Graham

Given that delivery times from the factory in Southern China to HK can probably be measured in hours, compared to a couple of weeks be sea from China to the USA, perhaps we'll get them first here in HK.......well, I can hope Graham

Although many fans have a high opinion of Zeta, it's not for everybody. Watching Zeta actually made me fall asleep on several occasions, as did MSG TV It's not so much that they are dated, I just found them generally boring with no likeable characters or mecha designs. In order to get both a quality story & quality animation I'd recommend just sticking to the OVAs (0080, 00083 & 08MST) and some of the movies (CCA & F91). Then if you find you really like Gundam you can watch the TV series to fill in all the blanks and get more background information. I know this is sort of an ass-backwards way of doing things, but that's what I recommend. Graham

Other part of Macrossworld? You mean there's more than just the forums? Graham

Well, I've no idea yet about the packing for the Asian 'Mospeada Legioss' MPC version. However, the Toynami 'Mospeda Legioss' Superposeable packing was nearly identical to the US Robotech version, except it featured the names 'Mospeada' & 'Legioss' on the box instead of 'Alpha Fighter' and there was no mention of the name Robotech Graham

While I do need to save more money because of the baby, I'm also a very impatient type, who hates waiting for new toys, especially cool ones like the Alpha. Graham

On the subject of recycling, here's my list of the number of Gundam animes where.......... The main character's mother or father designed the Gundam: MSG, Z, F91 & V = 4 shows. The main character is an annoying teenage boy with no military experience and/or little or no MS piloting experience, who though a series of bizzare circumstances becomes the pilot of the most advanced prototype Gundam: MSG, Z, ZZ, F91, V & SEED = 6 shows. The bad guy wears a domino mask or helmet to hid his face: MSG, F91, V, Wing & SEED = 5 shows (I'm only counting Char once for MSG). The main character's Gundam is destroyed or damaged halfway through the show and he get's a new more powerful version (so Bandai can sell more toys and models ): Z, 0083, V, 08MST, Wing, X & SEED = 7 shows. Please feel free to correct any errors. As I mentioned before, I'm not really that familiar with some AU shows, especially X. Graham

Ah yes, the all singing, all dancing Minovsky Particle. It's a power source (Minovsky fusion reactor). It's a propulsion and anti-gravity drive (Minovsky Craft & Minovsky Drive). It has offensive uses (Beam Rifle, Mega Particle Cannon & Beam Saber). It has defensive uses (I-Field barrier & Beam Shields). It blocks radar, radio & microware communications and nullifires IR to some extent (Minovsky Effect). It's makes your tea, brushes your teeth and sings you a lullaby at night I've also heard that it can cure cancer and AIDS Graham

Been there, done that As mentioned earlier in this thread, I have watched all UC Gundam. In fact I probably watched 0080 War In The Pocker for the first time about 12 years ago. I've been watching anime since the 1970s Graham

15K units for each of the four MPC Alphas under the "Robotech - New Generation" licence and an untold number of each under the "Mospeada Legioss" name for the Japanese/Asian Rim market. Anybody know if the Asian 'Mospeada Legioss' versions will be released at the same time as the US Robotech Alphas? I don't want to waste money on shipping costs, by ordering an Alpha from the US, if the Asian versions will have a simultaneous release. Graham

I'ts been my experience that the more I watch M7, the more I enjoy it and the more I get out of it. I usually watch M7 all the way through from start to finish about every two years. I first watched the complete series in 1994/95 and I'm currently rewatching it from start to finish for I think the 5th time now. Of course, certain favorite episodes I've watched many more times Like many people, the first time I saw M7, I experienced the standard range or responses, i.e. I bitched and moaned about the recycled footage, how annoying Basara was, the stupid Sound Force Valks with human faces and the boring initial episodes...blah, blah, blah.........etc. However 10 years down the road, I'm older and I hope perhaps a little wiser and I found that once I got over my initial dislikes, I really started enjoying M7. IMO it's such a multi-layered show that can be watched on so many different levels, that each time I rewatch it I always get something new out of it. Graham

Just had a brief read through that, but can't find any mention of Minovsky particles blocking the IR spectrum. Graham

I wouldn't mind getting just the extended version of Reloaded, for the extra footage, but why on earth would I want to buy Matrix and Animatrix again when I already own them? As for all the documentary discs, those things are not my cup of tea. I very rarely bother watching extras on DVDs anyway. So, I think I'll pass on this set. Graham

If Minovsky particles can't block a Mobile Suit's heat signature, then I wonder why IR homing (heat seeking) missiles are not used in the Gundam universe? Graham

But if I understand correctly, the magic Minovsky particles are supposed to block IR and Radar (as well as doing a million other things), which means that a Mobile Suit's heat and Radar signature would not be visible using either Radar or Thermal Imaging systems such as IRST, FLIR etc. Somebody correct me if I am wrong, as my understanding of Minovsky Particle Physics is shaky at best. Does this mean that in theory a Mobile Suit could be as hot as the sun, but if the area were saturated with enough Minovsky particles than a person standing just 10 feet away from the Mobile suit and looking through a hand-held thermal imager would not be able to see the heat signature of the MS? If my above assumptions are correct, then this means that the only way to detect a Mobile Suit would be by (A) visual identification, i.e somebody actually seeing it "hey, look guys there's a 18m tall MS walking down the road towards us". (B) Motion sensors, which are usually short range or ( C) seismic sensors as shown in 08MST. Given that somebody actually seeing a Mobile Suit will probably be the most common way it is detected, then camoflage will still make a certain amount of sense. Yes, an 18M talll MS is hard to hide, but a Green Zaku in a Jungle will still be a bit harder to see then a white, blue & red Gundam in a jungle and every extra second that you can stay hidden will help. The most common things that cause soldiers to be detected are movement, shape, shine, colour, spacing & silhouette, so anything that can be done to lessen these will help. Graham

Just want to add, never fire a Glock in a swimming pool or a small bay with your head underwater. The sound waves reflecting off the sides of the pool will f*ck up your ears. Firing it in the open sea with your head underwater is tolerable as the soundwaves are mostly travelling away from you. And as JsARCLIGHT pointed out, water is a very effective medium for stopping bullets, so expect range and practical accuracy to be greatly reduced if firing underwater, we are talking 10 meters or less. And no, I've never personally fired a Glock underwater, but the guy who tought me the Glock Instructors course had, as had my previous boss during a diving trip in the Philippines. Graham

LOL....'Hobby Gundam', is also my nickname for Hobby Japan! Graham

Heh, so I wonder if SEED Destiny will feature an N-Jammer-Canceller-Canceller? Graham

Yep, 08MST is one title that manages to avoid every cliche of the Gundam universe, that's probably why I like it as well. But for realisms sake, I still would have prefered the RX-79G to be camoflaged. I mean an 18m tall red white and blue robot does tend to be a bit obvious in Jungle or desert warfare Graham

Some great replys, thanks guys. In case I gave the wrong impression in my initial post, I just want to state that I'm not a Gundam hater. I also don't love it, but I do feel that some titles are worthy of respect and are genuine classics of the genre, especially IMO 0080 & CCA and should be on every serious mecha anime fans 'must see' list. I also like 08MST & V. And just for the record, I have watched every UC title. I haven't watched much of the AU stuff. I tried watching Wing, G, Turn A, X and SEED but couldn't sit through the whole series. And when I refer to gundam as being samey or forumlaic and cliched I'm not referring to the 'war is bad' theme that pervades much of it but rather smaller issues that seem to be recycled throughout many of the shows, such as: - The number of times that we have a blond bad guy, usually wearing a domino mask or helmet to hide his face. The number of times that the mother and/or father of the main character is the designer of the Gundam. The number of times that we have an angst-ridden teenage boy with no military or piloting experience become the most kick-ass pilot within the space of a few episodes, without any sort of formal training except maybe flicking through the MS instruction manual for 5 seconds. The number of times that Okawara recycles his MS designs The number of times that we have a colony drop or gassing. Many of the above points I've listed are repeated in so many different Gundam shows, that Gundam for the most part losses all credibility and believability with me. Graham

The continuing popularity of Gundam both amazes and puzzles me. I mean do fans (both Japanese and overseas) like Gundam, because it's all so samey? I mean just like Super Sentai shows and Godzilla movies most Gundam animes (with a few notable exceptions) follow the same tired old formula, with nearly identical characters, Mobile Suits and plot lines. Gundam may have been new and fresh when it first came out in 1979, but half a century on, it seems to have degenerated into a parody of itself with endless near identical rehashes of the same material (at least in my opinion). Is Gundam's popularity just a case of people being comfortable with what is familiar and not willing to stray outside of their comfort zones? Conversely, is the much lower popularity of Macross caused by the fact that the creators, most notably Kawamori like to take Macross in completely new and original directions with each new anime and never retread the same ground. While this approach may create hit and miss titles, at least we know we are going to be getting something new and fresh with each new title rather than something bland and generic. I guess basically, what I am asking is if Big West and Kawamori had gone the Gundam route and released a near endless string of Macross sequels every year of so, which differed only slightly in detail from the original, would Macross be much more popular than it is today? Personally, I think that Big west missed the boat and waited too long after the release of the original TV series and DYRL to release a sequel. By the time Macross II was released, all but the die-hard fans had forgotten Macross. And let's face it, most people don't hold Macross II in very high regard anyway. My thinking is that if Big West had released a new Macross TV series around 1986 and then followed up with a quality sequel every 2-3 years, Macross would now have the same popularity as Gundam has today. Personally, I've never understood the popularity of Gundam anyway. While some of it is good, I've always felt that Macross has far superior mecha designs, music, characters and story. Graham

Nice legs, shame about the face. Graham

Actually, I thought all the MS in SEED were battery operated, something to do with one side or the other having some sort of gizmo that prevents nuclear powerplants from working? I dunno, I gave up on SEED about half way through, once they started introducing MS with names like 'Calamity Gundam'. And I swear Okawara doesn't really design new MS any more. I bet he's rigged up a software that randomly selects parts from all the MS he's designed in the past quarter of a century and throws them together. Sort of a 'shake-n-bake' MS generator if you will Graham

I've now officially given up on everything to do with Gundam. Horrible, unoriginal MS design. Okawara really needs retiring. Graham

Mospeada (not Robotech) Superposeables have also been popping up in Toys R Us, Jusco Department stores and the UML chain of model/toy shops here in HK recently. I've also seen VF-1 MPCs in HK Toys R Us as well. I guess Toynami is really trying to push sales outside of the US. Graham

(Post with the Richard Simmons pic deleted by me as it has absolutely nothing to do with meaningful discussion about the MPC!) Staying on topic, I didn't realise how big the feet looked in fighter mode until I saw that top view pic. Oh well, I guess I can live with it. I'll just have to not look at the fighter mode from that angle too much. I'm still curious as to whether the gunpod can be attached to either wing. Anybody ask this? Graham