Official 1/100 BANDAI VF Hi Metal VF-1J Valkyrie

[anubis20]

I have it painted gray.

Yup I never like the white visor, it looks weak on the face of white VF-1J. The gray visor adds some depth and highlight on the head, IMO.

What did you use to paint it? it looks great!

[Vi-RS]

What did you use to paint it? it looks great!

Tamiya.

[JET7]

we share the same sentiments on the painted visor v1-rs

like on my painted visor diy..

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WPuAcTeO_b8/TCGm1Z31l-I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/evDVfxh9Su0/s1600/IMG_6953.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WPuAcTeO_b8/S8qaTXEkSII/AAAAAAAAACU/Pu2kUlqAfJw/s1600/revoltech2001.jpg

[nexxstrait]

I stil prefer the white one, but to each his own! (but, to be honest, the grey visor on my 1/55 indeed looks cool)

[Midi_Amp]

Got mine today and I'm super happy. My first VF-1 and it's as perfect as imagined it. No qc issue with mine, but I do have a bit of glue stain on the tail section.

Solid joints, great details, very detailed option hands, and the thigh... Woohoo the thigh expandable joints is a testament to Bandai's amazing technical prowess.

About the side covers, I really don't care much of it. I like how the cockpit is exposed and I can see the jet/robot thing. But I do dislike the huge gap between the neck and the backpack.

Small this might be, it's in the same scale of my master grade Gundam collection. The later years Gundam especially from F91 onwards (just so happen being my main line of collection) are Just around 15 meters, the same size as valks. I'd post a pic of the VF-1 with my mg victory gundam, but I got no Internet connection at home and I don't know how to tether my iPhone to my notebook. Long story short (pardon the pun) the VF-1 is right at home.

Very satisfied with the Hi-Metal VF-1, here's hoping Bandai would make the Blazer Valk gunpod attachable in fighter mode.

[JET7]

can anyone identify the die-cast parts? is it 80% plastic.. 20% die-cast?

[Graham]

Basically just the feet and swing bar are die cast, so more like 90-95% plastic.

Graham

[JET7]

Basically just the feet and swing bar are die cast, so more like 90-95% plastic.

Graham

gee.. ever wonder why is it called "HI-METAL".. wherein its supposed to be called.. HI-PLASTIC

dont get me wrong.. im happy for the toyline, i just wish it was made of metal like doyusha's die-cast build..and make it transformable, now thats hi-metal.

then again as i have said before, ill eat all my words if they release a VF-1S Strike of this line, regardless if its 90% plastic

[Vi-RS]

I stil prefer the white one, but to each his own! (but, to be honest, the grey visor on my 1/55 indeed looks cool)

The earlier prototype from Bandai is actually gray visor, I don't know why they changed it in production version.

[eriku]

gee.. ever wonder why is it called "HI-METAL".. wherein its supposed to be called.. HI-PLASTIC

dont get me wrong.. im happy for the toyline, i just wish it was made of metal like doyusha's die-cast build..and make it transformable, now thats hi-metal.

then again as i have said before, ill eat all my words if they release a VF-1S Strike of this line, regardless if its 90% plastic

It's a throwback name and not really meant to be taken literally. Personally I'm glad it doesn't have a heavy diecast content. At this size and with this many joints having heavy diecast limbs would likely cause it to get floppy and make it hard to maintain poses.

[Midi_Amp]

gee.. ever wonder why is it called "HI-METAL".. wherein its supposed to be called.. HI-PLASTIC

dont get me wrong.. im happy for the toyline, i just wish it was made of metal like doyusha's die-cast build..and make it transformable, now thats hi-metal.

then again as i have said before, ill eat all my words if they release a VF-1S Strike of this line, regardless if its 90% plastic

The arms and legs have slits that looks like something can be attached to, not surprised if Bandai do a strike valk. Basically Bandai's going to milk the VF-1 mold if the current model sales number is good, and amiami VF-1 HiMetal stock is out. So the possibility is quite good (unless amiami stock just a few of them).

[jenius]

From what I understand, the Hi-Metal VF-1J is selling well and has good buzz. This should be good news for variants beyond Max's 1J.

[eriku]

Good to hear. Hopefully the solid base that the Hi Metal line has established will help ensure that it has enough life to bring us a 17, 171, 2SS, VF-4, VF-0, [insert favorite mech here]...

[EXO]

I think the bandai 1/100s will be the line for me to collect. I would much rather prefer the Yamato 1/60s but at this point and it seems in the future, I'm gonna need the cash and space. I'm already considering getting rid of my unopened 1/48s.

[Midi_Amp]

Good to hear. Hopefully the solid base that the Hi Metal line has established will help ensure that it has enough life to bring us a 17, 171, 2SS, VF-4, VF-0, [insert favorite mech here]...

I'm really hoping Bandai does a complete series of the Macross 7, the 17, 11, 5000, even the varautas. Well, one can dream.

The thing that I like with smaller scales is that it allows odd size characters to be made without busting somebody's wallet. The varautas variable fighter towers over the valks, and the 1/100 scale increase the likelihood they will be made to public.

[Graham]

A VF-5000B in white with blue stripes would be a dream.

Graham

[danth]

I know I might as well ask for a unicorn, but I really want truly perfect-transformation in future releases, and maybe even a special remake for the VF-1 and -19 with PT. All these extra parts for landing gear and head lasers and gun pod handles. It's 2010, why do we have to decide between PT and looks? The old 1/100 VF-1 wasn't as pretty, but it was PT. The new one is better looking but not PT. That's not progress, that's a trade-off.

I can handle a clip-on heat shield, but beyond that, if the next release has clip-on landing gear and gun pod handles and all that, I'll stick with Yamato.

[raptormesh]

I know I might as well ask for a unicorn, but I really want truly perfect-transformation in future releases, and maybe even a special remake for the VF-1 and -19 with PT. All these extra parts for landing gear and head lasers and gun pod handles. It's 2010, why do we have to decide between PT and looks? The old 1/100 VF-1 wasn't as pretty, but it was PT. The new one is better looking but not PT. That's not progress, that's a trade-off.

I can handle a clip-on heat shield, but beyond that, if the next release has clip-on landing gear and gun pod handles and all that, I'll stick with Yamato.

I agree for the most part but beggars can't be choosers. I'll be another that will be all over the obscure valks if they get released in the Hi-Metal line.

Edited July 10, 2010 by raptormesh

[jenius]

It'd be easy for a company to make a 1/100 toy that both looks great and features perfect transformation... but it would fall apart like paper in your hands or cost far more than a 1/60 scale toy that is PT. You ask too much. Landing gears are also not an essential part of transformation so they don't really have anything to do with "perfect transformation"; they're a bonus frill. It's also a little silly to boil down the difference between the old Takatoku's and Bandai's Hi-Metal to looks vs. landing gears. The Bandai is worlds more sophisticated in its design than the Takatoku. One of the biggest hurdles Bandai would have faced with built-in landing gears would be the clearance necessary for the gun to be stowed in fighter mode (something the Takatoku couldn't do at all). The gears would have to be relatively large, the doors concealing them absolutely miniscule, and everyone would have broken something pulling them out.

[lechuck]

Yes it's 2010 and we still need to decide between PT and aesthetics! A 12-14cm toy still has the same dimensions today as it did 30 years ago and guess what it will still have them in hundred years time. So cramming in a PT heat shield and landing gears in this type of size toy while still trying to adhere to the line art/anime looks is not as simple as you make out to be.

Not to mention the economic feasibility for Bandai; one landing gear is at least 3-5 jointed moving parts alone on a VF-1. Everybody is already complaining about how "expensive" this toy is for its size. And what if we added landing gears, heat shields and whatever else, the toy would probably end up being a less joyful experience, because parts don't sit well, are loose and floppy or we come right back to the question of aesthetics.

As it is, the HM VF-1 has exactly one mandatory part for transformation, that is the heat shield.

EVERYTHING ELSE IS OPTIONAL!!!

[nexxstrait]

Mine arrived today.

The left shoulder joint mechanism was mounted in the wrong direction. I almost fainted when I saw the arms were not at the same level in battroid mode and did not connect well in fighter mode. I was able to disassemble and turn it in the right direction by using an hairdrier to soften the plastic without breaking it (and much, much patience). Everything seems tight after the "operation" (sometimes even too tight: I had to carefully adjust one of the two bending mechanisms in the arm with a flat metal edge because I feared I could break the arm).

Battroid mode is gorgeous, holds poses well without the stand and is light years away from a Toynami (even if I'm still fond of them and you could buy three of 'em with the money you pay for one Hi-Metal). It shines even when compared to Yamato 1/60 v.1 and 2 (no wrong neck position or tiny shoulders).

Die cast is (well) used in the backbone mechanism.

Transforms in a breeze, excellent design for both shoulders and pelvis connectors.

The gaps between chest and backplate are there but not nearly as big as those on the 1/60. The neck gap, on the other hand, is as bad as the one on the Yamatoes v.2

Package is gorgeous (and bigger than that of the VF-19 Fire Valkyrie).

More to come when I find the time to fiddle with it some more (for now I'm just happy I was able to correct the assembling mistake without breaking anything!)

Hi-Metal line comparison

Battroids (with Revoltech transformable)

Edited July 11, 2010 by nexxstrait

[nexxstrait]

A few more pictures. This little guy is a sort of Yamto v3, as it takes much of the design from it but manages to improve hips and (more importantly) shoulders with a mix of the old chunky monkey coupled with the "slide bar" innovation.

Side view and comparison (revoltech, GNU, Bandai and Toynami) - Side note: the grey gunpod on the Hi-Metal is the GNU one: the hand fits perfectly.

Classic pose comparison

Front view comparison

Battroid closeup

[Vi-RS]

There is one flaw I found from this little guy, the head has limited rotation in fighter mode. You must swing the head 180 degree in battroide mode before you transform back to fighter.

[eriku]

How is that a flaw?

[Vi-RS]

How is that a flaw?

If you forgot to rotate the head and realize the head is facing backward in fighter mode, then you will have to separate the chest plate and back plate to give room for the head rotation.

The head cannot swivel 180 degree in fighter mode.

[eriku]

It's so he head can sit as tucked in and flush with the underside as it is. Turning the head properly from battroid to fighter is what I would call a transformation step - not a flaw.

[nexxstrait]

There is one flaw I found from this little guy, the head has limited rotation in fighter mode. You must swing the head 180 degree in battroide mode before you transform back to fighter.

???

Even in the anime the head must rotate when in battroid before beginning transformation into gerwalk or fighter. Standard on most modern transforming valks, too.

[danth]

It'd be easy for a company to make a 1/100 toy that both looks great and features perfect transformation... but it would fall apart like paper in your hands or cost far more than a 1/60 scale toy that is PT. You ask too much. Landing gears are also not an essential part of transformation so they don't really have anything to do with "perfect transformation"; they're a bonus frill. It's also a little silly to boil down the difference between the old Takatoku's and Bandai's Hi-Metal to looks vs. landing gears. The Bandai is worlds more sophisticated in its design than the Takatoku. One of the biggest hurdles Bandai would have faced with built-in landing gears would be the clearance necessary for the gun to be stowed in fighter mode (something the Takatoku couldn't do at all). The gears would have to be relatively large, the doors concealing them absolutely miniscule, and everyone would have broken something pulling them out.

I dunno, they handled the doors for the hands pretty well. Speaking of the hands, the big optional fists almost fit in the bays, so I think they default hands could have been a bit bigger. Imagine if the default hands were a bit bigger, and if the gunpod had a retractible handle, and if the heatshield was a snap-on that wasn't required for transformation. Just those minor, easy changes would have made this toy feel 100% more fun, even without integral landing gear.

Edited July 13, 2010 by danth

[len_d69]

Can someone pose the battroid mode without replacing the heat shield?

[jenius]

The heat shield has a slot for the chest to connect to... you can't really make it to full battroid without replacing the canopy.

[nexxstrait]

Can someone pose the battroid mode without replacing the heat shield?

It's similar to the toynami: can be done, but doesn't look particularly good.

Anyway, here you are a quick pic (sorry for the bad quality).

Edited July 13, 2010 by nexxstrait

[anubis20]

Im still waiting on my Hi-Metal 1J, it shipped SAL, I wanna get my hands on it so I can make a decision on wether to get the exclusive Max 1J or not.

Edited July 14, 2010 by anubis20

[areaseven]

I went to GreattoysOnline.com in Greenhills and spotted this figure for roughly US$78. Excellent box design and layout. Unfortunately, whoever assembled the plane dropped a glob of something, resulting in a brownish white spot on the chest plate.

That was enough for me to pass on this figure and wait for the VF-1S and FAST Packs.

[ff95gj]

It's similar to the toynami: can be done, but doesn't look particularly good.

Anyway, here you are a quick pic (sorry for the bad quality).

Looks like a partial X-ray picture... weird...

[len_d69]

Just got mine, anyone else having a floppy back pack