From: rksuzuki@edison.seas.ucla.edu (Richard K. Suzuki)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime
Subject: **Macross II Premier (Sort of) in LA!**  (no real spoilers)
Date: 9 Apr 92 19:03:20 GMT
Organization: SEASnet, University of California, Los Angeles


	Last weekend a comic comvention down here in LA showed the first
    episode of Macross II:  Lover's Again (or something like that).  The
    episode's title was Contact.  
    	Although we got to see it before it was released in Japan I wouldn't 
    call it a premier because we did not see the final version, which is
    still in production.   What was shown was a working version that would
    have sections added or removed before the OVA was officially released.
    For example, there was no neat opening animation, only stills, and for
    something like this you _know_ the opening will be impressive in the
    final product.  Some of the battle scenes were incomplete and needed the
    in-between cells added in (but they still looked better than the 
    Robotech:Sentinels animation! :) )   
	Even though it was an unfinished version seeing it up on a BIG
    movie sized screen made up for it.  The heroine, Sylvia is cute and
    the first anime-heroine I can think of who has freckles.  The hero looks 
    like the typical anime-hero type and you just know that the two of them
    are going to fall in love when they first meet.  You'll know what I
    mean when I see the video - what usually happens between two potential
    lover's in anime?  They exchange warm, friendly smiles?  Hardly..... 
	There weren't any good scenes of the new Valkyries but hopefully
    those will be added in later.  The new pilot helmet designs are amusing
    because the cover the pilots mouths so the animators don't have to move 
    their mouths when they talk!  (Guess Mikimoto learned that trick from
    Gunbuster :) )  That could also be whay Sylvia has freckles, that way
    you can tell her apart from the trio of cute-girl pilots in her
    squadron.   
	I don't want to give away anything of the plot but there is a
    special tactic used called the 'Minmay Attack' which I will leave up 
    to your imagination to envision.  There was some confusion with the
    people I saw it with about whether this takes place after the end of the 
    TV show or the end of the movie.  The SDF-1 looked like the TV show 
    version but some elements were reminiscent of the movie.  Perhaps the
    final release of the OVA will clear up which timeline it is following.
     	Although Macross II will be released with 2 half hour episodes per
    OVA we were only able to see the first half hour episode.  That and the
    incomplete animation left a lot of people feeling unsatisfied but I'm
    looking forward to seeing the completed version. More scenes and clearer 
    combat sequences will be needed if this series is to be on par with 
    Gundam 0083 but it certainly has the potential to match, or even better
    that excellent series.  Let's keep our fingers crossed.
	(Now if they will only to an OVA series based on that computer
    game with Max and Miriya's daughter, Camillia!)   

--
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       Richard Suzuki                     "It's a pity that stupidity 
       rksuzuki@seas.ucla.edu              isn't painful......" 
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime