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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    I didn't even see the whiteout; I had to look for it after you mentioned it. Still, the skill on display in these drawings is amazing to me. I don't have an iota of talent for this sort of thing, so it's doubly impressive to me when I see artwork of this caliber. Nice to have inputs from folks who know their stuff. Thanks Akim, for sharing this art and and your commentary, and to Sketchley for your commentary as well. Much appreciated.
  2. M'Kyuun
    If you want, Mike, I can check my Wally for Scrapface. How many copies would you like? I despise exclusives, even if I realize that it can be a boon for manufacturer/retailer. But I'd rather they not make core characters exclusives. That just sucks for trying to round out your collection. The announcement of yet another leader class Dinobot is promising, and I hope they do all five in that scale. Of course, these are going to be voyager scaled Dinos with likely pointless accessories in the box to drive up the price. Thanks Hasbro, you dicks. On the positive side, though, I hope these are dedicated updates to the G1 characters, minus any combination gimmicks or elsewise that otherwise detract or mar the final figures. I hope these are close to MP level, so far as complexity and imparting ample articulation to both modes. I think that's what most of us old timer fans want- just fairly accurate G1 Dinos at a proper scale to the rest of the bots for our Generations collection. As I said over in the TFW forum, I hope with Earthrise and the follow on line in the WFC theme, Hasbro just goes all-out and makes every G1 character under the sun, and then moves on into something completely new and virtually divorced from G1. New characters, new alt modes, maybe even a new planet. Just something original. I think even some of us GeeWunners are starting to feel a little G1 fatigue; it'd be nice to see the franchise expand out into all new territory, storywise and toywise.
  3. M'Kyuun
    I look at those old pics and wish I could draw so crisply and uniformly freehandedly. Alas, I do neither well. Still, it's always cool to see concept art of this kind of stuff. Those tri-missile packs under the chest are a feature I remember well from the Monogram model kit, and the Toynami as well. I kinda dig the way they look, and wondered why they weren't shown on the Sentinel. Then I watched the anime, and they don't appear in the show at all, IIRC. It's a shame, as, to me, it was one of those recognizable features of the Legioss, and the absence of them, canon or not, feels wrong.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Those Netflix exclusives have been warming the shelves at my local Walmart, the longest I've seen mainline TF toys warm the peg/shelf in a long time. Usually they're gone in a week, not to be restocked for weeks to months thereafter. However, there are also regular Earthrise figs mixed in that display, like Wheeljack and Grapple, and they've also been hanging around longer than usual. As I said, it's highly irregular to see mainline toys hang around that long, so I'm not sure what to make of it. I'm surprised scalpers haven't come along and bought it all up by now, but perhaps Covid is taking its toll on them too. I should hope so. Anyway, none of the Netflix figs really interested me, so I haven't bought any of them. I might have sprung for Megs, but I already have the Siege version, so I passed on it. I thought about getting the purple Siege Seeker, as I own the Starscream version, and despite my early invective and dismissal of the mold, I kinda dig it in hand. Certainly, the bot mode is excellent, with probably the best articulation of any figure in the line, and without a doubt, the best articulation for a mainline Seeker ever, which is why the follow up Earthrise Seeker is so incredibly and frustratingly underwhelming and disappointing. I wouldn't worry too much about that lackluster Earthrise Seeker mold getting limited release; Seekers are a cash cow, and I'm sure Hasbro will release it in every color of the rainbow before they're done with it. Coneheads will undoubtedly get releases as well. Too, the way this Target Seeker two-pack's been going, I'm sure Hasbro's watching that situation unfolding with unmitigated glee, as we're a fandom that's easily abused, and exclusivity and scarce distribution seem to be their new favorite tools for artificially driving up the value of toys that aren't, practically speaking for what you're actually getting, worth it. It's deplorable, but that's business. I vehemently detest exclusives, so on that grounds alone, I oppose the potential SS '86 Movie figs becoming a Walmart exclusive. All it does in the end is limit availability, thus artificially inflating demand, which plays right into the greedy hands of scalpers. The fans of these toys are the losers, as we're forced to constantly hunt the internet for the next availability, scrambling to try and secure an order, with some folks having to travel far out of their way to get their hands on the damn things. The fact that Target is only selling the Seeker two-pack in store just amazes me in a bad way; in an era when most retailers offer their wares via preorders, Target's not providing that option, instead doling it out piecemeal, with availability coming at random times at very low numbers which sell out in minutes flat after they're posted. It makes no sense to me that a retail toy should be that elusive or difficult to obtain, but it's fatiguing to have to maintain FBI-like surveillance on Target's site just to try and catch a fleeting moment of availability and mad dash the thing into your cart before stock disappears. I don't remember toys being this hard to find when I was a kid, that's for sure.
  5. M'Kyuun
    If they want to include '86 Movie figures in the Studio Series line, it strikes me as apropos, as long as the branding doesn't effect a downturn in the quality that has been notable in the Siege and Earthrise lines. As I'm not a fan of Bayverse, I've largely steered clear of SS, and to whit, I only own a few figures from the line. From the experience I do have, I think deco takes a little more precedence than articulation, especially since the majority are licensed vehicles, which puts any number of constraints on HasTak, as we've also seen with the MP line over the years. With the Earthrise figures, they've been skirting the licensing, making alts that are close to the original real world alts, but different enough to avoid the licensing fees and design constraints. I'm fine with that approach. Earthrise, for the most part, has been a very satisfying homage to G1 thus far; barring MP, concerning mainline toys, these are what I wanted in the box when I was 13 years old, watching the show for the first time, and have since wanted in the mainline. So, with the exception of Astrotrain and Arcee, thanks Hasbro, arigato Takara. The question that remains is whether or not HasTak are going to seek licensing for the alt modes of the potential '86 SS figures that apply. For consistency's sake, I hope not. It would be a bit odd to have that mixture of fictional-but-close alts from Earthrise with licensed alts from the film that most of us are likely going to mingle together in our collections. Too, as mentioned, Porche have been rue to provide a license to Takara, so the chances of an authentic Porche alt mode seem to hover around zero for the foreseeable future. As most of the '86 cast of characters had fictional alt modes, the burden on HasTak is greatly reduced, and hopefully the focus will be on crafting quality figures that homage the characters in the best possible marriage of toy and toon, within the budget, of course. It is a bit unfortunate that, with Hasbro exercising expansive control over the brand, their budget-over-design philosophy is likely driving the direction of the line more than it ever has before, which, IMHO, has manifested itself through reduction of plastic volume and poor or lazy engineering.
  6. M'Kyuun
    Yep, I agree. I think they had a good premise for Legacy. The idea of turning the eponymous hero into a tool of Clu's autocracy was unexpected, but interesting. I think a lot of people are put off by the younger renderings of Flynn and Tron, but it didn't bother me. Maybe it's due to having grown up in the 80's with the limitations of effects, but I'm usually amazed by how good it actually is. Difference of perspective, I suppose. If holography ever matures and becomes a mainstay, folks from the 2D generation will feel the same, I'm sure.
  7. M'Kyuun
    Sounds like a lot of work. Aw well, like anything worth doing, the final product pays for the time and effort expended. I would like to find a good match for the blue plastic; if I can, I'd like to paint those grey bits on his legs. I don't what they were thinking molding them in grey, especially when there's a greater focus on G1 accuracy in this line. I doubt I'll repaint the trailer; I'm just not that invested. The grey trailer, and even the slightly off-colored grey of the Nonnef parts, probably won't bother me. I don't usually get too plussed about that stuff. For the time and money I'm putting into it already, I'll no doubt rarely take it down from the shelf to mess with it. The stickers sound like a worthy investment, though, for both Prime and his trailer, so I'll likely get a sheet. I love what you did with your maintenance drone, and methinks it worth the time to do likewise with mine. As always, I appreciate the suggestions, advice, and reviews, Mike. This'll be the most work I've ever put into a Transformer fig, but I'm looking forward to it. I'll have to share a pic or two when I'm done. Hopefully, I won't cock it up too badly.
  8. M'Kyuun
    YES- for the love of all that's right in this world, lots of strong ratchets with many detents for greater range of posability. Should be a law.
  9. M'Kyuun
    @Mikeszekely, I caught your suggestion on the official TF thread and came over to check the review. I pretty much agree with everything you said. Roller could have stood some more details, and yeah, the sprue marks are rather prominent. I think I'd almost rather those parts came on the sprue, and just let the customer trim them. I've got a good set of clippers for the job, and between them and some fine shaving with a hobby knife, I can just about eradicate sprue marks. Anyway, I think the kit addresses the majority of shortcomings of the official toy, and for a garage kit, it's well done. I also like the fact that it's made here in America; most of this stuff comes out of China, so I take some pride in American craftsmanship. I'm not sure if I'm gonna spring for for the Toyhax labels, yet, but I may follow suit with painting some stuff. Painting is not my forte', and without a decent airbrush, I'm down to hand painting it, so I'm always reluctant. I'll have to be in a mood. Anyway, as always, I appreciate the breakdown of this kit. I think I'll be pretty satisfied with it. It is a shame, though, as you mentioned, that the little stabilizer feet for the trailer have to be removed and replaced depending on whether they're being stored or used to support the trailer. It's not a bad solution, per se, but a ball jointed rotation point to allow it to flip over and rotate 180 degrees around would have been awesome. It is what it is, though. Shrug. Thanks, Mike!
  10. M'Kyuun
    Toynami had the right idea. Their boom just had to be longer than the artwork suggested due to how far back the legs extended on their Legioss' fighter mode. Sentinel has already conquered that hurdle, making adhering to the original concept feasible. Definitely a step in the right direction, if indeed they're making a Tread. I believe it.
  11. M'Kyuun
    You're reading my mind, Jenius. I was also considering how a rotating connection point might allow for the two configurations without the need for parts-forming. They could also make a telescoping boom, to allow for more compactability within the limited space in the groin section. When I see the extent of engineering employed in the Legioss, there's a point of pride there, and it's difficult for me to expect less in a follow on toy, especially one that's larger, which affords more room to ply your engineering. I also believe absolutely that they didn't approach the Legioss as a one-off; rather, I believe Sentinel designed their Legioss and a Tread simultaneously to ensure consistency and harmony in the engineering between them, which is the most logical way to approach the total design. Since the Legioss is the more popular mech, it makes sense to release it first, and then follow on with a Tread. It's my pet theory, but if was a toymaker doing Mospeada toys, I'd design my Legioss and Tread together to make sure the thing works as shown in the anime. The level of engineering that Sentinel brought to the fore with their Legioss only intensifies my belief.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Thanks Mike! Got one on order. I went with free shipping, so it won't come til around the 20th, but still better than waiting until September. I'm hoping Nonnef will be getting my upgrade kit out about the same time, as he was backed up due to machinery breakdowns and power outages. Something to look forward to. Thanks again! Edit: Checked my email after I finished my post, and I had a ship notification from Nonnef. Good timing. I've got Earthrise Arcee PO'd, but it's a really underwhelming figure. She has better articulation and a nicer face sculpt than the T30, but it bugs me that no part of her bot mode becomes her alt mode. It's anathema to what makes this particular line of Transformer toys appealing. I would've been happy if they'd just tweaked the T30 mold to update the articulation and alter the alt mode to make it more like the G1 model. As it is, not the best, and I hope this level of lazy design doesn't become a trend in the mainline.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. 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.
  24. 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.
  25. 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.
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