You get thrown into a dogfight during an idol concert and suddenly the show never stops moving. Alto's stuck between two women who each represent a completely different future for him, one grounded in the fleet, one pointing toward the stars, and the series knows that a love triangle only hits when the choice actually matters. Yoko Kanno's score doesn't just play over the action; it becomes the action, turning every transformation sequence and every emotional gut-punch into something that rewatches completely different the second time through.

After a devastating war with a race of giant aliens called the Zentradi, humanity sends fleets of colony ships out into space to secure its future. In 2059, one of these fleets, Macross Frontier, carries a city-dome home to millions. Life there is calm until mysterious creatures attack during a concert by the famous idol Sheryl Nome. Alto Saotome, a high school student and pilot trainee performing aerial stunts for the show, ends up in the cockpit of a new fighter, defending Ranka Lee, a girl he met only hours before. His skill catches the attention of S.M.S., a private military company, which recruits him to fight the alien threat and protect the fleet. Action, music, romance and mecha dogfights come together in this sci-fi series.