THE ANALYSIS OF BASARA NEKKI
or "WHY BASARA IS A BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN CHARACTER"
My first contact with this show was through Fire Bomber’s music, which really struck a chord with me, many of their songs quickly becoming my favourites. I really dig the classic J-Rock sound, and Yoshiki Fukuyama’s voice is absolutely amazing.
So predictably, I got curious about the show that originated this band I love so much. I went and did some research online, only to find out that… people don’t seem to like it all that much. I was a bit worried to read that, because I didn't want my love for Fire Bomber to be sullied by a bad story, but I decided to give it a go nonetheless, and I am so, so happy that I did. I was really excited to find that Macross 7 was not only an extremely fun show that I absolutely adore and consider best in the franchise for me personally - as well as probably my favourite anime in general - but Basara was nowhere near the boring, flat character that some people accused him of being. In fact, what I saw was the exact opposite of that. I think Basara is written amazingly with masterful nuance which breathes so much life and realism into him, but for some reason his depth appears to fly above most people's heads. Maybe it's because they aren't even a little bit like him and therefore can't relate to his way of thinking. Maybe it's because they are content with a shallow interpretation of him, and are not willing to even attempt understanding where he might come from. An assertive introverted artist is a state of being that I am very familiar with, so I believe I'm in a position where I can try to explain Basara Nekki and what makes him tick. In this 22-page essay I will try to explain why he acts the way he does, in hopes to make some people who believe his character is poorly executed look upon him in a somewhat kinder light. |
ADDRESSING COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
“Basara is a flat character”
Basara is an extremely idealistic and passionate introvert who will put his all into his project, but will leave most other things that don’t capture his attention to just pass him by without as much as giving them a second glance. He is often seen spacing out in the background when other characters discuss things that he should probably pay attention to. He finds a lot of things to be a waste of time and only truly focuses on his project. While that definitely makes him more efficient at what he does, it also causes a terrible lack of communication and information exchange between him and other people - even those that work on his own team. He is not interested in politics or bureaucracy, laws, orders, procedures and everything else that comes with being in his place.
I think that many artists would be very familiar with this. It’s obviously not the same for everyone, but a lot of creative people tend to not be interested in the paperwork. It's why there's a stereotype of artists being bad at math. Divergent thinkers are better at idea output, not so good at receiving data and logical thinking. Try as I might, I can’t keep my focus at all when someone tries to talk to me about any kind of topic that involves elements such as business, politics or sometimes even my own job industry, you know, the 'grown up stuff'. There is a moment in episode 10 that pretty much confirms Basara's very similar stance on this, in which Mylene and Akiko plan on discussing the band, and Mylene turns to tell Basara to, and I quote; "Go to his room and chomp on a burger like a good little boy", which is a pretty damn patronising thing to say, especially as they will talk about the band that Basara is a part of, and yet, his reaction is on the right. He comes across genuinely grateful, if not even excited to be allowed to skip this conversation and do his own thing instead. And to be quite honest? I'd feel exactly the same. |
Speaking of Basara's own thing… Basara is an extremely hard worker. It’s clear that whenever given a chance, he either practices or works on new songs. It’s implied or even outright shown (episode 20) that he regularly works late into the night or pulls all-nighters, and that he sometimes spends an entire day putting together lyrics for a song he's been working on for a long time (Remember 16 is first played in episode 9, and he spends all day writing lyrics for it in episode 17).
He is also known to be late often, and apparently takes a lot of naps, which just further confirms that he is probably a night owl… which is once again a stereotype for artists, and for a good reason. Night time allows more focused work as everyone else is asleep, meaning no one bothers you. The darkness outside also doesn't give you a good feeling of the passage of time, and often I haven't even realized that it was 6 in the morning until the sun started rising... at which point I often thought, since I stayed up so late already, might as well keep it up for a few more hours and finish this picture I'm working on.
This is also pretty much confirmed to be canon in episode 20, shown above, where he not only stays up all night working on a new song, but later that day even performs at a concert without getting any sleep before that. He ends up practically collapsing due to exhaustion at the end of the day, and falls asleep about three times during that episode. Is that healthy? No. Is it devoted though? Oh, absolutely.
So, to conclude this first misconception, Basara is clearly not a flat character without anything going on. He is a character of many facets, and I only covered some very basic ones here, with a lot more to come later in this essay.
This is also pretty much confirmed to be canon in episode 20, shown above, where he not only stays up all night working on a new song, but later that day even performs at a concert without getting any sleep before that. He ends up practically collapsing due to exhaustion at the end of the day, and falls asleep about three times during that episode. Is that healthy? No. Is it devoted though? Oh, absolutely.
So, to conclude this first misconception, Basara is clearly not a flat character without anything going on. He is a character of many facets, and I only covered some very basic ones here, with a lot more to come later in this essay.
“Basara is insensitive"
While Basara has his many moments of coming across as a real jerk, I think it’s extremely important to think about where that behaviour comes from, what it means, and what HE means when he acts this way.
The reason he comes across as insensitive is largely due to him being very straightforward and blunt with his comments. I mean, it’s quite obvious that he doesn’t sugarcoat anything, not for himself, nor for anyone else, which is often perceived as rude and insensitive, and rightfully so. However, in many occasions of him acting this way, he is genuinely trying to help. It’s clear that Basara doesn’t know how to interact with people, and seeing as it’s pretty much confirmed that he grew up homeless up until his early-to-mid teens, that’s not at all surprising. He didn’t have anyone to actively interact with up until Ray took him in. In episode 9 where his comment almost makes Mylene leave the band, he was genuinely convinced that he was helping. You can tell by his expression and behaviour afterwards that there was absolutely no ill intent in his words and he was very surprised by Mylene’s reaction. Additionally, looking at what exactly he told her, I am actually in full agreement with him. She kept making mistakes because she tried to strictly stick to the 'correct' way of playing, and he basically told her to just let loose and try playing by feeling. It’s a genuinely good advice for any art form and Basara knows what he’s talking about. He just doesn’t know how to, well… talk. |
Alright, now let’s turn the attention from how supposedly insensitive he is, to how genuinely sensitive he is.
Basara is written and animated in a way where you can tell things get to him and that he’s bothered or happy about something, despite him not really expressing it to a degree we are generally used to. He’s very often emotionally sensitive, but usually not emotionally expressive. Now and then he has an outburst of negative or positive emotion, but more often than not he's playing it very neutral. That, again, makes a lot of sense when you take into account that he grew up an orphan - humans emote to interact with other humans, but Basara had no one to interact with, which left him emotively somewhat stunted.
Basara is written and animated in a way where you can tell things get to him and that he’s bothered or happy about something, despite him not really expressing it to a degree we are generally used to. He’s very often emotionally sensitive, but usually not emotionally expressive. Now and then he has an outburst of negative or positive emotion, but more often than not he's playing it very neutral. That, again, makes a lot of sense when you take into account that he grew up an orphan - humans emote to interact with other humans, but Basara had no one to interact with, which left him emotively somewhat stunted.
A very notable example of him being shaken is when he punched a man who was about to hurt Mylene in episode 3 - he knew he had to intervene in order to save her from harm, he knows he did ‘the right thing’, but it hurt him greatly to go against what he believes in - which shows that he is a man of powerful integrity. He was so shocked by his own action that he pretty much froze up and had to be dragged away by Mylene to escape an angry mob.
A larger scale example of this is just how distressed he was about using force (missiles) against an enemy in episode 5. This time it wasn’t just a punch - he could’ve killed someone. Yes, he saved several people’s lives by doing it, but once again it went against his principles and it really affected him, making him unable to enjoy even that which is the most important to him - singing - which he usually does with a smile. In both cases, he was unable to get to the opponent with his song, which shook his beliefs and therefore he most likely considered every such occasion as a terrible failure of his own identity.
A larger scale example of this is just how distressed he was about using force (missiles) against an enemy in episode 5. This time it wasn’t just a punch - he could’ve killed someone. Yes, he saved several people’s lives by doing it, but once again it went against his principles and it really affected him, making him unable to enjoy even that which is the most important to him - singing - which he usually does with a smile. In both cases, he was unable to get to the opponent with his song, which shook his beliefs and therefore he most likely considered every such occasion as a terrible failure of his own identity.
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There are times in the show where Basara clearly appears to be on the edge of tears, but instead of releasing any kind of emotion to lighten his chest, he remains quiet and stoic, seeking solitude instead of help. This could once again be a learned behaviour from when he was an orphan. If he spent most of his childhood alone, crying had no use, as crying is a socially learned thing which attracts sympathy - if there's no one to show you sympathy, why cry. (paragraph suggested by Tuna)
On the flipside of distress, which he often suppresses, Basara has a hard time keeping a lid on his positive feelings. While he often still plays it cool despite excitement, there are times when he acts openly playful and upbeat if things turn out his way, or if he's just having a blast. There are many moments of this scattered throughout the series, but the biggest probably comes from the first half of the cinematic episode The Galaxy's Calling Me!!, which might as well be renamed into Basara Is Having The Time Of His Life.
On the flipside of distress, which he often suppresses, Basara has a hard time keeping a lid on his positive feelings. While he often still plays it cool despite excitement, there are times when he acts openly playful and upbeat if things turn out his way, or if he's just having a blast. There are many moments of this scattered throughout the series, but the biggest probably comes from the first half of the cinematic episode The Galaxy's Calling Me!!, which might as well be renamed into Basara Is Having The Time Of His Life.
Mylene's behaviour
To finish this chapter, I also want to point out how flawed Mylene’s treatment of Basara was, and why I think a lot of people have the same kind of misunderstanding of his character.
Mylene is a character as outspoken as Basara but there is a core difference; She's more familiar.
Because she has much easier motives for the viewer to understand ("I want a music career" is much more simpler and to the point than "I want eldritch abominations from space to listen to my music because of a reason I don't feel like explaining"), the viewer is compelled to take her word as having more value than Basara's - meaning that how she sees Basara is how many viewers decided to see him as well, and here lies the issue, as Mylene is absolutely not a good pair of eyes to view Basara through.
Early on in the series Mylene constantly claims Basara is annoying and selfish, but I think it’s mostly her approach that’s at fault. Being new to the band, she has no basic understanding of how he functions and perceives things (while Ray and Veffidas clearly do), she always yells and demands him to do something or other. If her approach to him was different from the get go, he would probably be willing to take her slightly more seriously, as he wouldn't see her as a bossy child.
A proof of this is the fact that if Ray calmly suggests something that Basara wasn’t up for beforehand, he often gives him a slight nudge (“Take it as a challenge”, “This is a good chance”, “It’ll be fun”, etc) to make the offer more enticing for him and give him less of a reason to turn it down, which is why Basara generally goes with it in the end. At times when Mylene uses a similar approach, it also works on Basara, proving that the reason they butted heads so often was not only because of Basara's attitude, but also VERY often because of Mylene's.
Her character growth and understanding of Basara is very apparent when you compare their training from episode 24 to the one in episode 42. Where before she would lose her calm and start yelling at Basara for his bad cooperation, which only aggravated him more, in episode 42 she remains much calmer, only throwing a critical comment or two at him, but not actively antagonizing him. It's still very clear that she's irritated with his behaviour, but she knows arguing absolutely will not make him change his mind.
It shows how much she matured, and I really liked this aspect of her character development, episode 42 is one of my favourites for Mylene. Originally I really disliked her because it felt like she didn’t even attempt to understand how others around her might feel, so her learning to understand how Basara functions is a big deal, because he is not even remotely an easy person to understand.
Mylene is a character as outspoken as Basara but there is a core difference; She's more familiar.
Because she has much easier motives for the viewer to understand ("I want a music career" is much more simpler and to the point than "I want eldritch abominations from space to listen to my music because of a reason I don't feel like explaining"), the viewer is compelled to take her word as having more value than Basara's - meaning that how she sees Basara is how many viewers decided to see him as well, and here lies the issue, as Mylene is absolutely not a good pair of eyes to view Basara through.
Early on in the series Mylene constantly claims Basara is annoying and selfish, but I think it’s mostly her approach that’s at fault. Being new to the band, she has no basic understanding of how he functions and perceives things (while Ray and Veffidas clearly do), she always yells and demands him to do something or other. If her approach to him was different from the get go, he would probably be willing to take her slightly more seriously, as he wouldn't see her as a bossy child.
A proof of this is the fact that if Ray calmly suggests something that Basara wasn’t up for beforehand, he often gives him a slight nudge (“Take it as a challenge”, “This is a good chance”, “It’ll be fun”, etc) to make the offer more enticing for him and give him less of a reason to turn it down, which is why Basara generally goes with it in the end. At times when Mylene uses a similar approach, it also works on Basara, proving that the reason they butted heads so often was not only because of Basara's attitude, but also VERY often because of Mylene's.
Her character growth and understanding of Basara is very apparent when you compare their training from episode 24 to the one in episode 42. Where before she would lose her calm and start yelling at Basara for his bad cooperation, which only aggravated him more, in episode 42 she remains much calmer, only throwing a critical comment or two at him, but not actively antagonizing him. It's still very clear that she's irritated with his behaviour, but she knows arguing absolutely will not make him change his mind.
It shows how much she matured, and I really liked this aspect of her character development, episode 42 is one of my favourites for Mylene. Originally I really disliked her because it felt like she didn’t even attempt to understand how others around her might feel, so her learning to understand how Basara functions is a big deal, because he is not even remotely an easy person to understand.
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CHARACTERIZATION
Basara is not the best at communication, that much is fairly apparent. He's too straightforward, he says what's on his mind without considering how that might effect those he's talking to. To some degree he appears to be aware that when he speaks up he often ends up arguing, which is why he often tries to keep things short or doesn't say anything at all.
He's observant, curious and mischievous. When something sparks his attention, it's very likely that he will drop everything he's doing and chase after it. It's clear that it brings him great delight to harmlessly mess with people. In situations that are awkward for others, he tends to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
He's thoroughly devoted to his passion and nothing can break his will or shake his determination. He will always go all out, above and beyond when it comes to that which he cares about the most; his music. One could say he's stubborn to a fault and they'd be right, but one can only achieve victory with continuous pursuit of it, not by backing down, and that's something Basara is fully aware of.
In times when it matters the most, he is compassionate and supportive, but never to the point where he'd have to stoop down to misery.
Basara is a positive character through and through and doesn't allow himself to be held back by past mistakes or tragedies.
He's observant, curious and mischievous. When something sparks his attention, it's very likely that he will drop everything he's doing and chase after it. It's clear that it brings him great delight to harmlessly mess with people. In situations that are awkward for others, he tends to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
He's thoroughly devoted to his passion and nothing can break his will or shake his determination. He will always go all out, above and beyond when it comes to that which he cares about the most; his music. One could say he's stubborn to a fault and they'd be right, but one can only achieve victory with continuous pursuit of it, not by backing down, and that's something Basara is fully aware of.
In times when it matters the most, he is compassionate and supportive, but never to the point where he'd have to stoop down to misery.
Basara is a positive character through and through and doesn't allow himself to be held back by past mistakes or tragedies.
There is another interesting aspect to Basara's positivity; he doesn't show it by being constantly upbeat or supportive or happy. He shows it through his outright refusal to not only not accept, but also borderline NOT BELIEVE in failure.
Basara is extremely reckless, but I don't think most of his escapades stem from stupidity, as that would definitely not align with his personality. He's a survivalist and an observer - he's not oblivious to danger. To me it seems more likely that the reason he dives head-first into danger is because he goes into it believing he will make it out. He doesn't consider death. Death is not an option. Holding back won't help him find a solution, because he realizes that you will never win if you only play defense.
Basara is reckless because he wants to live a life in which he can say that he at least tried. That's what he does through most of the series; he tries, fails, tries again, fails again, tries more and more, even when there is no progress he continues to go back and try again. He only stops when the lack of progress begins to take its toll on his psyche and he needs to take an introspective break in form of leaving everything, to be alone for a while and remember why he was trying in the first place.
There's a reason why 'Try Again' is the song which saves the galaxy.
It's true that he often doesn’t know what the right thing to say or do is. He’s often blunt - even when talking to authority - and clearly thinks that he’s being helpful by not being overly delicate with situations that he thinks have a clear solution whether the other person likes it or not. In his eyes, being delicate would be a waste of time, and he often expects other people to also think that way, which is why many people end up angry.
However, it’s apparent in episode 14, that he is growing and steadily learning to adapt more to situations which he wasn’t all that good at handling before. When asked to perform for the elderly and for children he was not too excited about it due to their lack of understanding of Fire Bomber (the elderly wanted them due to the perceived connection to Lynn Minmay, while the children wanted them because of the cool robot). However, he put his issues aside and managed to deliver a fantastic performance for both parties, interacting with audience in a proper manner for each of the two occasions.
This is unlike his previous self, which either delivered a half-assed performance (episode 6) or stubbornly did things his own way (episode 7) when he was displeased with the gig. You can see him growing and adapting but still privately expressing his displeasure with given situations, making his character grow and develop, but still retain the same personality.
Basara actively works against being negatively affected by minor things (as stated in episode 30) and always tries to keep his unphased neutral demeanour, because he doesn’t think it’s worth getting worked up about and distracted by most things - which means that when something does eventually get a bigger reaction from him, it’s extremely important to him.
On the other hand, Basara loves sharing his passion with others. Given a chance, he will almost always sing for people if they say they are willing to listen. Art is something that is commonly very personal and intimate to artists that create it, so Basara being so eager to share it is especially interesting, as one could say it clashes with his otherwise loner-esque approach to people. He wants to show others what he can do, and he wants to share his gift. He most likely also finds it to be the easiest to truly express himself through his songs, rather than trying to re-phrase it into words.
His songs are songs of understanding, togetherness, peace, happiness and passion. Of leaving your past behind and working on your future, and of never giving up.
Basara's music speaks of what is truly within his heart. He is a positive, passionate and good-hearted person, and by actively telling people to listen to his song it's clear that he wants them to know this.
However, it’s apparent in episode 14, that he is growing and steadily learning to adapt more to situations which he wasn’t all that good at handling before. When asked to perform for the elderly and for children he was not too excited about it due to their lack of understanding of Fire Bomber (the elderly wanted them due to the perceived connection to Lynn Minmay, while the children wanted them because of the cool robot). However, he put his issues aside and managed to deliver a fantastic performance for both parties, interacting with audience in a proper manner for each of the two occasions.
This is unlike his previous self, which either delivered a half-assed performance (episode 6) or stubbornly did things his own way (episode 7) when he was displeased with the gig. You can see him growing and adapting but still privately expressing his displeasure with given situations, making his character grow and develop, but still retain the same personality.
Basara actively works against being negatively affected by minor things (as stated in episode 30) and always tries to keep his unphased neutral demeanour, because he doesn’t think it’s worth getting worked up about and distracted by most things - which means that when something does eventually get a bigger reaction from him, it’s extremely important to him.
On the other hand, Basara loves sharing his passion with others. Given a chance, he will almost always sing for people if they say they are willing to listen. Art is something that is commonly very personal and intimate to artists that create it, so Basara being so eager to share it is especially interesting, as one could say it clashes with his otherwise loner-esque approach to people. He wants to show others what he can do, and he wants to share his gift. He most likely also finds it to be the easiest to truly express himself through his songs, rather than trying to re-phrase it into words.
His songs are songs of understanding, togetherness, peace, happiness and passion. Of leaving your past behind and working on your future, and of never giving up.
Basara's music speaks of what is truly within his heart. He is a positive, passionate and good-hearted person, and by actively telling people to listen to his song it's clear that he wants them to know this.
Despite not being a people person, other people’s support affects him very positively, especially when unexpected - such as him regaining the passion in his singing when encouraged by Gamlin, who previously didn’t care for his songs, in episode 28. Getting unexpected praise is invigorating for every artist.
While he’s generally not good with, or patient enough for interpersonal interaction, he’s still extremely open-minded (almost to a fault), not seeing anyone as an enemy. With Basara, everyone seems to have a chance to get on his okay side. Case in point being Gigil, who started off as a clear enemy, but gradually him and Basara started working together due to circumstances and built up a deep mutual respect for each other, if not even a friendship. Already early on in the relationship Basara was willing to risk his own life to save Gigil, which speaks volumes of how Basara feels about other people; he generally won’t go out of his way to make friends, but should someone be in danger, he will be willing to sacrifice himself to save them. Basara is EXTREMELY adamant in his pacifism and it’s really admirable. He actively pursues his mission to reach the Protodeviln peacefully and hardly ever regarded them as enemies at all. Even with the appearance of the horrifying Gabigula, Basara practically welcomed him with open arms (image on the right is his reaction to seeing a monstrosity like no other). To Basara, no one is an enemy and therefore he’s not afraid of anyone. |
However at the same time, he’s not too keen on actively working towards personal relationships - be it platonic or romantic - which is shown with his total lack of interest in building a bond with Mylene as the new band member, not working on any friendship until the other party showed interest in what he does, and with his interactions with women who were clearly romantically interested in him. Due to his introvert nature, he most likely finds relationships to be exhausting and doesn't really have a need for company as extroverts tend to have. Additionally for romance, it's entirely possible that he's just in general not into it, seeing as he is entirely oblivious to any romantic implications.
It’s greatly implied that Basara is very observant. This is especially notable in how he treats Sivil, who essentially behaves like a wild animal - he is unbelievably patient and understanding with her. He understands what’s going on because he is able to pick up on traits in both humans and other creatures, this has been actively established in the show. He understood the animals of planet Lux and why they attacked, just like he knows that Sivil was not hurting people out of aggression or a wish to harm, but out of a need and natural instinct that was programmed into her.
Despite his apparent disinterest in everything around him, he still registers his surroundings and notices things that seem off.
He also doesn't care where someone comes from, as he tends to view most people on equal grounds as him and treats them as such (much to the dismay of his superiors in status). He most likely does so because he doesn't want to judge people on their past, but on their actions in the present day. It's worth noting that in all the years that him and Ray spent together, Basara has never questioned him about his past, which probably greatly benefited Ray, who tried to move on from his mistakes. (paragraph suggested by hea777)
Another thing worth mentioning, which I will write a separate short essay about eventually, is that Basara has a very rare but very valid type of character arc; the flat arc.
He starts the show as a grown man who has all his ideals in place, and therefore the usual protagonist arcs of growing up or learning more about himself wouldn't work for him. Basara doesn't really change through the series, because he starts it when he's already his best self in abilities and beliefs. He doesn't even get stronger - he just gets better gear.
The flat character arc can often be dismissed as poor writing, but I greatly disagree with that, as I don't think change is always necessary for a character to grow and I think it's actually really unique to have a protagonist who knows exactly what he needs to do since the first episode, and pursues the same goal until the very end of the series.
It’s greatly implied that Basara is very observant. This is especially notable in how he treats Sivil, who essentially behaves like a wild animal - he is unbelievably patient and understanding with her. He understands what’s going on because he is able to pick up on traits in both humans and other creatures, this has been actively established in the show. He understood the animals of planet Lux and why they attacked, just like he knows that Sivil was not hurting people out of aggression or a wish to harm, but out of a need and natural instinct that was programmed into her.
Despite his apparent disinterest in everything around him, he still registers his surroundings and notices things that seem off.
He also doesn't care where someone comes from, as he tends to view most people on equal grounds as him and treats them as such (much to the dismay of his superiors in status). He most likely does so because he doesn't want to judge people on their past, but on their actions in the present day. It's worth noting that in all the years that him and Ray spent together, Basara has never questioned him about his past, which probably greatly benefited Ray, who tried to move on from his mistakes. (paragraph suggested by hea777)
Another thing worth mentioning, which I will write a separate short essay about eventually, is that Basara has a very rare but very valid type of character arc; the flat arc.
He starts the show as a grown man who has all his ideals in place, and therefore the usual protagonist arcs of growing up or learning more about himself wouldn't work for him. Basara doesn't really change through the series, because he starts it when he's already his best self in abilities and beliefs. He doesn't even get stronger - he just gets better gear.
The flat character arc can often be dismissed as poor writing, but I greatly disagree with that, as I don't think change is always necessary for a character to grow and I think it's actually really unique to have a protagonist who knows exactly what he needs to do since the first episode, and pursues the same goal until the very end of the series.
FLAWS
One of the big reasons I love this character is because he is unabashedly flawed, with such real human flaws.
Basara’s greatest flaw that makes him seen as a bad character to some viewers and an unpleasant person to some people in the show is, that he simply isn’t a people person. An interesting example of him being unwilling to interact or seek help when he really should is in episode 27, when he loses his voice. His singing - the most important thing to Basara - was taken away from him, but he attempts coping with it by trying to ignore the massive consequence that it might have on him, trying to push it aside as if it’s no big deal. The episode starts with him thinking of it as “a bummer” which is a ridiculously mild reaction. This also plays in my before mentioned statement about him being a very positive character. He's not a traditionally positive character, but an extremely positive one nonetheless. By describing his predicament as a mere 'bummer', he's essentially trying to trick himself into believing the situation is not as bad as it seems. Throughout the episode he doesn’t seek comfort in anyone and instead leaves to be alone, try his damnest to sing and promptly nearly breaking down a few times, especially when Ray figures him out. Basara’s expression in that moment is honestly heart breaking. |
On the topic of both episode 27 and Basara’s expressions - Basara is expressive in a very subtle, yet very distinct way. He has a large array of expressions that look fairly neutral, but actually tell a lot about how he feels. The animators did an amazing job giving him nuanced expressions that are very accurate to his feelings, while staying loyal to his detached persona. That makes me even more convinced that he's definitely supposed to be this very hard-to-read kind of guy who is not emotionally expressive, but you can still tell a LOT is going on on the inside. They especially perfected the ‘neutral expression with racing thoughts’ look for Basara. On the other hand, he can often be very expressive through his body language, especially when he's in a good mood.
A particularly notable example of accurate subtle expressions for me is the smile he gives Mylene in episode 27. I was admittedly embarrassingly slow on the uptake and it honestly did NOT occur to me that Basara lost his voice until about half point of the episode where it became glaringly obvious. However when I saw this smile I was still genuinely uneasy because you can TELL this is a fake, hollow and pained smile. |
Back to flaws, another very notable one Basara has is, that he is consistently very hard to work with. And I think that this is a REALLY good flaw to give him.
Basara often functions on his own wavelength and works on himself a lot. He is very focused on his self-improvement and on reaching his own goals, and coming to a halt or others getting in the way greatly frustrates him. He toes the line of being perceived as selfish or arrogant when he’s really not. Pride does not automatically make one arrogant, especially when they can put their money where their mouth is. Basara is a damn good singer. He’s a damn good song and music writer, and he knows that, and everyone else knows that. However he also has extremely powerful ideals which he is NOT willing to budge from, and this is where most people crash into him and fail to interact properly. Basically; Basara is hard to work with because he is not willing to stand down. He has integrity, dignity and pride.
Basara either gives it his all, or simply doesn’t give. There is no inbetween, much like when he’s failing to pilot a Gerwalk. However I also feel a need to point out that his stubbornness is merely the other side of the coin to his unfathomable determination. One cannot exist without the other, and that's what makes him an incredibly well balanced character. Your strengths can be your weaknesses - your weaknesses can be your strengths. |
INTROSPECTION ARC
The entire lead-up to the self-search / introspection arc is basically just one thing going wrong after another and taking its toll on Basara.
Basara leaves at the end of episode 33, in which Mylene basically caused the removal of his muse - Sivil - who has given him drive to continue working tirelessly. The project to wake up Sivil was much more than just trying to wake up a pretty woman - if he could wake her up, it would mean that he reached her with his song. With Sivil gone, Basara had no other choice but to leave, be completely alone and try to understand why he does what he does, or more accurately, try to re-capture the feeling he once felt, which drove him back then. I'd say it all started in episode 27, where Basara loses his voice. I talked about this earlier in the essay so I won’t go into it, but this was when Basara’s frustration probably started to build up, and his confidence started to drop. In the episode 28, Basara clearly starts to lose his spark and can't feel any of his songs. The failures of the last 28 episodes start to burden him to the point that he does the unthinkable and actually attempts to shoot missiles at the enemy. We are all aware how powerful Basara’s ideals are, so the fact that he broke in that point meant that he was under tremendous pressure unlike anything he ever felt before. This was Basara's lowest point in the series - the point where he actually gave up for a moment. |
In episode 29 he's trying to wake up Sivil, but it goes nowhere. The Protodeviln in this episode take extra precautions to shield themselves from his music, which doesn’t help his already low confidence - especially as they are able to drive the Protodeviln away, yet singing with the same energy he wasn't able to wake up Sivil. In the end of this episode, Basara is on the verge of tears. Furthermore, the intro of this more Mylene-focused episode also hints at the fact that Basara is longing for something, with that being the last scene before the episode starts ("However, in Nekki Basara's heart...").
Episode 30 further builds on Basara’s and Gamlin’s relationship that was definitely strengthened by Gamlin’s actions in the previous episode. It has Gamlin state both that Basara has unbelievable concentration, and that he wouldn’t get hung up on trivial things. Gamlin’s insight is there to give us more insight on how Basara might be feeling, seeing as he is very much hung up on something, and is concentrating on a project that hasn’t moved forwards for ages.
Episode 30 further builds on Basara’s and Gamlin’s relationship that was definitely strengthened by Gamlin’s actions in the previous episode. It has Gamlin state both that Basara has unbelievable concentration, and that he wouldn’t get hung up on trivial things. Gamlin’s insight is there to give us more insight on how Basara might be feeling, seeing as he is very much hung up on something, and is concentrating on a project that hasn’t moved forwards for ages.
Episode 31, he gets beaten up by Gigil who continuously yells at him that he’s not doing enough, which is something Basara was well aware of, and it being pointed out by someone else just threw him deeper into a pit of doubts and uncertainty. As an additional hit, his song appeared to have killed Valgo's minions. Again, knowing Basara's stance on the use of violence, it's easy to understand why that would be extremely distressing for him.
In episode 32 the military was about to launch Jamming Birds, which, to Basara, was a complete and utter bastardization of everything he does and everything he stands for, especially after what happened to Valgo's minions in the previous episode. They clearly hope to use music with an intent to kill and misunderstand the very basics of Basara's intentions and ideology. Frustration keeps building up and he is starting to question his own motivation and why he does what he does. His expression in episode 33 when he finds out what Mylene did speaks volumes. His face is almost entirely covered in shadow, his pupils are small, eyes wide open but bright, to give an even greater impression of shock and despair that he’s feeling. This is where everything just crashed and burned for him. This episode was the last straw, but also a great push forwards. At this point in the show, Basara simply just doesn't feel like he's good enough, and his goal has never felt more distant. Leaving and having some extended alone time has definitely helped him find the inner peace he needed to truly think about what it is that he wants and needs to do and what he's been chasing all this time. |
The change of scenery helped him to remember the feelings he felt when he was younger. Sometimes taking a prolonged break from your project and then returning to it will truly help you regain the passion that you had when you first started it, and that’s why Basara needed to go on his soul-searching journey.
BELIEFS vs BEHAVIOUR
Something that I think speaks volumes about Basara is his mission - that is, what he’s trying to achieve with his music - versus his personality and how he behaves towards other people.
It’s very clear that he wants his music to resonate with people, inspire them, speak to them, and, judging by most of his lyrics, bring them together. He’s a pacifist and he wants people to get along. When people fight he wants them to stop and find a common route if possible. That's what his songs are about, and that's why he always jumps in the middle of various fights and yells at everyone involved to listen to what he has to say. That is an important distinction to make regarding his battle cry; he doesn't want people to listen to his MUSIC, but to his MESSAGE.
However as a person, he doesn’t seem to be all too fond of being among people himself. He gets overwhelmed by interactions easily, and constantly prefers to be alone or in a small group of people he feels comfortable with.
He meddles with large-scale arguments that lead to violence, but often up and leaves during small-scale arguments among individuals (especially when he’s included in it). He wants people to stop fighting and wants to find a way to bury their hatchet, while he doesn’t care to come to the bottom of his own arguments because he most likely finds them insignificant, and he predicts he’ll be better off to just drop them, or often end them without any resolution.
So we have a guy who wants to bring people together but is a loner, and who wants to end arguments, but doesn’t resolve his own.
This is an interesting juxtaposition between what he knows is best for the masses, and what he knows is best for him, and I think it’s another really interesting aspect of his character.
While I can see some pin him as a hypocrite for preaching one thing to people and then not fully abiding by it in his personal life, I think this is just very realistic writing. What’s objectively good for the masses is not always good for individuals. Coming together in peace is objectively a good thing for humanity, but for an introvert, a lot of socialising is exhausting and maybe even anxiety-inducing. Resolving a war is only going to bring good to Macross 7, but having the millionth argument with Mylene about how much she "doesn’t get it" is only going to cause needless stress for both of them. The juxtaposition between Basara’s over-arching mission and personal life is realistic and works incredibly well for his character.
It’s very clear that he wants his music to resonate with people, inspire them, speak to them, and, judging by most of his lyrics, bring them together. He’s a pacifist and he wants people to get along. When people fight he wants them to stop and find a common route if possible. That's what his songs are about, and that's why he always jumps in the middle of various fights and yells at everyone involved to listen to what he has to say. That is an important distinction to make regarding his battle cry; he doesn't want people to listen to his MUSIC, but to his MESSAGE.
However as a person, he doesn’t seem to be all too fond of being among people himself. He gets overwhelmed by interactions easily, and constantly prefers to be alone or in a small group of people he feels comfortable with.
He meddles with large-scale arguments that lead to violence, but often up and leaves during small-scale arguments among individuals (especially when he’s included in it). He wants people to stop fighting and wants to find a way to bury their hatchet, while he doesn’t care to come to the bottom of his own arguments because he most likely finds them insignificant, and he predicts he’ll be better off to just drop them, or often end them without any resolution.
So we have a guy who wants to bring people together but is a loner, and who wants to end arguments, but doesn’t resolve his own.
This is an interesting juxtaposition between what he knows is best for the masses, and what he knows is best for him, and I think it’s another really interesting aspect of his character.
While I can see some pin him as a hypocrite for preaching one thing to people and then not fully abiding by it in his personal life, I think this is just very realistic writing. What’s objectively good for the masses is not always good for individuals. Coming together in peace is objectively a good thing for humanity, but for an introvert, a lot of socialising is exhausting and maybe even anxiety-inducing. Resolving a war is only going to bring good to Macross 7, but having the millionth argument with Mylene about how much she "doesn’t get it" is only going to cause needless stress for both of them. The juxtaposition between Basara’s over-arching mission and personal life is realistic and works incredibly well for his character.
THE ANIMAL PERSON
Throughout the show it’s made abundantly clear that Basara is not a people person and his lack of reaction to some things might mean he just genuinely doesn’t know how he’s supposed to feel about certain situations. However with equal abundance, it was made clear that he is very much an animal person, as he’s been shown understanding and handling animals, mostly Guvava, in a very loving and caring manner. Every time Mylene tries to blame Guvava for something that was actually her fault, or was caused by Guvava just getting scared, Basara sticks up for Guvava and tells Mylene not to shift blame on the poor tiny animal. Guvava also may or may not have been the reason Basara had no objections about Mylene joining the band. Sure, now we have an annoying 14 year old on bass, but she has a cute pet!!! When Mylene is kidnapped in episode 12, Basara takes a moment to express concern for Guvava. His human friend is missing which is clearly far more concerning than how an animal might feel, and yet he doesn’t forget to care about her pet. How someone treats animals tells a whole lot about their character. |
Basara actively acknowledges Guvava - sometimes even more so than Mylene - and brings him up in conversation. In Encore episode 2, when Mylene and Basara meet for the first time, Basara pretty much instantly becomes extremely fond of Guvava, playing around with him and talking to him.
His fondness of animals is further shown in episode 35, where he shows to have an understanding of a completely unknown alien animal species, due to spending some time in the wild and along the way picking up on their behaviour and traits. He also stuck up for those animals and didn’t let Gamlin shoot a seemingly hostile one.
This might be a bit strange to include in this chapter, but I do want to bring up how he treated Pedro in The Galaxy's Calling Me!!.
In episode 14 Basara has shown that he is fully capable and aware of the proper way to communicate with kids, and while I get a distinct feeling that he doesn’t really go out of his way to interact with children (I mean, 'excited' is certainly not the word I'd use for him when he realized they are performing for children), he doesn’t outright refuse to do so if he finds himself in a situation where he feels it would be necessary, like with Pedro. Pedro is maybe 4 years old, and a massive Fire Bomber fan from a village where no one else has even remotely heard of them. When faced with something like this, anyone with a conscience would pretty much feel obliged to pay that kid the utmost attention, which Basara did, and he did so with tremendous success.
It makes me wonder if it’s easier for him to communicate with children than it is with adults because - and this is why I decided to talk about this in the 'Animal person' chapter - he uses a similar approach when communicating with Pedro as he does when communicating with Guvava. If you compare how he treats Guvava and how he treats Pedro, it’s VERY similar. In both cases he is gentle, playful, very caring, attentive and supportive, and actually making an effort to understand them and their feelings.
Lastly, I don't think I even need to mention the whales.
Towards the end of the first episode of Macross Dynamite 7, we literally hear a grown boy scream "AAAAAAAAAAA" due to sheer excitement he experienced when seeing galactic whales, after he was anxiously anticipating their arrival for the entire episode. He was so elated by the idea of whales, that he even made up a song about them on the spot. The song with the fascinatingly deep lyrics of "Whales, whales, I want to see whales, I want to see you, whales whales".
I can honestly say I've never ever seen a character be this excited to see any animal, so I can firmly say that Basara is just a huge animal lover and no one can dispute this.
His fondness of animals is further shown in episode 35, where he shows to have an understanding of a completely unknown alien animal species, due to spending some time in the wild and along the way picking up on their behaviour and traits. He also stuck up for those animals and didn’t let Gamlin shoot a seemingly hostile one.
This might be a bit strange to include in this chapter, but I do want to bring up how he treated Pedro in The Galaxy's Calling Me!!.
In episode 14 Basara has shown that he is fully capable and aware of the proper way to communicate with kids, and while I get a distinct feeling that he doesn’t really go out of his way to interact with children (I mean, 'excited' is certainly not the word I'd use for him when he realized they are performing for children), he doesn’t outright refuse to do so if he finds himself in a situation where he feels it would be necessary, like with Pedro. Pedro is maybe 4 years old, and a massive Fire Bomber fan from a village where no one else has even remotely heard of them. When faced with something like this, anyone with a conscience would pretty much feel obliged to pay that kid the utmost attention, which Basara did, and he did so with tremendous success.
It makes me wonder if it’s easier for him to communicate with children than it is with adults because - and this is why I decided to talk about this in the 'Animal person' chapter - he uses a similar approach when communicating with Pedro as he does when communicating with Guvava. If you compare how he treats Guvava and how he treats Pedro, it’s VERY similar. In both cases he is gentle, playful, very caring, attentive and supportive, and actually making an effort to understand them and their feelings.
Lastly, I don't think I even need to mention the whales.
Towards the end of the first episode of Macross Dynamite 7, we literally hear a grown boy scream "AAAAAAAAAAA" due to sheer excitement he experienced when seeing galactic whales, after he was anxiously anticipating their arrival for the entire episode. He was so elated by the idea of whales, that he even made up a song about them on the spot. The song with the fascinatingly deep lyrics of "Whales, whales, I want to see whales, I want to see you, whales whales".
I can honestly say I've never ever seen a character be this excited to see any animal, so I can firmly say that Basara is just a huge animal lover and no one can dispute this.
THE FACADE
Basara’s aloof personality is partially true, and partially a facade. He actively represses his feelings and pushes aside everything that he doesn’t find to be a big deal.
After episode 38, Basara seems to be a bit more open with his feelings though; For the first time in the series, after he was on the verge of tears multiple times, we see him overcome with emotion strong enough to make him cry, and an episode later we see him interact with Gamlin in a playful and open manner, without as much as a trace of his usual slightly dismissive attitude. The cinematic episode The Galaxy's Calling Me!! also takes place roughly around this time, and is full of extremely open and expressive Basara who truly finds himself in his element that episode. The reason for him opening up is definitely due to the massive breakthrough in his life's project, as his song truly reached out and touched someone; Gigil. Hearing the Protodeviln sing has finally shown Basara the thing that he was chasing, the reason to sing, and it really fired up his spirit. I think it’s safe to say that despite the loss of an important friend, Basara has had to feel some relief to know that everything he’s been working so hard for up until this point was not for nothing, and he is on the right track. He grew more determined than ever before. |
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Basara's personal growth may seem subtle to some people, but I found the difference very notable.
At the beginning of the show he was a stubborn and voluntary outcast, often dismissing people who he thought couldn’t understand him - most likely due to him not fully understanding himself either. He was fairly passive, not really caring to put up with situations he found pointless. However by the end of the series he becomes a much more active character, vocally standing up for his beliefs and more importantly, ELABORATING them. He found his purpose, he knows exactly what he must do and what he wants to do. He’s still withdrawn, he’s still not too good with people, but he bloomed just like his flower, which was watered and grown by his friends, paralleling the fact that he needed to build up interpersonal relationships to grow himself. This growth is further shown in Macross Dynamite 7, which takes place a year after the series, and Basara is a notably sweeter and more open person, now much more willing to reach out to people. |
Opposite to that newfound emotional openness, it was interesting to observe Basara covering up his true worries in episode 43; the episode where they formed an elite squadron to attempt infiltrating and destroying the home planet of the Protodeviln. Seeing all the characters react to joining what’s expected to be a suicide mission was very interesting.
Even though Basara appeared overly nonchalant throughout most of the episode, he was clearly aware of the gravity of the situation. His dismissive attitude about it was most likely an attempt to convince himself and others that they should not completely count out the possibility of returning home.
The reason he most likely snapped at Mylene for crying in front of everyone at her birthday party was because her tears were the physical proof of how bad the situation before them is, and he didn't want to see them. No one there wanted to see them, because everyone was already painfully ware of their predicament.
Just to make sure we all understand that Basara is not actually as casual about this mission as he acted, there was a moment earlier in the episode where Fire Bomber decide they’ll go and Mylene got excited about it. In that moment Basara just gives Ray this genuinely concerned look, clearly worried about Mylene. He knows full well that this mission is going to be extremely dangerous, and a child should not be a part of it.
Even though Basara appeared overly nonchalant throughout most of the episode, he was clearly aware of the gravity of the situation. His dismissive attitude about it was most likely an attempt to convince himself and others that they should not completely count out the possibility of returning home.
The reason he most likely snapped at Mylene for crying in front of everyone at her birthday party was because her tears were the physical proof of how bad the situation before them is, and he didn't want to see them. No one there wanted to see them, because everyone was already painfully ware of their predicament.
Just to make sure we all understand that Basara is not actually as casual about this mission as he acted, there was a moment earlier in the episode where Fire Bomber decide they’ll go and Mylene got excited about it. In that moment Basara just gives Ray this genuinely concerned look, clearly worried about Mylene. He knows full well that this mission is going to be extremely dangerous, and a child should not be a part of it.
After Mylene’s birthday party we see all the characters comforting each other and say their good byes, but Basara left to be alone, playing 'My Soul For You' on the roof. He had a very sweet but melancholic moment, he was still smiling but it felt less like carefree excitement and more like a smile of acceptance that this is happening and there is no way back. When he looked over the city with what I’d say was a nostalgic look, you can definitely tell that he knows this might be the last time. Hence why the choice of the song matters here; possibly one last time, he wants to let the people of Macross 7 know how much he is willing to give for them. Basically, the reason Basara’s behaviour was almost disturbingly nonchalant in most of this episode was, because he was trying to convince himself that it's not that bad - much like when he lost his voice. He appeared nonchalant, aggressive and uncaring, but it’s much more likely that he felt nervous, melancholic, excited, and very committed. He’s either going to do this, or he’ll die. |
BASARA’S INSECURITIES
When we see Basara’s room, we see papers scattered all over the place, and I don't think that this is just him being messy. That’s his work, and judging by the wrinkled papers, and the amount of them compared to the small amount of Fire Bomber’s songs at the time, a lot of it is most likely his work that didn't reach Basara's own standards.
Stemming from that, I want to talk about the quite heavily implied insecurity Basara has about his work.
It’s easy to assume that he’s overly proud of what he creates and thinks he can do no wrong, and while he definitely loves his creations, there’s a LOT of content that would greatly imply otherwise.
Stemming from that, I want to talk about the quite heavily implied insecurity Basara has about his work.
It’s easy to assume that he’s overly proud of what he creates and thinks he can do no wrong, and while he definitely loves his creations, there’s a LOT of content that would greatly imply otherwise.
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Another thing that's very clear in the early show is, that Basara expected his song to reach the enemy MUCH sooner, as apparent by him saying that "Third time's the charm" in episode 3. Well... it wasn't. Once again, the enemy left before he could finish, showing that they don't care to listen to his song, and in his eyes that was an absolute failure. Despite being a very determined person, the plans he made turned out to not be as easy as he might have expected and it got to him. Episode 3 is a very important boost to Basara's confidence.
Episode 3 is basically an early showing that Basara is not 100% confident in his work and that he can be shaken up by failure. The first few episodes of the series are where he is the most vulnerable due to lack of experience, but they also enforce his iron will and unfaltering attitude. Throughout Macross 7 Basara fails a lot. He fails over and over in almost every episode. But it’s little confidence boosts in the early episodes, like being cheered on by new fans, and earlier in the episode Ray encouraging him through suggesting they play his new song, that paved the way to him always going right back in and trying again. Eventually the string of failures finally gets to him, and that's when he needs to leave, be alone, and think about why he's doing it in the first place and whether it's worth it. Basara leaving was the result of loss of confidence as well as passion. |
FRUSTRATION THAT CAUSED HIM TO LEAVE
I talked about this moment earlier in this analysis, but I really want to go more in depth about it in this chapter as well.
This is the only the second time within 28 episodes, which span across many months in-universe, that Basara started to lose passion and became uncertain of himself. It’s also the first time we see him being this deeply affected by it. Like with all distinctly upsetting moments for Basara, the way his eyes are drawn and animated during the scenes in this episode makes his inner pain and frustration abundantly clear. He lost inspiration and didn’t feel connected with his songs at the start of the episode. He found Sivil and thought he could wake her up with his songs, but she didn’t budge. She didn’t react at all. Adding that to his already fading passion, he fell deeper into darkness. When Gabil and Grabil attacked, Basara has already been so shaken that his singing and piloting were at a much lower level than usually, and he kept being beaten down, while constantly repeating for the Protodeviln to listen to his song in act of utter desperation, and most likely in an attempt to pump himself up. As that didn’t work, he caved under the pressure of frustration and did the unthinkable; he fired the missiles. I said this before but it's important to reiterate, that this was the lowest point for Basara in this entire series. But then, where should the sudden and very powerful encouragement come from, if not the most unlikely source; Gamlin who used to be furious, even hateful towards Basara, who used to be clear about his dislike for Basara’s music, who so obviously did NOT understand Basara - Except now he did. Because just like in episode 3, Basara didn’t reach his intended audience, but he did reach SOMEONE. His music moved someone who used to be so determined not to move. And that’s why it was Gamlin’s encouragement that fired Basara back up and reminded him what it was that he had to do, and that’s why Basara expressed his gratitude at the end of this episode the way he did. This high five is one of the most openly expressed gestures of affection that Basara does in this entire series. This is him acknowledging that Gamlin understands him. Gamlin, not Mylene, was the first person to truly understand. |
Following this, episodes 29 to 33 are a negative parallel to episode 3 encouragement. When Basara starts to sing to Sivil, he starts a new project, which he once again foolishly expected to finish fast, but it turned out the same as before; it moved nowhere. However in this case, the project was secret, meaning that there was no one to encourage him and cheer him on. The weight and frustration of failure build up through several episodes, until they boil over and Basara leaves once everything crashes down for him. In the end of episode 29, we once again see Basara on the verge of tears as he's realizing that his progress stagnated once again.
Basara is very critical of his music. That’s why he practices all the time.
He strives for progress on every given occasion, and when he finally feels he achieved it, the expression of pure child-like happiness is completely worth it.
Basara is very critical of his music. That’s why he practices all the time.
He strives for progress on every given occasion, and when he finally feels he achieved it, the expression of pure child-like happiness is completely worth it.
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“Why do you sing?”
Basara often came across as a character with some underlying sadness, a feeling of being lost and alone. Even the opening itself seems to depict him lonely and lost in most frames - unless he's playing music. Music is all he has and he’s putting his entire identity onto his art, not feeling whole if he’s not partaking in it.
He’s entirely driven by his passion to make music and reach people through it, but the calling of it is almost otherworldly even to him. Throughout most of the series he insists that no one would understand his mission, but I think that he doesn’t really understand it either. It’s this overpowering sensation of knowing you want to - and HAVE to - put your all into something, but the source of that sensation is not very clear. It’s the easiest to say that it comes from the heart, and that it’s your passion, but when you are surrounded by people who don’t get it and constantly misunderstand it, you start to question it as well. What seemed so clear and obvious before starts getting covered by stains of doubt, which eventually turns into you questioning yourself as well. What if the thing you do, the thing that you put all of yourself into, and that you think defies you... what if it really doesn’t make sense? Who are you then? Basara has a lot of very quiet moments in this series, often preceded by what he would consider failures of his music. Not being able to wake up Sivil instantly was a big one, as well as the military weaponizing his music. Failure and disfigurement of his music makes him question his own identity, because if not this, what? |
That is why he needed to leave in episode 33 - to empty his head and heart of all the doubt that others inhabited it with, and remember why he was doing this in the first place: To move a mountain.
Moving a mountain means to achieve something extremely difficult and unlikely, and which requires a lot of hard work. Younger Basara took the quote literally and actually sang at a real, physical mountain, but adult Basara had an epiphany remembering that goal. The Protodeviln are the mountain, and reaching them with his song will move that mountain. At the core it's a battle for passion, as the message of love in Basara's songs has helped the Protodeviln understand that they too can create their own passion through music. So why does Basara sing? To prove that there is always a way to achieve your goals through your passion. To see if he can. |
BASARA IN DYNAMITE
Macross Dynamite 7 takes place one year after the core series, and Basara's personal growth really shines in it.
He is very clearly the same person as he was before, but he's also much more open and kinder.
Throughout Macross 7, the biggest lesson Basara took away was not 'never giving up' or 'believing in yourself' - he pretty much already had a doctorate in both of these things before the show even started. What he learned was the fact that he needs to let other people close. Basara in Macross 7 had a lot of repressed irritation which made him lash out, due to his unwillingness to actually talk to and connect with people. That irritation is all but gone in Dynamite.
He is very clearly the same person as he was before, but he's also much more open and kinder.
Throughout Macross 7, the biggest lesson Basara took away was not 'never giving up' or 'believing in yourself' - he pretty much already had a doctorate in both of these things before the show even started. What he learned was the fact that he needs to let other people close. Basara in Macross 7 had a lot of repressed irritation which made him lash out, due to his unwillingness to actually talk to and connect with people. That irritation is all but gone in Dynamite.
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The premise of Dynamite is essentially Basara heading out into the galaxy in search of new inspiration, this much is apparent from the opening lyrics. From the looks of it he most likely suffered a bit of an artistic burnout after the events of Macross 7, and it's fairly apparent to me that the music and the passion always mattered much more to him than the band, hence why leaving the latter behind in order to regain the former is very much in character and should honestly be expected even if Dynamite wasn't made. He grew restless in the same old scenery of City 7 and the rest of the fleet, and decided he needed change, because change is what brings inspiration.
I think it was quite clearly shown that when Sivil took Basara around the galaxy, seeing it awakened something in him, and that something was what he decided to chase in Dynamite. He fell in love with the vastness of space and the limitless possibilities. In connection to this, I refer you to my theory on the symbolism of the short Totsugeki Acoustic Love Heart, in which I propose the idea that the entire short is a daydream that finally made Basara decide that he will take on his journey in Dynamite.
I won't go into whales and what they mean to Basara on this page, as I am planning to write a separate page especially for that but until them I just want to summarize it in short;
Whales and Sivil are the same thing to Basara, as both take place of a muse. When Sivil left with the other Protodeviln, Basara closed that chapter of his life, meaning he had to find another muse, and City 7 did not provide it. The whales were something unlike anything he's ever seen before, they were alien, they were animals, and they are breathtaking. The moment the existence of them was first uttered, Basara has made his choice.
I think it was quite clearly shown that when Sivil took Basara around the galaxy, seeing it awakened something in him, and that something was what he decided to chase in Dynamite. He fell in love with the vastness of space and the limitless possibilities. In connection to this, I refer you to my theory on the symbolism of the short Totsugeki Acoustic Love Heart, in which I propose the idea that the entire short is a daydream that finally made Basara decide that he will take on his journey in Dynamite.
I won't go into whales and what they mean to Basara on this page, as I am planning to write a separate page especially for that but until them I just want to summarize it in short;
Whales and Sivil are the same thing to Basara, as both take place of a muse. When Sivil left with the other Protodeviln, Basara closed that chapter of his life, meaning he had to find another muse, and City 7 did not provide it. The whales were something unlike anything he's ever seen before, they were alien, they were animals, and they are breathtaking. The moment the existence of them was first uttered, Basara has made his choice.
Finally, on to his relationship with the people of Zola, in particular Elma and Graham.
The three of them have a really nice connection, as Basara essentially lives at their place during his stay on Zola. His relationship with Elma is somewhat similar to the one he had with Pedro in The Galaxy is Calling Me!. Elma is still a child (I'd say maybe 11-12 years old), but she obviously has more maturity and insight than the 4 year old Pedro, and Basara treated her accordingly. Just as with Pedro, he is very patient with her, letting her just talk on and on and at the very least pretending to listen, but it's also clear he cares for her, as he's seen protecting her from danger, singing with her, and carrying her when she's asleep. While he doesn't want to take her in as a student, because Basara is no teacher, he does give her a genuine tip on singing at the end of the series. If you compare how he treats her to how he treats the slightly older Mylene in the core show, the difference is extremely apparent, as his patience and openness have certainly increased. |
On to Graham, who is possibly the most important new character in this OVA.
He is actively projecting his misery on the whales and insists that the white whale wants to die. Basara's constant insistence that Graham is the one who wants to die and is projecting that wish on the whales is forcing Graham to face that truth about himself and then hopefully set his life on a better track. In the end of Dynamite, Graham still insists on following the whales, however he doesn't say he wants to kill them this time. He does say, however, that was in debt to Basara, meaning that something in his mind has been changed thanks to him. Basara is not really the kind of person who goes out of his way to meddle with other people's personal business, so it's very in-character for him to not directly tell Graham that he shouldn't be suicidal. He only tells him not to kill others because he wants to die. It appeared that Graham so blindly projected his misery on the whales, that he didn't actually realize the pain he saw was his own, and he didn't realize he was actively chasing his own death. By forcing Graham to face this part of himself, Basara makes him to realize how selfish and misguided his efforts were, as well as consider whether it was all worth it. |
I absolutely adore Basara in Dynamite.
His core personality from the original show is still very present and notable, he doesn't really care about everything going on around him as long as he can actively and passionately pursue his own interests. He's still the stubborn pacifist who will literally jump into a gunfight and yell at people to listen to his song instead of fighting.
But along with all of this, he's also a much more openly warm person than he was before, as we get to see where the character development we observed throughout Macross 7 had gotten after we skipped one year, and I think it's exactly where it needed to be. His short interactions with various minor side characters are wonderful, as he often just wants to move on while the other person is still talking, but he makes an effort not to just be dismissive or rude, as he often was in the original show. He makes an effort to be friendly, and it's very genuine, as the suppressed tension and irritation that were present throughout a lot of Macross 7 are gone.
He's a character who learned new things but not at the expense of his previous personality quirks and flaws.
His core personality from the original show is still very present and notable, he doesn't really care about everything going on around him as long as he can actively and passionately pursue his own interests. He's still the stubborn pacifist who will literally jump into a gunfight and yell at people to listen to his song instead of fighting.
But along with all of this, he's also a much more openly warm person than he was before, as we get to see where the character development we observed throughout Macross 7 had gotten after we skipped one year, and I think it's exactly where it needed to be. His short interactions with various minor side characters are wonderful, as he often just wants to move on while the other person is still talking, but he makes an effort not to just be dismissive or rude, as he often was in the original show. He makes an effort to be friendly, and it's very genuine, as the suppressed tension and irritation that were present throughout a lot of Macross 7 are gone.
He's a character who learned new things but not at the expense of his previous personality quirks and flaws.
FINISH
Basara is a truly beautifully written character.
He is the type of person that has a lot going on in their head, but other people generally have a somewhat hard time understanding them, which consequentially makes them appear detached and cold when that's not who they are at all. If you like being with other people, if you don’t have a fixation on something as abstract and oftentimes as hard to understand as art, and if you’re are not an artist who uses their art as a means to help interpreting things that might come natural to others, you might have trouble understanding where Basara comes from and why he acts the way he does. Basara is an introverted, socially awkward and misunderstood artist, and he is written to be like this without being a pretentious stereotype of it. His behaviour is not glamourised and he’s definitely not shown to be in the right all the time. His flaws and strengths come in extremely well balanced pairs and make him a well rounded character with a lot of depth and many vividly coloured facets. He is a type of person that's rarely shown in the media as a main character, especially with this level of excellent writing and characterization, and I am extremely grateful that I got to watch a 49+ episode anime with such a well developed, relatable and highly unusual protagonist. It really felt like watching a kindred spirit in this show and it meant a lot to me to see a character like this written so well. |