drifand

The gee-whiz accorded to the Yamatos seems to have reduced the appeal of the 1/55s down to just "nostalgia" and durability. Call it nostalgia if you like, but the 1/55s will always remind me of the original days of SDF Macross in a way no modern toy can. It set a precedent for transforming toys back then, having actually performed the sequence as depicted in the show with no removal of parts. Talk about inaccuracies of the sculpt and swing bar doesn't mean much to me in light of what the toy achieved 20 years ago with available materials and technology. In today's world of snap-fit Gunpla perfection, the 1/48 finally made the mark in terms of quality and overall effort where the 1/60 failed, but at a pretty high price. Whatever shortcomings the 1/48 has simply gives me more reason to appreciate the originals.

Caution. Disappointment. Better toy alternatives.

I'll say it for you then: Why sell parts when we can sell the whole toy again for a lot more?

Only recall one such film, but it's an early 70's flick. PHASE IV. Ants gain super intelligence through aliens. Scientists sent to communicate become overwhelmed... I think. Busty chick!

Paint chips are unavoidable, especially around the areas Kamui 77 said. 1. The chest pieces have to lock securely to the bottom of the hood in robot mode. Result is a definite paint chip at the contact points. But not noticeable in car mode since it's underneath. 2. The steering struts on the wheels/shoulders may scrape the surrounding area if you're not careful rotating the arms during transformation. I haven't scratched mine yet, but it's defintely a damage prone area. 3. Edges of doors. Close fit = potential to scrape. Be gentle. 4. Connector clips in car mode. No way to avoid. After you pull them apart and put them back together the first time, chances are, the clips will be chipped. Don't think too much about it, they're either out of sight or under the car. Some other chips may occur because you might be gripping the toy too tightly somewhere while wrestling with the un-budging knee and ankle joints. Don't let frustration get the better of you!

If money is an issue, why not KEEP the 1/60s and DON'T BUY any more 1/48s except the really important ones? The Q-Rau and hope-for Destroids are most likely coming out in 1/60 or 1/72 scale. It's more fun to have everything in the same scale... Of course, if you only like the VF-1s, by all means stick to 1/48s all the way. No one knows if every variation will be released though.

Never buy the first version of any Yamato transforming toy. Snide conspiracy theories aside, Yamato has a perfect record of "improving" their products after 2 or 3 iterations. Nothing they made for Macross so far is so good or well thought-out that revisions weren't just asked for, but in fact required to make the product live up to its original intentions. If the sales for the VE-1 and VT-1 were good enough you bet they'll have some kind of Rev 2 out half a year later - with chestplates that actually slide properly during transformation. And yes, I am a blatant Yamato cynic.

Looks like there's more than ONE issue/version of the Trendmasters diecast toy out there. Some of you have had good experiences with it, but I'm certain later-made versions under TM were absolutely horrid. I bought one such set BRAND NEW and the chrome parts were already flaky, the paint job sloppy and the diecast parts fitted together with big gaps. Oh, and one of the lions came with backwards fitted legs! So... I think the problem is that if you buy online, you can't really tell if you're getting one of the "good" Trendmaster diecasts or the "crap" ones. Unless you see it for yourself, the Taiwanese bootleg LIONBOT is still a safer bet for the budget conscious.

Shirow getting better at 3DCG? Or is he hiring better assistants? ;-) Those overly complex and layered "virtual environment" graphics in MMI actually look good - TOO GOOD compared the stilted and polygonized "real life" architecture scenes. I'd never be able to prove it but it sure looks like he has at least 2 assistants specializing in different aspects of 3DCG. He probably provides a quick sketch of the layout and lets the assistants flesh out the environment for his approval. Check out how he transitioned the beautiful line-art for the "Osprey" tilt rotor to stiff-as-a-log CG model in MMI Ch5... Ack. I was already pretty disappointed with the CG aspects in ID2 Blades... is it really better in ID3? The cover seemed to be no better.

Never had the opportunity to watch it. VIFAM was one of those series where the mecha designs appealed to me regardless of what the story turns out to be. They're some of Kunio Okawara's better real-robot efforts. The old HCM toys are pretty nifty. :-)

Because the Club-M 1/48 doesn't transform, it can afford to have a nicer canopy and oversized landing gear. That's still the nicest fighter-mode only VF-1 around - you just hafta build it yourself!

Hear! Hear! I've followed GITS2MMI right up to Vol 7 now, and guess what? When the color dropped out in chapter 5, the story really improved a lot! Wow! What a relief to see his hand drawn art again! It was like he had to focus on what he wanted to portray and was forced to draw the foreground much clearer AS IT SHOULD BE. When the CG returned briefly I was actually disappointed, but it soon dropped out again (Yay!). I'm relishing the b/w issues for as long as they last - I know the big finale will be CG'd to heck. :-) Some pages in 6 or 7 featured a mix of styles - hand drawn art that was CG colored. THAT I have no problem with.

This topic often comes up on ToyboxDX too. Basically, the folks who have most of the versions recommend getting the Lionbot over the Trendmasters diecast version, especially if you're strapped for cash. The Trendmasters diecast version is badly made and fits together terribly. The Lionbot has much better fit and finish, but ultimately cannot be as good as the original POPY DX or Godaikin versions. Getting the originals will set you back a big chunk of cash, though!

Yes, I do like the Big Dan - the neck problem was a minor irritant because it only fell out if you put the toy thru gymnastics. The styling and construction was first class! It WAS overpriced though, mainly because Bandai seemed to have held back production numbers to frustrate the discount sellers in HK and elsewhere from "devaluing" the MSRP. In truth, it should have sold for about $150+. Still, it is the biggest ticket item I've paid for in recent times, so it'll be a gauge for me. :-)

Any folks remember the big hooha over the SOC Dancouga? That thing weighed 1.1kg with 30 parts in diecast for 4 over-engineered multi-form combiner robots (and a crap neck joint). Cost? About $200 to $250 depending on your breaks. That will be my personal gauge for value when the pricing and details for the 1/60 Monster are released.

Imitation is the best form of flattery :-)

I need to know what I'll be getting for my money first! No confirmation on materials, gimmicks or cost so far. Trying very hard to keep my expectations low - less to WHINE about if it sucks.

Wow wow wow!!! Why didn't my toy come with a bevy of racequeens?

The Returner. Starring Takeshi Kaneshiro (good guy), Anne Suzuki (the not-so little girl), Goro Kishitani (over-the-top baddie). Decent time-travel/prevent alien-invasion flick with good SFX and comic-book action set-pieces. Only slightly bad acting by the good guy's scientist-type, and some poor English from the girl at the end. If they want to have a wide release in the US, the makers really ought to re-dub the bad-English dialogue. Pity to have a fun film spoiled by a groaner right at the end. As it is, the DVD is probably only available in Japan and parts of SE Asia.

Ha! Check out the "What's wrong with my Yamato" thread that's pinned to the top of the board. It's not that they are ALL bad - it's just you can never tell if the one you just bought is going to make you a victim. Overall, the 1/48s are better made than the 1/60s. If you choose to go for a 1/60, the better ones are the VF-1S Strike, VF-1J Super Valk or the Max & Milia Super 1Js. Most of the other 1/60s have "issues" in various parts, even the newest 1D, VE-1 and VT-1. Bandai's reissued 1/55 valks are based on a rock solid 20-year old design, with minor improvements to the swap-out heatshield/cockpit. Folks who like it do so because it represents what was state-of-the-art toy design back when Macross first aired on TV. The reissues are the cheapest way to get a piece of that nostalgia.

Yes Abombz, You hit the nail on the head. I was wondering WHAT was bothering me when I saw those hangar pix of the PG '01. The LEGS! They seem just a little too fat and short compared to the MG. I expect there'll be plenty of Max Watanabe remodelling pictorials in Dengeki and hobby Japan before too long. :-)

I paid the equivalent of US$45 for mine and i don't think it's worth more than $60 or $70 tops. 'Rarity' is a relative thing to individual collectors. Unless you're looking to complete the whole Yamato line-up, the new sculpt for the 19 will be the one to get.

Hey, those screen-capped valks could have been part of the Blue Roses if not for the white patches on the legs...

Ah! But first you have to get to the joints! The legs are the main culprit here. Very hard to get them to slide out into their correct positions, during which it's possible to break the rear windshield if you're not careful. Just make sure you take your time with this "masterpiece". Once you've got it right the first time, putting it back will be much eaiser.

I donno, my local dealer brought in the diecast version and that's what I got. From the box, it shows Japanese text describing the toy, plus a big TAKARA logo of course. The Subaru logo is also shown on the side panels. I guess the plastic version will come in a box with HASBRO markings etc.