The eighth day of the 30 days of anime challenge brings us the question of what you think the most epic scene may be. Of course, epic can be broadly defined by the person and a lot of it will come down to the era of anime you identify with. If you’re from the old school, it’s going to be something science fiction oriented more than likely, while if you’re later than that it might be more character driven with a reveal or the culmination of a relationship. Whereas I’ve gone and expanded on categories with the previous days, I’m going to keep this one very simple with just one listing, though it’s not the one I would normally draw upon. Most of the time I find myself citing the end sequence in Wings of Honneamise as it builds to such a powerful and incredible crescendo with what they’re up to, but that still isn’t the defining moment of epic scenes in anime for me. That honor belongs to something else.
And that’s with Macross/Robotech. After over twenty episodes involving more realistic presentations of war in anime than most Western fans were familiar with at the time of its original airing, it ended up going for the big stakes. When dealing with science fiction, it’s easy to go up to the big moment and pull back, showing how the characters saved the day and pulled it off by the skin of their teeth, though with losses along the way. Macross kept showing us more and more realities of war but also offered potential for peace and understanding between the two sides that were fighting. But even as they attempt this, it doesn’t stop the complete and utter destruction of Earth by the invading force. When you’re fresh and new to things, this is a powerful moment as you watch the Zentraedi forces rain down destruction on such a massive scale and then to follow it up with the survivors, showing how they try to come back from the brink. It’s this kind of gambit and payoff that makes it such a truly epic sequence with great payoff.
