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Posted
Now that's what I'm talking about. That's the good stuff; it at least shows some of what the GNU can do. It's not bad.

It's by no means bad at all. But when you look at the rest of his galleries (http://www.geocities.jp/climax_f/ Just click around you'll find em) you'll see that he tends to push his figures and Gunpla to the limits of their posability. If this is the best he can do with GNU YF-19, it just doesn't wow me as much as Revoltechs do.

Posted
It's by no means bad at all. But when you look at the rest of his galleries (http://www.geocities.jp/climax_f/ Just click around you'll find em) you'll see that he tends to push his figures and Gunpla to the limits of their posability. If this is the best he can do with GNU YF-19, it just doesn't wow me as much as Revoltechs do.

Ditto... B))

Posted (edited)

I've finished my collection of photographs. They are all free-stance, no stands or wires. The following photos are just the tip of the iceberg, but are a good primer for my preferred style of action figure articulation.

Classic Pose, front

Classic Pose, right

Crouch, right

Crouch, front

Crouch, back

Iconic firing, front

Iconic firing, alternate

Iconic peek, back

Iconic peek, front

Platoon style march, front

Platoon style march, left

Heavy recoil, left

Heavy recoil, right

Salute

Sniper, front

Sniper, left

Straight, front

Straight, side

Wild, front

Wild, back

Fun, don't try this at home boys and girls

Fun, lift front

Fun, lift side

ruskiiVFaussie

Don't get me wrong, I love the addition of the stands, but I want a action figure that can do really good free-stance. The stand should be an added accessory, not the reason for buying the figure itself, IMO. That being said, I love the stands that come with the Revoltechs.

MasterOfPuppets

I'd have to agree, so far. The GNU articulation is good and based on all the official and fan-made photographs I've seen so far comparable to a Master Grade Gundam. I'd have to say that based on all these picture presented thus far, the articulation differences between Revoltech and the GNU are a lot greater than what is being stated in opinions.

UN Spacy

Thanks for positng that. I'll have to take a look at it when I get home. I do agree with one of the comments made by the viewers "If I want something to just stand there in a neutral pose, I'd get a statue."

Having said all that, I think I'm resigning myself to the purchase of a GNU so I can know for sure. I figure I'm interested enough that I should buy one and find out for myself. And perhaps I can help others with a more exhaustive review of the strengths of each toy. I am a pro-articulation fan, so I do tend to go for that even at the expense of other features which some fans might prioritize more than myself.

Edited by Mr March
Posted

Wow, nice pics for a beginner, March! :) Since you have two Macross Revoltech, what do you think of Revoltech in general?

You made me envy of you, getting all those nice toys. I just don't have the budget to get those nice toys... :p

Posted
MasterOfPuppets

I'd have to agree, so far. The GNU articulation is good and based on all the official and fan-made photographs I've seen so far comparable to a Master Grade Gundam. I'd have to say that based on all these picture presented thus far, the articulation differences between Revoltech and the GNU are a lot greater than what is being stated in opinions.

Mmmmm maybe comparable to an old Master Grade. The Master Grades from around 2003-Now all feature double jointed elbows, knees, necks and shoulders. Waist and universal hip articulation is standard. Not only are the ankles fully posable, the toes are as well. Heck, some of the newer ones have abdominal articulation.

Posted

Wee picked up my YF-19, YF-21 and VF-1J Max last night!

The YF-19 sculpt is very very nice...

This could become habit forming! :blink:

Posted (edited)
ruskiiVFaussie

Don't get me wrong, I love the addition of the stands, but I want a action figure that can do really good free-stance. The stand should be an added accessory, not the reason for buying the figure itself, IMO. That being said, I love the stands that come with the Revoltechs.

I understand. :D It's just that the poses i do are freakish ones that would need the stand (ala flying/mid air movement)

And also they (Revy's) are sooo light, you can blu-tak the stands upside down and have them hang from anywhere!

Edited by ruskiiVFaussie
Posted

LoneWolf, I will recreate the ad and post it in the GN-U section. When I do I will put a link here.

Mr March, Awesome job with the sneak peak and shooting. Those poses were in the second or third episode. Makes me want a CF VF-1J.

Really love the Battle Pods. Bring on more enemy mechs.

Fly4victory, thanks for posting those pictures. I'm amazed at how well the GN-U can balance itself, those one-foot poses are a technical feat. If you have the time, can you see if the GN-U's can match the action poses from that Kaiyodo ad?

post-3784-1214015700_thumb.jpg

post-3784-1214015726_thumb.jpg

Posted

Wow, those are fantastic poses with excellent camera work Mr. March!

Although the sculpt and finish may not always be perfect, Revoltechs are pure win when it comes to creating anime-like poses.

Posted (edited)

Sulendil Ang

For non-transformable action figures, I haven't seen anything as good as a Revoltech for as cheap. I currently own three Evangelion figures, two Patlabor figures, and two Macross figures.

Revoltech Advantages:

+ Detail is high and very impressive for such small figures

+ Sculpts are very dramatic and line art accurate with angles that make the figures look good in almost any pose.

+ Joints are strong and hold up well with repeated use. In fact, if you don't manipulate the figure for a while, I've noticed the joints tend to stiffen.

+ Articulation is the best of any action figure product I've ever seen, capable of mimicking almost every single classic animation pose.

+ Fantastic supply of accessories with each figure, including various hands, guns, FAST packs and a dynamic display stand

+ The most affordable figure that offers the most for the least amount of money

+ FUN, more FUN and even more FUN! If you have any imagination at all (or loved lego as a child) Revoltech figures are for you.

Revoltech Disadvantages:

- It doesn't transform, but that's not why we're buying them of course :)

- The ball joints can be an eyesore. Some ball joints blend into the figure perfectly (YF-19) while others sadly stand out (VF-1 shoulders).

- Some parts of the sculpt look off, especially finer details like the head units.

Valkyrie23

Yeah, that one was truly a lot of fun. I like beating up Reguld Battle Pods :)

MasterOfPuppets

I'm not sure if I own a Master Grade or not, but I've got a Gundam Alex that I put together myself (purchased around 2003) and it appears to have similar articulation (and limitations) of a GNU Dou figure from Yamato. If they've since improved the Master Grades, I wouldn't know about that, since this is the only Gundam I have. My figure does have a slightly articulating waist.

ruskiiVFaussie

My favorite VF-1J pose using the stand is the feet first dive Hikaru does when attacking the theatre scout in SDF Macross. Head cannons forward, feet forward, all guns blazing :) I haven't actually tried hanging any of the upside down yet. What an interesting idea :)

Fly4victory

THanks. I'm really looking forward to your GNU ad.

Vifam7

The ability of the Revoltechs to capture the poses in the anime shows is my favorite feature of the figures.

Edited by Mr March
Posted
ruskiiVFaussie

My favorite VF-1J pose using the stand is the feet first dive Hikaru does when attacking the theatre scout in SDF Macross. Head cannons forward, feet forward, all guns blazing :) I haven't actually tried hanging any of the upside down yet. What an interesting idea :)

Mine too, i did the same for my 1/100 scale -

IMG_3972.jpg

IMG_3973.jpg

IMG_3976.jpg

IMG_3978.jpg

I like this stance as well. See everyone? 1/100's rock.

5-1.jpg

I'm getting a second VJ-1J so i might take it back to our fav stance! :D It's the coolest moment for the 1J.

Also plan to get my new 1/60 scale 1J to do the same, deffinnently with double jointed elbows!

Posted (edited)

gallery_3118_46_370380.jpg

Upside down display fun.

revoltechs rock. :-)

When my 19 and 21 Revy's arrive, i plan to display them apart, one of the 1st level corner, and the other 3rd level

fighting / focusing on each other, with firing gunpods (with effects) and PPBarrier defence. It will be f'n grand.

Edited by ruskiiVFaussie
Posted (edited)
Some galleries that really push the YF-19 and the YF-21 to their limits.

http://www.geocities.jp/hetare_d_max/galle...tech_YF-19.html

http://www.geocities.jp/hetare_d_max/galle...tech_YF-21.html

Same person also did a gallery of the GNU YF-19, posing results... not as dynamic.

http://www.geocities.jp/hetare_d_max/gallery-GNU_YF-19.html

My impressions on both versions of the YF-19(Can't find GNU YF-21 in same gallery, so I'm leaving Guld's valkyrie out of this):

After looking at these galleries, I don't get how the Revoltech YF-19's sculpt is inferior. I always see the YF-19's Battroid mode as a dynamic, bad-ass looking design, and seeing how dynamic SK's design was, the Revoltech has a much better, and dare I say, more truer sculpt for it than GNU's.

But that's not saying that the GNU YF-19 is bad; The sculpt is good, it gives the impression that it's solid, and it has the advantage of having ABS plastic, so it wins there for having superior, quality materials. But in terms of sculpt and what it was meant for(dramatic action posing), The Revoltech is still my #1 choice. Though I wish Kaiyodo used better materials other than the PVC. But that's a setback I'm willing to live with, as Revoltech figures as a whole is very, VERY affordable for anyone being slaughtered by Yamato's shocking price tags.

As for articulation, Revoltech has an even BIGGER edge over the GNU. If the guy behind the galleries here really explored every nook-and-cranny of the figures, then I can't see how the articulation gap between GNU and Revoltech is slight(even though the GNU is quite good, but can't see it being the same quality as Revoltech, articulation-wise). Seeing the leg articulation on the GNU YF-19 made me lean to the Revoltech's side even more. Sure, the Revoltech balljoints themselves sticked out like a sore thumb in the VF-1, but it looks a lot better on the YF-19.

Plus points(though more about preference, really) for the GNU is the scale: It towers over the Revoltech YF-19, and if Yamato plans to release GNU non-transformable VF-1s in SCALE, then that's something you guys might look forward to. Kaiyodo must have forgotten that the next-generation of Valkyries are bigger in scale than the VF-1s. Oops.

The paintjob on the Revoltech YF-19 looks brighter and livelier than the GNU YF-19. Maybe it could be just the quality of the images, but GNU's feels... dull when I look at it. I still see the same thing with every other picture of the GNU in the internet. I have to see in person if it looks better than the pics I'm seeing. As for quality, I'm not sure. That's why I might get the GNU and see for myself.

Affordability, however, is a no-brainer. I ain't a fan of Yamato's diarrhea-inducing price tags(and QC issues, nowadays), which is the reason why I'm holding off on getting the YF-21. I'll say this again: Revoltech is very, VERY affordable. Sure, it ain't as cheap as your vending-machine gashopons, but for quality in articulation, and accessories(despite the fact that the FAST packs are miscolored. But that can be easily fixed by repainting it hehehehe), Revoltech wins.

So, the short version in my POV(as for as the YF-19 is concerned):

Sculpt: Revoltech

Materials: GNU

Articulation: Revoltech

Scale(note sure this important or not.): GNU

Paintjob: Revoltech for brightness. GNU just looks... dull-ish.

Affordability:... um, I think that's kinda obvious. Ok, ok, it's Revoltech.

Note that this is just my point of view. While I'm definitely gonna get the Revoltech YF-19, I'm thinking of getting the GNU... if I have enough in my wallet. Then I'll see if there's some extras in the GNU that's good. THEN I'll write an actual review of both figures side-by-side. But seeing how the articulations between the two figures are, I'm still in favor of Revoltech. As Mr. March has said, it's fun, fun, FUN!

EDIT: ok, I'm gonna slap myself silly: I do have to see the actual GNU figure in person to see if the paint job is any better than Revoltech's. Darn pic lighting. XD

Edited by MangledMess
Posted

I did something truely awesome with my Revos yesterday. I swaped the heads of the 1J with the 1A! And they both look much better! :)

Gotto Lova those Revoltechs. :)

Posted

ruskiiVFaussie

That's the pose :) Looking good.

Renato

Very nice! You got some real frankenstien stuff going on there with that double forearm :)

MangledMess

I'm categorizing the various comments from fans as personal prefence. To me, the GNU's look more like the CGI version of what the Valkyries would be. The Revoltechs are like the Kawamori line art, with all the styling and anime magic (like the small main wings folded on the back of the VF-1). I think the CollectionDX review in this thread really hits the point home: the GNU's are old school figures while the Revoltechs are current generation products. The GNU's are designed for fans that worship the 80's, hate "new anime" and are interested only in nostalgia markets. I bet in 10 years when the next major innovation in toys takes place, Revoltechs will look old school :)

Posted (edited)

So it looks like the revoltechs win the competition.

Graham are you going to tell yamato to add to the GNU more stylised lines, or was it that the more mechanical and less organic look to the figure was its appeal and that it can't be seen as a negative point of the toy due to the makers not going for that goal? (stylised)

One thing I like about the cheapy banpresto is that when it transforms into a fighter it doesn't look all deformed and stuff, but when you turn it into a battroid mode it looks "robotic" which is what the VF is. (not a person cosplaying as a mech with its delicate joints exposed to harmful bullets)

What you have is two groups: (this is something I mentioned ages ago)

-the model kit guys who want accurate proportions and treat the fictional mecha like a proper robot with restrictions to its movements. (because in real life wearing armor can restrict your range of motion) It's about the machine looking like a robot and mechanical details. (for example the live action movie transformers have a lot of little sculpted details that reinforce the idea that there are many little pieces that individually perform a function making up one big robot.) Take the neck as an example: when humans hold a gun they can tilt their head and look down the barrel of the weapon to aim, but for a robot it would not need to rotate the head in a tilt since it's just a machine with sensors. It would not make sense to let the vf-1a have an extra joint that was never there to begin with. Even if in the show it might have done that, the robot must play by the rules. A VF-1 can't really "sit down" in robot mode because of the problems that would introduce. Just as a destroid shouldn't be able to wiggle its midsection from side to side and do dance moves. :D It should only rotate the upper body like a tank turret and have the basic articulation in the limbs. It's a machine.

-anime fan. Fan of the anime is a guy who likes the "cool moment" in the show and wants something that is closer to what a comic book artist would imagine of the hero robot going around killing things. The organic movements and stylish moves are what seperate the main "character" from all the useless cannon fodder who can't do those fancy moves and so in order to recreate that energy and life of the main character you can bend the rules a bit. For example it would be impractical for max genuis in DYRL to wait for the enemy to get so close and then shoot the alien in the face with the gunpod at close range after clobbering him with melee attacks, ....where a simple shot from a long distance would be a lot more practical and result in a faster kill allowing for him to move to the next target earlier and attack more people at one time. But this is a "Cool moment", like when you see a movie martial arts fight which isn't realistic and drags on for a long time because a simple move isn't enough to provide entertainment. In real life it might not be a 10 minute fight but end within 1 minute and using a simple move to get the job done because it's the most practical. Anime fan, wants a figure that can "be cool" over realistic.

The first group doesn't think it is superior to the second group so please don't turn this into a big fight, just that you've got differences in opinion of what is more important. You can't say that high a higher range of movement in revoltech joints automatically means GNU is worse, just that you prefer that in a figure. And the sculpt nazi can't say revoltech sucks since the paint application and detail is poor because that isn't why people bought the smaller and cheaper figure for.

For the price I think revoltech wins because of the accessories. Yamato seems really stingy in that area imo. I'm still waiting for a response about whether side covers are going to be added as standard parts for the yamato 1/60 vf-1 and still no confirmation. Yamato imo loses for not caring about the small things that should be 'easy to do'. In the case of the GNU, allowing FP is not that hard, but just like with the lack of gunpods for the 1/72 yf21 they are absent. Almost as if they want to later sell you a new and improved version later down the track to get more money. :D Call me cynical, but that's the vibe I get. They just want to milk it.

Now when and if, revoltech get to the Qrau, and if Yamato have a GNU version of that, poseability to me is going to be a major thing because that mecha is very much an "elite robot" that deserves to be able to bend the limbs around and look cool killing cannon fodder. If the goal is to create a scene from DYRL, super posability is going to be a big plus for QRau. Not so much for a destroid since those things are slow, bulky and weighed down with realistic physics in the anime. But the Qrau has been shown to have high agility in robot to robot fights. The aces fight with style. An accurate sculpt plus very high poseability (like double jointed knees for example) combined into 1 figure is going to be what I look for.

Edited by 1/1 LowViz Lurker
Posted (edited)
Yeah but I still think yamato should have included accessories. Considering how small the FP covers are.

So will there be a revoltech vf-11 down the line?

no doubt, that's what stopped me from getting the YF-21.

I hope Revy does all the VF/YF/SV line.

Edited by ruskiiVFaussie
Posted

So I'm really digging the revoltech 19, but the one thing that still bugs me is the fast pack color. So here's my question:

What would be the best method for painting them? The plastic is kinda rubbery, I think you'd need a certain type of paint. Also, I'm wondering if I should prep the pieces before painting, or just slap some primer on and go from there.

Your opinions please. Thank you.

Posted (edited)
MangledMess

I'm categorizing the various comments from fans as personal prefence. To me, the GNU's look more like the CGI version of what the Valkyries would be. The Revoltechs are like the Kawamori line art, with all the styling and anime magic (like the small main wings folded on the back of the VF-1). I think the CollectionDX review in this thread really hits the point home: the GNU's are old school figures while the Revoltechs are current generation products. The GNU's are designed for fans that worship the 80's, hate "new anime" and are interested only in nostalgia markets. I bet in 10 years when the next major innovation in toys takes place, Revoltechs will look old school :)

True, True. I suspect as much about the target audience, although I ain't that much of a fan of anime these days.

Here's a thought: If Yamato is trying to sell the GNU line based on the posability of the figure, and to compete with Kaiyodo's Revoltech, then I think they still have a long way to go. IMO, what's the point of getting the GNU line if the 1/60 YF-19 can achieve the same articulation, or even better(Yeah, I tend to push the limits of the 1/60 YF-19 quite a bit back then, although I don't take as many pics as I should)? Sturdiness? That shouldn't be enough. So the target market is definitely old-school fans as mentions above as far as the GNU line is concerned.

I buy a mecha action figure based on what they are and what the series line's theme/style is. Since I like Revoltech because they achieved what they were meant for(stylised action posing, doesn't necessarily means that only anime fans enjoy this. I'm sure there are some non-anime fans out there that collects Revoltechs.), I get the figure I think Revoltech does justice too. I still also like a very technical, realistic design of how a mecha will work in real life(not to mention accurate proportions), so I turned out to be an even bigger Front Mission fan than I am a big Macross and, dare I say, Transformers fan, and will buy FM toys if THEY STILL exist(dammit, rare FM toys). If I want the best of both worlds(superb articulation and technical realism, not to mention perfect transformation), I'd go for the Transformers Masterpiece/Classics line or Yamato's Macross 1/60 line, or what ever series/line that offers that. Sp basically, there's something for everyone.

What I'm saying is that for a product to succeed, its' selling point must be strong and unique, with some very strong and creative advertising. Not only it will attract the target audience, but also newcomers who may or may not heard of the product in question by passing glance/word of mouth. GNU's advertising is nearly non-existent, and IMHO I don't see much of anything that makes the figure unique, that stands out from the rest. Don't tell me old-school nostalgia is the only selling point?

That's why I'm buying certain figures from Revoltech: it has a unique selling point that STANDS out.

I'm not trying to say people shouldn't buy GNU; It's their choice. I'm just trying to say what I see from my point of view. Then hopefully(one way or the other), Yamato will be motivated to improve the GNU line. Until then, as far as articulation and posability is concerned, Revoltech is still sitting on that comfy throne up there.

I apologize for the TL;DR again. Please continue having fun. :D

Edited by MangledMess
Posted (edited)
So I'm really digging the revoltech 19, but the one thing that still bugs me is the fast pack color. So here's my question:

What would be the best method for painting them? The plastic is kinda rubbery, I think you'd need a certain type of paint. Also, I'm wondering if I should prep the pieces before painting, or just slap some primer on and go from there.

Your opinions please. Thank you.

I'm really not sure, as I've never tried painting on PVC before.

Other then that, I think the best way to paint a model/figure/toy is to spray-paint them. Use masking tape on areas that shouldn't be painted on and start spray-painting. Saves a lot more time, from my experience with an old Enterprise-B that I still have. :D

Edited by MangledMess
Posted
So I'm really digging the revoltech 19, but the one thing that still bugs me is the fast pack color. So here's my question:

What would be the best method for painting them? The plastic is kinda rubbery, I think you'd need a certain type of paint. Also, I'm wondering if I should prep the pieces before painting, or just slap some primer on and go from there.

Your opinions please. Thank you.

If you're planning to use oil based paints like Enamel, remember to apply two gently coats of Matt white, which will allow the grey paint to be absorb.

PVC is rubber, which is oil based, so the paint won't be absorbed and won't dry properly without a premier coat.

Though I would suggest acrylic paint instead of Enamel, but still apply a base Matt coat first.

I also suggest to first test on a small area, like on the inside of the legs fast packs, and see how the PVC reacts to the paint after a good 24 hour drying period.

Now there are some other cons. Like Emamel does have a minimal stretch resitence if the piece is bent. Whilst in certain cases arcylic might form cracks, and might chip.

Best thing, go to a hobby shop and ask for the best quality acylic that is chip and crack resistence.

Later

Posted (edited)

Possible future Revo Macross

Well considering how the VF-1 & Regult bare a striking resemblence in style to the Kaiyodo/CM Gashpons of a few years back, and seeing that they've made the VF and Regult, I can guess we can expect the Destroid and 1J with Armour as they also appeared in that line.

Then again, just about everything of Patlabor, and all the Eva's have been fullfilled in the Revo line-up, so I guess we should see plenty more Macross Revos.

I know that the next Revo is the new Mech from Full Metal Panic 3... Which is ok, lots of extra pieces, but the new design doesn't do it for me.

I came across a rumour on another forum, that Macross Zero might also be slated soon for Revo tech... :)

Edited by Omegablue
Posted
Possible future Revo Macross

Well considering how the VF-1 & Regult bare a striking resemblence in style to the Kaiyodo/CM Gashpons of a few years back, and seeing that they've made the VF and Regult, I can guess we can expect the Destroid and 1J with Armour as they also appeared in that line.

What would be cool is if they could design the Armor pack as an accessory that would fit on the VF-1 body; somehow maintaining the posability of the original. But honestly, I don't see that working. Really though, even in SDFM, the armored 1J lumbered around like Randy anyway.

I think they should release a VF-1 Brownie. I'd spring for 1 more of those...

Posted
What would be cool is if they could design the Armor pack as an accessory that would fit on the VF-1 body; somehow maintaining the posability of the original. But honestly, I don't see that working. Really though, even in SDFM, the armored 1J lumbered around like Randy anyway.

I think they should release a VF-1 Brownie. I'd spring for 1 more of those...

Good point about the Armoured 1J. In my view, I think they'll for a new sculpt, where unfortunately the parts won't be removable.

As for a Vf-1 Cannon Fodder, I expect it to be a limited edition, just as were the Max and Miriya! :angry: I'm still soar about not being able to get a Miriya...

Posted

I'd rather have a new armored VF-1J revoltech figure.. I would think that an armor set would hinder the existing VF-1 body..

Got my YF-19 and YF-21 the other day...Me like and great figures for the price :)

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