PLAMAX 1/72 VF-1 Valkyrie

[Big s]

So I just saw the 1-A up at bbts. I don’t remember, but were any of the others available there or anywhere else stateside. It’s been a while since I’ve seen an OG Macross(non Robotech) item at a stateside store. I haven’t seen Hasegawa kits for a bit and thought it was interesting that this was there in these days of odd Macross rules 

[VF-1A Grunt]

I’m going to have to order a couple of the Max / Kakizaki version to do some cannon fodders 1As. I really like the look of these kits, and I appreciate them including a pilot. I’m still not sure why Hasegawa has never updated their older kits to include a pilot when they reissue them.

 

Edit: I just noticed that this new version is due to arrive in June. I’m hoping to be in Japan around then, so I may just pick them up while I’m there. Definitely taking an extra suitcase!

Edited December 22, 2023 by VF-1A Grunt

[MilanX3]

Where is the best place to find these kits when outside of Japan?

[Big s]

1 hour ago, MilanX3 said:

Where is the best place to find these kits when outside of Japan?

I’ve seen some of them listed at BBTs, I haven’t really searched to many other sites for them since the kits are usually easy to find especially in comparison to the toys.

maybe check some of the local hobby sites. 

[TMBounty_Hunter]

Preview of WF display, looks like we have a VF-1D battroid coming

 

 

 

 

[Big s]

4 hours ago, TMBounty_Hunter said:

Preview of WF display, looks like we have a VF-1D battroid coming

 

 

 

 

1D is cool, but I’m still waiting for the 1A to go with the Max/ Kakizaki fighters

[GMK]

Yep, 1D battroid. 

[Big s]

Nice accessory figures

[Gabe Q]

Seems just a bit too chonky? I dunno. I guess if I saw it next to the line art it might look ok.

[Anasazi37]

I'm still waiting for the 1/20 Strike Battroid so I can complete my set. Won't happen, though.... 

[Bolt]

Definitely want one. I like the chonky style. The head lasers look a bit long. The accessory figures are a great bonus.  

[TMBounty_Hunter]

All the PLAMAX Battroids looks straight up amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing and I'm so glad we have companies stepping in to pick up Bandai dropping the ball

 

 

[Big s]

6 hours ago, Bolt said:

Definitely want one. I like the chonky style. The head lasers look a bit long. The accessory figures are a great bonus.  

Looks pretty great to me

[lechuck]

This thing looks chonky?

The PLAMAX rendition of Battroid mode is as close to line art we have ever come in capturing that utilitarian compactness – something the VF-1 once stood for. Things like a narrow gap between chest and backplate, smaller V-shape chest, heats shield that is not sitting flush with the chest or a head tucked in between collars/shoulder plates all contribute to this and make this model kit refreshing/pleasing to the eye.

It's unfortunate that modern toys started bloating the VF-1 and loosing all of these finer points in the design, which in turn has lead to an obscured general perception of what a VF-1 Battroid should look like.

 

[Gabe Q]

1 hour ago, lechuck said:

It's unfortunate that modern toys started bloating the VF-1 and loosing all of these finer points in the design, which in turn has lead to an obscured general perception of what a VF-1 Battroid should look like.

I think you're right. I'm so used to the Hasegawa Battroid that this design gives off a chonk vibe. However, when I compare it to the line art @Big s posted, it looks almost perfectly proportioned. I have Battroid Dysmorphia. Go figure!

[Raikkonen]

I like the inclusion of the little figures.

[no3Ljm]

[sh9000]

[Big s]

6 hours ago, Gabe Q said:

I think you're right. I'm so used to the Hasegawa Battroid that this design gives off a chonk vibe. However, when I compare it to the line art @Big s posted, it looks almost perfectly proportioned. I have Battroid Dysmorphia. Go figure!

I figured that’s what was going on and why I posted the pic. Hasegawa wasn’t going for a perfect anime look when they started doing the VF-1 kits. They were more of a real world model company at the time and tried taking real world aesthetics to the subject. Not saying it’s a bad choice, just a different take on the subject. When they decided to do a battroid kit, they decided to try and keep things consistent rather than anime accurate.
The line art has very different proportions that don’t work for a full transformation. thick legs and arms, stubbier intakes and other details in the battroid that don’t match the fighter. That’s why there are so many compromises in transforming vf-1 toys, like super thin legs or arms and other details changed to make the toys work. And that’s not always bad either, just a compromise to make things work.

Max Factory decided not to do transforming or even parts forming on their kits and also decided that things didn’t have to be consistent with their fighter kit, so to those that are used to newer toys and kits, these Battroid kits will probably appear a bit too thick or chunky. It’s just what people have been seeing for so many years that that’s the way it may appear to people.

[pengbuzz]

21 hours ago, Big s said:

I figured that’s what was going on and why I posted the pic. Hasegawa wasn’t going for a perfect anime look when they started doing the VF-1 kits. They were more of a real world model company at the time and tried taking real world aesthetics to the subject. Not saying it’s a bad choice, just a different take on the subject. When they decided to do a battroid kit, they decided to try and keep things consistent rather than anime accurate.
The line art has very different proportions that don’t work for a full transformation. thick legs and arms, stubbier intakes and other details in the battroid that don’t match the fighter. That’s why there are so many compromises in transforming vf-1 toys, like super thin legs or arms and other details changed to make the toys work. And that’s not always bad either, just a compromise to make things work.

Max Factory decided not to do transforming or even parts forming on their kits and also decided that things didn’t have to be consistent with their fighter kit, so to those that are used to newer toys and kits, these Battroid kits will probably appear a bit too thick or chunky. It’s just what people have been seeing for so many years that that’s the way it may appear to people.

It's often made me wonder if in-anime. the parts themselves transform as well (sort of like the Michael Bay transformers)? Nose, arms and legs reconfigure and become shorter and thicker in Battroid mode, while turning longer and more slender in fighter mode?

 

Just a thought.

[TMBounty_Hunter]

Traditionally animated robots are inherently rubbery and no amount of fanwank is ever going to make them completely physically consistent.

 

And that's perfectly fine! Honestly that's more than fine! Old Battroid look amazing because they had their own appeal designed into every mode! Meanwhile the 3DCG era designs trying to perfectly physically consistently unwrap a beautiful fighter and end up with a skinny, boring and ugly Battroid with no appeal of its own.

[KOG Water Dragon]

Although I grew up watching The Robotech and built a lot of the old Imai/Arii kits, and fully enjoyed the classic look of the anime battroid back in the day... I guess my tastes have just changed a lot since then and now I really prefer the look of battroids that actually look like they can turn into the fighter version. Prefer the movie style hands over TV style, as well.

The Hasegawa battroid works for me. But I'll give these PLAMAX ones a try, too.

[Big s]

19 minutes ago, TMBounty_Hunter said:

Traditionally animated robots are inherently rubbery and no amount of fanwank is ever going to make them completely physically consistent.

 

And that's perfectly fine! Honestly that's more than fine! Old Battroid look amazing because they had their own appeal designed into every mode! Meanwhile the 3DCG era designs trying to perfectly physically consistently unwrap a beautiful fighter and end up with a skinny, boring and ugly Battroid with no appeal of its own.

I’m an old bastard, so I get that. I really wasn’t at all excited the first time I saw a VF-25 in the way I was seeing stuff from before plus. I even like the Zero stuff, but the later ones look really flimsy.

[Anasazi37]

Looks like the VF-1J Battroid kit is delayed until sometime in May:

https://www.goodsmile.com/ja/news/5811

The news didn't show up on the English version of their site, but I noticed that Amazon Japan changed the release date to end of May, so I checked the Japanese version of their site and, sure enough, there it was:

Quote

March 2024 → May 2024 Month
Max Factory
"PLAMAX 1/72 VF-1J Battroid Valkyrie (Ichijo Hikaru)" JAN: 4545784013502

 

[Big s]

3 hours ago, Anasazi37 said:

Looks like the VF-1J Battroid kit is delayed until sometime in May:

https://www.goodsmile.com/ja/news/5811

The news didn't show up on the English version of their site, but I noticed that Amazon Japan changed the release date to end of May, so I checked the Japanese version of their site and, sure enough, there it was:

 

I got the email from hobbysearch a few days ago. Seems like end of May 

[Anasazi37]

11 hours ago, Big s said:

I got the email from hobbysearch a few days ago. Seems like end of May 

I'm glad that at least some stores send out notifications. HLJ does not. I generally don't know that a PO through them has been delayed until I get one of their periodic "open order reminder" emails that includes release dates and start to think that I'm crazy because something I was expecting to release soon is now scheduled a few months later, so I go back and look at emails and discover that HLJ quietly changed the release date. I know that they're at the mercy of the manufacturers, but they could do a better job of letting customers know about changes. 

I try to combine shipments through my Private Warehouse as much as possible, so I've started tracking release dates more closely on my own. This kit delay, likely to the end of May, just complicated my March shipment plans.

[TMBounty_Hunter]

Test shot pics from Hobby Japan

[Bolt]

Looks pretty good. 

[Big s]

4 hours ago, TMBounty_Hunter said:

Test shot pics from Hobby Japan

Wow, I wasn’t expecting that ab crunch!!!

so many battroid kits have had a separation there and some have had a polycap or joint, but that is far better than I expected. There’s a lot more posing potential there, but now I need to see some knee mobility pics 

Edited March 28 by Big s

[electric indigo]

This is the droid I was looking for! 😄

[Convectuoso]

[GMK]

On 2/12/2024 at 9:06 AM, sh9000 said:

I can’t be the only one that can’t wait to see the -1D painted up in the brown/orange scheme?

[Big s]

18 minutes ago, GMK said:

I can’t be the only one that can’t wait to see the -1D painted up in the brown/orange scheme?

After seeing the recent pictures of the 1J I’m even more excited for the 1D. If I could find some in scale buildings to have it smashed into, it would make a great diorama especially with that an crunch

[Bolt]

3 hours ago, Big s said:

After seeing the recent pictures of the 1J I’m even more excited for the 1D. If I could find some in scale buildings to have it smashed into, it would make a great diorama especially with that an crunch

Yes, this is a very dynamic looking kit . And I'm looking forward to it dropping. 
Can't wait to see the dioramas with this one.

[Big s]

2 hours ago, Bolt said:

Yes, this is a very dynamic looking kit . And I'm looking forward to it dropping. 
Can't wait to see the dioramas with this one.

I bet there will be a few dioramas. Some where it’s fallen back into a building and some where it’s fallen forward into a Chinese restaurant/ apartment building