danth

But it still has nothing on the giant, missile-lactating man-boobs of the VF-1 GBP armor.

I propose the term "Mega-studmuffins" for us guys who are more selective in our mecha toy purchases. Yeah...I think it's gonna stick.

Oh, 'cause I keep hearing it used to refer to people who will not or cannot pay $250 or more for a toy that they find disappointing. I was just wondering if it was a pejorative meaning "discerning fan looking for a reasonable deal". Some people think that's a bad thing.

I figured out what I don't like about the VF-25. Its chest is narrow, or looks narrow at the angles we've seen. It looks weak compared to the manly pecs of the VF-1.

What's this "hobo" codeword I keep hearing from you Toyboxdx guys?

Yeah, that joint is a bit iffy. But I do love shiny plastic! Probably comes form years of lusting after shiny, shiny Takatoku valks.

So it seems that both toys have problems, and it just comes down to which toy looks better to your taste. For me it's the CM easily, since I love it's shiny plastic, spot-on proportions, and perfect transformation.

The giant clown feet on the Legioss toys are what make it hard to connect it to the Tread the way it should (the Toynami has the same problem). Also, the legs should telescope completely. If a toy could pull that off and get the foot size right, the Legioss should be able to link with the Tread without spreading its legs.

From how I understand it, that price was supposed to be the minimum stores were allowed to charge. In other words, the Toynami price list said that stores had to charge at least 79.99, implying that the wholesale cost would be even less than 79.99. It wasn't supposed to mean that the retail price would be 79.99 or more. Now, Toynami is saying the minimum stores can charge will be more like $150.

I canceled my pre-order. I can't say without a doubt that I won't end up paying $150 for the Beta anyway, but I want to see the actual finished product before I worry about that. If it's surprisingly awesome looking, then maybe. More likely I'll not pre-order, wait for reviews, and hold out for a better deal. But I'm really hoping all the canceled pre-orders convince Toynami to drop the price. I can't blame the online stores for changing the price, because a pre-order is not like a binding contract, and the item itself is not even available yet. Like Roger said, the customer can back out at any time, so I can't blame the retailers for doing the same when Toynami goofs up. The one sure thing is it would have been stupid not to jump on that pre-order, just in case.

Jenius, do you know if the Beta will be released in Japan through Aoshima? Sorry if the question has been addressed already. If the Beta does turn out to be between $150 and $200, I predict that I will still get a Beta for about $100 after the 25 or so crazy enough people pay the retail price and they toy goes on clearance. Then again, I'm probably underestimating the number of crazy people out there. What do you guys think: Will retailers have to slash prices to sell the Beta?

I think Beagle is my new favorite company. And I still don't really know who the hell they are. Let me be the first to predict: TOTY 2008 (2009?)

Jenius, thanks for trying to move the argument to PMs. Holy hell man, dragging this back here is one thing, but quoting someone's PM in the main board? Are you F'ing kidding me? Anyway, what if Toynami has worked out a deal with Aoshima to release the Beta in Japan? Wouldn't that significantly increase the production run and drop the price? And as Jenius said, it probably won't feature die cast, it's not much bigger than the VF-1, etc etc. Also, I thought that price was the main reason they always gave for not releasing the Beta: It would be too expensive. If they're releasing it, it must mean they found a way to reduce the price. I'm usually right when I expect the worst, so I won't be surprised at all if it does turn out to be around $150. But I won't be shocked if it's $80 either.

Definitely, especially when the motive seems to be nothing more than bragging rights.

It's not good odds. $115 is halfway between $80 and $150, so he should win if the price is less than $115. Also, if you're right, he loses $150. If he's right, you lose $80. So the bet is totally in your favor. Just sayin'.

Maybe this has already been noticed, but it seems they changed the orientation of the forearm armor on the Yellow figure: The Yellow set will have bigger tires and differently oriented forearms. I wonder if they'll release a Stick and Ley with the same fixes.

I'm glad to see some new pics. I'm looking forward to this one.

This is great news. Not sure I believe it, but I want to.

What's hilarious is that your definition of "dysfunctional internet fanboy" perfectly describes your repeated and loud complaints about our well-founded criticisms. And yes, I will keep laughing.

Yes! We're halfway there. Everybody lets the excited, happy fans talk in peace. But if you want to commisserate, people subtley mock you or ask you to shut up. It's just weird.

Nah, you guys are just being overly apologetic. Instead of asking us to not criticize, you could explain how we are wrong. But that would sound something like "For all we know that missile in the landing gear bay is...uh...just a mistransformation." So instead you want us to give this ugly, inaccurate toy a free pass? Why? Why is it "overcritical" to point out glaring, obvious flaws? Here's an idea. Instead of sticking up for CM, who want to gouge it's customers at the tune of $200+ for a toy it can't even be bothered to get right, why don't you sympathize with your fellow fans instead?

We need a comparison shot of the bike modes.

Oy, I'm afraid of what that means.

Well, let me try to explain. My issue with Isamu is he seems like a jackass and a cocky jerk. Not someone you want in a test plane. He doesn't seem to care about anyone else's feelings. To me, Gulds jealousy and hatred of Isamu makes him seem petty, and the whole rape mystery makes him...well, a possible rapist. Myung seemed like a weak, needy, drama queen with too much emotional baggage. For minor characters there's blonde bimbo who liked Isamu, and the nerdy scientist. That's how I see them. It's all a matter of opinion, but mine is an unpopular one you rarely hear, so I'm happy to share it with y'all. I found Hikaru and Misa to be extremely likeable. Especially Misa (yowza!). EDIT: Oh yeah. I haven't seen M+ in while, but I got the (crappy) Manga DVD just recently. Maybe I'll watch it this weekend and see if my feelings have changed.

I'm going to have to agree that much of the plot of Macross Plus is, as Greyryder aptly put it, retarded. Take away the sweet mecha action and somewhat interesting concert, and you're left with annoying and unlikeable characters, an amateurish reliance on flashbacks, and a bizarre yet contrived rape subplot. Oh, and don't forget the ugly character designs. Macross II may not be masterpiece theatre, but it's not a whole lot worse than Macross Plus in my book.