mpchi Posted April 2, 2007 Posted April 2, 2007 Votoms is not that popular here in HK and only limited stock is imported and tends to sell at inflated prices. Hardly any shops sell Votoms toys. In fact pretty much the only toy store that sells a decent selection of Votoms stuff is Animate. I should know as I recently went on a big toy hunt around Causeway Bay, Wanchai, Mong Kok, Tai Po, Fanling and Taikoo Shing. I must have visited over 30 toy and hobby shops and apart from Animate, only 1 or 2 other shops had any Votoms stuff at all and then usually only 1-2 items. Graham Thats a bit surprising, with hardly any Votoms stuff. While I know they never aired the show in HK, it was still pretty popular in the 80s, with articles of cool dioramas in a bunch of HK model magazines back then. Thats how me and my brother end up buying a couple of those kits when we were little, without even knowing what show it was. Guess its very different nowadays. Now to think of it, I think the scopedog with parachute sack is actually my very first model that I painted, more than 20 years ago. Quote
promethuem5 Posted April 2, 2007 Posted April 2, 2007 That does seem weird about Hk not having alot of VOTOMS stuff... kinda stinks for you too. After finally getting ahold of the series, and the incredible surge in VOTOMS toys, I must admit, VOTOMS is quickly becoming my favorite anime... (blasphemy, I know) While I know I'm probably the biggest Yamato VOTOMS toy supporter here, I must admit, that while I HATE Microman figures, with the newest pics I've seen, I'm kinda becoming interested in getting one DMZ figure... I'd really like for a Tortoise/Trutle variant more than anything... I've got PLENTY of Scopedogs... I also want to pick up a model kit or two, just so I can have basically all the scales besides the little tiny 1/144 trading figures. I also just finished the details on my MF Turbo Custom... with some extra Gundam decals, some hand painted markings, and some nice heavy weathering to blend it all together, the MF figure really looks impressive... Now to get around to painting my big Scopey... I decided to wait until I get an airbrush, which hopefully might be for my birthday this month. I've got alot planned for it. And one more time, does anyone know where I can get information about the venerated Volks resin VOTOMS kits? Quote
promethuem5 Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 All right, so I just watched The Last Red Shoulder sub that was posted: The video quality isn't horrible... it's not too fuzzy, but more just washed out looking. It's sitll more than fine, and holds up in the action and such. The subtitles are great. I'd really like to know where they came from, and if whoever did it plans to do the others, bc/ they're really on par with the CPM subs of the series. LRS fits between the first two chapters of the series, Uodoo and Kummen Jungle, and, without any spoilers, explains Chirico's dead time between the two that is only briefly mentioned in the series. However, it also gives us a better hint into the content of the new series that could easily be missed just seeing the series... Perzen is the Red Shoulder founder, so I'm thinking the new stuff will just be some rediculosuly awesome Red Shoulder whoopass. I could watch a whole series of just unreasonably awesome Red Shoulder missions... And after seeing LRS, I REALLY want a good Bloodsucker toy. G-man said he's handled the MF figure and it's far worse than TC figure, so I'm really hoping for a Yamato one or even a Takara one... and yeah, the TC kicks SO much ass in LRS. Quote
Auto Pilot Off Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 I just paid HK$780 (US$100) for the Strikdog (DMZ # 02) at Animate. Chirico's Scopedog (DMZ # 01) goes for a higher price now as stock is getting scarce. Animate still has it, but is selling it for HK$980 (US$126). The Scopedog with Round Mover (DMZ # 03) is selling for about HK$750 (US$96) IIRC. Graham hmmm.... so now the Chiricos scopedog Dmz-01 is more pricey... when it first came out, i buoght it for a SgD130 and i bought my Strike dog DMz-02 for SgD180...... at that time Strikedog is more ex coz its slightly more bigger than that of DMZ-01... now i wish i live in HK.... hahahaha..... i want my DMz-03 so bad...... so anyone has DMz-03? does it come with custom stickers or decals? looks kinda plain.. thanks Quote
Graham Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 No idea if DMZ #03 comes with any stickers, but I agree that it does look really plain with no weathering and no printed markings. I'm definitely going to pass on it. Although I'd like to have a Round Mover and Solid Shooter, I'm not going to buy another Scopedog, especially such a plain looking one, just to get the accessories. C'mon Takara, release more accessory sets! Graham Quote
Graham Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 Although I haven't had much time to handle it let, my initial impressions of the Takara 1/18 Strikedog (DMZ #02) are very positive. Articulation is good and the joints are nice and tight with very positive ratchets. The detail and paint job is also very good. It seems Takara fixed most of the issues found on DMZ #01. The head turret is now nice and secure, the visor actually stays up when opened and the antennas are of a flexible blue plastic, so there's not so much worry about them breaking (a second set of harder plastic antenna painted silver are also provided). My only complaint is again about the hand design as the fingers are just not secure enough to hold the big Solid Shooter bazooka and the fingers come off within seconds. I've already super-glued them in place. As others have mentioned, the plastic used in the toy feels more like fragile model-kit-grade styrene rather than toy-grade ABS, but so far on my Scopedog (DMZ #01), which I have had for a couple of weeks seems to be holding up fine. Graham Quote
promethuem5 Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 Hey Graham, I know you said the MF Blood Sucker was bad, but really, how bad was it? You and I both hate PVC toys, but I really really like my MF Turbo Custom... Quote
Graham Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 On The Bloodsucker I handled, the limbs were very loose, the backpack wouldn't stay on and the magazine kept falling off the rifle. Also, the surface of the figure showed more than the normal amount of PVC lumps, bumps and depressions, i.e. the supposedly flat surfeces weren't as flat as they could have been. Maybe this was just a bad one and others are better, but I wouldn't buy it. Graham Quote
promethuem5 Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 Balls. Someone needs to make a good BS then. Quote
Sebastian Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 Hey Graham, I know you said the MF Blood Sucker was bad, but really, how bad was it? You and I both hate PVC toys, but I really really like my MF Turbo Custom... I bought the Blood Sucker a few months ago, the thing was UGLY so I decided to leave it on the box and give it to my son. I totally forgot about it until Graham asked about the Max Factory Votoms in his last visit so we opened the box and checked the toy once again. I was secretely hoping I would find it better this time... but nope... the Blood Sucker SUCKS. It IS the tipical crappy PVC figure who suffers all the PVC deseases you can name. Quote
holytoledo69 Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 Although I haven't had much time to handle it let, my initial impressions of the Takara 1/18 Strikedog (DMZ #02) are very positive. Articulation is good and the joints are nice and tight with very positive ratchets. The detail and paint job is also very good. It seems Takara fixed most of the issues found on DMZ #01. The head turret is now nice and secure, the visor actually stays up when opened and the antennas are of a flexible blue plastic, so there's not so much worry about them breaking (a second set of harder plastic antenna painted silver are also provided). My only complaint is again about the hand design as the fingers are just not secure enough to hold the big Solid Shooter bazooka and the fingers come off within seconds. I've already super-glued them in place. As others have mentioned, the plastic used in the toy feels more like fragile model-kit-grade styrene rather than toy-grade ABS, but so far on my Scopedog (DMZ #01), which I have had for a couple of weeks seems to be holding up fine. Graham My 1/18 Strikedog came with defective locking mechanisms on the calves, thus they're always flopping around.. Quote
the_foul_fowl Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 Wow, looks like Bandai's jumping on the Votoms bandwagon too. Check out the June relaese of a 1/20 Scopedog kit http://www6.ocn.ne.jp/~midori-b/newpic/nes-g0721.htm Quote
holytoledo69 Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 Wow, looks like Bandai's jumping on the Votoms bandwagon too. Check out the June relaese of a 1/20 Scopedog kit http://www6.ocn.ne.jp/~midori-b/newpic/nes-g0721.htm Intresting.. Is that a "plamodel"? Quote
jenius Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 I'm loving Votoms. Did they ever make any Votoms video games or was the series too old before the advent of video game systems? (Christ we're getting old) Anyway, I can't help but think how perfectly VOTOMs lends itself to a video game. You can go with pretty much any genre and it works. I, for one, would love a huge RPG. Quote
Roger Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 There were several VOTOMS games for the PC, SNES and Playstation. Again, the book that comes with the VOTOMS box set covers these. Quote
jenius Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 Again, the book that comes with the VOTOMS box set covers these. I didn't want to spoil the show by reading and viewing the extras first. My bad. Quote
eriku Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 Just got the Yamato 1/12 Scopedog in the mail today. It's big, that's for sure, but I guess for some reason I was expecting it to completely dwarf the Takara. I suppose 1/12 and 1/18 isn't that much of a difference though. I have mixed feelings about the 1/12 dog. It definitely looks cool and has a good range of articulation, but it just feels so floppy. I know some of you have said the later releases put ratchets in the ankles, but I feel like it needs a lot more than that. The thighs and knees are ratcheted but they don't help a whole lot. In almost every pose I try to put this thing in it just sort of collapses under it's own weight. And there is just no conceivable way this guy is going to be able to hold the fully assembled rifle - it's too heavy, and the thumbs fall off just like Takara's. The removable armor pieces are cool, but some of them are far too loose. The bicep pieces on mine don't want to stay together very tightly and the panel on the back right above the waist will fall off at the slightest touch. These things are very cosmetic though as far as I'm concerned, and can easily be fixed with home remedies so they don't really detract from the toy. I think if I had gotten this Yamato dog first rather than the Takara, I'd like it a lot better. As it is, it pales in comparison to the Takara in almost every aspect. The one thing I like better about Yamato's release is the Chirico figure, which is simply excellent. I know it sounds like a bad review, but the Yamato really is a nice toy aside from it's inability to stand. There are lots of little differences between the two that kind of cancel each other out when making comparisons. Like for example the visor on the Takara doesn't stay up, but the hatch does. On the Yamato, the visor stays up but the hatch does not. Both are annoying problems. It is impressive to hold though, and the detail inside the hatch is superb. The foot pedals are a nice touch. I'll probably end up leaving the Yamato in down-mode and use the Takara for posing and playing with. Quote
Roger Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 Well, you did willingly purchase a first-version Yamato product after being warned about it. ;p Quote
mpchi Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 ... the Yamato really is a nice toy aside from it's inability to stand. Haha , that sounds kind of funny for some reason. Too bad the Yamato didn't fair too well. They do look nice and more detailed. But I decided to go for Takara for the company's track record, the lower price, playability, and a decent paint job. I think I will be happier with something more stable, than a bigger but floppy display piece. But yeah, Yamato's Chirico hands down beat the Microman Chirico completely. Quote
eriku Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 Well, you did willingly purchase a first-version Yamato product after being warned about it. ;p I know, I was stuck though. I only wanted to pay around $100 and I like the standard Scopedog more than the other variants. I know there were some improvements to the versions following the first Scopedog, but do they have any remaining problems holding up under their weight? That really is my only major gripe. Aside from that it's a great toy - even if I do prefer Takara's. I very much like having both. Also, what are the two extra rifle packs for? There doesn't seem to be anywhere to put them on the 'Dog so they seem rather superfluous. Quote
Roger Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 All of the second-generation Yamato VOTOMS toys I've handled have been very sturdy. The extra ammo clips for the rifle can be clipped on the hips. Quote
eriku Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 The extra ammo clips for the rifle can be clipped on the hips. Had I been wise enough to look at the instruction book I wouldn't have had to ask. Having played with this thing for a couple hours now I do want to say that it feels very durable and it is a lot of fun. I definitely don't regret buying it and I can't wait for Fyana to come out so I can pose it with her cradled in the arm. Quote
promethuem5 Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 OOooohhh.... new Bandai VOTOMS model? Color me excited. There's a quick video bit on YouTube by the collectionDX guy comparing the 1st Yamato Scopey to the later one, and it's rock solid and supports itself well. Quote
Graham Posted April 4, 2007 Posted April 4, 2007 Anybody have the CM's red & green Calamity Dog toys? Are they decent toys, i.e. do the have good articulation, tight joints, decent paint job and do the parts stay on, or are they a floppy mess with crap paint job and self-destruct if you breath on them? Also, are they made mostly of ABS or dreaded PVC? Graham Quote
Retracting Head Ter Ter Posted April 4, 2007 Posted April 4, 2007 All of the second-generation Yamato VOTOMS toys I've handled have been very sturdy. I thought Yamato only does this to Macross products. heh. Whats this about the 1/12 not dwarfing the 1/18? I don't have the 1/12 but shouldn't it be 50% taller which is quite significant? Quote
promethuem5 Posted April 4, 2007 Posted April 4, 2007 Graham, I don't own the red and green Calamity Dogs, but my favorite picture site has some great shots: http://pony-hp3.web.infoseek.co.jp/CALAMITY-RG.htm Judging by the pics, Id say they are either Die-Cast or PVC bc/ they look similar to both the CMs Death Messenger build and the MF builds... Quote
holytoledo69 Posted April 4, 2007 Posted April 4, 2007 I thought Yamato only does this to Macross products. heh. Whats this about the 1/12 not dwarfing the 1/18? I don't have the 1/12 but shouldn't it be 50% taller which is quite significant? I posted some pics on page 14 of this thread for size comparisons... Yamato's 1/12 Brutishdog and Takara's 1/18 Strikedog and Scopedog: Quote
Retracting Head Ter Ter Posted April 4, 2007 Posted April 4, 2007 That really does _not_ look like 1/18 vs 1/12! Quote
holytoledo69 Posted April 4, 2007 Posted April 4, 2007 Well if you look at it scale-wise, 1/12 is not very significantly different from 1/18, its not even half (or 50%). If the takara "dogs" were 1/24 scale, then the Yamato would be 50% bigger.. Quote
mister_e Posted April 4, 2007 Posted April 4, 2007 That really does _not_ look like 1/18 vs 1/12! Looks about right to me. For simple math, let's say the Scopedog is roughly 12 feet tall. That's 144 inches. 1/12 scale = 12 inches 1/18 scale = 8 inches Quote
mpchi Posted April 4, 2007 Posted April 4, 2007 Don't forget the Strikedog thats side by side the Brutishdog is significantly bigger than the regular scopedog, which appears to be closer to the camera. Quote
holytoledo69 Posted April 4, 2007 Posted April 4, 2007 Don't forget the Strikedog thats side by side the Brutishdog is significantly bigger than the regular scopedog, which appears to be closer to the camera. Correct on both counts!! Quote
Auto Pilot Off Posted April 4, 2007 Posted April 4, 2007 well for those who havent seen this... check it out 1/1scale brutishdog "Credits to Ironwork.jp" the rest can be seen here 1/1 Brutishdog Quote
Retracting Head Ter Ter Posted April 4, 2007 Posted April 4, 2007 Well if you look at it scale-wise, 1/12 is not very significantly different from 1/18, its not even half (or 50%). If the takara "dogs" were 1/24 scale, then the Yamato would be 50% bigger.. 1/12 is 50% taller by height compared to a 1/18. e.g. for a 100m building. 1/12 = 8.33m 1/18 = 5.55m The 8.33m model will be 50% taller than the 5.55m model. Quote
Retracting Head Ter Ter Posted April 4, 2007 Posted April 4, 2007 Graham, I don't own the red and green Calamity Dogs, but my favorite picture site has some great shots: http://pony-hp3.web.infoseek.co.jp/CALAMITY-RG.htm Judging by the pics, Id say they are either Die-Cast or PVC bc/ they look similar to both the CMs Death Messenger build and the MF builds... The HLJ pics says : PVC/ABS/PC Whats PC? http://www.hlj.com/product/CMS65095 Quote
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