Macross 7 Trash (1997)

[マクロス7 トラッシュ]

Volume 5

Author/Artist: Haruhiko Mikimoto
Publisher: Kadokawa Comics A

Synopsis:
After his match, Shiba comes across Enika for the first time since she left to start her music career.

Story/Characters:
What is there to say about this volume? We get a reunion with Shiba and Enika that doesn't really go anywhere, a little bit more insight into Vacheron's plot with the Mind System, a little more of the newly minted love quadrangle (though Shiba's got zero interest in Pasha), and Max shows up to torpedo most of what the story's been trying to build on. (I do like that Mahara acts a bit like a fangirl around Max.) About the only thing positive I can say is that a decent job is done building up the suspense around Jebiru and using the reveal as a cliffhanger.

Art:
The art is still nice. We mostly focus on closeups and reaction shots this time around.

Other:
There's an utterly pointless intermission chapter for Hoshimaru's birthday. Like the series itself, there's shaky setup and no real payoff.

Conclusion:
Even with the appearance of Max, not a lot happens here. You'd think we might springboard into something on the Shiba/Enika front, but not really. It's a bit of a slog, but if the series has somehow got you hooked, you may find it worth continuing. Take it or leave it.

Rating:
50/50