Official Bandai 1/60 Scale DX Toy Thread Ver.5

[Jasonc]

These exclusives are sucking my account dry. I don't think I'll be getting the Alto super armor, although, I'm a bit torn. There's only so many things I can sell to justify buying all this stuff. After prepaying for all the Yamato 1/1 scale helmets, I'm about all hobbied out by now.

[Raptor One]

'Photoshopped'

Trans-Am?

[thirty]

Damn!

My wife was all nervous about whether or not I would like it, but from the look on the box I told her it looked like the "new" Elint Seeker. I told her I wasn't familiar with it other than knowing it was from the Frontier series and that Elint variants are uncommon and that I would definitely keep it.

I just bought this RVF-25 used in Tokyo. Its an amazing piece. Super tight joints, tight waist connector. Yeah, the plastic color difference is more noticable, but its not an issue at all with the armor on.

Love the Radome, love the head.

The only Grrrr is that the ghost will be exclusive. I will have to track that down when I come back here in the fall.

[usagiz]

While we are photshoppin Mikhail, dont forget the CF, someday this'll probably be an exclusive too, someday...

original image not mine...

[Graham]

Shouldn't the CF be more tan? It certainly looks tan whenever we see them in the SMS hanger.

That image while nice, looks a littloe too green to me.

Graham

[PsYcHoDyNaMiX]

I would agree. Maybe a bit lighter...

[Graham]

As mentioned, fighter mode hanger shots look very tan IIRC.

Graham

[GGemini]

The pre-order page for the clear VF-25F is up:

http://p-bandai.jp/tamashiiwebshouten/item-1000002740/

Using google translate, I found this relevant:

※ VF-25F MESAIABARUKIRI" as a base and a movable gimmick gimmick or deformation. However, because they are all painted exterior surfaces, when treatment is required Please note that off and painted.

Apparently it is not only clear but has a "special coating". Looks like it's following the steps of the metallic variations of the Mac 7 ones... "transform at your own risk"

[PsYcHoDyNaMiX]

LOL. Thanks for pointing that out. I highly doubt I would buy this clear version... not even for displaying. Bandai's paint jobs absolutely suck! Transform them once and expect paint to flake off.

If Bandai really wanted this bird to be that exclusive they should have included clear super packs or clear armored parts as well.

***EDIT***

Not to even mention the mark up on this thing... since tamashii has it listed at 15,000 yen.

Edited May 18, 2009 by PsYcHoDyNaMiX

[usagiz]

I do wonder what colors bandai would use, I do remember both tan and that washed out green in space, so they can have TRU exclusive tan and Tamashii light green!

once more in warmaker tan

[chen]

LOL. Thanks for pointing that out. I highly doubt I would buy this clear version... not even for displaying. Bandai's paint jobs absolutely suck! Transform them once and expect paint to flake off.

I wouldn't say that, the paint jobs on the Soul of Chogokin line is immaculate and those figures make Yamato Valks look like Happy Meal toys. Perhaps they've had trouble on the DX's but Bandai can put out first class paint jobs.

[ff95gj]

I wouldn't say that, the paint jobs on the Soul of Chogokin line is immaculate and those figures make Yamato Valks look like Happy Meal toys. Perhaps they've had trouble on the DX's but Bandai can put out first class paint jobs.

There are a lot of things that Bandai can do, but lately they don't seem to care to do much.

And I can't agree about the Yamato valks looking like Happy Meal toys... The paint job on the 1/60 v2 is on par with the best of Soul of Chogokin, if not better. Crispy and clean.

[PsYcHoDyNaMiX]

I wouldn't say that, the paint jobs on the Soul of Chogokin line is immaculate and those figures make Yamato Valks look like Happy Meal toys. Perhaps they've had trouble on the DX's but Bandai can put out first class paint jobs.

I was referring to the Bandai DX VF line not all of Bandai's toys (since I do not own many of their other products aside from their models).

I don't know why you're bringing down Yamato valks with a lame McDonald's Happy Meal reference, but I'd hate to say that Yamato valks makes Bandai's look like happy meal toys. Not the other way around.

And I must say that nothing for any toy is ever "immaculate".

***EDIT***

No toy is ever immaculate. XD

Edited May 18, 2009 by PsYcHoDyNaMiX

[chen]

Yamato Valks are nice and all and probably the best Valkyries you can buy, but compared to some of the stuff out there, there pretty average. I was just pointing out that there are toy lines that can exceed Yamato and that Bandai can put out first class stuff.

I think what people are forgetting is that no matter if your looking at Yamato Valks or the Soul of Chogokin line or whatever it took about ten years to where they are today. No company can put out a perfect figure on the first try and I dare anybody to show me a perfect toy from a brand new toyline that didn't have any improvements or running changes. Sure the DX is far from perfect, but it's no worse than Yamato's first attempt at a Valk and like any toyline it's constant improvement and design changes that make any toyline better.

[thirty]

I wouldn't say that, the paint jobs on the Soul of Chogokin line is immaculate and those figures make Yamato Valks look like Happy Meal toys. Perhaps they've had trouble on the DX's but Bandai can put out first class paint jobs.

I have the four DX valks, and after four transforms so far, I see no paint chipping. Where does i usually happen? After reading all of the paint/tampo horror stories here I was prepared to be let down, but so far, I don't see any wear. Perhaps I am being too careful when I am transforming them?

Edited May 18, 2009 by thirty

[PsYcHoDyNaMiX]

Of course there isn't a company out there that can't produce a perfect figure on the first try. That would violate all the laws of any scientific/mathematical reference.

I think what a good number of us are trying to say is that with the years of experience (the technology) that Bandai has they should have and could easily produced something way better and I mean wayyyyyyy... better.

I'm not even going to go into the details of how they could have easily incorporated the blue prints into their DX line by scaling them up and interchanging some parts. I'm pretty sure that somewhere here on the forums it's already been discussed and would deserve a topic of its own.

***EDIT***

A nice example of such a situation where Bandai should have thought things through would be for the VF-25G's shoulder parts... they were casted in blue, but painted white, why? They had already casted white parts on the VF-25G (the bottom half of the wings) why not just do the same for the shoulders. That is just dumb if you ask me honestly.

Edited May 18, 2009 by PsYcHoDyNaMiX

[chen]

Oh I know it could have been way better but Bandai is making constant changes with the DX just like Yamato is with the VF-1's with each new version getting better with minor improvements. They can't do anything radical because the tooling cost for these must be enormous and to expensive to just toss but constant minor changes is possible.

Yeah what you mentioned would seem like a lack of future thought but then the same could be said of Yamato's whole shoulder design on the 1/60's which is just wonky. One is a production problem while the other one is a design problem.

Edited May 18, 2009 by chen

[thirty]

What I can't understand is why the Bandai 1/72 model kits are so bad. I have built plenty of HG Gundam kits, and with a tiny bit of paint, you can make them look very good. I have seen a fair bit of completed frontier kits on window display at hobby shops here in Tokyo, but with a few exceptions they don't look so great. The decals (stickers and water transfers look crap). Sure they incorporated a swing bar for the hip placement, but it is unsightly as well.

There is no pre-mixed paint set to go with the macross kits like there is for almost every Gundam kit. I am surprised to see this coming from Bandai.

There are pros on this board, and I have seen pics of beautiful finished kits. But your above average modeller is going to have a rough go at it, which is usually not the case with HG gundam kits.

Edited May 18, 2009 by thirty

[thirty]

***EDIT***

A nice example of such a situation where Bandai should have thought things through would be for the VF-25G's shoulder parts... they were casted in blue, but painted white, why? They had already casted white parts on the VF-25G (the bottom half of the wings) why not just do the same for the shoulders. That is just dumb if you ask me honestly.

Do you mean the shoulder part with the five "dots" on it? The diecast part?

[PsYcHoDyNaMiX]

Do you mean the shoulder part with the five "dots" on it? The diecast part?

No I actually mean the White part of the shoulder (outer casing) with the single red dot painted on it.

***EDIT***

I am definitely aware of the fact that Bandai had reused the molds from the VF-25F and VF-25S for the VF-25G and RVF-25 and they definitely had a lack of "future thought" on their behalf. I can't tell since my VF-25S won't be coming in until they release the armored set and I noticed on jenius' website that Ozma's shoulder's are the same color as the bottom half of his wing connector/body. Can anyone confirm if both the bottom half and shoulder's have both been painted or only the shoulders? Thanks.

I haven't displayed/played with my RVF-25 yet, but I'm guessing its shoulders were casted in green and painted white. LOL.

***RE-REDIT***

The feet is another good example... LOL

Edited May 18, 2009 by PsYcHoDyNaMiX

[eriku]

I wouldn't say that, the paint jobs on the Soul of Chogokin line is immaculate and those figures make Yamato Valks look like Happy Meal toys. Perhaps they've had trouble on the DX's but Bandai can put out first class paint jobs.

Yeah, Bandai's SOC line was my introduction to truly beautiful high end toys. I didn't really expect the VF-25 DX to be quite up to SOC standards since it's not part of the line, so maybe that's one of the reasons I wasn't disappointed with it. Regardless, it's an awesome toy in its own right and it displays with my SOCs far better than it displays with my Yammies. Actually I've found Yamato valks generally don't look good with any of my other toys so they usually get a shelf to themselves. I hope Yamato puts out some glossy versions of their valks some day.

Edited May 18, 2009 by eriku

[Californium]

I wouldn't say that, the paint jobs on the Soul of Chogokin line is immaculate and those figures make Yamato Valks look like Happy Meal toys. Perhaps they've had trouble on the DX's but Bandai can put out first class paint jobs.

Truth.

Yeah, Bandai's SOC line was my introduction to truly beautiful high end toys. I didn't really expect the VF-25 DX to be quite up to SOC standards since it's not part of the line, so maybe that's one of the reasons I wasn't disappointed with it. Regardless, it's an awesome toy in its own right and it displays with my SOCs far better than it displays with my Yammies. Actually I've found Yamato valks generally don't look good with any of my other toys so they usually get a shelf to themselves. I hope Yamato puts out some glossy versions of their valks some day.

Word. I fail to understand Yamato's predilection for textured plastics and dulled, flat surfaces. Makes no sense on toys in general, and even less sense on Valkyries. And it rises to the level of travesty on Max & Millia variants.

[thirty]

No I actually mean the White part of the shoulder (outer casing) with the single red dot painted on it.

***EDIT***

I am definitely aware of the fact that Bandai had reused the molds from the VF-25F and VF-25S for the VF-25G and RVF-25 and they definitely had a lack of "future thought" on their behalf. I can't tell since my VF-25S won't be coming in until they release the armored set and I noticed on jenius' website that Ozma's shoulder's are the same color as the bottom half of his wing connector/body. Can anyone confirm if both the bottom half and shoulder's have both been painted or only the shoulders? Thanks.

Ozma's shoulders are the same color as the bottom of his wing. But Ozma's wing bottom is also painted. Unlike Micheal and Alto's customs.

[PsYcHoDyNaMiX]

Word. I fail to understand Yamato's predilection for textured plastics and dulled, flat surfaces. Makes no sense on toys in general, and even less sense on Valkyries. And it rises to the level of travesty on Max & Millia variants.

If I recall correctly this idea of why Yamato chose to finish their valks in a matt finish was discussed and concluded maybe a couple of years ago. It might have been clarified by Graham, but don't quote me on this.

***EDIT***

Thanks thirty.

Edited May 18, 2009 by PsYcHoDyNaMiX

[SuperHobo]

In my opinion the DX is far better in person when your handling it. The DX just doesn't look all that great in photos , but once its in your hands you get this nostalgic feeling as well as a better aspect of the toy as being well for a lack of a better word fun.

[Letigre]

Word. I fail to understand Yamato's predilection for textured plastics and dulled, flat surfaces. Makes no sense on toys in general, and even less sense on Valkyries. And it rises to the level of travesty on Max & Millia variants.

Why doesn't it make sense? I assume for durabilty.

[anime52k8]

Word. I fail to understand Yamato's predilection for textured plastics and dulled, flat surfaces. Makes no sense on toys in general, and even less sense on Valkyries. And it rises to the level of travesty on Max & Millia variants.

Don't know the official reason, but I find gloss finish looks too... toy like. glossy finish looks cheap and kiddish to me. matte finish looks more fitting for something that is supposed to be a war machine.

[eriku]

I have nothing particularly against matte finish....I just happen to like glossy better. I don't particularly mind a toy looking like a toy, either.

What would a real life valk look like? I always assumed it would be more on the shiny side.

[Californium]

Fighter planes, regardless of matte finish paint, are smooth, and will look very shiny or reflective from many angles.

But more to the point, these are toys. Expensive ones, besides. And a textured surface exposes more surface area per square centimeter to light and oxygen than a glossy one, which means faster aging/yellowing, and less time before the plastic turns brittle. (As if they didn't have enough survivability problems already.)

Edited May 19, 2009 by Californium

[Vifam7]

Don't know the official reason, but I find gloss finish looks too... toy like. glossy finish looks cheap and kiddish to me. matte finish looks more fitting for something that is supposed to be a war machine.

Gloss finish has usually been given to what makers (not just Bandai) consider as high quality toys. And often they tend to be toys made of metal.

That said, since Yamato aims at being a display model than a "toy", a flat finish is generally favored by those who like a little bit more of realism in their model.

While I favor a flat finish, the problem with Yamato's flat finish (IMHO) is that it's not fully flat and it relies too much on the plastic color instead of doing a full paint job. IMHO it looks a bit cheap. Plastic never looks good bare. Alter's Yukikaze, which is fully painted, blows away Yamato in terms of realism. However, Yamatos can look much better once panel lined and given a coat of clear flat. But I have no intention of ruining something that costs 3 figures with my crappy skills.

On a side note, I think Bandai's VF100s Alto uses unpainted white plastic, while the Ozma is actually painted.

Edited May 19, 2009 by Vifam7

[Negotiator]

I've never seen a military vehicle that is shiny, also when you were a kid playing with toys, were they USD$100-$200+ and imported???

I understand what a toy is, but a toy to play with is what transformers are for. Macross Yammies are for collectors. Which brings me to the DX. If bandai intended these to be durable play toys, do you think they should be cheaper?

edit: saw the plane pics. I still wouldn't call that shiny, except for that one in the hanger. you'll of course have reflection off of light.

and haven't we learned that shiny plastic does not like paint.

Edited May 19, 2009 by Negotiator

[Vifam7]

I've never seen a military vehicle that is shiny, also when you were a kid playing with toys, were they USD$100-$200+ and imported???

I understand what a toy is, but a toy to play with is what transformers are for. Macross Yammies are for collectors. Which brings me to the DX. If bandai intended these to be durable play toys, do you think they should be cheaper?

Just because it's a durable toy doesn't mean it should be cheaper. Heck, the 1/55 Takatoku was pretty darn expensive back in the day!

Edited May 19, 2009 by Vifam7

[DARKWIND]

I agree these are supposed to be combat aircraft, not flight demo birds. So it makes sense to me for the color schemes to be flat and matte.

And your usual combat aircraft colors are dulled for to avoid detection in some way shape or form.

Sure they are of the giant robot vein (sort of), but I like to think of it as a touch of realisim.

Besides if the the designer sanction it the that must be what he intended.

Sure I understand the urge for these toys to be in that nice shiny gloss that is easier to clean, but it just would not be the same.

Hell I'll take them either way!!

[eriku]

I've never seen a military vehicle that is shiny, also when you were a kid playing with toys, were they USD$100-$200+ and imported???

I understand what a toy is, but a toy to play with is what transformers are for. Macross Yammies are for collectors. Which brings me to the DX. If bandai intended these to be durable play toys, do you think they should be cheaper?

edit: saw the plane pics. I still wouldn't call that shiny, except for that one in the hanger. you'll of course have reflection off of light.

and haven't we learned that shiny plastic does not like paint.

I always chuckle when I read this argument (and it has been made many times before) because if Yamato didn't mean for their toys to be manipulated, posed, played with, etc...the toys would be a hell of a lot more fragile than they are. Yamato could just market finished model kits if 'collectors items for display' was their aim. Also, it's completely possible for a toy to look awesome and still be durable and rugged. There's hundreds of them out there. Yamato themselves has made several. Most recently the 1/60 V2 and the 1/60 VF-11b. I could have played with both of those when I was ten and not broken them. As for the price, most of these modern high end toys seem to be aimed at adults who can afford them yet still want a toy (ie something that isn't delicate). Durable, playable toys are not just for children, at least not anymore, and the market is handily adjusting to that fact. I think the DX VF-25 is a prime example of that. It is most definitely a toy in my eyes. Good for the sandbox and the display case both.

But whatever, this sort of discussion usually degrades into people arguing about what constitutes 'playing' and what constitutes 'toy', so we should probably just not go there.

Edited May 19, 2009 by eriku

[honkhet]

probably, the only reason why this thread suddenly became into a yamato vs bandai thread,

is because of the lack of news coming from the DX line

ok dudes, both are good in their own way and both have solid fan bases

let's just leave the arguements where they are right now

hopefully some good DX news will come soon