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Macross Plus Part 3

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Summary

In the hospital, Isamu wakes up in a tub of black medical ooze and finds Myung watching over him. She tells him he’s been asleep for two days, and he asks her why she came. She explains that she received a call from Morgan about an accident at the base and came over immediately. Although Kate and Morgan left during the night, Myung wanted to stay in case Isamu didn’t make it. Isamu pulls himself out of the black ooze against Myung’s objections and gets on his feet. At the New Edwards base, a board led by General Gomez holds an inquiry over the accident at the urban combat testing grounds. Even though the YF-19‘s gunpod was loaded with live ammo, Gomez asks Guld why he fired. Guld answers that the gunpod accidentally misfired. Gomez asks him about why the YF-19 was loaded with live ammo and why there’s evidencing of tampering with the maintenance logs. Guld says he believes Isamu loaded the live ammo himself to shoot him. He says that Isamu has been acting suspiciously lately and also points out that the YF-19 team reportedly has a skilled hacker. Gomez asks about the lack of brainwave data, and Guld answers that he had to switch to manual just before the accident due to a malfunction in the system. Gomez asks Millard if he’ll vouch for a Zentradi half-breed and allow them to continue the tests. Millard says that the pride of a test pilot would never allow him to win by unfair means. After the inquiry ends, Guld asks Millard if he’s trying to make a backhanded deal with him. Millard asks Guld if he’s admitting guilt, and Guld answers that if he did Millard would be guilty of perjury. Millard says that U.N. Spacy has a vision of a new world order that doesn’t include manned fighters. He believes that pilots are necessary, even idiots like Isamu and Guld.

Lucy and Yang arrive at the hospital to visit Isamu. Lucy is convinced that the YF-21 team was behind the accident, and Yang is concerned over why someone like Gomez who hates test pilots would brush off the inquiry so quickly. They walk into Isamu’s room and are shocked to find that he’s missing. Elsewhere, Isamu and Myung ride out to the forest on a motorcycle. Isamu eats a bitter fruit and tells Myung she should try it too. Myung says they’re sour, and he tells her she can’t be sure until she tries for herself. When the fruit proves to be sour, Myung says that she always hated how Isamu always dared people to try something even if he already knew what would happen. Isamu answers that a hundred travel books aren’t worth a real trip. Myung recalls the time that Isamu took them to the forest to see the pterosaur and didn’t mention having to go through a swamp filled with snakes. She says they would have died if Guld hadn’t brought a gun. Isamu tells Myung that it isn’t like her to quit singing and be Sharon’s producer. Suddenly, an enormous pterosaur flies by overhead. Isamu jumps onto the motorcycle to chase after it. In Earth orbit, the prototype Ghost unmanned fighter destroys several targets under the supervision of Captain Higgins. Lucy sees Guld in the hospital waiting room and tells him he’ll never win the project with his dirty methods. When Isamu and Myung finally return, Guld attacks Isamu. The two begin to fistfight and yell at each other. Myung jumps in to stop the fighting, but Isamu accidentally punches her. As it starts to rain, Myung tells Isamu and Guld they need to grow up. She says she realized she couldn’t live her dream, but Isamu accuses her of selling out and says life isn’t worth living without pain. Myung reveals the secret that she provides the emotions for Sharon. Isamu drives off with the motorcycle, and Lucy tells Myung that Isamu knew all along that Myung was the voice behind Sharon.

Myung returns to her hotel room and finds Marge waiting inside. He tells her that tomorrow they’ll be leaving for Earth because U.N. Spacy wants Sharon to perform at the Space War armistice 30th anniversary ceremony. Myung asks if Sharon’s A.I. is complete, and Marge answers that the concert on Earth will be Sharon’s true debut. The next morning, Kate and Morgan say goodbye to Myung just before Guld arrives. Kate is surprised that Isamu didn’t come and asks Morgan if he called Isamu. Guld tells Myung that the final test of Project Super Nova is next week and that he plans to go to Earth after he wins. He tells Myung that he wants to be with her always so that he can protect her. Myung says she isn’t ready yet, and Guld tells her he won’t push things. He gives her a small disc which is his good luck charm and says he wants her to hold on to it until they meet again. On the passenger ship Stellar Whale, Myung plays Guld’s disc and cries when she hears her old song “Voices.” At the New Edwards base, Yang tells Isamu not to overdo things after his most recent test. Lucy arrives with bad news, and Isamu and Yang go to Millard’s office to ask about the cancellation of the project. Guld comes to Millard’s office as well, and Millard explains that U.N. Spacy has decided to go with the unmanned Ghost X-9 as its next generation fighter. He says that U.N. Spacy will unveil the Ghost during the armistice ceremony. Yang realizes that Gomez was in on it from the beginning and that is why the inquiry was brushed under the carpet. Millard warns them all not to do anything they’ll regret.

Lucy tells Isamu that she deliberately held from him a message from Kate about Myung’s departure. Myung’s shuttle arrives at Macross City on Earth, and Reymond is surprised by the enormous crowd that has gathered to see Sharon. On Eden, Isamu skillfully avoids the security cameras and breaks into the YF-19’s hangar. He is shocked to find Yang waiting for him inside the YF-19’s cockpit. Yang explains that he’s been waiting for Isamu and already attached the fold booster. He knows Isamu wants to go to Earth and ruin the Ghost’s introduction, and he wants to be there. Isamu refuses to take him and says they could be executed for what he’s going to do. Yang tells Isamu that the YF-19 doesn’t belong to him alone, and Isamu reluctantly agrees to let him tag along. The YF-19 blasts out of the hangar and flies into space. A group of missiles closely trail the YF-19, but Yang activates the fold booster and allows them to escape. Millard orders Guld to use the YF-21 to chase Isamu. On Earth, Reymond and Marge meet with Higgins on the bridge of the Macross. Higgins mentions that they have successfully used an A.I. chip similar to the one inside Sharon. Myung finds out that Marge doesn’t want her involved with Sharon, but he plans to keep her around for appearances. Reymond asks Marge about the A.I., and Marge tells him that he installed a bio-neural chip in Sharon’s system. Reymond says that bio-neural chips are illegal and have a dangerous self-preservation psychology. Reymond makes a phone call to cancel the concert, but Marge shoots him in the head with a pistol. Myung accidentally overhears and runs away into an isolated room. The door closes behind her, and power cables grab hold of her and suspend her in midair. Sharon appears and tells Myung not to worry. She says that she loves Guld, but she loves Isamu even more. She then leaves Myung alone because the concert is about to begin.

Commentary

The penultimate installment of Macross Plus ends with more confrontations and a lot of yelling, with some murder for good measure. Myung  wallows in melodramatic self pity. The inquiry into the accident is tossed aside, and the project itself is also when the Ghost is revealed. If U.N. Spacy was secretly developing the Ghost all along, why bother with Project Super Nova? The story moves later moves to Macross City, and the classic ship is seen again in wonderfully detailed animation. We learn the secret of Sharon’s new A.I., which Marge is willing to kill to protect. With Isamu on his way to Earth, it won’t be long before his final confrontation with Guld.

Original Review: May 1, 2000

Overall Rating
3.5/5
Macross Plus Info


Director(s):
Shoji Kawamori
Shinichiro Watanabe

Writer:
Keiko Nobumoto

Mechanical Designer(s):
Shoji Kawamori
Kazutaka Miyatake

Character Designer:
Masayuki Yamaguchi

Musical Composer:
Yoko Kanno

Video Release:
Japan 08.25.1994 – 06.25.1995
U.S. 02.28.1995 – 04.16.1996

Format:
4 episodes; 1 compilation movie

Theatrical Release:
Japan 09.30.1995
U.S. 12.14.2021

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