Hayao Kakizaki

nihongo|Hayao Kakizaki|柿崎速雄|Kakizaki Hayao is a fictional character in the science fiction television series "Macross", voiced by Katsumi Suzuki. In the ADV dub of Macross, he is voiced by Jason Douglas. Hayao Kakizaki is also known as Ben Dixon in Robotech.

Background

Hayao Kakizaki was born in Japan on 1991. He was assigned in the Vermilion Squadron under the command of Hikaru Ichijyo. He pilots a brown-white VF-1A Valkyrie in the television series and in movie, he pilots a green-striped VF-1A Valkyrie. Among the pilots of the Vermillion Squadron, Kakizaki is the least serious. His characterization adds to an already heavy laden humorous anime even more comic relief. He is portrayed also as being a laid back character, which often at times would endanger him while out battling the Zentradi. Compared to his teammates, Kakizaki is also the least experienced pilot, and from time-to-time, Hikaru and Max had to save him from being killed.

On November 2009, when Gunsight One's radar system was damaged, Kakizaki, along with Max and his superior, Hikaru Ichijyo accompanied Misa Hayase to scout the surrounding of the SDF-1 Macross. During this mission, he and the others were captured by the Zentradi. This marks the first contact between the races.

In episode 19: Burst Point, Kakizaki was killed in action when the Macross's barrier system overloads and Kakizaki's Valkyrie was caught in the blast field. In the Macross chronology, he was KIA just after the episode of Roy Focker's death. However, in movie, he was killed in battle by missiles fired by a group of Queadluun-Raus led by Milia Fallyna while joking with Max and Hikaru (Ironically underestimating their enemy's strength due to them being female). Hayao Kakizaki also appears in games such The Super Dimension Fortress Macross Playstation 2.

Name

His name is possibly a play on that of the famed artist & animator Hayao Miyazaki, whose work and films also often feature flying and flight as significant themes. This however is only conjecture, as at no point was there a professional interaction between Studio Nue and Studio Ghibli before Macross. It is equally possible that this name is a random co-incidence, but well informed fans often speculate otherwise.