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lechuck

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  1. lechuck
    I am linking this 31AX design update, the new wing profile looks nicer instead of the previous forward swept ones. Will try my luck at pre-ordering. Do we know if the Battroid head designs have been changed or tweaked for the AX in any way?
  2. lechuck
    So I just spied this from TFW2005, it looks like MP-53+ Crosscut is on the way.
  3. lechuck
    Sorry for some late replies, couldn't get to it earlier... Thanks for the explanation and clearing that up. I can't say for sure, but it probably boils down to how certain alt-modes have (for better or worse) been consistently depicted and that in turn has burned its way as a sort of de-facto design approach into the fans collective visual conscience. The original Starscream toy had the blocky undercarriage, the cartoon didn't really change anything and I am assuming the comics (never read them) didn't put emphasis to fix that either. So for a big chunk of that generation of kids it is fine to have that. That doesn't necessarily mean those fans think the design approach is the best way for jets, it's just that the particular depiction of jet alt-mode has become a part of the character. It is also for the same reasons you will not have fans happy if a new Cyclonus toy ended up with a big block on his underside, when the original toy, cartoon depiction and the comics (again assuming) kept it clean. Hmm... I should have probably worded my comment a bit more specific in that I meant G1 Cartoon die-hards and casual fans of a specific age demographic. I did not intend to speak for all, nor do I have the desire to do that in any capacity. If we are just going by the order of what became a reality first, then sure there is no contest - Diaclone toys, comics and last the cartoon. But was everyone's personal order of exposure to Transformers the same and which of the three had the biggest impact to generate a certain perception of what Transformers are or should look like? Not every kid was privileged to have the first Transformers branded Diaclone toys and I would argue that the cartoon had the greatest reach to get kids hooked on the toy line (it was 20 minutes advertising after all). As a kid I didn't have any S1/S2 toys, my first contact with Transformers was through the cartoon and I definitely wasn't so analytical as you were. I was content at seeing bright colours, moving pictures and good guy vs. bad guy robots. That's what they looked like or transformed into, I did not have any other basis or rendition in hand to compare against. Anyway, if you want more Diaclone real robot in your Transformers, then that's fine too and more power to you. Everyone should have a chance to get what they want. It is definitely subjective, but I feel there is a bit of a misconception as to what my preferences are. It is true that I like the later MPs, but not solely because they are closest to the cartoon look, but for their general design approach of providing a streamlined, kibble free and a well proportioned robot with a higher degree of engineering for articulation and transformation that is worthy of the Masterpiece tag. If we can pull that off with the proper alt-mode parts and robo greeblies, but not end up with big wheel pouches, hip kibble, wing kibble, long arms or short legs, wide chest/beer belly, big gaps, hollow spaces, basic articulation and five minute cup noodle transformation engagement, then by all means I am open for having that. I will be the first one to tell you that Ultra Magnus or Ironhide/Ratchet are just as much weak entries like the other Hasui stuff even if they are more on the cartoon side of things, because they share a lot of the same issues. In regards to the latest updates MP-55 Nightbird Bit of a surprise entry as I thought the easy choice for Takara was Lifeline (Paradron Medic), but on the other hand it probably makes sense to put a slight invest to the mould as Arcee in teal colours does not feel like a seller item. I think I might pick this up, she should fit in with my Autocons sub-line collection currently consisting of Exhaust, Loudpedal and Nemesis Prime. Actions Toys Ultimetal That is very much Studio Ox designs if I am not mistaken. Interesting, but not for me. ThreeZero MDLX Design style is appealing to me, a sort of G1 update I can get behind because the robots are still kibble free and no proportion issues. BB looks good to go, for Optimus they should tone down those front ankle guards and make his feet narrower and less flat. Also the protruding chest is not really to my liking, hopefully they tweak that too. Flame Toys The design style is not for me, but as always their stuff looks the quality.
  4. lechuck
    I'm not sure, without Goldilocks that City feels incomplete to me. Coming back to Hathaway, another solid and enjoyable entry for UC Gundam. I hope we don't need to wait long for part 2 and 3. Bandai/Sunrise has been really bossing it these last couple of years with the UC timeline post CCA.
  5. lechuck
    Maybe you don't mean it that way, but I do feel a bit insulted by this. I do get it, I do my personal research and I know exactly what I'm buying into as I would assume many others do too. Value of something is determined by everyone's own personal quality gates and priorities and is not only a matter of the digits in a price tag. Additionally one should always factor in the degree of engineering, moving parts, paint application or the amount of accessories and how the sum of all of that is implemented. It is not a fair price comparison to say Hound or Sunstreaker are more expensive than Sideswipe or Prowl because build and approach are decidedly different between those two MP eras. I don't consider myself a zealot giving Takara approval just to rip me off, I'm giving Takara approval because I genuinely think what is on offer is value for money to me.
  6. lechuck
    Suprised? Are Macross collectors any different or better when it comes to preferring or neglecting modes? Yamato's YF-21 - absolutely garbage Battroid/Gerwalk mode, yet so many still like it only because fighter mode is super slim. Even in the Bandai YF-21 thread you get the impression that the majority still do not want to concede or compromise on the jet fighter side and would rather have a repeat of things like with the Yamato. Or how about the Yamato 1/48 VF-1 - terrible, terrible Battroid proportions, but still liked. Why? Because of fighter mode. VF-4, again very little in the way of critical response to the poor implementation of Battroid mode, because everyone just cares to display it in jet mode. So this "unconcerned-ness" is not just a Transformers collectors attitude, it just as much manifests itself in Macross and other collector groups as well. That's exactly the point or maybe that's the point people still don't understand - MP-52 was intended to do that from the get go. I don't know how or where this notion came from that it was supposed to ever emulate a F-15 as realistic as possible. Why are Transformers Masterpieces less premium than Macross toys? What does premium even mean in this context, by price comparison? If you are talking about Hybrid/Hasui era of toys, then I would agree. But anything starting around Shockwave/Inferno can hold its own, they have higher grade of engineering and refinement - more fluidity between the modes, elimination of clunk and gaps, better articulation and better proportions. How comfortable would you feel if toy company made a VF-1 toy that is supposedly a weird hybrid of previous toys, real world F-14 and a bit of animation, but in the end only remotely resembles its original animation or line art? That is essentially what everyone here is asking G1 fans to accept and endure!? MP-3, -11 and the 3P interpretations are not what die-hard or casual fans envision when you mention Starscream. Except they are not toys that are based exactly on the cartoon drawings - Takara are not a bunch of amateurs, they have their own in-house artists/designers that rework the original cartoon drawings and make them look more refined. Various scans from the Transformers Generations books have proven this, e.g. this is not really the same as this I don't know what you see, but latter drawing looks more real robot mechanical to me - yet still maintaining that dynamic and emotive vibe from the original cartoon. And a lot of that has been translated into MP-44, when I pick him up I don't really see any so-called cartoon dorky- or goofiness in its appearance or proportions. In fact this is what I really like with the latest Takara MPs compared to 3P stuff, that fine balance and subtleness between homage-ing the emotive cartoon robot and at the same time still having a certain degree of being mechanically grounded. With 3P I never get that, e.g. see TE-01 or the announced Perceptor and Soundwave, cartoon designs but the robots look very stiff and lack any kind of verve - just very lifeless. Is hybrid design with make-believe greeblies on the surface all that counts for it to be a true and better Masterpiece than the other ones? Awkward proportions, clumsy silhouettes, weak articulation, hollow spaces, big gaps and unengaging transformations don't make these earlier "Masterpieces" standout toys. What's the point of making or buying something like that? Might as well just get even cheaper mainline Transformers toys with the exact same shortcomings.
  7. lechuck
    Similar situation, was first going to preorder the Takara release, but now I am just going to wait until it goes on sale. You can tell this thing has Hasbro's usual budget/price capping written all over it. It's 2021 and they still have not understood what it means to make a premium collectible toy. I am appreciative of the fact that Takara has full control of the real MP line and Hasbro does not interfere with it.
  8. lechuck
    Bonnie Tyler has that effect on people!
  9. lechuck
    Some good news... Hathaway movie is coming to Netflix soon! Probably explains why I encountered MSG movie trilogy and CCA announcements on my Netflix recently.
  10. lechuck
    Thanks @technoblue. I look forward to what you have planned with Arcee and the Azaleas.
  11. lechuck
    Still a month to go, but yeah... excitement for MP-52 is kicking in slowly. Pre-ordered from AJ, so thankfully I won't need to wait another two weeks before it lands at my doorstep. MP Arcee is great – an idealized version of her, but still a very cohesive and engaging robot. The whole chest thing has become a none-issue for me. I would have preferred a more squared off abdominal/waist section and a little bit of rearward hip movement, but that's about it for critique.
  12. lechuck
    Awesome, but I worry about those blue shoulder pauldrons. They are stuck on my Wolverine and to this day I have not figured out how to get them to move freely without applying to much force and breaking the small ball-joint connection in the shoulder. Better pre-order as production runs seem much smaller as of late, not as much stock floating around after release as it use to be with Mafex figures. Also, Feb. 2022 release date for Jean, got to love how Medicom lives in denial with themselves...
  13. lechuck
    Shamelessly copying & pasting from TFW2005 a translated interview with one of the MP designers which was done for the Generations 2021 book (translation originates from -> here). Quite interesting to read were we stand with the MP line, looks like Takara is changing the approach and deciding for each character how far they want to go premium with the toy. Anyway here is the interview:
  14. lechuck
    My very first ThreeZero DLX Siege Optimus Prime came in this week and I must say that I am impressed with the product. I figured not many have bought into this product, so thought I would share a quick review... That battle worn appearance in sculpt and paint work is just bonkers how good it looks. From the outside Optimus is mostly plastic with the exception of the die-cast feet. But there is still a lot of heft to him, because metal is used everywhere internally for structural integrity. It could be a full endoskeleton, but definitely metal along the crucial articulation points. Speaking of which, the articulation is great - head goes all directions, double-hinged shoulders that can pivot inward, beautifully smooth torso and ab-crunch movement, bicep swivel and deep elbow bend, hands are on a ball joint, there is a drop-down mechanism at the pelvis for hips/legs to moved forward nicely, thigh swivel and double-jointed knee bend and the feet can be placed in any position you want. There is an integrated light-up feature (requires two LR44 batteries) for Optimus that will make the eyes, windscreen and the cab roof lights illuminate. Size wise the figure is about 25-26 cm tall or slightly bigger than MP-44, a bit unfortunate as I would have liked to mix this guy in with the other MPs. For accessories ThreeZero packs in a couple of different hands, Optimus' signature gun, the Siege axe and shield and a adjustable stand. As for complaints... I suppose my biggest issue is related to the light-up gimmick or better said dead eye syndrome. I wish ThreeZero would have provided a second head with painted eyes, because I normally don't keep toys like these continuously lit up. Also getting to the battery compartment and on/off switch is not quite as elegant as I would like, it requires removing the back plate and then removing a screw to finally remove the head. I could accept doing that for the batteries once in a while, but the switch should have been placed somewhere outside. That being said, ThreeZero have understood that without the usual transformation gimmick their robot toy must deliver a USP that can offer a different kind of substantial value to the potential buyer and personally I think they have achieved it. This is a great product worth spending on if this type of toy is your thing.
  15. lechuck
    For an early prototype the engineering looks promising. Feet have room to move and pivot and the knees are separate pieces, so hopefully deep knee bend. Unlike Phoenix the thighs have the correct proportional length and the hip-joints are not constantly in plain sight, arms are closer to the body. Also some nice attention to details like the slanting shoulder line and the trapezoidal shaped forearms. Hopefully the transformation is more intricate and not just sliding and swinging giant sections of the toy around.
  16. lechuck
    Hard disagreement with your assessment, if anything the alternate robot parts and compression of alt-mode helps with proportions and the overall robot silhouette as well as fills in void spots in different areas, which in turn grants space to implement a better range of articulation. This is a higher degree of engineering to get it all right, it is not just sticking it in the backpack as you put it. The alternative approach of quickly extending, unfolding and realigning chunks of alt-mode just leads to unsightly robots – wide chest, protruding belly, limbs being too long or short and larger void spaces and gaps like we have seen with most of the Hasui-hybrid era. Have a closer look at Skids, the shoulders sit too far apart from the main body, arms are too thin and the outward-up movement has been shifted to the shoulder wheel-pauldron thingy instead of naturally coming from an axle joint at the body - because keeping with the actual alt-mode front car facia and lower engineered sophistication will dictate and enforce such unbalance on the robot mode. Don't get me wrong, I am not against some part of the actual alt-mode being used for the robot, as long as it doesn't ruin appearance/proportions or limit the versatility in articulation.
  17. lechuck
    Make no mistake, MP Skids is Takara bringing their A-game at making an absolute bargain bin Masterpiece Transformer, bereft of so many things on so many levels. The gap between regular retail Transformers and this MP is not very big, it could probably pass as a leader or commander class Skids toy in Hasbro's line. It's ironic many in the fandom complained about supposedly unwarranted high MP prices and yet 70 - 80 dollars for this MP Skids is suddenly great deal. I would have preferred to pay more for a better engineered robot toy that provides a richer engagement and experience. Your best bet is probably to order it from Amazon (US site). I did a quick check and could not find it yet, but it should eventually become available for ordering.
  18. lechuck
    Recently picked up the Code Geass Resurrection movie and need some insight (no spoilers please). Is it necessary to watch the three prior movies because they change things up or can I jump in from the TV series ending?
  19. lechuck
    Woah! Skywarp looking good, nice semi-gloss paint/plastic black with a fitting tone of purple/lavender. Shame it's TT Mall exclusive again. Can't wait to get this new seeker mould in hand.
  20. lechuck
  21. lechuck
    New coloured images of Skids and new character Reboost (?) More importantly though - it seems Takara has tweeted that MP Skyfire is on the way! Really hope it is the actual him and not Jetfire or some other derivative of him.
  22. lechuck
    Anyone have experience shopping Transformers at Mandarake? What does the specific condition "Opened, package damaged" imply, is the plastic tray still sealed and only the tape on the outer box been opened? Only purchased unopened or tape resealed from them so far and have obviously fared well with that type of condition.
  23. lechuck
    Initially I wanted to preorder Mk. V, but decided to play the waiting game to see if we get a Silver Bullet Suppressor.
  24. lechuck
    I keep seeing and reading this everywhere anytime someone wants to bang on the modern MPs. Where or what in your opinion is this supposedly general lower quality that has manifested itself with Takara's latest MP releases? Yes, I acknowledge the plastics on Hound were breaking and the quality is not good, but he has to be considered an outlier in the bigger scope of things. Since then we have had Tigertron, reissue MP-39, Spinout, Arcee, Leo Convoy and Black Convoy and there have been no reports of greater quality issues with them. There will unfortunately always be that one toy that was assembled early Monday morning with misalignments, paint issues or even broken pieces, but that is not evidence of something fundamentally wrong in the MP line. As for Skids... looks decent I guess, but that's part of problem. Nothing here that is pushing the limits or where you could see Takara going for that excellence type of mentality. I could be wrong, but the prototype doesn't bode well when it comes to articulation either - lazy and limiting implementation like during the Hybrid/Hasui era, that would be a big disqualifier for me. As it stands, I think I might sit out the pre-order and wait for AJP to have a sale. Crazy times, I actually want to pre-order a MPM over a MP Transformer.
  25. lechuck
    There is also some new prototype images of MP Skids
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