M'Kyuun

Interesting news indeed. I've long hoped LEGO would produce their own original line of transforming mecha since the transforming robot craze blew up in the 80s. I still hold out that hope, and stuff like this is a move in the right direction. Of course, they've been doing the actual Transformers for the last few years in the Icons line, with Soundwave reportedly coming this year, but those are models intended more for display rather than play as well as being scaled much too large for minifigs. As transforming mecha are my main focus in building MOCs, I've completed three Macross designs with a number of others in various states of progress in Studio2, and this is a fair effort, although the leg transformation and presentation in plane mode beggar a far more believable solution. However, it's a step in the right direction and I hope more refined models in the same vein follow. Needless to say, as a Ninjago fan and a mecha fan with a focus on transforming bots, this is a pleasantly surprising set in a theme that has a long-running tendency towards offering mecha sets, especially some of the far more anime-inspired sets over the last few years, and I'll be snapping up a copy when it becomes available. I'm not into Mario but my wife is, and I have to say that is an impressive model. It also looks like a really good parts pack. Looks like his mustache is a special piece, something that LEGO generally tries to avoid. Admittedly, it'd be a difficult capture with the current palette and this offered the best-looking solution.

Impressive work indeed! Thanks for sharing. he's able to achieve some impressive articulation with his models, but I noticed he likes to use plates sandwiched into Technic connectors, which works with a caveat: it's inherently unstable and requires the user to press those plates in every time the joint is articulated or it'll just crumble. I don't use joints like that for that reason, although I can't argue with the technique's effectiveness, especially if said model is more display than play. His Chinese dragon is really impressive, especially given its size, the extraordinary levels of articulation built into it, and the actual structure of the thing. The majority of the body's upper surface is comprised of likely thousands of 1x2 round plates connected together to form the rounded skin. My fingers hurt just looking at it- very tedious work that, but the results are astounding. https://www.instagram.com/dera_0503/reel/C8JtiiLJawR/?hl=en

I'm a little tempted by Sideways. I have the Cybertron toy which I thought was one of the better figs of that line, not to mention one of Takara's better aircraft designs. IMHO, it was done so well, it really didn't require much of an update; in the case of the Legacy AotP fig, potential waist swivel and ankle tilts are about the only improvements over the OG toy, and perhaps better hip joints (the OG had ball joints IIRC). If I end up passing on this fig, I'll still be content with my OG toy which has been in storage for many years. FWIW, however, I think HasTak did a pretty good job on this new fig. I dig the look of it in both modes.

Just popped in here, saw that POs were up and beat virtual feet over to Hasbro Pulse to get my Vortex PO in. Fortunately, he was still available. I'm somewhat tempted by Alchemist Prime, as he has, IMHO, the best vehicle mode out of all the new Prime figs, but I can't help but feel we're going to get a Bulkhead retool of him, and I'd rather have that instead.

Ok, so I thought that I'd seen it, but after looking at a few MASK fansites that didn't show it among the lineup, I just figured I'd conflated the Manta with another of the toys. My memory sucks, too, so I can't always be sure that what I recall is correct. How I envy those with an eidetic memory; if there's a negative analog, surely I possess it. Anyway, I appreciate the confirmation that it actually exists, and perhaps I'll have to do more researching. Seeing what Ramen Toys has done in updating this thing, I'm ever so much more tempted to go in on a PO as it's right up my alley. I wonder if the RT toy will come with a poster too. 😜 Gotta say, like so much 80s box art that promised what the toy didn't deliver, seeing Vanessas's elbow bent is a bit of salt in the wound. Fortunately, RT's Vanessa would pull it off if their version of the car wasn't fully enclosed (as it should be). Should The Loyal Subjects get around to it, it seems they'll follow the same formula of cloning the OG toys, and their figs, like the Kenner figs, have no elbows either. A little disappointing as the figs really beggared, more than the vehicles, for updating and I was hoping they'd get elbows too.

It's certainly an interesting time for M.A.S.K. fans. After nigh 40 years of no offerings, suddenly there are two competing companies, one official, one not, producing what look to be well-done toys again. I'm actually a bit surprised that The Loyal Subjects' toys are virtually identical to the originals, but I've long maintained that the originals were so well done that Hasbro could simply reissue them as-is and I believe they'd still sell. Apparently, The Loyal Subjects believe the same enough to do just that, with minor improvements. I'm curious to see how the line does. As for me, with my house all but bursting with too many toys and not enough space already, as much as I'd love to pick up a number of these, I'll likely restrain myself to the Condor. I actually found a decent copy a couple years ago in an antique store, minus the Brad Turner figure. My quandary now is whether I should pick up a copy of the TLS toy with improved Brad Turner or wait for the likely superior Ramen toys version. My internal query brings me to the other shoe, as it were: Ramen Toys. I am most impressed with their efforts thus far and tempted, as I appreciate the passion, care, talent, and effort going into their M.A.SK. toys, which I think will undoubtedly prove superior to TLS', but at a significant cost difference as well. However, you get what you pay for and in this case, I believe Ramen Toys is making the better product. they have yet to submit a proto for their take on the Condor, but I've no doubt it'll be forthcoming and I'm curious to see how it differs from the OG , and TLS' clone. Moreover, RT's figs already benefit from better articulation. I'm already tempted by their excellent take on Vanessa Warfield's flying car. I've been intrigued by flying cars ever since first seeing the SHIELD flying car in cartoons, and later by Wheels and Roadie in the Pole Position cartoon (technically, they only hovered, but they still made an impression), not to mention everyone's favorite Delorean. Like Gloria's submersible car, Vanessa's flying car was never released by Kenner, so the Ramen Toys version is the only option for either, and that flying car sings to my soul. That and their eventual Condor may find a home here.

Between the MPG and the Takara Legends figs, I still prefer the Legends, which I have. I'm not really into the Ginrai design, honestly, but I liked that mold enough to get it, and in my unconsidered opinion, I still think it's pretty well-done. Some may not cotton to it due to the stylistic liberties taken, but compared to the MPG, it's those touches that make it preferable, at least to me. I still regret not getting the Perfect Effect Optimus for my Ginrai; it looked better than the stock cab and it could actually transform into a nice-looking bot. Regrets, alas. Anyway, it's also fair to remember that Legends Ginrai was a retool of Combiner Wars Ultra Magnus, so it wasn't a dedicated toy like the MPG, although I think Takara made it work rather well. YMMV, of course. Great review, as always, @mikeszekely. I always appreciate the comparison shots with not only previous official offerings, but also third party as well for variety and flavor. I'm fascinated by how the designs vary depending on who's making them and as a reflection of the times when the figs were produced.

I'm a fan of Guerilla Games' Horizon franchise and I was ecstatic a few years ago when LEGO released the Tallneck set. It was a gorgeous build, albeit more of a statue for display than a playable model. Of course, being LEGO, one is always free to modify to achieve a more desired result, and I was tempted to do so, but though I oft have intentions of modding sets, I seldom go through with it out of, for lack of a better reason, a dearth of interest once the set has been built. For years, a company called Traveler's Tales have been creating LEGO video games set in any number of popular universes, so it was a bit of a surprising departure to see Guerilla Games themselves create a LEGO game set in their Horizon universe, a la LEGO Horizon Adventures, complete with voice talent from their regular games. I have yet to play the LEGO version, but I'll get a copy eventually- it's too good to pass up. More exciting to me than a game, however, is the prospect of more LEGO sets based on the machine creatures that populate the games and give them their signature look. Look no further than the just released 77037 Unlike the Tallneck (76989), which was an 18+ set sold under the Icons adult oriented Icons theme, this set, based on the LEGO Horizon Adventures game, is aimed for the kiddies and kid-hearted AFOLs such as myself. I preordered two copies of this set months ago when it was listed under the "Coming Soon" section of LEGO's US Shop site, but after doing a sweep of the site just now, it is listed nowhere, not even under "New", so it may be difficult to order a copy. Pulling it up under a general search takes you to LEGO's site, however, where it is listed under "Other" as a theme, so for those wanting a copy, I'd suggest that route for now before they get around to actually putting it on their regular Shop page. Of course, it should also be available widely at retail. Anyway, on to the set. Let's start with the figs. We get Aloy and her friend Varl, both bedecked in their customary garb, complete with arm, leg and back prints. Aloy's hairpiece is dual molded with a light trans-blue section to cover the focus print on the side of her head. Aloy's head is a double-sided print, but I didn't take a pic of it or her back print with the hair removed. I was a bit too anxious to get on to the machine builds. 😁 Weapons: Aloy's bow is a new mold with small holes top and bottom to plug in small accessories corresponding to the various elemental ammunition she uses. On the right are the various bits used to denote Aloy's choice of elemental arrows, and on the left is Varl's spear and what I assume are also elemental bits that can be swapped out. Partially visible is a section of tall grass for Aloy to hide behind for stealth and a campfire, used for saving in the game, and a chest which contains four gold 1x1 round plates, but can also accommodate all of Aloy's spare elemental bits when not in use. I meant to include the entirety of those sections, but I was too focused on the weapons. Reviews are not my forte, it seems. OK, now the real reason we're buying these sets: the machines! In this set we get a Shell-Walker and a Sawtooth, and unlike the Tallneck, these models are quite articulated and meant to be played with. Sawtooth Just as in the games, the orange component can be removed as resource loot. The head and neck sections are both on single ball joints allowing limited omnidirectional movement, the shoulders are mounted on a Technic ball joint which allows the shoulder to move away from the body as well as rotate 360, the elbows are ratcheted hinge joints allowing for a nigh 180 degree arc, and the front ankles are on ball joints. The claws can rotate independently. The jaws can open and close independently, as they're not connected together. The waist is connected by a stacked double ball joint system allowing for limited side to side motion. The hips are on small ball joints and can rotate 360. The knees are made up of bar and clip joints, and the ankles, identical to the front paws, are on ball joints. The antennae on its back are clipped onto pneumatic tee joints and can be positioned as one chooses, although by din of the game art, they generally rake back as seen. The resulting model, for its relatively small size, is highly poseable, and does a meritorious job of capturing its subject well. Shell-Walker The other machine included in this set is the hermit crab inspired Shell-Walker, which brandishes both an opening claw and an energy shield generator, which, like in the games, can be separated as a lootable item. Also, like in the game, the storage container which it carries on its back, is able to separate for looting, although, sadly, due to its interesting SNOT inner structure, it can't really be used for carrying much if one chooses to try. Like the sawtooth, this Shell-walker model is well-appointed with articulation: the arms are mounted via ratchet joints allowing up and down motion at the thorax. That joint terminates in a ball joint, and the arms carry on forward with a singular bar and clip elbow terminating in a ball and socket jointed wrist, of sorts, the right side of which sports a claw made up of four rotatable sections for opening and closing, whilst the left features a drum-like structure housing a clip in its center to which the shield bit itself attaches. The shield is a cool little build with a snowflake element at its core. She storage container attaches via three studs on the little storage deck, and the yellow bits can swing in and out. The upper yellow bits align perfectly with the sides of the container when its attached. So well done! The legs are made of two segments, the root of which attach at the lower thorax via ball and socket joints and terminate at a ratcheted elbow joint. The second segment is tiled and shaped nicely to give an armored appearance and terminate in a claw. the end result, once again, is a relatively small mecha with a satisfyingly good range of articulation amongst its various appendages. moreover, the build itself captures the subject well, and I love that the Shell-Walker's salient features from the game are carried over for play. To quote the Mandalorian creed, "This is the way", and I hope that more like this are forthcoming, especially some of the grander mechanized fauna such as the Thunderjaw, Stormbird, Tremortusk, Snapmaw, just to name a few. The smaller machines are also welcome. Horizon lends itself beautifully as a source for LEGO sets, and I hope LEGO takes advantage of that potential. My wallet is open and ready. As for my shelf space, well that's another story. Finally. from a MOC building POV, one of the great joys and anticipatory elements of buying new sets is- new elements! And this set doesn't disappoint except in the small number of which we receive: first, as I already mentioned, Aloy's bow is a new piece, as well as Varl's hair. However, the next part is one which I've been hoping for for years. behold this glorious inverted 1x1 clip with a round plate and single stud. This thing is going to be one of those revolutionary parts that shows up in everything due to its extraodinary utility. That it has taken this long to actualize is unfathomable to me. I hope we eventually start getting plates with studs top and bottom and full plate width brackets, both of which will also revolutionize how we use the brick. But for now, this little clip is a victory and I'm here to celebrate it! Additionally, LEGO finally made a three-stud width Technic brick with three axle holes, which I'm sure will prove, as it did in this set, to be worth the cost of its investment. Here you can see it being used at the core of the front leg shoulder. Final thoughts, if you can't tell, I'm quite pleased with this set and all that it potentially promises in the way of more Horizon sets. On its own merits, it is a well-designed playset with two apropos minifigs, two well-designed and quite highly articulated machines, especially by LEGO's usual standards, and two small additional environmental features that capture salient elements of the game/gameplay. At least four new elements are present in the set, which adds variety, and I simply can't give LEGO kudos enough for that new inverted clip. Best of all, unlike the Tallneck, this is meant for play, and the models lend themselves well to that end. Again, I hope this set is a precursor of future releases. If so, and they can maintain this standard, we're in for some great sets. Let 'em come!

My, that's a chunky Ramhorn, but I think both he and Ratbat look better than Steeljaw the Pomeranian. I'm not a huge fan of SS86 Perceptor's design; when the G1 toy has a more believable alt mode, there's something wrong, as the advancement in design should apply to both modes, IMHO. So, marrying the two new cassettes to a rerelease of an inferior figure does not make me happy. Moreover, while I understand it's b/c Perceptor was in the Movie scene with Blaster and the cassettes duking it out, I wish, like in the good ole G1 days, they'd simply sell the cassettes in multipacks making it easier for fans to collect them without the added baggage of a figure most of us already have. The Combaticons are my favorite combiner team, and Vortex does not disappoint. Funny that Takara, and Hasbro by extension, can design a really good helicopter alt mode but struggle mightily with making a somewhat passable jet. Anyway, If this is a precursor to the level of design for the rest, I'm excited for these guys and perhaps I'll retire my CW figs to the dark recesses of my closet. I'll admit a soft spot for the CW figs and mine has held up well. I bought the Takara release of Blast Off instead of the Hasbro jetformer so that mine would have a proper shuttle for an arm. I have no illusions that the Legacy Prime Bruticus will be another robo-frame to which these guys simply peg on like so much flare, but I have little doubt it'll look good and be stable once completed. I do wish they could find a way to make these guys actually form the limbs themselves, though, as the whole frame system makes that aspect of the characters moot. I've no knowledge of the 13 Primes and from what I've seen of the figs thus far, I don't feel like I'm missing out on much. However, Alchemist Prime is giving me Transformers: Prime Bulkhead vibes like crazy, as this fig has far more in common in both modes than Legacy Bulkhead, who I've contended from the beginning has far more in common in both modes with the Animated take. A future retool/repaint wouldn't surprise me. So the Hot Wheels crossovers are unexpected, but welcome. Admittedly, I don't care for the car modes of either of these figs, but with the door open for potential future HW figs, it's an exciting prospect, as there are a LOT of HW designs from which to borrow, with more being produced all the time. Something like these would be awesome. Sideways is an interesting addition, and I still have the OG toy somewhere in storage, but it leaves me wondering where are the Legacy takes on Windcharger, Powerglide, Warpath, Ravage, Laserbeak, a more faithful Mirage mold, the anticipated Seaspray and SS86 Megatron, and the Omnibots, who deserve some updates, especially when far more obscure characters are getting the toy treatment? G1 is the main base of my collection, and I'd really just like to finish it off as Hasbro moves on into Japanese Transformers, comics-based characters, video-game characters, and the Unicron Trilogy, the vast majority of which I have little familiarity nor interest. I'd be happy to see them do more Animated, but only if they continue to lower the dial on the G1 influence and keep them more faithful to the toon look, which is what set them apart from everything else. We really need a titan class Animated Omega Supreme, done with love so that it doesn't suck. I'd be willing to go in on a Haslab for that if necessary, again, so that it's done well and doesn't suck. That would be the hope, anyway.

My POV, too, is that the VF-1 has been done to death, in virtually every scale and every version of it by various companies in all matter of forms. The YF/VF-19 has also received its fair share of toys and models with various versions represented. I want to see Macross designs that haven't had much time in the merchandising limelight, if any at all, get some appreciation in toy form. The VF-5000 is on that list, as well as the Variable Glaug, the VF-9 Cutlass, the VF-14 Vampire ( and perhaps M7 variants, which to wit have never gotten toys), Mylene's VF-11, the Octos, and even the variable tiltrotor featured in M7. A little OT, but I'm very much surprised that none of Kawamori's variable mecha from Satelight's Juushinki Pandora (renamed Last Hope for Western audiences, available on Netflix) received toys or models. While the show was so-so, the mecha were pretty cool and I would have happily picked up a toy or three, especially in the HMR line. I just thought the absence of toys based on Kawamori designs was odd given both his pedigree and the merits of the designs themselves.

I hope whatever the roadblocks they're facing, Arcadia is able to pull through and achieve stability. I really want that VF-5000, even if I have to settle for the anime colors (teal, white, and yellow) which I'm not crazy about, but I love the design itself. Moreover, it's a valk that, to my knowledge, has never received a toy, so I want to support it and future releases of n'er before released valks.

My hope is, that with the majority of the Macross series available on Hulu (I've been watching them w/ my wife), it'll begin to pick up in popularity and eclipse Robotech, as it should, leading to far more sales of Macross merch and an increased impetus for Bandai and Arcadia to pump out more valkyrie toys. I think they need to do more to promote Macross. As far as I'm concerned, the more F-yous Big West, Bandai, Disney, Hulu, and anyone else pushing actual Macross stuff can send Harmony Gold's way, the better. I long for the day when they are annihilated from existence. I'm warming to the upcoming Basara crossover- I just hope the VF-19 mode isn't totally blocky given that Optimus chest. Wasn't aware of Walmart Collector Con's date or the impending release of Legacy Seaspray, so thanks @mikeszekely!

I'm quite surprised to learn that she had a liver transplant, which speaks to grave health concerns leading up to her demise, especially at such a young age. While she's not the first young celebrity we've lost to health issues, it's still always jarring nonetheless, and amplified due to their notoriety. I think, too, because she was an actress, and we greatly prize entertainment for what it lends to our culture, the shock of losing someone in the business is always magnified due to their fame and fandom, and in Michelle's case, the fact that she was fairly young and obviously suffering prior makes the loss so much harder to bear.

I'm honestly not too familiar with Michelle's work outside of Buffy, and I only watched an ep or so here and there when it was originally airing. That said, she was a lovely young woman with obvious talent and to lose her so early is deeply saddening. I feel for her mother who discovered her, as losing a child, one who apparently must have been suffering some serious health issues, is always devastating to the parents. Having been acting since she was quite young, she left us with plenty to remember her by, a nice legacy for one lost to us too soon. RIP Michelle.

It is impressive, however, I haven't the space for something that big, and that is unquestionably a display piece. I have the excellent Ideas Dinosaur Fossil set (21320), released in 2019, which also featured a T-Rex and I shall have to remain content with that. I'd love to build that big one, though.❤️

Wow, that hits home, as I'm 53. While I can't say I'm a fan of his live action TF work, he and writing partner Alex Kurtzman changed my mind in a good way on Transformers: Prime, undoubtedly my favorite of their writing collaborations. He and Kurtzman, best friends from childhood, worked on a number of tv and film projects and Robert leaves behind quite a legacy, and no doubt a painful void for his friend and writing partner. Whatever your opinions of his work, his death signifies the sad loss of yet another incredibly creative force in movies and tv. RIP Mr. Orci.

"Good business is where you find it."😄

I'm aware that some of these third-party offerings remain in limbo for years, although I'm not fully aware of the extent as I generally only keep tabs on the things that interest me. I'm guessing, too, that factory availability plays a large role in release schedules, although when the designs sit in limbo for a period of years, and perhaps go through design iterations, as FT's Berserk did, then that hiatus is largely on the part of the toy developer for whatever reasons that may apply. And that's fair for as you mentioned, these are not professional toy companies (although I'm inclined to think that many 3P designers are indeed professionals in the field judging by their stunning output), and there may be other obstacles to getting their wares into production under the Chinese bureaucracy. It can certainly be frustrating waiting on an anticipated figure, and certainly moreso given a level of uncertainty as to whether or not it will be produced. I think most of us buying unlicensed toys at this point have had our interests piqued by a toy that was revealed only for it to disappear, and perhaps even the producer itself. As for myself, I waited years for FT to finalize their take on Blitzwing only for another company to come along and make something that I considered better. Too, I was interested in a transforming Su-27 Flanker by Scifigure industry, whose impressive Aegopter figure I did buy. But that Flanker really piqued my interest and suddenly it and Scifigure Industry just disappeared. Now we have another company, Touch Toys, whose toys share a very similar aesthetic and complexity, who are putting out a transforming Flanker figure, albeit, sadly, a different design, even if the new design is still quite impressive. I've got my PO in for it. I still pine for the Scifigure toy, though. It didn't have a loincloth if memory serves. Alas, all pics of the concept art seem to have been removed- wish I'd saved a pic of it- it was cool. In MI's case, it sounds like they had their designs ready, perhaps even before they officially formed the company- there's a lot of work represented in those figs and it had to have taken time. However they approached the design phase, the short duration in which they pumped out all six figs lends credibility to the assumption that the designs were already finalized, perhaps only requiring tweaks & finessing, and they just needed factory time. When the availabity availed itself, they were able to expedite the production schedule. I went in on Toyworld's Constructor years ago, as it was the design at the time that most appealed to me. I'm intrigued by XTransbot's take; their Long Haul looks amazing and it's one of maybe two or three Long Haul toys ever to have a functional bed that tips. It's definitely a few steps up from Toyworld's take, not to mention the floppy shoulder mounts on that fig. Alas, I have neither the room, nor the desire to invest in yet another MP scaled gestalt, so I'm reluctantly letting it pass. I'll enjoy it vicariously, as I have so many figs over the years. I'm inclined to go with @mikeszekely's assessment that MI's circumstances were such that they were well-prepared and ready to go when looking for a factory. That preparedness allowed them to expedite production of all six figs. Other 3P producers just might not have the time or the ability to finalize designs in that manner, not to mention some of the more experienced third-party companies usually have multiple figures in the works and require more time for tweaks and such. Too, I'm guessing these 3P companies are hobbies or side-gigs to the designers who have day jobs and family stuff to work around. It's amazing to me that any of this stuff gets produced, frankly, and that it's as generally well-done as it is.

Fans Toys' take on Blitzwing spent about seven years in PO limbo before only recently having the final product shown and a release date given. I had a PO for it for a few years myself before Star Toys came out with their take. After considering both, I chose the Star Toys, as I like the overall aesthetics across all three modes better. No regrets- it's a pretty excellent Blitzwing figure and in this case, I'm glad for the delay, as it gave another company an opportunity to make a competing product which I just so happen to like better.

I'm still partial to Wonderful-Trans' take on Drift. It's not a very fun transformation, and the fact that the whole thing is held together by joints in transparent plastic is concerning for long-term durability, but I love both its robot and car modes. It has presence on the shelf, taking its aesthetic cues from the beautiful Flame Toys figure, and the lovely Asurada car mode from the old anime/OVA series Future GPX Cyber Formula. Best of both worlds, IMHO, and from a purely aesthetics POV, I think it's the best Drift figure out there. It's poseability, however, is merely good, not great, and certainly not ideal, especially in the shoulders, for a sword wielder. I like it b/c it's pretty, but as an action figure, it leaves somewhat to be desired, alas. As for MMC. I have their take on Drift's original self, Deadlock (Ater Beta), as I preferred the black color scheme for the car mode, which I think is absolutely lovely. A Batmobile/Batmech retool of this fig would have been awesome. While there've no doubt been improvements to articulation with their latest take on Drift, it doesn't speak to me the way their first one did, especially the car mode. Having yet to read through the comics (I have them thanks to @mikeszekely, but having never been much of a comics reader, I find I have a hard time getting into them), I have no real association with the character beyond the toys which I collect purely on their aesthetic merits. However, I own a number of MMC figs, and I've been quite happy with them. Anyway, glad you're finding joy with the new Drift, @Scyla.

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one watching. @kajnrig, I totally agree about Gamlin- at first, he comes off as the stereotypical stiff military stereotype (which always bugs me having been career military- we don't all have sticks up our collective rectums, although there a few 'ate up' folks for whom it superbly applies). It was a refreshing change in character when he begrudgingly, at first, begins to recognize what Basara's about and by the end, fully supports him. Basara's single-mindedness about his music becomes a bit overbearing at times, but there are moments when he does selfless and heroic things for others, so he's not a complete jerk, just mostly. 😄 To see Basara's and Gamlin's camaraderie at the end is cool. As for the love triangle, yeah no. While Mylene may be in a quandary, there's really only one choice, as Basara is oblivious to all but his music, although he did seem to start to get a little cozy with Emilia, which I think is the better match, anyway. Poor Rex has it bad for Basara and he never responds. His fascination for Sivil is odd, but again, I think it's more about getting through to her through his music than any amorous desire. Sivil obviously develops a fondness for Basara, and like Max and Miria in SDF:M, I think it would have been an interesting pairing, but I guess she knew she was too different, and maybe too fearful of involuntarily siphoning off all his spiritia thus rendering him a Basara shaped raisin. Or it was just in the script. I was hoping there'd be an explanation for the flower girl's dogged determination to deliver a bouquet to Basara- I'm sure there's a backstory there, but they chose not to elaborate thus leaving it to the viewer to guess. She's the definition of superfan, though, other than cosplaying Basara while trying to make her deliveries. Perhaps that was a step too close to creepy. 😄 Nonetheless, it's still a bit obsessive, and if the genders were reversed, we'd be more inclined to see it as stalking (even though there are plenty of instances of women stalkers). I watch the ID Channel way too much. The biggest question of all, who the heck is playing that infernal harmonica?!! Man that song irks, not only b/c it kinda sucks, but for how often they play the damned thing. I realize it's a series about a band, and it certainly should have music, but M7 is the definition of overkill. I do like a number of the songs towards the end of the series and into Encore and the OVAs. I've got "Light the Light" playing in my brain constantly now since watching the show. That and "Dakedo Baby!". So punchy and fun with a bit of a 60s vibe! I wasn't thrilled with the Max and Milia separation storyline, but some of the interplay between them was entertaining. I thought Milia was a bit too adversarial and cold towards Max at times, as he didn't seem to harbor the same grudge or what have you. I wonder if Exsedol is sitting on a toilet- the guy never moves from that spot for nearly the entirety of the series. Odd that he doesn't shrink down to Miclone size- seems like it'd be more comfortable than sticking his head up through the floor. Honestly, even after the intro of Sound Force, it's still pretty formulaic with the Protodeviln attacking randomly just about every episode and we get to watch and rewatch recycled footage of battle scenes and the Sound Boosters launching and attaching to the valks. You could cut about ten eps of similar battles out, as they tend to drag the pacing out as well. But I agree, until about the twentieth or so ep, it's fairly monotonous set to an obnoxiously overplayed "Planet Dance' soundtrack. That song, man- gah!

At the risk of derailing the current anime conversation, I just finished watching Macross 7 and all but the Frontier crossover eps and having only watched once before with an overall low opinion of it, this time around I found myself enjoying it much more. I'm still not crazy about "Planet Dance", which they play ad nauseum throughout, but the vitriol I felt towards it and some of his other songs has tempered with time and age, I suppose. I found that I enjoyed far more of his songs this time around (I even watched the full 2007 live concert with Fukuyama and Kajiura and came away very much impressed- Fukuyamasan can play some mean guitar! Moreover, they did a set of 20 songs and he sang most of them as lead at the same level as he did in his twenties for the show. Bomba!) As for the show itself, some of the "spiritia" stuff and the extent of "song energy's" power was a bit much, but overall, I enjoyed the show. There are some great humorous moments throughout. The usually reticent Veffidas gave me a good hearty laugh at the end of "Which One Do You Love", part of the Encore series of unaired eps. My wife and I think Mylene should stick with Gamlin and Basara should hook up with Emelia, Mylene's older sister. 😁 Anyway, sometimes it's good to rewatch stuff with older eyes and ears; I'm glad I did.

Misery loves company, but in this case that's disheartening news. I've been enjoying Dr. Wu's takes on the cassettes (I hope he eventually moves on to do the staples: Ravage, Rumble, Laserbeak, Steeljaw, Ramhorn, and Ratbat at minimum) and they're generally much better than Hasbro's offerings, Eject being the only real exception. To have the combining mechanism on a combining set be so poorly executed seems a gross oversight, and I just can't believe they didn't fix it before mass production. Alas, they didn't. However, as you said, these guys are obscure, as I think they only came to my attention when Dr Wu announced them. I had to visit the Wiki to learn about the original toys, which rank pretty low by comparison, although G1 Slam Dance couldn't rotate its arms fore and aft either. However, I think the dino modes shine (I know, technically Pteranodons aren't dinosaurs, but for the sake of argument...) and the combined mode, if you can get it to stay together, looks good, too. I don't regret the purchase, but I hope they receive a fair amount of necessary feedback about this and make adjustments on future releases. There's still Dile and Zaur which form Legout to produce, so hopefully, if he decides to do them, they'll be done better. I'm looking forward to his takes on Slugfest and Overkill, whose original toys I don't own. I have the Fanstoys versions, and they're pretty well done, but I'm looking forward to having versions that scale with Hasbro's Legacy scale, as much as I wish they'd go back to making them actual microcasstte scale again. I just want a nice full set of cassettes for Legacy+ that are similar in articulation and craftsmanship, as I have little faith in Takara/Hasbro to deliver (Eject is a surprising entry, so credit where due- I wish the rest were to that standard).

I received these guys yesterday and decided to post a quickie review. Forgive all my LEGO stuff in the background; I'm working on something and just took some quick pics. This is Dr. Wu's Impact Wave, his take on the G1 Autobot cassette combiner, Decibel. here's some art and the OG toy for comparison. The G1 combiner featured very little in the way of articulation and was one of the poorer efforts among the G1 cassettes. I say this as a fan of the cassette bots. It's the only G1 combiner team i don't own, and quite frankly, I don't feel like I'm missing out. Dr. Wu's take is fairly faithful to the artwork, minus his shoulder weapons. For whatever reason, Wu attached those cannons to his upper arms, pointing up no less, instead of sitting on his shoulders pointing forward. It's a weird decision, but the range and amount of articulation packed into this fig earns my forgiveness. the head is on a ball peg which allows it to move fore and aft as well as rotate 360, with full 90 degrees up and about 5 degrees down. The arms are on ball joints and can rotate 360 degrees, the biceps swivel 360, the elbows bend 90 degrees, the wrists rotate 360, the hands can bend inward 90 degrees (for transformation), and the claws on the outsides of the hands can bend 90 degrees outwards. There's no waist swivel, but the legs can rotate fore and aft 90 degrees on ball joints, swivel 360 on mushroom pegs at mid-thigh, the knees bend 90, and the feet can rotate down well past 90 degrees while the toe can rotate, in place of a full ankle rocker, 360 degrees. All four of the individual cassette weapons store on the combined mode: the aforementioned cannons on the arms, and the other set tab into the calves. the feet have molded and painted details reminiscent of the Pteranodon's weapons which were used as feet on the OG toy. Note too that the rivets in the OG toys thighs have also been replicated as molded and painted details. The only issue I have with the combined mode, and perhaps it's just an issue with my copy, is that the two cassettes are only held together by a single tab-slot connection, and the slot is located within a rotating panel on a ball joint to which the arms also mount. On mine, the arm ball joints are tighter than the rotating panels to which they're mounted and without anything else securing them together, and with such small tabs holding them together, mine fall apart far too easily. I'm surprised that Dr. Wu didn't create a more robust method for holding them together, but he didn't. You can see the slot in the blue panel and the tab on the upper torso. Given all the additional real estate to work with, I'm still surprised that there's not another point of connection built into this. It definitely could have used it. The individual cassettes took on the forms of a T-Rex or Allosaurus (Noise) and a Pteranodon (Graphy) respectively. While Wu's take on Graphy, Supersonic, holds pretty true to the G1 toy, albeit with better articulation in the wings, his take on Noise, Explosion, takes a fair bit of license, but IMHO, the result is a far better executed therapod mode with more in common with Grimlock's look than that of the flat and more suggestive shape of the original toy. And much like the combined mode, the weapons are mounted to the legs pointing upwards instead of to the torso pointing forward. Weird, but it is what it is. the range of articulation is great for such a small toy, though. Since his legs form the combiner's arms, all the aforementioned articulation applies. the head can rotate up and down and it can also raise and lower since the bit it attaches to is hinged further down in the torso. Unfortunately, it can't rotate left or right and the jaw doesn't open, which is forgivable on such a small fig. The little arms are on ball joints at the shoulder and feature a bending elbow allowing for about 180 degrees of rotation. The tail is formed of two section- the tip can rotate up and down through about 120 degrees and the larger part, which contains the combiner head, rotates a little over 90 degrees. Overall, pretty impressive for such a tiny fig. Unfortunately, as cassettes, these guys fail miserably, as there's no attempt whatsoever to impart any cassette details. Even a hint of reels would have been nice, but nope. As it is, the cassette alt mode is more suggestion, which is a bummer and something I really miss from the G1 toys which did a much better job of trying to look like microcassttes. However, their wafer modes do fit in kingdom Blaster and Netflix Soundwave, so at least that bit of interplay is possible. This one's a mixed bag: I love the individual bot modes and the combiner mode. However, the weak connection for combined mode is disappointing and makes handling the thing a pain, as it just doesn't want to hold together and I can't believe Dr. Wu didn't come up with something more robust, especially when combination is its major gimmick. Cassette modes are more suggestion than realization, which also sucks for "cassette" bots. Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with these figs.

As a collector of both official and third-party toys, with a focus on mainline, I think your current approach is apropos. For those who only collect Hasbro/Takara but aren't opposed to an upgrade here or there, are just curious, or perhaps simply unaware, showcasing those upgrades in the official thread puts that information where it needs to be for interested parties, as well as for folks like me who buy both official and non. While the upgrade itself may be third party, the intention is the betterment, subjectively, of the toy in question, and when that toy is an official Transformers figure, I think it should be featured in the official thread. Likewise third party stickers/decals, and such. Ultimately, when the intent is to enhance an official toy, it should be showcased in the official thread. My $.02 FWIW.