Episode nine and it’s time to talk about Var Syndrome as the extended metaphor for male sexuality/aggression it is, as lieutenant Messer is revealed to be a long suffering victim of it. It’s almost too obvious a metaphor: most (if not all) victims shown are male, once the syndrome is active their breathing becomes heavy, veins start bulging and popping, aggression ramps up, all self control is lost and the only way to be calmed down is through the music of a young, attractive group of idols…
In Messer’s case, it’s one particular idol that can always calm him down: Kaname Buccaneer, Walkure’s leader. Leader and team mum of Walkure, it isn’t much of a surprise that she would be the one to share a history with Messer. Mikumo is too aloof and strange, Makina and Reina are already a couple while Freyja is too new and with entirely the wrong personality to calm anybody down, but Kaname’s soothing, pleasant personality is perfect. There is something a bit old fashioned about having the aggressive straight laced man being soothed by the calm, more mature woman though.
Now I have been grumbling for weeks that Mirage had been getting short shift, which was finally remedied a bit this episode as she and Hayate confronted Messer with his illness and kept worrying about him. It’s an interesting role reversal to see the super serious, stick in the mud by the book officer being the one begging his hot blooded junior to overlook his handicap. Throughout the series he’s been judgemental of Hayate, worried about him being a liability to the squadron while he himself could at any moment been taken over by Var Syndrome and kill his team mates. No wonder Mirage and Hayate worry, especially the former, with her own sharply defined sense of duty. Being the only ones who kow his secret, or so they think, it’s only natural that they find secluded spots to talk it over. Something that’s ripe for misinterpretation…
And misinterpret Freyja does, leading to some truly hilarious reaction shots. There hasn’t been any explicit romance yet in the series (other than Best Couple) but Freyja and Hayate have been close from the start and have only grown closer over the course of the past eight episodes. Last epsiode we saw them synchronising their fold waves in battle, which brought them even closer; this episode it was explained that Hayate has the same natural immunity to Vars syndrome as the Walkure members. No wonder Freyja is confused and worried when Hayate starts hanging around with Mirage rather than herself. It’ll be interesting to see if this will finally jumpstart the usual Macross love triangle.
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