Macross operators
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The Macross operators — Vanessa Laird, Kim Kabirov, and Shammy Milliome (Vanessa Leeds, Kim Young, and Sammy Porter in Robotech) — were three minor fictional characters in the first Macross series (which was adapted as the first story arc of Robotech). They were attractive girls who managed the various functions of the SDF-1 Macross's bridge under Captain Global (Gloval in Robotech). The three were prone to gossip and often compared notes on the ongoing romantic woes of their friend and leader, Misa Hayase (Lisa Hayes in Robotech); Vanessa, the most mature and outspoken of the girls, even directly tried to help Lisa/Misa with her romantic troubles on more than one occasion. In the original Macross series, they survived the war. In the Robotech version of episode 36 (To The Stars), they died at their posts defending Macross City from Khyron's suicide attack.[1]
In the Del Rey Robotech novels by Jack McKinney, the single encounter between the operators and the Zentraedi spies Rico, Konda, and Bron was developed into an ongoing romance wherein the three girls each dated one of the Zentraedi. Also in the McKinney novels, the "bunnies" had the nickname "the Terrible Trio".
In Robotech, during Commander Leonard's commencement address in Episode 37, Dana's Story, he reads off the names of the bridge officers who died during the final battle as depicted in Episode 36 To the Stars. Gloval, Claudia, Sammie, and Kim are mentioned. The reason Vanessa was not mentioned is unknown, but usually attributed to a scriptwriting blooper. It is generally accepted that she was among the dead.
The term "Bridge Bunnies"[2] is an English-coined nickname that is not used in the Japanese Macross scripts or among Japanese fans of Macross. This term can also refer to the bridge crew of Macross 7, composed of Sally Ford, Miho Miho, and Kim Saintlaurent who served under Captain Maximilian Jenius, as well as the trio of officers serving under Commander Gendo Ikari in Neon Genesis Evangelion, which includes Maya Ibuki, Shigeru Aoba, and Makoto Hyuga, and also the main bridge personnel in Martian Successor Nadesico, consisting of Captain Yurika Misumaru, Megumi Reinard, Minato Haruka, Ruri Hoshino, and Jun Aoi
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