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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    S'all good. 😁 FWIW, The FT figs, and the two Dream Star figs I own, are a bit too fiddly for my liking. I've never transformed either back to its plane mode, and while I do like how they look in their bot modes, I honestly wouldn't miss them if I sold them off. Twenty or so years ago, I championed increasingly complex transformations; however, as I get older and my threshold for patience stretches ever the more taught, there never being much to begin with, I find my enjoyment of the fiddlier transforming toys wanes. I think the CHUG+ toys strike an excellent balance for me, and while I still enjoy picking up the odd third-party fig here and there, mostly legends but sometimes MP or thereabouts, or the odd Macross fig (I've only this year begun collecting a few HMR Macross figs and I very much enjoy them), I find I grow weary at times with some of their transformations. Thus said, I can certainly empathize with your frustration with oft over-complex engineering. As much as I really like transforming toys in general, when it comes to Transformers, perhaps the tenacious lure of nostalgia has me in its grip more so than other properties, as I'm unabashedly a G1 fan, although I don't subscribe to the plain cartoon look as so many other fans do. I do applaud the artistic license employed by any number of artists and toy makers over the decades, as they keep the franchise fresh, and lines like Beast Wars, Prime, and Animated resonate with me. However, when it comes to stuff like what Cang Toys, Dream Star Toys, or Iron Factory are doing as opposed to the more faithful G1 takes by FT, XTB, Magic Square, New Age, etc, I'm generally moved by the latter over the former, even if I can appreciate what the former are doing. But, I do own two Dream Star Aerialbots and eight IF figs, so I'm not above dipping my toes into the pool of toys with liberties taken. Sometimes variety is nice for its own sake. Anyway, I hope you derive a goodly bit of joy from your DST Constructicons, as they definitely give the old designs a proper shake-up, and while I'm not compelled to have them myself, I can certainly appreciate the direction and outcome of their creativity. As to what I'm assuming is a reference to DX9's take on a MP scaled Prowl, while I was initially interested, I'm not wholly enamored by the toon-slavish elongated shin-dows or their lack of sublime mechanical details ensconced within, one of my favorite aspects of the original Fairlady Z TF design. Too, I'm not a fan of the toonish three-toes details nor the odd oddly zig-zag rear edges of the doors which lack the subtle upsweep on the rear upper tips. The rest of the design looks OK to me otherwise, but for my taste, I'm still over the moon for MP-17 Prowl, one of my top favorite TF toys of all time. It's a dated design at this point (2013- hard to believe!), but it delivers everything I ever wanted from a Prowl figure since I picked up my G1 copy when I was thirteen or so and it continues to enthrall. However, I get that many a fan likes the extreme toon look so, for those fans wanting that in a Prowl figure, this should be the toy they've been waiting for. I hope it turns out to be an excellent figure, as the milking will be epic, and that too is good all around. If it is indeed so, I may even succumb to FOMO and get a copy in spite of myself. I do love me a good Prowl figure. Cheers!
  2. M'Kyuun
    Hey Mike, I noticed this in the last sentence of your second paragraph. I think you meant to say, " Bonecrusher's shovel chest". "The vertical green "straps" flanking the purple on his chest with the red details do a rather good job of recalling G1 Hook's shovel chest." I appreciate the look at these guys, although I must confess that my interest is minimal. While I commend DST for their innovative takes, my inclination is heavily towards the G1 look. I will say, however, that objectively, I think this is a superior design over the G1 designs, as the bots tend to be cleaner, the alt modes more realistic, and I assume the full combined mode will likely be clean, highly pose able, and more visually interesting. I figure subjectivity and a heavy dose of nostalgia color my tendency towards the G1 look, but I'll give credit where it's due. I went in on DST's takes on Slingshot and Skydive, as both had better than average Harrier and F-16 modes, an extreme rarity with Transformers figures. Granted, like their Constructicons, DST took a fair amount of liberty with the robot designs, but I like how they look. I stopped with those two, although I think DST did a good job with their takes on Air Raid and Fireflight which gave me hope for their Silverbolt. Unfortunately, the latter fared no better than the vast majority of other companies' takes on the character. To date, I think Fans Toys have made the best version and yet its Concorde mode had its share of flaws, too. However, at least it used the majority of fuselage to form the bot instead of concentrating it all into a giant cube underneath. In the end, I grew disenchanted with DST and once again abandoned any interest I may have had of owning a decent set of Aerialbots. Part of me regrets not going in on the FT Aerialbots, but with lack of space becoming my greatest hurdle in collecting, I'm hoping that either Magic Square or New Age will rise to the challenge. Honestly, I don't have much hope that either would take a different avenue with their Aerialbot designs, but I'd very much love to be proven wrong.
  3. M'Kyuun
    I have long entertained the opinion that the Minifigure, iconic and beloved as it is, is an anachronism, nonetheless. Its limitations are manifest when compared to Mega Blok's stylized but highly articulated figures whose pose ability make them far more fun to play with, IMHO. I have long thought that LEGO should develop a new improved figure to enhance some of their action-oriented lines, at the least. I'm not saying get rid of the Minifig, but incorporate a new more pose-able fig to accentuate and compliment certain lines where a far more dynamic figure might enhance the playability of certain themes and sets. And, yeah, LEGO's unofficial retirement of Castle and Space, the latter my favorite theme, two of the three original Minifigure-based themes released in 1979 that drove LEGO to meteoric success is, I won't say disgraceful, but certainly dismaying and disappointing. It's analogous to Disney's retiring Mickey Mouse by just fading him out of existence except for an anniversary or the infrequent special occasion.
  4. M'Kyuun
    This looks excellent and I'll likely get a copy when it releases. Yes to an HMR, although I wonder how much partsforming would be involved. I'm liking the chunky proportions of the Moderoid.
  5. M'Kyuun
    Indeed I do. The heli dude is reminiscent of a couple figs released in the past, although I forget their names. I have the toys, though. I'm curious if this is going to be its own line disconnected from existing lines or if there's going to be some sort of tie-in. The former offers more freedom for Takara to explore ideas without having to conform to preexisting designs, and I like that approach. I believe the Takara designers are a very imaginative and capable bunch and it'd be cool to see, in an experimental line, just what they could cook up untethered from any previous notions or expectations. I do wish, however, that they'd create new identities for them instead of leaning on preexisting character references. I look forward to seeing how this line develops, however, I check my expectations if they decide to do a jet, as I fear their usual lackluster approach will spoil any attempts. I'm jaded, but not without decades of poorly executed reasons.
  6. M'Kyuun
    His art is a form of immortality, but it's folks like this that contribute something beautiful to the world that one wishes had an extended lease on life. RIP Mr. Struzan
  7. M'Kyuun
    I agree with your assessments. My copy's on its way, for some reason shipping with DHL. Yesterday my copies of TFOne Arcee and AotP Alpha Trion arrived by FedEx and USPS respectively. I'm digressing, but I find it odd that they're using so many delivery services seemingly all of a sudden when USPS has sufficed for years. Regardless, I'm just happy that they're coming. As to the fig, just based on your review, the first I've seen, I think they did a pretty good job overall, although I'm with you regarding the lackluster disguising of the head and the missed opportunity for hidden gun storage, one of my greatest pet peeves in this hobby. It's not often that the design as--is yields up a nice space to stow a weapon out of sight, so the fact that this one does and they still didn't use it just boggles the mind. I'm thinking the care isn't there, although I give Takara huge props for the elegant weapon storage on Studio Series Concept Widow. More of that please. I still fancy my TR version, as it had to look like the character and accommodate a Titanmaster, and Takara understood the assignment. My TR copy came from Pulse missing a prop, so I'm happy to see that this new update has them pinned on. Too, I like the minimalist toy deco, often with molded and painted details to homage the OG toys' decals, that they do on these toy-based figs. It's a nice touch. Kind of a shame that there aren't any small wheels for him to roll about on, but given the dearth of good placement options on the underside where they wouldn't somehow compromise the bot mode, I think they made the right choice. Anyway, another minibot down, with only a handful to go. I hope they maintain this standard. Windcharger's legs are looking a bit hollow and somewhat unsightly, but I'm sure there'll be upgrade kits to address the issue. Otherwise, I opine that they've been doing a splendid job with the upgraded Minibots overall. Looking forward to the rest.
  8. M'Kyuun
    I knew this was coming and expected it to be good considering what the SC Team have thus far accomplished. I wasn't expecting the options to change the car's configuration nor the addition of an extra minifig, all at the usual price of $28. A great deal in every sense. I hope they do KITT, the Mach 5 from Speed Racer, the OG Spinner from Blade Runner, the Asurada and Super Asurada from Future GPX Cyber Formula. Sadly, the era of futuristic or sci-fi cool cars died in the 90s and, lacking a revival, we continue to mine nostalgia.
  9. M'Kyuun

    DX Chogokin VF-17S

    M'Kyuun replied to GGemini's topic in Toys

    I much prefer the original chonky design. I'll stick with my Yamato.
  10. M'Kyuun
    I've no interest in the Timelines stuff thus far, but for a second, I entertained the thought of getting Armada Nemesis Prime, primarily for the articulated minicons, but $90 is far too steep a price for what you're getting. The way prices are rising on these things, I'm not sure how much longer I'll continue collecting, at least at my current level, which has already tapered over the last couple of years. I'm in for SS86 Starscream and Skywarp and for figs like Mirage that are in need of a good G1 mainline or SS figure, and any remaining minibots, but thanks to the main lines over the last few years, I have a pretty solid G1 collection with only a few holes to fill. Once those are filled, I may just reluctantly and regrettably retire from collecting. It's just getting too expensive. Too, I'm out of room for these things, so I also need to find some more storage/display solutions. Funny, when we moved from our two BR apartment, which itself seemed large to us initially, into our house, it felt like we had so much room. Our house is about 1600 sq ft, not huge by any stretch, but not small either, relative to many of the houses here in town. It took less than 20 years to fill much of that space, a great deal of it with my toy collections. So much plastic.
  11. M'Kyuun
    POs are up on Pulse!!!!
  12. M'Kyuun
    I share your affliction! I lament my near lack of display space, as the toys keep coming and I find I need be ever more judicious with my purchases, taking both quantity and size into account. Toys are the nexus of my life, and it stings a bit to have to scale back b/c I'm running out of room in my house for them all.
  13. M'Kyuun
    Of the three Batmobiles, the BvS is my favorite design and, IMHO, the worst execution among the three sets. I think the designers did a far better job capturing the B&R and The Batman Batmobiles. I'll still get the BvS and The Batman sets, but I think I prefer the original BvS Batmobile set (76045) they released in 2016. This new set has a lot more sculpting, but after consulting my BvS Tech Manual which discusses the development of the movie's various props, with all the parts at their disposal, being a collector of the Speed Champions line, and having looked at a few MOCs, I just don't feel like they captured the car very well, or at least not as well as I would have expected, especially given what they've accomplished with the SC line. Too, in an interview, the designers discussed eschewing the OG two-part canopy elements in preference of just using the regular one piece curved windshield. Personally, I'd have rather they used the two-piece canopy which was more authentic and designed specifically for this Batmobile. Obviously, the old set is simplified, but I think it captures the shaping better than the new set. YMMV. Since they seem to be cranking out more and more media related Batmobiles, I'm hoping there's an Arkham Asylum Batmobile in the works and that they make it every bit as excellent as 2021's Tumbler set (76239). Furthermore, I hope they put every ounce of effort into imbuing it with all of its functions and details. That would make for an extraordinarily fun model to build and play with. I never cared for the Clooneymobile, and honestly, this set isn't selling it to me, either. OTOH, it might make for a good parts set. FWIW, I think the designers did a good capture of the overall look. The car itself was just never to my taste.
  14. M'Kyuun
    I really wish they were purposely emphatic and unambiguous about announcing PO times; it would make life easier for everyone and give members, like me, some validation for purchasing said membership. I don't understand why, as in the past, they don't initiate POs for stuff shown that day, future product notwithstanding, following the stream instead of piecemealing the POs out over multiple days, which not only becomes confusing but also may pose a hindrance if you have plans. I rarely have plans, but it just so happens we're taking my mother-in-law out to lunch tomorrow and I'm hoping we'll be done eating before POs come up. Actually, I'm hoping to be home, as I hate trying to make purchases on my phone- much easier on my desktop. Anyway, huge thanks for the info, Mike. You're awesome.
  15. M'Kyuun
    While it has its flaws, it's still a pretty decent toy and if your preference is to display in battroid, the DX makes for a superior display model over the old skinny-legged, wobbly-hipped Yamato, IMHO. Congrats on the find, on a great price, and on being the owner of an unblemished copy. I hope you enjoy it! 👍
  16. M'Kyuun
    I still have all my Binaltech/Alternator figs. I didn't have a complete collection, but I had the majority of the main characters. Out of all of them, the Mazda RX8, Suburu Impreza, and Ford Mustang molds were, IMHO, the best, the Mazda being my favorite. In spite of liking it, I never did get the Shockwave version, and I do believe I had opportunities to pick it up. I was good with Jazz, so I didn't bother double dipping even though I did double dip on some of the other molds. The vast majority of my collection is packed away and I've not seen them in some time, but I remember their being some impressive toys for all the working features and details in their licensed car modes. The bot modes often suffered, however, from lackluster articulation and generally a fair bit of cumbersome kibble. Still, these things approached then MP levels of engineering and retailed for about $20 (for the all-plastic American Alternators) and about $50 IIRC, for the Japanese Binaltech versions which had a fair bit of die-cast, which gave them a heftier, more premium feel. Ah, the good old days when toys were reasonably priced and widely available, for the most part.
  17. M'Kyuun
    I was just notified that my copy of Mixmaster shipped so by this time next week, I should be able to assemble my first official Devastator. Something to look forward to.
  18. M'Kyuun
    Well, honestly, the pic with the leg bent forward along with the white leg within also bent forward elucidated the 'how' of the thing. My question remains how far can it bend? Can it go full 90 degrees relative to the waist, does the pic indicate the limit of movement, or is it somewhere in between? I'm not getting the figure, but my general curiosity beggars an answer. To that end, if anyone here gets ML Magnus, I hope you'll share your thoughts and perhaps a pic or two showing off the engineering. For my part, I thought this G1 toy a particularly challenging one to imbue with the ML treatment; I remain impressed at the execution and the Takara designers' ingenuity.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Regarding MPG Soundwave, I'm surprised that they're only repainting MP-13. While I still consider it a good take and a good figure, it's a bit dated and a new figure is in order. That said, I continue to use my MP-13 in my display and I bought FT's Soundblaster repaint, mostly for their Ratbat, but the figure itself surprised me with just how excellent it is. I daresay it's the best Soundwave, color and name changes notwithsatanding, in my collection. Perhaps Takara just didn't feel like competing with it and leaned on the nostalgia instead, what with MP-13's heavy G1 toy styling. I love Evangelion, but much like their VF-19 take, way too much is sacrificed to create an unholy amalgamation with Prime such that I'd just rather have non-crossover versions of the VF-19 or Eva Unit 01. I'm sure there's an audience for these crossovers, but I'm not part of it.
  20. M'Kyuun
    I'll say this; the show is entertaining, but it's as much to see where they're going with the story as it is for the extraordinary comedy of errors and obscene buffoonery by, more often than not, trained professionals disregarding said training and paying heavily for their negligence. This show is positively rife with improper actions and poor decisions that are just blatantly made to serve the story. Every time somebody makes a huge oopsy, they should just give a wink or a nod at the camera b/c it's like having sex in an 80s slasher film- it's all a gratuitous precursor to the ensuing chaos and death.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Man, you said it. I'm also working on a mostly white MOC and could use those in white as well. The Countach is an impressive set and I'm still tempted to pick it up, too. I kinda wish they'd done it in red, but I think they wanted it as a counterpoint to the Speed Champions version, which was also white. OR, perhaps, Ferrari took issue with making a Lambo in red. IDK- just spitballing, but some of these car companies can be rather fussy and demanding. I would have preferred it in black, too, over the white.
  22. M'Kyuun
    @Chronocidal, food for thought! I picked this up at our local LEGO Store this weekend after some hmmming and hawing over various options. I believe the last one of these I built was the Mustang, actually, since you mentioned it, and I considered the Countach, as it looked amazing. But I love dark blue and I love the look of the Cobra, so I made an executive decision! No regrets; as usual with these premium car models, there are plenty of interesting techniques, a few new parts which will come in handy for MOCs, and just an overall excellent capture of the real car's details and design, not to mention working steering, opening doors, hood, and trunk. This is a very curvy car, and the new 4x1 complex curved slope piece (7206 left and its analog, 7205 right) really allowed the designer(s) to execute them in an accurate manner. The model is stunning in-hand and I'm glad I chose it over some of the Marvel sets I was considering. The sticker sheet was small with only three or four stickers that weren't difficult to apply. The striped parts are all printed, as well as a 1x1 round tile with the Cobra emblem, and a few generic 1x1 round tiles with the gauge pattern. The build was smooth, as too are the functions of the final model; the doors have a satisfying little 'thoop' to them when they close and the hood/trunk open on double hinges that allow for them to close flushly like buttah. Overall, I give it a solid recommend. BTW, they had the Black Pearl at the LEGO Store and it is a large and impressive beastie to be sure. It's not really my jam, but for those who've hoped for a set of this magnitude, if they can spare the ducats, I'm sure they'll treasure the experience. Arrrr! From what I've read, the Pearl was designed by Mike Psiaki, Senior Designer extraordinaire, who has been responsible for any number of notable sets, especially the Icons Cars and the 10497 Galaxy Explorer. He has demonstrated time and again, a penchant for devising techniques and ingenious solutions to achieving very challenging shapes, functions, and features posed by the subject matter of the sets he works on. He was a brilliant MOC builder before working for LEGO, and we're all the richer for his having joined the company.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Your talent, creativity, and skills are remarkable in the truest sense. I don't know about the other fellas here, but I'd love for more toys and animation that's similar to Macross, in the same vein anyways, but perhaps with a different narrative or justification for the need of variable planes and other vehicles. This is obviously an ambitious and downright impressive feat of design and engineering and I'm glad you've shared it with us here. I very much hope you get your wish and meet Kawamori-san at one of the Fests. He's not getting any younger and if Macross is to continue beyond his lifetime, there'll be a need for a protege who designs in a similar fashion. I'd say this makes for one jawdropping resume if in fact you wanted to pursue that. I've enjoyed seeing and reading your posts on both the process and the progress leading up to the finished product and it's both astounding and inspiring. Thanks and every success to you!
  24. M'Kyuun
    In case anyone else, like me, was wondering, Typho does transform into an Ankylosaur. Compared to the G1 Dinobots, his dino mode is a bit messy and lacks the refinement of the originals, but since the primary intention is for him to form the torso, right arm, and leg skeletons for NA's Dinobots to attach and form Volcanicus, the fact that he can transform at all is a bit of icing on the proverbial cake. I have NA's Dinobots, but I have no real desire to combine them. That said, it's cool that NA is providing that option for those who do. I have the toy deco versions and I wonder if they're going to make up their own toy deco version of Typho. I'd be curious to see what it looks like even if I don't plan to get it.
  25. M'Kyuun
    It looks ok, although I'm not crazy about the plainness or lack of paint apps to replicate the toy's sticker details. And yeah, the cassettes have some notable flaws. I'm feeling the opposite the more I compare the two. I like SS86's proportions, with his meatier arms and overall bulk, as well as the lack of superfluous arm kibble that unfortunately bled over from the terrible Siege Soundwave to his Netflix version. However, I don't care for his thinner feet or their visible hinges; they look better on the Netflix figure, IMHO. Too, as I mentioned above, toon-slavish plainness is not my preferred look; I want details on my robot toys, especially when they're retailing for $60. Finally, they just can't seem to make very good cassettes at this smaller scale. I wish they'd never moved away from the OG real micro-cassette scale, as then they'd have more real estate to work with and they'd all be compatible across CHUG and MP toys. For my money, the OG cassettes, flatness notwithstanding, just did a better job of realizing both cassette and bot modes than these smaller scaled ones. At least the animal modes were better captured. KFC proved, too, with his latest Ramhorn and Steeljaw cassetttes that more realistic, non-flat animal modes that actually look like the animals they're supposed to be is possible. Kudos, too, to FansToys for their Ravage, which IMHO, Ravage being my favorite of the cassette minions, is the best executed version of him in the OG scale right after the one that came with Universe Hound and then the OG. The best Ravage overall goes to MMC, but of course, he's upscaled to a regular cassette which gave them a lot more real estate to work with.
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