KOG Water Dragon

What's the difference in the arms again?

I did a lot of the old Arii 1/100 fighters/gerwalks/battroids back in the late 80s/early 90s. Even back then as a young fellow, I was troubled by the differences in proportions between the modes. Nose cones being different shapes, chonky battroid legs compared to sleek fighter legs, etc.

Armor up to the shoulder is one thing. Armor up to the TOP of the shoulder is a little different. Anyways, I just know I like a battroid that looks like actual pieces of the fighter, and convincingly looks like it COULD turn back into a fighter if it wanted to. Some battroids are so changed and anime-ish that if you chopped up the pieces and re-assembled into a fighter, you just know it would look hilarious. With a stubby nose, tiny wings, etc.

I like the PLAMAX. I do. It's got that nostalgic anime feel. But I also notice some things I don't like. The jet intake/vent area looks really short and stubby. Doesn't look like how it would look in fighter mode. IMHO. The arm armor pieces go really high up, pretty much to the top of the shoulders. I don't think other versions look like that. And I don't think the lineart looks like that. Hasegawa's are shorter and I think I prefer that. The gigantic hands which just really don't look like they'd fit into the arms easily. Just some small nitpicks. I do like the bigger feet.

Other than wanting original show/DYRL Zentran and Meltran ships to go with the available SDF-1 kits... I'm sort of thinking that other Macross/SDF type ships from later series have the best shot at getting kits from Hasegawa or whoever? I apologize, I don't know all the ships that well, but stuff like Macross Quarter, Macross Frontier, Elysion, Grasion, Megasion, etc. I'd love a Macross Cannon from Macross II but... unlikely.

Well. Got notice from HLJ that they have a HG VF-31C for me. But I'm in backorder for the 1 DX version and 1 decal set they allowed me to pre-order. Darn. Local shops, here I come (again).

The artwork also prominently features a ship. Ships incoming?

I think I'd prefer something in 1/72... probably Wave or Max Factory.

I'm sort of assuming the box art for VT-1D will be representing the camping scene, so maybe the lighting will make sense in context? I do miss the Hidetaka Tenjin art though. The VF-11 w/ booster rocket box art isn't bad.

Indeed! The Wave 1/72 VF-171 series was very welcome. Would be nice if they'd add a battroid selection but I'm not holding my breath. Even moreso I'd like them to finally do a 1/72 & 1/100 Destroid Spartan. Max Factory seems to be nearing the end of what they can do with the VF-1 (still need Max and Miria VF-1J though), so Macross 7 seems to be the next focus. Will be interesting to see what Bandai does with the HG line once the VF-31 and VF-25 variants are released. That will take a while though. Hoping they will do VF-11. Not sure what else they would consider. Maybe Macross 7 since the Max Factory stuff is 1/72, and the HG line is 1/100. Would be nice to see VF-19 and VF-17 variants in the HG line. I guess they still have the option to dip into Macross Zero (VF-0) as well. And lastly, maybe adversaries from Macross Zero (SV-51), Macross Frontier (VF-27), and Macross Delta (SV-262). The adversary option could be the most exciting. Hasegawa is where I really see some gaps I want filled. 1/48 YF-21. 1/48 VF-1D. 1/48 VT-1 and VE-1 would be amazing. 1/72 YF-21 battroid. 1/72 VF-11 battroid. And I know it's not likely, but I'd welcome new plastic kits from Macross II, from any company.

What are the odds they'll do the fighter version of this variant?

What a world we live in. Multiple 1/72 armored battroids to choose from. I have the old Arii and the recent Hasegawa, looking forward to the PLAMAX.

You've been pretty lucky I guess. Out of the entire HG 1/100 Macross line, the entire Armored Core VI line, every RG and MG for the last 2 years... I haven't gotten a single pre-order filled at initial release. I did manage to get a stash of 6 VF-22 Max/Miria decal sets, not sure how I got so lucky. I think I got 1 YF-29 Max, 1 YF-21, and 1 Fire Valkyrie way after release. Gundam stuff just never gets filled so I wind up canceling the orders when stock turns up local. I think I got 2 of the Armored Core kits well after release. And yes, it does look like HG has rights to original Macross characters and mecha worldwide outside Japan. Still, that isn't stopping other companies from making kits, and Bandai had their own 1/72 VF-1 a while back, and I think they are still doing the pre-completed VF-1 toys? I'll get the Wave 1/100s if I need to, but I'd rather Bandai do a series. Especially since the Wave kits available now are just movie versions.

I know of the awkward complicated issues surrounding VF-1 merch being officially sold in the US. Bandai doesn't want japanese sites to sell kits to the US because they want to sell kits through stateside distributors. And the stateside distributors can't carry the VF-1 stuff because of the Harmony Gold agreement. So that makes selling a Bandai VF-1 domestically a no go for the time being. However. Harmony Gold can't stop people from buying VF-1 kits from Japan, which is why we can easily get the Hasegawa and PLAMAX kits. And since HLJ is kinda sorta being allowed to break the 'dont sell to the US' rule (though they seem to be allocated much less Bandai stock now as a result), it stands to reason that HLJ could sell a hypothetical Bandai VF-1 kit to the US, as long as Bandai gives them stock allocation. And since they can't sell it locally in the US, I don't see why they wouldn't allow HLJ to sell some to the US, since there's no domestic distribution to compete with, because of the Harmony Gold stuff. It doesn't seem like kits imported to the US by buyers (not retailers) violate the agreement. And even if HLJ couldn't get stock and sell to the US, I'm sure there would be other ways to get them. But the main thing is, even if the US market had no access to them at all, I doubt Bandai would miss the opportunity to sell a HG VF-1 to the entire rest of the world. And I imagine a robust possibility of people across the world acquiring some to sell to the US through auctions and second-hand sites. No mistake, I think they'd be hard to get in the US for a while, if HLJ was the only place you could order from in Japan, knowing that it's hard in general to get Bandai items from HLJ anywhere near release date.

It seems to be a series marketed on the shortcut change gimmick so I'm not really expecting any non-transforming subjects in this line. Unless I'm missing something, aren't Hobbysearch and other japanese sites also able to ship VF-1 kits to the US? Hasegawa and PLAMAX have no qualms about making VF-1 products.