Bandai 1/72 fully transform able VF-1 plastic kit for Macross 30th Ann

[sketchley]

- I Rest my Case...

Apparently you've assembled it wrong, because you've got the top of the engine nacelles ABOVE the wings.

It's not as though the two options are mutually exclusive. Because people don't agree, and are willing to openly and frankly discuss their opinions, does not mean they don't get along.

Thank you for the rational response. It's the irrational responses bitching about fallacies with the kit that got the ball of wax rolling.

[LeDudeModele]

Another observation:

Gun pod grip and trigger (G19 and J16) -- they are made into 2 separate parts, connected together by an apparent hinge.

Can somebody verify if the hinge can allow the gun pod to be tilted downwards to accommodate something like this?

[Kyp Durron]

Apparently you've assembled it wrong, because you've got the top of the engine nacelles ABOVE the wings.

No, he didn't, when they're locked into place they bow inwards like that, even the instructions show this.

-Kyp

Edited July 11, 2013 by Kyp Durron

[sketchley]

Inwards? I'm talking about up and down (vertical placement not inward cant).

FYI: the legs on mine touch the underside of the wings when they're fully swept back. The highest point doesn't go above the plane of the wings.

[Shaorin]

Apparently you've assembled it wrong, because you've got the top of the engine nacelles ABOVE the wings

no... the proportions in relation to the forearms and lower legs are all wrong for a proper FIGHTER mode fit.

not even that silly collapsing leg-panel system helps this problem out. not even the ancient IMAI VARIABLE TYPE or the HCM had issues anything like this...

you know, a sensible engineering team would have learned much indeed from both their parent firm's own related products,

as well as from the high-watermark that the YAMATO 1/60v.II has set, and applied all of that fantastic engineering design

towards a real humdinger of a 1/48 GUNPLA-type PLAMODEL.

in reality, however, BANDAI obviously prefers to keep it's many divisions as seemingly autonomous sub-corporations

that are somehow forbidden to take cues from other firms' efforts as well as from that of their very own corporate fellows.

in other words, the classic case of one hand having not a wit what the other is up to. moreover, not even having a clue as to what their rivals' hands are going about with.

at any rate, i wash my hands of the 2013 BANDAI 1/72 VF-1 PLAMODEL...

Edited July 11, 2013 by Shaorin

[VF5SS]

I just got mine. Hopefully I can get the review up next week.

[valhary]

excuse me but the the system of the cockpit cover and the removed part of nose to attach the legs was clearly taken of the yamato's valks

[VF5SS]

Hey guys I have a question. Are we supposed to use that same double ball thing for both necks cuz it doesn't seem to work the VF-1A head and collar area. I didn't see another one and the instructions don't label the part.

http://twitpic.com/d2488u

here's a progress pic :3

Edited July 11, 2013 by VF5SS

[Skypoet]

- I Rest my Case...

You're a gaourgeous!

[Shaorin]

[Skypoet]

I was quoting General Admiral Aladeen's favorite expression on the Croisette at the Cannes Festival.

[Loop]

Ok so I finally made it to the end of this sh!t fest of a thread and will comment

I really do not like this kit at all, It just has too many shortcomings that are really disturbing. Not "hating" as some would say, but pointing out what comes to mind while looking at this.

I had higher hopes for it. I also agree though that more Macross is better.

1) I cannot stand that big 4ss head.

2) WTF happened with the legs in fighter mode? It actually looks like the panels collapse in to accommodate the arms, but just not enough...

3) Does the back pack really hover like that in Gerwalk mode? (Really high)

4) Gerwalk is just wrong altogether to me, especially the knees.

5) Gerwalk mode really looks like it deserved a swivel for proper A-stance poseability.

6) In battroid mode the shoulders look a bit small to me, but maybe that's just me.

7) The ankle joint gimmick looks wrong to me, seeing it disconnected from the main part of the leg is odd looking to me. I can see why they wanted to do it though for pose-ability.

It looks like the feet should open up just a bit more, but maybe I am nitpicking.

9) I wish the gun pod could have locked into place between the arms in fighter mode. The details on the pics I have seen actually indentation detail, but they failed to make it functional.

10) In battroid mode, the head again is too big and it is sitting kind of far back. When you see the head posed to one side at some angles, it looks like you block out a lot of the face because the chest is in the way.

Anyways like anything else, to each his own. If you like it buy it, if not don't.

Hey guys I have a question. Are we supposed to use that same double ball thing for both necks cuz it doesn't seem to work the VF-1A head and collar area. I didn't see another one and the instructions don't label the part.

http://twitpic.com/d2488u

here's a progress pic :3

Haha, had a good laugh at the "These boots are made for gerwalkin' and that's just what they'll do."

[Shaorin]

see, those ankle panels would not have even been necessary had the entire leg nacelle been properly engineered to begin with.

YAMATO managed virtual perfection with a far simpler design...

[Horatio Positronic]

- I Rest my Case...

I saw this and assumed you'd simply done something wrong while building, based on how well my build was going... This morning I finally got to the point where I put on the arms and legs and mine did that too. Very frustrating how poorly they fit in fighter mode, when so many other parts are engineered really well.

[Duymon]

So I started building this and I'm def seeing that this sucker is going to look pretty blagh if just built straight out of the box, but at the same time I don't want to fill all the seam lines with putty because then I'd have to paint it only to have it get scratched to hell.

Next best option?

Tamiya super-thin + tiny shavings of plastic off the parts trees for gap fillings. After the softened plastic cures inside the gaps some sanding and you can barely tell there was a gap at all...

TOo bad I have to do it like crazy on the nose.....gaaaah....

Edited July 13, 2013 by Duymon

[Shaorin]

that's really far more work than this kit deserves.

honestly, i really wanted to love this kit, but it was SUCH A DISAPPOINTMENT.

like a very promising close girlfriend that up and dumps you after telling you she's been lying to you all the while. F@$k you, BANDAI, F@$k you very much indeed...

Edited July 13, 2013 by Shaorin

[cobywan]

She was lying when she told you that playing with toys was cute.

[Hikuro]

Yeaaaaahhhhhh after just finishing all the accessories I gotta say it's one big ass floppy mess. I can't get this thing to stay standing most of the time, parts don't want to lock in place almost at all....fighter mode to me is the best option to display but when you turn to Battroid you really do notice how big that head truly is.....yep.

I still got the strike parts to do, but I feel so not motivated now.

[Shaorin]

IT'S AGGRAVATING. this turd should've been a QUANTUM LEAP beyond it's early-1980's predecessor. indeed, while it conveys the vague initial impression of being just that,

the obtusely Beta nature of the product sets right in first thing after assembly is complete.

truly, this is the most crassly Beta Beta-product i've ever had the personal misfortune of getting to know, and a roundly thorough tragedy.

really, Duymon, i myself would honestly like to give my copy a good solid finishing job at least, but last time i looked at the gangly mess to do so,

the first thought immediately to mind was "WHAT. THE HELL. IS THE POINT..."

Edited July 13, 2013 by Shaorin

[sketchley]

Blah blah blah

Duymon has the right idea. Some parts of this kit do need a few drops of glue in the right place.

Floppiness? Everyone knows the cure for that - clear nail polish.

[joscasle]

IT'S AGGRAVATING. this turd should've been a QUANTUM LEAP beyond it's early-1980's predecessor. indeed, while it conveys the vague initial impression of being just that,

the obtusely Beta nature of the product sets right in first thing after assembly is complete.

truly, this is the most crassly Beta Beta-product i've ever had the personal misfortune of getting to know, and a roundly thorough tragedy.

really, Duymon, i myself would honestly like to give my copy a good solid finishing job at least, but last time i looked at the gangly mess to do so,

the first thought immediately to mind was "WHAT. THE HELL. IS THE POINT..."

well ... to many people in these thread saw these shortcomings since 2 months ago or more, since the first cad. First, these is a "model kit" and not a toy, so, a lot of difference between a Yamato and these kit. Next is Bandai treatment to real model kits in general, they almost always fail, bandai cosmo zero alpha are vey good kits, so they can be good when they want, Gundam kits are different than a real model kits so don't count, and all of us need to remember the VF-25, was good only if don't transform, so why these one will be different?

[Chronocidal]

I've built a couple VF-25 kits. They weren't exactly rock solid, but they had no trouble standing up on their own. The joints worked just fine to support themselves. Plus, if you add a tab to hold the legs in place, everything fits and lines up just fine in fighter.

[Reïvaj]

I'm about to finish mine, I'll let you know my opinion when that happens.

Blah blah blah

One certainly can't fight against these arguments...

[sketchley]

One certainly can't fight against these arguments...

Is endlessly repeating the same responses to someone endlessly repeating the same long winded comments more constructive than pointing out that someone is endlessly repeating the same long winded comments by using an interjection?

Edited July 14, 2013 by sketchley

[Reïvaj]

Is endlessly repeating the same responses to someone endlessly repeating the same long winded comments more constructive than pointing out that someone is endlessly repeating the same long winded comments by using an interjection?

I guess not! I just wouldn't quote him, but I suppose I'd be missing the opportunity to let them know that I'm tired of all that blah blah...

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

I read somewhere that the manual does specify that glue is needed in a few areas. The transformation videos all but suggest it due to how many parts fall off. I think this is an ambitious kit by Bandai Hobby with their emphasis being on an accurate replication of canonical transformation. I think wm_cheng and Noyhauser nailed it with their comments about this kit and who it caters to, I agree with both of them but didn't quote here since it'd make my post pretty long.

To me, Bandai definitely succeeded in surpassing the old Imai variable kits. Those kits, though models, looked pretty toyetic to me and their age definitely shows. This kit proves that with the advances made today, a far better kit can be made with minimal parts swapping.

Through the years I've wanted something like this. Before it was just a wish since Bandai obviously had Macross model licenses but didn't to anything more than reissue Imai/Arii kits and make their own 1/100 and 1/144 Macross 7 kits. Then Bandai Hobby made 1/72 Macross F kits. Once that happened I was wondering when they would finally make a new variable VF-1 kit. I'm not alone, in the Gunpla community there were also fans wondering when Bandai would ever make a new transforming VF-1 kit.

Hopefully Bandai can make a 2.0 version later on. This kit has a lot of neat engineering going for it but execution leaves some better aspects to be desired. If I ever get it I will only stick the missles I decide to use and might glue them on I don't think I'd use all the missles from the Strike kit, the removable panels might loosen up over time and lead to even more parts falling off. I'm going into this knowing it's a model but even so the saying "less is more" definitely applies. Less removable parts would've been beneficial.

Knowing how many removable parts this had before the kit was released, and seeing how many optional uses those parts had, I figured a lot of parts would fall off when handling. This is definitely a kit for Gunpla fans who want a transforming VF-1 kit and are aware not to treat it as an action figure. It's a model that can look more accurate than a toy(debatable) and can be posed every so often(but won't handle excessive handling like an action figure). You're never going to get anything more accurate when it comes to fighter and battroid than a Hasegawa nor anything more of a toy than a Yamato/Arcadia or Bandai/Takatoku VF-1, so for anyone to expect those 2 qualities from this kit you're only setting yourself up for disappointment. The appeal of this kit is that like with any other model, you make it your own. In addition of all mass released VF-1 models and even toys, this has the closest replication of the transformation Kawamori envisioned for the VF-1. It definitely has compromises to reach that goal.

[UN Spacy]

My friend is gonna be in Harujuku the next few days. Anyone know where he can get these for a decent price?

What's the normal price for these?

[Valkyrie addict]

The trash can.

Kidding, this kit was obviously cater for a certain group of people, I am not a Gunpla builder, but I think if I were, I would be offended by this crappy reiteration of the VF-1 considering what is possible to do now and previous Gunpla that I've seen are awesome. Everything was wrong from the beginning, Bandai rushed this and forced it down everyone's throat. We all know Bandai can do something much much better, they had a great opportunity but decided to half ass this thing. I hope the sales of this are as crappy as the kit!

[sketchley]

I read somewhere that the manual does specify that glue is needed in a few areas. The transformation videos all but suggest it due to how many parts fall off. I think this is an ambitious kit by Bandai Hobby with their emphasis being on an accurate replication of canonical transformation. I think wm_cheng and Noyhauser nailed it with their comments about this kit and who it caters to, I agree with both of them but didn't quote here since it'd make my post pretty long.

The only places the manual states you must glue are on the pilot figure and the two reverse-thruster blisters on the upper legs.

Though, the lower legs and the cockpit probably need a bit of glue on some of the joint (erm, seams) - as they are both loaded with panels that open, and are connected to parts that twist, it's only a matter of time before some of the smaller pieces in them fall out.

I'm going into this knowing it's a model but even so the saying "less is more" definitely applies. Less removable parts would've been beneficial.

Surprisingly, there aren't that many removable parts. That said, I agree with you that some of the gimmicks probably aren't needed.

and... QFT:

This is definitely a kit for Gunpla fans who want a transforming VF-1 kit and are aware not to treat it as an action figure. It's a model that can look more accurate than a toy(debatable) and can be posed every so often(but won't handle excessive handling like an action figure). You're never going to get anything more accurate when it comes to fighter and battroid than a Hasegawa nor anything more of a toy than a Yamato/Arcadia or Bandai/Takatoku VF-1, so for anyone to expect those 2 qualities from this kit you're only setting yourself up for disappointment.

EDIT: GAH. Auto combine posts feature messes with formats... thus this being added to clarify that what follows is not part of what came before.

Kidding, this kit was obviously cater for a certain group of people, I am not a Gunpla builder, but I think if I were, I would be offended by this crappy reiteration of the VF-1 considering what is possible to do now and previous Gunpla that I've seen are awesome. Everything was wrong from the beginning, Bandai rushed this and forced it down everyone's throat. We all know Bandai can do something much much better, they had a great opportunity but decided to half ass this thing. I hope the sales of this are as crappy as the kit!

Isn't it the hard-core modellers that are offended by it and the Gunpla builders satisfied with it?

Also, Bandai has been working on it for months and months and months. With Kawamori-san's approval. How did it get rushed? Why are they waiting until September to release the Super Packs and VF-1S if they're rushing it to market?

Also, how is Bandai forcing it down anyone's throat? Everyone has the option of not buying it...

Edited July 14, 2013 by sketchley

[Chronocidal]

It's more that Bandai's just repeating their old standard of not appearing to actually care about glaring problems as long as the overall impression is decent enough that people will still buy it. Lousy as that may seem to people who expect a quality product, that's all they're really working toward anyway.

"It's not just good... it's good enough."

It is what it is. To me, it's painfully baffling how some features could work so well while others look so horribly wrong, or don't work at all. It's as if everyone on the design team made a different piece, and they were all slapped together by a single person at the end. Lots of good ideas, some terrible ones, but they all got lumped together in a final product that only comes out as the average of the good and bad.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Chronocidal

[Black Valkyrie]

New more pics, from the looks of it Bandai must hurry and produce the DX version.

[Noyhauser]

I'd be interested to see what the actual japanese reaction to this is (sans Bandai marketing effort).

[Duymon]

A lot of blogs are so-so on it.

From building mine I can say one thing for sure.

Bandai really tried hard on this valkyrie, but to the point that the valkyrie is too complex and too over-engineered for its own good.

The amount of extra gaps, the fragile, tiny parts and the lack of secure fitting on those tiny parts means out of the box this thing will be an absolute mess to work with.

I've been using tamiya super thin, putting a piece in the vise, letting it sit, and repeating ad nauseum and the kit has gone from interestingly fun to mind-numbingly boring as Bandai has made everything a billion parts.

however, I gotta say if you're up for customizing Bandai has made separating the colors super super super super easy.

THey could easily pop out a max / milia / cannon fodder, etc out of these molds imho.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Duymon

[Valkyrie addict]

i respect your opinion sketchley, yes, hardcore modellers are offended by it because there are many many options that are aesthetically better, but I say, if I were a Gunpla builder that has waited an eternity for a nice Macross gunpla, seeing all the great options out there, I'd be offended because everyone agrees, the kit is faulty in many many areas. I say they rushed it because from the comments I read of bad fitting and no locking mechanism, it sounds incomplete, I say Bandai shoved it down everyone throat, knowing how the kit is and the initial backlash of disproportion they started advertising it so heavily showing deceptive CGI with better proportion, forgiving photo angles and continuing with the Fokker announcement that doesn't suggest any improvement at all.

If some people like the kit, good for them, but I say Bandai can do much better, they went above and beyond to make an anime accurate leg transformation and then screw the rest all up, they can do better and it's offensive to have to buy a "beta" kit until Bandai decides to release a better version and buy it again. It took them months and months of development, well, then someone in Bandai is not doing their job right.

With due respect to Kawamori approval, he could have aproved the CGI, or the transformation mechanism and a BS excuse of Bandai of why the disproportion, as long as he gets payed and the Bandai exec selling it is a very good seller Kawamori will agree and from what I've heard, Kawamoris input is very expensive and his input and approval could have been in the initial stages only and not the final one unless I'm mistaken.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Valkyrie addict

[Shaorin]

New more pics, from the looks of it Bandai must hurry and produce the DX version.

when finished and photographed like that, the model looks a solid WINNER without doubt.

it isn't until one gets hands-on experience with an example that the reality truly comes slamming down...

Edited July 14, 2013 by Shaorin