DX VF-25 Renewal Series (Part III)

[pud333]

Ooh! I hope Tokyo Hunter sends me my set soon then!

[Mommar]

It's actually not so much a paint issue as a design issue. They didn't think the molds through clearly enough, and a bunch of parts that should have been molded in the same color got split up across multiple molds, and molded in different colors. So, they wound up painting entire pieces to cover it up, when they could have just molded it in the right color to start with.

It's not even really a problem.. until you consider the history Bandai has with shoddy paint, and having it not stick to the plastic. It's gotten better with these, but my Ozma still has a pretty half-assed paint job on it, specifically the giant wing glove pieces that should have been molded in lighter gray plastic to begin with, but now are coated in either too much, or not enough paint, depending on which side you look at.

With Ozma, it's all gray, so it doesn't show badly, but a paintjob of that quality on Michael's will look just flat out rotten, because you're trying to cover dark blue with white paint. The only way to properly fix it is to mold the pieces in white to begin with, which they should have figured out from the start.

I'm beginning to wonder if the reason we haven't heard about a Michael or Luca yet is because somebody realized that they either need to spend money on new molds to fix that issue or they just decided to forget it because those two aren't as popular and it will look like crap to paint them so why worry?

Edited April 12, 2012 by Mommar

[Archer]

I don't know about Luca, but I'm sure Micheal's scheme is super popular, especially with its throwback to Max's flying colors as well as being a sniper variant. Also, after investing so much in a mold, I'm sure Bandai will want to milk it for what it's worth, especially since both Luca and Micheal, outside of an extra sniper rifle and Radome/Fin, just have a different head....

[pud333]

Now that I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised if Bandai suddenly announces in June or July that Michael or Luca will come out in September, and the other one will arrive late December. Something like that.

[Chronocidal]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if they're using the VF-171 as a breather to give fans something different. I mean, we've been rather inundated with VF-25s, and releasing more now will give time for interest to build up. I don't think people really trusted Bandai after the version 1, so maybe they're letting hype over the renewal build up from the Alto and Ozma releases a bit more before making any more. They could decide to release more later as well. Given how hard these are to find, I wouldn't expect Bandai would still be worried about not selling them all.

I do hope that they take the time during the VF-171 marketing to fix the mold layout on the VF-25s. Ideally, you wouldn't have to retool the entire molds, just break them at key points to allow multiple colors to be used. I mean, they do it all the freaking time with their gundam kits, molding multiple colors on one sprue. Granted, it's different plastic, so the results might be different, but you'd think there would be some way to make that type of system work.

[mechaninac]

Unfortunately, you can't just break up a mold tool. For one thing, it's made of hardened steel in all likelihood (soft steel and aluminum are also used for mold tools, but not for high volume runs); second, there are cooling lines and other mold features that would hinder such a "cut-and-paste" procedure. I'm afraid that if Bandai did not take the parts color breakdown into consideration from the onset of tool design, there is just about zero chance that anything can be done to the current tooling that would not severely compromize their longevity... so it's paint or new tooling, and I highly doubt they'd spring for new tooling. I do hope they prove me wrong, though.

Also, Gundam kit multi-color/multi-media sprues are not an appropriate example of a retrofitting approach for the VF-25 mold(s). Insert molding and multi-color molding are performed in separate operations and require purpose built tools dies with the intended process in mind.

[Chronocidal]

Oh well, I guess I can still be hopeful.

Actually, given that they'll need new molds for certain pieces anyway, it probably wouldn't be too much of a strain to just include specific pieces on the new molds, so they can be made in the right colors. They can probably melt down the unused parts that are the wrong colors and re-use the plastic elsewhere.

[pud333]

Anyone need a VF-25S still? Anime-Export has one. But they're asking 25,800 yen.

http://www.anime-export.com/product/9133

[Reïvaj]

It’s not the first time AE keep some of their highly demanded but not too abundant toys to sell them later at higher prices, e-bay prices I dare say. They’ve done this with the YF-29.

[UN Spacy]

Super Pack out soon?

[pud333]

It’s not the first time AE keep some of their highly demanded but not too abundant toys to sell them later at higher prices, e-bay prices I dare say. They’ve done this with the YF-29.

Well, it looks like it works for them, since it appears they sold it.

Super Pack out soon?

Supposed to be this month I believe. So hopefully soon. I haven't gotten anything Macross in a while.

[ron5864]

Just got Alto's VF-25F. Had it setup to the Galia 4 Ranka+Alto seating configuration. The flight over Galia's endless sky was a perfect demonstration of the gracefulness of the VF-25 design. Well, that is until the D-Pulse ruined the mood.

Here are some pix of the setup.

[Archer]

WOW!

[mechaninac]

The second and fourth images are gorgeous... save and save... desktop background fodder...

Edited April 17, 2012 by mechaninac

[UN Spacy]

Ah yes...when Ranka hijacked Sheryl's sky.

GREAT photos ron.

Edited April 17, 2012 by UN Spacy

[Reïvaj]

Beautiful!!!

[ron5864]

Thanks guys. Here is a larger size(2560x1536) of the sunset photo for those who want it use as background wallpaper.

[Dobber]

Breathtaking pictures! Also, your weathering looks very well done. Outstanding job!

Chris

[Black Valkyrie]

WOW beautiful.

[charger69]

These pictures look like they are taken from a japanese hobby maganize's customs pages with all realistic backgrounds

[Swoosh]

Beautiful!!!!

[GGemini]

Thanks guys. Here is a larger size(2560x1536) of the sunset photo for those who want it use as background wallpaper.

WOW! Thank you !

[s001]

No fancy photoshop effects needed. Very nice.

[Phalanix]

If anyone's interested, I just saw a seller on eBay selling Super Parts for Ozma and Alto renewal for $100. I picked up a set for Alto.

Edited April 19, 2012 by Phalanix

[Reïvaj]

And the Ozma's VF-25 here:

http://www.nippon-yasan.com/figurines-autres/902-macross-f-dx-chogokin-vf-25-messiah-valkyrie-ozma-lee-custom-renewal-ver.html

[Chronocidal]

Wow. I'm sorry, $300? Did Bandai make that few of them?

[pud333]

Wow. I'm sorry, $300? Did Bandai make that few of them?

Relative to demand? Yes.

[Jasonc]

Crazy price jacking!!!I guess this is why you hit the preorder as soon as it's up, even if you don't like it.Then you turn around and sell it for more and buy what you really want.

[Archer]

It's even more dissappointing when you see actual retailers (even Anime-Export has done it) falling to the levels of eBay sellers.....

Wow, Bandai is really taking advantage of the market, selling just enough so they get profit and raise heightened demand for following releases

Edited April 20, 2012 by Archer

[UN Spacy]

No super pack photos. No care.

[ShadowRaven]

have any of you preordered from imageanime? its the only place i see that actually has open preorders for the yf-29 (on their page its the vf-29) and the vf-171 without being too inflated. I preordered the yf-29 but im a bit skeptical.

http://www.imageanim...frvfduvasa.html

edit: both out of stock now

Edited April 22, 2012 by ShadowRaven

[Archer]

Both of them show "Sold Out" for me..

Maybe you got the last one or something....

As for reliability, I've heard that they are alright.

[regult]

I am impressed with these photos, and don't get me wrong, just wanted to point out that the attached image is not 2560x1536.

While we're at this, would you mind sharing the 2nd picture with the VF-15F head-on?

Thanks in advance

Thanks guys. Here is a larger size(2560x1536) of the sunset photo for those who want it use as background wallpaper.

[transfan52]

I don't know about Luca, but I'm sure Micheal's scheme is super popular, especially with its throwback to Max's flying colors as well as being a sniper variant. Also, after investing so much in a mold, I'm sure Bandai will want to milk it for what it's worth, especially since both Luca and Micheal, outside of an extra sniper rifle and Radome/Fin, just have a different head....

Actually from what I see I beg to differ... While I love the design and scheme for both the luca and micheal models, the japanese public and others didn't seem to care for them as much. I can't tell you how many times I've looked online for frontier products looking for an ozma model and the only ones that are in-stock almost always is the micheal and luca models, and its usually more than one.

I do check the for sale and trade section now and then for good deals and I tend to see those releases still up for sale while the alto and ozma releases fly off the shelves. Its kinda a shame really because I do like these other models.

I have the ver 1.0 atm for both and even with all their flaws I love em and would never think of selling them unless maybe a ver 2.0 came out. That being said I don't think it's likely were going to see a ver 2.0 of these anytime soon due to the poor sales they seemed to have on the first run.

[Mommar]

Actually from what I see I beg to differ... While I love the design and scheme for both the luca and micheal models, the japanese public and others didn't seem to care for them as much. I can't tell you how many times I've looked online for frontier products looking for an ozma model and the only ones that are in-stock almost always is the micheal and luca models, and its usually more than one.

I do check the for sale and trade section now and then for good deals and I tend to see those releases still up for sale while the alto and ozma releases fly off the shelves. Its kinda a shame really because I do like these other models.

I have the ver 1.0 atm for both and even with all their flaws I love em and would never think of selling them unless maybe a ver 2.0 came out. That being said I don't think it's likely were going to see a ver 2.0 of these anytime soon due to the poor sales they seemed to have on the first run.

While I think you're likely right in some respects that Michael and Luca are not nearly as popular there is also the fact that the first two of the V.1 25's released were Alto's and Ozma's and it was widely known the time the third and fourth iterations (Michael and Luca) came out that they were pretty shoddy in quality. Combine a poor first showing with two less popular characters and you're almost guaranteed people who might have been interested in a whole squad made the easy choice to skip the two less popular characters. That being said, I really do hope we see a V.2 Luca and Michael as well as a 171 Luca. I have a weakness for Radomes.