Uxi Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 Played around all lunch. Wasn't brave enough to start a transformation yet, but definitely loving this fighter mode. Put on the FP, and the gunpods on fighter without FP. Pulled out the landing gear, etc. Interesting that we're getting the clear tape everwhere. Gonna be as close to MISB as we're likely to get.
transfan52 Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 I got my yf-21 from HLJ earlier today and I have to say it is one of the most amazing transforming valks ive ever seen! But it is also the most complicated and nerve wracking transforming toy ever made IMO. The fighter mode is really solid and stays together nicely. Also the gerwalk mode is the most stable gerwalk mode out of all the other yammie valks out there. Battloid mode is also really tight and durable and things lock in and snap nicely. I totally disagree with the ppl saying that battloid mode is somewhat floppy, it only comes apart if you really p[ut alot of stress on the toy, other than that its near perfect IMO. Ill post some pics later of it in battloid mode only because this thing is really annoying and difficult to transform.
Doktor Gonzo Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 Wow, I was iffy on this one, but Graham's and all the other positive reports have sold me on it. Any recommendations as to best priced (reputable) dealer that still has any left? (Ordinarily Kevin's got my business, but I see he's sold out!)
Batou Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 OK, I got a shipping notice from hlj on thursday ... was cussing at them just earlier today bc the tracking number they gave me still didn't work on EMS' site ... And lo and behold, what shows up today? What is that ... like 3-day shipping from Japan? (note to self: check in on how much you paid in shipping for this, you chump). I am so giddy I could barely contain my nerdgasm at work. Still haven't transformed her, but I am soooooooooo in love. "Sleek" doesn't come close to describing it, it's positively anorexic (as it should be per the line art). I can't fathom how they could have slimmed this down any more to look like the Hasegawa kit and retain the ability to transform. Wings do not droop whatsoever, everything seems as solid as if not more than the 1/48. If I have one eensy teensy minor gripe, it's that the little bits that attach to the shoulders at the intakes tend to push in a little easy, but that's easily counteracted by just gripping the thing from somewhere else. Again, it's a trivial, minor out of minor nag. Seriously, Graham: Tell Yamato they just hit it out of the park, at least as far as this gaijin western barbarian is concerned. This is my all time favorite valk (this and the '22's), and I couldn't be more pleased with how this turned out. So who's making some quality stickers for this beast? I can't wait to get her panel lined and tricked out with some aftermarket goodness for display alongside my Alpha 1.
Kyp Durron Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 Amazing, this thing really is Yamato's first QC issue-free Valk. Gives me hope for future releases. -Kyp
Golden Arms Posted June 2, 2008 Posted June 2, 2008 I second that, we need custom stickers. I didn't think that Yamato would surpase their work with the sv-51 and they blew it away with the 21. The only issue i've had with mine has been the landing gear that Graham mentioned in his review.
UN_MARINE Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 i just tried the detach-o feature last night. i recommend detaching the parts in battroid mode, where the parts are easily accessible. the manual says you can do it while in semi-fighter mode though. i'm not sure i'd want to try it that way. after i put the parts back in place i had some sort of fit problem where the legs didn't have any room to fit in fighter mode. after some time adjusting & transforming back & forth, i found the cause of the problem: the upper gerwalk knee joint wasn't locked back all the way into its straight position, causing clearance problems. moral of the story: make sure the legs are completely straight & locked into the proper position before transforming back into fighter mode. before anybody starts panicking, there are no problems with the YF-21. the problem i encountered was caused by the barbarian gaijin handling the toy. ie: me. ...and i'm never using the detach-o feature again
halfan Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 (edited) I've gotten proficient at transforming from fighter to battroid and back. I've only stopped at gerwalk once. Aside from the back that requires some force to extend making me wonder if I broke something, I'm quite happy with the toy. I've already disassembled over half the toy in an attempt to fix the small part by the intake that pivots inwards among other things. That part on the left side had some extra flash I trimmed and it pivots smoothly now. Other things I've encountered: the left hand will not hold the gunpod tightly like the right hand and the screws that are located underneath where the top of the legs rest in fighter mode were different lengths. Edited June 3, 2008 by halfan
Uxi Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 (edited) Got the scare of my life when I was doing the first transform and the right leg came off. It's nice and secure now that I put it back on. QC wise, the only real issue seems to be the side cover on the right UnderBody panel is much looser than the left. It locks down in all modes Fighter/Battroid/Gerwalk, so it's mostly a non-issue. Long term wise, both of those side covers scare the hell out me ala shades of BP-8, but so far no sign of any stresses or anything, of course. Edited June 3, 2008 by Uxi
Uxi Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 Hmm... ok, getting a bit scared. Completed one transformation to fighter and back (skipping gerwalk). Everything seemed nice and tight, but wanted to adjust a bit more. now I have both legs off and can't get the head to unlock. It's like the cowl is stuck and I don't want to force it.... cockpit is fully extended, too... help!
transfan52 Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 (edited) Hmm... ok, getting a bit scared. Completed one transformation to fighter and back (skipping gerwalk). Everything seemed nice and tight, but wanted to adjust a bit more. now I have both legs off and can't get the head to unlock. It's like the cowl is stuck and I don't want to force it.... cockpit is fully extended, too... help! I have the same problem... as I cannot read japanese I was struggling getting the cowl to sit properly when transforming into batroid, It looks like you have to pull back the cowl first before raising it up so that the seat area can flip upright and that the neck joint can pop out and extend for neck poseability. Just a warining be very careful and dont apply too much force on that area if after some effort it doesnt budge, this is the only area that can break permanently so be careful. Edited June 3, 2008 by transfan52
ruskiiVFaussie Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 ....i just tried the detach-o feature last night.... and you didn't take any pics??? lol >_<
Uxi Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 Yeah I got through it. Mostly by doing that part last. IOW, straightening out the foreward fuselage part and then pulling the cockput up and forward. Mostly the forward edge of the cowl needs to leverage against the back end of the cockpit, almost in a prying motion. First time was easy but that one was a bit hairy. I've noticed a couple trouble areas, as well... Most likely caused by this transformation though I was being careful not to force anything... 1) twin whitish stress marks on the understide of the cockpit, where the joint is, just aft of the front landing gear. 2) the T-bar where the wings/rear "fuselage" join the intakes/"forebody"... there are is a metal peg but one of the two ends has the plastic broken/chipped off. I definitely did not notice that the first transformation. I just went through another transformation that was smooth. I was initially afraid of the side covers and the tail fins, but now I'm most concerned about that T-bar area, particularly if the plastic on the other end fails, too. I tried to get a pic with my 5mp cam, but I stink at taking pics of toys, espcially close up. I tried half push, etc. Most likely it's too dark now. The toy is amazingly well put together, but I fear this could well be the BP8 of the YF-21, though... unless I got a strange lemon, which is always possible.
UN_MARINE Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 and you didn't take any pics??? lol >_< i didn't have a camera available if only i could take it to work where there are cameras... the risk is just too great damn you, super expensive, complex toy with gigantic box !!!
Dr. Z Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 Got mine from HLJ/EMS today. Forgot I had ordered it. Secretary up front says "you have a package." I'm like eh? :wtf: I know what I'm doing for lunch. :D If you forgot that you ordered a $200+ toy, then either you really don't care for the hobby or you have way too much money to burn...
Nani?! Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 I jumped ship and ordered one as soon as Graham & co gave the qc free thumbs up~ Cant friggin wait!
Uxi Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 If you forgot that you ordered a $200+ toy, then either you really don't care for the hobby or you have way too much money to burn... More of the latter, probably. I did preorder it when it first came out (and posted to that in this thread... or maybe it was the previous one). When was it, October or December?
Arthurius Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 like this?? Yes, more like this, where we can see the whole body, with fps, and air intake open.
ruskiiVFaussie Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 (edited) i didn't have a camera available if only i could take it to work where there are cameras... the risk is just too great damn you, super expensive, complex toy with gigantic box !!! haha no worries man, if in a couple of weeks time no one has done it i'll certinaly be posting pics in my gallery of the "Final Gambit!" dunt dunt darrrhh! Edited June 3, 2008 by ruskiiVFaussie
bluemax151 Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 (edited) So when can I get my 1/60 Max and Milia VF-22's? This toy looks great. I am gonna snag one when I got to Comic Con this year I think. Those were my thoughts exactly, right down to possibly buying a 21 at Comic Con but yeah I look forward to repaints, most likely being a VF-X one because they still have rights to that right? Edited June 3, 2008 by bluemax151
Dante74 Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 Those were my thoughts exactly, right down to possibly buying a 21 at Comic Con but yeah I look forward to repaints, most likely being a VF-X one because they still have rights to that right? IIRC Graham said that Yamato lost the rights to produce VF-X toys.
UN_MARINE Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 GENTLEMEN !!! i give you... crappy camera phone pics of detach-o mode! i don't recommend using the detach-o feature too often, the paint on the connectors are prone to chipping. i have paint chipping on the hip connectors from 2 attempts already. other than that... pure awesome !
Alex Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 (edited) I hope to god that you didn't use those plyers in the background to detach those limbs. Edited June 3, 2008 by Alex
UN_MARINE Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 no no, no tools were used to detach the parts. detaching the limbs was actually easier than i thought.
Busted VF1A Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 I hope to god that you didn't use those plyers in the background to detach those limbs.
Onimusha-shin Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 after i put the parts back in place i had some sort of fit problem where the legs didn't have any room to fit in fighter mode. after some time adjusting & transforming back & forth, i found the cause of the problem: the upper gerwalk knee joint wasn't locked back all the way into its straight position, causing clearance problems. moral of the story: make sure the legs are completely straight & locked into the proper position before transforming back into fighter mode. don't completely agree with that comment. the problem seems to lie with the fit of the legs alongside the the shoulder cowls. the legs won't be fully straightened once you have properly fitted them back in. so far, i've only managed to push the hip connectors all the way up, albeit a lil forcefully. even then, it's not a perfect fit for the fuselage covers. some minor issues on mine (could be attributed to my inadequate transforming capabilities): 1. wing joints not as stiff as expected, certainly not squeaky tight but as long as it's not accidentally nudged, oughta be fine. 2. tolerances for the hand pegs to gunpod handles is a lil low as mine slips off at the slightest bumps on both hands 3. as above, the leg fitting issue alongside the shoulder cowls in fighter mode prove to be a major headache. will be anxiously awaiting Graham's TF'ing video 4. lastly, fast pack for the fuselage is un-attachable on one side. may need to file down the clip at the top of the FP in order to make it fit. all in all, some minor issues that prevent it from being a totally QC-free valk but i chalk these up to possible manufacturing QC issues, excluding the leg fit issue. despite all those, this is definitely my favorite valk from Yamato so far. they've definitely done a great deal of justice to this product. i'm already contemplating getting a second once i have spare cash. PS. attached a couple of shots, including the parts-blown-off delimiter mode. pardon my lousy photography.
ghostryder Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 I gotta say, I'm not the biggest fan of the M+ OVA or valk designs, but this one looks very good. Also, our MW members really know how to take a good photos. The battroid mode photos look way better that the Yamato promo shots.
do not disturb Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 the reviews/posts here seem to be mostly positive... i think i saw a pig fly by my window.
dizman Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 Either A. Waiting for something bad to happen or B. Yelling at his VF-0 for old times sake. Sounds like the YF-21 is nearly perfect but theres always something that goes wrong, I'll probably be the guy that gets the YF-21 with 1 leg .
Vermillion21 Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 the reviews/posts here seem to be mostly positive... i think i saw a pig fly by my window.
Uxi Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 (edited) I'll see if I can get a pic of mine to not come out all blurry. I'd be interested in seeing if some of you other guys have had the same thing happen or not. On the whole, i love it. Very nice and tight in all modes. I love the gunpods and their attachment method and how tight they click in. Love the tampo printing on the fundamental emblems. Design wise, I'd have preferred clear plastic for the running lights on the tail fins, wing tips, etc. like the 1/48 instead of the painted corners that the 1/60s all have. Would have been a nice complement to the eye sensors, etc. I also would have preferred a milimeter more room for the stowage of the knees in Fighter. Last nitpick is that the tail fins and side covers have those plastic loops as does the area I'm eyeballing as a potential BP8 (the plastic loops around the t-bar). I would prefer individually articularted fingers/hands but these are a big big improvement over the 1/48 chicken hands. Lastly, the landing gear thing that Graham noted in his review is very prominent. They got that so right with the 1/60 YF-19 FP... no real excuse to not have that on the YF21. These are all nitpicks, though, it should be carefully noted. My concern over the T-bar is my only eyebrow raiser. Definitely satisfied owner so far, though. With these prices, though, I doubt I'll be getting another YF-21.... but I will be watching for a VF-22S and most certainly going to get one. Just about any color scheme would work just fine, too, though Gamlin Dynamite would be top on my list. Edited June 3, 2008 by Uxi
ruskiiVFaussie Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 don't completely agree with that comment. the problem seems to lie with the fit of the legs alongside the the shoulder cowls. the legs won't be fully straightened once you have properly fitted them back in. so far, i've only managed to push the hip connectors all the way up, albeit a lil forcefully. even then, it's not a perfect fit for the fuselage covers. some minor issues on mine (could be attributed to my inadequate transforming capabilities): 1. wing joints not as stiff as expected, certainly not squeaky tight but as long as it's not accidentally nudged, oughta be fine. 2. tolerances for the hand pegs to gunpod handles is a lil low as mine slips off at the slightest bumps on both hands 3. as above, the leg fitting issue alongside the shoulder cowls in fighter mode prove to be a major headache. will be anxiously awaiting Graham's TF'ing video 4. lastly, fast pack for the fuselage is un-attachable on one side. may need to file down the clip at the top of the FP in order to make it fit. all in all, some minor issues that prevent it from being a totally QC-free valk but i chalk these up to possible manufacturing QC issues, excluding the leg fit issue. despite all those, this is definitely my favorite valk from Yamato so far. they've definitely done a great deal of justice to this product. i'm already contemplating getting a second once i have spare cash. PS. attached a couple of shots, including the parts-blown-off delimiter mode. pardon my lousy photography. Woo hoo! Finally!
ruskiiVFaussie Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 I gotta say, I'm not the biggest fan of the M+ OVA or valk designs, but this one looks very good. Also, our MW members really know how to take a good photos. The battroid mode photos look way better that the Yamato promo shots. Yamato likes to mess with us showing crappy battroid poses that shows totally bad angles and causes us to fight among ourselves.
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