Yamato GN-U Non-transforming Macross Action Figures

[Dante74]

How big are these going to be again?

[eriku]

Meh, I can never seem to muster up even the slightest interest in non-transforming toys of things that are supposed to transform. Show me some Destroids or something in this line and I'll get excited.

[do not disturb]

in graham first post....

The toys should be somewhere between 13cm to 16cm tall IIRC and will retail for a fairly low proice point, about 1,500 yen IIRC. The line should be called "G-Nu Dou" I think.

they're definitely cheap at 1,500 JPY which equals 14.0548 USD

but who know how big the boxes are and what the shipping will be?

IMO, yamato kind of f-ed up on how they're releasing these.

if they were smart, they would've released enemy mecha and/or destroids first since macross fans haven't really seen those made. i think the majority of their customer base would've bought them in a heart beat and inturn creating a stir for the new line. the people who picked up the enemy mecha/detroid would then be more inclined to pick up the VF-1's as well as the other valks.

the way they're doing it now, its bound of fail(just like toynamis super poseables) even with the $15 price point(just like toynamis super poseables).

[EXO]

someone need to put those valks on the treadmill. gonna pass on these. Dont care how cheap they are.

[do not disturb]

and that right there is going to be how most people feel about the line.

if had they released the more obscure stuff first, there would definitely be a buzz instead of a *makes fart*.

[eugimon]

meh. i don't mind them releasing the valks first... honestly, other than macross fans, I don't see the average anime fan showing much interest in enemy macross mecha... eggs with chicken legs aren't that impressive, imo. I just think they look fugly.

[cyde01]

i hope that's a bad pic, as the non-macross toys in this line look pretty good. the 11 and 21 would look good tho with a better paint job. the 19 just looks bad with all those seams, and the shoulder armor looks too small, which makes it look fat with skinny arms. the cod piece is huuuge. hopefully they'll make destroids and enemy mechs and hopefully they'll look good.

[Dante74]

Only 13 cm tall,

non-transformable toy of a transforming robot,

not very accurate to the line art.

I'll pass.

[do not disturb]

meh. i don't mind them releasing the valks first... honestly, other than macross fans, I don't see the average anime fan showing much interest in enemy macross mecha... eggs with chicken legs aren't that impressive, imo. I just think they look fugly.

i don't see the average anime fan buying anything macross but you see them buying yet another version of a super poseable VF-1? i think this entire line is for macross fans not your average anime fan.

anyway, the point i was trying ot make was, if they released more obscure stuff, lets say a VE or VT in battroid mode, would you as a macross fan buy it, seeing as they would be unique and never been made before? as overweight as these guys are, i think the majority of people here would pick them up with no questions asked and i think the same could be said for enemy mecha and destroids.

please note: i'm all VF-1'ed out so you'll have to excuse my however flawed reasoning.

[eugimon]

i don't see the average anime fan buying anything macross but you see them buying yet another version of a super poseable VF-1? i think this entire line is for macross fans not your average anime fan.

anyway, the point i was trying ot make was, if they released more obscure stuff, lets say a VE or VT in battroid mode, would you as a macross fan buy it, seeing as they would be unique and never been made before? as overweight as these guys are, i think the majority of people here would pick them up with no questions asked and i think the same could be said for enemy mecha and destroids.

please note: i'm all VF-1'ed out so you'll have to excuse my however flawed reasoning.

Well, I can understand releasing some of the more obscure but beloved valks first. But, I think a lot of people here have that fishbowl mentality thing going on. That is, what's popular/important to us, may not be to the average anime fan or even the average macross fan. We have no idea how well enemy macross mecha, or 2 seater valks have sold to the mass market... but given the lack of interest in making those toy lines for the last 20 years... I'm going to go out on a limb and say not much.

To most people, if you say macross, they're going to think of the VF-1 and if they're newer fans, maybe the macross plus valks (at least in the US). I don't think most people think of the regults or even the q-rau. And while destroids may be more popular, I still think the VF-1 is king when it comes to Macross. Kind of how the original gundam is still pulled out of pasture everytime there's a new toy or model line introduced.

Anyways, I'm passing on these guys, I just don't think they look very good and even at under 20 bucks, I think they cost too much. For a small, non transforming action figure, I expect a sub 10 dollar price point. I'm willing to dish out the big bucks for large, fully realized transforming mecha... but my geekdom doesn't extend down to this level.

[do not disturb]

totally see your POV. i just think at this point, macross fandom has grow considerably from what it was in just the past 5 years and a lot of it has to do with toynami releasing their MPC's(shadow what?) and companies like yamato that took the VF-1 design to another level.

i can understand companies wanting to take the safe route and go with things that have done well in the past but i think yamato has been in the game long enough to take some chances and start releasing more obscure things for the diehard fans/entire customer base. i started out as a everyday casual fan but coming here and finding out all the info, seeing all the mecha and everything macross related, made me a diehard fan.

i had no idea what the VE or VT was before coming here, while it seems like they're not in demand, every single time a company annouces they're taking on the macross license, the first thing everyone says, "are they going to make 2 seaters?, enemy mecha? destroids?". sure the VF-1 is timeless, but the diehards what something other than more VF-1's and yamato's whole(well majority)customer base are diehard fans, not casual fans. i mean no one is shelling out $200+ because they think its "okay".

[energon]

You guys are still going to buy them no matter what you say.

[EXO]

You guys are still going to buy them no matter what you say.

that's true, except for me... I didn't like the revoltechs and I doubt I'll like these. It's all about the new 1/60s and the ride armors!

[do not disturb]

You guys are still going to buy them no matter what you say.

nope not really. i said right from the get go i might pick up the more obscure mecha otherwise i have absolutely zero interest in this line.

[eugimon]

You guys are still going to buy them no matter what you say.

wow, thanks for that really insigtful commentary, you've really added a lot to the discussion.

[aaajin]

as for me, I would rather have them as free gifts for every purchase of macross toy. haha...I know thats not gonna come true...

Edited January 24, 2008 by aaajin

[energon]

wow, thanks for that really insigtful commentary, you've really added a lot to the discussion.

Do you wait for me to reply just to reply to me? Its true what I said, every item people complain about, you still get it anyway. I wasnt being negative its true.

[eugimon]

Do you wait for me to reply just to reply to me? Its true what I said, every item people complain about, you still get it anyway. I wasnt being negative its true.

oooh, yes great grand master, please tell me some more about what I like and what I buy.

[Sumdumgai]

Interest has dropped a lot. Unless the production versions look incredibly better, I won't get any. If the VF-11 improves a lot, I might pick one up just because it's the VF-11.

[kaiotheforsaken]

They kind of remind me of the Evangelions that yammie put out a few months ago (of which I was less than impressed with). I'm happy with their large scale transforming Macross items, I'll probably pass on these too.

[Graham]

If I understand correctly, there has been some resulpting of the toys since those pictures. The ones I've seen certainly weren't that chunky.

I was pretty happy with what I saw.

Graham

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

I might buy some. But there is so much stuff coming out all at once. To the guy that thinks non-valk toys are not going to sell: it may depend if you are a completist collector. If the toys are cheap enough, buying the whole set might just be fun for a guy who just wants everything. (like a collectors of cards, or someone who buys G1 toys to feel 'complete')

These were obviously designed to look like the 'character' in anime when sometimes the proportions of the battroid are deformed a little bit to look more appealing in that mode. (ie the big hands, the chunky more-muscular shape, the stubbier aircraft parts etc)

A good example of this is sometimes you might see "Popeye the sailor man" forearms in SDF:M to make it look 'tough', (I've seen some scenes in SDF:M where in battroid mode the VF-1 looks just like a bandai chunky munkey) and a nose that is squashed so that the fine delicate features like that don't poke out all over the place. CG robots don't bend and deform as much as hand drawn objects though.

Sometimes transforming toys sacrifice the proportion of the "character" when the toy is in robot mode. (masterpiece megatron's skinny legs for example) This is where I can see the appeal for the posable action figure over the transforming toy. Some people might identify better with the character in their robot form than the vehicle they transform into.

Edited January 25, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Graham]

If you'd have asked me, I'd never thought the Kaiyodo Revoltech VF-1 toys would sell, but MWers seemed generally to love them.

Graham

[cyde01]

if they're 1500 yen and better looking than the revoltech, i am in. i guess it's just a bad pic cuz i must say in that pic the paint jobs and detail look really lacking. bring on the destroids and battle pods!!

[Sumdumgai]

I'll give these figures the benefit of the doubt and wait for updated pictures. If Graham says they're looking better since that last photo, I believe him and will wait to see.

[ruskiiVFaussie]

Hmm, not sold on these by that new pic.

If they are of a better scuplt then mayyyybe...

[miriya]

In that pic the YF-19 looks kinda chubby to me or like he just pigged out at an Indian buffet and needs an alka seltzer. I actually like the 21 and the 11 and will probably get them. If the 19 doesn't change sculpt then I may pass on that one. I am probably one of the few who are excited about this. I like Battroid and I cant afford to drop $600 to get these all in 1/60 so for me it is nice. However I will probably eventually get them all in 1/60 as well but it takes more time to save up that kind of money and to rationalize that kind of spending for me at least. I hope to see more color pics of these. Does anyone know about a release date?

[Mr March]

These aren't very inspiring pictures. Admittedly, the Kaiyodo Revoltechs may have some stylized proportions, but they look better than the proportions of these things. I'm going to reserve judgment for the final product, but I'm thinking I might wait for some toy reviews first.

[isamu_dyson]

Due to the interdiction to sell macross revoltech outside japan ... kaiyodo 'll stop making them

so yamato non transformable figures are the only one available ...

[miriya]

Due to the interdiction to sell macross revoltech outside japan ... kaiyodo 'll stop making them

so yamato non transformable figures are the only one available ...

I hadnt heard about that. So no more Revoltech macross in the future or just no more sold outside Japan? I was hoping that they would make more.

[isamu_dyson]

kaiyodo will stop all the revoltech's macross line. that's what i've been told.

Originally, they thought that the macross line will be sold internationally. But toynami have stoped all the non japan market.

The japan market is quite small, not enough lucrative

[miriya]

kaiyodo will stop all the revoltech's macross line. that's what i've been told.

Originally, they thought that the macross line will be sold internationally. But toynami have stoped all the non japan market.

The japan market is quite small, not enough lucrative

That is sad. I have the 1S and the 1J so maybe I should get the 1A while I still can. thanks for the update!

[ruskiiVFaussie]

farting HG and Toynami... bomb their ass!

[Dante74]

farting HG and Toynami... bomb their ass!

Agreed!! Death to Toynami!

Not that I was gonna get a revoltech VF toy...just sayin'

[Sumdumgai]

To the pitchforks and torches! I've got ice cream! XD

HG and Toynami still causing us Macross fans grief almost a decade after the 1/72 Macross Plus valkyries.

I wonder if the VF-11B gunpod is going to have the bayonet...