Chief Guld Goa Bowman (ガルド・ゴア・ボーマン Garudo Goa Bōman, commonly called Goa or Guld by his friends and colleagues) is one of the protagonists of the Macross Plus OVA and its compilation movie. He pilots the YF-21. Before becoming a pilot he went to high school with Isamu Alva Dyson and Myung Fang Lone, and all three of them were close friends. He became incredibly violent after discovering that something had happened between Isamu and Myung.
Personality & Character
He is an experienced pilot of Zentradi descent and is well disciplined in comparison to his carefree former classmate and now rival pilot; Isamu Alva Dyson. Their mutual frustration with one another is made more difficult by their former friendship, both with each other and their common love interest; Myung Fang Lone.
Skills & Abilities
Being part Zentradi, he possesses certain traits that allow him to survive in harsher conditions. He is capable of using an experimental brain-wave control system for variable fighters.
History
A Zentradi-human hybrid, Guld grew up with his two friends Myung and Isamu on the rural planet of Eden. He shared a fascination for flying with Isamu, and the two managed to build a man powered flying machine together. Another thing he shared with Isamu was his love for Myung. One day Guld walked in on Isamu and Myung sharing a tender moment. His Zentradi warlike tendencies exploded with jealous rage and he attacked his two former friends. As a result, Guld knocked out Isamu and attacked Myung. The trio broke up with Myung and Isamu leaving Eden. Alone on Eden, Guld's psyche managed to suppress the memories of his assault, convincing him that he was protecting Myung from Isamu's unwanted advances.
2040
Guld neurally-linked up to his YF-21.
Years later, he became an employee for General Galaxy, both as a designer of variable fighters and a test pilot. His pet project, the controversial mind controlled YF-21, became General Galaxy's entry in the Project Super Nova competition. Much to his distaste, the test pilot for Shinsei Industries' YF-19, was none other than his old rival Isamu. The competition between the two, flamed by their old rivalries, became a bitter one. Things got even more complicated when Myung showed up on Eden as well, now the producer for the popular AI singer Sharon Apple who was on tour. In an early test flight of the YF-21, Guld fantasized about forcing Isamu's VF-11 Thunderbolt to crash (having been rescued from a certainly fatal crash by Isamu's quick thinking himself moments earlier). The YF-21's control system interpreted this as a command and pushes down hard on Isamu's fighter, forcing it to crash, which Isamu survived with only superficial injuries. Guld, determined to win, even managed to sabotage one of the tests in his favor by swapping live ammunition into Isamu's gun pod, which he later used to fire into the YF-19 and nearly killed Isamu (he had been originally intending for the ammunition to be used by Isamu against him, to make it look as though Isamu had plotted to murder him).
Just as Guld was starting to patch things up between him and Myung, she left for Earth to attend the anniversary of the end of the Space War I. Meanwhile, Project Super Nova was cancelled when the U.N. Spacy announced that they would go for the A.I. controlled X-9 Ghost instead. While Guld was mulling this, Isamu stole the YF-19 to stop the Ghost's inauguration on Earth. Guld was then tasked to bring him back using the YF-21. He succeeded in tracking down his rival and an intense dogfight ensued. During the duel, Guld accused Isamu of stealing Myung from him and of ruining everything. Just as Guld landed a major shot on Isamu, all of his suppressed memories flooded back, and Guld realized his mistake.
Guld's YF-21 taking on the rogue drone.
Luckily for the grieving Guld, Isamu managed to escape at the last moment. However, just as they started to bond again, the X-9 Ghost appears, now controlled by the crazed Sharon Apple and attacked the two, in what became known as the "Sharon Apple Incident". Guld manages to convince Isamu to leave this fight to him, and go rescue the trapped Myung instead. The fight goes in the Ghost's favour in the beginning, as Guld could barely keep up with the Ghost's aerobatics which, due to it being computer controlled, could fly and maneuver at velocities that would kill a living pilot. In one last act of sacrifice, Guld removed all the inhibitors from the YF-21, allowing him to execute dangerously high-G maneuvers. He reconciled himself with both Isamu and Myung over the radio and destroyed the X-9 Ghost, ramming it and killing himself in the process.
Relationships
- Isamu Alva Dyson
- Former best friend and longtime rival. The two were competitive in their youth, but shared a friendship that would eventually end after he assaults Myung in a fit of rage. Their rivalry continues when they become test pilots for Project Super Nova.
- Myung Fang Lone
- His former childhood friend. He ends up assaulting her, unbeknownst to him at the time. He reconnects with her many years later, and hooks up after Myung is nearly killed in a fire. Their relationship falls apart shortly after as things get complicated with his rivalry with Isamu.
Notes & Trivia
- In Macross 7 episode 19, A Life Threatening Date, there is a Zentradi truck driver bearing a very strong resemblance to Guld.
- Guld Works, a Variable Fighter producer for Macross Galaxy and creator of the VF-27γ Lucifer, appears to be named after Guld.
- The late Unshō Ishizuka would later voice another Human-Zentradi hybrid; Ernest Johnson from Macross Δ.
- This fact is used as an insider joke in Macross Δ Scramble, where they have a Support Bonus called "Similar folks?". Both men even have a post-mission dialogue where Ernest asks Guld if they are siblings separated at birth, to which Guld will answer: "I don't think so, but..."
- Guld's English voice actor, Richard Epcar previously voiced Hayao Kakizaki's Robotech: The Macross Saga counterpart, Ben Dixon.
External Links
Macross Plus characters
| ||
|---|---|---|
| U.N. Spacy | Isamu Alva Dyson | Guld Goa Bowman | Lucy McMillan | Yang Neumann | Millard Johnson | |
| Sharon Apple Project | Sharon Apple | Myung Fang Lone | Marge Gueldoa | |
| Others | Kate Masseau | |