T5W#520-Top 5 Moments from the Mobile Suit Gundam Wing “Operation 30th” Anniversary Video

Holy freaking crap what a time to be a Gundam fan in 2025.  For the first time ever (at least I think so), the Gundam Franchise had a huge presence at San Diego Comic Con last weekend and much of that spotlight was on the Gundam series that made it all possible: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.  As the series hits its 30^th Anniversary this year, it also celebrates the 25^th Anniversary of when Gundam Wing landed on US shores and changed the US Anime playing field forever.  As such not only did several of the original English VA cast show up for panels but we also got a freaking gorgeous special 30^th Anniversary Video that made every Gundam Wing fan stop and go “Holy S***”.  There’s a lot to unpack from Operation 30, including debates as to whether or not its just an anniversary vid or a prelude to something bigger Gundam Wing related.  On today’s Top 5 Wednesday, I’m just gonna talk about how freaking cool the whole video was and the bits and references that stood out to me the most.  Suit up for my T5W#520-Top 5 Moments from the Mobile Suit Gundam Wing “Operation 30^th” Anniversary Video.

BTW: If for some reason you havent checked this video out yet, here's the link: Go watch it and LOVE IT!!!

Macross 7 Part 7 Episodes 31-35

Basara continues his seemingly impossible quest to awaken a dormant Sivil with his song.  When Mylene discovers his secret project, the fallout could tear Fire Bomber apart.  When Basara suddenly vanishes on a journey of self discovery, Mylene and Gamlin pursue, leaving the Macross without its most important asset against the Aliens.  A recruitment drive begins for a backup team for Sound Force but will it be enough to hold back the Protodevlin until Basara can be found?

I have surprisingly mixed feelings about this set of Macross 7 episodes.  It’s Macross 7 so it still puts way too much stock, storytelling and a borderline sense of zealotry into the power of Basara, amongst other nonsensical distractions.  But then there are a few moments where the story picks up just a little bit to keep you going from one episode to the next.  Maybe it’s because of my more emotional investment in better characters like Mylene and Gamlin.  It’s hard to say but much like Basara’s sudden need to go find himself and his reason for singing, I can’t pin down why I wasn’t totally annoyed with this set.
 

Macross 7 Part 6 Episodes 26-30

The Macross 7 arrives at the beautiful planet Lux, hoping to meet their fellow fleet, the Macross 5.  To their horror, they discover this paradise hides a dark secret that has been unleashed by their Alien adversaries: The Protodevlin, a race even the Zentradi themselves fear.  It looks like Sound Force might be the only team capable of holding them back but when Basara finds himself captured for an unknown purpose by Gigil, can the Macross and Fire Bomber survive without him?

There are moments, rare ones but moments nonetheless, where I can see glimpses of a good Macross sequel in Macross 7.  And for a moment, even a brief one…ok maybe one episode, I thought it was going to do a major Gundam ZZ turn around at the start of the second half and become something tolerable (no way it’s going to be fully good).  But then comes the reminder that this show is very set in its ways and no matter how intense, dramatic and surprisingly good the action and chaos can be, Fire Bomber still exists and thus the wackiness will always return and take precedence.  So when there are moments when things don’t go their way for Basara and his band, I cheer, I actively cheer cause I cant stand them that much.
 

T5W#519-Top 5 Characters from Suits Perfect for Characters from Gundam Wing

Ok, try and follow me on this one.  Every now and then I revisit Suits on Netflix or Prime.  I’m not a big law drama guy but the writing and acting (and soundtrack) are all damn near perfect and I love coming back to it here and there.  Currently, I’m walking a friend through the show and we’re in an arc where the subjects of Coups and Betrayals are prevalent…which lead to us talking about Gundam Wing and which character from Suits would be this character from Gundam Wing and the light bulb went off in my head for todays Top 5 Wednesday.  Who from high risk, high reward, risk taking Lawyers and Fixers from Suits best exemplifies the qualities and coolness of the bad asses in mecha from Gundam Wing?  That is the question I’m gonna attempt to answer today as I choose the Top 5 Characters from Suits perfect for Characters from Gundam Wing.

Macross 7 Part 5 Episodes 21-25

The two halves of the Macross 7 reunite at last but their troubles are far from over.  With the Basara obsessed Sivil still running loose in City 7, the populace is still at risk of being drained of their lifeforce, or Spiritia.  As tensions rise, Max gives Ray permission to take Fire Bomber to the next level, giving the go ahead on the civilian defense team Sound Force. But the battlefield has always been Basara’s solo stage, how will his sound fare when his bandmates join him in battle?

Well we made it folks.  We’ve made it to…sigh…the half way mark of Macross 7.  Why the hell is this show 49 episodes when it’s barely done anything with its first overall 25?  And the real kicker, things are once again hitting a fever pitch with how infuriatingly bad this show can be.  Most of it, naturally falls to Basara but there’s plenty of blame to go around.  In fact it’s gotten so intolerable that I’ve begun instituting a ban on “Planet Dance.”  Anytime the song comes on, I mute the TV and let the subtitles do their thing.  Is it really that bad?  Yes, yes it is, but let’s break it down.
 

Macross 7 Part 4 Episodes 16-20

Hope is on the rise for the Macross 7 as both of its separate halves are on the verge of a reunion.  But when the Aliens unleash a new weapon against Battle 7’s defenses, everything goes horribly wrong.  Against an enemy faster, smaller and more deadly than anything the Macross 7 has faced before, all eyes turn to Fire Bomber, specifically Basara, who’s music is beginning to have an effect on the enemy.  But is this really what Basara wants from his music?

It might be kind of hard to believe but after 15 episodes of predominant nonsense, Macross 7 actually decided to try taking things a bit more seriously, emphasis on “a bit”.  The action ramps up, the stakes are raised and…of course Basara isnt taking anything seriously unless it has something to do with music (and even then he’s still not taking it seriously, you know we’ll talk about that more in a second).  Still, it cant be ignored that Macross 7 did try to be something more than what it has been.  How did it do so and yet still continues to fall flat on its face?  Let’s start with the obvious.
 

T5W#518-Top 5 Ways My Dress Up Darling is a Good Intro to Cosplay

My Dress Up Darling has been back for a couple of weeks now and the megahit of 2022 hasn’t lost a step.  In fact it’s damn good to have the infectious energy of one of Anime’s best Best Girls, Marin Kitagawa back in the world of Anime.  I’ve been rewatching the First Season in my downtime and while it’s plenty evident, I’m still in awe about how much of a deep dive My Dress Up Darling does into the world of Cosplay.  Personally, I love the hobby, the craft and the people behind it all.  I may not be a cosplayer myself but I am always in awe of any cosplay I see and have learned a lot from my many cosplay friends about the process of their work.  If you’re someone who’s still on the fence about cosplay or might be too shy to ask a cosplayer a question, My Dress Up Darling might be the gateway that’s right for you.  So this week on Top 5 Wednesday we’re taking a break from Mega Mecha Summer themed lists to talk about the Top 5 Ways My Dress Up Darling is a Good Intro to Cosplay.

 

Macross 7 Part 3 Episodes 11-15

In a surprise attack, the Aliens pursuing the Macross 7 manage to separate the Battle and City sections through an emergency space fold.  As Max and Diamond Squadron desperately search for their missing civilian population, Millia must try to keep the peace with few unaware of what has actually transpired.  Luckily, Fire Bomber is there to support her with their increasingly popular music but is enough to repel more Alien attacks?

It’s amazing that even when something pretty big happens in Macross 7…it’s still Macross 7.  It’ll probably just say “eh, no biggie” and just get on with life.  While that can be a positive in favor of the situation some of the characters find themselves in, Basara and Fire Bomber still exist so that means any semblance of urgency and drama is going out the window because Basara just wants to be lazy and jam when he wants to.  Anyway, onto Part 3 of 10 (dammit I need to stop reminding myself of how long this entire series is going to be).
 

Macross 7 Part 2 Episodes 6-10

While the Macross fleet continues to fend off an unknown Alien threat, Fire Bomber continues to gain more traction through concerts and Basara’s antics on the battlefield.  But those same antics and Basara’s attitude also threaten to burn out Fire Bomber’s star before it can even rise.  Meanwhile, Mylene finds herself warming to Gamlin, one of the Macross’ top pilots, who’s determined to put Basara’s music on the battlefield philosophy to the test and discover the secret behind his one of a kind Valkyrie.

Ok, I have to ask: Am I missing something with Macross 7?  Is this show really a beloved entry in the Macross franchise beyond its music?  Because I’m finding it hard to find reasons why anyone actually likes this show.  The lead hero (if you can call him that) is increasingly infuriating.  The action is so dismal and boring and any semblance of the majesty, bad assness and high octane fun found in the original Macross is nowhere to be found 10 episodes in.  Maybe I’m missing the point of Macross 7.  Maybe it’s supposed to be a parody I shouldn’t take to seriously.  Only problem with that is: parodies are supposed to be fun and funny…and Macross 7 is neither of those right now.  Jeez, this is gonna be a very long and painful experience, isnt it?
 

T5W#517-Top 5 Char Clones who Don’t Die

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuX recently wrapped up its run and an interesting point of discussion has emerged between me and fellow Gundam fans concerning the fate of Char clones.  While the OG Char’s fate in Char’s Counterattack is kind of ambiguous (and if it is explained in Gundam Unicorn, I just don’t get it), his fellow multiversal counterparts usually aren’t long for this world. Seeing as how many Char Clones end up either the main antagonist or central rival of the main character, chances are they are going down in a blaze of glory for their cause or just because theyre freaking insane.  But is this the case for all of them?  Well…no actually.  Some Char Clones do get happy endings, or are at least spared grizzly demises.  Does this come with redemption or a major lifes lesson learned?  Let’s find out as we discuss the Top 5 Char Clones who Don’t Die on today’s Top 5 Wednesday. 

 
Oh and since we are discussing major series ending events SPOILER ALERT!!!!
 

Macross 7 Part 1 Episodes 1-5

2045 AD.  Thirty Five years have passed since the end of the Zentradi War.  Humanity has rebuilt and begun pressing further into the sea of starts.  The Macross 7, leading a deep space Emigration Fleet to the Galactic Core, comes under attack from a mysterious enemy with unknown weaponry.  But the Macross isnt totally defenseless.  They possess their own secret weapon in the form of Basara Nekki, a hardcore rocker who loves music and wants to share it with the universe, even if it means flying into the middle of a battlefield to play his songs.

Welcome Dear Readers to our annual Extended Summer Series Review.  It’s hard to believe that as popular as Macross was in the 80s, it wasn’t until 1994 that it got a full on TV Series sequel.  Considering how game changing the original was and how excellent Macross Plus turned out, I’m sure expectations for a new Macross TV Series were high.  Well we’ll be looking at the entire series over the next few weeks.  Though, based on how I felt about things right at the end of Episode 1, I’ve gotta say…I think I’m in trouble folks.
 

Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flashback 2012

2009 AD, Humanity engages in a grueling and brutal First Contact War against the warrior race known as the Zentradi.  While the Human race won the war, it lost most of it’s populace. Two years after the end of the war, a new mission into deep space to discover new worlds is about to begin.  Before she joins her friends on this new journey, Lynn Minmei prepares for one final concert on Earth as she reflects on the tragedies and victories that brought her to this point.

Made to celebrate the 5^th Anniversary of the Macross franchise, Macross Flashback 2012 is a 30 minute music video compilation bookended by a newly animated sequence originally intended for the Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love movie.  Is it the worst way to celebrate five years of Macross to this point?  No, after all music is a huge part of the universe that features fighter planes that transform into giant robots.  I just wish there was more to it than just a bunch of Macross AMVs.
 

T5W#516-Top 5 Macross Titles I’ve Reviewed

While they overshot it by a couple of weeks into 2025, as opposed to the promised 2024, the New Year came with a special gift: a whole plethora of Macross titles making their US debut on Disney+.  Finally, after years of waiting, I can dig into this vast library of the franchise and see the stories I’ve never seen before like Macross 7 and Macross Delta.  Macross 7 is our big Extended Summer Series Review this year, set to launch Next Monday, with Macross Frontier following later in September to close out our Mega Mecha Summer Event.  Til then, how about we recap the transforming plane awesomeness to grace the Gundam Anime Corner in the last decade or so with the Top 5 Macross Titles I’ve Reviewed.