Kara Dennison
February 6, 2021 
It’s been a decade since we last saw the stars of Macross Frontier onscreen. The series closed out with two films — The False Songstress and Wings of Farewell. Since then, we’ve had a new series in the sci-fi romance franchise, as well as concerts featuring stars from across the years. But in 2021, May’n and Megumi Nakajima will sing once again as Sheryl Nome and Ranka Lee!
With a (rescheduled) concert and a short film on the way, it’s time to look back at some of our favorite tunes from the series. There are lots to choose from, so narrowing it down to a small list is difficult. Suffice to say we love them all… but you’ll want these in your playlist rotation.
“My Boyfriend Is a Pilot”
A classic from the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross, “My Boyfriend Is a Pilot” first came to popularity when Lynn Minmay sang it. Since then, it’s been present in nearly every installment in the franchise. That includes Macross Frontier, when Ranka Lee performed the classic for a singing competition.
It’s not as bold or flashy as a lot of the songs on this list (or in the show), but the nostalgia factor is off the charts. And it’s a touchstone throughout the series, reminding us of how far it’s come since the 1980s.
“Universal Bunny”
Where Ranka’s music is cute and friendly, songstress Sheryl Nome opts for big and bold. In the first Macross Frontier movie, The False Songstress, Sheryl’s first concert is even bigger than it was in the TV series. Her new song, “Universal Bunny,” involves a sort of live holographic music video playing out in front of the audience.
The song itself is basically the “I can be your angel or your devil” meme, but so much better. And Sheryl plays both those roles (“bunnies,” apparently), during the concert. Even without the performance playing out in front of you, it’s a gorgeous piece of music and very on brand for Sheryl.
“What’ ’bout my star? @formo”
As Ranka climbs the ladder to stardom, she and Sheryl also clash over a common crush. After all, that’s a big part of any Macross series: love triangles. And the object of affection in Macross Frontier is the bishonen pilot Alto. The love rivalry kicks into overdrive with this song — a cover of one of Sheryl’s own tunes from earlier in the series.
In “What ’bout my star? @formo,” the pair fight over their potential pilot boyfriend. But they’re making surprisingly sweet music as they put Alto in their sights. You can see how he feels about this whole thing as they “battle.” It’s a bit daunting to have two galactic idols vying for your affections, but he wasn’t the first and he sure won’t be the last.
“Triangler”
Where Yoko Kanno goes, Maaya Sakamoto (often) follows. That includes Macross Frontier, where the singer and voice actress performed the show’s first opening theme. “Triangler” (sometimes spelled “Triangular”) cuts right to the chase of what we just talked about… this is a show about love triangles. The song itself is, as you might guess from the title, from the point of view of a girl trying to cope with being one corner of said triangle.
Sakamoto, incidentally, also shows up as Ranka’s mother in flashback. You’ll get to hear her sing a bit of one of the show’s omnipresent tunes.
“Nyan Nyan Special Service Medley – Final Attack!”
Why listen to one song from Macross Frontier when you could listen to them all? There are multiple cuts of this megamix, which forms the basis of the music-boosted final epic battle. But for our money, this 23-minute movie cut is the one to go for.
You’ll hear Ranka and Sheryl perform pretty much all the songs included in the TV series cut, plus new songs from the film. The medley is centered around “Lion,” the series’s second opening theme, and revisits it throughout. Extra cool is the occasional layering of songs over each other — including another 80s classic, the title track of the film Do You Remember Love?, in the mix.
Which Macross Frontier songs are your favorites?
