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technoblue

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  1. technoblue
    With those Valkyries, I would try to get two armor sets. The 101 and 202 armors seem like a good match, and will get you more accessories (since 202 has a different loadout). I agree that 000 is a good color neutral choice if you can only spring for one set.
  2. technoblue
    I'm leaning more in that direction, myself, but G1 accuracy isn't the issue for me. I think it's FT's tendency to over-engineer designs. That may be a side-effect of going absolute toon, and it might have always been there (@mikeszekely talks about it from time to time) but I just hit my limit. For their earlier releases, it didn't bother me as much. Now, I find it frustrating. I'll keep an eye on Maketoys' Cross Dimension Rodimus. That might be a good option for something different (and they're doing Galvatron too). Seeing more FansProject items is a welcome surprise! I like the Apeface renders, and yes FP's Roller is an improvement over MMC's. I think MMC missed an opportunity by making their version of the character a repaint. Hm... I'm liking MakeToys' Wiseblast (Brainstorm) too. I need to stop looking at those TFCon slides. My wish list keeps growing whenever I go back to click through them.
  3. technoblue
    Gigapower's Grimlock (Superator) is enormous! I really appreciate the scale reference with MP-10 given over on the TFW boards. http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/gigapower-grimlock.1100804/page-27 I wasn't sure what to expect from this version of Grimlock at first. I mean, the old 3D print and the white prototype seemed plain to me. The latest grey prototype shows how much work GP has been putting into the figure since those reveals, though. The greebles are back (yay), and GP reshaped Grimlock's chest, and also rounded out his shoulders. I also like the accents that were added to the throne. I wonder if it will be included with Grimlock as an accessory or if it will be offered as a separate item? Edit: Fans Toys... The TFCon slides are up over at TFW. Hoodlum's colors look much better in the slides. I'm curious about Hoodlum's height after seeing this image. Is it variable? can you make him short (a la Hot Rod) and then make him tall (a la Rodimus) and then add the older/mature face? If so, then FT is boldly borrowing elements from MP-09 and MP-28. I have to say, this pulls off Rodimus well, but I'm still anxious about what happened with Rouge. I hope this guy ranks closer to fun on the transformation scale. Edit 2: Woops! Is that the KO MP-10 Voyager Prime? That would make a difference.
  4. technoblue
    Very excited for Skycrow and Lightning. I received my pre-order invoice late last night. Cross-Dimension Buster Skywing is a day-one pre-order for me. I love the modern look of the unpainted prototype. Although I'm not expecting anything, it would be pretty awesome if MT had time to mock up a color prototype for a special reveal later during the convention. I wonder what else is planned? Also, I think MMC's Skylynx has won me over. That, and I'm up for more of those DJD bots. Nickel and the Pet look good. Sometimes I wish we had more of a selection from third-party companies in this smaller Reformatted-ish scale. It seems exclusive to MMC, Planet-X, and FansHobby. Speaking of Planet X, I'm in for those Insecticons too. And are they dipping their feet into IDW? Deathsaurus looks very good to me! Wow. Did SND finish their Nova Prime kit? It's been three years in the making and I gotta say it looks fantastic. FansToys isn't really speaking to me. I think that's the first time they've shown Hoodlum, but I find that I like Takara's face and paint more (even though the official version sits low in alt mode). I'll save final judgement until I see FT's future car, but I was burnt by Rouge--once bitten, twice shy and all. I was hoping to see Quietus in another pose. The A-stance seems limiting. How many companies are doing TM2 Megatron? Here be dragons.
  5. technoblue

    Hi-Metal R

    technoblue replied to joppewo's topic in Toys

    Yeah, the black and white strip is a neat artsy box art design used for most of the HM-R Valkyrie releases. Props to @jenius again for the images. Messer's VF-1S, Sylvie's VF-2SS, the HM-R Destroids, and all the non-Macross HM-R releases (I think), have full color box art images.
  6. technoblue
    Nice photo, @Lolicon. Even though you are using Hikaru is a placeholder, I really like the warm juxtaposition of this impromptu scene that you have set up. We get a younger version of Roy and an older version of Hikaru flying together in formation. Yeah, things that make you go, hm...
  7. technoblue
    What @Sanity is Optional wrote above. Try to set the order up ahead of time if you can. If you can't, then you will need to wait until Arcadia reopens orders on their site for the two-day sale. At the moment, everything is showing up as out of stock. I guess that will change next Thursday or Friday? FJ processes orders during their business hours (9am to 6pm Japan Time). Once Arcadia's site is ready, follow FJ's instructions below (Arcadia's shop falls under FJ's other category). I've been using them more for pre-orders and don't have any experience with turn-around time on a limited sale. For popular items it may be a your mileage may vary thing. For other items, you should do okay? Either way if you choose to try them out, good luck!
  8. technoblue
    Unfortunately, I think @HardlyNever is on point. FromJapan is a proxy service and they will notify you if something happens to the item when shipping from the domestic shop to their warehouse. For such cases, they will work with you to make it right. Otherwise, you are beholden to the domestic shop's policies. Rakuten is more of an e-commerce site like Amazon. The descriptions for items at that site do not always include complete details like you see on auction sites (like eBay or Yahoo). I think that is why Rakuten provides the stipulation that the "state" of any used items might differ from their posted description. To me, this means that there could be missing parts and paperwork, as well as scratches and defects. Anyway, in my own experience, I've received Valkyries with physical defects from Rakuten. Buying used can be easier on the wallet, but it is still a gamble of sorts and it sucks when things go sideways. I ended up using my bum purchases as parts Valkyries in the end. The up side, in your case, is that you are only missing paperwork. That isn't as bad as a physical defect. You might even be able to get a copy of the instructions if you really need them on hand to learn the transformation.
  9. technoblue
    Buyee and FromJapan both have a good rep. As @wmkjr notes, they differ in how they charge fees and in what services they offer so it’s good to shop around. Myself, I’ve been using FromJapan. I went through them to buy the PF SDF-1 directly from Arcadia’s shop. I provided FJ a direct link to Arcadia’s shop and some pictures of the item I wanted, and that started the process. Suffice it to say, It went very well. There was some superficial damage to the SDF-1’s original shipping box when it was traveling about Japan, but I was notified when FJ received it. FJ repackaged everything for its overseas trip to me in the US. No issues there. Also, the proxy fees are clearly stated so no cost is hidden (IMO). One thing I’m not familiar with is the different shopping apps. For better or worse, I usually hunker myself down behind a computer to buy stuff.
  10. technoblue
    I’m curious to see a Blomkamp Robocop, actually. I wonder how he will bring the old scrpt to life and if he will add any of his stylistic cues. With regard to his other films, yeah, District 9 is my favorite although I gotta admit that I found something to like in both Elysium and Chappie. I have yet to see that short film he did with Weaver.
  11. technoblue
    That’s a better machine translation than the one I got earlier. Thanks, @apptt4. I’m looking forward to the SV-51 update the most. With luck, maybe Arcadia will have more than a picture to share?
  12. technoblue

    Bandai DX VF-31

    technoblue replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    The 31A situation is the worst, with so many customers being kept in limbo for months. I think what NY is doing goes way beyond patience.
  13. technoblue
    I totally understand and empathize with this point. I'm going to keep to the two leaders myself, although I could make an exception for an MP Blackarachnia (if she ever materializes) and then stick to the rule of three.
  14. technoblue
    The Wonderfest advert that @sh9000 posted above notes that they will have an update on the SV-51y, including a PF version (if the robot translator isn't deceiving me).
  15. technoblue
    I wonder how well Lego will fair with the artsy curves of the DB5? If the Volkswagen sets are anything to go by, Lego might get very close to the car's silhouette and we might get some new pieces out of it too. That would be fun.
  16. technoblue
    After waffling all day, I PO'd MP-43. I cannot abstain from a Megatron that transforms into a T-Rex and who promotes oral hygiene. I ended up going with Amazon Japan in the end.
  17. technoblue
    Beast Wars was on television when I was an undergrad. Sometimes I'd try to catch the show between afternoon classes. Initially, I didn't warm up to it because of how far afield it was from other Transformers series. The organic look was uncanny, and the dated CG didn't help me overcome my initial distaste. Still, I went back to it later and gave it another chance. The story is what hooked me the second time, as it tends to do when things are well written (and when I can survive filler episodes). Now I rank BW fairly high like Animated and Prime. With MP-43, sure the MSRP is a shocker, but there are plenty of shops with 30% plus discounts available meaning that fans don't have to worry so much about the price if this is on their "to buy" list. If not, then it's $220 to $320 saved depending on who you buy from. I'm looking at Amazon Japan or AmiAmi, myself--need to make that go/no go decision tonight. As an aside, it would be cool to see more than just the G1, Movie, and BW MPs. Maybe some day.
  18. technoblue
    And here I am having sold off my MP BW collection. I knew I should have held on to Primal, at least. If I cave and pick up Dino Megs then I'll have to pick up the monkey again. Good thing Primal is getting a reissue.
  19. technoblue
    So it’s just a blog post on Arcadia’s premium finish releases? That’s cool. I was hoping for some news, myself. Maybe the news is still pending. The post did mention they “are planning various product developments” and it will be interesting to see if Arcadia continues the PF line with these after Max’s 1J release next month.
  20. technoblue
    No fatigue for me. If companies want to make a good Optimus Prime (or any Prime, for that matter), I'm interested. At last count, I have eight different versions of Optimus (at various scales). Collecting Prime isn't exactly like collecting Macross Valkyries, but I do have about as many versions of Optimus in my Transformers collection as I do seekers. I think that's funny in a good humored way. I agree that the new pics from Transform Element are improved from the initial static snapshot. My original concerns have been bumped down to nitpicks. I'm looking forward to the colored samples now. This could definitely be a contender if Takara drops the ball on v3 Prime.
  21. technoblue
    Oof. I'm not keen on either of the third-party versions. I think the proportions are off in the shoulders and the chest, and the newcomer has an odd looking head sculpt which doesn't strike my fancy. If G1 toon accuracy is the goal, I think Takara is meeting that goal with its prototype. Prime and Megatron are both leaders of their respective factions, and are given balanced heroic features to highlight that fact. The pelvis isn't something that I find outrageous, but I'm also not one to over analyze it. Speaking as a tall guy, Takara's robot pelvis for Prime looks about right to me. The one thing I will concede is that we get to see the new 3P Primes from all angles, even the back side. Both 3P Primes look like they have a good clean solution for bot mode. I hope it doesn't compromise the alt mode too much. Magic Square appears to have the same thick leg issue that MP-10 has for alt mode, which isn't great but isn't horrible. Takara's v3 Prime looks to improve on MP-10 in that regard, although we have yet to see how all the transforming bits and bobs connect on the official Prime from all angles. It could be clean with a minimum of kibble or it could be messy like Megatron. The other concern I have with the official version is price. Takara is inching close to Arcadia premium prices for official Masterpiece Transformers.
  22. technoblue
    Maybe. But, for me, turning the stickers into printed details would make Basara's VF-19 an instant classic. I mean, just look at that sticker sheet on the lower right. There's plenty of detail to work with (credit to @jenius for the image).
  23. technoblue
    This news is great for me, but not so great for my wallet. Items that Arcadia has sold in the past, eh? Does this mean we have a chance of seeing a PF VF-19 Kai with Soundbooster? I wonder how far back Arcadia plans to take this? I'm very curious.
  24. technoblue
    Thank you, @M'Kyuun. That’s unfortunate about the ship in a bottle. I’ve also seen reviews noting that the released ideas set isn’t easy to move around once complete. That is, the bottle pieces can come apart, which can lead to a potential disaster. Chubbybots mod for the Hulkbuster is excellent. I have it. I’ll keep an eye out to see if he or anyone else comes up with something like that for Voltron.
  25. technoblue
    I have no mouth, and I must scream. I was introduced to his short stories as an undergrad. They were enthralling, and some were even a bit provocative. They’re a recommended read, if you haven’t given them a shot already. Farewell, Mr. Ellison.
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