Vifam7

My good friends gave me the remastered Yamato DVD box set for Christmas. The box is gigantic. It comes with a 1/700 scale Yamato model kit! Dunno if I have the guts to work on it. The video quality on the DVD is unbelievable. It looks super crisp with deep rich colors. I've never seen the Yamato TV series look so good.

That's a good collection you got there. Which Yamato is that? Taito's?

For basic sanding down of sprue marks, I'll use either use those red colored padded sandpaper found at Home Depot or nail filing sticks found at the local drugstore. To clean off excess plastic residue, I just use an old toothbrush. Testor's Dullcote and equivalents like Tamiya Clear Flat can be found at basically any local hobby store that sells plastic models. You can also order online at places like squadron.com or hobbylinc.com

Yes. Not completely but certainly it's better to put the Dullcote on than not. The marks are less obvious after a spray of Dullcote. Ofcourse it works best when you sand down the marks first. Even a litle bit of sanding (like with a sanding stick) makes a difference. Dullcote will cover up those obvious sandpaper marks and even up the discoloration. Just be careful when spraying the stuff. Don't try to lay it on thick or try to get into every crevice & corner.

One way to deal with such looseness is to use regular Elmer's white glue. Just dab a little bit of the glue and wait for it to dry. Best part about white glue is that it's easy to come off and doesn't affect the plastic or metal beneath. It's a trick I recently learned from collecting diecast aircraft.

None of that matters. If you truly respect the show and it's creators, you should do what's right. At the very least you shouldn't support criminals.

Excellent write-up Master Dex. One extra step I'd recommend: When the core components are built, panel-lined, and stickered, give them a spray of Testors Dullcote (comes in a spraycan) or equivalent clear flat coting. Make sure you don't spray the canopy unless you want it foggy. Spraying clear flat makes "no paint" builds look much nicer. In fact it makes them look as if they were painted. I recently completed a MG Zaku which I gave a spray of clear flat and it turned out awesome.

However, it can also be argued that the new generation is the Macross generation. Or as they say in Japan, "the Gundam generation". What I mean is, the 80's kids that watched Gundam and Macross on TV are now reaching the age where they are reaching positions of power. It's not a coincidence that we're seeing a revival of lot of classics lately. Besides, Bandai has had no problems rehashing the RX-78 Gundam and other UC era mobile suits time after time. All they need is some kind of gimmick (game tie-in, media release, anniversary, etc) to bring back the old designs. Heck, just having Alto spin a VF-1 for a few seconds in the upcoming Frontier movie will be a good enough excuse to pump out an all new VF-1 kit. It's potentially possible that Bandai could start a new line of "Valkyrie Grade" model kits. But the big issue currently is the general economic outlook. With the world economy heading south, I don't know if Bandai would consider spending time and resources on an all new product line.

The guy says not to pull the head too hard thinking that it'll lock in. Because it'll pop off if you keep pulling.

This guy in Japan has got his. http://hima-toy.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/ Pics, pics, pics galore!!

Sometimes a remastering is better than a full digital restoration. It depends on the condition and type of masters available. A digital restoration can lead to a number of issues in which the outcome could be worse than a straight remastering or an absolute mess. Even AnimEigo's restoration work has issues such as artificially inserted grain and oversaturated colors.

Promotional campaign starting in January in which customers who buy a VF-25 kit can get the Sheryl decal (probably for free).

It just means that the color of the plastic has been adjusted to match the HD remaster video of Zeta Gundam on Blu-ray.

I wish they would give up the "fanblades at the front of the intakes" detail. It's unrealistic and dumb looking (IMHO) on a otherwise fine looking model.

There's no way 4 different colored launcher cover parts will be included. I'd be shocked if that happened. That part too will likely be sticker adjusted. It's gonna be either that or a paint it situation.

Area 88 Make sure you watch the 1985 OAV version first. It's much better than the 2005 TV series.

Don't all of them generally have the same color super parts? Whatever differences there are will likely be handled with stickers or something. February 2009

Looks like it's confirmed. Super packs to be sold separately. Can be attached to Alto, Ozma, Michel, and Luca VF-25s. Transformation will be possible with the packs attached. Decals and stickers provided. Potential price: 2100yen. Down below - RVF-25 with Ghost also confirmed for release. February release. Potential price: 6090yen

Doesn't seem that way. The guy writes that he used a support arm or double-sided tape to stabilize the figure and that readers should take note. I guess he photoshopped the support arm out or something. That said, it looks awesome. 2009 is going to hurt my wallet bigtime. The crappy exchange rate doesn't help! ARGH

Among Japanese fans Bandai seems to have a similar rep of not knowing how to appropriately display their wares. That said, I think what you're seeing right now is what we'll be getting. It's possible that the neck has been shortened on Ozma's ship. Unknown as to the reasons why. Kawamori's preference? To facilitate transformation? It is odd that Alto and Michel's VFs have one but Ozma's doesn't. At least according to what we see in the photos.

The Perfect Edition DVD is fine. You should still be able to find and get it from various online stores. Yesasia has it.

If you have a HDTV, the key issue will be your DVD player. It has to be a player that can play NTSC discs. Check the manual. Most official DVDs are not Region 0. Anime DVDs from Japan are Region 2. Anime DVDs from the US are Region 1. If the discs you're buying are Region 0, they are are mostly likely bootlegs. Don't waste your money on bootlegs.

A perfect transformation 1/100 scale VF-25 may be possible. But at what cost? Where will the concession occur? Accuracy? Posability? Durability? Cost of the toy? Those and other issues have no doubt been studied by those who worked on this toy. I'm sure perfect transformation isn't the only criteria that we judge a Valkyrie toy on. The Toynami 1/100 is a poor product to base an argument on IMHO. Yeah, it's PT but that toy has it's own set of issues.

QC issues already... orz

Not saying this is absolutely the case with Yamato products but - sometimes a hardline approach to aesthetics can lead to over-complexity which in turn raises the possibilty of QC issues or unforseen problems - particularly when it comes to mass-produced products.