Bandai Gobots/Machine Robo Series Toy Thread

[Mog]

I mean his Go-Bot name is Cy-KILL.

At least Drax didn’t pull out the knives for that fight.

[no3Ljm]

Megahouse Machine Build Series BLUE JET 
July 2023 Release
Y4500

[no3Ljm]

[Bobby]

Triple Jim's looking great!

Got my hands on the rare yellow ver of Blue Jet from the Best 5 release! 

[M'Kyuun]

On 3/17/2023 at 1:39 PM, Bobby said:

Triple Jim's looking great!

Totally agree. I think it's one of the best-executed triple changers I've seen. I haven't been too interested in the other MR figs by this company, as I have Action Toys' versions, which I like better, but Triple Jim may warrant a purchase. Hopefully we'll get some in-hand preview vids to get some idea about the transformation and quality of the fig.

[pengbuzz]

Okay...I gotta ask (and I know this will probably sound like one of the dumbest questions ever that will make folks' eyes roll)

Why do they call him Blue Jet if he's red and black?

 

 

 

 

*runs for dear life from the howling mob hot on his heels*

[M'Kyuun]

49 minutes ago, pengbuzz said:

Okay...I gotta ask (and I know this will probably sound like one of the dumbest questions ever that will make folks' eyes roll)

Why do they call him Blue Jet if he's red and black?

 

 

 

 

*runs for dear life from the howling mob hot on his heels*

I wondered the same thing and just chocked it up to the Japanese custom of giving things odd English names. Triple Jim is a weird name for a bot, too. The 'Triple' part makes sense, but using a common English name like Jim sounds odd. I guess we're too used to names that are more descriptive of personality or characteristics than actual proper names. Thanks Bob Budiansky! I'll take names like Optimus Prime, Jazz, Prowl, or Hound over John, Rick, Bob, or Bill any day. 😁

[pengbuzz]

1 hour ago, M'Kyuun said:

I wondered the same thing and just chocked it up to the Japanese custom of giving things odd English names. Triple Jim is a weird name for a bot, too. The 'Triple' part makes sense, but using a common English name like Jim sounds odd. I guess we're too used to names that are more descriptive of personality or characteristics than actual proper names. Thanks Bob Budiansky! I'll take names like Optimus Prime, Jazz, Prowl, or Hound over John, Rick, Bob, or Bill any day. 😁

*A large red truck rolls up to some humans and transforms into a robot*

Truck: "Greetings humans! We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron!"

Human: :Who are you?!"

Truck: "My name is...... Frank."

*everyone stands there for a few minutes in awkward silence*

Frank: "Hmmm.... that name might need some work. I'll be back..."

*Frank transforms and drives off*

[Big s]

3 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

Okay...I gotta ask (and I know this will probably sound like one of the dumbest questions ever that will make folks' eyes roll)

Why do they call him Blue Jet if he's red and black?

 

 

 

 

*runs for dear life from the howling mob hot on his heels*

When he was younger he worked for jet blue and all the other machine Robo/ Go Bots never let him forget it even after painting himself every color other than blue over the years

[JB0]

3 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Thanks Bob Budiansky! I'll take names like Optimus Prime, Jazz, Prowl, or Hound over John, Rick, Bob, or Bill any day. 😁

If we're gonna rag on Machine Robo naming sensibilities...

He also gave us names like Ratchet, Hook, and Thrust. There's a lot of Transformers with just a random noun for a name, and Blue Jet would be right at home.

[pengbuzz]

1 hour ago, JB0 said:

If we're gonna rag on Machine Robo naming sensibilities...

He also gave us names like Ratchet, Hook, and Thrust. There's a lot of Transformers with just a random noun for a name, and Blue Jet would be right at home.

Yeah, but Ratchet was a medic (repair), Hook was a crane and Thrust was a jet. THeir names didn't contain anything that didn't fit them (unlike BLUE red and black jet! )

[Bobby]

7 minutes ago, Big s said:

When he was younger he worked for jet blue and all the other machine Robo/ Go Bots never let him forget it even after painting himself every color other than blue over the years

🤣

3 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

Okay...I gotta ask (and I know this will probably sound like one of the dumbest questions ever that will make folks' eyes roll)

Why do they call him Blue Jet if he's red and black?

Ha, actually I'm not sure if anyone really knows ... this toy has a fairly complicated naming history. 

When it was released in '82 in Japan by POPY (without a show, only as a transforming toy designed by PLEX) he was called MR-03 Jet Robo from the Machine Robo series and same for the Best 5 release featuring the yellow ver (note side sticker in jet mode).

Then it was released by Bandai America in '83 as Aeroman part of the Machine Men series.

Then it got picked up by Hanna Barbera in '84 for GoBots (made by Tonka) and named Fitor.

Then it got picked up by Ashi Productions in '86 and developed for the TV series, Revenge of Chronos, which is where he was ultimately given the name Blue Jet and finally got a real standout role vs just being a numbered transforming toy or just one of many good guy Gobots.

Apologies for nerding out but this thing has a special place in my book since the red ver. was actually my very first transforming robot toy ... I remember as a kid just standing in a dazed stupor staring at it in a department store window in Ginza and my mom's friend offered to buy it for me (¥600) and needless to say I was beyond elated (I remember her name, Chieko, but I don't remember any of my mom's other friends' names ... haha, go figure).

Since the Revenge of Chronos version had the most character development (expert swordsman, of the Jet Clan, wielding the Sky True Sword, expert martial artist, etc.) is why the name probably stuck the most over all the others and maybe the "Blue" in "BlueJet" might just be a reference to the sky in which his Jet Clan comes from on Chronos.

Aaaand for further plot twist there is actually a lesser known blue version called MRV-02 Blizzard (Machine Robo Variation - 02) that exists!

 

[M'Kyuun]

18 hours ago, Bobby said:

🤣

Ha, actually I'm not sure if anyone really knows ... this toy has a fairly complicated naming history. 

When it was released in '82 in Japan by POPY (without a show, only as a transforming toy designed by PLEX) he was called MR-03 Jet Robo from the Machine Robo series and same for the Best 5 release featuring the yellow ver (note side sticker in jet mode).

Then it was released by Bandai America in '83 as Aeroman part of the Machine Men series.

Then it got picked up by Hanna Barbera in '84 for GoBots (made by Tonka) and named Fitor.

Then it got picked up by Ashi Productions in '86 and developed for the TV series, Revenge of Chronos, which is where he was ultimately given the name Blue Jet and finally got a real standout role vs just being a numbered transforming toy or just one of many good guy Gobots.

Apologies for nerding out but this thing has a special place in my book since the red ver. was actually my very first transforming robot toy ... I remember as a kid just standing in a dazed stupor staring at it in a department store window in Ginza and my mom's friend offered to buy it for me (¥600) and needless to say I was beyond elated (I remember her name, Chieko, but I don't remember any of my mom's other friends' names ... haha, go figure).

Since the Revenge of Chronos version had the most character development (expert swordsman, of the Jet Clan, wielding the Sky True Sword, expert martial artist, etc.) is why the name probably stuck the most over all the others and maybe the "Blue" in "BlueJet" might just be a reference to the sky in which his Jet Clan comes from on Chronos.

Aaaand for further plot twist there is actually a lesser known blue version called MRV-02 Blizzard (Machine Robo Variation - 02) that exists!

 

Cool history, both of the toy itself and your personal history with the toy. I'm inclined to think the 'blue' part of the name has some associative meaning regardless of the toy's actual colorization, as you said (blue skies). Perhaps it's in a long-forgotten interview somewhere. At this point, it's the name that has stuck and we can only indulge in conjecture and be happy that he's getting yet another modern toy.

[Bobby]

Agreed! 

[no3Ljm]

Same here, @Bobby. I remember my parents bought me the first 4 figures of the Machine Robo line when Bandai reissued it in '83. And out of the 4, my favorite is Jet Robo. I'm really into that red leader jet kind of thing probably due to me growing up watching Voltes V and Combattler V. Same goes to my liking on the leader's jet on the Sentai series.  

But it bums me out when they made what I have as Renegades in the GoBots cartoon.  

Edited March 21, 2023 by no3Ljm

[Bobby]

4 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

Same here, @Bobby. I remember my parents bought me the first 4 figures of the Machine Robo line when Bandai reissued it in '83. And out of the 4, my favorite is Jet Robo. I'm really into that red leader jet kind of thing probably due to me growing up watching Voltes V and Combattler V. Same goes to my liking on the leader's jet on the Sentai series.  

But it bums me out when they made what I have as Renegades in the GoBots cartoon.  

Neat account! But you got 4?!! Lucky!!

I think I had a similar experience ... programming of Operation Red Leader Jet into my subconscious' a success! 

[Mog]

Maybe he’s called Blue Jet, because he cusses like a sailor.  

[no3Ljm]

32 minutes ago, Bobby said:

Neat account! But you got 4?!! Lucky!!

I think I had a similar experience ... programming of Operation Red Leader Jet into my subconscious' a success! 

Yup, the first 4. Which ended up as part of the Renegades.  

MR-01 Bike Robo = Cy-Kill
MR-02 Battle Robo = Tank
MR-03 Jet Robo = Fitor
MR-04 Gyro Robo = Cop-Tur

But that was a long time ago. It's probably somewhere in my boxes that was left in the Philippines.

[MKT]

Another new shot of Pose+ Triple Jim. But looks the same as previous prototypes..

[F-ZeroOne]

Speculation, but could the name “Blue Jet” possibly be a holdover from some early form of the character at the design stage where it was blue?

[lechuck]

Super Mini Pla Baikanfu getting a reissue for Feb '24.
https://hobby.dengeki.com/news/2111609/

 

[no3Ljm]

MegaHouse Machine Build Series BATTLE ROBO
March 2024 Release
Y4900

[no3Ljm]

Machine Robo Wedge (Machine Robo Complete Collection) Mook
September 12, 2024 Release
112 pages
Y4400
https://www.amazon.co.jp/マシンロボウェッジ-マシンロボ大全集-復刻版-ホビージャパン編集部/dp/4798636207