Isamu Alva Dyson (イサム・アルヴァ・ダイソン Isamu Aruba Daison) is one of the protagonists of the Macross Plus OVA and its theatrical adaptation, Macross Plus Movie Edition. He also makes a cameo in Macross Frontier Movie: The Wings of Goodbye. He was a test pilot for the YF-19 which was part of the Advanced Variable Fighter initiative under Project Super Nova, and operated on the planet Eden.
Personality & Character[]
“ | Luck is one of my skills. | ” |
—Isamu Alva Dyson |
Isamu is a reckless and carefree individual who at one point had been best friends with Guld Goa Bowman and their mutual love interest, the singing sensation and talent show winner, Myung Fang Lone. He remained reckless even as a pilot for the U.N. Spacy, and frequently earned the ire of his superiors. When he is assigned as a test pilot for Project Super Nova, he is forced to up his game when he and his assigned variable fighter, the YF-19 is put up against his former friend/romantic rival, Guld, pilot of the YF-21. He has a fateful meeting with Myung, and the two have conflicting emotions towards a shared past they could not easily disclose to Guld.
History[]
“ | Ever since we were kids, you were tagging along behind me like some lonesome pet. Why don't you go chasing some woman's ass for once, huh? | ” |
—Isamu Alva Dyson |
Born on Earth, March 27, 2015, Isamu Dyson grew up with his two friends Myung and Guld on the rural planet of Eden. A student of Della Musica High School, he shared a fascination for flying with Guld, and would often go chasing the planet's indigenous giant birds just to watch them fly. Another thing he shared with Guld was his love for Myung. When he and Myung finally had a tender moment, Guld walked in on them and exploded with rage attacking his former friends. The trio broke up and both Myung and Isamu left planet Eden separately.
Not long after, on September 1, 2034, Isamu realized his dream of flying by joining the U.N. Spacy as a fighter pilot. He showed his extraordinary skill again-and-again as he fought renegade Zentradi in his VF-11 Thunderbolt variable fighter leading to an astronomical kill count. However his skill came with a penchant for showmanship, dare devilry, and an independent smart-mouth personality. Vices that did not endear him to his superiors, no matter how skilled he was.
2040[]
His stint as a frontline pilot came to an end somewhere in A.D. 2040, when his reckless behaviors during a deep space combat sortie needlessly risked the lives of both his comrades and himself (such as firing at targets dangerously close to his wingmen and interposing himself between opposing forces to get a sure kill) and earned him a transfer for punishment as a result. As none of the normal options in the form of satellite repair, debris disposal, and coal mining units was willing to accept "an outlaw as crazy as Dyson", instead he was selected as a test pilot on the planet Eden, much to his relief and delight.(Plus: "AD 2040")
Seven days later, on the planet Eden, Isamu's high school friend Guld Goa Bowman, flew a new variable fighter. As Isamu was flying above Eden he spotted the a new variable fighter, after his descent, he checked in to New Edwards base on Eden. Isamu was briefed by his new superior, Chief Millard Johnson on Project Super Nova. He was to fly the YF-19 (by Shinsei Industries) while Guld was to fly the YF-21 (General Galaxy) which he operated by brainwaves, the two variable fighters were to compete to replace the U.N. Spacy's current main variable fighter, the VF-11 Thunderbolt, the winning fighter would be able to perform a hyperspace fold on its own, hover it couldn't use reaction weaponry as it would cause a political problem. Guld commented that Isamu, would be a useless waste which angered the short-tempered Isamu, an engineer named Lucy McMillan briefly commented wondering if the two pilots have ever met. Later Guld confirmed that his rival was the Isamu he knew after searching through U.N. Spacy records on a computer.(Plus: "AD 2040")
Isamu flew in the testing devices in a very carefree manner angering Lucy's colleague, Yang Neumann who said he must change his attitude or else their side will never catch up with General Galaxy. He later took a motorcycle ride carrying Lucy, and they learn that popular music idol, Sharon Apple would be arriving on Eden, Lucy told Isamu that Sharon's not actually a human. Lucy wanted to go the Starhill but Isamu was hesitant as it would bring back memories of high school but he eventually agreed. While Isamu and Lucy drove up to Starhill for their own date, he meets Guld and is thrown to the floor by Guld who attempted to punch him until Myung quickly stopped him. Bowman said he would not let Isamu keep destroying things, Myung or the project. Myung told Isamu that she was not the girl he left be hind years before.(Plus: "AD 2040")
Later at the base, the YF-21s abilities of avoiding enemy missiles and air battle performance were tested while Isamu flew chase in a modified VF-11. Guld successfully predicted and dodged the missiles sent by automated drones with the YF-21's unique control system. Seeing an opportunity to humble the competition, Isamu flew into the combat zone as well, exceeding the g-limits of the boosters, but jettisoning one into the path of the YF-21s final target, destroying it before Guld could. When the two confronted each other in battroid mode the rush of emotions triggered a failure in the YF-21's control system as Guld experienced a partial flashback to traumatic events of the past. The YF-21 fell to the surface of Eden. Isamu sneered at the so-called advanced fighter as he followed the YF-21 down, but intervened to rescue both aircraft and pilot after being threatened with losing his flight status, successfully prevented the YF-21 from crashing by transforming into GERWALK mode and carrying the YF-21 on its back. Guld, thinking about a way to defeat his rival, suddenly thought about using the YF-21 to create a downward force on Isamu's VF-11, which would make it crash. In that moment, he forgot that the aircraft was directly linked to his brainwaves, and the YF-21's computer system interpreted his thoughts into the actual maneuver. The YF-21 pushed down on the VF-11, causing it to crash into the Eden desert. Moments later, Isamu climbed out of the wreckage of the chase plane to see the enormous looking YF-21 descending. He then met Guld to demand an answer. He told Isamu that he has the devil's luck wondering how Isamu survived, which made Isamu realize that Guld had caused the crash purposefully, to which Guld sarcastically apologized. Guld then walked off with Isamu standing in the background.(Plus: "AD 2040")
Neumann, Lucy and Isamu all attended Sharon Apple's concert on Eden. Because Myung saw Isamu whilst controlling Sharon, her heart rate became unstable. The holographic Sharon danced and greeted the audience and they all watched in awe. Neumann, who was sitting to the right of Isamu, said "come to me Sharon" in the hopes that she would do so however she instead approached Isamu and then proceeded to kiss him.(Plus: "Brain Waves")
Back at the base, Isamu playfully moved his hand mimicking the movements of variable fighters, Neumann and Lucy show Isamu the fixed YF-19 and he proceeded to fly it still as carefree as ever. As he descended to the ground he transformed the YF-19 into Battroid mode. The YF-19 and YF-21 show off in target practice, flying and more, eventually the YF-19 surprisingly surpassed the abilities of the YF-21. Afterwards Isamu reported to chief Johnson asking what he meant when he said he was going too far. Isamu was told that he cannot carry challenge and recklessness in the same pocket and that he was also carrying stupidity. Chief Johnson laughed whiched angered Isamu. Later, Isamu forcibly entered a room Neumann was in who planned on "kidnapping" Sharon Apple. Kate Masseau then called Isamu inviting him over for a drink with her, Myung and Malcolm telling Isamu that Myung was refusing to sing despite loving to sing before. After being told that Guld might be there Isamu aggressively refused. Isamu then received a mysterious phone call telling him that in 30 minutes will break out at the concert hall, at first Isamu dismissed it as Kate screwing with his head but he briefly reconsidered. Guld and Isamu both rush to the concert hall to find out what was going on. Myung was woken up by the fire and tried to make her escape. Guld arrived first and picked up Myung's unconscious body and made it out of the concert hall in time but he was injured heavily as he was almost crushed by security doors coming down upon his back, Myung however was unharmed, Isamu arrived with the authorities but he was told that no one was hurt.(Plus: "Brain Waves")
At the mess hall, Lucy bugged Isamu about where he went last night thinking it was the woman on the phone, Kate. Guld, meanwhile read a newspaper in the background much to Isamu's annoyance, who glimpsed at Guld's bandages. Isamu went over and is told by Guld that Guld promised to protect Myung and learned that he saved Myung from the fire, hence the bandages.(Plus: "Brain Waves")
Isamu and Guld continued testing their variable fighters, this time they battled face to face. As the Isamu repeatedly stomped the YF-19's foot on the YF-21, Chief Johnson marched into the control room where the engineers that designed the two variable fighters watched in awe. After the test battle, it was not Guld's YF-21 but Isamu's YF-19 that came out the worst hit. A phone call informed Myung of what happened to Isamu(Plus: "Brain Waves")
When Project Super Nova was cancelled due to the introduction of the unmanned X-9 Ghost drone, hot headed Isamu stole the YF-19, aided and abetted by its chief engineer Yang Neumann, and headed to Earth to disrupt the Ghost's inauguration. There he found that he was followed by Guld who was sent to bring him back and a dogfight broke between them. During the fight, the two finally confronted each other with their grievances and in the end managed to settle them and became friends again. The new alliance was tested when the crazed Sharon Apple took control of the Ghost and the Macross defenses and attacked them. Guld convinced Isamu to leave and rescue the imprisoned Myung. There he was faced by intense fire from the Macross itself. Soon after, Isamu succumbed to Sharon's hypnotizing powers and took his fighter into a death plunge. But thanks to Myung's singing he broke from Sharon's hold and destroyed her. Unfortunately Guld was killed during his battle with the Ghost in a kamikaze-like attack destroying both himself and the drone.(Plus: "Investigation")(Plus: "It's Time to End This")
2059[]
By 2059, Isamu had joined Strategic Military Services, he and his VF-19EF/A Isamu Special were among the allied forces that folded into the orbit of the Vajra home planet to answer the Macross Quarter's call [1]
.
Relationships[]
- Guld Goa Bowman
- His childhood friend and longtime rival. They've constantly been at each other's throats, but would often make up at the end. Their friendship ended when he witnesses Guld assaulting Myung. They would continue this heated rivalry up until their battle against the X-9 Ghost, where they took some time to fully vent their feelings of both contempt and brotherly affection, culminating in Guild sacrificing himself to destroy the Ghost, allowing Isamu to focus on rescuing Myung.
- Myung Fang Lone
- His estranged childhood friend. They fell for each other until Guld broke off their relationship. He hopes to catch up with her when they meet each other on Eden many years later.
- Yang Neumann
- The designer of the YF-19, and someone he holds little respect for. He considers him a social pariah, and doesn't care much for his hobbies.
- Millard Johnson
- His superior at the New Edwards Flight Center. He would often snap at him when he is reprimanded.
- Lucy McMillan
- His colleague at the YF-19 project. The two engage in a fling that eventually ends when Isamu's complicated past is revealed.
Gallery[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- In Macross 30: The Voice that Connects the Galaxy, Isamu is revealed to have participated in the Vanquish Races back in Eden, same as the ones depicted in Macross The Ride.
- His middle name may be a reference to American inventor Thomas Alva Edison. His surname may reference to British-American physicist Freeman Dyson.
- Isamu's English voice actor is Bryan Cranston (credited as Lee Stone) who plays Walter White in Breaking Bad.
External Links[]
Macross Plus characters
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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 |