Hmm, talk of the best damned thing to happen to UC Gundam? Guess it's time for me to make a post here.
Anyways, fiddling around with SRW:AG inspired me to watch Macross Plus again for what would likely be the first time in about 11 years. Maybe 12. I can recall that my thoughts at the time where along the lines of "This is neat," and the thrill of staying up until Midnight for it to start through four fridays in a row after accidentally catching a bit of the second episode in an earlier showing, and realising there would be a repeat performance.
Since this was also my second viewing, this gave me not just time and maturity to alter how I saw it, but also this time I could watch, knowing the revelations, and knowing what to look for. On the one hand, the story didn't hold up as well, largely because I had forgotten how they had glossed over Myung's... hmm, chance to speak clearly about how she felt about the revelation. But, I'm less sure how I feel about that, since it's also fairly obvious all of that was not only getting repressed, but getting shoved off into a computer. Not only not being faced/dealt with, but also pushed as far away as possible.
And I think that's my primary discovery on this watching, that Myung is actually the protagonist. I mean, sure, Isamu's the guy we spend most of our time following. But he's kinda like Faris Bueller, in that where he starts the series, and where he ends is the exact same place. He's got a fight to win against the world, and fun to be had, but when it comes to change and character arcs, it's not his place to have one, but to act as a guide to others. (Granted, in both cases this is as much because they are supremely arrogant and haven't fucked up badly enough, or lived long enough that they have reason to doubt this arrogance, as because they aren't in need of it) But the fact is, it's Myung's victory over herself that's the climax. After she wins that, everything else falls into place like a line of dominos.
Which brings me to the final thing that really came to my attention this time that I know totally went over my head the first time. The music, and skill with which it was used. The fact that most of the music tends to reflect Myung's inner state. With Sharon ascendant, it's techno of varying sorts, with Myung ascendant you'll hear Voices, not just in the overt uses, but also some of the subtler background pieces using it as a backdrop to whatever is supposed to be catching your ear. And neutrality either with background noises, or if Isamu's around and having a good moment, the brasses that sound when the show focuses on him.
So yeah, I think I'll finish with this final note. That has to be one of the more fucked up, yet oddly logical reasons to kill a man I have ever seen. I love him, so I'll make him happy. He's happiest when he's cheating death, so I'll try to kill him. He's good enough that I probably won't succeed, and if I do, then he'll die happy.
