Southern Cross: episodes: Labrynth and Metal Fire

Both of these episodes I watched over the last two days. I am beginning to see less and less changes in the plot and basic ideas conveyed in the dialogue from the original series to the Robotech releases of these stories. In “Labrynth” also known as”the Trap” episode in Robotech there is some of the 15th Squadron’s entrance into the ship that was edited out, in Southern Cross there is a skirmish upon entering the Zor?Master’s ship however, it really doesn’t change much at all from the storyline. It may make more sense that there was abattle as to not appear to be as obvious a trap for the Earth forces to fall into. There is a little more explanation of the two enlisted men that are left behind and then hovered over and noticed on the 15th’s exit. It made a little more sense to me now, I always felt those two soldiers laying on the ground was somehow a bit eerie. Another difference I noticed is the music that Musica is playing on the cosmic harp is more melodic in the Southern Cross, it sounds a bit more like the love themes you hear in Robotech, that being said, the “music” you hear Musica playing in Robotech to me, is more alien like in it’s atonal nature. Really a brilliant idea from Ulpio Minucci’s unforgettable soundtrack works in Robotech, he uses so much familiar melody that you would expect to hear some of that in Musica’s playing of the cosmic harp, but brilliantly no, it is very alien sounding music to our ears, even Louis mentions that at som epoint in their time inside the alien mothership.

Finally in “Metal Fire” I have begun to notice some improvements on the dialogue’s content. I prefer not to judge on literal translations as what sounds natural and conversational in one language may sound stilted in formal in another. However, Robotech’s characters and voice actors have conveyed a script that sounds more conversational and more what you would imagine people to be saying in these situations not “headstrong commander, we put our trust in you” or some such phrasing Andresjz/Angelo uses in Southern Cross. But, I have noticed quite a bit of Jeanne’s assumptions on the Zor being human to be based only on their visual appearance whereas it is more believable that Dana in Robotech has some sixth sense from her Zentraedi side. It makes the suspicions she has more plausible. Another bothersome part of Southern Cross’s content is some of the referring to Jeanne as a girl being a bit of a weakness or shorthanded disadvantage or inferiority by many of the characters. I know this can still be the case today with female officers and women in leadership positions but one has to think that these are humans in the distant future not as in Robotech where the story takes place around in 2029-2030. This Southern Cross is on a planet known as Glorie and humans have been left behind in space some have developed into advanced races, but these peopel are still thinking of a female officer as a “girl”.  Although Jeanne is very girlish, which is a nice part of her dualistic character in Southern Cross it is overplayed a bit and the writers have finally allowed her to go beyond complaining about not getting to wash her hair or have a bath. Once again, I see Dana Sterling as being an altogether more interesting character as there is more complexity and reasoning behind her actions and assumptions. Also she doesn’t have goofy lines like “this is like dissection of frogs” or something to that effect during the Bioroid analysis in the Southern Cross version of “Metal Fire”.

Half Moon and Trouble City

Today was another stressful day, trying to catch up with all the money I owe and trying to see if I can possibly get some kind of student loan, even though I have had to forgo finishing college to work full time and being out of a job at the time is starting to really take it’s toll on me. I was however able to escape and enjoy a few episodes of Southern Cross.

Today I watched Half Moon and Trouble City.

I am really beginning to enjoy the intro music: “Deja Vu” is becoming a really decent rival to Genesis Climber Mospeada’s awesome intro. The other counterpart to Robotech’s Japanese original series, Mospeada being the third and Southern Cross the second.

Since I have never seen the Southern Cross original it has been a totally new experience to see the characters I grew to love as a kid from the Robotech : the Masters series in a whole new light with new music and slightly different take on their story.

One difference that really stands out is the music for  Southern Cross being very different from Robotech’s mostly orchestral and a few synthesized ethereal backdrops by Ulpio Minucci, Robotech’s theme music composer. Southern cross has a funk/jazz rock fusion and an occasional pop ballad thrown in as well as some more lighthearted whimsical tunes that really seem a bit odd yet enjoyable. The credits or outro music  again, I am really getting to like the more I hear it, as am I enjoying the intro and outro animation. On to the episode Half Moon really has some serious pressure on Jeanne as in Robotech she has  a sense of guilt after having to leave Bowie to be captured by the Aliens. In the Southern Cross edition however she has I would think even more pressure seeing that her Chief of Staff Emerson is the actual father of Bowie not just his Guardian. The dialogue is a bit formal and rigid in this episode compared to Robotech, it lends itself more to the formal and polite culture of Japan, also the weight of decisions by officers and leaders seems to carry more shame with failure or mistakes and responsibility.  Jeanne has to make some serious decisions however she has a lighthearted and confident outlook in this episode as compared to the space mission of episode 3 which I didn’t review yet. The battle scene is played out decently very minor edits were made for the Robotech Half-Moon episode. It was not too slow of an episode and showcased some decent battle scenes. However in the Robotech version of this episode the scene where Dana finally rescues Bowie and thinks for a second of how much trouble she may be in always seemed a little awkward. However in Southern Cross, it is a bit more explained as when the animation goes to a still frame with some speed lines and a close up of Jeanne/Dana’s face and I can’t imagine why she would assume she would be in trouble or thrown in the brig for, yes ,breaking the rules and engaging the enemy under the guise of a training mission, but rescuing her commander’s son, would be an obvious save of face. However, in the Southern Cross her look of disbelief and the dramatic pause was done to emphasize her shock on how Zor/the red Bioroid’s pilot is still alive after taking damage to the head of the Bioroid. It made a little more sense.

Trouble City had a few more lighthearted moments however it’s Robotech counterpart had a few more edits that were minor there is a little bit more to the scene of examining the captured Bioroid. Still, the scientists are able to find somewhat the same insight into the Zor. They are able to understand that the aliens are using bio-engineered technology and that the aliens are essentially the same as humans on earth. They have the same misconceptions as in Robotech they throw around the same phrases of androids etc. However Chief of Staff Emerson in Southern Cross does have a more logical assumption instead of saying ‘no humans are capable of creating Robotech ships’ as in Robotechs version here when the possibility of space pirates is brought up, he assumes no humans have this kind of technology. That dialogue is a little more logical since human’s were reverse engineering and integrating robotechnology for years up to that point.

This episode is a bit lackluster in both versions with the trench run scene being a bit predictable. We get to see a few Bioroids blasted by HMT-1 Hoveretanks/Spartas. The energy weapons or particle rifles seem to have some serious damage on the bioroids, I think Robotech edited maybe a few quick bits here and there from this battle, not sure I would have to go back and see. But we do get too see some of the Bioroids taking heavy and fatal damage to their armor and fuel spilling out as cables are torn of the armor by the Spartas auto fire There are some more brief moments where we get to see the Tactical Airforce piloting phantom fighters against the the Zor’s Battleship.

however there is a funny scene at the end that puts a lighthearted girlish moment that is somewhat endearing to the female characters of Lana/Nova Marie Angel/Marie Crystal and Dana/Jeanne the episode begins with Dana/Jeanne shopping for a dress and after all the action is over she is finally able to purchase it much to the annoyance of Lana and Marie who seem to have a bit of feminine rivalry . In the Southern Cross version there is a bit more humor in the instance where Bowie enters the woman’s clothing store and is quite embarrassed when picking up a few items by mistake namely some girlish undergarments. It is reminiscent of the Macross Saga or the previous Robotech season where Rick Hunter is dragged into the dress store with Minmei only to be embarrassed seeing superior officers Lisa , Vanessa and Sammie from the SDF-1 in the store as he is crawling on the floor looking for something he dropped he is either worried about being mistaken for a voyeur or is just as embarrassed as Bowie. This scene has a cute yet not incredibly important moment which was omitted from Robotech , in Southern Cross Jeanne tears her dress while leaving on the Hover Bike much to the amusement o Lana and Marie. I have always enjoyed the last bit here where I think in the only instance of all three of the series of Robotech or it’s un-related foreign counterparts that characters face the camera and do some kind of sarcastic or intentionally zany wink. It is another funny yet unnecessary moment that lightens up the series and endears us to the female characters who have a feminine girlish side to their otherwise warrior/military duties and persona.