I had originally planned to watch Macross 7 first when I was starting this whole let’s-finish-off-Macross stretch last month. It was the longest one, so I wanted to plow through it and stop procrastinating. Unfortunately, I’d watch a few episodes and after facepalming repeatedly while my ears bled from the ninth time hearing Planet Dance in that episode, I’d give up and watch one of the other Macross anime. Repeat this for a month.
I’m going to be totally upfront about this: a large portion of my hate towards Macross 7 comes strictly from Planet Dance. Once they stop playing it nonstop around episode 25 or so, I’m able to enjoy the show much more easily. That also said, Power to the Dream starts getting awfully Planet Dance-y towards the end of the show due to its constant reuse. During that first half, I’d think thoughts like “Wait, so Fire Bomber is a real band and they have like a dozen albums? Are they really real albums, and not just 15 tracks of Planet Dance?” Ugh.
(Also, seeing how they “fight” the space vampires with THE POWER OF ROCK, it’s a good thing that it’s Fire Bomber that shows up instead of I dunno, Dragonforce or else this show would’ve only been 5 minutes long.)
Similarly, I’m not sure if the reason that I hate Basara at the beginning of the show is because he is SO DUMB, or simply because the one thing that he wants to do more than anything in his life is to force me to listen to Planet Dance. I stop hating him as the show goes on, but I can never tell if that’s because of character development or simply because he finally started singing a different song. Although, I do like all the other band members (related: I also like Mylene a lot more than Minmay), Planet Dance or no Planet Dance.
Next up: I expect, tolerate, and honestly desire a bit of wackiness in my Macross. That’s one of the biggest reasons why Macross II fell completely flat for me. But man, those space vampires. That was just too dumb for me to not groan at. Whether it’s like the symmetrical docking with Millia, or constantly shrieking/moaning when Basara sings, or simply you know, SPACE VAMPIRES THAT FEED ON MUSIC, maaaaaaan. However, while the sound I emitted during the symmetrical docking with Millia was a groan, Millia entering the Sound Force audition caused to me to laugh with, not at the show.
(Also, maaaaaaaaaaan the animation quality in this show…)
Finally, it also doesn’t help that there are also long stretches of the show where nothing happens. I mean, there’s something like 10 episodes left in the show, and now it’s time to spend multiple episodes of Mylene and Gamlin running around trying to where Che Guvava wandered off to?
(Also, I can’t be the only person that thought Mylene and Gamlin was creepy, right? She’s 14!)
That all said, that one OVA where Fire Bomber uses a captured Klingon Bird of Prey to go back in time to 1986 San Francisco to rescue the space whales was pretty decent.
(Also, nobody is ever, EVER allowed to complain about the fanservice in Macross Frontier as long as this exists.)
I think that might be the true universal experience of Macross 7.
…or the 12-year-old who goes skinny dipping with Basara in the space whale OVA. Squick!
Ok, being serious for a moment:
1) How many of those songs on those dozen Fire Bomber albums are unique songs? (Like how I’m pretty sure that one of those albums features Planet Dance three times on it)
2) How many of those unique songs are in the various Macross 7 anime?
“Planet Dance” was running through my head this whole post fffffffffffffffff
I counted the songs in my Fire Bomber Best Collection album and it’s around 16? There’s a duet version of Planet Dance, too.
I actually didn’t find the song bad. “A liar sings a sad song of surrender” is a pretty apt line to throw at those who drop this show!
Ozma likes Planet Dance.
Between Lets Fire!! and Second Fire, which were the two main “stuff in Macross 7″ CDs, there’s 19 distinct tracks. The OAV/Dynamite Fire CD had 13.
I’ve got no idea how many of those songs were actually used in the show.
this kind of anime makes me think that i could only watch them when i started with anime.. because nowadays i would just… not watch it? totsugeki love heart~~
(too much filler, too much repeated music, reused scenes)
haha i wonder how many hours of my life i lost listening to planet dance =p
Finally, it also doesn’t help that there are also long stretches of the show where nothing happens. I mean, there’s something like 10 episodes left in the show, and now it’s time to spend multiple episodes of Mylene and Gamlin running around trying to where Che Guvava wandered off to?
I honestly found the show to be remarkably subpar fare. And the animation felt like a throwback to our halcyon days of youth.
Like Rosario x Vampire with worse fanservice and animation but less pantsu bats and an attempt at plot.
But to each his own I guess. I’ll still be checking it out either way.
And no, I haven’t read the manga. Probably should.