Macross

On South Atalia Island in the South Pacific an alien warship crashes on Earth in the year 1999, bringing a raging global war to a halt. The united forces of Earth spend the next ten years developing its technology, rebuilding and refitting the ship. On the launch day of the ship (now christened the "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross”) an amateur pilot named Hikaru Ichijyo flies to the island to visit his friend Roy Focker and watch the launching. An alien armada enters Earth's star-system in pursuit of the ship. The armada is manned by a race of humanoid aliens known as the "Zentraedi". The Zentraedi send two scout ships to Earth to investigate. As the two ships approach the Earth they accidentally activate the automatic defenses aboard the Macross. The Macross fires a beam into space destroying both ships as they were entering a lunar orbit. The rest of the Zentraedi fleet witnesses the destruction of their scout ships and their general (Commander Breetai) orders them towards Earth. Roy was showing Hikaru the interior of a Valkarie fighter cockpit when the Macross fired. Roy tells Hikaru to wait in the cockpit while he goes to investigate what just happened. As the Zentraedi fleet advance on Earth they are attacked by Earth's orbital defense forces, but are easily beaten back. The Zentraedi press their attack towards Earth and Misa Hayase (the first officer of the Macross) mistakes Hikaru for a military pilot and orders him to take off. Hikaru, unfamiliar with combat, takes a near miss and his plane begins a nose dive. Misa orders him to switch to "Battleroid" mode, but Rick has no idea what she's talking about. Misa then tells Rick to pull the control marked "B" on his control panel. When he does his plane transforms into a giant robot and crashes into several building on the ground. Both Hikaru and the robot survive the crash with little damage.

The Zentradi attack on South Ataria Island pauses briefly. Global wants Roy and his squad to return, but they are in the middle of a dogfight. Vanessa reports that enemy forces are entering the atmosphere, and Global orders Misa to dispatch helicopters to investigate. She informs him that he already has dispatched the helicopters. Near the Nyan-Nyan Chinese restaurant, everyone watches Hikaru's Valkyrie and wonders if it is an alien mecha. Minmay's cousin Yoshio runs across the street, and Minmay scolds him for running in front of the mecha. Yoshio wants to look at the mecha, so they go up to Minmay's room. Hikaru gets out of the Valkyrie and asks Minmay what the Valkyrie looks like. He has no clue why it turns into a mecha, and a truck driver tells him to get out of the way. Two Sea Sergeant helicopters approach the ocean and are destroyed by the Zentradi Regult battle pods. Global sees that the Zentradi want to surround the island. The government official comes to bridge and orders Global to launch. Global says the ship isn't outfitted, and the politician tells him to go into space and dock with the ARMD carriers. As everyone on the bridge listens in, Shammy realizes she doesn't want to go into space anymore. With no other choice, Global orders the ship to takeoff. As the ship rises, the gravity control system breaks away from the ship instead of lifting it up. The Macross crashes on the island again, and Global thinks it is a terrible ship. Hikaru tries to move the Valkyrie, but he puts too much thrust into it and crashes into Minmay's room. Luckily, Minmay and Yoshio are safe. Several trucks pull the Valkyrie out of the restaurant, and it crashes into another building. Roy calls Misa on the bridge to report that the enemy air forces have been destroyed. He asks her where Hikaru's Valkyrie is, and she tells him it crashed into the city earlier. She asks what the deal is with that pilot, and Roy promises to explain later. He breaks away from his squad and searches the city until he finds Hikaru. He's glad to see that Hikaru is alive, and he prepares to land. Roy lands and transforms his Valkyrie into Battroid mode. Hikaru asks why the Valkyries transform into mecha, and Roy says it is a secret. He begins repairs on Hikaru's Valkyrie so that it becomes flight worthy In space, Vrlitwhai orders his ships to begin firing at South Ataria Island. The Regult squads surround South Ataria Island to prevent any escape. Roy and Hikaru both stare at Minmay as she and her family evacuate to a shelter, and they transform to GERWALK mode and take off. Minmay remembers she left something at home and runs off. The Zentradi ships begin their barrage from orbit, and Macross City is devastated. Roy is worried about Minmay, so he and Hikaru decide to look for her. The Regult squads begin their attack and many Valkyries are caught in firefights. Roy destroys a Regult pod attacking Minmay and tells Hikaru to watch her. As more pods attack, Roy provides cover fire while Hikaru grabs Minmay with the Valkyrie's hand and takes off. Roy asks how everything is, and Hikaru says he's fine. Roy says he doesn't care about him and only wants to make sure that Minmay is safe. Hikaru remembers that the plane is a two seater, and he thinks of he can get Minmay inside. A Regult attacks him, and he flies high in the air to avoid the missiles. His Valkyrie is attacked in the air, and the arm holding Minmay breaks off. As she freefalls through the air, Hikaru dives in after her and manages to get her in the cockpit. They return to the ground, and she thanks him for saving her. She sees that her hair is a mess, and when Hikaru asks her if her hair is more important than her life, she jokes that it's her hair. As Hikaru laughs, he slams into a Regult and crashes into the ground. When he stands up, he starts firing at the Regult until his gun pod runs out of ammo. To his shock, a giant man gets out of the Regult and approaches him. Roy kills the soldier and tells Hikaru that the Valkyries were built to fight those giants. He is quite surprised that they look like humans. Misa calls Roy and tells him to fly escort for the Macross. The ship's rocket engines, which were built on Earth, activate and begin lifting the ship. Roy takes off, but Hikaru is frozen in shock over what he has seen. This episode continues on the cliffhanger from the first one. Hikaru has gone on quite a wild ride, but it's far from over. He expected to just hang out with Roy and see fireworks, but this is far different. What a coincidence that his path of destruction through the city leads him right to Minmay's house. Both he and Roy show what perverts they are by again staring at Minmay's legs. She's the right age for Hikaru, but she's definitely too young for Roy. The Zentradi press their attack here, and this is the first time we get to see their Regult battle pods (aka the 'chicken legs') in action. Now that the Macross has taken off after one blundered attempt, it's off to space to fight the Zentradi. Of course, nothing in that battle will go as planned either.

As the Macross heads for space, Roy catches up with the ship to fly escort. He calls Hikaru and gets no response, so he figures Hikaru must still be in shock from the encounter with the enemy. He calls Misa and tells her he is going back to South Ataria Island to get Hikaru. Misa says something was odd about him, and Roy explains he is a civilian pilot. Hikaru is indeed still shocked by his encounter with the Zentradi, and he doesn't want Minmay to see the corpse. He tries to take off, but the Valkyrie crashes because the Zentradi soldier is holding onto the foot. Roy destroys several Regults before finding Hikaru. He sees the corpse holding onto the Valkyrie and jokes that aliens have the hots for Hikaru. He disconnects the cockpit from the Valkyrie and tucks it underneath his arm. Several Regults appear and attack, and Roy escapes. He reaches the air safely and heads for space. Hikaru and Minmay tell him they don't want to go to the Macross, and Roy promises to take Minmay back to South Ataria Island once the war ends. Hikaru and Roy begin arguing on the radio, and Hikaru calls Misa an old lady when she gets involved. Everyone on the bridge laughs, much to Misa's embarrassment. She gets angry and tells Hikaru he has some explaining to do about being in a Valkyrie. Nearby, Vrlitwhai and Exsedol track the ship's progress. They see the Macross is trying to join with it's space fleet, and they also want to prevent it from performing a space fold. Roy drives Hikaru and Minmay through the large corridors of the ship, and Hikaru wonders why war has started. Roy arrives at his destination, which is a hangar containing Hikaru's racer. Emergency stations are sounded, and Roy tells Hikaru and Minmay not to wander around because the ship is so large. As the Macross prepares to dock with two ARMD carriers, Vrlitwhai orders his ships to attack. The Zentradi fleet begins its barrage and destroys the ARMD carriers. Global orders Claudia to take the ship back over South Ataria Island and activate the fold system. Claudia and Misa protest because the system hasn't been tested, and Global says if they stand still they'll be destroyed. He tells Claudia to set course for the far side of the moon, and when she protests again, he yells at her. Hikaru performs some repairs on his plane and tells Minmay that he'll take her back to South Ataria Island. As the countdown to the fold continues, Hikaru opens the nearby hangar door. He and Minmay squeeze into his plane and take off. As the Macross settles over South Ataria Island, Global orders the fold system to be engaged. A bubble of energy envelops the Macross, Hikaru's plane, South Ataria Island and some of the surrounding ocean. Vrlitwhai is shocked that they performed a fold within a planetary atmosphere, and he orders Exsedol to calculate their de-fold position. When the Macross de-folds in space, Vanessa detects and object beneath the ship. Global thinks it's the moon, but it's actually South Ataria Island, which the ship crashes into. Hikaru and Minmay find themselves in a field of junk, and several large objects hit the plane and cause air to leak out. Hikaru activates the rocket booster and heads for the Macross. Regult pods are attacking the ship, so all the hangar doors are closed. When a Regult crashes into the hull and creates a hole, Hikaru flies into it and performs a rough landing. Once all the Regults are destroyed, Global orders the civilians to be brought into the ship. Vanessa reports that they have de-folded near orbit of Pluto, not the moon. Everyone is shocked, and Global says they will just fold back to Earth again. He receives a call from the engine room and is informed that the fold system has vanished. As Global heads down to the engine room, he sees that they're in for a long trip. The battle begun in the first two episodes continues here and reaches a brief conclusion, which sets up the space arc of the series and the journey back to Earth. There's more joking between Hikaru and Roy, and Hikaru has his first encounter with Misa. Though she is certainly not an old lady, he probably was so busy thinking about Minmay that he didn't get a good look at her. That will come back to haunt him in the near future. Global makes a miscalculation here that ends up dragging the Macross and South Ataria Island into deep space. And Hikaru and Minmay are trapped deep in the ship, which is what Roy warned them about. The crew may have escaped the Zentradi for the time being, but they'll be back very soon.

On the bridge, Global gives out orders to settle the civilian refugees from the island. He sees the aircraft carriers Prometheus and Daedalus floating nearby and orders Misa to have the work crews attach them to the ship. Since the ARMD carriers are gone, the aircraft carriers will serve as substitutes. Roy calls and wants to have a search party sent out to find Hikaru. Global says the priority is helping the 50,000 civilians, and Roy gets angry and cuts off the call. In the bowels of the ship, Hikaru tries to free his plane from the ropes it crashed into. Minmay says they should look for an exit, and they begin exploring the ship. She finds dripping pipes and accidentally burns herself. As they walk through the dark corridors, they eventually find a giant-sized airlock. Looking out the window, they see cars and buildings floating out in space. On the bridge, Kim makes coffee so that Misa and Claudia can take a short break. In the lower sections of the ship, Minmay tells Hikaru that she's thirsty, and he gets an idea. They get a steel rod and break open the pipes she burned herself on earlier. Minmay decides to take a shower in the flowing water, and Hikaru gets excited. Minmay looks at him strangely, and he decides he will wait. She asks him to place a piece of metal nearby as a screen. When he peeks through a hole to get a look, she screams. Hikaru brings her some clothes, and they return to the plane. He starts digging into his food, and Minmay wonders if they should ration it out. He says they will find an exit tomorrow, so it doesn't matter. Minmay falls asleep on Hikaru's soldier, and when a rat jumps on her, she thinks he's a pervert. When she goes over to lie on a sheet, she finds a bunch of rats. They laugh, and Hikaru jokes that he will make a deal with the rats to share the bed. Minmay falls asleep on his shoulder again. Hikaru begins searching the area to make a map and find a way out. When he returns he finds Minmay cooking to extend their rations. He figures the daughter of chefs would do that, and Minmay explains that the owners of Nyan-Nyan are her aunt and uncle, not her parents. She tells him that her parents live in Yokohama, Japan, and run a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. Hikaru continues searching the area, and seven days pass since their crash landing. As their food supplies run out, Hikaru decides to use the airlock to go out into space and call for help. Minmay is worried because he doesn't have a spacesuit or an oxygen tank, but he believes he can hold his breath and use his flight suit. As he prepares to go out into space, Minmay spots a giant tuna. Hikaru goes out into space to capture the tuna. As he brings it back into the airlock, it falls on him and knocks him down. He breaks free and knocks on the door as he begins to suffocate. Minmay closes the airlock, which slices the tuna and leaves only the head inside. Hikaru can't go back into space because his flight suit is ripped. Misa and Claudia eat in the mess hall, and Claudia tells Misa that the civilians have begun to build a refugee camp. After twelve days have passed, Hikaru and Minmay begin to despair. She sings the song "Cinderella", and he tells her she has a lovely voice. She says she's always wanted to be a bride, but that won't happen now that they're going to die. Hikaru says they'll be okay, and he suggests they have a fake wedding ceremony. Minmay tells him they should get it over with and throw themselves into space so they can die together. He calls her crazy, and she apologizes and begins to cry. As he is about to kiss her, a dud Zentradi missile slams through the ceiling. The mayor and other civilians spot them and pull them out. Minmay is reunited with her family, and the mayor tells Hikaru that they rebuilt the city inside the ship. Hikaru collapses from malnutrition. After the nonstop fighting in the first three episodes, we get a break from that here. While this is a slow moving episode, there is some good character development here. It is in this episode that we see the beginning of Hikaru and Minmay's friendship, and the beginning of Hikaru's attraction to her. Also, it is the first time that Minmay sings, which will develop more later on. Minmay goes kinda batty at the end of the episode, which is understandable after twelve days of confinement in the ship. However, wanting to commit suicide in space is a bit TOO much. We also get to see Macross City again, which after being destroyed by the Zentradi has been rebuilt inside the ship. Now that this is all settled, the long journey to Earth begins.

Macross City has been reconstructed inside the Macross, and the long journey back to Earth begins. At Nyan-Nyan, Minmay's aunt Lynn Feichun and uncle Lynn Shaochin return home with a small amount of rations. Minmay suggests they reopen the restaurant, but they say they don't have any food. Minmay reminds them that the restaurant was open during the Unification War, and she says they should go about their lives as usual. The mayor sees them setting up and thinks it's a good idea. Several soldiers come in to eat food and ask Minmay about her adventure. They ask if she did anything with Hikaru, and she says they are just friends. Hikaru overhears that and goes back to his room. He remembers how the day before Minmay said they should throw themselves into space together, but now they are just friends. In the engine room, Global is told by the chief engineer that the main gun cannot be fired anymore because the energy conduit connecting it to the main reactor vanished with the fold system. However, he suggests to Global the idea of a modular transformation to transform the ship and replace one conduit with another. Global says he can't do that because the city has just settled down, and a transformation could destroy it again. Hikaru looks at the scrap heap that used to be his racer, and Roy comes to visit him. He calls the racer a piece of scrap and takes Hikaru to an observation lounge to watch Valkyries in action. Hikaru is surprised they can fly in space, and Roy explains they have thermonuclear reaction engines. Roy asks Hikaru to join the military, and Hikaru asks Roy if girls can change from one day to the next. Roy laughs at him and sees that he has fallen for Minmay. He warns Hikaru that girls like her are fickle and other men could take her away. In lunar orbit, Exsedol shows Vrlitwhai video from the attack on South Ataria Island. They see that the inhabitants of Earth are miclones, which concerns Exsedol. He says there is a legend in the Zentradi military records about avoiding any planet with miclones. He says they should concentrate on the Macross, so Vrlitwhai orders his fleet to fold to the Macross's location. Upon de-fold he wants to send a ship out to test their strength. Hikaru thinks about knocking on Minmay's door, and she comes upstairs. They talk in her room, and he notices a letter. Minmay says it was what she went back for, and Hikaru wonders if it's a letter from a boyfriend. It's actually a letter for a singing audition, but Minmay thinks it's pretty pointless now that they are so far from Earth. She asks Hikaru if he has a dream too, and he says his dream is nothing but a scrap heap now. On the bridge, Misa detects the approaching Zentradi, and Global orders everyone to go to battle stations. Roy prepares for battle and launches in his Valkyrie. Hikaru and Minmay walk up to a place to view the city, and Minmay tells Hikaru that he's just as good a pilot as Roy. As the battle rages, Vrlitwhai and Exsedol wonder why the Macross hasn't fired it's main gun. Exsedol thinks they should send in more ships to provoke them further, and Vrlitwhai agrees. With more ships attacking, Global has no choice but to order the modular transformation. A notice is sent around the ship about the transformation, and Hikaru and Minmay wonder what that means. He thinks he would be happier if the city was just destroyed, and Minmay calls him a selfish jerk. As they argue, the transformation begins and the ground breaks away under Minmay. As she is about to fall into the chasm, Hikaru rescues her. Roy continues fighting outside and sees that the Zentradi fight much better in space than they did on Earth. Once the transformation is complete, Global orders the main gun to be fired at the Zentradi ships. The attacking ships and Regults are destroyed, and Vrlitwhai and Exsedol are left in shock. Minmay tells Hikaru his wish came true, and he says he wasn't expecting it to happen. Hikaru decides that he's going to join the military and stop moping around. After getting a break from the action with the last episode, it's back to the main story. There's quite a lot of plot developments here, and some character development too. In the character area, Hikaru is depressed for most of the episode about his plane being destroyed, and he's hesitant about joining the military, even if it means he can fly again. It all culminates in the argument between him and Minmay, but unfortunately that argument ends when he is forced to save her life again. On the plot side, we get an explanation about why the Zentradi abandon Earth to attack the Macross. It's not exactly explained what a miclone is, but according to Exsedol miclones (or humans) should be avoided. We also get to see the ship's famous transformation for the first time here, and it has some destructive consequences for Macross City. Now that Hikaru is going to become a soldier, there should be more action along the way.

A month has passed since the crew of the Macross won their first victory over the Zentradi. In that time, Hikaru has been undergoing rigorous training to become a Valkyrie pilot. In Macross City, Hikaru meets with Minmay and shows off his new uniform. Minmay stops in front of a dress shop and try on a dress in the window. Hikaru protests going inside, but Minmay drags him in. While she is trying on the dress, Misa, Shammy, and Kim enter the shop looking for lingerie. Embarrassed, Hikaru looks away and picks up the groceries he drops. Global heads down to where the fold system used to be to investigate a strange energy phenomenom. The chief engineer says he believes a barrier system can be developed from the phenomenom. Elsewhere, Vrlitwhai and Exsedol review the last battle, and they see no reason why the Macross transformed. Exsedol notes that the transformation limits their gravitational control. He thinks that the ship will head for Saturn and use ECM (electronic countermeasures) to escape. Vrlitwhai decides he will let them try their plan and then trap them. Minmay takes Hikaru back to Nyan-Nyan to see everyone, but Roy shows up and says he has orders. Hikaru walks to the base with Roy when they encounter Misa, Shammy, Vanessa, and Kim on the street. Roy introduces Hikaru to Misa, and both of them realize who they are. Misa tells him that it isn't proper for a man to be in a lingerie shop as she walks off. Hikaru and the rest of the Valkyrie pilots are called to a meeting, and an officer tells them they should spend time with whoever they want to see before the battle. Later that night, Hikaru meets Minmay in the park. She shows off her dress, but he doesn't notice it's the one she bought. Hikaru tells Minmay that they should take a picture, but she doesn't think she's very photogenic. He calls a cambot, and it takes their picture. Later, Roy visits Hikaru at the base and sees that he can't sleep. He thinks about how the hours before a battle are the worst. Hikaru tries to sleep, but he keeps thinking of the Zentradi he fought back on South Ataria Island. The next day, the Macross enters orbit of Saturn. Misa gives the Valkyrie pilots orders over the intercom. They will attack through the Cassini Divide after passing through the ice-filled shadow zone. Roy's Skull squadron launches with Hikaru as its newest member. He sees all the pilots flying recklessly and decides to do so himself. Misa contacts him and tells him that his fancy flying could give him away to the enemy. He argues with her, and she tells him to shut up and follow his orders. He enters the shadow zone and is almost hit by an asteroid. When he slows down, Misa calls him and asks where all his confidence went. He grumbles to himself about how annoying she is, and Claudia wonders when he will stop insulting Misa. A Zentradi ship captained by Zeril is called by Vrlitwhai to capture the Macross. The Valkyries emerge from the other side of the shadow zone and attack the Zentradi. Exsedol is amazed that they are attacking with such inferior tactics, and Vrlitwhai thinks they don't realize how much he is holding back. Meanwhile, Global has the ship lowered into an asteroid field to surprise the Zentradi. The pinpoint barrier is activated, and it uses three balls of photon energy to move around the ship, which are controlled by three huge trackball mice. The ship is raised, and Global orders the main gun to be fired, but nothing happens. The chief engineer tells him that the pinpoint barrier is probably interfering with the cannon. The ship is now defenseless as Zeril's cruiser moves in to capture them. Misa has an idea and has all three pinpoint balls moved to the front of the Daedalus. Elsewhere, under attack, Hikaru lands on Zeril's, and a hatch opens beneath him, dropping him into the ship. He explores the area and runs into a Zentradi soldier. The soldier is frightened and freezes. Hikaru lifts his weapon to fire, but hesitates. At the same time, the Macross rams the ship with the Daedalus. The front of the super carrier is opened, and all the Destroids launch their missiles. Hikaru escapes from the ship just as it explodes. Vrlitwhai is shocked to see the miclones win another battle and decides he might have to call for reinforcements. Well, there's another action packed episode. Even with all the action, there's still some character development. Hikaru may be a soldier now, but he's still the same person. As he wishes to get closer to Minmay, he also comes into conflict with Misa. The scenes in the lingerie shop and street are hilarious and provide some comic relief in a serious episode. Hikaru also screws up when flying in the shadow zone of Saturn's rings when he answers back to Misa. She's one person that you definitely don't talk to like that. Of course, he didn't learn his lesson the first time, so it's likely it'll take a few more rough encounters for him to get the picture.

Exsedol informs Vrlitwhai that there is an abandoned miclone base on Mars. Vrlitwhai thinks it will be an excellent opportunity to lure in the Macross and capture it. For the operation he has called in reinforcements from the 7th sector Armored Division of the 109th branch of the Bodol main fleet. Exsedol is shocked, because that group is commanded by the infamous Quamzin Kravshera. Quamzin is known for getting drunk during a battle and killing most of his mean, which earned him the nickname "Ally Killer." Despite Quamzin's reputation, Vrlitwhai is sure that he can control him. Quamzin's ships suddenly de-fold from space in close proximity to Vrlitwhai's ship and crash into them. Quamzin calls to introduce himself, and his subordinate Oigul says he won the bet for the booze because they crashed into four ships. Vrlitwhai becomes angry and tells Quamzin he won't take any of his stupidity in this operation. Meanwhile, Hikaru, Roy, and the other Valkyrie pilots fight off attacking Regults and Fighter Pods. After the battle, Roy tells Hikaru he should go into town to relax. Hikaru runs into Minmay and hears an announcement about the battle that contradicts what he saw. She takes him to a cafe and gives him an invitation to her birthday party. On the bridge, Vanessa receives a transmission from Salla Base on Mars, and Global is surprised. During the Unification War, the soldiers at Salla Base were all killed on their way back to Earth by Anti-United Nations forces. Global decides they will stop at Mars to get supplies. Upon hearing mention of Mars, Misa thinks of her boyfriend, Riber Frurink. Riber was in the army and went to Mars, and Misa decided to join the army to be with him. Quamzin's forces plant gravity mines underneath the surface and wait for the Macross. The ship lands outside of their range and sends Valkyries and Destroid Spartans to secure the base. Misa asks Global for permission to investigate the base, and he agrees. He moves the ship closer to Salla Base, which brings it within the range of Quamzin's mines and his force of hundreds of Regults. As the resupply continues, Hikaru and Roy patrol Salla Base. Hikaru asks Roy if he can have some leave time next week, and Roy says everyone in the squad has asked for a day off to go to Minmay's birthday party. Claudia interrupts and tells them not to chat, and Hikaru is surprised it isn't Misa on the radio. Claudia tells him that Misa is driving around nearby him. Misa enters the abandoned base to search for any signs of life, but she finds nothing. As Quamzin waits, he asks his man Gerao how much longer it will take for the mines to reach full power. One of the Regult pilots can't stand to wait and takes off, and Quamzin shoots him down with his Glaug. He says that if he can wait then his men can wait too. Vanessa detects the explosion, and Global orders Claudia to send a Cat's Eye recon plane to investigate. The Cat's Eye flies over the canyon where Quamzin is hiding and sends a report back to the Macross. Vanessa pulls up the report, and Global is shocked to see a thousand Regults in the canyon. Since that far outnumbers their own forces, Global tells Claudia to take off immediately. As the Macross attempts to take off, Gerao activates the gravity mines that prevent the ship from lifting off. Quamzin and his forces then emerge from the canyon and attack. As the attack continues, Global wonders how they can get to the underground mines. He has an idea, and he wonders if blowing up Salla Base's nuclear reactor will destroy the mines. When Vanessa runs a simulation that proves his theory, Global orders Misa to overload the reactor. At first she hesitates, but she agrees when he decides to send in Roy. Misa takes the elevator down to the reactor room and sets it on overload. When she tries to escape the compound, emergency doors trap her in a small corridor. Coincidentally, the corridor is where Riber's room is located. Roy tells Hikaru to rescue Misa, and Hikaru fights off many Regults to reach the base. He blasts the window open, and Misa yells at him and tells him to leave. He grabs her with his Valkyrie's hands and takes off just as Salla Base explodes. The Macross takes off, and Quamzin is angry that he lost a battle. This is probably my favorite episode of the entire show because it was the first one I saw. The action and character development in this episode were enough to get me hooked on the entire series. Hikaru is starting to become used to the military life, and he has yet another encounter with Misa. He isn't featured much in this episode, which gives enough time to focus on her. This episode shows she is much more than a no nonsense military officer. She actually was in love before, and that love almost gets her killed. I was surprised she was willing to die just because she found Riber's room. It's kinda like when Minmay wanted to throw herself into space a few episodes back. On another note, in this episode we're introduced to one of the series' more colorful villains, the scheming Quamzin Kravshera. His own soldiers don't seem to like him, and Vrlitwhai

Following the Macross's successful escape from the trap on Mars, the Zentradi relentlessly attack the ship. Inside Macross City, Hikaru remembers that it is Minmay's sixteenth birthday today. At that moment, he is paged to report to Colonel Maistrov's office. In space, Quamzin prepares to attack the Macross under the guise that he is on a training flight. Maistrov has called a meeting to reward pilots who showed great courage during the battle on Salla Base. Hikaru is awarded a metal of honor. After the meeting ends, Roy asks Hikaru to follow him to his quarters. Hikaru is promoted from Sergeant to Lieutenant. As another surprise, Roy tells Hikaru that he'll have two subordinates: Corporal Maximilian Jenius and Corporal Hayao Kakizaki. Moments later, the two men arrive and are introduced to Hikaru. They ask Hikaru if they can join him wherever he's going, which happens to be Minmay's party in the city. On the bridge, Misa is shocked to read that Hikaru has been promoted. Claudia figures it is a reward for rescuing Misa on Salla Base. Kakizaki wonders where they are going, and he thinks it is a strip bar. When they arrive at the Chinese restaurant, Hikaru is amazed to see Minmay in a beautiful dress with her hair rolled up. He introduces her to Max and Kakizaki, and Max charms Minmay with his shyness. When Minmay asks for her present, Hikaru lies and says he forgot it at base. The mayor asks Minmay to sing a song, and she says Hikaru should sing in place of giving her a present. He says he can't sing, and Max volunteers to take his place. The mayor warns Hikaru that if he doesn't keep up he could lose Minmay to Max. On the bridge, Misa notices that the radar screens are empty. She realizes the Zentradi are jamming their radar in preparation for an attack. In space, Quamzin's forces being their approach on the Macross. Back in Macross City, Minmay's party is interrupted when Misa sounds the battle alert. Hikaru, Max, Kakizaki and a dozen other pilots cram themselves into a taxi. Kakizaki asks Hikaru if Minmay is his girlfriend, and Hikaru tells him to be more considerate. Upon reaching the battle, Kakizaki is disappointed that they are on the rear defense line. When Kakizaki sees several Regult pods, he flies right in between them and is rescued by Hikaru. Nearby, Quamzin notices that the Ramidon quadrant is weak in defense and decides to attack there. As the pilots are engaged in battle, Hikaru and Kakizaki are amazed to see Max's incredible (and showy) fighting style. As the battle moves closer to the ship, Global orders the deployment of Destroid Defenders and Monsters on the hull. Quamzin and his forces land on the ship's hull and begin destroying the Destroid Defender and Monster forces. Hikaru, Max, and Kakizaki land on the hull to fight off the Regults. Kakizaki's Valkyrie is damaged, leaving Hikaru and Max to do the fighting. At that moment, Quamzin appears with his Glaug and attacks Hikaru. The two engage in a fierce battle, and Quamzin is surprised by Hikaru's fighting ability. During the exchange of fire, they each destroy each other's arms and pause to see who fires next. On the Zentradi flagship, Vrlitwhai is furious when he discovers that Quamzin has disobeyed orders. He orders Exsedol to active the signal beam that will force Kamujin to acknowledge him. After the battle, Hikaru remembers Minmay's birthday and runs off to get her a present. He arrives at Minmay's house to apologize, and she opens her window and asks if he brought the present. He searches his pockets and pulls out his medal of honor. Realizing it could be a gift, he tosses it up to Minmay. She loves the gift, and he wishes her a happy birthday as he runs off. Well, now we have two new characters added to the mix: Max and Kakizaki. Max is shy and nerdy, and Kakizaki is a brute (and he seems to know a lot about strip bars). Although Max may claim to be inexperienced, he has incredible natural talent (which will manifest itself even more later on). Kakizaki is a dumb brute who has no skills to speak of, and he gains no skills. All he manages to do is talk a lot and get shot down. This episode also features a great battle between Quamzin and Hikaru. Even at this early stage, Hikaru closely matches the skills of Quamzin. That'll change eventually as he improves even further.

In a café, Hikaru asks Minmay out to a movie, but she tells him she can’t because the restaurant is very busy. Hikaru notices the sky outside, and Minmay tells him it was created by the military. As they watch the sunset, she tells him that the Miss Macross beauty pageant will be staged soon and that the famous Jamis Merin is a contestant. Kakizaki finds Max working on his Valkyrie and tells him that Minmay has entered the contest. He says that since Hikaru gave them both Saturday off they should see the contest. Hikaru speaks to Minmay on the phone, and she tells him that the mayor entered her in the contest. On the Zentradi flagship, Exsedol shows Vrlitwhai a commercial from the Macross for the contest. Vrlitwhai orders a recon ship to launch and investigate the situation. Soldiers Loli Dosel, Conda Bromco and Warera Nantes launch in a Quel-Quallie recon ship under the code name "Blue Wind." The Macross Broadcasting System (MBS) begins its inaugural broadcast with the start of contest. The grand prize for the winner is a new Fanliner personal jet. On the bridge, Misa, Claudia and Vanessa laugh about Global being one of the judges. Claudia tells Misa that if she had entered the contest she could have won. The Quel-Quallie is picked up on sensors, and Misa calls Vermillion Squad to scramble, but Hikaru isn't at the base. In the city, Hikaru rides a bicycle to get to the contest in time. Backstage, Minmay asks Jamis to autograph a napkin, and her manager tells Minmay to use a proper autograph book. Hikaru watches with binoculars as Minmay comes on stage in a Chinese dress. The judges ask her if she has a boyfriend, and she says she has a cousin who is like a brother. Hikaru receives a page and calls the bridge, only to be lectured by Misa about being on duty. As he hails a taxi, Roy laughs at him and tells him to go for it. Hikaru launches in a VF-1S Armored Valkyrie, which Misa tells him is only for special missions. The Zentradi block their transmissions, and as Hikaru changes channels he finds the contest. He eventually switches back to Misa, and she tells him to go by laser guidance instead of radar. On the Quel-Quallie, Loli watches the contest and is shocked to see men and women together. Hikaru tells Misa he is receiving static from her as an excuse to switch channels back to the contest. The swimsuit competition begins, and Hikaru eagerly awaits for Minmay to come out. While watching the contest, he doesn't realize that he is practically on top of the Quel-Quallie. He quickly engages reverse thrusters to avoid crashing into it. The Quel-Quallie fires missiles at him, and he hesitates briefly before shooting the missiles with his gun pod. Loli, Conda and Warera watch the contest and wonder if swimsuits are some kind of field uniform. They all realize that watching the contest makes them feel strangely aroused. They pick up Hikaru on their sensors and go to battlestations. Hikaru fires missiles at them, and they fire back and damage his armor. He ejects his armor and attacks them head on with his gun pod. The interior is damaged, and the three Zentradi retreat to the escape pod. Hikaru blasts through the front of the Quel-Quallie and breaks inside. The ship explodes with him inside of it and damages his Valkyrie. He wakes up later and finds the contest still running. Misa and Claudia continue to watch the contest, and Misa wonders what is keeping Hikaru. Roy tells Kakizaki and Max that the whole contest is rigged as a popularity stunt for Jamis. The audience votes on the finalists, and Minmay is the winner. Hikaru watches from his Valkyrie and can’t believe that Minmay won the contest. When one is at war with an overwhelmingly strong alien race in space, the first thing they should obviously do is run a beauty contest. As ridiculous as such a thing may sound, it makes sense when there are so many civilians on board. They need something to remind them of home and keep their minds off the war, such as the contest or even the artificial clouds. Despite that, a parody of this strange concept can be seen in an episode of The Irresponsible Captain Tylor. There's a few interesting developments here, mainly in Hikaru’s relationship with Minmay. They are drifting apart slowly, and he's getting further away from his desire to be her boyfriend. It certainly doesn't help his case that she said in the contest she has no one she would consider a boyfriend. Also, her new fame from this contest is likely to drive them even further apart.