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Will Kawamori San do a redesign for the VF-1?


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Posted (edited)

I've heard bits of rumors about the prospect of Shoji Kawamori redesigning the VF-1 at some point to better fit in with the continuity of other Macross series (Zero, Plus, etc.). With hints about a new Big West project, I can't help but wonder. Do you think this is a good thing? Will the inevitable merchandise (read: Yamato toys) be a good thing? As sick as so many folks seem to be of the VF-1 as it is, would a redesign and subsequent toy release(s) assuage this feeling, or just make folks even sicker of the VF-1? Would it all depend on just how cool the design that he creates would be?

Edited by Draykov
Posted

If he did it cool and it still carried many of the original design traits, I would like/buy it in a heartbeat.

That is, as long as it's a difference like between the RX-78-2 and RX-78-02 (Origin version).

Vostok 7

Posted (edited)
I don't think I'll ever get sick of the VF-1...

I fall into that category as well. However, the original VF-1, in my opinion, doesn't really need to be improved upon. The VF-0 (at least the A and S models) are also pretty similar to the VF-1. I'd just as soon Kawamori-san invest his talents into something brand new, but I'd bet good money that anything he touches will turn out golden.

Edited by Draykov
Posted
Personally, I don't think Kawamori will redesign the VF-1.

Graham

I'm actually kind of relieved to hear you say that, Graham. I really don't want to see it altered (for nostalgia's sake), though I'm curious as to what SK might do to it if he were to redesign it.

Posted
Personally, I don't think Kawamori will redesign the VF-1.

Graham

I'm actually kind of relieved to hear you say that, Graham. I really don't want to see it altered (for nostalgia's sake), though I'm curious as to what SK might do to it if he were to redesign it.

Well, The SW-XA1 and VF-0 are already two good examples of redesigned VF-1s.

Graham

Posted
Personally, I don't think Kawamori will redesign the VF-1.

Graham

I'm actually kind of relieved to hear you say that, Graham. I really don't want to see it altered (for nostalgia's sake), though I'm curious as to what SK might do to it if he were to redesign it.

Ditto. What parts need to be redesigned? Seems fine to me.

Posted
Personally, I don't think Kawamori will redesign the VF-1.

Graham

I'm actually kind of relieved to hear you say that, Graham. I really don't want to see it altered (for nostalgia's sake), though I'm curious as to what SK might do to it if he were to redesign it.

Well, The SW-XA1 and VF-0 are already two good examples of redesigned VF-1s.

Graham

Good point. :p

Posted
Personally, I don't think Kawamori will redesign the VF-1.

Graham

I'm actually kind of relieved to hear you say that, Graham. I really don't want to see it altered (for nostalgia's sake), though I'm curious as to what SK might do to it if he were to redesign it.

Well, The SW-XA1 and VF-0 are already two good examples of redesigned VF-1s.

Graham

Good point. :p

Thanks for pointing them out.

Posted

I doubt he will. Again, I think the VF-0 probably is all the nostalgia needed for the original VF-1 style... as far as all of this supposed "lack of love" for other VF's... I think that Yamato, Bandai, Hasegawa are simply responding to what nostalgia is popular right now.

Basically, if a new Big West Macross show debuted tomorrow starring every other VF that SK has designed and folks loved it... then you'd see a bunch of toys and models being released soon after.

I don't think its very realistic to expect a toy company to produce obscure valks from page whatever of Macross Design works or some old video game from an outdated console.

But if folks were realistic and not just blind valkyrie lovers, then this wouldn't be Macrossworld, would it? :D

Posted (edited)
I don't think its very realistic to expect a toy company to produce obscure valks from page whatever of Macross Design works or some old video game from an outdated console.

Agreed, but if the crew here at MW is anything to base your demographic on, Yamato should start crankin' out VF-2SSs. :p

Edited by Draykov
Posted

Agreed, but if the crew here at MW is anything to base your demographic on, Yamato should start crankin' out VF-2SSs. :p

I'll buy one...

While they're at it, I belive there's a lot of VF-4 fans here too...

Posted

Agreed, but if the crew here at MW is anything to base your demographic on, Yamato should start crankin' out VF-2SSs.  :p

I'll buy one...

While they're at it, I belive there's a lot of VF-4 fans here too...

And Stampeed Valks, and Thunderhummers, and blah, blah, blah...

Public recognition factor zero.

Posted
there is no improving on perfection.... :D

Agreed. The VF-1 is classic and iconic. There simply is no need.

Suddenly, I'm having flashbacks of Greedo shooting first ... :ph34r:

Posted

As an Illustrator, Writer, Creator, Art Director, Engineer, Scientist and Conceptual Artist. This man is one of the finest to ever have lived. I think the VF-1 design is "timeless" and pure genious. I would imagine any other design will be "another" work of art, that will never replace the original.

He was instrumental in the creation of one of the finest mecha designs ever, certainly worthy of the best, ie: Star Trek Enterprise, Starwars Deathstar, and so on.

He is a modern day Jules Verne/HG Wells in every aspect of this wonderful fantasy and science fiction realm.

I am so impressed and happy with the tremendous toys/models being produced of this fabulous creation, Yamato deserves a gold medal for its devotion to this awesome series. Thank you Yamato, and Mr Kawamori, and Big West!

Erik (Colorado, USA) :rolleyes:

Posted

Well you can already call the DYRL versions a slight re-design. The original Macross has been done twice with the TV and movie versions. Why would there be a need to re-do it again?

And if for this bogus "continuity" reason VF-1 need a re-design, wouldn't they need to re-do Macross 7 too since VF-1 show up there all the time?

Posted (edited)
Well you can already call the DYRL versions a slight re-design.  The original Macross has been done twice with the TV and movie versions.  Why would there be a need to re-do it again?

And if for this bogus "continuity" reason VF-1 need a re-design, wouldn't they need to re-do Macross 7 too since VF-1 show up there all the time?

Well, I don't think they'd redo an entire series just to update a mecha design, but the fact that the VF-1 does continue to make appearances after SDF Macross would take away some of the validity of the "continuity" argument.

Edited by Draykov
Posted

Agreed, but if the crew here at MW is anything to base your demographic on, Yamato should start crankin' out VF-2SSs.  :p

I'll buy one...

While they're at it, I belive there's a lot of VF-4 fans here too...

And Stampeed Valks, and Thunderhummers, and blah, blah, blah...

Public recognition factor zero.

Don't forget the Macross.

And all in glorious 1/48.

Posted
Well, The SW-XA1 and VF-0 are already two good examples of redesigned VF-1s.

Graham

VF-0, hmmm... how many people think VF-0 has much better look than VF-1?

I'm not willing to, I respect the "history of macross", love the VF-1 to death!can I suppose that VF-0 is a experiment type of VF-1? during "Zero time", the UN spacy got enough time,money,and workers to make such a big advance plane, just to fight the anti-UN force, but when enemy come from outerspace, they can only build a smaller plane, that's VF-1?

Posted

I swear, I think some of you guys DREAM in 1/48 scale.... it's nuts....

I predict that if SK makes any changes at all to the VF-1 for the purpose of the M0 episodes, they're either going to be VERY miniscule stylistic changes (perhaps one angle slightly sharper than it was before, some extra panel lines, etc)... nothing to justify a redesign (he'd better hope not, I just laid down $140 for a VF-1... and if he changes it now, I'm gonna stare at him REALLY hard...)

There's also the possibility that any changes made will be strictly internal (such as a possible mention of the SWAG-type armor), thus bypassing the need for a redesign.

As it's been said, why change perfection? The VF-1 needs an overhaul like Reba West needs to release a minmei album. (I.E. it DOESN'T)

Posted
I swear, I think some of you guys DREAM in 1/48 scale.... it's nuts....

Not me. I dream in 1:2.

Yes, the valk in my dreams is bigger than the real thing.

I predict that if SK makes any changes at all to the VF-1 for the purpose of the M0 episodes, they're either going to be VERY miniscule stylistic changes (perhaps one angle slightly sharper than it was before, some extra panel lines, etc)...

And people will bitch endlessly about how the tail-fins are at a marginally diffrent angle. :)

Posted

where did you hear the rumours from?

i don't think its that likely...its an old design, im sure he is bigger and better things to do. besides, yamato already made a pretty good one =D

Posted

I would say: "Leave it alone." Though, redesigns as minor as the sort of cool touch-ups done between SDF:Macross and DYRL wouldn't be too bad. If it was done that tastefully, I wouldn't throw my spoon down and throw a hissy fit.

But, I wonder if there are really rumors so much as there are people who are asserting "continuity problems" and then asserting a need for these perceived problems to be fixed via a re-design.

Could be wrong though. Has anyone surrounding Macross itself in any official capacity said anything about this?

H

Posted

I'm still expecting Kawamori to pull a fast one and somehow let the VF-1 make a cameo in the last two episodes of Macross Zero. But. Aside from the obvious beauty marks I think we're gonna see one of the MOST detailed VF-1's in Macross history. CG doesn't lie......and I wanna see how they handle it's "anime physics". Swingbars anyone?

Posted
I would say: "Leave it alone." Though, redesigns as minor as the sort of cool touch-ups done between SDF:Macross and DYRL wouldn't be too bad. If it was done that tastefully, I wouldn't throw my spoon down and throw a hissy fit.

But, I wonder if there are really rumors so much as there are people who are asserting "continuity problems" and then asserting a need for these perceived problems to be fixed via a re-design.

Could be wrong though. Has anyone surrounding Macross itself in any official capacity said anything about this?

H

I haven't seen anything to really indicate that a redesign is probable. Like you suggest, I think the things I've come across have mainly been Joe Macross-Fan asserting that there are continuity issues which lead to others suggesting that a redesign was imminent.

Posted
I'm still expecting Kawamori to pull a fast one and somehow let the VF-1 make a cameo in the last two episodes of Macross Zero. But. Aside from the obvious beauty marks I think we're gonna see one of the MOST detailed VF-1's in Macross history. CG doesn't lie......and I wanna see how they handle it's "anime physics". Swingbars anyone?

I think Yamato's release of a low-vis 1/48 with a Macross Zero pilot was a big tip off. :)

Posted

I hope they doesn't redesign the VF-1. That silhouette has come to symbolize Macross. Any old-school dork (like each and every one of us) can recognise it in a second. And even though it has definate thowbacks to 70's and 80's era fighters, I still love the design. I've got a 1/60 VF-1S Strike in the office. Not a day goes by that I don't stop and gawk at that thing for several minutes.

CG doesn't lie......and I wanna see how they handle it's "anime physics". Swingbars anyone?

CG can lie almost as easily as hand drawn. One of the reasons given for the exchangeable nose on the new 1/100 VF-0 was to ensure accuracy in both modes. In other words the nose section morphs from fighter/GERWALK to battroid. The hydrolic system that places the legs on the nose of the VF-1 would be pretty easy to do in the CG realm.

Posted

The only reason I could see for a redesign is the VF-1's apparently smaller physical dimensions.

I'm a fan, but not a fanatic. I can't quote the VF-1's dimensions off the top of my head, so if my information is wrong please don't get offended. What I do know is that Plus toys at 1/72 are about the same size as VF-1's at 1/60. I have heard that a 1/72 Zero toy would also be about the same size as a 1/60 VF-1. So it seems to me that any redesign to better fit the continuity of the story would involve beefing up the physical dimensions of the VF-1 so that a 1/72 VF-0 = 1/72 VF-1 = 1/72 VF-11, YF-19, YF-21. I could also see some slight alterations to make the VF-1 look as advanced or more advanced than the VF-0, but I don't believe that would majorly change the styling of the VF-1.

Personally, I don't believe there is a need to change design for the sake of continuity. In Space War I, we are at war with an alien race whose armada is the size of the Small Magellanic Cloud. With the limited resources this planet has to offer, it would seem only natural to scale things back so that fewer materials are required in construction. The only flaw in this is that although the UN government had some idea that the aliens were 40 feet tall, I can't explain them knowing how big the alien threat was. Space War I was kind of "sprung" on us with little to no warning, and the VF-1 had not only already been designed but was in mass production.

Posted
So it seems to me that any redesign to better fit the continuity of the story would involve beefing up the physical dimensions of the VF-1...

I would think making the VF-0 closer in size to the existing VF-1 design would've been the way to go, but what do I know.

Posted

Watch Playstation's DYRL opening. The Hikaru's Vf-1a in take of sequence looks a redesing of the origina VF-1a.

Posted

I'm a firm believer that no design is ever perfect.

That being said, I'm still in accord with the vast majority of you guys in that the VF-1 should not be altered.

As for Macross Zero, I kinda dont want to see the VF 1 in it.

I do... but then I don't.

However, since it is likely that it will make an appearance, I think the VF-1 design is flexible enough to refine but not drastically change. A bracketed curve here and there. Shoulder pads a bit more sleak. Just hope it's nothing drastic.

The VF-1 is in good hands... I dont think we should worry too much.

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