TV-Series
Description
Basara Nekki is the main protagonist of Macross 7 and the lead vocalist and guitarist for the rock band Fire Bomber. Standing 184 centimeters tall with B-type blood, he is 21 years old during the events of the story. His past is largely mysterious, with even his closest friends knowing little about his childhood. What is known is that he is an orphan who grew up in the mountains of Japan, where he owned little more than an acoustic guitar. His faith in music was so strong that he believed he could move a mountain with his singing, even performing for it in the middle of a typhoon. His life changed when he encountered Ray Lovelock, an alcoholic former pilot, whose own dreams became entrusted to Basara's powerful voice. This meeting led to the formation of Fire Bomber, with Ray on keyboards, the young Mylene Flare Jenius on bass, and the quiet Zentradi woman Veffidas Feaze on drums.
Basara is a highly emotional and fanatical pacifist who believes absolutely in the power of music and emotion over physical force. He cares little for material gain, fame, or conventional success, as his greatest desire is for his music to be recognized and understood by others. This singular focus often leads others to see him as self-centered or oblivious to the world around him. He shows little awareness of the romantic feelings that women like Mylene or the biker Rex have for him, and he struggles to express himself verbally, easily becoming frustrated when people do not grasp his motivations. The only emotions he readily displays are wild enthusiasm during his concerts and angry frustration toward those who fail to understand his songs. The rest of the time, he maintains a nonchalant, almost contemptuous air. A true free spirit, he goes wherever he pleases, frequently arriving late to his own concerts and often making a dramatic entrance by parachute, believing the show cannot start without him. His signature catchphrase, shouted from the cockpit of his fighter, is an invitation and a demand: to listen to his song.
His core motivation is to see how far he can take his singing. He dreams of making the entire universe realize the power of music, believing it is more powerful than war. This philosophy drives the central conflict of his story. When the mysterious alien forces known as the Protodeviln attack the Macross 7 fleet, Basara refuses to engage them with conventional weapons. Instead, he launches his customized variable fighter, the VF-19 Fire Valkyrie, directly into the battlefield to sing at the enemy. While initially seen as a dangerous nuisance by the military, particularly by the disciplined pilot Gamlin Kizaki, his methods begin to show results. It is discovered that his music allows humans to regenerate their spiritual energy, known as Spiritia, after it has been drained by the Protodeviln. This unique ability marks him as a rare individual possessing Anima Spiritia, a special life force that has a profound effect on the Protodeviln, making him a pivotal figure in the conflict. Eventually, he is invited by Captain Maximilian Jenius to join a special civilian squadron called Sound Force, though his complete disregard for military rules remains a constant source of frustration for his commanders.
Key relationships shape his journey, even if he remains largely focused on his music. His bond with Ray Lovelock is foundational, as Ray discovered him and dedicated himself to promoting Basara's talent, having entrusted his own abandoned dreams to the younger man's voice. His relationship with Mylene Flare Jenius is a central dynamic of the series; she is often frustrated by his lack of commercial sense and his obliviousness to her feelings, yet she is also drawn to his passion and protects him. His rivalry with the military pilot Gamlin Kizaki evolves from mutual annoyance to respect, as Gamlin comes to acknowledge the power of Basara's歌声. Most significantly, his encounters with the Protodeviln Sivil and Gepelnich drive his development. He sees his own free-spirited nature in Sivil and refuses to destroy her, instead singing for her in an attempt to reawaken her from a coma. This act inspires Gepelnich to do the same, leading to an unlikely and tragic alliance where Basara comes to admire his former enemy.
Throughout the story, Basara's unwavering determination never wavers. He is a character who simply does not understand the concept of giving up. No matter how fruitless his actions appear, he continues to fly into battle and sing, believing his song will eventually reach the hearts of his enemies. He is not a traditional hero; he disdains weapons and refuses to fire them except in rare moments of blind anger, relying entirely on his piloting skill to dodge incoming fire. His development is not a change in his beliefs, but a gradual vindication of them as the true power of his Anima Spiritia is revealed and his methods prove effective where force of arms failed.
In addition to his musical talent, Basara possesses several notable abilities. He is an exceptionally gifted variable fighter pilot, a skill whose origin is unknown. His piloting prowess is so great that he is recognized as a genius by Maximilian Jenius, one of the most famous aces in the fleet, and his flying skills are grudgingly respected by the top military pilot Gamlin Kizaki. His personal VF-19 Fire Valkyrie is an ace custom unit with its control system modified to resemble an electric guitar, allowing him to play and fly simultaneously. Its primary armament is replaced with speaker pods that broadcast his singing directly to his targets. He has also demonstrated the ability to pilot a standard variable fighter using an acoustic guitar to manipulate the controls. Beyond piloting and music, he has shown proficiency in hand-to-hand combat, motorcycling, and gliding, though the origins of these diverse skills are never explained in the series or related materials.
Basara is a highly emotional and fanatical pacifist who believes absolutely in the power of music and emotion over physical force. He cares little for material gain, fame, or conventional success, as his greatest desire is for his music to be recognized and understood by others. This singular focus often leads others to see him as self-centered or oblivious to the world around him. He shows little awareness of the romantic feelings that women like Mylene or the biker Rex have for him, and he struggles to express himself verbally, easily becoming frustrated when people do not grasp his motivations. The only emotions he readily displays are wild enthusiasm during his concerts and angry frustration toward those who fail to understand his songs. The rest of the time, he maintains a nonchalant, almost contemptuous air. A true free spirit, he goes wherever he pleases, frequently arriving late to his own concerts and often making a dramatic entrance by parachute, believing the show cannot start without him. His signature catchphrase, shouted from the cockpit of his fighter, is an invitation and a demand: to listen to his song.
His core motivation is to see how far he can take his singing. He dreams of making the entire universe realize the power of music, believing it is more powerful than war. This philosophy drives the central conflict of his story. When the mysterious alien forces known as the Protodeviln attack the Macross 7 fleet, Basara refuses to engage them with conventional weapons. Instead, he launches his customized variable fighter, the VF-19 Fire Valkyrie, directly into the battlefield to sing at the enemy. While initially seen as a dangerous nuisance by the military, particularly by the disciplined pilot Gamlin Kizaki, his methods begin to show results. It is discovered that his music allows humans to regenerate their spiritual energy, known as Spiritia, after it has been drained by the Protodeviln. This unique ability marks him as a rare individual possessing Anima Spiritia, a special life force that has a profound effect on the Protodeviln, making him a pivotal figure in the conflict. Eventually, he is invited by Captain Maximilian Jenius to join a special civilian squadron called Sound Force, though his complete disregard for military rules remains a constant source of frustration for his commanders.
Key relationships shape his journey, even if he remains largely focused on his music. His bond with Ray Lovelock is foundational, as Ray discovered him and dedicated himself to promoting Basara's talent, having entrusted his own abandoned dreams to the younger man's voice. His relationship with Mylene Flare Jenius is a central dynamic of the series; she is often frustrated by his lack of commercial sense and his obliviousness to her feelings, yet she is also drawn to his passion and protects him. His rivalry with the military pilot Gamlin Kizaki evolves from mutual annoyance to respect, as Gamlin comes to acknowledge the power of Basara's歌声. Most significantly, his encounters with the Protodeviln Sivil and Gepelnich drive his development. He sees his own free-spirited nature in Sivil and refuses to destroy her, instead singing for her in an attempt to reawaken her from a coma. This act inspires Gepelnich to do the same, leading to an unlikely and tragic alliance where Basara comes to admire his former enemy.
Throughout the story, Basara's unwavering determination never wavers. He is a character who simply does not understand the concept of giving up. No matter how fruitless his actions appear, he continues to fly into battle and sing, believing his song will eventually reach the hearts of his enemies. He is not a traditional hero; he disdains weapons and refuses to fire them except in rare moments of blind anger, relying entirely on his piloting skill to dodge incoming fire. His development is not a change in his beliefs, but a gradual vindication of them as the true power of his Anima Spiritia is revealed and his methods prove effective where force of arms failed.
In addition to his musical talent, Basara possesses several notable abilities. He is an exceptionally gifted variable fighter pilot, a skill whose origin is unknown. His piloting prowess is so great that he is recognized as a genius by Maximilian Jenius, one of the most famous aces in the fleet, and his flying skills are grudgingly respected by the top military pilot Gamlin Kizaki. His personal VF-19 Fire Valkyrie is an ace custom unit with its control system modified to resemble an electric guitar, allowing him to play and fly simultaneously. Its primary armament is replaced with speaker pods that broadcast his singing directly to his targets. He has also demonstrated the ability to pilot a standard variable fighter using an acoustic guitar to manipulate the controls. Beyond piloting and music, he has shown proficiency in hand-to-hand combat, motorcycling, and gliding, though the origins of these diverse skills are never explained in the series or related materials.