It can be hard to pinpoint the exact moment when I fell in love with a series. For Macross Frontier it’s easy.

Ranka’s debut song in the 12th episode of Frontier is quite possibly my favourite scene in anime. As with much of what came before it, it’s incredibly silly; An idol singer stopping a war by singing a goofy pop song from the cockpit of a fighter jet.

It’s undeniably stupid, but it embraces that stupidity. The series gets a lot darker over the next few episodes, but this one scene is allowed to be utterly devoid of cynicism. It’s a pure, joyful moment where Ranka is allowed to shine, and she shines brightly.

It’s Deculture.