        “Look at my cool purple knee socks, acid-green hat, and bright orange jumpsuit!” …okay, buddy. That’s nice.
        “And doesn’t it look even cooler by contrast since we’re snowbound, deep in enemy territory, and everyone else is wearing white or light grey?” (◞‸ლ)
        “No sir mister officer, I will not change my outfit! Stop oppressing me!” “Well, since you and your two friends feel so strongly about it, I’d better back down even though you’re privates and I’m a general.” (ಠ_ಠ) …screw this, I’m going to watch something more realistic.

        • AstroNerdBoy says:

          I could easily be wrong, but I still think our opinions come close to meeting.

          I think you are correct. 🙂

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