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Macross Zero 4June 14, 2004Title: Jungle After crash-landing, Shin finds a priestess in the Mayan jungle.
Although they both are captured and tortured, they manage to escape
. . . but they are relentlessly chased by their enemies.
The End * * * RATING: A I really can't come up with anything to describe this title. The graphics, fight scenes, and presentation are all so extraordinarily good that I simply can't compare it to anything I've seen. Suffice it to say, if you haven't seen Macross Zero, you haven't seen the best anime title of 2004. Plotwise, Macross Zero illustrates how the 'soul' of the earth is slowly being destroyed by people's increasing dependence on man-made items. This itself isn't anything new -- we've seen this same concept in Nausicaa, Princess Mononoke, and Arjuna. However, instead of ranting away at pollution-mongering industrialists, this title focuses on the lives of two individuals from extremely different backgrounds and poignantly shows how they both try to make sense out of an increasingly troubled world. While the setting of this particular episode dwells mostly in the Mayan jungles, the actual action consists of a mix between high fantasy and science-fiction -- on one hand, you've got face-painted shamans chanting in wild rituals, and nearly three hundred miles above, you've got advanced fighter jets dueling in explosive-heavy combat. This thematic contrast lends ample space for incredibly beautiful graphics, both within the forest and high within the stratosphere. Just as Bluwacky writes, when you combine all this with top-quality animation, vertigo-inducing choreography, and emotionally-intense content, you get a truly spellbinding work of art. Without a doubt, this is anime at its finest. * * * disagree? read 7 comments! * * * Related Reviews
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