T5W#568-Top 5 Macross Love Triangles

Ah the love triangle, a tale as old as time and one that can get pretty annoying in any medium when handled incorrectly.  One particular series that has a pretty decent track record with it? Macross.  Yes, the Love Triangle is just as much a quintessential element of any Macross project as the transforming Mecha, epic space battles and head bopping music.  Now I’m not saying it gets it right 100% of the time (COUGHCOUGHMACROSS 7COUGH), but you can hardly call it Macross without two people pining for the same guy or lady and someone has to make the toughest call imaginable between them (again most of the time, some choices are more obvious than others).  Since we’ve wrapped up Macross Delta this week and I’ve seen/reviewed mostly everything Macross related I can, today on Top 5 Wednesday, we can finally talk about love amongst the stars and who comes out the lucky winner.  These are my picks for the Top 5 Macross Love Triangles.

 
#5-Hibiki Kanzaki, Ishtar & Silvie Gena (Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers Again)

While it might not be considered cannon to the franchise, Macross II still delivers a pretty decent love triangle between a reporter, an alien and an ace pilot, quite the trio there.  While Hibiki and Sylvie are meant to invoke Hikaru and Misa, Hibiki and Ishtar make for a cute pair as Hibiki becomes Ishtar’s guide to the world of humanity.  All the while, the time they spent together showed plenty of evidence of mutual feelings between them.  Still, Hibiki ending up with Sylvie isnt bad either and Ishtar seems pretty happy with it, so no hard feelings I suppose.

 
#4-Hayate Immelmann, Freyja Wion & Mirage Farina Jenius (Macross Delta)

This one is a pretty decent follow up to a later entry and I like how gradually it build between the three people in question.  Both Freyja and Mirage work for Hayate in different ways with the former being more soul support while the latter is his instructor and wing woman on the battlefield.  And while Mirage does learn how to open up and become less uptight, I’ve gotta say Hayate ending up with Freyja did make more sense as they had a more obvious romantic connection being built up between them.  Feel bad for Mirage though, that girl deserves some happiness.
 

#3-Hikaru Ichigo, Misa Hayase & Lynn Minmei (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)

Ah the one that started it all.  Which lucky beauty would our sort of not so deserving leading man choose: the beautiful, no nonsense second in command of the Macross or the lovely lady who’s singing voice changed the course of history?  Honestly, the choice is pretty obvious but man OG Macross dragged this out right until the very end of the series.  Then again, both Misa and Minmei represent two different stages of Hikaru’s life.  Minmei is the more innocent past and Misa the more mature future.  So it does work when Hikaru gradually moves passed Mimmei to eventually (after a frustratingly long wait) end up in the arms of Misa.  But dammit Hikaru what took you so damn long?

 
#2-Alto Saotome, Sheryl Nome & Ranka Lee (Macross Frontier)

I really like this trio because for once: there is no wrong option, both girls work.  Sheryl might be the more popular (being drop dead gorgeous doesn’t hurt either) but Ranka is the more down to Earth country bumpkin that’s easy to fall for as well.  Alto has surprisingly good chemistry with both girls as emotional support and as romantic possibilities.  The series itself leaves the final decision overall sort of ambiguous though I personally lean towards there being more proof Alto ended up with Sheryl.  Still, both girls are great characters with positives way beyond their amazing vocal talents.  It’s such a well done love triangle that it surpasses the OG Macross one in every way.
 

#1-Isamu Dyson, Gould Goa Boaman & Myung Fan Long (Macross Plus)

While most Macross shows focuses on teens and young adults fighting for each others affections, Macross Plus offers the most adult, mature and complicated one of them all.  Like Alto, Sheryl and Ranka, there’s equal reasons why Isamu or Gould is a decent match for Myung from Gould’s willingness to throw himself into harms way to protect her to Isamu knowing full well it’s Myung’s voice coming out of Sharon Apple.  Their overall indecisiveness is buried under past traumas and Isamu and Gould fighting tooth and nail to win their grudge match in the cockpit.  It’s the most compelling love triangle of the whole franchise that’s well written, well executed and has one of the most heartbreaking resolutions worthy of song in the halls of Macross.