Graham

VT-1 was already publically announced and pictures were published in a recent issue of Macross Chronicles. This was scanned and posted in either the scoop thread or the 2-seater thread a few weeks ago already. If VT-1 is coming, of course VE-1 is coming (and very nice too). Graham

All my 1/48s have recently been removed from my display cabinet, cleaned and packed in plastic storage boxes that I bought specially for the purpose of storing them. The V2 1/60 VF-1 has now completely replaced the 1/48 in my display cabinet. There are three reasons I decided to stop displaying my 1/48s: - 1) The new 1/60 has 2-seaters (VT-1, VE-1 & VF-1D). 2) The new 1/60 takes up less space, so I can display more Valks. 3) All the PT Valks in my display cabinet (with the exception of the VB-6), are now in a consistant 1/60 scale. Graham

Heh, my 4 1/2 year old son likes Valk toys, but he doesn't want the 1/55 reissues I tried to give him. Instead he wants Daddy's 1/48s or V2 1/60s. Guess he has taste and is obviously not swayed by nostalgia. Graham

Ah, OK, they must have lowered the prices recently then. Graham

Highest price I've seen here in HK for the DX VF-25F is HK$1,598 at Animate. Graham

Wow, can't belive it's 23 years since I first read Watchmen. Where does time go? Graham

I'm not particulaly pro or anti-Bandai, I just like the VF-25 and want a decent toy of it. So far, despite it's various issues and inaccuracies, the DX is the best choice IMO. Graham

Opens here on March 12. Will be seeing it on March 13. Graham

Sigh....Yamato are not making a VF-4. Just because I said I wouldn't buy a Bandai VF-100's VF-4, some people took that to imply I was waiting for the Yamato version. The truth is I'm just not a fan of the VF-4 design, or the VF-9 for that matter. They are my least favorite VF designs & I don't care if they never get made as a toys. Please stay on topic.

I'll still get a VF-171, VF-17 and VF-2SS if they are made in he VF100's line, but other releases I'll probably skip. And the reason a VF-4 is not on my 'must buy' list of VF100's is not beacuse Yamato is making it, but rather beacuse I'm not really a fan of the VF-4. Graham

A quick battroid pic, snapped at night. Battroid is definitely the most stable and secure mode IMO and my favorite out of the three modes on the 1/100. However, after 3 days with the 1/100 VF-25F, I've decided I probably wont be buying anymore of the 1/100 VF-25 variants. They are just too fiddly and not enough fun IMO. It's DX all the way for me. While the DX is not perfect, it's certainly a lot more fun and far less troublesome than these pesky parts-formers. Graham

Here you can see the cut-out on the underside of the nose, which the 1/100 designers obviously copied directly from the 1/60 DX sculpt, despite it being completely unecessary and having absolutely no function on the 1/100. Graham

Got round to transforming to Gerwalk mode. You can get quite a good 'A' stance, due to the swivel joint below the hip. However, the knees actually have very limited forward bend, so you cannot get a good deep crouch pose in Gerwalk. In the attached photo, you can see the limit of the forward knee bend. Also, the Gerwalk mode does not balance well with the feet open and wants to tip forward. Like in most of the publicity photos, you have to close the feet in Gerwalk mode to get it to balance on the tips of the front and rear foot sections. Graham

As has been explained many times over the years, toy licences in Japan are mostly non-exclusive and given to multiple licensors, unlike in the US, where often just one toy company is granted the master toy licence to manufacture any and all toys related to that franchise. In Japan, toys licences for a franchise are often granted on a scale or type basis to different companies. At the moment, Yamato holds licences with big west for the 1/48 VF-1 toys, 1/60 SDF, DYRL, M0 & M+ toys as well as the GNU and VFC figures. Bandai holds and exclusive Frontier licence and a 1/100 licence for all shows. The reason Bandai holds an exclusive licence for Frontier, is because were the major sponsor of the show and paid several million US$ to fund the production. Still, word goes that this exclusivity is only good for a few years. However, the same was true of Macross 7 and Bandai have been using their muscle to sit on the licence for over a decade, despite their exclusivity technically expiring. Graham

Been spending a bit more time with the toy in battroid mode. Overall posability is actually pretty good. The swivel joint just below the intakes gives the legs a few more options for posing compared to the DX. Both the knee and the elbow joint on the 1/100 can bend 90 degrees. Sholder posability is a bit more limited than the DX due to the fixed nature of the 5-dot shoulder block, but not too bad. On the 1/100 the shoulder block non-movable (fixed in 1 position), and the shoulder connects to a ball on the 5-dot block). The lack of an open hand for holdingthe gunpod foregrip is a bit of a bummer though. Will try to post some pics later. Want to take some comparison pics with the DX. I'm warming to this thing slightly, although I still like the DX much more. Definitely prefer battroid mode on the 1/100 though. The non-locking wing gloves are a PITA in fighter mode. When you hold it in fighter mode, the wing gloves and wings constantly want to hing upwards due to the lack of any form of locking. Still haven't transformed it to Gerwalk mode yet. Graham

I mean next new non-VF-1 PT variable 1/60. But anyway, this is the Bandai VF-100's thread, so no more Yamato talk here please. Graham

The 1/55 Max DYRL VF-1A was a step in the right direction IMO, but I'm sure if Bandai had first reissued the 1/55 VF-1S Hikaru Strike Valk, VT-1, VE-1 and GBP-1S, sales would have been much improved. Too late now though I guess. Anyway, I think the impending summer release of Yamato's VT-1 and VE-1 V2 1/60 will likely kill most of the residual interest in the 1/55 versions anyway. Graham

I've had my fair share of Throbbing Accidents! Graham

My take on this is that you are never going to see a deal between BW and HG, too much bad blood there. Ditto, you will never see a deal between Toynami and Yamato, also too much bad blood. Both Yamato and I'm sure Bandai as well would love to be able to officially sell Macross goods outside of Japan, but I think BW will do their best to stop any deal dead as long as HG is still in the picture. Yamato are actually quite happy to work with HG, as are it seems Bandai, but BW will block any attempts by their licensors to do business with HG. And of course HG will block any attempts by Japanese companies to sell Macross into the US that try to bypass them, e.g. Sunwards. Graham

Edited the topic title to remove the "Coming in July", as it is no longer relevant. Graham

I will say that it is on the short list for the next 1/60 PT VF, but not the top contender. There are 3 different VFs in the running and I know which one my money's on. Graham

As I said I my mini-review, my opinions may change the more time I have with the toy, but for now, I'm rating it a fail. If it had say 25% less parts removal and locking wing gloves in fighter mode, I'd be much more keen on buying the other 1/100 VF-25 variations (RVF, S & G). Also, I gotta measure the thing, as I can't belive it is really 1/100 scale. Seems far too small. Although I also suspect that the dimensions that Kawamori assigned to the VF-25 are way off (far to small). Graham

As I've said, Bandai may be crap-hot when it comes to designing Gundams or SOCs, but for Macross they are still playing catch-up. Well, at least they are rugged and lock together well. Holes 'an all I still like them and still plan to buy at least 1 of each DX, finances allowing. Hopefully, in 3-4 years, Yamato will be able to show us what they can do for Frontier. Graham

As others have said, quality on this toy is similar to the HCM-Pro line and most parts are made of ABS, with a few hard PVC parts (gunpod, optional head lasers and possible a few others (not sure?)). As Alex, I think stated, there are a few parts that you do need to be quite gentle with so that you don't break them when attaching or detaching them, these being the rear landing gear and the shield, as the rear of the shield is very thin plastic, so don't push down too hard on the face of the shield when attaching it to the arm. Also of course be careful when removing or attaching the rear landing gear, so you don't snap them or the pegs. Paint application is overall pretty good on the toy, but the black or dark grey paint is a bit sloppy on some toys around the mouth and also on the groin. Disappointing that no stand is included for the toy and only stand adaptors are included for Battroid and Gerwalk modes I think (haven't really studied the adaptors yet). The toy is a bit overpriced and I think a retail price point of 3,500 Yen or not more than 4,000 Yen would be more reasonable for what you get. Graham

Didn't that have some guy with a chick's name in it? Shia LaBeauf, or something like that (actually sounds like a Tranny's name, quite apt really). Graham