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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    Although I've never seen Mospeada in its original form or its Robotech makeover, I've had a serious soft spot for the Legioss design since picking up the old Monogram Leader-1 model set back in the 80's. It was the first robot model I ever owned, and it just blew me away with all the detail and its exceptional articulation. Bear in mind, all I had to compare it to was Transformers, a few Gobots, and any number of other Japanese transforming toys that were ubiquitous in the 80's, most of which without articulation below the shoulders. I thought the thing was rad- loved it. It suffered twin tragedies, first in the form of one of the leg mount pegs snapping off, and then at the mercy of my dog's jaws. I still don't know how she got it, but she left some nasty bite marks in the nose. But the cool factor of it never left me. Fast forward to the Toynami MP Legioss release- like Jenius says, it's a lovely looking toy, and I bought the blue one (my fave color scheme). It's still on my desk, but after the crumblage of the hands, and something crumbling in the leg slider, I just leave it forever in soldier mode on my desk. I still think it presents very well; I just try not to touch it for fear of more degradation. I've kept my eye on other releases over the years, but none of them captured the aesthetic that Toynami did with the MP; IMHO, until the Sentinel, it's been the best looking Legioss toy, which makes its plethora of quality issues all the more dismaying. Judging by the promos, Sentinel have really taken the design leaps and bounds beyond any other toy version that I'm aware of, while nailing the aesthetic. I was never aware that the cockpit slid into the robot's chest. It makes much more sense than having the pilot facing the ground. It's nice to finally have a Legioss capable of taking an 'A' stance, and having the missiles in the arm and leg bays fully visible and clear of the doors. Even the shoulder cannon extends. If paint and tampo match the promos, this is going to be a gorgeous toy. I'm excited. Here's hoping for a well-designed and engineered toy made of quality materials that'll stand up to time and handling.
  2. M'Kyuun
    For Mr. O'Neil's work on comics, especially Batman and Transformers, most notably creating what is probably one of the most heroic names in pop culture, Optimus Prime, I am extremely grateful for his contributions to the lore of both, and saddened by his passing. He leaves one heck of a legacy. RIP, good sir, and thank you.
  3. M'Kyuun
    You really know how to suck the joy out new toy speculation. For the love of all that's good and right in the universe, I hope not. Hopefully it's a new dedicated mold that's more in line with the Seeker than just about every other bot-under-a-plane Transformer jet. Official pics are up on TFW2005 for Snapdragon, and he's looking downright excellent. Along with Earthrise Prime, he's one of my most anticipated figures for 2020, and there are a lot of good figs coming out this year. Definitely a good year to be a 'GeeWunner'. With all the other obscure bots they've made between Titans Return to the present, I'm a bit dismayed that as of yet there haven't been any Omnibot updates. With the uptick in quality for the WFC lines, I'd love to have updates of those guys (I still have my Downshift- a bit yellowed and very loose, but still cool).
  4. M'Kyuun
    Hey, I'll second on that. I kinda dig those designs; the movie was utter tripe, though. Except the waterfall scene. With the leaks this week, and speculation, it's sounding more and more plausible that the Studio Series is going to incorporate the '86 Movie as well. I'm down with that; I just hope they're not released as elusive exclusives that make them all but impossible to find, only to show up on Ebay at exorbitant prices. I'm already worried about my chances of finding the Decepticon Clones and Seeker two-pack at Target. The Decepticon Clones are already showing up on Ebay for $50 and up.
  5. M'Kyuun
    I like my XTB Eligos, although he's a bit on the chunky side, and the transformation is a PITA. But, I think it has presence, and I like how it looks in both modes; it's unmistakably Cyclonus. The FT version isn't too bad either, although I prefer the chest sculpt of Eligos to the plainer FT version. I never picked up the FT toy, and I kinda regret it sometimes. Years ago, I thought about picking up one of the Jizai-based Cyclonus figs. There were a couple third parties, KFC among them, selling versions of it, and I remember thinking, at the time, what a good design it was, along with his excellent Powerglide. Then again, the Jizai Cyclonus was pretty much the first G1 updated toy, and it was homemade, so much leeway and kudos for making it as good as it was. The universe figure was cool, but not the G1 update I was hoping for. It's still a fun figure, but I've been wanting that G1 accurate toy for a long time, and it's looking like we might finally be getting it. One thing I notice about the G1 jet mode that nobody, including this Earthrise reveal, does is the double taper of the jet's nose. Viewed from above, it's shaped like a subtle elongated diamond with the outer points smoothed to a lovely curve. It really is a beautiful, graceful design, and nobody's done it since the original toy. Such a shame, as it imparts a cool look to it, like a flying dagger. Apropos for Cyclonus. I looked at Magic Square's; robot mode looks great, but the jet mode lacks that smooth blended-fuselage look that makes the G1 toy so appealing. I hope New Age takes a crack at it, too. I have their Seekers, Megatron, Prowl, and Cosmos, and I think they're all really well done. If they can get closer to the smooth lines of the G1 jet mode and still make a good bot mode, I'm all in for a copy.
  6. M'Kyuun
    Indeed. When I first looked at it, I thought it kinda looked Cyberverse-y, but upon second glance, I realized that the thighs are still retracted into the lower legs, giving it that stubby look. Being unpainted also gives that less sophisticated appearance that I generally associate with Cyberverse. Anyway, looking past that, and imagining it with paint and full legs, this is looking very promising. Hopefully, with the apparent leak of these pics, official ones will come soon and we'll see how the final product is intended to look. Just looking at the silhouette of the jet mode, it's capturing the angles of the wings closer to the G1 model than just about any other version I've seen. The G1 toy's bot mode was utter crap, but that jet mode. Chorus of angels in the background. And I normally loathe Cybertronian alts, but I dunno, Cyclonus' jet mode speaks to me. I'm pretty excited for this figure. I hope it turns out to be one of those notable figures that is referenced years after its release due to how well it was done.
  7. M'Kyuun
    I don't know about you, but that watermelon pattern has all my attention. I'm stoked for Cyclonus; I've always liked his design, and none of the previous official releases came close, although I admit a soft spot for the Universe figure. But this new mold is full on G1 and I'm digging it, especially how close the jet mode comes to the original. Since Megs is a barely retooled version of Siege, with a huge and ugly weapon attachment, I'm gonna pass, as I have the Siege figure. Good enough. I never got Siege Soundwave, betting on a retool for what I hoped at the time would be Earth mode versions of the figs. As I mentioned above, I hope he's retooled enough to create a seamless and somewhat realistic Walkman, like the original toy, which is still my Soundwave on the CHUG shelf. '86 Grimlock, Gnaw, and now a G1 accurate Cyclonus. Good trend. I'll keep trading dollars for plastic if they keep making these guys.
  8. M'Kyuun
    I'm liking how this plot is thickening; hopefully it portends good things. Yeah, Grimlock wasn't the best, at all, but I got the whole team anyway, as I doubt we'll ever see another official release of combining Dinobots, and I wasn't going to let the opportunity slip by. The other Dinos aren't terrible, but not great, either- very much mediocre. The prospect of seeing the team, or at least Grimlock, released with Earthrise levels of articulation and detail is exciting. I'm being cautiously optimistic, as we could also end up with something as lazy as the upcoming Allicon or Arcee. Historically, HasTak can be counted upon for inconsistent quality across a line. Edit: A couple Earthrise reveals on TFW2005, including a very G1 looking Cyclonus. Long time coming. I'm hoping Soundwave has some retooling to make him a seamless Walkman instead of the craptastic spaceship he was supposed to be for Siege. Thrust looks good, although I find the Earthrise updated Classics mold underwhelming. The Top Gun F-14 is a bit of a surprise. I don't know why, but I'm getting that sickening feeling that it'll be done in Bayverse style.
  9. M'Kyuun
    "No disintegrations."
  10. M'Kyuun
    "No disintegrations."
  11. M'Kyuun
    As much as it dishearten's me to say it, I think you're right, Mike. That said, the PotP Dinos left somewhat to be desired due to both their scaling, and the concessions for the combined mode. I'd certainly welcome a team of dedicated G1 accurate, highly poseable Earthrise leader or voyager class Dinobots, as a minimum, and doing it as an extension of the Studio Series line paying homage to the '86 film seems apropos. But again, I think you're more on point with what it's really going to be.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Very interesting news on TFW2005 this morning. I'd be so down for a Studio Series line of the '86 Movie cast. Fingers crossed that's what this is. It would also coincide nicely with the release of Unicron next year. Argh- need more shelves!
  13. M'Kyuun
    Yep, I get ya. Again, it comes back to a trailer-less Prime; it doesn't feel complete, even if released as a standalone figure, and it's very much a part of why I'm looking so forward to finally getting Earthrise Prime. Not only does the bot finally, after 35 years and how many iterations, look like the G1 idealized toon aesthetic, but he comes with the trailer to really complete the character. Same for Ultra Magnus- a plain white truck that turns into a plain white OP just isn't Ultra Magnus; he needs the armor to truly be the character. And the same for Jetwing Prime from Revenge of the Fallen- that combined look is part of the character now. Some of these characters need the extras to make them complete. I do think armor for armor's sake can be cool, especially if it's done in a modular fashion, where you can pick and choose the bits you attach. I was doing some housework and thinking about what you said, Kuma, and I started thinking about the old Exo-Squad toys, where the main characters had any number of armor and weapons they could call upon to attach to their exo-suits. I can get behind a concept like that. It adds an extra dimension of playability/display value, as well as a bit of personal expression if you're not beholden to any particular loadout. Deep thoughts while vacuuming my bedroom.
  14. M'Kyuun
    Oh man, you're definitely in the target demographic. It's like Mattel putting out umpteen million outfits for the latest Barbie. Like Pokeman, gotta catch 'em all! I don't mind dressing up my figs with a bit of armor, but I'm more a fan of minimalist armor, like the old school FAST packs for the valks. Once they started getting obscenely obnoxious with some of the packs for the Frontier valks, I was out. Just too busy for my liking. Heck, I've never even liked the GBP armor for the VF-1- never appealed to me at all. But again, I generally feel I'm in the minority so far as my tastes for that sort of thing. Most of the time, I just prefer my bots as-is, without all the extra add-ons. Options are good, though, so I'm glad they exist for those who want them. It makes the hobby more varied and fun.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Go for it, man. Festooned with all that armor, Ginrai and Jetforce Prime take on a strong super robot vibe, which I know is totally your jam. Personally, I find them a bit too busy for my tastes, but I'd be remiss if I didn't admit that there are elements of it that I think are cool. The overall look just doesn't grab me. BUT, that's me, and I'll happily concede that I'm probably in the minority so far as my preference goes. I wish they had a pic of Dark Warrior wearing the Jetforce armor, as, colorwise, it seems more fitting for him. Certainly, the black trailer is a better match. But I get they're going for a Bayformer Prime wearing Jetfire's carcass look, and, actually, they did a good job of it. After watching Emgo's vid review, I think PE succeeded in what they were going for rather well; it's just not my thing.
  16. M'Kyuun
    Yes, but it comes with a regular red and blue Prime instead of Nemesis. Just the same, I'm not crazy about all the jet stuff hanging off of Prime, but it's cool that all the armor condenses into a standard G1 looking trailer, albeit in black. It's certainly an option if I change my mind.
  17. M'Kyuun
    Yeah, I saw that; they also have a version based on the Bay movie where he combines with Jetfire. No interest in those. Since I already have Takara's Ginrai, I thought it'd be cool if he worked with it. I checked out the TFW board ('preciate that link), and they're definitely scrutinizing it to see if they can make it work, although the stacks are in the way and there's no large head inside for the Super Ginrai mode. At this point, I'm thinking the same as Scyla, wishing there was a trailer that came with him- just a regular OP trailer in black with appropriate deco. I don't know what it is, but Prime always looks better in truck mode with a trailer. Anyway, I've got him PO'd, so he'll be my first Nemesis Prime.
  18. M'Kyuun
    @Kuma StyleHey, thanks for the FYI, man. Kind of a bummer that it's incompatible, but it's a rather sharp looking fig on its own. Be nice if it was compatible with ER Prime's trailer, but that's probably asking for too much, too. I think I'm going to get the Dark Warrior version; it's a thing of beauty.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Question; Does anyone know if the upcoming Perfect Effect DX-11 Honor Warrior will work with Titans Return Ginrai? It looks like a slight remold of PC-16, which makes me wonder if it'll work with it, too. I've been lamenting not getting PC-16, as it was a cool little Prime figure, just a bit pricey. Honor Warrior is also $60 for basically a deluxe figure, but I like the IDW inspired legs and chest. None of the promos show it with Ginrai, but I thought it'd be a nice bonus if it worked with it. edit: I've never owned a black Prime, and their Dark Warrior looks sharp. May have to get that instead of the traditional red and blue.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Not to mention a great eye for lighting and shooting these things. Carnifex never looked more ominously vogue. Lovely shot, Kuma.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Ah, you know me so well. It's an issue I take with most of HasTaks jets. For the sake of accuracy to the original toy/toon depiction, I can grudgingly forgive it with combiners, given that they need the extra volume of the bot to fill out the limbs. But looking at this guy, and comparing him to the original Seeker design, the Seeker comes off as a much sleeker design in which the fuselage of the plane is the body of the bot as well, rather than a cubish bot hanging underneath a partial F-15 fuselage like this guy, and the majority of HasTak's jetbots. It's one area where I give the old Machine Robo/Gobots high marks over HasTak, as their jets were nearly always fairly accurate, and their bot modes created out of the aircraft, rather than being slung under them. It's the main reason I'd hoped that Action Toys' line would do well enough for them to possibly expand beyond Revenge of Cronos into the main line, as I would have loved to have seen them do all the aircraft figures, especially Harrier Robo. Alas, not to be. In other 3P news, Nonnef is creating a trailer upgrade kit for Earthrise Prime that fixes a number of inaccuracies with the official release, thus bringing it closer to the G1 toy/animation model. They're also planning an upgrade kit for Prime later. I PO'd the trailer upgrade kit, and if the Prime kit replaces all the grey bits in his legs, I'll be onboard for that, too. They're already warning that shipping is going to be costly, so there's that (about $5). But the trailer kit itself is $25, a great deal considering all that comes in the kit to really dress up the trailer, including Roller. One notable thing about Nonnef is that they are an American company, so it's nice to see a domestic party making accessories and upgrades.
  22. M'Kyuun
    I thought about it for a skinny minute, as I like the look of the Sian, and Lamborghinis in general, but I don't have the space for it, and I don't feel like paying that much for a kit that I'll build, roll around for a day or two, and then pack up and store away. As much as I enjoy building them, and the realistic features they have, I buy few Technic sets. The last one I bought was the Mack Anthem, and the next one I intend to buy is the Osprey set, which has been announced, but no pics have been shown thus far (except, perhaps, leaks, which I haven't seen). I'm not a car guy, per se, so I don't feel a strong need to get these car models. I think they're masterful models, but my tendency in the car genre is towards the Speed Champions, especially now that they've switched to 8-stud wide models, allowing for much more accurate shaping and details. They're much easier on the wallet and take up a fraction of the space as well. And, they're minifig scale, which is cool. Technoblue, all my best to you for sourcing the parts and building your Swordfish. Once you get her all put together, you'll have to do a little show & tell, without revealing too many of its building techniques (the original builder sells the instructions and deserves to have his secrets kept just so). More importantly, have fun- that's what it's all about.
  23. M'Kyuun
    That minifig scale Swordfish is awesome. Best I've seen, and I've seen a few.
  24. M'Kyuun
    First, thanks Danth and Technoblue for your kind comments. means a lot to me. Second, that Swordfish is a neat little build. I've no interest in miroscale, per se, at least as something that I want to build personally, but builds like this are amazing for how much detail is captured accurately with an economical use of parts. It's a lovely little model, instantly recognizable. The use of the Technic figs' visors (and minifig visors in other MOCs I've seen) always floor me, as, due to their design, have no apparent method for affixing them in place, and yet folks figure it out somehow. I'm just not that inventive, which makes me appreciate the technique and use of those parts all the more. Thanks for sharing, Technoblue. Gotta go listen to some Tank! now. Edit: here's another Cowboy Bebop inspired build: Red Tail
  25. M'Kyuun
    Yeah everything about Dragon's design is efficient. I like how the 4 reverse maneuvering thrusters with docking hatch at the center are hidden beneath a retractable nose cone fairing. Just good engineering. It's leaps and bounds over the designs from yesteryear, where stuff was just jettisoned off the spacecraft once they were expended or no longer pertinent. The new design philosophy is greatly cutting down on the amount of space junk floating around up there- literally hundreds if not thousands of pieces and parts from various nations' spacecraft, not to mention stuff that's been intentionally blown up. It was a long wait from successful docking to the actual boarding, due to numerous checklists for safety and functionality needing to be completed, but I enjoyed seeing Doug's and Bob's happy reunion with old friends aboard. A lot of people were watching this , so it makes me happy that there's so much interest in the space program again. I hope it continues, as the technology going forward is really impressive, and I'm looking forward to seeing the establishment of a moon base in my life time, and then Mars. Good stuff.
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