A Space Vampire Shows a Bit of Character: Sivil from Macross 7

Sivil is first presented as some kind of mid-level boss (a term I got from my video game-loving husband). The ‘technical’ term for the space vampires of Macross 7 is Protodevlin, and among these space vampires Gigil has been the one doing most of the attacking early on,  who piloted a Variable Fighter-styled mecha. Sivil is the first unique enemy introduced after him and the leader Geppelnitch. She comes accross as a  Succubus type – demon, with only heart-shaped things covering her nipples, with nothing on her mind but her own appetite.

I’ve come to realize that underneath the diabolical exterior she has an irrepressible free spirit.

As the series progressed, I see her free spirit distinguishes her from the other Protodevlin Space Vampires. Instead of being lackeys like Valgo, Gabil/Grabil, Goran and Zomd (Oh the beauty of cheesy villain names).

This free spirit is nobody’s marionette. She’s DANCING ON THE PLANET DANCE dancing to a different tune. It’s her curiosity that tempers her voracious apetite. Her curiosity enables her to transcend her entropic nature.

Basara’s sexy manliness Anima Spiritia (some kind of spirit energy that the Protodevlin dined on) started out being a meal that she can’t manage to devour. While the others seek to overcome Basara’s Anima Spiritia and stamp it out like a wild flame, Sivil went a different path.

Protodevlin lived on Spiritia, a kind of energy that comes from life forms, Basara’s kind was something the Protodevline couldin’t deal with, and for Sivil, it was an altogether different experience.

This for me is where she showed a little bit of character. She chose to possess-as in demonic possession-‘the samples’ (humans) in order to understand the music that drove her away. It’s like a woman possessing a cow to understand how a bull’s bellows are music to cattle in general. This must have been demeaning for a being as ancient and powerful.

Geppelnitch and Gigil used human hosts, but not because they wanted to. It was necessary for them because they could not assume humanoid forms like Sivil and Gabil.

Rex was by no means ugly or weak, but for a being such as Sivil she must have been a tremendous downgrade.

Would you dare assume a form that is so much weaker, perhaps so much uglier from your own to satisfy a curiosity?

Without spoiling the many charming things that happen in her particular story, I’ll just share that Sivil made a difference to the characters that risked a lot in caring for her – even if most of the time she comes accross as someone who existed for her own whims.

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