This is my main gripe!!! There's a huge gap between the start of the canopy and the black stripe from the nosecone. You are right this makes for an elongated looking torso.
I don't like the mac donalds valk either but I don't know why I like that static fighter. I got the 1/60 Yamato and I like it in fighter too (transformed once to battroid and went back to fighter). Will make final judgement when I see more detailed pics.
How can bandai get the stripes on the chest so wrong??
The VF-1J has the placement and the angle completely wrong, but on the VF-1S the black and yellow stripes are not even consistent between each other.
I'm not that sold on the proportions either, The nosecone/forward fuselage appears to be small and too narrow compared to the rest of the battroid.
Hope the proportions will be balanced between all three modes. I'm too partial to the 1/60 Yamato/Arcadia VF-1.
I'm in the same camp as you I too prefer Arcadia. But competition is certainly a good thing. I still want repaints of the Arcadia 1/60 YF-19 which is a beauty IMO.
And if the only way to get enemy mecha is through Bandai 1/100 Hi Metal line then so be it.
I'm really liking battroid (except the back kibble). Could be interpreted as a boring design in battroid with all the straight lines and boxy legs but it works for me.