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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    Zeta's Movie Bee has a beautiful bot mode, and a decent car mode, but looks like it has a really fidgety PITA transformation. I'm not a big fan of electronics in my toys, but I'll give props for good application/presentation. Love the weathering. Pretty neat.
  2. M'Kyuun
    Had to do some research, but that Unit 01 is based off a cameo appearance he had in an anime called Shinkansen Robo Henkei Shinkalion about transforming train characters battling ancient forces trying to reclaim the Earth. In an episode, the main character travels to Tokyo-3 and meets none other than Shinji Ikari piloting a Shinkalion Eva Unit 01. The official toyline was produced by Takara, so a very reminiscent Transformers look. That Bleeding Edge Iron Man is gorgeous, as is that ludicrously over-armed War Machine. Wonder Woman looks really good, too. I own some early 2000's Revoltech figs, mostly Evangelion, and while they were good, these are just works of art. For their size, I wish they weren't so expensive, but it is what it is. That Iron Man is tempting...so is that Eva Evo. Love me some Unit 01.
  3. M'Kyuun
    It never occurred to me to critique the style or design of Rey's saber, except to acknowledge that, in Jedi tradition, she'd made her own. I thought it a cool and fitting scene where she took the sabers of her two mentors back to Luke's old homestead. It was a nice tribute, I thought, and if she ever needs them again, she has a good landmark to guide her. Someone mentioned a double-bladed saber not fitting Rey's style, and I respectfully disagree, considering she used a staff as a weapon long before she ever picked up a lightsaber. A double-bladed saber would be an extension of her original weapon, in my mind. Or, better yet, if the non-blade end had a mechanical extension, much like police batons, which would give her a staff and a lightsaber all in one. And a walking stick for those arduous climbs to find old gruff Jedi masters. Now that the main trilogies are done, and it seems like we'll just get offshoots and interim stories to flesh out the Star Wars Universe, I hope at some point there'll be another movie, or series, about Rey, whether it be live-action or animated. I'd love to see Gendy Tartakovsky get a chance to do Rey's continuing story, similar to what he did with his awesome Clone Wars shorts, which, IMHO, were far better than the Prequels that inspired them. Hers is a story I'd like to see more of. As for Poe and Finn, there's just nothing about either character that makes me want to see more, although I think Finn could have some potential in the right writer's capable hands. It's kind of a wasted opportunity that they didn't make his character more savvy, as he'd have made an excellent spy to infiltrate and disrupt First Order operations with his insider's knowledge. That could be a natural extension of his character in future chronicles of the Final Trilogy characters, as they work to further decimate an already fragmented First (Final) Order. If not Genndy, then I hope Filoni and Co will continue the story. They should have let him do all three of the Final Trilogy films, as he has demonstrated again and again, a very deft ability to capture the look and feel of Star Wars in a way that makes it an enjoyable ride with great characters, plots, and writing.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Not the same paint job, no. I visited the Aviation museum of the Smithsonian years ago, and may have seen it there, but with so much time having elapsed, I couldn't say with any certainty. The posted pic is the Evergreen Museum's, with the H-4's tail in the background.
  5. M'Kyuun
    Appreciate the Flypro review, Mike. FH did a good job on him. Honestly, the pinkish (magenta, I always thought) coloration never bothered me. Anyway, I'm not sure what further improvements FH could have done beyond better articulation. It's pretty spot on, and the flap in the creature head to cover the hole where his bot head goes is a really nice touch. Monsterbots were never really on my MP want list, but I'm sure someone out there wanted them, so it's nice that they're available, and that they're done pretty well, especially in the absence of competition. Thanks Mike, and Happy Holidays!
  6. M'Kyuun
    There's definitely a fragility to Yamato's and, by extension, Arcadia's figures that breeds caution when handling them. I find the Bandai stuff to stuff to be more forgiving, thus far, and just more solid feeling, on the whole. Regardless, I don't handle my Macross toys, or my Transformers, really, all that much, especially my higher end toys. My CHUG shelf is usually my go-to when I get itchy fingers and just want to transform something quick. Most of the MP TFs, especially the more recent ones from the last couple of years, have a complexity such that, unless one remains familiar with each transformation, the process can be simultaneously worrying (that you'll break something) and frustrating (by virtue of forgetting steps, dealing with close or tight tolerances, etc), which deters me from wanting to handle them much. I usually find a pose I like, and leave them. Likewise my Macross stuff, although recently, with Macross 7 fresh on my mind, I pulled down my VF-19S and transformed it for the first time in years. What a glorious figure, nigh perfect in just about every respect. As to the use, and feel of die cast, I'll concur that a hefty fig does feel good in the hands, but time is usually harsher to those figs that have it in abundance. To that end, I find myself preferring its use as purely utilitarian when it serves to strengthen something that would be too stressful for plastic. I know a lot of third parties still use it, much more so than HasTak, who've all but abandoned it except in the rarest of occasions. As long as it's used judiciously and, for lack of a better word, strategically, throughout a given figure, with proper tolerances applied to the joints of said figure, then it lends itself well to heft and presentation. I'm thinking of FT's Dibots- good use of diecast in those guys, and they present very well, with Soar (Swoop) being the one exception, as his upper torso is diecast, and his knees are not really toleranced for how top-heavy he is. He's just a heavy figure, period. Referring back to Mike's Monsterbot reviews, I like what Fans Hobby did with both of these. The proportions in both modes for each appeal to me. They're not exactly on my radar , but I appreciate the designs nonetheless. Personally, I only had Grotusque as a kid, and spent the additional ducats to get the HasTak exclusive, which I like. I'll give props to HasTak, as they managed to use the same basic mold for all three Monsterbots, and still managed to differentiate them through various remolded bits and transformation processes. The only one I didn't get was Repugnus, as I wasn't interested in them when they were first introduced in TR or PotP (I forget which). I later found Doublecross on discount, so I have two out of three of the official toys. Anyway, Grotusque remains my favorite of the three, and I hope there's a Fans Hobby version for review coming soon.
  7. M'Kyuun
    I would recommend MMC's Stray(Drift) and Azalea(Arcee), which both have nice car modes (Azalea's is slightly more compromised, as her open cockpit is adequate, but not super detailed, and the back of her bot head is partially visible), but the bot modes both have excellent articulation, with a minimal of kibble. I don't consider heft to be nearly as important in classifying a collectible as engineering, sculptwork, complexity, paint apps/deco, and features. Die-cast is nice, but, for long life of a toy, best if used minimally and more for structural integrity or where thin linkages are necessary for moving parts, or load bearing. I look at my Bandai and Arcadia Macross stuff a good examples of die-cast being used judiciously. They're light, but certainly not toys in the most common sense, as in something I'd give to a child. Just my $.02 on that subject.
  8. M'Kyuun
    As have I, at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in OR, home to the Hughes H-4 Hercules, more commonly known as the Spruce Goose, a derisive nickname that Hughes despised. The museum had a really nice collection of aircraft, including an SR-71 without barriers, so you can walk up to the aircraft and touch it (I did), an AH-1 Cobra, a MiG-29, a number of WWII aircraft, Cold War aircraft, various helicopters, and even a Titan Missile. If you're in OR, and you like planes and space stuff, I highly recommend paying a visit. The Hercules experience was mildly disappointing, as you have to pay extra to enter the flight deck, which we didn't do, and the vast majority of the aircraft's interior is sadly off limits to visitors. But the plane itself is quite the spectacle, especially considering that it's made almost entirely of wood- some incredible craftsmanship on display. It's such an impressive and audacious feat of engineering, and quite lamentable that all that hard work building her culminated in only one single short flight.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Yep, first time viewing it. I've long read the various criticisms, but you never really know until you experience it for yourself, as everyone's perceptions differ. That said, I don't hate it; in fact, now that I'm about 17 eps in and the main story, the Protodeviln attacking the M7 for 'spiritia', with untold peril ahead with the recent awakening of Sivil, I'm beginning to enjoy it on the whole. I get what Basara is trying to do, but it's just such a hamfisted copy of Minmei, at least as I see it right now (at this point, his motivation for doing so is unclear), and honestly it wouldn't even bother me, being such an integral part of Macross storytelling, if his songs weren't so insufferable. Hopefully that'll change. As I said, they just introduced "Remember Sixteen" in ep 17, and for once I liked a Basara song, so there's potential hope. For the sake of all that's good and righteous, I hope they sh!tcan "Planet Dance" in favor of "Remember 16" in future eps. As for valks being piloted by instruments. If I could make that eyeroll any more emphatic, I would. I'll give it a modicum of credit for uniqueness, but otherwise, it's pretty lame. Is it terrible of me to cheer every time Basara has to fire a missile, not just because it's the practical action to take, but also b/c it pisses him off to have to resort to it? Every time it happens, I feel like "F##k you, Basara, you stupid panzy-ass b*tch"! I love it when both Gamlin and Mylene point out how ineffectual his singing is, and how the Protodeviln just ignore him. They purposely made him a mostly pointless protagonist, as if they wanted you to hate him, even if he does do some heroic stuff when he's on the ground. I'm guessing it's all a setup for him to become the hero he 'knows' he's meant to be, doing things his way. There are already hints that his terrible songs are going to cause an awakening, or a rejuvenation, of the captured humans under Protodeviln control. So, the writing's on the wall. Damn! Gotta keep on slogging through to see what happens. I'm waiting for Mylene to come into her own, both as a singer and a fighter pilot. If I'm wrong, don't tell me.
  10. M'Kyuun
    I'm not a super robot guy, per se, but I can definitely appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into these things- wickedly beautiful stuff. I clicked on the link that Dragonstar posted above and was perusing the various figs when I came upon Goodsmile's Johanna/Anata transforming motorcycle from Persona 5. While I'm not a motorcycle guy at all, I totally dig transforming motorcycles, and this one caught my eye for its uniqueness, especially the humanoid face. I don't play the game, haven't seen the animation, but the design itself is very evocative and screams 'cool!' to my inner being. Seeing how well this turned out (it does partsform the engine, but is otherwise fully transformable), I'd love to see their take on the Motoslave from BGC. I managed to get a Yamato Linna version at an acceptably affordable price a few years back, just to have the mold (Pris' version was astronomically priced no matter where I looked, and having seen any number of vids, was pretty convinced it just wasn't worth those prices), but the Yammie toy is a bit fiddly and frail, and the arms just fall off of Linna at the merest touch. And it requires quite a bit of partsforming. A better engineered update would be most welcome.
  11. M'Kyuun
    I'm surprised Pulse still has those figs. This far out from release and they're already sold out on most of the Earthrise figures. I waited too long to order Prime, but I figured they'd keep taking orders at least until February. Guess not. Just checked Amazon, and they didn't have Earthrise Prime at all. I can find deluxes at my local Wally, but voyagers are extremely sparse, and I've never seen a leader or larger there. Target's usually my go-to locally for the voyager and leader stuff. I can't recall seeing Siege Jetfire at all at any of my local Targets, so apparently they carry nothing larger than leader. Pulse has become my go-to for a lot of new figs, and some of the exclusives, so I was pretty surprised, and not just a little annoyed, that they were already sold out on most of the Earthrise stuff. That said I have Starscream and Grapple PO'd, so at least that's two less voyager figs I have to worry about trying to find in the wild. Speaking of Pulse, I ordered Apeface from them, and he came today. Not really crazy about the way the back panel is supposed to tab his legs together to form the ape chest/plane fuselage. It's a finnicky and tenuous connection that leaves a bit to be desired. As you said in your review, Mike, he's really boxy, which doesn't serve either alt that well, but the ape mode is definitely the better of the two. It is what it is, I guess, and I'm glad they did an update; I just wish it was done better. I'm hoping Snapdragon isn't too far behind; he was always the better of those two, anyway, and if they do an update, I hope it gets more love than ole Apeface.
  12. M'Kyuun
    I liked TRoS, but seeing all its warts laid out in such a comical fashion is both funny and disheartening.
  13. M'Kyuun
    I often hear teachers say, "If I only reach one person, it was worth the effort". My job here is done.
  14. M'Kyuun
    We have the CFM56 high bypass engines on all of our Tankers at Fairchild; bleed air's not the issue so far as the environmental issue. Due to all the fuel tanks directly below the floor panels, there's no floor heat; it all pipes in from the ceiling, so during a flight, your feet , and anything else you lay on the floor, freezes, but your upper body roasts from the heat pouring down on you. As soon as we're wheels up on a long trip, everybody scrambles to the highest ground they can find to sleep, be it on top of the baggage palette (that was my usual spot), on top of equipment crates chained down center isle, etc. I've made the trip across the pond on jump seats, and by the time you arrive , you're pretty cold. The old P&W J57s (water burners) you make reference to have long been retired- the turbofans are by far better in all respects. Other than the heat issue, the KC-135 is a nice ride.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Well, unless another radical advancement happens to improve stealth characteristics, this is the basic shape of things to come. Still not as pretty as the YF-23, but really, what is?
  16. M'Kyuun
    Condolences for your loss, Mike, and thanks for the review. FT did a fair job at translating the F-16, although I can't judge them too harshly for the boxiness of the undercarriage, as that's just the nature of just about every aircraft, especially fighters, in the Transformer universe since the 80's, and certainly true to the Aerialbot aesthetic, such as it is. TBH, I wasn't a fan of them back then, and I'm still not much of a fan, at least of maintaining the 80's design philosophy. I'd love to see the Aerialbots receive the same kind of engineering that Unique Toys have been applying to the Bayformer figs, and actually make accurate looking aircraft that unfurl into these boxy bots. Heck, I wouldn't be bothered if some license were taken to make the bots less boxy, as that's really just a holdover of 80's limitations. So, I'm still waiting for that 'perfect' set of Aerialbots to come along, and then I might get excited, as I like all the aircraft involved, especially the Harrier, the F-15, and the Concorde. Given the state of toy tech, and the rate that it continues to improve, the more I believe it's an achievable goal, and I hope one of these companies is up to the challenge. Props to you, good sir, for your proper references to aircraft bits. I wasn't aware that the protuberances on the wingtips were static dischargers, so I learned something as well. I worked on a base with F-15s &F-16s for three years (I worked on B-1B Lancers at the time, just down the flightline from the 16s. Crazy loud little SOBs when they start their takeoff runs. We used to joke about hanging F-16s from the bombers' wings as guided missiles). F-16's are so cute.
  17. M'Kyuun
    Not a clit , per se, but there is a strategically placed slot suspiciously reminiscent of external female reproductive anatomy. Could just be coincidence.... She has a rather well sculpted bum, too. As I said, her very feminine depiction is none too subtle. It makes little sense within the context of her being a mechanical entity (TF's often mentioned 'rolling off the assembly line' in the original show, thus negating any conception that some form of sexual reproduction was , or could be, involved. To my practical mind, that's the only plausibility- they're built, not born). However, dudes like T&A (and some women, too), and this is definitely intended to appeal to those who like that sort of thing. I'm not into sexualized robots myself, but there are other redeeming qualities of this fig that I like enough to warrant getting her, and a potential Windblade, who'll likely share the same attributes. As a straight male who thinks the female form is most agreeable, I can live with the aesthetic choices. Sexualized bots is definitely a thing- it's all over DeviantArt, which kinda gives a little credence to the first part of the site's name. You're almost guaranteed to get a few examples when Googling any fembot from Transformers. And some male bots. I don't get the fascination, but it's out there. Such is the world we live in. A little scary if you give it any real consideration....
  18. M'Kyuun
    So yeah, this is Nicee with Shockwave's noggin. I wonder if that's going to be an odd extra with the final release, if they have an actual separate fig in the works, or if they're just having a bit of fun? This pic reminds me again of the amazing sculptwork, D-cups notwithstanding. I'm hoping she'll come with optional smaller chesticles- not a fan of big boobs, regardless of who or what bears them.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Eh, the novelty of femmebots with anthropomorphic curves doesn't really excite me as much as the level of engineering brought to bear in a femmebot. I have MMC's Arcee, which I think does a good job of capturing a feminine appearance with a satisfying transformation that results in a fairly accurate approximation of her animated car mode. She's not without her concessions, but on the whole, a pretty good figure. Arcee's a tough one to do, so a fig that turns out this well, especially with the excellent levels of articulation achieved and minimal kibble (especially compared to HasTak's Generations figure) is worthy of merit. I also have Big Firebird's Nicee PO'd, and it's overtly sexualized, which isn't to my taste exactly ( as a robot, I'd rather it was more subdued, but I get what they're going for. So be it), but I really like the overall styling, the mechanical details (like moving hydraulic cylinders at the joints), a possible hideaway gun feature similar to Robocop's, and a good car mode that has it's own style and yet is unmistakably Arcee's. It's a good looking toy so far, and I fence-sat for awhile before deciding to go ahead and get her. I probably won't display her with the rest of my MP collection, as MMC's Azalea is filling the role in that display, but I'll likely make a spot for her on my desk somewhere. I'm also looking forward to Big Firebird's rumored Windblade in the same style. Was about to post when Anime52's post popped up. Sexywave Looks suspiciously like Big Firebird's work (speak of the devil). Will have to do some research.
  20. M'Kyuun
    I'm still slowly making my way through Macross 7. I'm up to ep 17, and while the main story about yet another group of humanoid aliens attacking our intrepid space colonists from Earth is alright, the attempt at rehashing Minmei vis a vis Basara is more annoying than entertaining. Moreover, I can't stand any of his songs, especially the utterly stupid "Planet Dance", which they play ad nauseum in just about every ep. Ep 17 introduces "Remember 16", which is the first Basara song I like in the series. I hope going forward, that becomes the prominent song, b/c the rest are just terrible. Mylene's "My friend" song is so much better, but they don't play it often. Anyway, I get the sense her role is about to expand, so hopefully her songs will be more prevalent going forward. As an aside, I think it's funny how the 'concert hall' effect is used just about every time Basara or Mylene sings, even when they're singing acapella. I also can't help but notice the lack of a harmonica player in Fire Bomber despite the fact that harmonica is played so prominently in the abhorrent "Planet Dance". I guess, after all the impressive music (Thanks Yoko Kanno) in Macross Plus, my expectations for the music in Macross 7 were somewhat high. I'm not taking the letdown well. Loving all the variable fighter action, though. I'm familiar with the majority of variable fighters from M7, so I fully expected to see VF-19s from the onset, since the YF-19 won the competition in Plus to replace the old VF-11. Seeing VF-11s going into battle as the main battle force, accompanied by the more elite VF-17s (which get their asses kicked with regularity as well) was a nice surprise. I like the VF-11, so it's nice to see them in action, even if it's only briefly before getting blown to smithereens. Given the prominence of the Fz-109 Elgarsolns as the main enemy mecha in M7, I'm surprised that no toys have ever been made, AFAIK, anyway. Experten's VF-14 garage kit is the closest thing, but still not quite the same as having a nice high end 1/60 scale toy. Anyway, I have to say I'm enjoying Macross 7 more than I thought I would, and more so than Delta, which just really didn't grab me. The original SDF: M, Plus, and Frontier are my favorite entries so far in the series, but M7 is slowly shaping up to be an enjoyable interlude between Plus and Frontier, Basara notwithstanding.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Agree. As Transformers go, this one is pretty lazy. I think they bet more on the novelty of a female Dinobot , and everything else, including effective engineering, went out the door.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Yeeeessss! Just saw it today, going in spoiler-free, and enjoyed it. A few scenes brought a tear or two. And while some things raise questions (where did all those Sith come from?), it was a fun movie that answered all the major questions raised in Force Awakens, gave us a few last moments with OT characters, and ended on a high note with a likeable heroine who I hope gets some follow-up in one form or another. Unlike some fans, I don't mind that JJ played it 'safe' with the story. The basic tenants of SW have long been good vs evil, family differences, roguish characters who blur the lines, but are still, at heart, good, spaceship battles, a plethora of creatures and droids, and one Force that binds them all together. This film gave me that, and, given the direction TLJ took, managed to bring the story back to where Force Awakens left off. JJ has his detractors, and I guess if you don't like his style, then you'll never be satisfied, but I liked the Force Awakens, and TLJ felt like such a detour from where TFA was heading, that it just seems jarring in retrospect. The only thing I recall liking from that film was the Hammerhead Cruiser smacking the crap out of a First Order Star Destroyer. I can at least watch TFA and TRoS without cringing every five minutes like I do watching the Prequels. I tend to mellow on stuff over time, but I still find them pretty terrible. I will concur with an earlier statement (I forget who said it, so apologies) that TRoS would have provided more coherency had it been the basis for the entire new trilogy and broken up into more films to tell the story. Or even if it had been made into two films, as there is a lot of jumping around in this movie, but it didn't bother me. It all came together and made sense in the end. And that's all I really required of it. Good film, and a good sendoff IMHO. Just watched Jeremy Jahn's Spoiler vid a few posts back, and I have to agree with his observations. I still like TRoS, but , summing up, this film was basically trying to cap off the trilogy and do damage control from TLJ in 2.5 hours, where the story would have been better served as two films. Jeremy's critique of Rey and her abilities is spot on. I still like her as a character, though, and the fault lies more in the writing than in Daisy's performance.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Reminds me of the designs for the DICE, or Dinobreaker, series, especially the red one . I never knew there was a n all-moto combiner, either. It is Japanese, so not surprising. It had to happen. Pretty neat.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Go! Mighty Orbots! There was a Japan-only release of the Mighty Orbots based on the God Mars back in the 80's. Good show for its time, with some of the best animation.
  25. M'Kyuun
    I'm probably in the extreme minority here, but I never cared for the look of the SDF-1- just never appealed to me. I prefer the looks of the Battle 7 (Macross 7) and the Quarter (Frontier), and I wouldn't mind smaller transforming toys (about the size of a leader class TF) of both, just to have representations of them that don't take up a ton of space. The valks, though, have always been my draw to Macross, and to that end, I'd just like to see more of those come from Arcadia. My old Yammie Plus VF-11 has held up quite well over the years, so I'm not really feeling the need for a replacement, although I can understand it if some folks out there who never got one , or who just like to refresh their collections, want a new version. Personally, I want them to delve into uncharted territory and produce some of the valk designs that have never been made in toy form before.
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