Hiriyu

The MH Ride Armors look a lot better in armor mode when you remove the epaulets from the shoulders of the rider figure - it allows the shoulder armor pieces to sit a few mm lower and really evens out the look of the shoulders. I just got my payment request from VE, so hopefully I'll have my Yellow here soon. I'll definitely do the chest mod posted by Sped a few pages back - that really makes a big visual improvement. Thanks all for posting up the new Beagle promo pics. The stand accessory looks cool. That sucker will be mine.

I have the Namitoy Beta preordered as well. With my luck, I'll have it 2-4 weeks after everybody else has had it in their hands. We'll see what happens.

Check out the second pic in MT's update - the bastard file and razor blade are pretty good indicators. That thing is frikken huge! Great update, MT! Cool anecdote about the 20 too!

I vote Grace. While Kaifun was indeed thoroughly despicable, Grace manages to be even more unlikable, despite being quite good at her job (whatever it actually is).

Wow. Just wow. Phenomenally bad taste. It's probably got a 6-cyl. Wasn't one of the virtues of the original that it was (slightly) stealthy in appearance? The Camaro-based concept looks a million times better IMHO. BigF, wtf is that in your post? A Princess or one of its ill-bred brethren?

Generally speaking, no, not without mods. The 1/60 CF in both TRU and regular flavors do not have the holes in the legs to accomodate the leg pieces (they do have holes there, but they are the wrong diameter and are not symmetrical from one leg to the other). Also, the CFs do not have the slots in the backpack assembly to fit the booster packs. Some mebers have modded theirs to fit, or have used double-sided tape to mount them on the "early" valks - this includes the VF-1A Hikaru, VF-1S Roy (non-Strike), and the VF-1A Max.

The figure proportions are a little funny, yes, but it all makes up for it in armor mode, IMHO. Can't wait to get mine in from VE.

How about some woodgrain cladding?

I agree about the smaller Mu robots - they are the one weak point, design-wise, in the series IMHO. They are at the same time, the most evil/threatening of anyone. Go figure.

Alright, who posted neutral? *Cracks knuckles*

The Bronco II is one of my favorites too. I kick myself every time I think of the 1/48 model that I passed up as a kid, on sale for $2.99 or somesuch ridiculous price. Honestly, I love all of the Orguss mecha. Miyatake really did a great job. The Takatoku representations are uniformly excellent, even though the durability could at times be suspect. Doesn't matter though. Renato, sorry, I was just busting your balls there . I don't even have the Palm Action toys, even though I had preordered them well in advance of release... A certain E-tailer promised to order them for me, but never came through (they're still on 'pending' in my shopping cart, lol). For anyone not in on the joke, the Gerwalk mode of the Orgroid has the arms folded back under the fuselage and between the legs (hey, hey.) I agree, Renato, this series is kick-ass. Kei is most definitely a playa.

I'm glad to see that there have been no neutral or negative votes thus far for this episode - I'd have to personally strangle anyone offering dissent.

Neither, apparently, has Renato

Hey Myk, I've bought tires online from both Tire Rack and Discount Tire for many years (and via mail order for years upon years before that). Matter of fact, I just ordered a set from Tire Rack today. No issues, good pricing and fast delivery are the norm. Both of the above companies have very good customer service. With regard to having them mounted, you'll probably want to just call around to your various local shops to get pricing. Some guys will charge more for the mount and balance if you're not buying the tires from them. Your nominal baseline oughta be about $20.00 for each wheel (I'm lucky to be in good with several of my local tire shops, so I usually get it done free or for a very minimal price - running a race shop has its benefits). Another lovely GTV there, YLM. I'll have to up a pic of a really nice Duetto that I ran across in Carmel on the way to the Historics. I hung out with one of your old competitor/race pals a week or so ago - Steve K came down to my shop and hung out for awhile while he was in LA.

Hopefully, F-toys will do one for us (series 3, anyone?) But honestly, really nice work there. It's always fantastic to see what people do with these. Too bad for those who have missed out on these releases - they are too cool.

LMAO.

+1

This goes against the grain of common sentiment in these parts, but I'll let 'er rip. I don't give a damn for the status quo. I think that what NamiToy is trying to do is quite admirable - acting as an importer/distributor for Japanese issue toys is a giant step in the right direction. At the same time, it looks like they are really trying to cater to what a lot of US collectors have wanted for the longest time - I mean, upgraded head sculpts and new paint versions of the venerable 1/55?! Bring it on, man (with the caveat that they do not f**ck with anything else)!! A stateside distribution of the Beagle Ride Armor? For ~ $130-150.00?! Sign me up! A full complement of Tread/Beta toys with at least a little nicer Legioss linkup (and a better Alpha/Legioss sculpt) than what CMs has offered? Sounds good, so long as you can get past the Tread's cockpit logistics. I am very well aware that most are pretty gun-shy when it come to ToyNami, and can very well understand why based on previous issues, but honestly - they do appear to be at least trying to appease the collectors, and that is worth something. If they can execute without any hiccups, I'll be the first (even before Jenius , lol) to sing their praises. I would be the first to slap my head and say "What?" in response to some of the stuff that George says in Josh's video, except that Duke Togo beat me to the punch . Just give the poor guys a chance before you condemn them. Out.

My $.02: Silverlake/Atwood/Los Feliz area is Ok, I have lots of family members that live there, and they all like it. It is a funky/artsy area, and rent is not that bad on the LA scale. Lots of markets and little chi chi eateries. Traffic is fairly bad IMO, and everything is really jam-packed together - lots of small streets, lack of parking, tiny houses with minimal yards, etc. Due to the crowded nature of the area, short trips are best done on foot, or via bus or scooter. While it's livable, and I can see why some people like it there, it's not my cup of tea. I myself prefer the San Gabriel Valley. There's less clutter and concrete sprawl than other parts of LA, and life's a little bit more laid back than the more urban areas. Navigation is easy, and the cities here (Pasadena, Altadena, Arcadia, South Pasadena, San Marino, Monrovia, Alhambra, San Gabriel) are relatively upscale and tidy. You'll typically get a lot more square-footage/living space for your dollar than in the trendy areas - this is really important to me, and why I've lived here for the past 25 years or so. It is also a more old-fashioned and conservative place to live, though there is no shortage of nightlife and things to see and do. It can get hot in the summer, but you can always retreat to the mountains (right in your backyard) or the beach to escape the worst of it. If I couldn't live here for whatever reason, then the only other choice in LA for me would be Santa Monica or one of the beach communities in the south bay (Redondo, Manhattan, Hermosa, etc). On no account should you consider the SFV (San Fernando Valley) unless you're under some kind of duress (no offense intended to anyone who lives there ). It's REALLY HOT, smoggy, and uncomfortable there the better part of the year, but at least it's cheap, I guess. OT - Since we're talking SoCal here, did everybody's collections come through OK during our little tremor earlier today? I was kind of worried about what I'd find when I came home today, but not one piece moved or toppled from a shelf. I had nightmare visions of my big diecast-ladden SOC Gunbuster falling off of it's display stand and crushing some hapless Takatoku standing innocently in its shadow, but fortunately everything was A-OK

Nope, you do not misremember it. The dude is most definitely a 'borg.

The torrent(s) seem to be running a bit slower and later this time around, but I've just finished watching the episode (yes! my weekly fix!). Myself personally, I did not find anything "disappointing" about this one at all. It will be interesting to see the subs when they come out

Man, this is so cool.

It's just a flesh wound.

If Jenius doesn't have one, I think I've still got an extra three of them around. Kyp, your custom looks great! I trust you got the Max 1J?

I don't actually disagree with any of what DND mentions; his points are all valid. All I intended to point out in my post is that ~$200 for a Ride Armor of the caliber that Beagle appears to be putting together is not a bad deal, and that the OG Gakken is the next closest competitor in terms of coolness. That the Gakken was not a $200 toy when new is immaterial. The reality is that it is a $200 toy now... And it's still worth it.