Does a giant robot that has been hit really have a sense of pain?　Learn from one of the most famous scenes in "Macross F" (Nostalgic Anime Retrospective No. 94)

An exhibition featuring the "Super Dimension Fortress Macross" series is currently being held at the Osamu Tezuka Memorial Museum in Takarazuka City. 2008's "Macross F," which was broadcast on TV, is based on the same world as "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross" (1982).
Macross" depicted the battle between the Zentraedi, a race of giants, and humankind, but since the sequel "Macross 7" (1994), it has become clear that some Zentraedi coexist with humans through miniaturization technology, and some Zentraedi even live in giant bodies.
In "Macross F," the main character Alto belongs to a private military provider called "S.M.S.," where a female Titan (Mertrandian) named Clan Clan is working as a soldier. The Clan fights in human size in everyday life and reverts to giant size in battle, but the interesting part of the story is episode 9, "Friendly Fire.

The giant clans tearfully slap a robot of the same size!　Do giant robots have a sense of pain?

Clan's childhood friend, Michal, is upset because she remembers her sister who died in the past, and accidentally shoots a friendly plane, Alto, during the fight. After getting into a huge fistfight with Alto, Mihael's sniping skills, which are his forte, are dulled and he falls into a slump. Clan is worried about Mihael and visits the place where he is training.
In this scene, Krang is transformed into a giant and wears a space suit. During training, Mihael transforms his beloved variable fighter, the VF-25G, into a battroid (robot) form. Thus, Clan and the VF-25G are the same size.
I'm not in the mood for this," he said. I'm not in the mood for this," Michal said curtly. Maybe it's the loneliness of sleeping alone that's keeping me up at night, or what, Clan? Or what, Clan? You think you can keep me company tonight? He teased Mihaier with such questions as, "Maybe it's because I'm lonely and can't sleep alone. The angry Klan slapped Michal's VF-25G and walked away.
The cockpit of the VF-25G is located in the chest. Therefore, it is unlikely that punching the VF-25G in the face would cause any damage to Mihael, but the VF-25G that was hit shakes its head and presses its left hand on the cheek where it was hit and says angrily, "What the hell are you doing! He was angry. The scene of this unprecedented drama unfolds as the VF-25G is engaged in an altercation with a giant robot the same size as a female member of the Giant Tribe.
Fans of the first TV version of "Macross" may recognize this scene.　In the first "Macross," a fistfight between a giant race and a giant robot had already been depicted.

The VF-25G, which overacts frivolously, functions as a "mask" worn by Michal.

In "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross" episodes 10-12, the main characters are captured by a battleship of the Zentraedi, a giant race. This is an important episode that reveals the Zentraedi's values and the fact that they have established miniaturization technology, but the major highlight is the struggle between the Zentraedi and the giant robot (VF-1 Valkyrie) that the main characters ride.
Three Valkyries infiltrate the enemy ship, but Zentraedi commander Blithey challenges them to a fight and defeats two of them with his bare hands. The remaining Valkyrie puts on a giant-sized military uniform taken from an enemy soldier and tries to escape by pretending to be a Zentradi. ...... The scene is as dynamic as "Gulliver's Travels".
To counter the giant race, they develop a humanoid robot of the same size as a weapon. This silly yet science fiction minded idea was the unique fun of "Macross" that could not be found in any other robot animation. However, the struggle between the Zentraedi and the Valkyrie in episodes 10-12 of the old series, and the Valkyrie's disguise, were always contrasted with the small-sized, ineffectual protagonists. The events that were depicted as a matter of course were reinterpreted as "abnormal situations" by the small people who were surprised and frightened, and this created an easily understandable interest.

However, what about the "Macross F" episode 9 I mentioned above?　In this scene, Krang, who is worried about the distressed Mihael, gets angry at his frivolous attitude and slaps the VF-25G he is riding and leaves. The person with whom Krang is angry is Mihael, but Mihael's face is never once seen on screen!
However, if you follow the story, you will see. Michal is remembering her lost sister and is upset because she misfired on one of her friends. As the clan pointed out, he is so distressed that he can't sleep. However, in front of the clan, Michal tries to hide her weakness by being strong. The VF-25G, a giant robot, is used as a "mask" for this purpose. As proof, the VF-25G that teases Clan points at her and exaggeratedly opens its arms, overacting at every turn. When hiding something, people become eloquent.
This is also the scene where the CG animation technology that Shoji Kawamori has been pursuing from "Macross Zero" (2002) to "Genesis of Aquarion" (2005), which makes the animation as lively as hand-drawn pictures, really comes into its own. The robot ...... expresses emotions excessively to hide his anguish, and I hope that you will take a new look at his outstanding acting and unparalleled CG technology.

(Text by Keisuke Hirota)