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Mr March

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  1. Mr March
    As always, gorgeous photos Saburo. You do the YF-30 Chronos justice.
  2. Mr March
    Oh, there's definitely a lot of old-school science fiction flavour and design in the Guardians of the Galaxy. Especially the use of color in the film, from little things like background props to much bigger things like sets, spacecraft design and lead characters costumes. Often in scenes you will find the frame filled color and characters of all different shapes and sizes, something that is very evocative of Heavy metal comics and the artwork of older artists like Moebius. As was mentioned earlier in this thread, there also appears to be a lot of homage to 1970's sci-fi artists like Chris Foss and Peter Elson with regards to the use of color on spacecraft.
  3. Mr March
    David That's not a bad idea, but a partial exposure kinda sounds dangerous. I think I'd rather go through the effort of a full disassembly, that way I can safely put pressure on parts I know I won't damage. The real dangerous part is trying to figure out what substance to coat the ball with. Mommar and Anime52k8 Thank you for the in-depth guide. I have done something similar, although I think you're insane to pull out the ankle assembly by force without safely disassembling the leg. But that's just me Your guide confirmed I needed some tools I didn't have. I guess I have to decide if I want to perform a full disassembly. My main worry is the substance I'm using. I still can't say for sure if Future Floor Polish is going to work or fail. I'm not crazy about the superglue idea either. That's kinda why I wanted to simply do a fabric shim, cause I've done it before on non-toy hardware for desk applicances and it's worked. I am curious Anime52k8, did the pin sockets lose tension after you had punched out the pins and re-installed them? They are rather snug right now and I kinda worry if they will lose their firmness after I'm done messing with them. But I suppose on the bright side, the pin joints are meaningless to the far more serious problem of a loose ankle joint. Silverstreak And that would be the only thing I fear about this whole process. I'm new to fixing ball joints using liquid coats for tension, so I have no experience to determine what substance will work best. Research online at places like TFW2005 forums shows a hundred different threads with a hundred different owners stating one substance worked great for them in contrast to another who said the exact same substance didn't work at all. Like you, I don't necessarily want to disassemble the whole thing just to try coating it in something that doesn't work. Which is why I wanted to try a fabric shim, which is something I've done before on ball joints (though never with toys) and I know it will work.
  4. Mr March
    Mine came in today. Looks great. I've not yet attempted to transform the thing because this YF-30 (in addition to the VF-25F Renewal shipped with it) are my first two Bandai mecha from Frontier. I'll transform the VF-25 tonight and study the YF-30 Chronos before transforming it.
  5. Mr March
    I'm not sure what the VF-19F/S series is like, but the YF-19 ankles cannot be taken apart in any way of which I'm aware without destroying the entire joint housing. It's easy enough to remove all the screws and disassemble the fore-foot and heel from the housing. Unfortuantely, the mold for the primary ball joint underneath is made of two left/right pieces held together with two parallel cylindrical pins (and two removable screws). I know of no way to remove the pins safely so the ball joint housing can be disassembled. And the pins have to be removed before the heel screw can be removed. No way to do that...not without totally destroying the whole thing. What I have been doing is using the Pledge Floor Care (with Future, formely known as Future Floor Polish; exact same formula), a few drops at a time. I then work the joint a little to spread the polish around and it will self-level the rest. This technique has improved tension, but it's not ideal and it appears to dry and flake over time. I'm still applying drops (one session, then let dry for 24 hours) in the hopes that I simply need to build more of a coat for this to become effective. But it's been 5 days now (and 5 coats) and I'm worried this is never going to create a layer that will produce the effect that everyone said was guaranteed to work. I have a feeling none of the owners ever tried this "solution" on an Arcadia product, lol. For now I'll keep at it, but I wanted to explore alternatives, possibly a fabric shim. Hence, this thread.
  6. Mr March
    Well, the shoe is on the other foot now Sega offers to payout $1.25 Million to settle class action lawsuit filed by video game consumers http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/136776-Sega-Offers-to-Settle-Alien-Colonial-Marines-Class-Action-for-1-25M This is turning into a truly entertaining experience and I never spent a penny or wasted a minute on this game. This game deserves some kind of award
  7. Mr March
    Alright, so I've got a bit of a question for all those old-timer toy collectors. I've been working on tightening one of the ankle joints on my YF-19 Arcadia (the left ankle is good, but the right is rather loose). I've got some temporary solutions that are working, but I'd like a more semi-permanent one. One of my first Macross toy purchases of the Yamato era was the Version 1.0 1/60 scale VF-1 Valkyrie, which I remember had this small, square fabric shim inside the ball joints that provided tension and friction to give the joint stiffness. It was a great long term solution; it could even be repaired should it ever wear out. Anyway, I don't recall what kind of material Yamato used for it's fabric ball joint shim. I remember it looked rather tape-like, but obviously wasn't any kind of adhesive material. So I put it to the good folks of the MW toy collecting forum, asking if any of you know what that material was. I'd like to obtain some of it for an experiement with my YF-19 Arcadia.
  8. Mr March
    I'm sorry, are we actually arguing in favor of the fratboy mentality for this blog writer? If ignorance is his defense, he deserves scorn. But let's play devil's advocate and assume he's not intentionally ignorant or malicious. Most people ignorant of the differences between Macross/Robotech don't write about it. Maybe this blog writer shouldn't be writing about what he doesn't know.
  9. Mr March
    I suppose "IP" will do. Personally I'm also okay with "crime against humanity", but that's just me
  10. Mr March
    Someone is wrong on the internet? Inconceivable! Joking aside, the article makes no distinction between what is legally Macross vs. what is legally Robotech. The article is either very poorly researched/sourced by a misinformed writer or is genuinely trolling a known controversial subject in anime fandom for the purpose of generating hits on the website. I'm going with the latter. Personally, I think it's a shameful disservice to the writers and artists of Macross that their hard work is being co-opted as "Robotech" by the writer of the article. The article writer is ignorantly granting credit for Macross to Robotech/Harmony Gold, which is legally, financially and morally as wrong as our minds have the ability to comprehend. Hyperbole justified
  11. Mr March
    A terrible loss. Good Morning Vietnam was one of those films that came along at the right age for me, just prior to adulthood when I was first learning to develop an appreciation for drama and mature storytelling in film. While it would still be many years before I delved into proper dramatic media, Williams and this film had a significant impact on my development, my own sense of humor and that irreverant stand for freedom of speech which I hold dear. His comedy and dramatic roles only expanded from there and produced a wonderful body of work we could all enjoy. Robin lived as full a life as most of us can only dream to, so while I'm sad he's gone I'm proud of what he's done. Farewell my lovely man.
  12. Mr March
    Preach it, brotha! An instant classic.
  13. Mr March
    Oh, my English friend told me this one. "Chavs" are like wiggers, except British, but it's not always linked to hip hop culture. There's probably more to it than that (knowing the Brits, it's most likely a "class" thing as well), but that's how he described it to me in modern terms I'd understand
  14. Mr March
    I'd love to Saburo, but it's still in the mail I'm eager to hear too. The reactions posted in this thread so far has been very positive, but I'd like to know more from folks.
  15. Mr March
    Welcome back Aegis! I do remember you (and your weird avatar). It's so strange that you should come back to the boards right now. While I've continued posting on the MW board, I too have only recently dived back into collecting some new transformable toys after many, many years away from it. HobbyLink Japan is still selling and I've also tried several other sites. I have good experiences with HK Collectibles and CDJapan. Also, apparently BBTS still sells Valkyries (I had no idea), but you can't find the valkyries by using the search feature on their website. You have to google BBTS and valkyries to find them...bizarre. Having said that, I can tell you the Bandai product pre-orders are a nightmare I have never experienced before in my life (citing the recent YF-30 Chronos and VF-25S Ozma Messiah Renewal). Be prepared for frustration and just know its difficult for all of us. Just try to persevere and dedicate long term effort to obtaining them and you'll eventually get one. The folks here on Macross World are super helpful, providing reviews, advice on what to avoid, resources for potential sales and even selling multiples they obtained themselves - many at cost - just to help out other Macross fans. I'm proud to say I'm doing that right now for a fellow MW member. So keep your eyes and ears open. Oh, and I have to say this; the new Arcadia stuff is f'ing amazing. I'm a Yamato 1/48 scale owner and in my opinion the Arcadia 1/60 VF-1 Valkyrie is superior in almost every way to the old yammies. Definitely worth your money. The YF-19 1/60 from Arcadia is also an excellent toy, though it has one or two shortcomings the VF-1 does not suffer. I just ordered the Bandai YF-30 Chronos and Bandai VF-25F Messiah Renewal from CDJapan (they should be arriving in a week). These will be my first Macross Frontier transformables so, I am looking forawrd to handlign them and posting my impressions. If you have any questions on any of the figures I own or am purchasing, I'd be happy to answer. "Welcome (back to) the layer cake, son"
  16. Mr March
    I know we all look at bipedal robots and anthropomorphize them because they appear to us like a human body. But I've never equated "skinny" with "weak" when examining the Macross mecha, or any robot. They are robots; the "thickness" of their limbs has zero bearing on mechanical strength. Depending on the construction/technology of any given robot, thin limbs can actually be "stronger" than large limbs since they do not use "muscles". Of course any given robot's limbs must be designed/built for a given range of mechanical lift but power generation would ultimately determine the limit of mechanical strength. More power generation would mean more lifitng capability. So technically each Valkyrie generation should be "stronger" than the previous generation, regardless of aesthetic appearance. Digressing back to aesthetics, I just find it interesting that in the modern era of Macross (let's arbitrarily label that era as Macross Zero to Macross Frontier) fans are now so used to thinner mecha design that to some, the YF-30 Chronos can be viewed as "bulky" and "muscular" by comparison. I personally think the limbs of the YF-30 are rather lithe, but I think the broadness of the Chronos torso and the Chronos transformation system relative to the VF-25 Messiah/VF-27 Lucifer/YF-29 Durandal range of mecha can make it appear a little more impoising in robot mode.
  17. Mr March
    So damned cool.
  18. Mr March
    Dr. House? I agree, this is exactly the way that Robotech must be looked at. Dead in the water unless extreme changes are made. This kickstarter was everything that Robotech has been for decades; derivative, uninspiring, passionless, incomplete and painfully familiar to the point of contempt. I even argued in other threads that Macross suffers from this, though clearly far and away the patient lives a happier life if we're to keep this analogy going. I think the best thing for Robotech would be to leave Harmony Gold's portfolio and undergo a total reconception at home with another company that actually can deliver a relevant, interesting and passionate production.
  19. Mr March
    It's so funny to live through the trends/eras of mechanical design in anime and be present to see how fans react and perceive the changing design of mecha. Not just because the industry trends pertain to Macross, but looking at the mecha genre in anime overall. I recall years ago how many long time Macross fans felt at the time the Macross Plus mecha (the VF-11 Thunderbolt in particular) was so thin and gaunt compared to the old school Macross designs and even the larger super/real robot mecha they were used to. As time went on and mecha designs became noticeably sleeker (of which much of the Macross franchise was responsible for promoting) this reaction from fans appeared again and again with almost every sequel. Macross Zero seemed to be a real point of contention for thin robot modes and Macross Frontier mecha raised even more scrutiny for it's thin designs. But post-Evangelion, so much anime mecha has been informed by those thin, emaciated EVA designs for so many years that it has become the norm in anime mecha. The fact that a mecha as slim and sleek as the YF-30 Chronos can now be perceived as "beefy" or "muscular" in comparison seems to me a rather amazing turn in how we mecha fans look at modern mechanical design. We sure think quite differently than we did years ago...or perhaps some of us haven't changed all that much and still think these designs aren't "big" enough
  20. Mr March
    I actually ordered both. I can take a photo when I get them. Shipping notice was sent yesterday
  21. Mr March
    It does not as yet, but I am building one. The order for the last 20 issues I need of the Macross Chronicle is being sent as we speak (I believe issue #71 has the YF-30 trivia). Translated info will be provided by Seto, since the Macross Compendium doesn't have anything as yet. There will be a few new Frontier entries, but not much more than that. This next update is mostly concentrating on revising a HUGE amount of colored art all across the site. However, the YF-29 Durandal profile is complete as we speak and along with a YF-30 Chronos they will be released in the next update. I'm going to try to do a Tornado profile as well.
  22. Mr March
    Thank you so much guys for updating everyone in this thread. I decided to take the plunge and grab a YF-30 Chronos from CDJapan.
  23. Mr March
    To be honest, I think the dubious economic viability of the Robotech IP under Harmony Gold has been apparent for years. The failure of this kickstarter is simply the mechanism by which that perception was brought into sharp focus in a very public manner. I think our words echo each other in this respect; it didn't have to be this way. Robotech fans - indeed, NO fans of any kind - deserve this kind of treatment nor do they deserve abuse of their adoration and nostalgia for their favorite entertainment. I can only hope real change follows this disaster. See, this is the kind of post that really disheartens me, leaving me to feel my empathy has been wasted. It also gives creedence to critics that tell me I shouldn't bother offering any support to Robotech fans. To even consider that another company could do far worse at managing the Robotech IP than Harmony Gold is to continue to deny reality. If Harmony Gold isn't already known as the bottom of the barrel, I'm at a total loss to offer any perspective about this company. At this point, even a live action adaptation of Robotech by Uwe Boll would be a step up from anything Harmony Gold has done. Like I said, this relationship between Harmony Gold and Robotech fans is truly abuse. Torture. Cruel and unusual punishment. No other words can describe it and no other words should. Whether intentional or not, the arrogance/incompetence of Harmony Gold will continue to abuse Robotech fans that allow it.
  24. Mr March
    Tell Chronocidal I'll match the price you're paying him, plus I'll offer "favors". Tyrone Biggums will do anything for his fix!
  25. Mr March
    I'll give it a look. It might be good enough,
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