A welcome pause from the soapy space opera of the last couple episodes (e.g., Lisa pining for her lost love on Mars, the ongoing saga of star-crossed Rick and Minmei). The 70,000 inhabitants of the SDF-1 needed a morale booster and so did the audience. "Miss Macross" delivers exactly that and delivered it with enjoyable and entrancing aplomb.
The SDF-1 is holding a beauty pageant to crown Miss Macross and it is a major cultural event. I found it funny how the Zentraedi pick up the Macross Broadcast System's television signal and wonder what this big event is all about and so dispatch a reconnaissance ship to gather intel. And it was hilarious to see these Zentraedi warriors watching the bathing suit contest and speculating on whether the women were wearing a very ineffective armor, formal uniforms, or whether these weren't even real women but a new secret weapon. It was obvious these hardened warriors had never before beheld a bikini-clad beauty. In fact, the Zentraedi were shocked and scandalized by seeing a man and a woman speaking together. That provided valuable insight into Zentraedi culture. With total war and conquest its default setting, coupled with a sharp division of the sexes, I'm beginning to suspect the Zentraedi are loosely inspired by Islam (which religion Frank Herbert also drew upon when creating Dune).
Another insightful takeaway concerns Lisa "Sourpuss" Hayes. When Claudia suggests Rick is late returning from his patrol because he's checking out the beauty contest, Lisa grunts a smug "I don't think so." Why would she say that? Does she think Rick is too young or just isn't interested in girls? And why does she despise Rick so much? Is it because she's inadvertently responsible for his becoming a military pilot and for his promotion to lieutenant and group leader? Couple that with the humiliation of Rick saving her life in "Bye-Bye, Mars." I have from the opening episode found her to be a very unsympathetic character. Our first impression is her resenting Claudia's partying the night before. Even considering and appreciating her tragic loss and broken heart, she's such a bitter and frigid person, all work and barely any play (lingering in lingerie shops an exception! Though we have to ask, for whom and to what end?)
In addition to the prurient appeal provided by the bevy of bikini girls (oh, and Minmei in a chaste one-piece), there was profundity to be found. The three Zentraedi soldiers endeared themselves with their humanity (if that's the right word for this alien race). I enjoyed seeing them glued to the beauty pageant struggling to figure out the earthlings and their kooky culture, no doubt wondering what fools these Micronians be! These men were the Zentraedi equivalents of Rick, Ben, and Max, friends, comrades, and apparently good guys at heart. The danger of humanizing the enemy (instead of demonizing him) is the audience wants the best for them, and there I was rooting for them to get safely away in that escape pod before Rick showed up.
On that note, would Rick have shot all three men in cold blood? I commend Rick for not being able to kill the terrified Zentraedi a few episodes ago. I'm glad he wasn't put in that same dilemma this time, especially as his head wasn't in the game. I laughed at his tuning out Lisa to tune back in the pageant, and how he became so mesmerized by Minmei's big moment he almost crashed smack into the Zentraedi scout ship!
Speaking of that vainglorious vixen, we learn Minmei is five-foot-two and her favorite color is blue. Hmm, maybe she was sending a winking message to Max Sterling that she digs his crazy blue locks! Max better watch out, by the way. He tells Ben that Minmei "sure doesn't look sixteen to me!" Oh, how many guys have said exactly that as the police put on the cuffs!
Random observations: Macross science developed an artificial blue sky along with sunrises and sunsets, simulating the days and nights of earth. I had not considered how such things would boost physical and mental wellbeing. In contrast, one whose mental wellbeing is suffering is Jan Morris, a Hollywood actress caught in the hyperspace jump and is now far from the glamor and glitz of Tinseltown. Adding insult to injury, she loses the pageant to Yokohama's hometown girl Minmei. Jan's story made me reflect a moment on all the shanghaied passengers aboard the SDF-1 whose lives have been upended.
"Miss Macross" gave us a welcome respite from the angst, sturm und drang that define the series, but this episode was not a frothy throwaway as it boasted important insights that served to deepen the characters and also add nuance to the greater conflict. While it didn't do anything for Lisa's likeability, the story successfully made it increasingly difficult to outright loathe the Zentraedi and root for their total destruction.
In the end, my heart went out to Rick, still hopelessly crushing on Minmei, who crowned and coronated as Queen of Macross promises to be ten times the spoiled brat she already is.
The SDF-1 is holding a beauty pageant to crown Miss Macross and it is a major cultural event. I found it funny how the Zentraedi pick up the Macross Broadcast System's television signal and wonder what this big event is all about and so dispatch a reconnaissance ship to gather intel. And it was hilarious to see these Zentraedi warriors watching the bathing suit contest and speculating on whether the women were wearing a very ineffective armor, formal uniforms, or whether these weren't even real women but a new secret weapon. It was obvious these hardened warriors had never before beheld a bikini-clad beauty. In fact, the Zentraedi were shocked and scandalized by seeing a man and a woman speaking together. That provided valuable insight into Zentraedi culture. With total war and conquest its default setting, coupled with a sharp division of the sexes, I'm beginning to suspect the Zentraedi are loosely inspired by Islam (which religion Frank Herbert also drew upon when creating Dune).
Another insightful takeaway concerns Lisa "Sourpuss" Hayes. When Claudia suggests Rick is late returning from his patrol because he's checking out the beauty contest, Lisa grunts a smug "I don't think so." Why would she say that? Does she think Rick is too young or just isn't interested in girls? And why does she despise Rick so much? Is it because she's inadvertently responsible for his becoming a military pilot and for his promotion to lieutenant and group leader? Couple that with the humiliation of Rick saving her life in "Bye-Bye, Mars." I have from the opening episode found her to be a very unsympathetic character. Our first impression is her resenting Claudia's partying the night before. Even considering and appreciating her tragic loss and broken heart, she's such a bitter and frigid person, all work and barely any play (lingering in lingerie shops an exception! Though we have to ask, for whom and to what end?)
In addition to the prurient appeal provided by the bevy of bikini girls (oh, and Minmei in a chaste one-piece), there was profundity to be found. The three Zentraedi soldiers endeared themselves with their humanity (if that's the right word for this alien race). I enjoyed seeing them glued to the beauty pageant struggling to figure out the earthlings and their kooky culture, no doubt wondering what fools these Micronians be! These men were the Zentraedi equivalents of Rick, Ben, and Max, friends, comrades, and apparently good guys at heart. The danger of humanizing the enemy (instead of demonizing him) is the audience wants the best for them, and there I was rooting for them to get safely away in that escape pod before Rick showed up.
On that note, would Rick have shot all three men in cold blood? I commend Rick for not being able to kill the terrified Zentraedi a few episodes ago. I'm glad he wasn't put in that same dilemma this time, especially as his head wasn't in the game. I laughed at his tuning out Lisa to tune back in the pageant, and how he became so mesmerized by Minmei's big moment he almost crashed smack into the Zentraedi scout ship!
Speaking of that vainglorious vixen, we learn Minmei is five-foot-two and her favorite color is blue. Hmm, maybe she was sending a winking message to Max Sterling that she digs his crazy blue locks! Max better watch out, by the way. He tells Ben that Minmei "sure doesn't look sixteen to me!" Oh, how many guys have said exactly that as the police put on the cuffs!
Random observations: Macross science developed an artificial blue sky along with sunrises and sunsets, simulating the days and nights of earth. I had not considered how such things would boost physical and mental wellbeing. In contrast, one whose mental wellbeing is suffering is Jan Morris, a Hollywood actress caught in the hyperspace jump and is now far from the glamor and glitz of Tinseltown. Adding insult to injury, she loses the pageant to Yokohama's hometown girl Minmei. Jan's story made me reflect a moment on all the shanghaied passengers aboard the SDF-1 whose lives have been upended.
"Miss Macross" gave us a welcome respite from the angst, sturm und drang that define the series, but this episode was not a frothy throwaway as it boasted important insights that served to deepen the characters and also add nuance to the greater conflict. While it didn't do anything for Lisa's likeability, the story successfully made it increasingly difficult to outright loathe the Zentraedi and root for their total destruction.
In the end, my heart went out to Rick, still hopelessly crushing on Minmei, who crowned and coronated as Queen of Macross promises to be ten times the spoiled brat she already is.
