MY INTERPRETATION OF MACROSS DYNAMITE 7
Macross Dynamite 7 is a fantastic conclusion to Basara's story and there is a lot to unpack here regarding deeper meaning and symbolism.
I notice that many people seem to write it off as a very shallow 'save the whales' story, but that completely disregards everything that Basara's character goes through in this OVA, and how the character growth he experienced in Macross 7 shows beautifully. There are multiple stories unveiling throughout the events of this OVA, and I want to cover the most important ones. Despite the accusation of a shallow anti-whaling story, the poachers are not even remotely the central issue of Dynamite, and Basara hardly cares about them to begin with. The only poacher that matters is Graham, but it's not his poaching that's important to the story, but more so his internal struggles and how his fixation on his misguided vengeance affects his remaining family. |
GALACTIC WHALES
Galactic whales are clearly the highlight of Dynamite, not just because of the breathtakingly gorgeous finale, but also because of what they mean to Basara, how they influence him, and the interesting ability that the white whale possesses. To understand why Basara was so excited about the whales, you first need to understand Basara's situation at the beginning of Dynamite, and his reason for leaving City 7 - artistic burnout. Basara has absorbed all the inspiration that he could gain from Macross 7, and there was nothing left for him there anymore. Basara leaves because he wants to find a new source of inspiration, and he finds it in the galactic whales. The whales in Dynamite essentially replace Sivil, as they become Basara's new muse. The obsession with a new source of his inspiration is perfectly shown in Dynamite, and is, in true Macross 7 fashion, extremely realistic. |
With Sivil, there was an obsession, but also a feeling of urgency and duty so of course he's going to sing to her and try to wake her up.
With whales however, there's none of that. The moment Elma mentions whales, before she even mentions hunting of any sort, Basara's attention is fixated on them. His interest, and his inspiration, are sparked. He REALLY wants to see those whales. Basara's main objective throughout Dynamite is not to stop the whalers. He obviously doesn't condone their actions, but he also doesn't really seem to give a damn that they are there. The main objective Basara has is, well... to have the whales listen to his song. Whales bring childish joy into Basara's heart, because he finally found what he was looking for. He is infatuated with them and loves them instantly, and his genuine passion and joy come through perfectly with the wonderful animation and voice acting. Basara making up a song about whales the moment he can play his guitar again, and him actually screaming in excitement once he finally gets to see them are unparalleled moments of animated excitement and love. They feel incredibly genuine and real and once again showcase what a well written and well animated character Basara is. |
Angel Voice is much like Submarine Street - it was a song Basara wrote for his muse, and when you realize that that's what it's about, all the pieces fall into place perfectly. I will eventually cover the inspiration and muse aspect of the whales and Sivil in it's own article, so I won't dive deeper into that right now.
Stepping away from Basara, another interesting thing about the galactic whales that I want to mention is what happens to them at the end and how that connects with a message that's been touched upon at the end of episode 2 - the circle of life. Throughout the series it was thought that whales die at the graveyard, but it turns out that it's more like being reborn. As old whales circle into the graveyard they release their energy, and new whales are formed. Their energy is also released into the planet Zola itself, and that energy was the source which gave the healing spring it's unique abilities.
The whales migrate through space, pass Zola to absorb energy from it's sun, and when their time comes, they return the processed energy into Zola and renew themselves.
Stepping away from Basara, another interesting thing about the galactic whales that I want to mention is what happens to them at the end and how that connects with a message that's been touched upon at the end of episode 2 - the circle of life. Throughout the series it was thought that whales die at the graveyard, but it turns out that it's more like being reborn. As old whales circle into the graveyard they release their energy, and new whales are formed. Their energy is also released into the planet Zola itself, and that energy was the source which gave the healing spring it's unique abilities.
The whales migrate through space, pass Zola to absorb energy from it's sun, and when their time comes, they return the processed energy into Zola and renew themselves.
BASARA AND GRAHAM
Due to marketing it's easy to expect that Dynamite is going to be a story about Basara and Elma, but in actuality it's very much a story about Basara and Graham, and it touches upon some very interesting things.
Firstly, let's re-introduce Graham. On the surface, he appears to be a captain Ahab stereotype, but a perceptive viewer may notice that there's much more to him, as it's slowly but subtly revealed throughout the episodes. Graham has lost his wife to the galactic whales and has been obsessed with hunting down the white whale ever since. Sounds simple and self-explanatory enough - all up until he brings up the whale's eye in the third episode. This instantly caught my attention because we have seen the whale's eye before in the second episode - it was the memory of that eye that snapped Basara out of his waking coma. Graham describes the whale's eye as full of deep sadness, and he describes the whale as lonely, and longing for death. Basara, however, claims the exact opposite - he describes the whale's eyes as fierce, and insists that the whale doesn't want to die. |
It's very important to remember the moment Basara snapped out of his coma, so let me delve into the coma itself for a moment. I think it's quite clear that Basara absolutely wasn't himself in episode 2, but for the sake of clarity and to present my case better, I want to explain it anyway.
Basara has suffered a massive trauma at the end of the first episode, and while he was able to walk and somewhat understand what was going on around him in the second episode, he wasn't fully present. A clear moment to show that was when he blankly stared at his guitar, and Elma asked whether he forgot how to play. At this point, Basara's memories were hazy and clouded and he only had one vaguely clear track of mind; he wanted to find Graham. That was the one memory he clung to, because that was one of the last thoughts he had before his Valkyrie exploded.
Once Basara was brought to the healing spring, the healing energy was helping to uncloud his mind, and he was able to focus more and more, by fixating on one specific memory; the eye of the whale. He returned fully when he remembered the clear image of it, and what he saw within it; himself. When he saw himself in that eye, Basara remembered who he was, and he was back.
The eye reflected Basara's very core - his passion, his energy and his unyielding will to live.
Basara has suffered a massive trauma at the end of the first episode, and while he was able to walk and somewhat understand what was going on around him in the second episode, he wasn't fully present. A clear moment to show that was when he blankly stared at his guitar, and Elma asked whether he forgot how to play. At this point, Basara's memories were hazy and clouded and he only had one vaguely clear track of mind; he wanted to find Graham. That was the one memory he clung to, because that was one of the last thoughts he had before his Valkyrie exploded.
Once Basara was brought to the healing spring, the healing energy was helping to uncloud his mind, and he was able to focus more and more, by fixating on one specific memory; the eye of the whale. He returned fully when he remembered the clear image of it, and what he saw within it; himself. When he saw himself in that eye, Basara remembered who he was, and he was back.
The eye reflected Basara's very core - his passion, his energy and his unyielding will to live.
Now let's go back to Graham, a bitter, mourning man, who claims that the whale is also bitter and mourning.
Basara is a very perceptive man, he quickly connected the dots and read Graham like an open book. He knew that he himself didn't see this sadness in the whale's eyes, and he instantly understood something that Graham failed to see: The white whale's eye reflects what's within you. Graham looked into that eye and saw deep sadness and loneliness and a longing for death, while Basara saw life - hence why he looked the giant straight in the eye and made him face the fact that he, Graham, was the one who wished for death. All of his anger, sadness, loneliness and suicidal rage, Graham had projected it onto the whale, and convinced himself that it was what the whale was feeling. It's likely that, seeing himself as a proud, strong and powerful man, he refused to acknowledge his own feelings of weakness. Instead he chose to see himself as the grim saviour of the whale and end his sad existence - and in his quest to try doing that, he completely abandoned and alienated his remaining family; his daughters, Liza and Elma. |
This shows especially strongly with Elma, who appears to be somewhere in her very early teens, definitely younger than Mylene was in Macross 7. Elma seems to talk all the time, she's very attached to her radio and loves to sing, and she's extremely independent.
She talks a lot to Basara because she hardly ever has anyone to talk to. She loves her radio because it's the only voice she tends to hear. And she's independent because she has no one else who could take care of her. Graham is a selfish father. By turning himself into a giant, he alienated his daughter, as he made it very hard for them to live together and have a normal relationship. He's not a happy or social person and while he does seem to be around his home most of the time, he doesn't seem to spend time with Elma. He's a giant, meaning he can't take care of her like a parent should, as he doesn't even fit in their home. Liza, the elder daughter, has moved away and it's clear that she visits home rarely. Everything about Elma's behaviour is a direct result of her broken home. I believe that Graham is so devoted to his quest to slay the white whale, because the emotions he sees in the whale are his own, and that makes this so much more personal and important to him, even if he doesn't fully realize it. He's depressed and he wants something to do to make himself feel like he has a purpose, but he directs that drive into a dark direction, instead of focusing on raising his daughters. Instead of trying to recover, Graham devoted his life to what's essentially an easier path; the path that will either fulfil his imaginary quest of 'helping' the whale die, or it will end his own life, which is also something he wishes for deep down. |
Now to focus on Basara once again, and the interesting way in which he decided to approach this issue.
Basara has always been a man who doesn't really meddle much in other people's affairs, hence why he didn't reach out to Graham regarding his suicidal tendencies, but instead forced him to face then on his own, as they were clearly something he refused to see. Basara knew that Graham was too proud of a man to take any type of pity or coddling, but he had to be set straight. Graham is a hermit and doesn't interact with people - it's likely that by macronizing himself, he pretty much cut ties with any friends he might have had. He lives far from civilisation, in the wilderness of Zola, and is known to be trouble. People don't approach him, so god knows when was the last time he actually had a sensible adult to talk to. So who is best to talk to a hermit, if not a vagabond? I find interactions between Graham and Basara to be beautifully written and animated. From the very start, there was a certain tension between the two, but also curiosity and mutual respect, as they both acknowledged each other as strong individuals. Their facial expressions during their interactions are perfect and telling. Every time Basara approached Graham or even just stood in his vicinity, he acted completely casually. There was no masks or pretences, and no judgement on Basara's part, and I think this was something that really struck Graham, who seems to be a man that's used to judgement. When Basara spoke to him, he spoke plainly and was just being himself. So when Basara told Graham that he was suicidal, it actually meant something. At that point, Graham knew that Basara is a genuine man who says it as it is and doesn't fake or sugarcoat things. Basara warned Graham of what he saw in him, but he didn't offer to help, because he wanted Graham to be faced with a road sign and take the right turn on his own. Taking the steering wheel away from him at that point would only hurt Graham's pride. It's also very much in Basara's character to point things out and not explain or elaborate them, as he wants people to figure things out on their own. He wanted Graham to clean up his own mess, just like he wanted Mylene to figure out true passion for music on her own. |
The relationship between Basara and Graham is that of two stubborn men who have a deep mutual respect and understanding of each other. Basara forced Graham to face what was truly in his heart, and it seemed to have worked, as Graham felt that he owed Basara his life and has repaid his debt by in turn saving Basara's life from the poacher's ship.
True, in the end Graham states that he will continue to follow the whales, however he doesn't specify that he intends to kill them this time.
Personally, I believe that he wants to look into the eye of the white whale one more time.
True, in the end Graham states that he will continue to follow the whales, however he doesn't specify that he intends to kill them this time.
Personally, I believe that he wants to look into the eye of the white whale one more time.