Basara's Pain, Milene's Confusion...... "Macross 7" Episode 5 quietly begins its run toward the final episode [Nostalgic Anime Retrospective No. 90

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the broadcast of "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross" (1982). Among the sequels created after that, "Macross 7," broadcast in 1994, was the second TV series. Through 49 episodes, it depicts the struggles of the main character, Hot Air Basara, to end the war through the power of song.
From the first to the fourth episode, Basara boarded his beloved Fire Valkyrie whenever a mysterious enemy attacked, and continued to play his songs to them by shooting speaker pods without using weapons. A girl, Milene, who belongs to the same band as him, wonders about Basara's sudden behavior. However, the situation changes in episode 5. Enemies infiltrate the residential area of the Macross 7 Fleet, where Basara, Milaine, and the others live, and Basara is forced to fire a missile in order to protect the civilians.
Trusting in the power of song, Basara had never pulled the trigger before. However, the first time was by accident, and the second time he fires the missile of his own volition. Let's take a look at episode 5 in detail to see how the shock he received was staged.

Robotic action under gravity that makes you feel "weight" and "pain

Basara and Mylène are teased by a runaway group led by a female leader named Rex. When they visit the venue where Basara and his group are performing, enemy robots, which always attack, infiltrate the ship. This is the first time in Episode 5 that enemy robots attack a living space (until then, the battle had been fought in outer space).

(1) The Fire Valkyrie on which Basara rides avoids a building just above the ground, but the enemy robot is unable to avoid it and runs into a vehicle parked on the ground.
(2) The enemy robot kicks the Fire Valkyrie around and the Valkyrie falls to the ground.
(3) Basara shoots a missile and hits the enemy robot, and the right arm that was ripped off falls to the ground.

Thus, for the first time, an action scene in which gravity is strongly felt is depicted. In (1), the enemy robot is powerful in contrast to the vehicle on which the human rides, and the kick in (2) is muddy and heavy. In (3), the enemy robot, which had its back to the viewer, turns around and is hit by a missile. The action is very human, and the way its right arm falls off with a ground-shaking sound is also very powerful. The robot action in episode 5 is very physical. It is violent and "painful.
The important part is (2), where Basara injures his right arm in the cockpit of the Valkyrie that kicked him off. He fires the first missile and attacks the enemy robot, as instructed by his bandmate Ray, who procured the Valkyrie. Shortly thereafter, he is injured by (2). The sequence of weighty and painful actions and the wound on Basara's right arm that he received synergize to convey to the viewer the shock that Basara has suffered more than words can do.

What role does "the heroine's pet small animal" play in the story?

Basara mutters regretfully, "Damn it, I shot him twice. ......." But the reason he fired the missile was to save Rex and his friends from being attacked by enemy robots. After the battle, Rex kisses Basara as a "thank you" for saving him. Milene's reaction to witnessing this is another highlight of episode 5.
Rex rides off on his motorcycle and Basara sees her off. As Milène looks on in amazement at Basara's back, Gbagba, a small furball-like pet, emerges from her long hair. Gbaba has an angry look on her face.

Basara returns to the cockpit of the Fire Valkyrie, but the wound he received on his right arm is painful. Milene, who had been watching from behind him, says, "I'll pilot it for you." "That wound hurts, doesn't it?" She enters the cockpit forcefully.
Despite Milène's friendly attitude, Gbagba still looks angry, and Basara grumbles, "Hey, Gbagba's in a bad mood. Milene looks surprised and says, "What? Needless to say, Gbagba is angry because Basara kissed Rex. Gbagba, who is always with Milène, may be speaking for the jealousy she keeps dormant in her subconscious.

The story has "main-system conflicts" and "side-system conflicts" that must be resolved by the end of the story

It is a traditional technique unique to animation to depict the psychology of the heroine by having a cute little animal play a role. In "The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun" (1968), two animals, an owl and a squirrel, were used to express the two-sided nature of the heroine Hilda, who is both good and evil at heart. Just as Gbagba appears from Milène's hair, the owl and the squirrel appear from behind Hilda's back, depending on her emotions.
It is not until the 49th and final episode that Milene realizes her feelings for Basara. Gbaba's angry face is a reminder of the question, "How does Milène feel about Basara?" which is a parochial conflict that runs through the entire "Macross 7" series, is subtly hinted at.

Basara's anguish at firing the missile against her beliefs is also a main theme of the final episode, which asks, "The power of song may not be all-powerful," and "After all, shouldn't we defeat our enemies with military power? This is directly related to the main systemic conflict toward the final episode, "Should we still use military force to defeat the enemy?
Basara's pain and Mylène's confusion. The ending theme, which Milene hums a cappella, sounds different from usual. Little by little, their relationship develops, and their hidden feelings are portrayed in unexpected ways. Catching these slight changes is the best part of watching the long TV series.

(Text by Keisuke Hirota)