New Yamato boxart style

[ff95gj]

I consider myself some kind of Macross toy geek. I know which model would come out by when, etc.

But today, when I walked into the shop to pick up my Kakizaki DYRL 1A, I had trouble in spotting it out. It is buried among the boxes of Max 1S, Max 1A(TV), Max 1A(Movie) and Kakizaki (TV) and I need to read the text on the box to confirm if I am looking at the right model.

Back in the old days of 1/48, or even for the VF-0/SV-51/YF series, I can find what I want right away from the box cover.

Is it only me or people have the same problem as I do?

Moreover, I like the old boxarts (most of them) better. The classy black Focker box; the flaming red 1S; the azure sky for Hikaru 1J; the stary space of M&M... The striped color cover of the VF-0/SV/YF look premium to me too.

The new Yamato boxes look generic mecha product package to me...

Edited June 2, 2009 by ff95gj

[polidread]

do you have comparison pix, sir?

[ff95gj]

The newer ones:

The old ones:

Edited June 3, 2009 by ff95gj

[jenius]

the newer ones didn't show up.

[Agent-GHQ]

If I was in HK, I can really careless about the box art. I mean, at least you don't have to pay the added shipping prices.

As for the box art, I would donate my left nut if Yamato makes the boxes like the Bandai and Takatoku old school!

[logos]

I personally am glad that they have finally started to think about using smaller boxes. Also I am a fan of the box if it has a pic of the valk on the front, otherwise I could care less. My favorite box so far is the VF-1D despite what everyone else thinks.

Edited June 2, 2009 by logos

[Ivan]

If I was in HK, I can really careless about the box art. I mean, at least you don't have to pay the added shipping prices.

As for the box art, I would donate my left nut if Yamato makes the boxes like the Bandai and Takatoku old school!

While it's true that we don't have to worry about shipping costs in Hong Kong, we DO have to worry about running out of space quickly, unlike our fellow MW members in the US. So yeah, smaller boxes are always welcome!!!

[Agent-GHQ]

Since the size of the box has an affect, I'm still disturbed and surprised that Yamato has not pose the valkyries in battroid mode. Maybe that can trim down the size of the box a bit. I think with the 80's box art and textures would have sealed the deal within the boxes!

[ff95gj]

I very much agree that the box size should be skimmed down. For instance, the Bandai DX MF toys, their boxes are intact enough that if I throw away the boxes and have to pack up the valk and the parts, I won't save much space or even worse off.

Nonetheless... I was referring to the boxart only in this thread...

[mr.chogokin]

The old Yamato's Macross box arts are nothing much to write home about, but I find them acceptable. If you compare the old Yamato Macross box arts to other Yamato's non-Macross box arts like the Beagle's Mospeada or the GN-U Gou Braiger J9, you know they can do better if they want to. And the quality of their artwork for the Macross boxes took a nosedive in the recent VF1D and the VF11B offering. There is a general lack of art direction, plenty of bad typography, bad photography that is made worse by the worst photoshop skills I have ever seen. Since they have gotten the license to make these toys, they would also be allowed to use Big Wests' official Macross artworks to make box arts similar to the old Takatoku packagings but they didn't.

Speaking of the old Takatoku Macross boxes, what I see is the smart use of official Macross artworks, good design of layout, color and type, and the whole box is just nice to look at. Till today when I pick one up, I would spend minutes and minutes just by looking at it. I don't waste that kind of time looking at any Yamato box art.

[logos]

Since the size of the box has an affect, I'm still disturbed and surprised that Yamato has not pose the valkyries in battroid mode. Maybe that can trim down the size of the box a bit. I think with the 80's box art and textures would have sealed the deal within the boxes!

I wonder if it's because they see them as fighters that transform into robots over robots that transform into fighters? You know....the complete opposite of a Gundam or a Transformer. I know it's just semantics but I prefer them in fighter mode. Batroid and Gerwalk are just really cool things that they can do.

Edited June 2, 2009 by logos

[Fortress_Maximus]

I agree both the new and the old box art weren't anything to cheer about. Size-wise the newer ones are better than the old. Newer sizing helps make shipping and storage easier too! However, I still prefer the sizing and actual box art used with some of the original 1/55 line.

I definitely prefer imaginative airbrushed illustrations over simple bleh photographed pics which is becoming increasingly popular. I love the older boxart styles b/c many used lushly illustrated (painted) cover art. This style showed more creativity by presenting the toy in dramatic situations. Great examples include the Strike, Ostrich, Elintseeker ... these three remain in my opinion, wonderful examples of how companies use to take the time to GRAB casual shoppers attention!

Looking back, what actually captured my original interest in the Macross toys themselves WAS the boxart and not the toy! I recall the first Macross toy I saw was the 1/55 Ostrich in San Francisco behind the glass and the 1/55 Strike in Taipei.

How about everyone else? Which box art style DRAWS your attention?

Edited June 2, 2009 by Fortress_Maximus

[Talonvar]

I like both but definetly like the box art on the older ones!

[miriya]

I think they should go in a completely different direction. None of the Yamato Boxes have ever impressed me greatly. Some are good but none are great IMO. There are a lot of toy companies making fantastic boxes that are very creative and aesthetically pleasing. I think that the Macross Zero line of boxes was better than the VF-1 line. The new ones are not so great.

I would like to see boxes from Yamato that still have the filp up but also have some windows shaped well with a neo-chogokin inspiration but with a modern yet clean look. Thier GN-U boxes are better but still not the best.

[thankheaven]

Im a big fan of Yamato and i love the toys.

But the Yamato boxes are one of the ugliest toyboxes out there in my opinion.

It just looks like a really bad photoshop job.

Since you can open the cover and look at the toy anyway i'd rather want to have some high quality lineart or similar on a tasty background.

[505thAirborne]

I don't mind the Yamato toy box designs, there pretty good. Not as impressive as say a Hasegawa Model kit box or a Bandai toy. However as long as the Toy in the box is well made, detailed/accurate and built to last, thats what matters most to me!!

[thankheaven]

I don't mind the Yamato toy box designs, there pretty good. Not as impressive as say a Hasegawa Model kit box or a Bandai toy. However as long as the Toy in the box is well made, detailed/accurate and built to last, thats what matters most to me!!

Agree completely, i was just judging the box alone.

[UN Spacy]

I don't really like the look of the VF-11B box.

[EXO]

They should have it so when you stack them up a certain way it'll make one huge picture!!!

of AgentOne!

[miriya]

They should have it so when you stack them up a certain way it'll make one huge picture!!!

of AgentOne!

The idea of having the staking boxes make a big picture is awesome (reminds me of the back side of the garbage pail kids - and that armored VF-1 that they made) but having a picture of AgentOne? Um, no offense brother, but I would rather have it make a picture of... maybe like Scarlet Johanson or Tina Fey.

[Dashgtr]

By far my favourite box art is the VF-0A, VF-0S, Low Vis Ver.1, VF-1A CF, Weathering Special Roy Focker, VF-1J with super parts Hikaru, M&M. Best if they can have it all the same for the same series like all the zero box art will be just like the VF-0A & VF-0S, then the Plus will be like the weathering special with the line art, Macross TV like the CF type and DYRL remains as it is in Black etc. I think their current box art (VF-11B, MAX TV in fact all the current 1/60 not the first few releases ) really sucks making the product feels kind of cheap in a way, Thats what I feel so no offense to the rest.

[m0n5t3r]

I don't really like the look of the VF-11B box.

i haven't got mine yet, but from the pics i've seen i have to agree... esp. hate the violet/purple they used...

The idea of having the staking boxes make a big picture is awesome (reminds me of the back side of the garbage pail kids - and that armored VF-1 that they made) but having a picture of AgentOne? Um, no offense brother, but I would rather have it make a picture of... maybe like Scarlet Johanson or Tina Fey.

you forgot Marina Ann Hantzis...

oh, btw, i like em both, old and new... the boxart...

Edited June 3, 2009 by m0n5t3r

[ff95gj]

Finally have the time to fix the new pics!

(Funny, if I opened the HLJ pages and then open this page, it would show the pics... Nonetheless, it's on photobucket now)

[VFTF1]

I am on the side of those who believe Yamato have some of the ugliest boxes in the world.

I like to think this is because they spend so much time on the product itself that they don't really want to rack up additional costs on the box, box art etc.

Think about it this way:

Notice how some of the toys with the best box art also happen to be the worse toys? Most notorious for this is of course Transformers. Often times the boxes are really awesome and the toy inside sucks bananas.

Maybe Yamato just doesn't see the need for sticking anything on the box... I mean - what? Are they to comission art work? Why? The product itself looks good enough that you don't need someone to DRAW a Valkyrie on the box to make people be like "ooo I like that" only to open it and think "umm...hmm...too bad it looks nothing like the picture."

I think ultimately it is a cost cutting measure to be honest. And I am all for it.

That said - the V.2 boxes are enjoyable IMO because they are not so monotone. I too like the 1D box design. The destroids also have some pretty fanstastic (surprisingly) box designs.

As for Bandai - yeah - their Soul of Chogokin Boxes are great. The Gundam Boxes at least have nice pictures.

The DX boxes...leave much to be desired... IMO..

But again - this is all secondary to the thing that really matters: Yoko's boobs.

Pete

[Garou Kuroryuu]

I am on the side of those who believe Yamato have some of the ugliest boxes in the world.

I like to think this is because they spend so much time on the product itself that they don't really want to rack up additional costs on the box, box art etc.

That said - the V.2 boxes are enjoyable IMO because they are not so monotone. I too like the 1D box design. The destroids also have some pretty fanstastic (surprisingly) box designs.

As for Bandai - yeah - their Soul of Chogokin Boxes are great. The Gundam Boxes at least have nice pictures.

The DX boxes...leave much to be desired... IMO..

But again - this is all secondary to the thing that really matters: Yoko's boobs.

Pete

Perhaps the only Yamato boxes I was interested about were the Miryia Super&Strike VF-1A and the Hikaru VF-1J ones. I own a VF-1A Max DYRL, and boy, does the box suck big time!

Yoko who? If it's Matsugane, I certanlly agree with your assertion

[miriya]

you forgot Marina Ann Hantzis...

I guess you know me too well! But seriously, I did not realize that was her real name. Now you got me doing a search!

[Vi-RS]

I like the old Bandai 1/55 chunky box art the best, and in fact the only one that caught my eyes was the Strike VF-1S, moving forward from the deck in fighter mode following by 2 Super Canon folders. Wow........

[MilSpex]

I like the old Bandai 1/55 chunky box art the best, and in fact the only one that ca ught my eyes was the Strike VF-1S, moving forward from the deck in fighter mode following by 2 Super Canon folders. Wow.......

Completely agree. The Yamato boxes are disposable and worthless with a mere photograph of the toy and some photoshopping. the old Bandai/Takatoku boxes were beautiful pieces of art and thats why they are often displayed in their boxes.

[Agent-GHQ]

What disturbs me is the logic for the boxes used on these high-grade toys. I mean, aren't these targeted towards the 80s kids? If so, why not use the original artwork and put them in battroid mode like in all the 1/55 old school line.

[EXO]

Less about boxes, more about the toys...

I'm all for that!

[eugimon]

maybe... because unlike most every other macross toy line out there, Yamato toys actually look like the anime? And that's why they can just put a photo of the toy on the box... because the toy looks like the anime... while the other toy lines need to show you what the toy is supposed to represent... because they don't look like the anime?

[VFTF1]

What disturbs me is the logic for the boxes used on these high-grade toys. I mean, aren't these targeted towards the 80s kids? If so, why not use the original artwork and put them in battroid mode like in all the 1/55 old school line.

To quote myself from a couple posts up:

Maybe Yamato just doesn't see the need for sticking anything on the box... I mean - what? Are they to comission art work? Why? The product itself looks good enough that you don't need someone to DRAW a Valkyrie on the box

Or what Eugimon said

If anything - here's a suggestion:

There shouldn't be ANY thing on the box to hint at the valkyrie inside - not even a photo of it. Just have the name of the Valkyrie VF-1A Kakizake or whatever and on the box itself you can plaster lots of pictures of Minmei in cute poses with nice clothes.

Pete

[ruskiiVFaussie]

without a doubt the new yamato box art is what i've been asking and hoping for since i started, and they got it right first with the YF-21.

V.2 boxes rule!! no langing gear down is the key.

[Mog]

Since no one has said it yet: At least, they're not like Toynami's overdone MPC boxes.

In all seriousness, I would like it if they could be a little more stylish with their newer 1/60 boxes (I'm just looking at the ones in ff95gj's post).

• * Like how about putting TV Max 1A in the pose where he's gunning down Millia in Macross City?

* Or how about putting the TV Hik' in the pose that he was in at the end of the opening (in front of the SDF-1 bridge)?

* Or put Kakizaki in front of a hot, sizzling steak?

I'm not saying the older box designs were always great. But every now and then, they'd hit on a solid design and scheme.

Those 1/60 boxes on page 1 just all look too similar to one another. Mix up the poses, angles, and modes a little bit more.

But of course, if the toy inside is crap, no amount of window dressing is gonna remove that stank.

[Vi-RS]

The good thing about Yamato V2 box is the fact that's it's smaller, and it has the genius 4 flaps at each side so it's a lot easier to remove the toy without putting creases on the box.

Simply put, I'd like to see some diorama scene they can make with the toy with different setting like in loading bay, maintenance, space shot for each release, and a nice paint art on the window like the old 1/55 Bandai did. In fact, they did it on V1 so why not do it anymore?

I like the fact that Bandai box art has white background and those text and arts really bring the box out, I hate those black background like Yamato did and you get confuse with those flash text on black background. It's all about contrast.