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Macross Delta Mission 3: Whirlwind Dogfight

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Summary

Hayate attempts to control the damaged Nightmare Plus, but Mirage grabs it with her Siegfried. Mikumo sings to a Zentradi soldier and counters the Var Syndrome infecting him. Windermere Chancellor Roid Brehm looks at the data on Walkure and orders the Aerial Knights to retreat because he has the data he needs. Citizens cheer for Walkure as the enemy retreats. After landing, Mirage punches Hayate in the face and yells at him for hijacking a military unit and putting others at risk. She then slams him against a car and tells him not to take the battlefield lightly, but he counters that she was off beat earlier when Delta Flight took off. Arad tells Mirage that it’s time to leave, and Freyja runs over to tell Mikumo that she’s coming to the audition. Kaname tells Freyja that they heard her sing, and Mikumo is looking forward to seeing her on Ragna. After returning to the ship, Messer and Arad attempt to analyze the data on the enemy planes, which are all visually scrambled. Kaname shows them data on Freyja, who as a Windermerian has a fold receptor factor, but hers is abnormally high. She then gives Arad a file she assembled on Hayate. The Aerial Knights complain to Keith, so he confronts Roid for an explanation. Roid notes that they achieved their objectives, so there was no change in the plan. Keith wants to attack when possible because they don’t have time to spare, but Roid wants to be mindful of Prince Heinz Nerich Windermere’s health. Later, Freyja and Hayate take a ship to Ragna’s capital Barrette City, and Hayate teases Freyja that he’s going to see her fail her auditions. A fish phone crawls onto Freyja’s arm, so Hayate grabs her and runs. Hayate points out the massive Macross Elysion, which serves as Xaos’ Ragna branch headquarters. Hayate asks about the rune on Freyja’s head, which embarrasses her. After arriving in the lobby, Freyja is shocked to hear that she can’t audition because she missed the earlier qualifier rounds. Mirage asks Hayate if he’s come to complain about her, but he answers that the world isn’t about her. Arad and Kaname watch them on video and give her permission to audition. Operator Mizuki Yuri tells Hayate that Arad wants to meet with him.

Freyja is amazed by the size of the Macross Elysion, and Hayate tells her that she’s on her own once she fails, but she insists that she won’t. Hayate is escorted through the ship and impressed by a Kairos he sees on deck. Freyja waits in a room with other singers and is intimidated when the massive half-Zentradi Ernest enters the room. The singers are then surprised when Kaname enters the room and begins the audition process. She reminds them that Walkure risks their lives, so those not ready to do that should leave. Hayate slips away from Mizuki and has a look at Mirage’s Siegfried. During the audition, Reina examines the fold receptor ability of the singers and finds that Freyja’s is lower than expected. Freyja is taken aside for questioning by Ernest and Kaname, and he notes that Windermere has clamped down on interstellar travel since the revolution. Kaname adds that she might never be able to return home if she joins Walkure, but Freyja insists that she’s committed. Later, Kaname announces the audition results and reveals that everyone failed. Arad and Messer find Hayate on the deck, and the former comments that Hayate showed some impressive skills earlier. Hayate explains that it was his first time in a plane, but he’s familiar with Workroids. Messer notes that Hayate moves from planet to planet doing different jobs and tells Arad this is a waste of time. Hayate notes that they called for him, and Arad offers him an opportunity to fly for them. Freyja takes a gondola lift back down to the ground and wonders if Hayate is still on the ship. Arad stands on the edge of the deck and tells Hayate that those who have tasted the wind take risks and either fly or die. He thinks Hayate has tasted the wind and thinks the rest depends on if he’s willing to risk his life. The gondola lift makes an emergency stop due to a Var riot in the city. One of the passengers becomes afflicted with Var and attacks a young woman. Freyja falls to the floor as the man approaches, but she thinks about Walkure and starts singing “Love! Halation THE WAR.” Hayate stands on the edge of the deck and is pushed into the air by a gust of wind. Freyja’s singing has an effect and causes the afflicted man to return to normal. Freyja recognizes the voice of the woman returning her phone, who reveals that she’s Mikumo and this was the final audition. A hologram of Kaname appears and informs Freyja that she’s passed and is part of Walkure now. The rest of the “passengers” reveal that the outbreak was faked. Hayate tells Arad that he hates the army and taking orders, so he intends to do things his own way. He touches Mirage’s Siegfried, and she yells at him to stop touching her plane.

Commentary

Things begin to take shape as Hayate and Freyja try to find their places in Xaos, with mixed results. Hayate’s care-free attitude is at odds with being a pilot in a PMC, but Arad indulges him, to Mirage’s dismay. Without Freyja’s singing, Hayate performs poorly in his first test flight. It’s nice to see the original Valkyrie model still in use decades later, but it’s blatantly obvious that the blue and red color schemes on both planes is a reference to Mirage’s famous grandparents. Freyja’s performance is similarly unremarkable until she sees Hayate’s struggle and is inspired to do her best. Basically, they need each other to bring out their abilities, which is why they’ll be partnered together. Hayate’s attitude reminds me a bit of Isamu Dyson, but he’s not quite as stubborn and comes to see by the end that Mirage was right. Maybe she’ll give him some slack now that he’s shown promise, but I doubt the same leniency will be coming from Messer. The guy is a wet blanket even to wet blankets.

Overall Rating
3.5/5
Macross Delta Info


Director(s):
Kenji Yasuda
Shoji Kawamori

Writer(s):
Toshizo Nemoto
Tatsuto Higuchi
Ukyo Kodachi
Touko Machida

Mechanical Designer(s):
Shoji Kawamori
Hidetaka Tenjin
Stanislas Brunet

Character Designer(s):
Chisato Mita
Majiro
Masaru Shindo

Musical Composer(s):
Saeko Suzuki
TOMISIRO
Mina Kubota

Format:
26 episodes

Airdates:
Japan 04.03.2016 – 09.25.2016

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