Bandai DX Chogokin 1/48 VF-1

[gingaio]

5 hours ago, chyll2 said:

the recent PO madness was 6PM Japan time. So without confirmed timing, people from the West will need to call in Sick for Friday

 

5 hours ago, Sildani said:

That’s 7:00AM here... entirely doable! Even pleasurable considering!

 

5 hours ago, seti88 said:

I recall the PO time reverted back to 4pm JST for the recent HMR VF-2SS nexx PO.
 

 

So looks like I'll be camping out in front of my computer around on Thursday night around 11:59PM PST. 

Let's see: CD Japan, AmiAmi, NY, HLJ, AE...that cover most of it? 

[jvmacross]

12 minutes ago, seti88 said:

The pessimist in me is already anticipating that i wont be able to afford this, and am getting hyped up for nothing.  

sigh.....

Bandai has to be pretty savvy with the pricing on this one.....it has to be lower than a PF 1/60 Arcadia VF-1 "to hammer in the nail".....but it also has to be high enough so that prices do not catch up to the price of a Bandai DX 1/60 release in a couple years when it's done with HMR VF-1 releases...

[Shizuka the Cat]

4 minutes ago, gingaio said:

So looks like I'll be camping out in front of my computer around on Thursday night around 11:59PM PST. 

Let's see: CD Japan, AmiAmi, NY, HLJ, AE...that cover most of it? 

Also HobbySearch.

[jvmacross]

32 minutes ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

Technically, I would say the Toynami 1/100 line is more comprehensive than the HMR line (regarding VF-1 toys)

Between both the US and Japanese Toynami releases having done TV VF-1J Supers for Hikaru, Max and Miria, TV VF-1A Max and Kakizaki, DYRL versions of various fighters, cannon fodder, VF-1D, a stealth version, at least 4 types of GBP (red, yellow, blue, and stealth), separate super/strike parts, etc.... I think the only things that Toynami has not released that HMR has are the VT-1 and VE-1.... I think.

That being said, the HMR is definitely a higher quality (though more expensive) product, so I do hope that HMR does become as comprehensive as Toynami for 1/100 VF-1 releases. 

I must admit that the Toynami 1/100's are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me.....most would not even include them in the same sentence when discussing Macross toys....but like them or not, they do release some interesting versions.  I view some of them as temporary "placeholders" in my HMR collection...most notably the VF-1A TV Max and Kakizaki and the VF-1D.  I probably will also add the VF-1A Angelbirds as soon as the prices calm down a bit or see it listed on Robotech.com. 

That said, I do expect at least the VF-1D to be released as an HMR...only time will tell.

Edited July 23, 2018 by jvmacross

[wm cheng]

Less than a week away PO and still no release on the official price?

[moose]

Sorry if this was already asked how much we looking st with this thing?

[Shizuka the Cat]

16 minutes ago, moose said:

Sorry if this was already asked how much we looking st with this thing?

[Kinzoku VF]

 

1 hour ago, jvmacross said:

It would seem Arcadia has been outplayed by Bandai in terms of VF-1's.

Although, it remains to be seen if it'll be that much better than the good old V2...(to me it still looks like an DX HMR). Arcadia must be banging their heads against the walls, having taken so much time between each current V2 re-release. I get it, they're not Yamato any-longer, but certainly got greedy in the process. Especially with overpriced so-called BS 'premium' versions. All Arcadia's V2s should've been premium'd from day one at the same price. Not to mention the 'one new release per year' silliness. They've been milking those V2 molds long enough now to be able to offer better prices (only talking about the re-releases, not the Macross Zeros). I don't feel they truly listen to what their customers truly want (*cough* Arcadia's blank VF-1 kits? Where?....Been waiting forever don't think it'll ever happen...I only have 3 unbuilt kits left from the Yamato days and would love a re-release....). Rambling aside,  interesting times nonetheless. 

 

1 hour ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

Technically, I would say the Toynami 1/100 line is more comprehensive than the HMR line (regarding VF-1 toys)

Shame they're only a poor man's Gashapon though.....Even when they first came out, they 'sucked'...I remember trying hard to paint them, detail them up, customise them...they still sucked. Kept the main lot for 'collection purposes' but in terms of 'fun' toys/figures they certainly aren't. Maybe if they were $10 a pop (even then I don't think I'd get anymore of those 1/100). Not saying the HMR are perfect, but as far as parts swapping 1/100 goes they still rule imo.

49 minutes ago, wm cheng said:

 

Less than a week away PO and still no release on the official price?

 

Probably more than a DX maybe around ¥25000-¥27000 any higher would be too much. Considering you're going to have to shell out for the SP at a later date.... Personally, I wouldn't shell out ¥30000 for another VF-1J (not to mention the shipping on top....). Many other non-Macross stuff I'd rather get for 30k....

[seti88]

19 minutes ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

Don't you think we should ask for *more* than a million dollars? A million dollars isn't exactly a lot of money these days. Virtucon alone makes over 9 billion dollars a year!

[Shizuka the Cat]

14 minutes ago, Kinzoku VF said:

Shame they're only a poor man's Gashapon though.....Even when they first came out, they 'sucked'...I remember trying hard to paint them, detail them up, customise them...they still sucked. Kept the main lot for 'collection purposes' but in terms of 'fun' toys/figures they certainly aren't. Maybe if they were $10 a pop (even then I don't think I'd get anymore of those 1/100). Not saying the HMR are perfect, but as far as parts swapping 1/100 goes they still rule imo.

I would argue that the Toynami 1/100 toys got better in quality around Wave 6. They fixed the alignment of where the arm pegs go into the leg slots in fighter mode, circa their VF-1D release onwards. As such, the toy in fighter mode holds together much better and is not, to quote @jenius,  the "floppy mess" that the older Toynami VF-1 toys used to be.

Edited July 23, 2018 by Shizuka the Cat

[jvmacross]

10 minutes ago, Kinzoku VF said:

 

They've been milking those V2 molds long enough now to be able to offer better prices

Kind of what Toynami's been doing with their 1/100 line....

[HardlyNever]

I want to love this thing, but I just kind of like it.  I still haven't seen any shot or feature that got me really excited.  I think we're at the point with the vf-1 that any new mold is just going to be a small improvement over the last,  with its own set of compromises and quirks, rather the huge jumps in quality that occurred last decade.

I'm only 2 deep into the v2 1/60 vf line, so I wouldn't be opposed to collecting more in this scale, but I just can't get that excited about it.  I'm also worried about the price per unit.  

I'm in for one, but I won't know if this will actually be something I want to collect until I have spent some time with the first one.

[Sildani]

I think there will be more about this thing on Tamashii’s website tomorrow..?

[derex3592]

There needs to be some high res pics of every mode, with some gimmicks shown AND A PRICE! Otherwise, I'm gonna have my doubts about loosing sleep in the middle of the night to attempt a pre-order, which honeslty I don't think I have a snowballs chance in ...TX...of getting.  (It's 112 here today) 

[no3Ljm]

3 hours ago, seti88 said:

The pessimist in me is already anticipating that i wont be able to afford this, and am getting hyped up for nothing.  

sigh.....

3 hours ago, jvmacross said:

Until you look at this pic.....

C'mon now. Hahaha! That's two separate thing.

 

Besides, I'm already a sucker for Hikaru's VF-1J. They should released a DX VF-1J MtF version next.  

[jvmacross]

5 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

C'mon now. Hahaha! That's two separate thing.

 

Besides, I'm already a sucker for Hikaru's VF-1J. They should released a DX VF-1J MtF version next.  

You know that's a 1/48 Yamato, right?  

The point is I would have preferred a DX VF-1 that would have been looking down at my MPP-10....

Third Party guys.....you're our only hope! 

[spacemanoeuvres]

I want a VF-1 that can look down on my MAS-01 Optimus Prime!!!

[lechuck]

The best toys are the ones that are desktop compatible, to big and they become to heavy to muck around with, designating them to eventually becoming statues with crazy gimmicks or articulation never to be seen again.  Even a 1/48 scale VF-1 is just barely cutting it as a "fiddle with me" desktop toy.

So going by those latest images it looks like Bandai won't deliver on double-jointed knees, but on a plus they at least didn't forget the side-covers (although not flip-out). One of my biggest annoyances with the HRM line is the missing side-covers. Plastic trays of endless bits and pieces, but a very defining part for visual appearance is absent...

[jvmacross]

1 hour ago, lechuck said:

The best toys are the ones that are desktop compatible, to big and they become to heavy to muck around with

Yeah, Weird Science had the sizing issue right all along too....

 

[Shizuka the Cat]

3 minutes ago, jvmacross said:

Yeah, Weird Science had the sizing issue right all along too....

 

What... the... f----?!

[no3Ljm]

2 hours ago, jvmacross said:

You know that's a 1/48 Yamato, right?  

The point is I would have preferred a DX VF-1 that would have been looking down at my MPP-10....

Third Party guys.....you're our only hope! 

Good thing I don't have a MPP or MP-10.

 

[jvmacross]

1 minute ago, no3Ljm said:

Good thing I don't have a MPP or MP-10.

 

Yes, but now you know how inadequate the Bandai 1/48 DX really is....

[jvmacross]

19 minutes ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

What... the... f----?!

Welcome to the motherfrikin' 80's.....but I really didn't mean to type "frikin"..

[gingaio]

21 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

Good thing I don't have a MPP or MP-10.

 

V3 Prime FTW. 

[no3Ljm]

18 minutes ago, gingaio said:

V3 Prime FTW. 

That one I'm thinking.

 

[Chronocidal]

Can someone please just walk into Bandai HQ, and slap the entire DX design team upside the head with some sort of documentation on actual aircraft?  They're doing the "TAMPO EVERYTHING" deal again, and splattering useless aircraft warning markings where they don't belong.  

I'm still going to try and grab two of these, just on principle.  Will I keep them?  Who knows, but my enjoyment of any new mold is in figuring out how they function.

[no3Ljm]

7 minutes ago, Chronocidal said:

Can someone please just walk into Bandai HQ, and slap the entire DX design team upside the head with some sort of documentation on actual aircraft?  They're doing the "TAMPO EVERYTHING" deal again, and splattering useless aircraft warning markings where they don't belong.  

I'm still going to try and grab two of these, just on principle.  Will I keep them?  Who knows, but my enjoyment of any new mold is in figuring out how they function.

What's the point of going there and scold them if we're still going to buy it? 

 

[zzgundam010]

6 hours ago, jvmacross said:

Bandai has to be pretty savvy with the pricing on this one.....it has to be lower than a PF 1/60 Arcadia VF-1 "to hammer in the nail".....but it also has to be high enough so that prices do not catch up to the price of a Bandai DX 1/60 release in a couple years when it's done with HMR VF-1 releases...

Lower than a PF 1/60 Arcadia VF-1????? This one is 1/48!!!

[Duymon]

Don't believe what anyone says about "skipping" the Preorder on this. Everyone and their brother will try to preorder one on 7/27 and spend 2-3 months actually thinking about whether or not they want it.

As an East-coaster I will be fully caffeinated and already took a vacation day from work. Even if I am defeated by Spinning Death Wheel of NY I get a 3-day weekend.

win-win 

Edited July 24, 2018 by Duymon

[no3Ljm]

28 minutes ago, zzgundam010 said:

Lower than a PF 1/60 Arcadia VF-1????? This one is 1/48!!!

We know that it's 1/48. And that's not stopping us for wishing how the price should be. For now, let's not think about PO discounts. Arcadia's VF-1's Premium Finish releases are priced at Y27864 MSRP on Arcadia's site. While their regular VF-0 priced at Y37584. Which I think it might ended up something like that. However, regular DX releases such as the VF-31's cost around Y22680/Y23760. Y27000 for the upcoming YF-19. Knowing that Bandai is more mass produced and more commercialized than Arcadia, everyone is just hoping it's below Y30000.

 

[Alex GS]

1 hour ago, zzgundam010 said:

Lower than a PF 1/60 Arcadia VF-1????? This one is 1/48!!!

Bandai is a much larger company than Arcadia and in my opinion they have the ability to produce in  a much larger scale at a lower cost, so I don't think 1/48 means a higher cost or similar cost to Arcadia valks, also 1/60 scale VF 1Js are smaller to lets say VF 31s, so knowing this a VF 1J 1/48 scale is somewhat in similar proportions to a VF 31's I think or a bit chunkier.  

[Sanity is Optional]

2 minutes ago, Alex GS said:

Bandai is a much larger company than Arcadia and in my opinion they have the ability to produce in  a much larger scale at a lower cost, so I don't think 1/48 means a higher cost or similar cost to Arcadia valks, also 1/60 scale VF 1Js are smaller to lets say VF 31s, so knowing this a VF 1J 1/48 scale is somewhat in similar proportions to a VF 31's I think or a bit chunkier.  

Pretty much. They already sell their 1/60 tampo'd VF-25 and -31 figures for lower retail than the Arcadia 1/60 VF-1 figures. When you add in that the VF-1 is smaller, and the Arcadia tampo'd premiums are almost ¥30,000 it's reasonable Bandai could undercut them.

[mamboeidos]

16 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

Clear scan of the cover. It does look nice. 

Things to notice:
- Side Covers included
- Double-jointed elbow
- Holes in elbow joint (probably for locking tabs)
- Dark part something underneath the cockpit area (presumably the leg bars)
- Swivel (or Rotating?) Gerwalk joints between the intakes and thigh
- Looks like it has a rotating knee joint as well
- Good amount of tampo prints in Battroid Mode
- Exposed locking tabs behind the legs
- Leg fins fold joints (for future GBP release?)
- Even if it's too early to see, the shoulder joints looks like it has a sliding mechanism

I really like what I'm seeing.  

 

dun mind me asking but the one on the bottom ls from which line? 

 

its from the 80s right? i had one but arms r gone so is the chest plate...but man..it is a very quality piece of fig 

[Shizuka the Cat]

1 hour ago, Duymon said:

Don't believe what anyone says about "skipping" the Preorder on this. Everyone and their brother will try to preorder one on 7/27 and spend 2-3 months actually thinking about whether or not they want it.

As an East-coaster I will be fully caffeinated and already took a vacation day from work. Even if I am defeated by Spinning Death Wheel of NY I get a 3-day weekend.

win-win 

As an East-coaster, I will probably join you in being caffeinated that night to watch pre-order madness for my own sick amusement. I am already on vacation anyways (kind of) until the Fall semester starts, so I will cheer you guys on!

 

[Shizuka the Cat]

7 minutes ago, mamboeidos said:

dun mind me asking but the one on the bottom ls from which line? 

 

its from the 80s right? i had one but arms r gone so is the chest plate...but man..it is a very quality piece of fig 

That is the old Takatoku / Bandai "chunky monkey" 1/55 scale line of VF-1 toys, originally circa 1984 or 1985 or so, though re-released a few times since then by Bandai.

You can learn more about them from @jenius' anymoon.com review site:  http://anymoon.com/blog/?p=6244

 

Edited July 24, 2018 by Shizuka the Cat