emerson

Love the 1/48s too! In my mind SIZE is a huge factor when it comes to a toy's appeal. Since I don't play with my toys and would rather have shelf presence, the toy's sculpt and size are most important to me. Throw in paint & coloring as the third criteria and that rounds out the toy's aesthetics. Outside of Macross, for example, I love Marmit's Daigokin line. Huge, shiny, heavy, lusty gokin love. With no features and articulation. But when I walk into my toy room, these guys scream "COOL" off the shelf. Ditto with the Jumbo Grade Gundams. Yep, vintage Jumbo Machinders and modern Fewture's Gigabyte Super Robot figures are aweome too, even more so because of their super funky attitudes. And recently, I've been wondering how great the Popy GA series diecast super robots from the 1970's would be amazing if they were all Chokinzoku-sized, or even modern SOC sized, instead of just the measly 4-inches or so. It's the reason I was so "meh" about the beautiful Wave WHAM SDF-1's, and watch everyone bitch about the size of the upcoming 1/2000 version from Yamato with unabated anticipation. Point is, the biggest incarnations of a toy will always have my vote, even if it is less tricked out in other categories that are, frankly, less important to me. It goes back to tapping into my inner kid; when I first was exposed to these anime titles as a kid, the overriding sense was always "Whoaaaa, biiiiiig, coooool." That robot is taller than my house! That ship has a city in its stomach! Big toys capture that that "oooh ahhh" spirit. The kind where you hold it and grin like a big dumb kid, and your girlfriend, at best rolls her eyes and smiles and reminds herself of your other, many redeeming qualities.

Can't wait! Thanks!

Thanks for the update. Looks great! Any diecast?

Finally, comparison shots of the Atelier Sais and the Yamatos! Thanks!! Do my eyes deceive me, or are the Atelier Sai versions quite a bit larger?

That's what I used to think, and I resisted mightily until just sheer curiosity got the better of me. Even when my first v2 showed up on my doorstep, even while I was opening up the shipping box, I was still hanging tenaciously to my mental comparisons of the v1's elegant nose versus the "snub nose" I'd been seeing in online photos of the v2. When I finally lifted up the outer flap to reveal the valk in the window, I could see that I was wrong. And when I lifted the valk out of the plastic cradle and could see the offending nose in 3D, I could see I was completely wrong. I don't know what it is about the photos, but in person the sculpt is spot on. And the mosquito nose of the v1 really, kinda, sorta is relatively insect-like by comparison.

Man, that is a great shitajiki. And at that price, it's a steal! Thanks for the giant scan. It's my new desktop background.

I have all the 1/48s, and have all the version 2's either in hand or on preorder. I like both scales for different reasons, and will be keeping both. I am definitely keeping the 1/48's, as they certainly have the presence that the smaller valks don't have, regardless of the refinements to their sculpt and engineering. This way, I also have more display options. If my 1/48 DYRL VF-1A Hikaru is displayed FAST-packed in battroid mode, I can display the 1/60 version non-FAST-packed in fighter. Kind of a having your cake and eating it too sitution.

Hey, that WAS pretty good. Some planning went into that, and I agree about the great editing.

The Arcade-Color Millia is pretty cool!

The small pin is quite loose. I have a Beagle version, and the pin fell out the moment I picked up the scope. Not a problem to reinsert, assuming you can find the tiny pin! Oh, and thanks to the folks for reminding me about using Scotch tape to address the floppy head issue. Works like a charm!

Yep, you're absolutely right. It's so strange...the ball on the non-helmeted head is large enough to provide a tight fit in the neck socket. But the ball on the helmeted head is much smaller. It slips into the socket loosely, and the head just hangs....I will definitely try the Scotch tape remedy. Now that you mention it, I DO remember reading about that 2 threads ago. I'm so late to the Beagle game... Anyway, the different size head-balls (sounds weird) is such a random ball for Beagle to drop (pun intended). Other than that, looks great out of the box so far. Am going to have to set aside a good chunk of time to do my first transformation of this thing.

Thanks, >EXO<. I'll give the screw a look later, but I think the problem is more with the ball-and-socket connection between the head and the neck. Neck stands upright...head hangs down on the neck. I'm typing this while on a conference call away from the Mospeada, so hard to say for sure haha....

I just received my Beagle MOSPEADA myself. When I put the helmeted head on the neck of the Stick figure, it's incredibly loose. His head just hangs there. Is this navel-gazing normal? Or am I just doing something completely wrong?

I had initially resisted the impulse to pick up one of these MPC Betas. Actually, in the beginning, it wasn't too much of a strain. The Alphas really turned me off of Toynami fare. But then the CollectionDX HD video review kicked off a slow but steady assault on my resolve that built with each visit to these and other forums praising the toy. So I broke down and purchased one... The Beta finally arrived yesterday, and not only did it become immediately apparent that most of the praise was well-deserved, it became absolutely clear to me why the toy's quality was head and shoulders (and torso, legs and feet) above that of past Toynami offerings... Right there, on the little card included in the packaging, buried several lines beneath the freakin' "Artwork" and "Packaging Design" credits (really?!) were the all-important "Product Design" and "Engineering" credits. Ahem, AOSHIMA. I know this is probably common fact for those who've had more intimate knowledge of the MPC Beta, but this fact seems to be pretty much glossed over. All the reviews, video or otherwise, lavish heaping praise on Toynami. At the end of the day, I am GLAD Toynami executive-produced and brought to the mass market such a fine Aoshima product that, perhaps, might never have otherwise seen the light of day. I just find it interesting that the credit for such fine engineering seems generally misplaced. Anyway, I am no longer scratching my head trying to figure out how Toynami was able to get the Beta so right. By the way, I just learned the included stand does not support the Beta by itself....What are folks using to display this giant, back-heavy diecast brick? The FlexiDisplay stands look like they might be too loose to bear the weight.... Thanks!

Really? Man, my eye (or memory) must have unconsciously objected to the color mis-match and color-corrected it...

Can someone remind me when in DYRL the heatshield was black, and when it was blue? I could have sworn it was blue in the dogfight with Millia...

Man, Vermillion Squad looks great together in those Macross Chronicle pics.

Damn, I would love to see a comparison between the Yamato and Atelier Sai figures...I've got all 4 of the latter, and have been debating whether or not it's worth picking up the Yamato versions.

Interesting...looks like Yamato decided to go with their Votoms-type packaging. i.e., thicker corrugated cardboard, but with no flap and window. Can't wait to get mine from Tokyo Hunter!

Aha, got it. Thanks! The bling is pretty nice.

Dammit. I sold off my CM's Gyakuten-Oh about a year ago, telling myself I wanted only to collect "serious" robots from "serious anime" like Macross. Now these pics make me "seriously" want it back, but it seems pretty hard to find these days. Though I do see a "renewal" version listed on HLJ. Anyone have more information on this? Also, QuinJester, have you seen any comparison pics of the HK-limited Sankan-Oh versus the regular? Both seem equally chrome-y and shiny in the photos I've managed to dig up.... Thanks!

Cool. So the answer to whether the CF 1J is Hikaru-independent or Hikaru-related is Yes and Yes.

I coulda sworn the VF-1J CF seen in the show was just a random one, not Hikaru-associated. I'm about 7,000 miles away from my DVDs right now. Anyone want to confirm or deny?

Wow, wow, wow. Not only the first CF 1J ever produced, but also Yamato's first TV-style CF. Great surprise! The probability of other obscure (but still canon) color schemes now much higher.

I've owned both. Both are the movie sculpt, but feature different paint jobs. Version 1 was dark, shiny and blue. Colors not terribly accurate, but nice to look at nonetheless. Fans were just glad to finally get a movie-version SDF-1 toy. (Previous, vintage incarnations have all been TV-version SDF-1's IIRC). Version 2 went a step further and gave the movie sculpt a matte, shaded paint scheme for improved anime-accuracy. Shifted palette away from blue, and more towards a military gray as well. I sold my Version 1, and replaced with Version 2!