no3Ljm Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 My first impressions? It looks incredible, I love the amount of tampo it has, and there's some really cool gimmicks in transformation. On the other hand, a very minor flaw first, but there's a bit of overspray on the black strip running down one of the shoulders on mine, but I'm sure I can fix that up easily enough. Additionally, while I really enjoyed the transformation to Battroid mode, I've spent the last half hour trying to get it back into fighter mode with the FAST packs on, and I hate it. Absolute, seething hatred. The arms and shoulders are frustrating as hell to get back in place properly, and every single attempt has resulted in the little grey armour pieces on the back of the legs to pop off, no matter how I try. I think I need to take a break from this thing and come back to it later, I'm almost at the point where I want to hurl this thing across the room, take a hammer to it, then douse it in gasoline and set it on fire. Well, the problem is that the upper arm has about 8 different joints, (none of which are ratcheted and some sharing the same pin or set on parallel pins with the same axis of rotation) so it takes some form of divine intervention or fluke celestial convergence for them all to be in the exact position they need to be in for this thing to fit together properly. EDIT: Correction, it's only 7, I just counted. Yeah, it's true that it's hard to lock in place the shoulder at the back of the legs when the Fast Packs are one. Esp the one for the back of the legs that keeps on popping out even though I adjusted the shoulder flaps based on the manual. But once everything is in place, it's more flushed out than when I opened mine after getting it. But have more patience with it. This ones transforms easier than YF-21. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brand-X Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 (edited) please do consider sending it my way first... Haha keep an eye on the Buy/Sell/Trade board, I was really excited for this guy but at this point I can honestly say I've never hated a toy nearly as much as this one. I'll give it a few days before deciding, just look for an ad saying "transformed 0.75 times" EDIT: Oh, I forgot the actual swivel at the shoulder that brings the arms out. So yeah, that was a good guess, 8 separate joints/hinges in the upper arm alone. Edited June 30, 2015 by Brand-X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest davidwhangchoi Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 please do consider sending it my way first... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvmacross Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 3 available.... http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/NEOGDS-130367 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brand-X Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Oh, apparently Bandai couldn't get the shoulders to work either... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protostar8 Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 So what we really need now is that in depth side by side pictorial review of Arcadia vs Bandai! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrentonx Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 My second one from hlj just got delivered! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
technoblue Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 (edited) I like my Bandai VF-19 Advanced, but it is a fiddly, complicated toy. I like how the canards fold out of the way during transformation, but I wish there was a way to lock them in place in Battroid mode. The feet are nice and stiff without being too tight, but I am worried that they will loosen up in time. I do wish there was an extra notch when extending the feet: a notch in the middle somewhere to hide the ankle joint in Battroid mode allowing me to use the fully extended position for Gerwalk only. Also, on my copy, one leg is easy to rotate at the hip whereas the other has a deathgrip on the swiveling ball joint (as if a screw is too tight). It is a pain to move in and out of position between modes because of the torque I have to apply to that piece. And often, during my first transformation, flipping that leg about with any force would unseat the hip bar on the same side. The shoulder pads/pylons are a pain to wiggle back into place for fighter mode too, as are those hinged pieces above the intakes. The Tampo printing is great. When everything is flush in fighter mode, this toy has a sleek profile, and I love the waist gimmick. I would be hard pressed to rank either Bandai's or Arcadia's 19 as the best version of Isamu's ride, especially if appearance was my only criteria. In my eyes they both do a good job mimicking the animation from their respective series. If I were to rank based on transformation experience, then the Arcadia and Yamato 19s leap ahead. Perhaps as I continue to break in the Bandai 19, my impression of the transformation will approve. That's my hope, anyway. Edited June 30, 2015 by technoblue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valhary Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 manual scans http://gbmshop.blogspot.mx/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no3Ljm Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Oh, apparently Bandai couldn't get the shoulders to work either... Remember that those are just prototypes and for marketing purposes. Remember also that I pointed out pages ago, Bandai showed photos in Fighter mode that the upper part of the wing root is tabbed somehow on those leg Fast Packs. But to be honest, I lined up (not perfectly flushed ) those shoulder and leg Fast Packs properly after how many tries. I like my Bandai VF-19 Advanced, but it is a fiddly, complicated toy. I like how the canards fold out of the way during transformation, but I wish there was a way to lock them in place in Battroid mode. The feet are nice and stiff without being too tight, but I am worried that they will loosen up in time. I do wish there was an extra notch when extending the feet: a notch in the middle somewhere to hide the ankle joint in Battroid mode allowing me to use the fully extended position for Gerwalk only. Also, on my copy, one leg is easy to rotate at the hip whereas the other has a deathgrip on the swiveling ball joint (as if a screw is too tight). It is a pain to move in and out of position between modes because of the torque I have to apply to that piece. And often, during my first transformation, flipping that leg about with any force would unseat the hip bar on the same side. The shoulder pads/pylons are a pain to wiggle back into place for fighter mode too, as are those hinged pieces above the intakes. The Tampo printing is great. When everything is flush in fighter mode, this toy has a sleek profile, and I love the waist gimmick. I would be hard pressed to rank either Bandai's or Arcadia's 19 as the best version of Isamu's ride, especially if appearance was my only criteria. In my eyes they both do a good job mimicking the animation from their respective series. If I were to rank based on transformation experience, then the Arcadia and Yamato 19s leap ahead. Perhaps as I continue to break in the Bandai 19, my impression of the transformation will approve. That's my hope, anyway. I kinda doubt the latter part, technoblue. After transforming this Valk to Fighter mode to Battroid mode and back, I can't seem to flush everything in 100%. I know it's lined up but overall it's not as flushed as Arcadia is. Arcadia from what I remember, even at first try, everything falls right in their places. With this one, I know that I already aligned it, but somehow I need to literally squeeze everything esp on the torso area when transformed to Fighter mode just to flush it out a little. And doing so, the shield area pops out a little esp the head part and the sheild rail area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrentonx Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 She's naturally gappy for sure. I had very little trouble going to Battroid but had a ton of trouble tabbing in the left leg going back to fighter. Didn't try the armor yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no3Ljm Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 A NOTE on the Wing Root tabs that connects back to the legs, if you still find it tight, just scrape off a little plastic using x-acto knife or cutter on the area where the locking tabs is potruding. Hope that helps. And regarding the shoulder and leg area part. When you're pushing the leg back in Fighter mode and somehow the inner leg part kinda blocks the folded arm area, try to push down from the top of the shoulder armor while pulling the leg towards the back so that the folded arm should slide in the leg gap, then lock the legs tab in the backpack area. From there, you can re-work or align those shoulder armor back in. Same goes when you're Valk is equipped with their Fast Packs. Make sure that the shoulder flap is angled towards the Fast Pack exhaust on the back of the legs. So when you pushed the shoulder down while pulling the leg towards the back in order to slide the folded arm to the leg gap, the shoulder flap will keep on pushing that small Fast Pack armor on the back of the legs. Then once everything is locked in place, you can adjust the gaps on the shoulder and lock the shoulder Fast Pack on the back of the legs as well. But do NOTE again that even though you lock everything in place esp the shoulder and leg area part, it will still NOT HIDE the 'obvious' gap between the legs and shield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazuki Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 (edited) EDIT: Oh, I forgot the actual swivel at the shoulder that brings the arms out. So yeah, that was a good guess, 8 separate joints/hinges in the upper arm alone. sounds overengineered to hell and back. perhaps it is just as well i cannot really afford at present to join this particular owner's club... Edited June 30, 2015 by Hazuki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestar Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Absolutely love the battroid mode on this as they've massively improved the ankle joints compared with arcadia's. But the fighting mode is where things literally fall apart. The amount of massaging you have to do so that parts line up, the odious transformation back to fighter mode with or without the super parts, the ill-fitting super parts that won't stay in place...this valk is definitely an excercise in patience. But despite the shortcomings, I'm hoping that they milk the mold with variants, canon or not. I much prefer the design of the vf-19 over the vf-25. I just hope that they fix the issues mentioned if ever variants are made Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no3Ljm Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 sounds overengineered to hell and back. perhaps it is just as well i cannot really afford at present to join this particular owner's club... "Bandai's Overengineering". Same sentiments exactly from lots of members here. In order to fold the leg, you must follow this 5, 6, 7, 8 transformation sequence first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanner Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 My 2nd one should arrive today so I'll finally have a crack at shifting it to battroid! And then possibly back to fighter mode.. will see how adventurous im feeling at the time! Looking forward to the experience! A NOTE on the Wing Root tabs that connects back to the legs, if you still find it tight, just scrape off a little plastic using x-acto knife or cutter on the area where the locking tabs is potruding. Hope that helps. And regarding the shoulder and leg area part. When you're pushing the leg back in Fighter mode and somehow the inner leg part kinda blocks the folded arm area, try to push down from the top of the shoulder armor while pulling the leg towards the back so that the folded arm should slide in the leg gap, then lock the legs tab in the backpack area. From there, you can re-work or align those shoulder armor back in. Same goes when you're Valk is equipped with their Fast Packs. Make sure that the shoulder flap is angled towards the Fast Pack exhaust on the back of the legs. So when you pushed the shoulder down while pulling the leg towards the back in order to slide the folded arm to the leg gap, the shoulder flap will keep on pushing that small Fast Pack armor on the back of the legs. Then once everything is locked in place, you can adjust the gaps on the shoulder and lock the shoulder Fast Pack on the back of the legs as well. But do NOTE again that even though you lock everything in place esp the shoulder and leg area part, it will still NOT HIDE the 'obvious' gap between the legs and shield. I did trim the wing root locking tab down a tad and I think its even helped the boosters stay put! Im thinking the stress of forcing that locking tab in might be altering the shape of that whole wing root section even only slightly but enough to cause the boosters not to tab on hard enough. I kinda tested this by fitting the boosters on without the wing roots tabbed in and they both snap on without a hitch! As to whether or not we'll actually see any color variants of this Valk im not so sure.. seeing that its in essence more a specific custom Valk as per Isamu Dyson's modding antics that to me personally it doesn't really make that much sense to release it as someone else's or another squadron's Valkyrie. Don't get me wrong the idea of different paint schemes is nice but as it stands I don't think that this toy in particular really has anything more to offer than it already has being an Isamu variant. All we'll end up is with another bunch of never seen paint variants like the YF-29 and although I do love them too but they aren't anything particularly exciting. Maybe Bandai should start focusing of upping the build quality for what ever new design Valkyrie will be coming from Macross Delta instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazuki Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 (edited) i mean, i actually LIKE complex mecha transformations, a LOT, in fact. all the same, my ARCADIA YF rather just falls together into place in each of it's modes, quite elegantly, and with a minimum of massaging, for such a complex piece of engineering. sadly, it sounds as the same definitely cannot be said of this Frontier iteration... manual scans http://gbmshop.blogspot.mx/ - from what is gleaned there, this toy looks overengineered, but manageable enough. what bothers me about it, is the over-complexity. not because it might be difficult to transform, mind you, but rather because such elaborate design usually does not lend itself to long -term reliability. i mean, both my VF-19S and YF-19 have seen many, MANY transformation cycles in their time under my roof, and they BOTH STILL lock together rock solidly to this day. this cannot be strssed enough in my book; both toys have seen many years worth of accelerated wear and tear, at least by the standards of the average MACROSS toy collector, and BOTH have weathered such "Abuse" with jaw-dropping aplomb, particuarly for such coplex examples of toy origami that were once thought virtually impossible to render in three physical dimensions so faithfully. this, above all else, is why i consider the YAMATO/ARCADIA 1/60 19 kanzen-henkei toy series to be peerless engineering meisterworks that have handily earned their pride of place in my modest mecha toy collection. very sorry for rambling on/thread-jacking, but i felt that that had to be said... Edited June 30, 2015 by Hazuki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scream Man Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 In terms of fighter mode with the FP's, I found just taking the little bits off the backs of the legs helped. leaving them in is more trouble than its worth i think. In terms of the differences in the 2 places, a lot of that I put down to the fact this is a different fighter built almost 20 years later. I assume Yang tweaked her a little when he built her for Isamu, which resulted in some minor changes to the airframe. hence the features being different on the 2, and on the two toys. As to the toy, my only 2 issues that actually bug me are the right booster not staying on well, and the top of the hips.intakes/whatever they're called being gappy in gihhter, like they wont sit square. otherwise shes a lot of fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no3Ljm Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 In terms of fighter mode with the FP's, I found just taking the little bits off the backs of the legs helped. leaving them in is more trouble than its worth i think. In terms of the differences in the 2 places, a lot of that I put down to the fact this is a different fighter built almost 20 years later. I assume Yang tweaked her a little when he built her for Isamu, which resulted in some minor changes to the airframe. hence the features being different on the 2, and on the two toys. As to the toy, my only 2 issues that actually bug me are the right booster not staying on well, and the top of the hips.intakes/whatever they're called being gappy in gihhter, like they wont sit square. otherwise shes a lot of fun The only solution on this one is that the hips should be in a proper angle during fighter mode, the main wing swivel joint should be pushed down all the way upon returning it, and the locking tabs on those hip uppper intakes is inserted properly, then all is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanner Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) Got delivery notification this morning so I did a quick dash home to open her up and have a quick play! I was pleasantly surprised by how relatively easy the transformation to battroid was with no real hassles at all! As a precautionary measure I did loosen the upper leg joint screws half a turn each before attempting to swing the legs down to their final position after seeing others struggle with that but other than that it was all good! No time for any interesting or dynamic poses for now as im off back to work but I will have more of a fiddle with it after I get home this evening. The boosters do fit better on this one but overall it didn't look as trim and taut in fighter mode so I'll leave the first one as is. So yeah anyways im absolutely loving it! Edited July 1, 2015 by spanner76 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacrossMania Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Stunned by the looks of it but I haven't decided if I'll fall off the wagon again and purchase this thing. Went stone cold sober on Macross valks about a year ago but that old bug has been biting me again. This one looks good. Little disappointed by the lack of diecast. It would be a real stunner if Bandai began scaling back on their quality for higher profit margins because that's basically what they're known for. That and their engineering. Don't mind the overengineering as I'm one of those guys who likes mine all muzzled up in a box. But to hear about all these problems with transformation just makes it seem like this one is on par with Yamato/Arcadia VF-19. If it's all plastic and hard to fit together, what's the difference? I know there are aficionados out there who will point out the finer subtleties, just sayin. Still, it has me thinking. Should I pick up the bottle and drink from that all too poisoned well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brand-X Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Stunned by the looks of it but I haven't decided if I'll fall off the wagon again and purchase this thing. Went stone cold sober on Macross valks about a year ago but that old bug has been biting me again. This one looks good. Little disappointed by the lack of diecast. It would be a real stunner if Bandai began scaling back on their quality for higher profit margins because that's basically what they're known for. That and their engineering. Don't mind the overengineering as I'm one of those guys who likes mine all muzzled up in a box. But to hear about all these problems with transformation just makes it seem like this one is on par with Yamato/Arcadia VF-19. If it's all plastic and hard to fit together, what's the difference? I know there are aficionados out there who will point out the finer subtleties, just sayin. Still, it has me thinking. Should I pick up the bottle and drink from that all too poisoned well? I dunno, I own an Arcadia 19 as well as this one, and the only thing this one has going for it over the Arcadia one is the amount of tampo. In my opinion, this one is deficient in nearly every other way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F360 Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Stunned by the looks of it but I haven't decided if I'll fall off the wagon again and purchase this thing. Went stone cold sober on Macross valks about a year ago but that old bug has been biting me again. This one looks good. Little disappointed by the lack of diecast. It would be a real stunner if Bandai began scaling back on their quality for higher profit margins because that's basically what they're known for. That and their engineering. Don't mind the overengineering as I'm one of those guys who likes mine all muzzled up in a box. But to hear about all these problems with transformation just makes it seem like this one is on par with Yamato/Arcadia VF-19. If it's all plastic and hard to fit together, what's the difference? I know there are aficionados out there who will point out the finer subtleties, just sayin. Still, it has me thinking. Should I pick up the bottle and drink from that all too poisoned well? Either is fine. They are both Good. But one cost $90 more (~32% ) Currently if you want to get a Bandai one, you can still find one popping up here and there for a MSRP price.,, And the price will go up from there. I would recommend going for that one since it's close to $90 cheaper than the Arcadia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestar Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 The only solution on this one is that the hips should be in a proper angle during fighter mode, the main wing swivel joint should be pushed down all the way upon returning it, and the locking tabs on those hip uppper intakes is inserted properly, then all is good. Can't stress enough how the gappiness in fighter mode is corrected by this one simple act: make sure that the wing swivel joint is pushed all the way down so there is no space left in that area. Please refer to Actar's pic a few pages ago. Once I did this, the gappiness in the area was greatly reduced. I think a lot of our woes come from the fact that this figure is highly engineered and so few of us can read the Japanese instructions. I have a feeling that we're not transforming the toy correctly, therefore leaving us with issues like gaps between parts, etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacrossMania Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I dunno, I own an Arcadia 19 as well as this one, and the only thing this one has going for it over the Arcadia one is the amount of tampo. In my opinion, this one is deficient in nearly every other way. I guess it's a matter of personal taste. I happen to like the super-engineered Bandai valks, but what really surprises me on these boards is how loyal people continue to be Yamato/Arcadia. I've been a real fan of them for a long time and I still think Bandai upped their game from their dreadful 90's valks (VF 17 comes to mind) mainly because Yamato burst onto the scene in the early 2000's with their 1/48's. Somehow that just changed the game entirely for me. At that point Bandai couldn't afford to ignore them anymore and they started producing their own "masterpiece" series. Primarily Frontier. Since then I've just generally been of the opinion that Bandai has been master of its domain no questions asked. Prior to their folding, the 1/60-1/48's that Yamato have been so famous for paled in comparison to Bandai's superior engineering. But who knows? Maybe this latest effort will usher in a return to the Yamato/Arcadia era. The VF-0D is a beaut for sure. It will be interesting to see how things play out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brand-X Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I guess it's a matter of personal taste. I happen to like the super-engineered Bandai valks, but what really surprises me on these boards is how loyal people continue to be Yamato/Arcadia. I've been a real fan of them for a long time and I still think Bandai upped their game from their dreadful 90's valks (VF 17 comes to mind) mainly because Yamato burst onto the scene in the early 2000's with their 1/48's. Somehow that just changed the game entirely for me. At that point Bandai couldn't afford to ignore them anymore and they started producing their own "masterpiece" series. Primarily Frontier. Since then I've just generally been of the opinion that Bandai has been master of its domain no questions asked. Prior to their folding, the 1/60-1/48's that Yamato have been so famous for paled in comparison to Bandai's superior engineering. But who knows? Maybe this latest effort will usher in a return to the Yamato/Arcadia era. The VF-0D is a beaut for sure. It will be interesting to see how things play out. Yes it is a matter of personal taste, but it seems a bit off to suggest that people who prefer Arcadia's valks do so out of loyalty rather than by forming an objective view. My collection is pretty much evenly split between Yamcadia and Bandai, and I appreciate them both in different ways, but this is the first chance I've had to see two products made by them side by side that are meant to be the same valk (okay, not exactly, but close enough) and in my opinion formed from toying with both of these, the Arcadia is far superior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barurutor Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Bandai couldn't afford to ignore them anymore and they started producing their own "masterpiece" series. Primarily Frontier. Since then I've just generally been of the opinion that Bandai has been master of its domain no questions asked. IMHO The whole collection of v1 Macross F valkyries begs to differ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenius Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Yep, I think the V1 MacF offerings were Bandai's real wake-up call but they have responded very nicely. Perhaps they've gotten a little too intricate for their own good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronocidal Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) Yes it is a matter of personal taste, but it seems a bit off to suggest that people who prefer Arcadia's valks do so out of loyalty rather than by forming an objective view. My collection is pretty much evenly split between Yamcadia and Bandai, and I appreciate them both in different ways, but this is the first chance I've had to see two products made by them side by side that are meant to be the same valk (okay, not exactly, but close enough) and in my opinion formed from toying with both of these, the Arcadia is far superior. For myself, and probably a few other people here, a large factor is that Yamato/Arcadia put forth an effort to cater to the aircraft side of Macross, while Bandai seemed to have no comprehension of the material, or what kind of details people expect in a high end aircraft collectible. When people pay this much for them, many people expect the kind of detail seen on dedicated aircraft collectible models, and for a long time, Yamato catered to that in ways that Bandai stumbled over repeatedly (clearest example, any Bandai attempt at landing gear... the gag-worthy ones on the v.1 VF-25 made them look completely incompetent at designing a valk toy). Bandai is getting better, but they still are coming from a long history of extremely mecha-focused merchandise, which never have a direct analogue in real life to imitate. When you start to build something that might theoretically exist in this world, people expect you to do research, and for a long time, they didn't. These latest releases are really hitting the mark though. There's also the fact that they love overcomplication, using far too many parts to do what a single piece can do, using die-cast in the most unnecessary places, and just being generally bad at planning color and part breakdowns (they seem to absolutely love molding things entirely in the wrong color, and then painting over the entire part.. not a great idea on something that transforms). I'm not going to say what they make doesn't look cool, because it absolutely does. I just haven't seen them produce something with the same detail, durability, and simplicity of the v.2 VF-1. They're getting much better though. In a more general company sense though, I heavily preferred Yamato, because they actually made some effort to communicate with the fans here, and actually helped us get parts to repair things when they broke. Bandai has shown time and again that they don't give a flying crap about the overseas market. Arcadia has been more quiet since they came onto the scene, but they've still been a lot more open to fan comments about their work than Bandai's secret bunkers. Edited July 1, 2015 by Chronocidal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaajin Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) +1. Prefer the Arcadia because of(1) curvy-er fighter mode and(2) bulkier battroid (closer to lineart)Although Im a little irked by the fact that Bandai copied Arcadia, it does little influence on my judgement. Initially had both Arcadia's/Yamato's and Bandai's in my collection, but eventually sold the Bandai's. Not that I hated Bandai, I do welcome them in this niche of a market, since it benefits us fans of the show and Bandai did pulled off a winner on the 25 IMHO. However, I just cant stand the shiny plastic and the overly futuristic designs in MacF, making them look more toy-ish compared to Kawamori's older designs - well, except M7 of course.I also think Arcadia's/Yamato's designs are the results of "labor of love" while Bandai is just here to make money, but were forced to up their game to meet the demands for high quality toys. Prior to the 19, Bandai were less concerned about adding gimmicks or details (unpainted landing gears & turbine on the 25). Arcadia on the other hand not only design their valks to look *almost* perfect on every mode, but also tried to add as much gimmicks as possible, despite being the only company to produce high-end Macross toys at that time. Edited July 1, 2015 by aaajin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenius Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 From everything I've seen, these toys are incredibly different for being of the same vehicle. Is it really just the 'high speed' mode that has people saying Arcadia was copied? Do we even know if it wasn't the same shop that did both toys? Afterall, the VF-17 and VF-171 were designed by the same group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronocidal Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 It's a mix of the high speed mode, the hip mechanism, and a few other odds and ends about the transformation like the doors around the head, and the way the tails fold. The overall transformation is quite different, and much less concerned with being accurate to the old YF-19 lineart it would seem, since it is supposed to be a different design by this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaajin Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) Gimmicks like the (1) high speed mode and (2) inner head details were not shown in Macross Frontier, but were still incorporated in Bandai's 19. Arcadia added those gimmicks because they were shown in Macross Plus. Edited July 1, 2015 by aaajin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickyg Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I get the inner head detail thing being a bit obvious, but aren't the bars in the wings essential for them being able to fold in for Battroid anyway? I don't own a single '19 toy of any sort so I may be completely wrong in that assumption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaajin Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) Well, you dont actually need the bars to fold the wings into battroid "kibbles", like on the Yamato's version. But it is understandable that this "Advanced" version has to do what its predecessor can do...oh well... Edited July 1, 2015 by aaajin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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