Hard Chase

Hard Chase
Hard Chase (= ハード·チェイス, Hādo Cheisu)
Episode Data
Episode	Macross Frontier: #2
Airing
Japanese	2008 April 10
← Previous	Cross Encounter
Next →	On Your Marks

Hard Chase (ハード·チェイス, Hādo Cheisu) is the second episode of Macross Frontier.

Synopsis

To protect his and Ranka Lee's life, Alto Saotome takes control of one of the SMS Skull Squadron's VF-25 Messiah fighters after the original pilot is killed in action. Alto takes Ranka to safety and flies for their dear lives while the rest of the SMS Skull Squadron take care of the Vajra. After the battle, Ozma Lee, the leader of Skull Squadron, takes Alto to SMS headquarters and asks to know how his team-mate died.

Plot

Warning! Spoilers are ahead!

• Alto takes down the Vajra in Henry's VF-25F.
• Ozma notices the pilot.
• After seeing the alien, Ranka makes a brief flashback.
• Ozma tries to stop an alien and asks the pilot in Gilliam's unit to identify himself.
• While Alto takes rescues Ranka, Ozma battles an alien, he stabs it with a AK/VF-M9 Assault Knife.
• Ozma kills the alien, blue blood splatters all over his VF-25S.

1/6

Alto Saotome attacks the Vajra invader with all his might, defending Ranka Lee as Ozma Lee watches in his VF-25S, flying above the ruined city. Out of ammo, his VF-25 crashes to the ground as Ranka watches and begins to flash back to an incident involving the Vajra. The armored unit, Ozma's VF-25S stops the Vajra invader, asking who is piloting Henry Gilliam's unit and ordering Alto to take Ranka to safety while Ozma covers them.

• Alto tries to get Ranka.
• Ranka is getting sucked through a hole in the colony.
• Alto tries to manoeuver his VF-25F to reach Ranka.
• Alto resorts to ejecting himself on a cable attached to his cockpit.
• Ranka is now safely in the cockpit of the VF-25F, she calls out for her brother, Ozma.
• Ranka wonders who this pilot is.
• Alto gets to cop a feel after Ranka accidentally knocks a joystick over.
• Ranka thanks the pilot for saving her.
• Flashing back to Henry getting crushed, Alto says that he isn't the one Ranka should be thanking.
• Alto sees the devastation caused by the aliens.

1/10

In Gerwalk mode, Alto races through the city with Ranka in the fighter's hand as Vajra invaders chase him. Suddenly, he loses Ranka and she is sucked out of the colony through a hole. Amazingly, she survives in the vacuum of space and she clings to Alto in his cockpit, calling for her brother. Alto accidentally gropes her.

Ozma manages to kill the Vajra invader with its blue blood sprayed all over his fighter. They are now at safety but Ozma refuses an offer by apparent pilots Luca Angelloni and Mikhail Blanc to meet the pilot that saved his sister as he doesn't want Ranka to know about his job. Ranka explains to Alto that she can tolerate space because she is quarter Zentradi , Alto leaves without telling Ranka his name, Ranka yells her name to Alto, however. Alto ventures through the damaged city, he cries and vomits at the horror.

President Howard Glass and Leon Mishima look at the destruction, they appear to have had an encounter with the aliens before. At 6:00 AM, the Macross Frontier has declared a state of emergency. Nanase Matsuura crosses the road. On her way to school, she looks up to see a damaged bridge above her after a speck falls upon her.

• NanaseMatsuura-1 AltoSaotome-12 F-2.jpg
  Alto stares out the window.
• Saotome Alto-san, you're coming with us.
• It's true! His hair was this long, and he was so beautiful! I don't know if he's from your company or the military. But you can find out, right? Oni-chan
• Where is the concert video from yesterday?
• Alto Saotome, son of the kabuki actor Ranzō Saotome the 18th.
• Quite impressive. But that doesn't excuse you from engaging in combat in a Valkyrie.
• Actually, I do. The VF-25 that the kid busted was under my, or rather S.M.S. jurisdiction.

1/7

At school, some students speculate it was the Zentradi, others discuss Sheryl Nome's concert which got stopped, some ask where Mikhail is so they could hear about the concert from him, others are jealous that Alto got to hold Sheryl at the concert. Alto stands by the window staring out, Nanase turns around, wondering what he's doing. Suddenly, two soldiers, led by Catherine Glass, march into Alto's classroom where they demand to take Alto away with them and Nanase wonders what is happening. Meanwhile, Ranka gets dressed to go out, later Ranka has just came for a check up at the hospital, Ranka wonders why, Ozma says "just in case". Ozma asks if she if she cried because of the needles. Ranka says not to treat her like a baby. Ranka also reminds her brother about what she asked earlier, "A male pilot who looks like a princess", Ozma hasn't got a clue, Ranka thinks Ozma doesn't believe her, describing him with "His hair was this long, and he was so beautiful!" Ranka wonders if he is from the military or her brother's company (the SMS), Ranka stares at her brother and says she is sure that he can found out because he works for human resources, Ozma says he'll look into it and says to himself that he wants to ask him a few things too. Ranka thanks her brother and says she'll bring back something nice in return. As Ozma waves goodbye. Catherine leads Alto into a checkup room behind Ozma. Ozma says "Cathy". Grace O'Connor tells Sheryl her schedule while Sheryl struggles to find yesterday's concert video, tossing her clothes and underwear around, Grace says it hasn't arrived yet, Sheryl asks if Grace was watching (her concert). Doctors take a sample of blood from Alto as he came into contact with aliens. Alto asks what those things were but Cathy tells him that that is classified. Catherine identifies Alto (with Ozma listening through the door) as the son of Kabuki actor Ranzō Saotome. Despite being the top of his clas at pilotin, he was still not authorised to go in the Valkyrie, Catherine says the military has more than enough ground to take this to court. Alto retorts, telling him that the pilot was killed. Catherine asks if Alto is interested in joining the military as part of a deal but Ozma appears commenting that the military must be lacking if they are recruiting an amateur, Catherine says he has not right to interfere as he left the military, but Ozma actually does as the VF-25 athat Alto busted was under his, or tather SMS jurisdiction. Alto mummurs "SMS", Ozma rhetorically asks Lieutenant Catherine Glass if he's right.

• Where is that acrobat boy, Saotome Alto, now?
• Why did you bring me here? I brought you here... for him.
• The belongings of his dead comrade, Henry Gilliam.
• "tobikoero..." *Alien groans* "harapeko nano...tsugi no sute-ji" "Hey! You there!" "Yes?"
• Men, the enemy is the one that survived from yesterday. They're already within our field.
• "Hey!" *Ozma turns around* "Let me... Let me pilot a Valkyrie!"
• *Ozma punches Alto* "Damm you! Don't get carried away, you brat! Someone! Lock this kid up in the safe area!"

1/7

Alto takes a car ride with Ozma to the SMS headquarters while Ozma plays Totsugeki Love Heart by Fire Bomber on his car radio. Alto asks how a company doing the military's back-end work get its hands on a fighter like that, he says it's suppose to be in performance testing. Ozma approves that Alto at least has passing knowledge of the stuff. Ozma asks "How was the VF-25? Thrilling, wasn't it?"

Ozma approaches the SMS hangar, going down a lift in the car, he answers Alto. The SMS is in charge of testing for the manfacturer, as close to real combat situations as possible. Catherine is on the phone to Sheryl. Putting on clothes, Sheryl asks for "the acrobat boy" aka Alto Saotome, after being told the information is classified, she tells Catherine that she is Sheryl while watching the part of the concert video where Alto was carrying her. Alto is suprised at the hangar's state, thinking that privately operated places were more disorganized, Ozma says to Alto "That's capitalism for you. Money is power, kid."

Alto asks why Ozma brought him here. Ozma and the rest of the SMS demand Alto to tell them how their comrade died, Luca and Mikhail are also at the SMS. Sheryl leaves in incognito, trying to find the stunt flyer that carried her at the concert when she encounters Ranka who is singing Iteza☆Gogo Kuji Don't be late, the song Sheryl sang at her concert yesterday.

More Vajra invaders are attempting to make their way into the Macross Frontier. The Macross Operators, Helmsman Bobby Margot and Captain Jeffery Wilder in the Macross Quarter, other forces prepare to advance for a battle in space. Alto demands to pilot a Valkyrie, but is punched by Ozma.

• "Like you can actually see the confidence and talent flowing out of her!"
• semete saigo ni mou ichido dakishimete hoshikatta yo (I wished you would at least hug me, one last time.)
• "It's long, long goodbye." "Sheryl?" "I don't" *Sheryl removes her disguise* "give private concerts often, you know."
• Ranka is in shock to see her idol and role-model up close.
• "It's you two!" *Rank turns around* "The princess from yesterday!"
• "I've found you!" *Sheryl points a wand at Alto* "Saotome Alto!"
• The aliens return for a second attack on the Macross Frontier.

1/7

Ranka tells Sheryl in disguise how much she loves Sheryl's music and dancing, telling Sheryl that she looks up to Sheryl.

Sheryl asks Ranka if she knows a pilot, she comments that her brother was a former pilot but he works in the office now, she begins singing Diamond Crevasse, another of Sheryl's songs and Sheryl also sings a long. With tears of happiness, Ranka realizes that this woman is her idol and role model, Sheryl Nome. Alto comes up to them and Sheryl has found the pilot that carried her and Ranka learns his name at last but through the colony's window, another alien invader appears.

Stats

Characters

1. Alto Saotome
2. Ozma Lee
3. Ranka Lee
4. Luca Angelloni
5. Mikhail Blanc
6. Howard Glass
7. Leon Mishima
8. Unnamed Firefighters
9. Nanase Matsuura
10. Unnamed Students
11. Catherine Glass
12. Unnamed N.U.N.S. Soldiers
13. Grace O'Connor
14. Sheryl Nome
15. Unnamed Doctors
16. Canaria Berstein
17. Unnamed S.M.S. Members
18. Monica Lang
19. Mina Roshan
20. Ram Hoa
21. Bobby Margot
22. Jeffery Wilder

Mecha

1. VF-25F
2. VF-25S APS-25A/MF25

Quotes

• "If you harm one hair on her head, I'll vaporize you with my reactive bullets!"~Ozma Lee to Alto Saotome as Alto tries to lift Ranka Lee to safety by grabbing her in GERWALK mode.
• "You will be performing on a live show at 17:00 on MBS."~Grace O'Connor while Sheryl Nome tries to find the concert video from yesterday. Proof that the Manichi Broadcasting System is still around in the 2050s.

Music

In order of appearance

1. "Triangler" (トライアングラー) by Maaya Sakamoto
2. "Nyan Nyan" (娘娘) by Megumi Nakajima
3. "Iteza☆Gogo Kuji Don't be late" (射手座☆午後九時Don't be late Sagittarius☆9pm Don't be late) by May'n

Notes

• Alto Saotome trying to save Ranka Lee in the VF-25F is a direct homage to Hikaru Ichijō saving Lynn Minmay, which also takes place in Episode 2 of...Super Dimension Fortress Macross.