Graham

Cool looking mecha is one of my prime critera for deciding whether or not I watch a mecha anime. That and likeable characters & good action. Graham

nugundamII, which Hong Kong store did you buy it at, so we can boycot it? You should ask to check the toy before you buy. My regular store in Tai Po, always opens the box on high value items to let me check before I pay. Many shops will do this.

Actually, it's all said in humour (which doesn't always show in written posts). I do however stand by my opinion that the mecha in this show are uber-silly looking. Graham

The older I get, the more set in my ways and crotchety I become. Just think of me as Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. Graham

I know this is veering into politics and away from aircraft, so we probably shouldn't go there, but over the last few years on a lot of US-centric tactical, military & firearms forums that I visit, I've noticed an increasing trend of Americans viewing China as the next big military threat to the US. And this bothers me. Sorry, as somebody who has lived in this part of the world for the past 22 years, I just don't see China as wanting to engage in armed conflict with the US....ever, except possibly over Taiwan and there I think China has the patience to wait for peaceful reunification, which I see eventually happening within the next 20 years or so. Yes, China is an emerging Super Power, yes, they are modernising their military and making it into a more professional force, but beyond protecting their borders and territory they see as being theirs, I don't see them engaging in a take over of neigbouring states as the Soviets did post WWII. China isn't and shouldn't be viewed as a Cold War Era Russia in terms of threat. China is pretty much Communist in name only and is actually fast becoming an extremely capitalist society. Yes, they still have aways to go in terms of human rights, but there have been huge improvements in freedoms an openess in China in the last 15-20 years. Lots of extremely wealthy nouveau riche in china now. What I do see China doing is exerting their influence politically and economically (but not militarily) more and more on the international stage in the coming decades as they gain in power. Graham

No Bash-crap for him. He has good taste in mecha and mecha anime, thank you very much. He loves watching Gatchaman, Voltes V, Combattler V, Great Mazinger and Ulysses 31 (and to my dismay, original Transformers.....can't win em' all). He's being rasied on a diet of 70s' mecha anime, just as kids his age should be. When he's a few years older, I'll start him on Macross. However, as an experiment, I'll show him a pic of the mecha in Bash-crap. 10-1 odds he'll say it looks really silly. Graham

When this was shown here last month, I think it lasted about a week. Graham

I don't understand why so many Americans seem to view China as a military threat. China has never had expansionist tendencies, except for Taiwan, which it views (rightly or wrongly), as it's own anyway. As Noyhauser said, the Chinese and American economies are too closely linked. Graham

The problem as I see it (as an armchair theorist), is that if and when the US does eventually get into an air war with a foe that has a credible air-to-air capability, whether it be 10 or even 20 years from now, the US will no longer enjoy the necessary assets to fight from a position of either numerical or technological superiority. While I agree, that a large part of the current US defence budget, should go to funding the two wars presently being fought and making sure the troops on the ground have enough of the right type of equipment, an eye also needs to be kept to the future. This is especially true given the typical long lead times for developing new warfighting equipment. Just my two cents as a Brit. Heh, perhaps the US will end up buying Typhoons in the future to make up the shortfall in their air to air capability. Graham

As long as the VF-25 V1.2 has the following two changes, I'll be happy: - 1) Wing gloves that actually lock onto the legs in fighter mode, like the DX. 2) Eliminate that completely unecessary gap under the nose in fighter mode (copied from the DX, but serves no actual purpose on the 1/100 scale). Graham

Definitely will be for the Super Fold Booster, as with the Super Packs fitted there are no other free holes to attach it. Graham

I really hope not, at least for a long, loong time. I'd prefer they do other stuff that hasn't been done before like VF-2SS, VF-171, VF-4, VF-27 etc, etc. Last thing I want to see is another VF-1. Graham

I'm also ok with non-removable armour in 1/100 scale. Less pieces to fall off, loose, keep track of etc.

That is a tiny part of my collection. I'd estimate, 80% is packed away in storage. Graham

Heh, I stand corrected. Set # 3 it is. Graham

Gerwalk mode is not stable enough with the DX VF-25 IMO, unless you use the display stand. Anyway, Gerwalk is my least favorite mode. Also my display cabinet is running out of space. Trying to persuade the wife to let me buy a bigger cabinet. The Isamu figure is from CM's and IIRC is from their set # 1. Graham

Heh, yep that's right. Graham

Here's a couple of quick pics snapped at night of my Frontier toys collection and display cabinet. I recently had a major clear out of my display cabinet. All the 1/48 went into storage, as did most of the CM's figures. Also, the bottom two shelves are not visible in the pics. Graham

Happy to report no missing tampo printing on both Alto and Ozma super packs. Oh, and the Ozma Super parts seem to be the tightest fitting Super parts so far. Graham

I don't find the transformation fiddly at all. In fact I find it very quick and intuitive. Not as simple as a VF-1, but certainly far easier and less fiddly than say the YF-21 or SV-51. Mind you, I had previous experience transforming the VF-25 model kits, before I got the DX, so was already familiar with the basic transformation and found that I didn't need to take more than a cursory glance at the DX instruction sheet before transforming the toys. Graham

Happy to report my Alto super parts have the triangles on both missile pods. No time to check the Ozma packs yet.

Happy to report my Alto super parts have the triangles on both missile pods. No time to check the Ozma packs yet.

Hmm.....reading between the lines of that translation, it sounds like the armor will probably be removable. Graham

If you want a flawless VF-0, get the recent reissue VF-0S. Graham

Whoops, didn't spot that it was the Armored VF-25F, not VF-25S. Well, I'm sure we'll get both. Graham