Macross 7’s ending is incredibly silly. It’s also the best ending ever.

Macross 7 ends as it began, with Basara singing to an indifferent Protodeviln. As a child, Basara wanted to move a mountain with his song, he’d sing to it every day. Because that’s what Basara does, even if his audience refuses to listen, he’ll keep singing to the end, hoping to one day reach them.

By this point the Protodeviln leader Gepelnich has revealed his true form, a Spiritia absorbing black hole, which will suck the life force out of the entire galaxy. Even in the face of this, having already had his life energy depleted to the point of barely retaining consciousness, Basara sings once last song, and it works.

Sivil and Basara keep on singing in the face of anihilation, and something clicks within Gepelnich, finally unlocking the potential to generate Spiritia within him. With the need to consume gone, the reason for their conflict vanishes, and the Protodeviln leave to parts unknown.

In another series this might feel like a cop-out, “they sing a song and the bad guys give up” doesn’t sound like a very satsifying conclusion. But it’s absolutely in keeping with Macross 7. It’s generally considered an outlier in the franchise, for being the least serious entry. But that’s not true, Macross 7 may be inherently silly, but it takes itself perfectly seriously. The show believes absolutely in its own core silliness; One of the things I value most in media is sincerity, and Macross 7 is 100% sincere. Of course you can move a mountain (or the entire galaxy) with a song, you just have to try and try again.