All things Voltron

[Gakken85]

def gonna get one. Looks great in hand.

[abbadon]

That looks fantastic!

[RD Blade]

Much as I like it, I can't get anything in that price range right now. Release date-wise, it's too close to Magnus and Saber.

[myk]

I don't know. I just don't know....

[derex3592]

how much is it???

[Gakken85]

Toyarena has it for $240, which is where I got my VV from. They are out of cali, and will probably tack on another 10 bucks for domestic shipping.

I think you can order direct from mad toys and they offer ems:

http://madtoys-infinity.com/ - click the paypal link.

$209 with ems probably being 40 bucks or so

So $250 ish

I cancelled one of my MP Ultra Magnus' and I'll apply that $150 to this.

Edited November 10, 2014 by Gakken85

[Gakken85]

Finally, decent pics.

[Mechapilot77]

hmmm yeah still not digging it. if it goes down to $180 or so like VV could be had at one point i might think about it though. the aesthetics just look off to me. torso/shoulder area and hips area. i prefer the 10 year old toynami's proportions and joints. the head/face sculpt is kind of cool and different though.

[RD Blade]

the head/face sculpt is kind of cool and different though.

Yeah. Looks like John Romita, Jr. designed the face.

[eight_car]

I've always wanted a Voltron toy, but I'm still on the fence on this one.

Who would want a VOLTRON toy?

Serisouly, that's like asking for a Robotech one!

I would much prefer a GO LION! toy

[Silverstreak]

Maybe because we grew up watching… wait for it… Voltron!

[derex3592]

I agree, the Toynami version may have not been very good, but I think it looked better!

[Gakken85]

Well, I grew up watching Robotech, but I prefer a DYRL Valk from Yamato

Anyway, I really dig it. Glad its a little different.

[myk]

Why are the red lion's front legs not tucked in like the green lion's in robot mode? Transformation error?

[RD Blade]

Why are the red lion's front legs not tucked in like the green lion's in robot mode? Transformation error?

Probably because Voltron's elbow is bent sharply and the lion leg was moved for clearance.

[eight_car]

Maybe because we grew up watching… wait for it… Voltron!

true, but I guess in your mind that would make ...wait for it ...wait for it ...robotech better

(I can't believe I had to type that phrase out to make a point, I feel sick)

[Gakken85]

Dat toe articulation and side to side head!

I think it's the best looking Voltron so far for sure in terms of an actual modern Voltron.

The paint looks great on the red and blue. Yellow and green aren't as well done but still look good.

I'm really impressed with the lack of QC problems. It won't be a pain in the ass like VV... which also might mean it may never get heavily discounted.

Flashlight canons? Badass haha.

Ab crunch. Ankle tilt.

When you put the Toynami piece next to this one... I just don't get it. I don't think the Toynami piece looks right at all.....it looks like an action figure compared to a real toy. Derpy is a good word for it. Chrome is nice... but it doesn't make a great toy. ya'll jus hatin

It's on my X-mas list for sure. I love how "Mech" it looks.

Edited November 11, 2014 by Gakken85

[chowyunskinny]

When put side by side, Madtoys rendition looks like an MMA fighter and the Toynami version looks like a 13 year old kid wearing a Voltron costume for Halloween

[JB0]

I far prefer the look of the Toynami, actually. Curvy Voltron just looks WRONG.

[Sevket_Erhat]

Madtoys one looks really bulky

[RD Blade]

The Toynami gets my vote. Except for the skinny wings, it strikes a very good balance between the cartoon and original toy.

P.S. Not hatin'.

[JB0]

Who would want a VOLTRON toy?

Serisouly, that's like asking for a Robotech one!

I would much prefer a GO LION! toy

Because Lion Force Voltron ran twice as long as Golion.

True story. Half the lion Voltron episodes were produced for american use only and are not a part of Golion.

[myk]

When put side by side, Madtoys rendition looks like an MMA fighter and the Toynami version looks like a 13 year old kid wearing a Voltron costume for Halloween

Maybe so, but the Toynami version is more accurate to the cartoon than that bulked up, miscolored thing...

[JB0]

Maybe so, but the Toynami version is more accurate to the cartoon than that bulked up, miscolored thing...

Except for the chromed lion legs.

Infinity Gokin is attempting to present an illusion of hidden legs with the colored thighs and matte gray shins/paws. It works well on the arms, honestly. Far less so on the legs.

That said...

I was actually surprised when I double-checked the cartoon and realized the lion legs AREN'T visible in the combined Voltron. Heck, even most of the non-combining Voltron merch has the lion legs exposed.

The actual show is one of the few places that the legs AREN'T be visible, and that was abandoned for future cartoons, as Third Dimension and Voltron Force both have exposed legs.

It's one of those cases where a toy "deficiency" replaced the cartoon as the "real" version. Voltron looks better with lion legs all over him.

Also, it makes that childhood mess where I folded the lion legs out of the combined Voltron to give him clawed punches and kicks workable, if not advisable.

[Mommar]

I'm not married to Voltron really, I liked the show and I think the designs still look cool. I have no problem with this Madtoys version looks really cool.

[Mechapilot77]

Dat toe articulation and side to side head!

I think it's the best looking Voltron so far for sure in terms of an actual modern Voltron.

The paint looks great on the red and blue. Yellow and green aren't as well done but still look good.

I'm really impressed with the lack of QC problems. It won't be a pain in the ass like VV... which also might mean it may never get heavily discounted.

Flashlight canons? Badass haha.

Ab crunch. Ankle tilt.

When you put the Toynami piece next to this one... I just don't get it. I don't think the Toynami piece looks right at all.....it looks like an action figure compared to a real toy. Derpy is a good word for it. Chrome is nice... but it doesn't make a great toy. ya'll jus hatin

It's on my X-mas list for sure. I love how "Mech" it looks.

nah this thing will get discounted. they are going to get over eager and produce too much thinking all voltron lion force fans will like it, plus its from an unknown company. i think its about half half here in this thread in terms of who prefers it to the 10+ yera old toynami one. to put it in TF terms, its just too "CHUG" or reimagined. i think people who grew up remembering voltron vaguely but never actually watching the show religiously during first run or having the toy (or its famous lionbot KO) might like this, but for guys like me who have an ingrained mental image of voltron in our heads...this just isn't him. it looks sort of like it but just ins't "right. " so we aren't "hating", but merely defending what our mental image of voltron is. the toynami one while not a great piece...aside from the small wings, looks "right" to us. it immediately evokes the mental image in our head. voltron was never "mech" to us...but more superrobot.

[Valkyrie2008]

nah this thing will get discounted. they are going to get over eager and produce too much thinking all voltron lion force fans will like it, plus its from an unknown company. i think its about half half here in this thread in terms of who prefers it to the 10+ yera old toynami one. to put it in TF terms, its just too "CHUG" or reimagined. i think people who grew up remembering voltron vaguely but never actually watching the show religiously during first run or having the toy (or its famous lionbot KO) might like this, but for guys like me who have an ingrained mental image of voltron in our heads...this just isn't him. it looks sort of like it but just ins't "right. " so we aren't "hating", but merely defending what our mental image of voltron is. the toynami one while not a great piece...aside from the small wings, looks "right" to us. it immediately evokes the mental image in our head. voltron was never "mech" to us...but more superrobot.

What he said!

[Dobber]

Man I think this looks awesome! Yes there are some issues...the 2 things that bother me most and they are not that big even still are the shoulders of black lion are missing the red stripe and have some odd "things" there. Can't tell what is going on there really. The other thing is red lions mouth is round when it should be hexagonal as someone else pointed out....though it looks like Toynami screwed that up too only with green lion having a hexagonal mouth along with red lion.

Overall, I think this looks infinantely better than Toynami's. Wish I had the money for one.

Chris

[EXO]

Looking at them both side by side magnifies things I don't like either. The toynami version needs to be more beefy and all the articulation of the Mad Toys version and the Mad Toys need a few proportions adjusted. But the handling looks great on the video.

[Gakken85]

I don't agree that the Toynami one is more "accurate"... Actually it's the stylized one. It's more toy accurate I guess... in the same sense that a G1 prime looks a certain way.

The video below looks more like the mad toys version to me.

But anyway.. looks like some lawyers from WEP are out in force. the PO's have disappeared. They pulled a Harmony Gold!!!

I think people will still be able to buy it though.

Also, I think this thing is going to sell even hotter now that WEP is trying to shut it down. I don't agree that most voltron fans won't buy it. If you're a gokin fan, you're a voltron fan, and you're going to love the metal content and simplicity of this thing.

Josh probably sold hundreds of these things with his video alone. QA issues were the main thing that would hold this back and it seems pretty spot on.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Gakken85

[myk]

Shoot, if I had known that WEP would try to fight this release I may have made a move on it as well, reluctant as I might be....

Edited November 12, 2014 by myk

[JB0]

But anyway.. looks like some lawyers from WEP are out in force. the PO's have disappeared. They pulled a Harmony Gold!!!

That's hardly fair to World Event Productions. WEP DOES actually have a case, whereas HG's Robotech C&Ds are just children throwing a hissy fit.

To my understanding, WEP purchased Golion outright from Toei.

And even if they didn't, they have unambiguous merchandising rights, which is something HG was never willing to prove and the licensing chain doesn't support.

Also, you know, they actually produced something in the thirty years since. Half the original lion Voltron episodes, Voltron 3D, and Voltron Force. They ARE actually doing something with it. Which is, again, something HG can't claim EVEN if we accept at face value their (ludicrous) claim that they own all things Macross.

So yeah, WEP is not HG's equally thuggish kid brother.

Now, I'd argue it would be better for them, from a PR perspective, to turn a blind eye a la Hasbro.

But they DO have to defend their trademarks or risk losing them. And this is one they might kind of WANT to keep. I mean, their logo IS lion Voltron. It's like Mickey Mouse is to Disney. He's not just a character, he's the public face of the company.

And some digging tells me that someone actually linked a YouTube review in a comment on WEP's facebook page.

That'd make it kind of hard to claim ignorance when people have very publicly linked a clone of the company's friggin' mascot on their mother-lovin' facebook page.

There's simply no credible way to turn a blind eye after that happens. They know, and everyone knows that they know, you know?

So in short: one genius on facebook forced WEP's hand. I kinda wonder if he was a troll that feels empowered now or a well-intentioned fan that's horrified by what he's done.

[myk]

Ok so what, I admit it; it was me...

[Gakken85]

Well it's not due to ship until next month, but yes I definitely think this comes down to Josh's CDX review. CDX gets a lot of views so I'm sure some boyscout posted it to WEP. He should have held the review until product was shipping, but that's kind of the mentality of toy reviewers. "I want to be first." Also, I'm sure mad toys wanted to get the word out, but they should have done it through a smaller channel that wouldn't have attracted so much attention.

I take your point that they are trying to do things with the license, but also I have no sympathy for Toynami and their products because it's so subpar in terms of design and quality, while they keep blocking efforts for a real gokin release from a quality company. You could argue HG has put out Shadow Chronicles and allowed the release of all the Toynami crap they've put out too, so I don't know how much that changes the argument.

Crap products are still crap products, be it cheap flimsy toys or crappy made for video OVA's. In the end they are holding nostalgic properties hostage and instead of bringing something new to the table for the original fans they are trying to leech out money.

They aren't as scummy as HG, but they aren't fan friendly either.

[chowyunskinny]

Well maybe they'll work out a deal with Madtoys to re-brand it as official Voltron merchandise like they did with the super deformed Dream Goraion. I thought when they acquired the Dream Goraion, they'd make them fix the things they purposely changed to avoid being infringement (like the pointy ends of the red wings) but it's just a straight rebox as far as I can tell.