drifand

Your best bet is to visit www.toyboxdx.com and check out the Datafiles, specifically the "GB" section of the POPY files. Personally, I've only got the big POPY plastic version... would love to own the DX diecast but the prices were already very high back in the late 90's.

Heh... believe it or not, the Legioss is perched on a stand originally included with the crappy Kotobukiya VR-Temjin. THAT toy fell apart if you so much as looked at it wrong – the monoshaft joints were simply too fragile even for long-term static display. However, the special angled stand seems to be made of sturdier stuff; it has held up the weighty Legioss at that swooping angle for over 2 years without a sign of stress. I first thought of using that stand when I couldn't find anything else that would let me dynaimcally display the Legioss in all 3 modes. I love using improvised props to help give more life to my displays. :-) Bandai really should release the last 4 1/55 biggies, but if they did, you can be sure of a hefty mark-up (as usual). I believe they mis-understood the fan-popularity for the 1/55 series. They thought it was uniform across the board when in fact, certain models carried more weight with fans. Many simply wanted to own the DX sets that were too pricey to get on the vintage market.

The 1/55's are the true foundation on which Macross Toydom is built on. I'd never trade any of my original TTs for a 1/48! :-)

And about those DVD covers... WEAK graphic design. Who still uses such fuddy-duddy mid-80s' era 'digilog' style typefaces for a 'cyberspace-look' logotype? No excuse at all with all the rich material they have, AND the stylish precedent of the Jp releases. I'll wait for the set to be completed, then do up a custom set of covers to be output on a color laser. Even the UK R2 covers look better than the R1's! Outside of Japan, it's really quite sad to say that the HK pirated editions have the best looking and well-produced covers - completed with hot foil-stamped holographic elements. Very tempting they are, except for the poor subtitling (for now...)

I initiated a return on Amazon and they replied real quick - seems like I wasn't alone in this second episode of Quality Un-assurance. But since Amazon doesn't know when things will really, REALLY be fixed, they could only refund/credit back my original purchase and shipping. Not bad for service, but I'm still missing what I ordered... and Amazon is out 2 bum DVDs PLUS international shipping costs. Shame on you, Bandai! So next, I went to Bandai-Ent.com and filed a complaint about the situation. Surprise... another fast, non-form letter reply! A real life person over there has promised me a direct replacement from Bandai "once stocks arrive". Oh well, I guess that's as good as it gets.

UPDATE: Replacement 'Standard' DVD is still DTS encoded! I got my free replacement from Amazon today, but once I plonked the disc into my Mac, the DVD player asked, "Continue from previous playback?" (as in the first mislabeled DTS disc)... and my heart sank. Going to the menu confirmed it: Destardly Tricky Sound. I wonder how much money this double screw-up is costing Amazon and Bandai? Grrrrrrrrrrr!!

Just got my Amazon order delivered today and yes, the SAC Vol 2 disc is one of the Mangled™ ones. But lo! I also recieved an email from Amazon that they have been informed of the problem and have the correct disc ready for replacement. A quick click on the provided link for 'returns' and after a couple of steps, I was provided a postage/shipping refund tag as well. But the best part is, after submitting my return claim online, the auto email reply confirms that for overseas orders, the replacement is FOC, no return required. Amazon may not be the cheapest, but their service sure is great!

This is just my opinion: Book-style boxes are cool! IF they're designed right. I actually find the Toynami ones a bit cheesy and loud design-wise. Overly bright colors, chintzy gold etc, but probably perfect for the target US market. As for Yamato's packaging, you might say they are already kind-of book-style, once you factor in the lift-up flap. They have made huge improvements in they toy design/manufacturing with the 1/48, but seriously, their graphic/package design dept is only so-so. I think their older series of diecast Super Robots had a much better design effort than whole Macross series. I guess when you're selling stuff with a built-in fan-base, the extra effort and cost of doing really spiffy packaging just seems to take away from your profits.

It is NOT just a matter of wrong labels. DTS discs have no space for the extras like interviews and textless OP/ED sequences. I'm one of those who didn't have the need for DTS and ordered the normal edition. Now for a tricky problem: Amazon is remarkably good about replacing wrong/bad products, but sometimes they act too quickly for anyone's good! When I complained about a badly encoded DVD for Patlabor 2 (mangled by Manga, of course), Amazon express-shipped a replacement copy to me for free, no return required! Unfortunately, of course the new disc is just as flawed. I tried to explain the situation in my original complaint, but it seems to be a "stock response" from Amazon for replacing defective goods. Now I've got a feeling my SAC Vol 2 which shipped quite early this week is one of those affected discs. Should I wait till Bandai announces a fix before telling Amazon? (Tell them now and get a Free-but-useless replacement.) Or will Bandai take too long (2 ~ 3 weeks?) and make ME look like a cheap crook trying to whinge a free DVD from Amazon later? Would Amazon still honor their replacement policy after an extended period?

Have decided not to buy the set. Will keep my LD boxset and hunt for the bootleg DVDs instead.

HERO is a kungfu movie made by a Chinese director for non-Chinese audiences. The un-subtle use of colors and cinematography ARE supposed to wow audiences expecting exotica. Zhang Yimou already has recognition, but CRAVES for popular success, and maybe an Oscar. But the plot? The storytelling? Tired. Hackneyed. The audience at the screening I attended last year LAUGHED at the awkward overacting by Maggie Cheung. More laughter during the arch dialogue during the confrontation between the HERO and the Emperor. Being able to understand the words in original Chinese allows one to appreciate the bad writing, I guess. Hero may be good exotica, but it's crap Chinese cinema. Um. Think of Hero as the Toynami MPC of the kungfu genre. Beautifully packaged gloss, no spirit.

Always glad to know there's fans of Dune around... but after giving the first 2 'prequels' a go, I'd have to say Brian Herbert is simply riding on his dad's fame. For me, the Dune Chronicles ended with the late great Frank Herbert.

Bandai cheaped out on the S.O.P[lastic] Yamato's electronics. The lights and sounds shorted out on mine after leass than 2 weeks. And I do mean SHORTED out, not a case of battery drain. The PVC fins and antennae warp too easily in hot & humid weather. I've stuck mine back in the box. Someday I'll try to get hold of the Chogokin version! :-)

The movie was weak, but one of the comparison points is wrong. In the movie, the asteroids are NOT launched by the bugs (for any reason). Can anyone show a scene where the bugs did so? As they were depicted in the movie, there's no way the bugs could launch an asteroid, not even with their butt cannons. :-P The lost point that the filmmakers wanted to make was that the asteroids were a freak accident, but the fascist govt in the film story wanted to blame SOMEONE for it. The bugs were just handy scapegoats. All explaned on the DVD commentary. Taken on its own, the movie was just plain mindless B-grade fun, grinning-wounded-Carmen and all. The problem is that the book already has such an established fan base, the filmmakers were just asking to be ripped to shreds for their "artistic license". Similar case for David Lynch's DUNE... awesome visuals, poor script that couldn't live up the source material.

No chance of forgiveness until they fix the video transfers for BOTH Patlabor 1 and 2 as well...

And now the Eurofighter Typhoon might just crash on you.

The X-32 didn't look too dainty early on, but I'm already looking back on it with fondness. It seems much more 'purpose-built' than the generic looking X-35. And the STO videos were very convincing.

The dude in the ESWAT getup *could* pass for "Morton", i guess... :-) Neat links!

It was a fun movie, but don't you think the jokes and in-jokes were a little too contemporary? LOTR? OJ? Wait a couple of years and the jokes won't seem as funny anymore. I couldn't finish watching Shrek 1 the last time I spun-up the DVD...

2 good friends failed to persuade me to watch Troy. "It's just a popcorn movie!" No thanks, I'll just go home and read the new issue of Exaxxion instead.

Prefer the better stuff and real toys to display pieces (yeah, many SOCs aren't good for playing). I like toys of realistic mecha over super robots, and dislike exaggerated sculpts over realistic potrayals. Absolutely no more rubbery PVC figures for me. :-)

Guess this doesn't really fall under the 'weapons' thread... Just managed to snag a vintage robo-gun by Bandai from 1983. Very realistic detailing but no diecast, unfortunately. Do check out the RUMBLES on Toybox DX, or go directly to the review here. Cheers! :-)

Childhood 'mistakes' eh? How about the very FIRST TIME anyone got hold of a 'silver paint marker'? Man, I really put that faux-midas touch on any and every toy I had! Silver painted fists on my Soltic, TT 1/55 VF-1S, Mugen Calibur.... you get the picture?

Another vote for Spiral Zone! Check out this golden oldie Datafile on Toybox DX! Another old fav: TOMY's Lensman toys... some of the coolest hard-SF styling for mecha around! Especially for a one-shot anime feature, too! Soon-to-be neglected: TOMY's superb 'Metal-Action' Zoids. 2 uber-cool figures, 3 sets of armor, The End. >(

(Checks out pix) Whoa! Biiiiiiiiig thighs! But seriously, I dislike this 'joke figure' approach to the Protect Gear. Too campy for me.