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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    An article I just read says she suffered from depression, as well as bipolar disorder, which, untreated, can be a difficult condition to live with, both for the sufferer and those around them. The article also mentioned that she had attempted to take her life once before by purposely ODing. I just read it, but I don't recall the source of that article. Apologies. Associated press reports that her death was not suspicious per police; however, an official cause is yet to be determined. A source close to Ms. O'Riordan says she sounded happy and anticipated a visit with himself and his wife later in the week during a phone call with her. Alas, what took her remains to be seen. It's a sad loss regardless.
  2. M'Kyuun
    Sad indeed. She was my age- always sad to lose people so young, but loss of singers and actors, who touch a global audience with their talent always carries a certain shared sense of loss. I'll always appreciate 'Dreams' as one of her finest songs- it still resonates. RIP, Delores.
  3. M'Kyuun
    I don't; I love them. That said, I've never handled any of Giga's, but I'm not opposed to them either. Options are good. And, I think Giga's versions are pretty nice looking G1 Dinos- there were just things about FT's that I liked a little more. It's purely subjective. Anyway, for those who chose Giga, great! I hope you love them, and that they fulfill your wishes for MP styled Dinobots. It's a great time to be a TF collector.
  4. M'Kyuun
    I've been seeing quite a few TLK Megatrons, too. Voyager class. No interest. But the Generations pegs are usually empty or have a few of the TR wave 5 figs. Oh, and Wally has one of those huge center aisle multi-compartment displays with all manner of small toys, including the PotP legends class figs, for which I'm thankful, as I was able to get Windcharger, Beachcomber, and Slash much sooner than I thought I would. I've since seen them at other stores on pegs, too, so at least they're seeing some distribution. Still, none of the stores I go to are clogged with PotP figs. At Target last night, they had one Swoop, two Dreadwings, one Grimlock, two Starscreams, and one each of Rodimus and OP. So, my timing was just right, or I'd have likely missed them. Having transformed Rodimus into his various forms, I wish they'd taken a little more time with his design. The fact that his arms need to be removed and stowed is kinda backwards from what we've come to expect in modern TF design. Moreover, using Hot Rod's shins to form the upper part of Rodimus' arms limits the articulation capable. He does have presence, though, just being that large, and can still manage a decent pose despite the limited shoulder/upper arm limitation. Unfortunately, Hot Rod also suffers from limited poseability in his arms due to how close they are to his body and by the substantial amount of back kibble he sports. In a leader class toy costing $45, it underwhelms. I haven't transformed OP yet (just unboxed him this morning, and managed to insert his matrix). Poseability is great with this guy, except his head which can only turn, but can't look up and down. A ball joint would have worked great here, but whatever. Despite the grey panels everywhere, he's still undoubtedly Optimus, and at $45, a great alternative for folks who can't afford MP-10. So, just removed Orion Pax and gave him a once over- excellent poseability in this figure, with a ball jointed head. He can even kneel or do an Iron Man pose. Seeing this guy and what they accomplished with the final figures, it makes me wonder how Takara went so right with OP and so wrong with Rodimus/Hot Rod. Ok, so having fully transformed both figs, it seems the primary focus with OP was his two bot modes, and with HR/Rodimus, his Winnebago mode. Just the impression I get having handled them for a short period. they did a decent job of panel-forming his OP body suit into a reasonable facsimile of his G1 trailer- far better than Orion's cab transformation. With a little more engineering, they probably could have shaped his arms to better form the back of his cab to make it all seamless. My takeaway is that both figs look nice for display, but OP is by far the superior toy. Both have flaws galore, but OP received the greater love, and Rodimus the greater degree of half measures.
  5. M'Kyuun
    First time seeing anything about Bayverse MP Ironhide. His was one of the few designs I liked, mostly b/c of that split hood that sells it as a Transformer more than most of the other designs. I like the chunky proportions, but there's something up with those front wheels that doesn't look right. I still have my old voyager from 2007, and I like that. The leader class they did a year or two later was pretty well done, too (didn't get it, but I took a look at it at Wally, and watched the obligatory reviews). I agree with the above statement that this looks a step backwards, esp with all his toes hanging out under the back bumper. Not looking too masterpiece-y to me. Struck the Transformer lottery tonight at Target, where they had almost all of the PotP figures. I know I criticized Rodimus and OP, but in my hands, the need to have them overcame any reservations. I also got Swoop and Grimlock, both must-buys. I vacillated on Dreadwing, but left him on the peg- pretty much a CW jet in funky colors. They also had Starscream, but even in hand, it just didn't really appeal- man he's got a small head given the chunkiness of the rest of him. They didn't have Slug, but as luck would have it, I ordered him and Grotusque through TRU a couple days ago, and should have them next week. I initially balked at paying $25 for a deluxe, but I have the original Grotusque and my nostalgia runneth over. They did a really good job on him, and we'll probably never see another official G1 version of him again, so I bit. Thanks to my wife and her odd mid-week craving for Olive Garden, which sits across the parking lot from Target, I was able to snag the toys I didn't think I'd manage to get for another three or four months (b/c TF distribution here in Spokane is sparse at best). Enough typing- got some transforming to do!
  6. M'Kyuun
    Yep; whoever thought a flying shoebox was a great design was sadly mistaken. All the toy companies and replica makers must have been like 'WTF' when Lucasfilms gave them early concepts to work from. Hell, they didn't even let LEGO know that Kylo Ren's ship, one of the better designs IMHO, could splay its wings in flight. But yeah, for a franchise known for cool ships, the last two Episode films were pretty lackluster. I like the U-Wing from Rogue One, though- neat ship, and it was a pretty nice set to boot. As for Tracker I, I got a TIE Defender vibe from it. The Tracker's cooler though, IMHO. The other ship LEGO created for the Freemaker series, The Arrowhead, is pretty sweet, too. I have yet to build it, but I love it on looks alone. Again, it's a far cooler design than most of what we've seen in the last two Episodes. That's a sad statement.
  7. M'Kyuun
    The Sunday over New Year's weekend, I saw four or five copies of the Saturn V at TRU. I was pleasantly surprised to see them, actually, although my TRU is pretty good about keeping Ideas sets in stock. Another place to check is Barnes and Noble; that's where I got mine months ago, with a nice member's discount no less. I must agree with Master Chen on his assessment; it's one of the most rewarding sets I've built, and I've built literally thousands of sets. If I may impart a slight detour; I just built the Tracker I set, which is a custom ship made by LEGO for its Freemaker Star Wars cartoon, and it shames just about every ship design in Force Awakens. It has a triangular cockpit which makes for a really neat build- one of the more notably enjoyable spaceship sets I've built. Sorry to derail. I think I'm gonna wait out the UCS Falcon until another double VIP point window, and hope I can get my order in before they sell out again. Fortunately, I have over $200 in VIP points that I've been saving to soften the blow, and I'll likely pad that a bit more between now and the next double point window. As for where to put it- I'm out of room to display small sets, let alone that monstrosity. So, time is good, as it'll give me time to come up with a solution.
  8. M'Kyuun
    If UFO Robo had been part of Revenge of Cronos, you may have gotten your wish, or at least a decent update anyway. Action Toys have been very slow to pump out their MR figures; it's been about a year since their proto for Turbo was shown, and has yet to show up for POs. As for Pathfinder's overall look, I think I still prefer the more 50's UFO look of Cosmos. Pathfinder (UFO Robo) looks more to me like a Buck Rogers or 70's Battlestar Galactica design- not a bad thing at all, but the classic UFO just appeals more to me. Anyway, if you have any building skills, Pathfinder could be realized fairly well with LEGO; it's not what you want, I know, but it's an alternate avenue.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Sweet pic. Man, it'd be nice to have a figure of that detail that does transform. Really makes me want to peek into the future maybe a decade or two and see where toy tech is compared to today, b/c unless there are new revolutionary materials brought to bear to allow extreme bending, twisting, folding, etc I can't imagine how it can really get much better than the engineering we see now. But, I'd still love to see an evolution akin to the 80's-to-present twenty years on.
  10. M'Kyuun
    IMHO, keeping the Japanese releases in line with Hasbro is a lowering of quality, for the most part. There are some figures where I prefer the Hasbro, but when you consider the addition of an entirely new figure, such as Blast-off or a deluxe sized Groove, or remolded arms and completely different articulated feet for Ginrai (PMP), or articulation for the Constructicons whose Hasbro counterparts were pretty limited, then quality goes beyond mere cosmetics. If decisions like these are stymied, then all collectors suffer, since a better official option is off the table. I think it's shrewd and slimy to tell the company who ultimately designs and produces your product that they can't make a superior version for their own market, as it both shines a light on their inferior product and woos a lot of Western collectors away from buying domestic. Instead of the Hasbro version, why not go for the Japanese versions instead? I know- money. I read years ago the difference between American marketing and Japanese is that America sets a price-point and keeps development within that box, regardless of end quality, and the Japanese develop the best product, within reason, and then settle on a price-point. I believe it. Alas, short of the new Dinos, not much of PotP is really appealing to me thus far. I wanted to like the Leader OP and Rodimus, but having watched reviews for both, I'm not really too crazy about either. I love what they were going for, but execution could have been better. Ah well, I'm sure they'll try it again someday, hopefully with better designs. Shrug.
  11. M'Kyuun
    Nice Valkyrie, len_d96. It's already been tried in Ideas, but didn't pass, most likely due to Macross licensing issues, esp here in North America where Harmony Gold still holds sway. Wait until 2021- things might be different then. Fingers crossed. len_d96, any insider word on a probable release date for Voltron? Looking forward to getting a copy, or two.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Lovely pic. Def digging Drift over that Prime (something about those tires on his hips bugs me, even though it's G1 toy accurate). As for PotP figures, from what I've read on TFW2005, it sounds like the toys are going to be the same without changes for the two markets. Not sure why. I'm sure that's got a lot of folks bummed. I've bought some Takara versions myself, when either paint jobs or mold differences appealed over the Hasbro version, so I can understand the thinking. I guess we'll see how well that goes as we chug along into 2018. Change of topic; I ordered MP-39 Sunstreaker through Anime Export, and have yet to receive any notification for shipping due. Curious if anyone else here used them and whether they've received any word from them. I do know that they just came off of a New Year's holiday, so they've only just been reopened for business since yesterday, but seeing all the reviews and pics being posted, I want my Sunstreaker, dammit! Any word one way or the other is appreciated (misery loves company, as they say). Thanks.
  13. M'Kyuun
    "Indeed. Very pleasing to my optic sensors" - Optimus Prime Really, a beautiful figure. Lovely photography, as always, Kuma. I'm guessing this is an newer iteration of Drift, as Classics Drift had a different look in bot mode and a completely different car mode (I looked at MMC's transformable version for comparison- nice toy, too, BTW). As JBO mentioned, and I agree, this version's bot mode doesn't really scream 'Transformer" as much as many other TF's, which boast their Earth vehicle parts rather obviously in their bot modes. This figure could be put in a lineup with Full Metal Panic, or some other similar mecha and fit right in. Nice design- I like it quite a bit.
  14. M'Kyuun
    Still love the figure. name's cool, too. Great photo, Tekering. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully I'll live long enough to see that entire lineup, with maybe the exception of Skyfire, as official figures. However, at the pace Takara's releasing them, probably not. For reference, I'm 46.
  15. M'Kyuun
    To that end, it's understandable why the transformation aspect isn't as important as the overall look, and articulation by extension, of the figure are important to you. Certainly, from a photography standpoint, the old 80's toys had to be a bit of a challenge to photograph while trying to impart any sense of dynamism, hence the more dynamic boxart. It worked; I bought Prowl, my first TF, despite the pics on the box of the actual toy, hoping that it could achieve a little of that look. Of course, he was a brick from the waist down, like the majority. Anyway, judging from your Drift pics, eschewing the tell-tale mechanics necessary to effect transformation has allowed for a stunning looking bot. Def getting a Chogokin vibe. Love those shoulders. For me, Transformers have always been about the transformation gimmick, although from the start, I always wanted and expected better articulation from the robot modes. Beast Wars was my first experience with decent articulation, and when Classics, TF:A, and the Bayformers came along, along with MP, I felt my vision for what TFs should be had come to pass. Now with articulation having become almost as important as the transformation itself in most TF toys, at least Generations and up, I'm glad my interest in transforming toys never waned, or I'd have missed out on a lot of really cool figures. Despite my bias, I have to say that some of the non-transforming statues and figures are brilliant objets d'art.
  16. M'Kyuun
    "Peg" still makes me smile. I agree with Mike, JBO, and Valkyrie Hunter- it's an old running joke here, and no offense was meant by calling him that in reference to your Drift review. Take it with a grain of salt; I still think of Drift as Peg- it's just something that stuck in the grey matter and won't go away. That said, I passed on the Classics Drift version of the toy in lieu of the Blurr recolor, as I usually just buy one version of a mold unless I really like it or there's enough difference between the toys to justify it. I have no formal connection to Drift, as I don't read the comics. That said, Kuma's pics of Drift look amazing; I dig the look of the character. It's a shame that figure doesn't transform, but I get that his bot mode is the focus. He looks good.
  17. M'Kyuun
    +1 Sweet photo, Kuma. That'd make for a beautiful box art shot. Hope the FH guys are paying attention. Nice little review for Sunsurge, Mike. I hadn't really noticed just how toy accurate BC's version was, as opposed to Spinout's more realistic Countach. Though I've not handled either third party version, having seen vids and pics, there are things about both that stand out, both good and bad. MP-39 bridges the alt mode dilemma, but pays for that feature with a significant backpack. As you said, it's good to have options.
  18. M'Kyuun
    I can respect that; I thought BC's Sunsurge and Omnigonix's Spinout, which I personally favor for its lack of cheating with the windshield and overall aesthetic, were both well done versions of the character. Spinout has issues, from what I've read, but again, from an aesthetics POV, I still like it better. That said, for reasons I can't understand myself, I typically favor official products, flaws and all. The general impression I've gotten from the pics and review I watched (not Chosen Prime's, but I might look at his, too) of Takara's version is that it's a good figure employing some neat engineering, and overall pays respectable homage to G1 Sunstreaker, combining elements of both toon and toy, more toon of course. Butt flaps and backpacks have become commonplace with a number of TF toys, both official and third party, and unless they are so disproportionately large or encumbering to the rest of the figure, I'm generally not bothered by them. Mileage varies, of course, and I don't fault anyone for not liking either of these things. Thank goodness for options. As for me, I'm still anxious for MP Sunstreaker.
  19. M'Kyuun
    I've been watching my email like a hawk in anticipation of Anime Export's MP Sunstreaker shipping notification. I've watched a couple of the vids out there, and he looks like a pretty interesting figure. The articulation is really impressive. (Really glad to see Takara honoring their stated desire to imbue these guys with increased ranges of articulation). The most obvious concession is his backpack, which is rather substantial on an otherwise svelte bot, but, honestly, it doesn't bother me, esp after seeing how much stuff is crammed in there, and how compact and well secured it is. He does have a small yet unobtrusive butt flap ( the center part of his car hood), which will likely earn some ire- again, doesn't bother me. His chest is a bit of a cheat, and though I'm usually not a fan of cheats, I can't argue with the look of the final bot. The full windshield wouldn't have served the aesthetics, and he would have looked like he was chugging a little too much motor oil, a la TFA's Constructicons. I appreciate that Takara put in the extra effort to give the car both its realistic look and also the ability to give it the G1 toy look, as far as the chromed engine intakes and the rear light area. They didn't have to, but they did, and that's pretty cool. Sunstreaker has never really been on my radar as a character so much, but everything about this figure is interesting to me as a fan of transformable mecha- it just looks like a fun figure to pose and explore with all of the features and functions built in. The evolution in design over the last five years is remarkably apparent when seeing him next to MP Sideswipe, the first MP car-bot for those who don't know. Anyway, I'm getting excited to get this figure, and just wanted to share it. Looking forward to hearing others' impressions once these start shipping.
  20. M'Kyuun
    I think they did a good job with Slash, too. I picked up Windcharger and Beachcomber at the same time, and was surprised at the size difference between the latter two and Slash. Slash is tiny. If they'd upscaled her slightly, they could have possibly improved her transformation to remove the large gap between her legs and chest in deino mode. (I'm feelin' ya, JBO). Alas, still a fun new addition to the Dino team, and despite being a femme-bot, she's not overtly designed to be humanly curvaceous. In fact, if they didn't tell me she was a she, I wouldn't have known. While I like all the G1 homages in the Prime Trilogy toy line, I like surprises like Slash to keep things fresh, somewhat. Hope they continue.
  21. M'Kyuun
    No denying MMC's cassettes are pricey, esp for their size, but I've always had a fascination with the cassettes, and these things are little engineering marvels. I hope they make them all in this scale.
  22. M'Kyuun
    The packaging is great- very apropos with just the right bit of nostalgia with that liner. Jaguar for me was, like MP Prowl, a dream toy. Ravage was always my favorite cassette bot, but the MP version left me feeling disappointed, especially after the condors were as nigh perfect as you can get at that size. Jaguar filled that void very well, and scale notwithstanding, he's pretty much the Ravage toy I've always wanted. For Ravage fans, he's a hard recommend from me; however, if you're rigidly of the mind that scale is very important, then he's likely not going to suit your sensibilities. Add to that, as Mike mentioned, he's a little pricey for the size. I've got MMC's Condor cassettes on PO, as well as their Rumble ( the blue one). I could live without the powered pile drivers, but I guess it's cool that they made that a feature. Like the MP Rumble and Frenzy, I'll probably install them once and then back in the box for eternity.
  23. M'Kyuun
    I saw it with my wife this morning, and really enjoyed it.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Nice how the core Optimus tidies up with the trailer panels to make that backpack. Clean and efficient. That core OP by itself makes me happy- love those feet with the vents. Pretty sweet figure. I wish Takara's had been more in line with this.
  25. M'Kyuun
    Obari's not a name I was familiar with; 'preciate the enlightenment. A general Google search of Obari-san's work really didn't bring up any good examples of the pose in question, but no matter. The influence is quite notable among numerous Japanese figure displays, so I gather it's been around for some time. Moreover, far be it from me to complain about any sort of articulation after growing up with 80's articulation, or lack thereof more often than not. Anyways, thanks for the info-knowing is half the battle.
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