(Summary/Translation) Macross Frontier Episode 25 Staff/Cast Commentary

with Nakamura Yuuichi, Endou Aya, Nakajima Megumi and Kawamori Shouji.

Hm…I wonder if it is a good idea to use this pic…

Note 1 This summary-translation is completely my own work. Please DO NOT reproduce it anywhere else, though you are quite welcome to link to it if you wish.

Note 2: Don’t take these as straight-out translations, but as paraphrases of what the commentators say. I simply don’t have the time to note down everything that they say. Furthermore, I’ve probably misheard or mistyped something somewhere, but well, sue me. (^_^)

Note 3: I’m sure you remember that nickname by now…

Bit of trivia which some might or might not find interesting: this commentary was recorded on Valentine’s Day, about 10 weeks before the BD was released. Note that there are also a few shots added here and there, which really lengthened the episode. I’ve noted one below – can you spot any of the others?

(Summary/Translation) Macross Frontier Episode 20 Staff/Cast Commentary

with Nakamura Yuuichi (Alto), Kamiya Hiroshi (Michel) and Toyoguchi Megumi (Klan).

…Klan?

Note 1 This summary-translation is completely my own work. Please DO NOT reproduce it anywhere else, though you are quite welcome to link to it if you wish.

Note 2: Don’t take these as straight-out translations, but as paraphrases of what the commentators say. I simply don’t have the time to note down everything that they say. Furthermore, I’ve probably misheard or mistyped something somewhere, but well, sue me. (^_^)

Note 3: Remember, You-kyan is Nakamura, and HiroC is Kamiya. Additionally, HiroC calls Toyoguchi Megumi “Megu”…though I don’t use that nickname. I’m not sure if she has a common one that seiyuu fans use…

Also, a note before we start: this commentary may not be what you expect. It’s something that really should be listened to, rather than read off a page, because the atmosphere is completely lost in translation and transcription. I’ve subbed two short clips as a taste…but if you’re annoyed by the first, I’m not entirely sure you should listen to the second…or even continue reading, for that matter. If you’re up for it, please continue. If not…well, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Hyouka 21 and the art of reading between the lines

For the last 21 weeks, there has been one series that has never failed to engross me each week…to the extent that I’ll watch it several times to fully grasp the nuances of the dialogue. Of course, it doesn’t help that I tend to watch it raw…

This week, we were presented with the most unusual Valentine’s Day anime episode I have ever seen. Like most other series, Hyouka’s Valentine’s episode involved the giving of honmei chocolate, that is, the chocolate that a girl gives to the person who holds her heart. What was different, however, was the complexity of the messages exchanged in the ritual, which were encoded in the strangeness of the incident that played out before us.

A step forward…?

For the record: Yack Deculture!

Collected here is all the translated material for the Macross franchise that I know of. It is split into two parts – translations done by myself, and those by others. Many of them are far more qualified and prolific than I am, so let’s begin with those:

Translations by others, and some general links

Macross wiki (Japanese site)
Sketchley’s Translations – the biggest collection of translations of ‘canon’ material such as mecha stats and character descriptions/biographies. Sketchley’s current project is to translate as much of the renewed Macross Chronicle as possible. There’s a lot of information there, about characters, the mecha and about the Macross universe. But whichever of these floats your boat, I recommend that you start with Kawamori’s foreward to the updated, 2013 Chronicle. (p.s. the Chronicle’s TOC.)
The Macross Mecha Manual
Shawn & Graham’s Macross World
Egan Loo’s Macross Compendium

Interviews/Translations/Summaries by others: specifics

1983-08 Interview with SDFM producer Iwata Hiroshi
1984-10 Animage “Minmay: Ai Miemashita ka Book” supplement
1985-12 Shōji Kawamori’s Advanced Valkyrie
1998-09 Kawamori Shouji, from Macross 7 Fun Net
2005-07 BS Anime Yawa: Macross Do You Remember Love” TV special (summary).
2008-06 Macross Frontier OST 1 Nyan Fro, Kawamori Shōji & Kanno Youko; Liner Notes
2008-09 Otona Anime #9, Kawamori Shōji (commentary on MW)
2008-11 Otona Anime #10, Ebata Risa & Takahashi Yuuichi
2009-09 Interview with May’n during AFA 2009, Singapore
2009-11 Macross the First 1, Tenjin Hidetaka: “I’m like a backlash against Kawamori-san and Mikimoto-san”
2010-?? “Blackout” (Itano Ichirō on authenticity in Macross Plus), from NEO magazine #69
2010-?? “Entering the Itano Circus,” from SFX Total Anime #3
2012-11 Watanabe Shinichirō (Macross Plus) at AFA 2012
2015-02 SDF-1 Macross: Thorough Dissection, Miyatake Kazutaka: “Working on Macross was nothing but fun!”
2015-11 “Shoji Kawamori, The Creator Hollywood Copies But Never Credits.”
2016-05 “Shōji Kawamori On ‘Macross Delta’ And His Hopes For The Series.”

Also, some important discussions about ‘translated’ material online:
The Ohnogi/Shaloom Question (Macross World, AnimeSuki Forums)

SpeakerPodcast highlights

Ep.8-1 (and 2): Egan Loo speaks
Ep.14-1: Tom Bateman on working at Harmony Gold
Ep.14-3: Macross Mythbusters
Ep.19: A report on a Kawamori x Tenjin talkshow
Ep.25: Talkin’ Takani
Ep.29: Triple Encore! (Mari Iijima in concert)
Ep.31-1 (and 2): Shoji Kawamori’s ‘The HENKEI’
Ep.33: US Renditions Orguss Panel at Macross World Convention 2015
Ep.36 and Ep.37: The Macross Live Action Movie Treatment
Ep.39: SDF-1 Macross Designer Kazutaka Miyatake-on a BOAT!

Translations/summaries by yours truly

Macross Delta

Yasuda Kenji on Macross ∆ (from his Bandai Channel interview, March 25, 2016)
My coverage of the Macross ∆ radio show, “Gori Gori Radio Shicharu Kara ne!”

Macross Frontier

Kawamori x Yoshino on Creating Macross Frontier, from Animage Original vol.1, Aug 2008
Kawamori Shōji’s interview from 2059: Memories (Oct 2008): Talking ‘story’ in Macross Frontier (and his episode commentary)
Kawamori Shōji’s Fan Book interview: on conceptualising Macross Frontier
Kikuchi Yasuhito’s Fan Book interview: Remembering Love via Macross Frontier
Yoshino Hiroyuki’s Fan Book interview: on triangles, loli characters and working with Kawamori
Macross F The Movie Official Guidebook: Perfect Triangle
   Kikuchi Yasuhito on making The False Diva
   Kawamori Shōji interview on bringing Macross F from TV to theater
Wings of Farewell Official Complete Book
   Director’s Comment, p.12
   Voice Actor Interview, Endo Aya x Nakamura Yuuichi x Nakajima Megumi, p.54-7
   Kanno Youko, p.92-5 – including Kanno’s comments on many of the songs from the Frontier films.
   The very first interview, reprinted from the July 2007 issue of Newtype, p.114-5
   Director Interview, p.120-3
From Sheryl ~Kiss in the Galaxy~
   vol 1: Kawamori Shouji’s Special Interview
   vol 3: A Threeway Conversation with Ebata Risa, Kawamori Shouji and Koyama Kariko
   vol 4: “Now we can finally lay it bare! Juicy quips about the couples of Macross F!”, with Kawamori Shouji
Misc
   A Day in Alcatraz, the short story from the Sheryl Nome Visual Collection Final
   “After tea, it’s time to solve to mysteries…” from the May 2011 issue of Animedia
   Some of the “Special Talk” from “The Wings of Farewell” Blu-Ray…
Episode commentaries
   Episode 1: Close Encounter (Yack Deculture Edition)
   Episode 4: Miss Macross
   Episode 7: First Attack
   Episode 10: Legend of Zero
   Episode 12: Fastest Delivery
   Episode 16: Ranka Attack
   Episode 18: Fold Fame
   Episode 20: Diamond Crevasse
   Episode 25: Your Sound
And some brief notes on the Macross F Radio Show

Reviews and reflections

Macross Frontier TV
SDFM and DYRL
Macross Plus
Macross Zero
In memory of 2011 part 12 – the anime moment of the year
Macross Frontier: The False Diva and The Wings of Farewell
My three–post series on Macross Canon

(Summary/Translation) Macross Frontier Episode 18 Staff/Cast Commentary

with Yoshino Hiroyuki (script), Kikuchi Yasuhito (Director), Endou Aya (Sheryl) and Inoue Kikuko (Grace).

The pain of betrayal

Note 1: This summary-translation is completely my own work. Please DO NOT reproduce it anywhere else, though you are quite welcome to link to it if you wish.

Note 2: Don’t take these as translations, but as paraphrases of what the commentators say. I simply don’t have the time to note down everything that they say. Furthermore, I’ve probably misheard or mistyped something somewhere, but well, sue me. (^_^)

Note 3: I had A LOT of difficulty trying to figure out who was talking at particular times in this commentary, so some of the comments might not be attributed to the right people. To be honest…any help on this one would be particularly appreciated!

(Summary/Translation) Macross Frontier Episode 16 Staff/Cast Commentary

with Nakamura Yuuichi, Endou Aya, Hoshi “Pappi” Souichirou and Yoshino Hiroyuki (script). This lot really had fun with the commentary, talking about everything from Brera’s clothes, the nose art on Kanaria’s Monster to the fact that Frontier songs were sung at the wrap party for another, rather famous series…

aka: the episode where Alto is forced to reassess the path in life that he wants to take

Note 1: This summary-translation is completely my own work. Please DO NOT reproduce it anywhere else, though you are quite welcome to link to it if you wish.

Note 2: Don’t take these as translations, but as paraphrases of what the commentators say. I simply don’t have the time to note down everything that they say. Furthermore, I’ve probably misheard or mistyped something somewhere, but well, sue me. (^_^)

Sakamichi no Apollon: the curse of noitaminA strikes again?

Don’t you love those musical notes and symbols?

When it was announced that Watanabe Shinichirou and Kanno Youko would be teaming up again for the first time since Cowboy Bebop, and for a series centered around jazz, parts of the Western anime fandom exploded in reverent anticipation. Whilst Kanno has remained quite prominent as an anime music composer, Watanabe has only directed a handful of shows over the years, and English-speaking fans were understandably excited about the prospect of another series that could go down in history. However, when it was confirmed that Apollon would only have the standard 12 episodes of the noitaminA block, fear and disappointment replaced those formerly positive emotions. There was no way that the manga’s 9 volumes could fit into just 12 episodes, right?

(Summary/Translation) Macross Frontier Episode 12 Staff/Cast Commentary

With Nakajima Megumi, Kawamori Shouji and Kikuchi Yasuhito (the director).

kira!☆

Summary based on a little comment made at the end of this commentary: 12 was probably the most important episode of the series for Ranka, wasn’t it?

Note 1: This summary-translation is completely my own work. Please DO NOT reproduce it anywhere else, though you are quite welcome to link to it if you wish.

Note 2: Don’t take these as translations, but as paraphrases of what the commentators say. I simply don’t have the time to note down everything that they say. Furthermore, I’ve probably misheard or mistyped something somewhere, but well, sue me. (^_^)

[Megumi-chan begins this episode commentary the same way they did ep. 10…and it’s really somewhat amusing to hear Kawamori and Kikuchi try to join in!]

(Summary/Translation) Macross Frontier Episode 10 Staff/Cast Commentary

with Nakajima Megumi, Endou Aya (Sheryl) and Kawamori Shouji. IMHO, this is one of the more interesting commentaries, because Kawamori explains some of the thinking that went into the creation of the character of Alto. There is another interview, released shortly after the end of the series, that goes into it a bit further, and which I hope to get to eventually. In any case however, I’ll let other fans make of it what they will, as they always have done.

The turning point…

Note 1: This summary-translation is completely my own work. Please DO NOT reproduce it anywhere else, though you are quite welcome to link to it if you wish.

Note 2: Don’t take these as translations, but as paraphrases of what the commentators say. I simply don’t have the time to note down everything that they say. Furthermore, I’ve probably misheard or mistyped something somewhere, but well, sue me. (^_^)

[Eto…firstly, the way that Megumi-chan and Aya-chan say “Hajimaru you~”…can someone tell me what that’s a reference to? I swear I’ve heard that singsong tone somewhere before…]

Nakajima: The episode commentary
Endou: for the 10th episode
Nakajima & Endou: begins here!

Chihayafuru: the need for rivalry

Warning: this time, I’m going to be talking about the most recent chapters of the manga, so please stop here is you don’t want to be spoiled. (^_^)

One thing that many sports series – anime or manga – feature is the ‘rival’. The rival typically takes the form of another person or team whose skills are far above those of the protagonist at the start, an entity that the protagonist aims to compete with and eventually overcome. Given this set-up, one might expect that most stories end sometime after the protagonist passes the rival…but is that really the point of the ‘rival’? Merely to show the growth of the protagonist in the sport in question? Suetsugu Yuki – following in the footsteps of a number of writers before her – begs to differ.

I was here first.