Salamander Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 It could be a simple case of "These parts are made from a different plastic or have a different structure, so they reflect light differently". So in a picture taken with a flash you'll see the difference more that under artifical lights in your room, and the difference will be nearly gone in daylight... Which doesn't mean that the color difference doesn't look pretty awful in pictures, of course (just adding this since people here tend to read stuff into messages that isn't in them...)
drifand Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 In the end, even if the color IS NOT FIXED, I will still get a DX RVF. I just don't get as upset over something like this as I would if an expensive toy self destructed. So, my sympathies with anyone who has suffered the 'cheap screw of death' so far. Other than that significant issue (which I have not encountered), I haven't experienced any real show-stoppers on the 3 DXs so far: - The groin peg has worked fine so far, even on my badly abused DX Alto, although I managed to rub off some of the shoulder SMS markings because I'd given up on being gentle during the double knee surgery. - the loose hip armor on Michel can be fixed with Blutac; - original Ozma's short neck is ameliorated by positioning the the neck-block at a steeper angle than shown in the booklet; All other aesthetic complaints can be addressed by buying the model kit - you have a CHOICE; the DX toy isn't for everyone and certainly not if you count having absolutely accurate landing gears, no 'dihedral' wing warp and properly protruding leg/engine nacelles above the rear fuselage as being more important than... well, having a nice big toy of the VF-25. Please try to have fun if you can. I've given up on hating Yamato – I just don't buy them and save myself the heartache. Once in a while, I see a new post in the 'What's wrong with my XX Yammie" threads and take a peek... and tell myself to stay out and don't comment.
edwin3060 Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 Well no one seemed to be panicking at the time I made my post, and you just nullified your own arguments by calling people names, so I guess that's that. Just like you mentioned that you have greater tolerances for broken toys, I guess I have greater tolerances for people to air their views about a toy without labelling them negatively just for speaking their mind. Hmm none of the pictures so far reveal whether there is a way to mount the gunpod in fighter mode--- can anyone else who has a toy chime in on whether the DX is like the model kit in this aspect?
D_Unit Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 The faded green parts look like they've been accidentally left out on the sun (and got bleached). I hope more people who gets theirs can post if theirs are the same or not. There's no way I can buy these if they look like that (I can't repaint worth crap).
eriku Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 Well no one seemed to be panicking at the time I made my post, and you just nullified your own arguments by calling people names, so I guess that's that. Just like you mentioned that you have greater tolerances for broken toys, I guess I have greater tolerances for people to air their views about a toy without labelling them negatively just for speaking their mind. A. Pan·ic - a sudden feeling of fear or anxiety, especially among many people, that comes on suddenly, is overwhelming, appears to be uncontrollable, and may seem to be unfounded B. I'm calling people names. Where have I done this here? If you are referring to my response to QuinJester, PAY MORE ATTENTION. C. I have greater tolerances for broken toys. Where have I said this here? D. Labelling people negatively for speaking their minds. Where have I done this here? Please PM me your responses if you wish to continue, and I'd appreciate it if you had your facts together before responding.
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 C. I have greater tolerances for broken toys. Where have I said this here?Eriku most certainly does not have greater tolerances for broken toys.
mph2501 Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 To get back on topic my Michel just arrived from HLJ, and here's my mini-review. The thing is damn solid, and they fixed the loose arm swivel joints problem that's been plaguing my Ozma. I peered at the thing's plastic under white, yellow, and flourescent lamps, (successively,not all at once) and there wasn't really any discoloration to speak of. Otherwise, like the Ozma, it's mostly metal, rather durable, and transforms without a hitch. Still present are the laughably small landing gear. This only becomes an issue when you attach the frighteningly delicate sniper rifle. In short, the plane is lovely, but the armor? It's called a RARE EARTH MAGNET, Bandai. I'm sorry if Yamato bought up every other one in Japan, but Im sure if you looked beyond your own picturesque borders you could find a cache someplace. The chest armor pops off with alarming frequency, the hip armor is only barely held on by some kind of weak undernourished cousing of tension and friction, and the armor that clamps onto the backs of the legs restricts all knee movement. The missile pods and hip-gun things are plastic tabs and ball joints, which I'm terrified will break off at the most inopportune moment (like, when I'm transforming the thing),and there are little tabs holding on everything from the nicely modelled boosters to the depressingly restrictive leg armor. I'd swear my old Takatoku valkyrie with his thrice-repaired tabbed armor parts was looking at me and sneering as I fitted the Michel with its armor. You die-hard super-courageous customizers out there, bless you, will be tempted to order your own magnets and bore a series of holes, or simply cut of those noisesome tabs on the rear calf armor to give your valkyrie a fuller range of movement. My hat's off to you if you make it work. I know that's what I'm tempted to exactly do, but I'm stopped by the massive pile of cash I forked over to buy the thing in the first place. Oh yes, and the crotch-anchor problem. If you press the bits together with a little more oomph than you percieve is safe, they snap together with a satisfying click. I found this out by accident. Works on the Ozma, too. I'd still buy these over a partsforming VF-100's any day because partsformers make me itch. Like Graham I fear loosing the one essential bob whilst playing with it one day, and then you've got yourself a piece of foreign sculpture that won't go together right. So Bandai,? Magnets and landing gear. It's a short list. Work on it. See you for the Armored Ozma. M
KiriK Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 nice review there! Man.... the Michel will be my 1st DX valk so i hope i'm not too dissapointed as you guys sound about the armor.... so can you leave the armor on while you transform it? or does it have to come off first? If any of you have time to take nice pictures of it... please post!!!
eriku Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 Oh yes, and the crotch-anchor problem. If you press the bits together with a little more oomph than you percieve is safe, they snap together with a satisfying click. I found this out by accident. Works on the Ozma, too. Unfortunately that isn't the case with mine. The parts simply can't be pressed any harder together, and what click there used to be is long gone. This isn't going to prevent me from getting more VF-25 DX toys though - it's pretty much my favorite valk toy.
edwin3060 Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 (edited) ...This only becomes an issue when you attach the frighteningly delicate sniper rifle... Delicate in what way? This is the first time I've heard anyone bring up this issue with the sniper rifle. The missile pods and hip-gun things are plastic tabs and ball joints, which I'm terrified will break off at the most inopportune moment I wouldn't be worried about this-- The hip guns have been on ball joints all along, and people have managed to drop and break the leg of their VF-25 without affecting the hip gun. See you for the Armored Ozma. M Amen! Quick question-- have you tried putting the Super parts on the Ozma? ff95gj reported that his intake/hip armour was tight on the Alto but loose on the Michael. I wonder if this is something that occurs with the first release vs this second release. Edited March 27, 2009 by edwin3060
Kicker773 Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 Gotta love my new sig... but seriously with economic downturn, I would rather be anal about the toy i'm willing to spend a large amount of $$ on
regult Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 (edited) I try to stay away from posting here since I don't own any DX VF-25 BUT I honestly always wanted to get one simply because I am not a good model builder...but after seeing Alto and Ozma with my own eyes more than once and reading this thread every once in a while (Michel, Luca), I have to sadly stick to plamo (despite being a newbie builder).The DX is too expensive for what it is, and now the color mismatching makes the Kawamori remarks even more "PRish" IMO. I still stand by all the comments I made in the past: short neck, head lasers, leg position in battroid and fighter (THE deal breaker for me), crotch connector, fighter nose area crooked, landing gears too short (should not even bother deploying them), lower fins straight, shoulder screw snapping... I still wait for the day we get better value for money on a transformable VF-25, Bandai, Yamato or whoever may be! (edit: grammar and clarity) Edited March 27, 2009 by regult
mph2501 Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 @ Edwin3060 --The sniper rifle has these delicate little tines that are meant to deploy splayed out, and the things are so slender and delicate they make my "you're going to snap this off by accident someday" sense tingle. I wish Kawamori-sensei had just designed a different looking bigass gun that would have made less of a delicate toy. Also, because you mentioned it, I did try fitting the intake armor on the my Ozma, and it is, in fact SNUG on there. I can only imagine what the Casting & Assembly Dwarves at Bandai do to these things, which are otherwise identical beyond paint/plastic color and heads. (If anyone's ever seen/been a part of the process of making/casting things I'd be fascinated to hear the explanation, but offhand I'd chalk it up to the "no two come out of the mold alike nor will they ever") @Eriku- the only thought that occurs to me is that the tabs may wear out over time, although the above "no two are alike..." maxim may also be true in this case. If this is some kind of bargain-basement eco-plastic that is made to super degrade over time, I'd rather they pollute the poo out of a planet and make these little connection tabs that are integral to the toy out of... I don't, radioactive super magnetic ultra-dura-plastic. @KiriK- Pictures.... I'll try to take and post when I can. I did get a fantastic camera not long ago that I snap pics of practically everything with. Well, everything small. Something told me to wait before getting the Ozma and I'll bet ALL of our issues will be fixed by the time that monstrous beauty of a craft sees the light of day. You'd better believe I'll be ordering a Quarter, too.
eugimon Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 Well, even if we assume that the factory has perfect environmental controls and their plastic mixes are completely homogenized and consistent, depending on the size of the operation there can be a few sister molds or dozens or hundreds. Minor variations from mold to mold could easily explain why one person gets tabs that lock firmly and someone else gets tabs that don't work at all. It gets worse as the molds get polished and repolished and tolerances continue to decline. Just look at fit and finish of 1st run toys versus later reissues. You'll see stuff like parts not matching up as well, hinges and other high tolerance areas being loose or not fitting properly, excess flashing in some cases or lines and detailing just not being as clean and sharp.
Kicker773 Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 On a lighter note you can sell that or keep the different color luca and sell it as a variant limited edition =T
eugimon Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 (edited) On a lighter note you can sell that or keep the different color luca and sell it as a variant limited edition =T It's a special camouflage for the unaired "luca raids the lime jello factory" episode. Edited March 27, 2009 by eugimon
CF18 Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 It's called a RARE EARTH MAGNET, Bandai. I am sure they stay away from those for child safety. Speaking of magnet, are the die cast metal in the toy ferromagnetic? That would make any magnet mod simpler.
eugimon Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 (edited) I am sure they stay away from those for child safety. Speaking of magnet, are the die cast metal in the toy ferromagnetic? That would make any magnet mod simpler. most diecast is a zinc alloy and not magnetic. And thomas the train toys are definitely made for little kids and use them as well as dozens of other toys. Edited March 27, 2009 by eugimon
mph2501 Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 I am sure they stay away from those for child safety. Anyone allowing a child to play with these might as well be lighting one hundred dollar bills on fire to read the newspaper at midnight. Then sleeping on a bed stuffed full of more hundreds. That s/he burns every morning to cook his breakfast, which is also made of some kind of currency. S/he will not eat that breakfast but instead stuff it into an incinerator fueled exclusively with money. Also, the current raft of Macross toys (never mind the models) is so full of tiny parts and sharp bits that you could use a reasonably sized collection thereof to perpetrate the greatest child massacre ever known on western soil. So please, keep them away from children. At all costs. (This entirely satirical message sponsored by tax dollars I hoovered out of politician's mattresses when they weren't looking. We do not, repeat NOT endorse harming children or burning perfectly good money, or any combination thereof.)
edwin3060 Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 @ Edwin3060 --The sniper rifle has these delicate little tines that are meant to deploy splayed out, and the things are so slender and delicate they make my "you're going to snap this off by accident someday" sense tingle. I wish Kawamori-sensei had just designed a different looking bigass gun that would have made less of a delicate toy. Hmm that's certainly true, but the plastic that Bandai uses seems more durable than Yamato plastic, and you could always display it without the stabilizers splayed out in which case you would just have your normal bigass gun I guess. Also, because you mentioned it, I did try fitting the intake armor on the my Ozma, and it is, in fact SNUG on there. I can only imagine what the Casting & Assembly Dwarves at Bandai do to these things, which are otherwise identical beyond paint/plastic color and heads. (If anyone's ever seen/been a part of the process of making/casting things I'd be fascinated to hear the explanation, but offhand I'd chalk it up to the "no two come out of the mold alike nor will they ever") Innteresting... so thats two reports now of a better fit on the first releases vs the second releases. The whole "die wearing out" explanation doesn't work here because if that were the case, the second release intakes (Michael's) should have a tighter fit than the first release, not a looser fit. I would guess that the explanation is that they used a different die for the second release (because the first set of dies wore out, or whatever) and the two dies are slightly different, resulting in the smaller intakes and the poorer fit for the Michael's Super parts, because all Super parts are identical and they used the first release for the dimensions of the Super parts. We'll never know for sure though. Did you try some sticky tape or blu-tack? (P.S. The widespread reports of a loose right shoulder and tight left shoulder on the first releases incline me to believe that Bandai probably has looser tolerances for the DX) Something told me to wait before getting the Ozma and I'll bet ALL of our issues will be fixed by the time that monstrous beauty of a craft sees the light of day. You'd better believe I'll be ordering a Quarter, too. I hope the Ozma GBP would solve the issues, but it is just as likely that there might be some new issues with it
mrsmithz Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 (edited) http://www.toy-world.com.hk/maga/fk/03_2008/001.html Enjoy! relevant page... http://www.toy-world.com.hk/maga/fk/03_2008/014.html Edited March 27, 2009 by mrsmithz
Cent Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 (edited) Hmm none of the pictures so far reveal whether there is a way to mount the gunpod in fighter mode--- can anyone else who has a toy chime in on whether the DX is like the model kit in this aspect? ? 1/72 Luca can't mount the gunpod in fighter mode? Did not know. o_O I dont remember seeing it mounted in the show either, but I'm sure they probably did. They'd probably mount it using the strange Alto + Michel Sniper rifle method where it mounts slightly to the side, between the leg and the arm. I don't think any of the models or toys are capable of doing that though. Edited March 27, 2009 by Cent
QuinJester Posted March 27, 2009 Posted March 27, 2009 (edited) I'm going to go ahead and interject some positivity and say that, having opened my Michel, it's so nice. My few nitpicks with my Alto were thus: - The grey plate that the head rests on didn't really lock very well into the shoulders - the waist disconnected kind of easily - The hip pegs didn't seem to want to go all the way in when in fighter mode, leaving them slightly unpegged from the body. - I had to glue all the handguards to the hands. Every one of these is fixed on my VF-25G. On top of that, the hips are tighter, the shoulders are a tad looser and easier to move (and both of the same stiffness), and the wrists are much tighter. My fast packs lock on very nicely, with the wing thrusters holding in place as they should. If people are experiencing sag, check to make sure that the little peg that sticks out on the inside of the thruster is going into place in the indentation on the ring root; mine didn't stay put until I fiddled with it a bit and found the sweet spot for this. The hip guards: Yes, they're a little loose. I'd rank them as being about on par with my 1/60 YF-19 for obnoxiousness; they don't fall off on their own, or even when I'm moving the figure around, but they almost never stay put if I try to transform the figure or adjust the legs too much. Overall, not as bad as I thought from listening to some reports and with a bit of nail polish (or a hair dryer and a bit of a squeeze to make it put a bit more pressure on the outside edges) I can imagine it being rock solid. They lock on about the same on my Alto, as an FYI. No better, no worse. My only real "meh" point on it is the gun, whose fins are a bit too fiddly for my taste. I echo earlier sentiments that I wish Kawamori had just given Michel a nice BFG and not had all of these awkward spiny bits all over his gun Damn does it look nice though. Stands like a dream in battroid mode, looks absolutely badass in fighter mode. Haven't given gerwalk a try yet, but it's my least favorite mode on the VF-25 so I'm in no hurry Michel has rekindled my love for this mold. I'll definitely be keeping my Luca preorder. EDIT: oh, and the groin guard doesn't have to be removed to transform at all. Fits just fine. Edited March 27, 2009 by QuinJester
ff95gj Posted March 28, 2009 Posted March 28, 2009 (edited) You need a semi-circle clip thing to hold the gunpod, right? The Luca DX just does not provide that specific accessory. And it's now morning (misty one); I look at Luca again, and it looks tolerable to me. The difference is there; but with a glance you may probably miss it. Just as I didn't notice it when I bought it at the shop and checked the parts (only paid attention to the painted jobs and known problems and heck, there was a plastic bag too). Again, it's really not that hideous in real life. The photo-shooting and the lighting made it stand out. I am really worried that I may seem to be spreading panick on the DX, so I am stating this again... To be inconsistent to what I have been doing in the last sentence, there are 3 cases now for the color problem. Another guy confirmed, but he did not post photos. My 25G seems to be fine too in terms of this color thing, but a guy in TD actually complained there are 3 blue shades for his. So much about luck. And as a quick summary, the known problems for the DX from TD: - color discrepancy (reported on 25G once and thrice on RVF) - someone forgotten to paint the black/white thing on the canopy side (reported on 25G) - missing part for the booster; the colored (blue for Michael, etc) tip of the booster (reported on 25G) Edited March 28, 2009 by ff95gj
SuperHobo Posted March 28, 2009 Posted March 28, 2009 I just got my VF-25G and I am very pleased with it. On mine the crotch locking mechanism is doing its job well unlike my VF-25S. The head laser is nice a straight and the head is nicely detailed! The hip armor stays on ok , but again like everyone else said could be better. One thing I noticed on mine part of the metal shoulder hinge is a little too tight and it kind of scares me. Overall I highly recommend this awesome piece.
todd77 Posted March 28, 2009 Posted March 28, 2009 You need a semi-circle clip thing to hold the gunpod, right? The Luca DX just does not provide that specific accessory. And it's now morning (misty one); I look at Luca again, and it looks tolerable to me. The difference is there; but with a glance you may probably miss it. Just as I didn't notice it when I bought it at the shop and checked the parts (only paid attention to the painted jobs and known problems and heck, there was a plastic bag too). Again, it's really not that hideous in real life. The photo-shooting and the lighting made it stand out. I am really worried that I may seem to be spreading panick on the DX, so I am stating this again... To be inconsistent to what I have been doing in the last sentence, there are 3 cases now for the color problem. Another guy confirmed, but he did not post photos. My 25G seems to be fine too in terms of this color thing, but a guy in TD actually complained there are 3 blue shades for his. So much about luck. And as a quick summary, the known problems for the DX from TD: - color discrepancy (reported on 25G once and thrice on RVF) - someone forgotten to paint the black/white thing on the canopy side (reported on 25G) - missing part for the booster; the colored (blue for Michael, etc) tip of the booster (reported on 25G) Are you saying that there's no way to attach the gunpod to the RVF in fighter mode since the necessary accessory is missing? Does the bottom tail fin impede the attachment of the gunpod? Does the 25G come with an extra attachment for the regular gunpod (there are three types of attachments shown in Gamu review of the 25G)? If so, can that attachment be used on the RVF? Sorry for the bombardment...
jedimech Posted March 28, 2009 Posted March 28, 2009 hi guys, anyone has any idea when is the RVF-25 arriving in singapore? Has been looking forward for it....
funkymonkeyjavajunky Posted March 28, 2009 Posted March 28, 2009 (edited) My 25G shipped from Anime Export a couple of days ago. Now the waiting game begins ... Edited March 28, 2009 by funkymonkeyjavajunky
mpchi Posted March 28, 2009 Posted March 28, 2009 If you guys looked carefully, the Luca's RVF has two tone green in the toy show display to begin with. Just that most of you didn't notice it back then, while some of the latest photos enhanced the color difference more. So you can pretty much say Bandai had a little hiccup at the production line on this release. Its really no myth. So purchase with precaution.
SuperHobo Posted March 28, 2009 Posted March 28, 2009 Just as a warning guys the small ball joints that connect the missile pods to the body upper body of the VF-25 can easily get stress marks. Mine are already showing a little so do be careful.
Cent Posted March 28, 2009 Posted March 28, 2009 I didnt really look that closely for that photo... But you're right. o_o. Let the panic commence (if it hasnt already) XD
wintermute Posted March 28, 2009 Posted March 28, 2009 Are you saying that there's no way to attach the gunpod to the RVF in fighter mode since the necessary accessory is missing? Does the bottom tail fin impede the attachment of the gunpod? Does the 25G come with an extra attachment for the regular gunpod (there are three types of attachments shown in Gamu review of the 25G)? If so, can that attachment be used on the RVF? Sorry for the bombardment... The gamu review raised in my mind the question of whether the regular gunpod is also included with the 25G (I don't read Japanese). Can anyone who has one indicate whether this is included?
SuperHobo Posted March 28, 2009 Posted March 28, 2009 Yes! The regular gunpod is included as an added bonus!
SVF-Gerwalk Posted March 28, 2009 Posted March 28, 2009 Two greens I didnt really look that closely for that photo... But you're right. o_o. Let the panic commence (if it hasnt already) XD Well, I do experimented panic when I do knew that Bandai own the exclusive rigths, then I do worried by the inaccuracy of the model, then I pleased myself thinking that is a strong toy and MFs toy, so I do buy it, then I do disappointed by the amount of quality problems, and finally I do faced the reality that this product is to expensive for the amount of inaccuracy of the model and quality problems that have. So I dont buy any more, but I will stay tuned if Bandai do a good reissue., but is only my opinion and what I will do in my position ofcourse.
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