Mr March
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But you can take the plastic figures with you? Snark aside, I think it's more the act of purchasing or fleeting tangibility that drives most of that cash. At the end of the day, we're all just chasing after a feeling anyway. I just wish it didn't cost so much.
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There's no way those are models flying around, unless they are scanned and built into CGI, which is the same result. You like em big and hairy? -
Well, like all fiction, Macross too is limited by being a product of its era. With the exception of things like the YF-21's "composite material wing", it's not as if the Macross writers can predict the future of aerodynamic design. So often by default a long running sci-fi franchise may find some of it's creative assumptions outdated by reality in the decades since its initial conception. I don't think much has been said about wing control surfaces in Macross. Perhaps the Master File series embelishes upon those aspects of wing design with more detail? I think Macross' nature as an anime to sell toys to kids also has an affect upon the fiction. Even after all this time, there still hasn't been a YF-21 that even bothered featuring parts-swapping to realize the composite material wing and few toys have even bothered featuring the traditional control surfaces. Doing crazy advanced stuff in fiction might be ultimately defeating since the toy manufacturers will never be able to implement those design features into a toy product?
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I think so. But I'm not sure. It'd be a shame if I had to watch it again just to be sure... *squeals*
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How many bothans died to bring us this trailer? Quite good. Lots of interesting moments and shots that have me very curious. Buried Star Destroyer FTW
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I think the Arcadia 1/60 VF-1 Valkyrie is one of the most satisfying design proportion compromises in the transition from anime to 3D model. It's a good place to start. Although, I would be curious to see someone at least once try to build a reasonable compromise 3D model using the 1/72 scale Hasegawa Battroid and Fighter plastic models of the VF-1 as their base. The Hasegawa 1/72 scale Battroid is still to this day one of the most awesome looking renditions of the VF-1 robot ever made in plastic
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I think technoblue is pretty much on the money, taking a more reasonable and measured response to what this new toy actually is. The internet is plagued by melodramatic opinions when most often the truth on any given topic is somewhere in the unexciting middle of the extremes. I think in the case of Evolution Toys 1/60 VF-2SS Valkyrie II toy the reality is that it's promising, but not able to meet expectations (especially for that current price point). This toy doesn't appear as yet to be the failure critics want it to be nor can the gushing fans cover up it's obvious failings. That comfortable middle ground is probably what irritates many folks, making it difficult to avoid being upset about the toy's apparent mediocrity. Personally, I will say that $250 is definitely far too much money to spend on a "first attempt" style product. This isn't Yamato's first 1/60 scale from back in the day. I paid less for each of my Arcadia 1/60 VF-1 Valkyrie and the YF-19, both of which IMO are about as top notch as you can get for transformable Macross toys. The problem I can see is I don't think there will be another "attempt". The VF-2SS is just not popular enough a product for toy makers that they can spend decades and multiple product generations to get it right. I suspect this will be like Yamato's VF-4 Lightning, becoming the only modern version of this craft that we're ever likely to get.
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Is this just toys/models, or does it include books, CDs, DVDs, and blu-rays? Because if it does, dear gawd...
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I like the VF-2SS Valkyrie II design, but that gun pod has always been downright terrible. Looks like a lipstick dispenser. Why couldn't they have gone with the VF-XS gun pod instead? Still has the cube-like design, but smoother rounded edges and a longer body make the VF-XS gun pod look so much better.
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Real World Technical References of Macross Variable Aircraft
Mr March replied to charger69's topic in Movies and TV Series
Agreed and that's where I think the production reality I talked about in my earlier post is relevant. I think the reason we didn't see the artwork until years later was simply that no one working for Big West devoted time/budget to ensuring that art was drawn/created. -
Real World Technical References of Macross Variable Aircraft
Mr March replied to charger69's topic in Movies and TV Series
Uh, I think the big picture is being missed in a debate over minutiae. These are VFs ("variable" fighters) built in a franchise that is about transforming fighter planes Seriously, I think the writers of the V-Max article simply did what any writer in their position would do when invited to an existing franchise and told to write something: they did the best they could with what they had. At the time, only the fighter modes for the VF-4 and VF-5000 were available, so the writers used that limitation creatively to write about both craft as non-variable. Perhaps they figured it made for interesting reading. But it turns out they were ultimately wrong and when the idea of a non-transforming craft called a "variable fighter" is considered in the context of Macross, it doesn't really make much sense. Might as well build a Ghost or a regular fighter and call it that, not a "VF". -
At least for humans, the vacuum of space will ALWAYS be far more dangerous than an Earth-like planet. So testing the variable fighters planetside would make more sense. And I think it's obvious to most of us just by looking at the designs of the Macross variable fighters, these are aerospace craft, not straight up space vessels. So the aerodynamics would have to be a big part of the design and require extensive testing in a practical fluid medium (atmosphere). I'd say in the annals of science fiction history, few have created fictional aerospace designs with more consideration for aerodynamics than Kawamori has for Macross. There are cheats and flaws in the Macross valkyries to be sure, but proportionally they are far more plausible than most fictional creations. The vast majority of sci-fi space craft designs - however sleek or styled - are flying bricks when critiquing them for aerodynamics.
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The point is not how much continuity is humanly possible or even considered in Trek or Wars. Nor is this about how well or poorly that continuity is executed. The point is Trek has an actual written canon policy AND a directed, proportional effort is made on a basic level to present the franchise as narratively accurate. They even had bibles for it, which guest writers always bitched about. Macross has no such written policy at all and each iteration can be conceived from the start to contradict another without any reservations. And whereas the Trek and Wars creators have specifically declared parts of their creative properties as non-canon, Kawamori declares everything Macross as an equal interpretation of the Macross universe (M2 being the sole exception). Now, it's clear that in practice the difference is not always apparent and sometimes the net effect is the same. The reason is obvious: these are stories first and any writer will want as much creative freedom as possible. The fictional history be damned. Which is why we can't take our Macross fandom or continuity too seriously.
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I feel Macross Zero is more for the fans than new viewers and IMO, it always did a half-assed job explaining the backstory of the Macross universe. I'd always recommend starting with SDF Macross, but if one can't get over the old animation and story, I'd say start them off with Macross Frontier. Frontier actually does a really good job summarizing the Macross universe and it's history.
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Hahahahaha, love it
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I suppose you're right. Where art thou, dear Seto?
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I admit, yes it's not an impressive build. But its difficult to trash it since it's all we have. I don't think it's insulting. This isn't a 1/55. But I agree it's horribly overpriced for what it is.
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Looks pretty good. Interesting to see another company enter into the Macross toy market. Always a good thing. Yeah, that's what I was thinking as well. LOOOOONG overdue. And yeah the SAP Pack is definitely a must.
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Well, this is certainly unexpected, but a VERY long time coming.
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That is correct. The Macross Plus anime (and the official trivia) describes the YF-19 as notoriously difficult to control, so much so that Shinsei went through several test pilots before landing Isamu Dyson. By contrast the official trivia describes the VF-19F/S Excalibur variable fighters as featuring engines with stablized output and a simplified airframe that allowed average pilots to control the craft (http://macross.anime.net/wiki/VF-19_Excalibur).
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I'd always advise against using any analogy to western intellectual properties when trying to understand the Macross franchise continuity. For one, IP like Star Wars and Star Trek actually have official canon policies. Macross has NO canon policy, only a chronology (and the odd written declaration whenever some product doesn't fit into the official continuity, like the Master File books). Two, properties like Star Trek have writers that actually actively combine/reconcile all continuity from across films and TV series and generations. In contrast, Shoji Kawamori absolutely loves obfuscating the Macross continuity, recategorizing the continuity of the various Macross productions or outright contradicting what was previously said on the topic. While I don't believe anyone has asked him why, I suspect it's because Kawamori feels as a writer the stories can be the most free and fresh if the Macross universe is fluid and plyable from the perspective of the creative writers.
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There's no harm in asking these questions here. This board is (mostly) over the more intense Macross vs. Robotech flame wars of ages past. Probably because both fan bases are so small now, no one really cares anymore I'd think answering your question depends upon how you're approaching Macross. If you don't mind my saying, it sounds like you're an old school Robotech fan (or casual 80's kid kind of fan) that's decided to get into Macross in a big way. If that's the case, I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to watch the 36 episode Super Dimension Fortress Macross series first, if for no other reason than to finally see the unedited original and understand the differences from the North American Robotech edit. The original SDF Macross is a much tighter, far clearer story all the way through than Robotech. The original SDF Macross includes many Macross-exclusive pieces of history and world building important to the rest of the Macross franchise. Perhaps you are worried about the time it would take to watch the series? I was first exposed to Robotech as a child, left it behind and then was exposed to Macross Plus MANY years later as an adult in my early 20s. Personally, I found myself asking all kinds of questions about the Macross universe upon watching Macross Plus because I hadn't seen SDF Macross (SDFM), Do You Remember Love? (DYRL?) and Flashback 2012 (FB2012). Once I did see them, all the background and history of Macross Plus made a lot more sense. Now in all fairness, I adored Macross Plus before I watched SDFM, DYRL? and FB2012. But in my opinion, it's certainly a better, fuller experience to watch those four entires of the franchise in order. Macross II is a parallel world not part of the rest of the Macross continuity. But I'd still recommend watching it only after you've seen SDFM, DYRL? and FB2012, since it takes place 80 years after the events of the original series.
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Now 8 episodes in and damn, it just keeps getting better. LOVED the episode where Daredevil was completely outmaneuvered by Fisk. Not only did it show how much Matt still has to learn, but it REALLY showcased how truly formidable Fisk is. Can't wait to watch more tonight.
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I think technology, current understanding and design always play a big part in variable fighter control whenever there is a significant performance generation. The official trivia does make mention of the VF-19 Excalibur series and the VF-171 Nightmare Plus series having flight control that allows average pilots to easily fly the craft. So it makes sense that each time a major leap ahead in performance and capability is reached, there will be some lag time in building a FCS that will easily enable pilots to manage the newest craft. So the better pilots will always be the first and best suited to fly the next generation craft. I think Macross universe does it this way; current generation VFs always benefit from existing service life and control refinement through pratical implementation. But once a new VF is made that vastly outperforms the current generation fighters, the engineers and pilots have yet to figure out the best way to control it. They have to spend time, see their new VFs in actualy flight and refine control over time. Then eventually, a new higher performing VF is built and the process starts all over again. The ISC was a way to achieve performance, not necessarily improve control. The EX-Gear is a way to improve control for sure, but it's also a new advancement, like Linear Actuators or the ISC. So that changes the game even more.
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Just went through the first 3 episodes of Daredevil. Now THIS is what I'm talking about. Finally, a super hero TV series worth watching. From the very beginning of episode one they let you know this show isn't going to hold back. It's very stripped down, with little fanfare or fanservice, which only serves to really enhance the more subtle style. The acting is excellent and the cast is filled with plenty of fun character actors. The action is beyond impressive, with the fight sequences having elements of both heightened super-human combat yet an abrassive, in-the-trenches style. The show doesn't hold your hand, forcing the audience to intuit many of the unspoken visual cues. And speaking of the visuals, the show looks great and brilliantly merges elements of the police procedural, court room drama and super hero story often through creative shots of Murdock's powers in action. And that credit opening...sublime. I'll be going through all of this season. This may not be my favorite show, but It's definitely now on my must watch list. Highly recommended.
