Graham Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 Manga Entertainment is part of Central Park Media, so it's possible you're seeing listings for the same thing. The item you want is ASIN #B000G2XU8G. Ah, I see. Yes it seems to be the same. Graham Quote
Graham Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 Oh there's reason to be cautious, that's for sure. I'm with you there. The only reason I'm the least bit optimistic about "Peruzen Files" is that VOTOMS is one of the few 80's anime greats that was never really milked, unlike Gundam. I'm hoping theres still some new ground to be covered. Plus Ryousuke Takahashi is returning to direct, which can't hurt. Then again, he also did Gasaraki and Blue Gender, so for all we know this could be the equivalent of Votoms Zero, with all the metaphysical baggage included. Hey, leave off Blue Gender. It's one of my favorite animes and highly under rated IMO. As for Gasaaki, well at least it has some nice mecha designs and some good military mecha action. Now if only they'd stuck with that and left out all the weird mumbo jumbo. Graham Quote
Graham Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 Only having seen about 3 early episodes of Votoms, I've always wondered what are the Red Shoulders? Are they a special forces unit, or a mercenary group or what? Graham Quote
1/1 LowViz Lurker Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 (edited) I'm going to watch the old tv series. Is this the best to start with for noobs? I hope the new series doesn't suck. I didn't buy the toys but I know I will like this if it has a gritty real robot feel to it. Maybe if it does well bigwest will make a macross destroid spin off series trudging through hilly terrain with no air support in camo paintschemes and having to rely on teamwork to survive and generally hiding and seeking cover as if thier lives depended on it. /joking. Only having seen about 3 early episodes of Votoms, I've always wondered what are the Red Shoulders? Are they a special forces unit, or a mercenary group or what? Good section on mahq on votoms: http://www.mahq.net/animation/votoms/votoms.htm episode summary and reviews of all the eps: http://www.mahq.net/animation/votoms/votoms.htm Edited March 7, 2007 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker Quote
bsu legato Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 Hey, leave off Blue Gender. It's one of my favorite animes and highly under rated IMO. As for Gasaraki, well at least it has some nice mecha designs and some good military mecha action. Now if only they'd stuck with that and left out all the weird mumbo jumbo. Graham I liked Blue Gender too. But as you say, they had to go with the more or less "out there" ending. Not to the extreme that Gasaraki did, but it had its share of mumbo jumbo in the last episode or two. This seems to be something that a lot of anime seems to struggle with lately. I don't need to have my hand held while a show deal with reality bending metaphysics, but at the same time the creators have to at least attempt to meet the audience halfway and offer some coherent, concrete clues or establish some rules so that we can at least interpret wtf is going on. Using Gasaraki as an example, I couldn't tell you the first thing about just what the hell happened in that last episode because not only did they shy away from the Gasaraki subplot until the very, very end, but what explanation did materialize came in the form of a massive exposition-dump that would make even The Matrix's Architect blush. That said, I don't know how much of a concern this should be for Peruzen Files. Chiricos destiny as a PS has already been dealt with, and would take place much later than any prequel would allow for. That, and the resolution of VOTOMS actually made sense. Quote
Roger Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 Only having seen about 3 early episodes of Votoms, I've always wondered what are the Red Shoulders? Are they a special forces unit, or a mercenary group or what?A very secretive special forces unit with a well-earned reputation for skill and savagery. Right before the first episode of the TV series, they've been disbanded, but there is an OAV prequel that covers Chirico's initiation into the Red Shoulders. The OAV was adapted into an American comic, which is also included on the DVDs as a PDF. Quote
Fort Max Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 It's on it's way. Got it for $88 from a seller on Amazon. Hopefully it'll arrive by Saturday so I can escape the house to a friends place with my Votoms tin while the fiance is at home making wedding invitations with her friends. That Ality with motorcycle is dang tempting. I'm guessing I'll want it even more after I watch the series. That's a good deal you got there, I paid $100 with CPM's own online preorder scheme. Not that I mind, it's still damn cheap for this old skool finery. Ality isn't in the original Votoms btw, he's from an OVA called "Armour Hunter Mellowlink" which I haven't seen but would really like to. Quote
holytoledo69 Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 ya I just bought the regular Scopedog for about 40.00 shipped from the infamous TISINC(ebay auction).. Not a bad toy for PVC. Well balanced and fairly posable. But after looking around at other ones they are kind of expensive considering their size, 5-6 inches. Too bad I missed out on the HLJ sale. I'll keep my eye out though They have the 1/35 turbo custom scopedog for $17.42 if anyone's intrested. Start Your own platoon while supplies last!! Not as great as Yamato's and Takara's but the next best thing if your thinking about space and variety (e.g. Standing Tortoise and Blood sucker) I wish they'd come out with a "Diving beetle" though. Anyone have an "official" review of these babies? Quote
promethuem5 Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 Goddammit... my HLJ order JUST shipped, and now I notice this... I really hate buying from HLJ bc/ I miss like half of what I went there to buy everytime bc/ the godawful search never finds everything... I spent hours looking thru every VOTOMS and Scopedog item and that never turned up, just like I went on there to find modelling supplies/detail bits and this one kidn of display base for mecha kits and then right after my order was done, i found them in someone else's link, so horribly hidden in the wrong section it;s a wonder they were even selling. And yet, I know I'll be happier with the Yamato RSC Scopey anyways... Quote
Graham Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 As I've ordered the Votoms DVD set, I'm probably going to pic up a Scopedog toy in the near future, so I've got something to play with while I'm watching the show. I used to have the vintage 1/24 Takara Scopoedogs, but long since sold them on ebay. Anyway, I'm looking for a more modern rendition. I've pretty much narrowed my choice down to either Yamato's 1/12 scale Scopedog or Takara's 1/18 scale rendition. I'm not into small toys like the Actic gear Votoms toys, neither do I like PVC stuff like the CM's Votoms toys. Help me decide which should I get, Yamato or Takara? The Yamato version seems to get very good reviews everywhere and has lots of detail, good durability and some neat feature & gimmicks and I do have a certain loyalty towards Yamato products. However, it does seem to have a few strikes against it. Firstly, it's slightly larger than my ideal toy size thus reducing ease of handling and making it a shelf hog. Secondly, it's expensive and the cost is made worse by the fact that it doesn't include a pilot figure (a must-have) that you need to shell out extra for. Thirdly, it has at least four accessory sets available. Now normally this is a good thing, but being the completist I am, I'd have to track down all the sets and end up spending a huge amount of money. The Takara 1/18 scale I don't know much about. I read one review a while back (maybe from Drifand?) which seemed quite positive. On the plus side, it does come with a pilot figure and is cheaper than the Yamato version. I don't have any real idea about the detail, articuklation, features and durability. So from those that own both, what are the pluses and minuses? Graham Quote
jenius Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 I got an email from Rightstuf... I'm finally going to get my Votoms set... right in the middle of an audit and moving thus ensuring it'll probably still be another month before I get to watch it... argh... I'm still looking forward to it. Quote
eriku Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 (edited) The Takara 1/18 scale I don't know much about. I read one review a while back (maybe from Drifand?) which seemed quite positive. On the plus side, it does come with a pilot figure and is cheaper than the Yamato version. I don't have any real idea about the detail, articuklation, features and durability. So from those that own both, what are the pluses and minuses? Graham I only have the Takara Scopedog so I can't compare, but I can tell you the Takara is a fantastic toy in all respects. The size, while smaller than the Yamato, is perfect in my eyes. It gives the feel of a 'big' toy without taking up much more space than, say, a 1/48 Valk. The sculpt and design is beautiful and the articulation allows for a lot of posing possibilities. The arms and legs both have a fairly large range of motion. It looks great in both 'at ease' poses and high-action sprawls. The paint detailing is, as a lot of people have said, like it's been done by a professional modeler. It doesn't have the plain green "plastic toy" look that the Yamato has (not that there is anything wrong with plain plastic) and really gives the impression that this thing is very real and has seen some battles. I particularly like the details where it looks like bare metal is visable under the blasted paint, but some people don't care for that. The cockpit is wonderfully detailed as well and Chirico, once he's crammed in there, looks great behind the controls. The Chirico figure is fairly standard for a Microman figure. Some people have loose joints on theirs but mine is solid enough to hold poses. I would rather have seen a removable helmet over swapable heads, but it's not an issue. The spring loaded arm is fun and doesn't hinder the sculpt or poseability in the least. The flip-out foot spikes are really cool but they come off easily and are small, so beware. The one thing I don't care for is the hands. I'd rather have either one-piece hands or articulated hands over what is offered here. It seems like a good idea in theory, removable fingers and thumbs, but mine just don't stay together that well. They don't just fall apart at a glance or anything like that, but they can be frustrating. As for looks though, they look just as great as the rest of the toy. Some people have said that they find the Takara DMZ to be a bit on the light side, and therefore 'cheap' feeling, or reminding one of a model kit, but I don't quite agree. While it doesn't feel incredibly hefty, it also doesn't feel like a model kit to me. I think it feels plenty durable and plenty 'toy-like'. Actually, I find the overall essence of the toy to be very comparable to a 1/48 Yamato valk....without the awful QC. Graham- I think you'd really enjoy the Takara dog. Although I'm sure most people will tell you to get both and they're probably right. Edited March 8, 2007 by eriku Quote
ChrisG Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 Manga Entertainment is part of Central Park Media, so it's possible you're seeing listings for the same thing. Manga Entertainment is not part of Central Park Media. US Manga Corps is. They're not the same. Quote
holytoledo69 Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 As I've ordered the Votoms DVD set, I'm probably going to pic up a Scopedog toy in the near future, so I've got something to play with while I'm watching the show. I used to have the vintage 1/24 Takara Scopoedogs, but long since sold them on ebay. Anyway, I'm looking for a more modern rendition. I've pretty much narrowed my choice down to either Yamato's 1/12 scale Scopedog or Takara's 1/18 scale rendition. I'm not into small toys like the Actic gear Votoms toys, neither do I like PVC stuff like the CM's Votoms toys. Help me decide which should I get, Yamato or Takara? So from those that own both, what are the pluses and minuses? Graham Ahem, I'll take a crack at it since I have both.. Pros for the Yamato: No (visible) screw holes. Detailed removable panels with lots of funky interior detailing. Its huge!! Nicely articulated!! Cons: No pilot (booooo!!) Expensive accessories (yamato trade mark). Loose , floppy joints. Very "toy-like". Takes up alot of space!! Did I mention there's no pilot? lolz. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pros for Takara: Almost as detailed as the Yamato and does almost everything the yamato's does. Takes up less space on the shelf. Less use of the mold. (vast difference between scope dog and strikedog in terms of size and molding vs Yamato's repaints). Has a pilot!!!! Very durable, nothing falls off. Nicely weathered. Cons: Has screw holes (but comes with plugs for the lower legs). Some parts dont fit together well, but its bearable. Just a little expensive for a toy this size IMO but still affordable. (for those with disposable incomes) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My winner is the Takara Votoms. Though Im venturing into new territory by getting the Max factory ones.. Still, its your call. good luck!! Quote
holytoledo69 Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 The one thing I don't care for is the hands. I'd rather have either one-piece hands or articulated hands over what is offered here. It seems like a good idea in theory, removable fingers and thumbs, but mine just don't stay together that well. They don't just fall apart at a glance or anything like that, but they can be frustrating. As for looks though, they look just as great as the rest of the toy. Now, Im not sure but I think Fayna's upcoming space assault scopedog has articulated fingers. Im hoping theyre going to improve a little on this too. My takara strikedog has an actual rotating Head thats locked in and doesnt fall off. Check it out here. Its coming soon!! Quote
Graham Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 Looks like I'll be going for the Takara then if I can track one down. I was sort of leaning towards it anyway. Graham Quote
Roger Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 The Takara 1/18th Scopedog is a nice toy, and you do get the Chirico with it, but I was let down by the paint detail and things that could have been hidden like the seam lines and screws. The Yamato 1/12 Scopedog _is_ the machine you see in the show. You can strip off the armor and see the mechanisms from the line art. You can take the whole damn thing apart and build it up again, as if you were scrounging it from a junkyard. The downsides are no paint (if something like that bothers you) and "Yamato First Version Syndrome" - the initial releases of the toy have weak ankles and shoulders that cause problems. Later versions of the toy fixed these issues and the thing is perfect now. If I had to choose, I'd choose the Yamato. If I had to choose one Yamato, I'd go for the Strong Bacchus. It's really damn sweet. Quote
promethuem5 Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 The Yamato figure is one of my favorite toys of all time... I simply love it. f you buy the original one, at least one accessory kit is a must for the extra joint-locking bits they come with, allowing for some more off balance poses and such. If you want one definitive Scopey, I'd get the latest release Red Shoulder Scopedog (v2) with has lots of joint fixes including ratchety ankles, and some nice clear armor parts to show off the inner detail. The lack of a pilot figure kind of stinks, but since I HATE Microman figures (SOOOO friggen cheezy and delicate,) I'm more than happy to play the waiting game to find the MUCH nicer looking 1/12 Chirico... All in all, you will NOT be dissapointed with the Yammie Scopedog, but in reality, yes, it IS a very big toy. And as for the HLJ discount on the MF Scopedog figure, I broke down and ordered one along with the display bases I needed, so, how ARE the Max Factory Scopedog figures? Quote
danth Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 I never like the Votoms mecha designs...until I saw these: Those are form the Blue Knight novels. Are there any other cool Votoms mecha I should know about? Quote
promethuem5 Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 Chekc out www.mahq.net for a visual lisitng of all the VOTOMS designs, including the funky manga side story designs and some interesting ones from the games. Quote
Graham Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 I'd get the latest release Red Shoulder Scopedog (v2) with has lots of joint fixes including ratchety ankles, and some nice clear armor parts to show off the inner detail. Does the Red Shoulder Scoopedog (v2) also come with normal color parts or only the clear parts? I'm not really into clear armor parts. Graham Quote
Roger Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 Both. You don't have to use the clear parts if you don't want to. Quote
Roger Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 Here are the "Version 2" Scopedogs so far: http://www.hlj.com/product/YMT34430 http://www.hlj.com/product/YMT34429 http://www.hlj.com/product/YMT34446 http://www.hlj.com/product/YMT34460 Quote
drifand Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 (edited) Well, as Graham said, I'm a fan of the Takara 1/18s... the painted and weathered DMZs, while not exactly master-modeler level in perfection, is really nice for a toy that you can handle without any worries. I think it beats the raw plastic look on the 1/12s. The relative 'lightness' of the DMZ is an advantage as it allows dynamic poses that do not require additional parts to hold the joints in place. I actually took apart the feet of my two DMZs and added some ballast to allow 'lean back' action poses... something I don't think the 1/12s can ever achieve without external props. I think ideally, a real Votoms fan would want to own at least ONE of the 1/12s, simply for the satisfaction of having all the mechanical bits in such high detail. But for a line-up with real variety (i.e. not just minor variations of the main Scopedog), it seems Takara is doing great with the DMZ Strikedog and Rabidlydog. The upcoming 1/18 Zeverus from CM's Corp seems like a very interesting development too: http://ga.sbcr.jp/g-toys/wonfes07win/42/02.html http://ga.sbcr.jp/g-toys/wonfes07win/42/03.html http://ga.sbcr.jp/g-toys/wonfes07win/42/04.html TakaraTomy's product page for MicroAction DMZ series: http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/micro..._vot_top01.html Edited March 8, 2007 by drifand Quote
Fort Max Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 I've been buying Takaras little Actic Gear figures up till now but sooner or later I'm gonna get a big scopedog and it'll be one of Takaras for the added paint and the inculded figure. Quote
promethuem5 Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 I've got one Actic Gear... the Turbo Custom, and honestly, I'm not as impressed with it as I was with any HCMPro figure I got... it looks alright, but it's super fiddly... Quote
Fort Max Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 I've got one Actic Gear... the Turbo Custom, and honestly, I'm not as impressed with it as I was with any HCMPro figure I got... it looks alright, but it's super fiddly... Well, Takara aren't Bandai, they don't have the same kind of production capabilities or expierience with model materials that Bandai does. So while comparisons to HCMP's are inevitable they are perhaps just a little unjust. The fiddilyness may also be due to the fact that the Scopedog is a much smaller machine and thus has details that Gundams don't, e.g, the various grab rails. On another note, I'm really tempted to snag that MF 1/35 RSTC as a one off treat for myself. It'd look boss standing on my monitor at work. Quote
Roger Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 Well, Takara aren't Bandai, they don't have the same kind of production capabilities or expierience with model materials that Bandai does. So while comparisons to HCMP's are inevitable they are perhaps just a little unjust. I would disagree with this and say that Takara and Bandai's production capabilities are pretty evenly matched. They just have different approaches. I love the Actic Gears, and I've been happier with them than the HCM Pros. This is mostly subjective, though. I don't mind unpainted toys, because I think ultimately, a toy should look like a toy. Quote
promethuem5 Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 I think Bandai and Takara are pretty even wtih each other... the Actric Gear figure itself is pretty solid, I should have clarified that it's mostly the extra stuff that's fiddly like the armor flaps and the hand rails and the TC weapons (especially the waist weapons.) The actual figure actually feels far superior to an HCM, wtih gret tight joints and good balance, but when all put together, it's not quite the sum of its parts. It also looks much more unfinished out of the box than say, an HCMPro, with almost no paint and those ugly unfinished arm backs. FM, I grabbed the MX TCScopey just because of the price... I hope it;s a nice figure. Does anyone else have the Max Factory VOTOMS figs? Are they well built and durable? Quote
holytoledo69 Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 (edited) FM, I grabbed the MX TCScopey just because of the price... I hope it;s a nice figure. Does anyone else have the Max Factory VOTOMS figs? Are they well built and durable? I dont have them.. as of yet. But Im going what fellow collectors are saying about them back on page 5 I think.. dejr8bud ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUOTE(Guppy @ Dec 10 2006, 11:28 PM) aaaaah. Thanks Dri. *slaps own head* They're not bad. So long as you don't hate PVC with a firey passion they're good. detail's good, poseability is great, paint job is good, nice decals, and not too many bumps/blemishes for a pvc toy. I did want to get them but wasn't prepared to pay the stupid prices. Then hlj had a 65% off sale on them and I'd bought them 10 seconds later. I see the Standing Tortoise is still available on the hlj sale page. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ya I just bought the regular Scopedog for about 40.00 shipped from the infamous TISINC(ebay auction).. Not a bad toy for PVC. Well balanced and fairly posable. But after looking around at other ones they are kind of expensive considering their size, 5-6 inches. Too bad I missed out on the HLJ sale. I'll keep my eye out though Edited March 8, 2007 by holytoledo69 Quote
promethuem5 Posted March 9, 2007 Posted March 9, 2007 Sounds like for less than 20 bucks, it will be a greatly fun to play with figure... and sizewise, it will go with my Revoltech figures very nicely. Quote
danth Posted March 9, 2007 Posted March 9, 2007 The upcoming 1/18 Zeverus from CM's Corp seems like a very interesting development too: http://ga.sbcr.jp/g-toys/wonfes07win/42/02.html http://ga.sbcr.jp/g-toys/wonfes07win/42/03.html http://ga.sbcr.jp/g-toys/wonfes07win/42/04.html Niiice. Love that design. Does it ever appear in animation? Quote
holytoledo69 Posted March 9, 2007 Posted March 9, 2007 (edited) Sounds like for less than 20 bucks, it will be a greatly fun to play with figure... and sizewise, it will go with my Revoltech figures very nicely. Found this review of Max 1/35's with a (wonky) translation but has great pics!! Here's one with pics of the turbo custom. Here's some samples: Not bad for a tiny 1/35 huh? Enjoy!! Edited March 9, 2007 by holytoledo69 Quote
JetLover Posted March 10, 2007 Posted March 10, 2007 From those reviews, it sounds like the 35 max is not too playable. The lens cannot move and the cockpit cannot be opened. I guess I will skip it even at the low price. Thanks for the reviews. Quote
promethuem5 Posted March 10, 2007 Posted March 10, 2007 I look at that guy's reviews for the images all the time... never bothered to translate it tho... I figure it'll be a fun action figure, not a big replica like the Yamato. Quote
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