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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    I like the original, too. it was one of the few films I got to see in the theatre as a kid, and the look and feel of that film was so ahead of its time. Visually, I think it still holds up. It's obviously not as sophisticated as today's effects, but by virtue of the limitations of computer graphics, it has a very simple but clean look that I still find appealing. The analogous world of the Grid also made for a great setting in which to tell the story of programs going about their daily routines under authoritarian control. Nearly everything about it was unique; it was a gamble in film-making, much like a lot of 80's sci-fi, that continues to resonate. It's sad that, with all the advances in film-making over the past 30-40 years, there just don't seem to be many risk-takers, and little new ground being broken; instead, Hollywood concentrates on recycling old properties over and over, ad nauseum. I'm not a big Jared Leto fan, either. Hire Chris Pratt. Even in a bad film, he's entertaining. OMG, did they want to purposely sabotage the film? After casting Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, Michael Sheen, and Daft Punk, budgetary constraints must've driven them to desperation. Like building a house on shifting sand. If Boxleitner is done with Tron, it's gonna be a tougher sell without the eponymous character making an appearance, unless they do him completely in CG. Even so, I'd want to hear Bruce's voice. Uprising had a great premise which was executed well, and it's a shame that Disney cancelled it before it really had a chance to expand over a few seasons' worth of storytelling. As for continuing on from Legacy, I've no ideas except soft reboot with a whole new cast, with Qorra as the new Tron, or as in Uprising, a another character taking on the mantle. And that's why I'm not a Hollywood writer.
  2. M'Kyuun
    Thanks for the reply, ArchieNov. So, does that mean a hypothetical Tread would have to partsform its connection point for Soldier as well? I've never handled a Tread toy, so the connection mechanics, outside of pics, is unknown to me. I'm not a fan of partsforming, but if Sentinel tackled the Tread with the same level of engineering, it seems to me a step back to have that connection require a non-integrated adapter. When it comes to transformation, I'm of the all or nothing philosophy.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Uprising was better than Legacy, IMHO. It was well written with a talented voice cast, including Bruce Boxleitner as a rather vengeful Tron and Lance Henrikson doing an excellent turn as the evil Tesler. It was definitely a darker show for Disney, along the lines of early Gargoyles. It lived too short a life. Legacy was ok, but didn't overwhelm me. I'm not sure where they'd go with the story. What concerns me is that they seem more concerned about getting Daft Punk involved than any of the principle cast members. DP were apropos for the genre, sure, but honestly aren't the make or break element of a Tron film. Not to me, anyway. I didn't even know who they were until after I'd seen the film and everybody was gushing over their appearance. The dude who played Flynn's son (don't even remember the character's name) made little impression on me, obviously. Qorra, OTOH, stood out; Olivia Wilde just has presence. I wouldn't mind a film built around her character. I think it'd be a good way to expand the universe a bit while paying homage to the first two films.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Will the stand support the Legioss in Soldier mode? The connection in fighter looks solid, but that connection at the VTOL vernier looks dicey to me, at least in pics/vids. To my way of thinking, if you're going to design a Legioss, it follows that you'll at least have a plan for a Tread. With all the bells and whistles they incorporated into this design, they kinda had to figure they had a winner on their hands, and so far most of the feedback that I've read has been positive aside from the common issues of tight shoulders, plastic gear, fiddly hip joints, and wing sections that spontaneously eject. Hopefully, Sentinel will address these and other minor issues for the following releases, and in a year or two, roll out a Tread for Stick's ride, complete with Jim, Jim's jeep, as well as Mint, and Aisha, who can fit in the little compartment with the bomb racks on either side.
  5. M'Kyuun
    Yep, that's what I noticed, too. Sentinel's has more wing area than any other version, and it extends farther back . The collapsible leading edge section and linkage to move the wing forward were great ideas to allow for that longer wing. Funny no one else thought of it before, but I imagine it'll be copied on other Legioss toys down the road. Same here; I only own the Toynami, which was my favorite in terms of aesthetics until the Sentinel version. The Sentinel is superior in every way, IMHO, and I'm eagerly awaiting getting mine. There's nothing really novel in the engineering, as we've seen similar solutions from Arcadia and Bandai in their Macross stuff, but the application of those ideas work great in recreating some of the anime magic that goes on in presenting the most favorable shapes in the various modes in the animation. For whatever reason, no other company has been so ambitious about applying some of the techniques that have come out of Macross toy designs until now, and I'm glad Sentinel went the extra mile, as they've set the bar for Legioss toys going forward. As for nitpicks, the gap between the legs in the top down doesn't bother me as much as the gap just aft of the sensor array plate. They could have just extended that back another few millimeters to cover the hole in the chest, and given all the other neat solutions they employed, that seems like an odd and simply corrected oversight. As warts go, it's not nearly so egregious as the plethora of major malfunctions and material deficiencies that plagued the Toynami. i can forgive it for all that Sentinel got right with this toy. The lack of pins in the aft wings seems like an odd oversight as well, given how easily they tend to want to disembark from their moorings. I ordered mine through TFSource, so my wait will be longer than those who ordered through Japanese sources. My hope is that in that time, Sentinel will act on feedback about some of these easily correctable flaws, and my copy will benefit. Not expecting it, but hoping for it just the same.
  6. M'Kyuun
    Dude, you're awesome. I appreciate the gesture. I've got one PO'd with Sure Thing Toys, as they were the only e-tailer I could find at the time that had it by itself for PO. Pulse was still sold out and hadn't renewed their PO status. The nice thing about Sure Things, who I'd never even heard of until I went searching for someone selling OP, is that there are no shipping fees, so I'm paying the MSRP and tax. Really can't beat that. There's no expected ship date on their site, so I have no idea when it's expected to ship. Guess I'll know when they invoice me. Anyway, if there's a fig you're after, let me know and I'll keep an eye open around here for you. Kindness for a kindness. Yeah, that ship date on Pulse had me thinking about canxing with Sure Things in order to get it quicker, but I decided to stay the course. I'm wondering how much of that ship date was pure hope rather than logistical reality. I wonder the same thing; seems like the ultimate no-brainer cross-over, and it wouldn't cost them a dime for licensing.
  7. M'Kyuun
    I'll have to disagree with you on the ball-jointed hip idea. I think the mechanical joints they employed offer plenty of articulation, certainly more than any other Legioss toy has ever enjoyed. Moreover, I think it'll prove to be more robust over time. Ball joints are nice for their range, but tend to wear and become floppy over time, and sometimes right out of the box. They're fine on a smaller toy, and this is relatively small, but I'm thinking more on the scale of Transformers legends or deluxe scale. I don't recall if this has a knee swivel, but yeah, that would be nice. I don't think it needs a separate thigh swivel, as the entire thigh swivels on the hip joints, offering a comparable range of motion. As for cockpit orientation, I only just recently watched the whole series, and never is it shown or described in any way how the cockpit orients in Soldier mode. How the pilot's are able to see anything is also never shown, as , in Soldier mode, the view is always of the pilot (often recycled footage) from a 3/4 front perspective. From what I can recall, I don't believe they ever give you a pilot's perspective. It would make sense that the pilot's seat rotates into an upright position, a la any number of Macross valks, and I love what Sentinel did with their Legioss, canon or not. Considering the VF-1 predates Mospeada by about two years, there was already a precedent. It's just never explicitly shown in the animation.
  8. M'Kyuun
    I thought it was odd, too, as he's been out for awhile now, and was previously sold at Target. I was unpleasantly surprised when it flagged at the register, but I immediately knew what it meant. I think the cashier girl was newish, as she seemed uncertain and called for a manager, who confirmed that it was in fact a street date and they couldn't sell it. I've been wanting this figure since it first released, this was the first time I've seen it in a store, and I was rather crestfallen that I was this close to getting him and something so arbitrary and nonsensical as a street date on a previously released figure prevented me from finally procuring a copy. Taking a look at that Starscream silhouette, there are some concerning uneven bits under the forward fuselage where it should be smooth. Not the best in a likely $200+ toy that should have better engineering than what's come before. It may just be an artifact of some bad photo manipulation (I hope so), but their track record with jet alt modes is not the best. If those are actually part of the alt, I'll likely skip this release, too. Anymore, third parties are becoming my go-to for MP scaled figs, but I'd like to see them make a decent Seeker. In my mind, Maketoys set a high bar. Heck, Newage and, to a lesser degree, Magic Square are making beautiful nigh MP quality figs at legends scale, so it's really on Takara to step up their game in the MP line. There's a certain expectation, greatly informed by third party, for high end Transformer figs, and the last few releases, as well as their upcoming Arcee, have all sadly underwhelmed. I want this Seeker to be good, but right now, my excitement is tempered by experience.
  9. M'Kyuun
    That's what happened. They had three or four copies of ER prime on the shelf, so I grabbed one. No-go at the register due to street date, so they stuck it under the cashier's little table. I let them know that there were more on the shelf, but while I was waiting to pick up my order, I circled back to the Transformers area several times, and the ER Primes were still there when I left. I was there for close to two hours; finally the fellow coordinating orders said he'd just cancel out my order (The Clones) and I could go back and pluck one off the shelf and checkout normally, which I did. He seemed more incredulous about the wait time than I was, and I appreciate what he did for me. Funny thing, though: there was a "your order is ready to pickup' email in my inbox when I got home, so I need to keep an eye on my account to make sure I'm reimbursed for the online order.
  10. M'Kyuun
    Hey, thanks, man. They also had Earthrise Prime, and I was feeling giddy at the register, figuring I'd just get it now and cancel my online PO. But, I was stymied by the almighty street date- Sept first, for those who don't know. I was crushed- it was in my hand, I could feel the waves of awesome radiating off it. I had the friggin TOUCH! And then the infernal warning popped up on her screen. A manager was called. Confirmation. Joy demolished. This hobby is full of highs and lows. But, at least I got the Clones, so my griping will abate somewhat. Still not a fan of exclusives, or the fact that Target doesn't offer POs for these guys and the Seekers. But I'll be checking more often now that I know these are just kinda randomly restocked throughout the day. They had a placeholder for the Seekers, but the kind lady who was restocking toys at that moment most kindly checked to see if they had any, as well the the other Targets in my area, to the tune of negative on all fronts. The search goes on. Best of luck to you, Technoblue, and the rest of my fellow MWers.
  11. M'Kyuun
    Finally got the Decepticon Clones at my local Target.! They didn't have the Seekers, unfortunately, but they had about five copies of the Clones. Glad I checked the DPCI around noon- didn't expect there to be any, but was pleasantly surprised. It said they had three in stock, so I immediately ordered it, and promptly headed over to pick it up. I just got home, and haven't even opened them yet, but I just wanted to put it out there to keep checking the DPCIs, as you might get lucky. Ok, back to thoughts on MP Starscream 3.0.
  12. M'Kyuun
    If it turns out well, I'll be in for Screamer and TC. I have Maketoys' Skycrow (Skywarp), and it's doing a fine job filling the role. I hope it turns out great. Aesthetically, I already know it's gonna be smooth as a baby's bottom, per the Sunbow look, but I hope the engineering is A-game level. I'm cautiously excited for this. Not looking forward to the price though.
  13. M'Kyuun
    Thanks for the encouragement, Mike. Ironically, I managed to get Siege Ratchet at one of the many Walgreens dotted about the Spokane area. Admittedly, I don't go out much, so I haven't been canvasing Targets like I should if I really want the thing, relying instead on the notification system, which hasn't been promising, since they sell out within minutes of being posted. There are three Targets in Spokane, and all of them show out of stock 99% of the time I check. Back when Covid restrictions were at their peak, Target was only allowing so many people into the store, and there was a queue of about twenty people waiting, which hadn't budged within the 15 minutes or so I hung around. The weather was chilly, and I didn't bring a coat, as I wasn't expecting an outdoor wait, so I just went home. As it's about a 16 mile journey to the closest Target, it's not one I like to make for nothing. Fortunately, there's a really good fried chicken place across the parking lot from that Target, so I assuage my empty-handed sorrow in some artery clogging deliciousness. Anyway, I've visited a different Target, as well, and it also yielded zero results, no endcap to be seen. Fortunately, that Target has an Olive Garden across the parking lot, in which I seek succor from my disenchantment. This hobby's gonna be the death of me; first it breaks my heart, then fills the gaps with butter and grease. Yum.
  14. M'Kyuun
    I would take that YF-21 as-is, as I was never too plussed about the Yamato with it's disparate proportions in battroid. The Bandai is far better balanced, and I can excuse the little bit of belly bulge in fighter, as it's still pretty sleek, while doing a good job of hiding far better proportioned legs. Anyway, definitely anxious for news on this guy. Been waiting a long time for a 'definitive' YF-21, and I think this'll do the job, for my tastes, anyway. I'm a battroid guy, so I want a good looking well-proportioned B-mode.
  15. M'Kyuun
    I'm glad they used the ER Sideswipe mold instead of of one of the lackluster CW molds. Like everyone else, I question the use of a clear windscreen when it's completely obscured by structure underneath. Like Sideswipe and Red Alert, a dark tint would serve to help the aesthetics a lot. This really begs for a nice painted silver finish, but I have a feeling, in usual Hasbro style, they're going to go the cheapest route possible and mold it in some flat silver plastic that doesn't do it any favors. I'm pleasantly surprised that they gave it working gull wing doors (a step in the right direction towards remolding this into Omnibot Downshift!), and equally so with the folding wheels. They didn't have to do either, so I appreciate the extra effort. Even if there's no appreciable interior, the gull wing doors are iconic to the Delorean, and it's nice to see them included in the design. I'm hoping to snag a copy once it goes PO on Pulse. So, July's finally here. It's the month that any number of figs are supposed to release/rerelease (really excited to get ER Prime), but I'm wondering if the resurgence in Covid is going to further delay these releases. I know I've been saving a lot of money over the past couple of months, as my usual money pit, LEGO, hasn't really enthralled me with the first half of 2020 releases, although there are a number of sets due in August that are looking more promising. On the TF and other toy front, the vast majority is in PO status, and like many, I'm playing the waiting game, watching my email for payment/shipping notices that never seem to come. I've been looking longingly at the Sentinel Legioss that just released, and which I have PO'd with TFSource, but probably won't get until next month. I keep checking my local Targets for the Seeker two-pack, but the refrain is always the same: sold out. At the very least, I wish you could order/PO it through Target instead of this store pickup only option. It's a situation that greatly benefits scalpers over fans who just want a copy for themselves, and it's deeply frustrating. I fear it'll be the same when they release the Wingspan/Pounce Clone set, which I also want, as I missed out on all the clone releases back during the TR timeframe. I'm happy to see them rereleased, but it's bittersweet given the exclusivity.
  16. M'Kyuun
    Watching Mospeada for the first time. I finished Ep 11 last night, and will likely watch a few eps today. Very much a product of the 80's, and I'm enjoying it for what it is. I'm probably one of the few Americans who didn't see Robotech growing up, and when I did make an effort to watch it back in '03 or so (I was TDY in England, and I rented it from the BX), I quit watching after a couple eps of Southern Cross, another anime I've never seen. I remember feeling a bit disappointed in the flying bricks they rode around on after watching the Macross portion of RT. Seemed like a serious step down in the mechanical design department, and I just couldn't watch anymore. Had they tacked on Mospeada right after Macross, I probably would have kept watching, if only to see the Legioss in action.
  17. M'Kyuun
    That AC-130 is an impressive build, but a little too exorbitant for my wallet. That DS9 is also very impressive. I wonder if he has a steel frame in there to support the weight, as LEGO itself tends to buckle. Anyway, kudos to the builder. Those curves are difficult to pull off, and he did it very smoothly. Looks great.
  18. M'Kyuun
    I have little use for most of that stuff, but Roller is a nice addition. Then again, he should have come with Prime from the get-go. I've already paid for a blue kit from Nonnef when I finally get my ER Prime. And why not if it's a good and relatively simple solution that improves a figure? I wonder if there were attempts made to make a transformation work and they just couldn't get it, or if they just said 'F-it' from the beginning. My money's on the latter. At least the figure, if promos are any indication, looks nice. I'm not as forgiving, as we've seen any number of deluxe figures from Titans Return, PotP, and Siege that had really sound engineering and clever transformations, not to mention some of the amazing plastic origami they've done over the last decade or so with the Movieverse toys, Prime, and Animated. I don't doubt Takara's ability to make a decent transforming figure, but I question their willingness to try when the transformation is a bit challenging. That said, MMC have already solved the difficult part for them. I also wonder how much of Hasbro's input has affected the WFC lines; two very different philosophies towards toy design at play, and I could see Hasbro going the shellformer route as opposed to going over budget to give her an actual transformation. I've got ER Arcee PO'd as well, but I doubt she'll supplant T30 Arcee in my collection. The transformation means more to me than a nicer looking Arcee action figure. I also have a secret hope that a third party will come up with a better solution towards giving her a more involved transformation.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Tried watching their vid, but after mispronouncing Legioss, Mospeada, and Gakken, and then not knowing what intakes are called, I kinda lost patience. To my thinking, if you're going to put yourself out there and do a review, at least do your homework. The one takeaway I got from the vid before I quit watching was the one fellow talking about breaking the moving hip joint lock on his. It's the first I've heard of anyone breaking it, so when I finally get mine, I'll be more careful with that part of the transformation.
  20. M'Kyuun
    I concede that the proportions of ER Arcee are better, but at the cost of her transformation. The T30's legs formed her back fenders and part of the sides of her car mode, while her chest formed the center front of the car. The concession for her transformation is a set of linkages to allow her thighs to spread out, and unfortunately it gives her 'birthing hips'. But at least she can transform. If you misplace the the 2/3 car shell from ER Arcee, then only the front portion of her car mode, of which it appears that none of her bot mode is involved, will be possible. She's 1/3 shellformer, and 2/3 partsformer. As someone on Reddit posted, I don't know why they didn't take a cue from MMC's design philosophy, collapsing the rear fender shells over the front to form her pods. Azalea is about as close to perfect as you're going to get in a transforming Arcee, IMHO. ER Arcee is essentially a nice action figure with a convertible hoody and a snap on car shell. In my eyes, a serious step backwards in a toyline where the transformation gimmick is at the forefront of its existence and its namesake.
  21. M'Kyuun
    I'm about 5 eps into the original right now, and they definitely use a gas combustion engine sound effect for the Ride Armors, although I agree with Squidd's assessment that an electric motor sound effect would have been more apropos, especially since the engine sound is replaced with other sound effects when being worn. If a gas engine provides power, it should sound like it regardless of mode. But yeah, science fiction. Thus far, they haven't really explained the nature of HBT, so I don't know what sort of power source it is- liquid fuel? solid fuel? chemical reagents? nuclear? batteries? It's a Mcguffin thus far, and the center of Ep 5's plot, coincidentally. They use it for both Legioss and Ride Armor, as they show them installing it. Despite there being a dearth of electric motorcycles in the 80's, as battery tech was still pretty inefficient, I don't think that would have played any part in depicting a sci-fi bike. They could have used any sound effect they liked for the motorcycle mode, and I think they chose a gas motor sound purposely just for sheer cool factor. The Japanese love their motorcycles, and an electronic sound probably didn't resonate as well as the good ole revving of a gas engine. For those without Prime, you can watch it at thewatchcartoononline.tv Lots of stuff on there, including a lot of 80's cartoons and a ton of anime, and it's relatively up to date, although they're a bit behind on the new GitS 2045. Netflix prob C&Ded them.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Amidst all the Legioss talk, I thought I'd give Mospeada a watch, having never seen it, either in its original form or its RT bastardization. I'm about 5 eps in, and it's pure 80's fun. Super cheesy music (Motorcycle Freak made me LOL) The Inbit fire a lot, but never hit what they're aiming for (must've gone to Stormtrooper Academy), most of the time, Stig is more effectual in the Ride Armor than in the Legioss when engaging the enemy, the usual male-female tropes are in play, and I think it's funny how they're in North America, but everyone speaks Japanese. It's certainly a bit of a guilty pleasure, but I'm enjoying it for what it is. I've got a bit of a wait for my Legioss, having ordered it through TFSource, which makes me wonder if that might give Sentinel time to address some of the issues that've been arising among the already released toys. I doubt it, but it'd be nice. TBH, I'd be happy to wait for fixes.
  23. M'Kyuun
    It vexes me still when I see good engineering applied to any number of figs in Earthrise, and then the absolute lack of effort applied to Arcee, who should have been an upgrade to the Generations figure. Even Cyberverse Arcee appears to have an integrated transformation, and that line is generally less complex than the mainline. I know opinions differ on the question of parts-forming, but in my mind, a huge part of the evolution of the mainline is eschewing it totally; to resort to it is a step backwards, and stands in contrast to the point of these toys, with a few acceptable concessions (interchangeable fixed pose hands, interchangeable faces, removable weapons/accessories). But in all cases, IMHO, the entirety of the core bot should be able to transition to alt mode without removing anything. Honestly, if I had my druthers, part of the engineering evolution to the mainline would be total integration of the weapons, or at minimum, internal storage in alt mode. I hate pegging a giant gun or missile launcher on top or on the side of a realistic looking vehicle mode. It's tacky, and with 30+ years to improve engineering, should be another of those anachronisms that plagued older toys, and that we look upon with good-humored disdain. Alas, it doesn't seem like the weapon storage situation is improving anytime soon, and if anything, the tendency towards reverting to parts-forming when they can't be bothered to work out a proper transformation mechanic is, I fear, becoming a norm. Now that that's off my chest, I kinda dig Cyberverse Arcee- she even appears to have ankle tilts. Thunderhowl is interesting, too. A bit simple, but that's par for Cyberverse.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Nope, except the whale, which comes with a mini-Jojo (gorilla). It's a bummer that they don't make pilot figs. I guess the Diaclone figs fit in some of them (the crab comes to mind, and possibly the Landbreaker ). I thought about getting a pack, but those things are ridiculously overpriced for what you get. So, my BeastBox/MegaBox figs will remain sentient until a cheaper pilot alternative comes along. I wish 52Toys would make pilot figs for the BB/MB figs that accommodate them, as well as a Ripley fig for their Powerloader, but thus far they've shown no inclination towards doing so.
  25. M'Kyuun
    I recently discovered this line, and subsequently bought a number of them, including the Alien Queen and the Alien. Out of the line, the Alien Queen is the most complex, having a more involved transformation, a lot of detail and moving parts, and pretty good overall articulation. Definitely a fun little representation. I've got the Powerloader, which sadly doesn't come with a Ripley fig to operate it, and the Landbreaker PO'd. There's a pretty good thread on TFW2005 for these. Scroll down to see some proto pics. I'm down for all of them, but those mantids are especially awesome.
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