Zinjo

I agree. For me it wasn't as important for it to transform into battroid as having a well sculpted small sized display piece to put on my shelf to go next to my Doyusha fighters. As we've already seen in the new Robot Damashii line set of battroid figures, that there are plenty of companies willing to make the battroids. All bandai had to do was market the VF100s as 1/100 scale display fighters, price them at the same point as a kit and off they go (the transformation ability of these "models" compromises their ability to maintain the fighter mode anyway). The problem is that Bandai has always had this fixation (from the very beginning of Macross) that all Valks MUST transform or they won't sell and Hasegawa had shattered that notion over a decade ago. There is a niche market to exploit and a bit of crossover marketing as well. Bandai had plans to release all the Macross valks in the VF100 line. By all means, go ahead and release them, as 1/100 fighters! With every fighter they release they can also release "blanks" with decals and then exploit the blanks with after market itashi decals like the ones we are seeing with the 1/72 kits. They've done it successfully with the Gundam lines, why not Macross? I'd be all over that! The special event exclusive VF100 series VF-25s with metallic paint were fighter mode only and sold for the same price as the kits. this is the niche market they should be going after and market the models as "Collectors" series of fighters. I'd love to get all the Macross Valks in this size for display. Add blanks with itashi decals and you double the the profit on existing molds. I wish I wrote Japanese so that I could at least mention this to the powers that be at Bandai...

I'm sorry, but guys doing Alto just doesn't work! Though you kinda need a tomboy to Cosplay Alto as well...

Still one of the best Misas I've seen yet...

That is some of the best Sheryl fanart I've seen!

I didn't notice the VF-19P costume until you pointed it out. Did you mean the VF-25F costume? And we thought Sheryl's concert costumes in the TV series were "provocative"!!

Well you know the rules around here. You may get a couple of bits, but since this is a non-magazine publication most won't post scans until its out of print.... However, I noticed a "Ranka" book in the Amazon Japan link. Is that the Ranka visual collection?

We both are assuming what the PC knew or didn't know about the PD. My assumption is based on what has been written in the chronology, yours I'm not sure. If "humanity" has surpassed the PC in the wisdom that wars are meaningless, then how do you explain the revolt in VFX2 (granted we are not entirely sure if that's canon or not) or the behavior of the Galaxy fleet? Basara had a point of view and a set of principles that he never deviated from, but he is still very much alone in that respect, based on the events of Frontier. Right, the Macross Superman effect. Gotcha... And if he had failed, what then? Vampiric enslavement for the citizens of Macross 7 and the most likely destruction or absorption of all its military. Basara's "accomplishment" was a fantasy, which is where I differ in my position to yours. You accept him as some sort of superman and I disagree and expected a more dramatic and plausible resolution to the peril the fleet faced. That isn't to say you are wrong or I am wrong since its a matter of tastes. I understand him just fine. In stories, "protagonists" grow and learn, Basara did neither, he was reacted to like a storm or force of nature. Now I am faced with the choice of seeing him as either a plot device character as a catalyst for other characters to grow by or see him as a two dimensional, poorly written character. I choose the former. This doesn't make him the respresentative of humanity's superiority over the PC, since we've already seen the contrary in Frontier. He was a single minded, persistent character than remained developmentally static for 49 episodes. He didn't start a Network wide movement that transformed humanity into enlightened beings. His message, while affecting many around him and apparently stopping the greatest threat known to the PC ( ), appeared to be not much more than a flash in the pan. His music certainly inspired Sheryl, but we don't see his vision transferred to her at all. This may not be fair or just, but it appears to be the case in the Macross universe. Yes, the Superman defence again...

Thanks but I'll pass. I've thrown down gloves with Keith and several others on this subject several times before and the results are still the same. The lovers will continue loving it for their own reasons and the rest of us will continue not to love it for our own reasons. Feel free to do search on Macross 7 to see my positions. You will not change my mind just as I will not change yours...

If it has failed, it is due to poor marketing IMO. Bandai has the 1/60 scales which are the TRUE toys (very durable), then they have the 1/72 scale kits which are very customizable, and then the VF100 series which to me is essentially a transformable / posable display piece! Had they marketed it as such and brought down the price point it would have been more successful. Keep in mind that a 1/72 transforming kit was cheaper and you could get itashi decals to customize it's look. Had Bandai taken a few cues from its Gundam lines it could have sold "blanks" with custom decal sheets as well as after market decal sheets the line would have probably done as better. By marketing it as a "toy" they alienated the collectors who were so impressed with the DX toys. which didn't need parts swapping to transform. The VF100 figure is far too delicate to be handled as much as a DX. Going for the clunky, fully transformable version like the VF-19Kai, they've lost the beauty of the original sculpts and added conspicuous screw holes on an already small figure. As it is, with the molds they already have, they could still release a VF-25A CF and an Armored VF-25S. Hell if they were smart they'd re-market the existing figures as display pieces, finish the Mac F line, along with the VF-27G and then release a VF-27B to capitalize on that molds. Then they could continue to bring the valks that the fans have been wanting like the VF-171, YF-24, VF-4, Vf-2SS, etc... None of the other display figures currently licensed can change modes, but the VF100 series can. For me, that is a value add worth something. They definitely dropped the ball on a promising figure line in my opinion! If any of our Japanese speaking members wishes to pass that along to Bandai, I'd appreciate it.

Oh great! Ranka and Sheryl from the Birdman shoot...

NICE!! Hopefully you guys will be able to get female voices for the Meltrani fleet--eventually.

Nice!! Dude where did you get that super clear Frontier triangle patch?

Seto does a great job outlining the divergences in the continuities, here: The Lost History...The Macross Universe Before Plus Interesting read.

OK, here's a bit of info to help your head explode... Based on Seto Keiba's research (resident guru of all things Macross II), DYRL and Mac II are based on the original timeline created for SDFM (The Macross timeline has been retconned several times so don't get up in arms about it ). The divergence came with DYRL which replaced the SA with the Zentran and Meltran factions. Mac 7 took the chronology to a different direction, while Mac 2 took the chronology along the DYRL direction. Thus we have two universes. The Mac 2 haters like to coin the phrase that the show was "exiled" to alternate universe status, whereas IMO it was simply relegated to what it truly was, no positive or negative connotations were present in the decision. The best part of all this is that Kawamori has stated that all productions are not "true" depictions of the actual events in the macross history, only dramatic representations.... Any further discussion on this subject should be in the Newbie Questions thread. http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=26406

I like the term, personally... It describes so much of how poorly Mac 7 was put together, from a writer's point of view... One can't really blame Kawamori either, since all the man did was writer the story outline, which I still believe was no more than half a season's worth...

Several online import stores have carried it (though it tends to sell out rather quickly) and Amazon Japan and HMV Japan. Both Amazon and HMV will ship books and DVDs internationally (nothing else though). A side note: It appears HMV Japan still has some stock of the first issue of Macross The First. Though judging by the picture I'm not sure if its a re-issue or just a place holder picture. The possibility exists that its a compilation book of the first two issues, but I am not sure.

I suspect they didn't forget about them since most of their technology became based on Vajra abilities. I'd suspect they studied them and emulated them as much as they could figure out how. Though I'm sure they avoided any confrontations with them, since that would prove fatal!

You are making a HUGE ASSUMPTION that pacifying the PD was the PC goal. All indicators show that the GOAL was to stop them, which resulted in their imprisonment. We get no sense that the PC intended to "free" them of their hunger, they didn't have the time or the opportunity to learn what these beings needed. They were under attack by massive PD forces and needed to stop the devastating war. To assume that the "realization" of the anima spiritia soldier was to free the PD is based on no guantifyable proof or record. In effect, the Anima Spiritia soldiers did indeed succeed. They stopped the advance of the Proto Devlin, which appeared to be their only mission. Basara faced off against avatars and mind controlled soldiers initially and when the fleet started to battle the "actual" PD themselves, they found they were in much greater peril than ever before. Most certainly outmatched on every level. If Gigile and Sivil hadn't embraced the idea of self generating spiritia, Basara and his band would have been either consumed or destroyed by the final battle. I think you need to stop venerating a plot device character and see him as he really was, a catalyst do develop Mylene and Gamlin. Though typically a plot device character is not the protagonist but an antagonist in a story. The Glipernicht was for the most part, such a character (in that he didn't change or grow), until the end of the series.

I like Universal Bunnys....

To each their own... Ranka strikes me as the typical Japanese teenager, while Sheryl the typical Western teenager...

You are aware that the PC had Anima Spiritia soldiers right? We get the impression that there were more than one AS soldiers who imprisoned the PD. That was one of the reveals in M7 that Basara had the Anima Spiritia ability that was familiar to the PD, but not the people of the fleet. Though Keith brought up an interesting paradox. With an adaptive species like the Vajra, which came first? Did the Vajra adapt PC weaponry or did the PC mimic the Vajra weaponry? Was it a mutual adaptation? The PC initiated the Vajra organic weaponry and then mimiced it after the fact.... Humanity hasn't yet reached the same technological level of the PC nor has it colonized the whole Galaxy as the PC did. Essentially it's gotten as far as it has by standing on the shoulder's of giants (no pun intended). After 50 years it is still scraping the surface of what the PC had acheived, without the knowledge and experience gained by the development of such advances. In many ways humanity is taking the fast track to a parallel history that took the PC millenia to experience. With all of its current experiences, humanity is still plagued by its own hubris and dark desires. The Galaxy fleet is a prime example. Mankind, I believe, is on a collision course with a large scale civil war, similar to what the PC experienced eons before. We could argue for and against PC extinction, but there is no proof either way, so the question remains.

Stunning!!!! I can't wait until you get some VF-25's on that deck!

Check Russian aircraft...

I understand the reason for the design (atmospheric combat), except the tornado pack guns are obviously a Bandai design and very impractical (atmospheric entry anyone?). Not something we usually see from Kawamori...

I find it amusing that the magazine has a question mark over the chase fighter. Particularly since it's been revealed on the web in pictures of the Macross Museum. The VF-25 Tornado...