Bandai 1/60 DX Chogokin Macross Plus YF-21

[jvmacross]

8 minutes ago, CF18 said:

Got mine from amiami, massive padding on top, head laser is fine.

The Yamato really still looks great in fighter mode after all these years.....

...and glad to hear you got a perfect DX YF-21!

[Pontus]

I got mine from Anime Export this weekend with no head laser damage.  But it was either a minor miracle or the packages that do get damaged are getting severe pressure on the top because mine was only packed in a cardboard box with just a single layer of thin bubble wrap.  And I ordered it with EMS shipping, so it certainly wasn't handled gently, and the box showed it.

[jenius]

This might sound a little crazy, but I don't think it's from the box being squished. I think the toy is so heavy that the problem comes from the box being shaken. I think the little brick of toy causes the trays to flex if the box bumps around too much. Just my guess though. 

[MacrossJunkie]

14 minutes ago, jenius said:

This might sound a little crazy, but I don't think it's from the box being squished. I think the toy is so heavy that the problem comes from the box being shaken. I think the little brick of toy causes the trays to flex if the box bumps around too much. Just my guess though. 

Sounds plausible to me. In reality, it could be that and other reasons, none of which are exclusive. Whether it's getting bumped around, shipped upside down, box getting squished, etc, it still comes down to the poor packaging design that leaves the head laser susceptible to damage. and compounded by Bandai not owning up to their screw up and calling it a "quality variance". 

Edited July 8 by MacrossJunkie

[Shawn]

3 hours ago, jvmacross said:

It's unfortunate that the Japanese retailers still do not support 'overseas' customers....however, this is nothing new.  It has been this way for decades.  Just because Macross is now 'WWM' doesn't mean anything to folks that buy overseas.  If anything, now Bandai has an 'official' reason not to. 

With that said, I am very interested to see how these claims will be handled for customers purchasing from retailers outside of Japan...especially from those listed in the Bandai Tamashii webpage as 'official' webshops and physical stores...https://tamashiiweb.com/en/shop/

If I remember the stateside Hi-Metal R line had the warning on Amazon about it being a 'high level return' item...but that was due to the lack of metal in a 'hi metal' item and the customers being surprised.

I wonder if the WWM YF-21 will end up with the same type of flag if enough have the issue.
The sole bad review on the YF-19 warranted a return instead of a fix

[26662]

Box from HLJ is hella-small compared to Nin Nin's packaging:

And there's zero packing material inside:

 

It's been a good Monday.  I'm not ready for it to be tarnished by a bent head laser, so I'm gonna let the YF-21 marinate...

 

Edited July 8 by 26662
Forgot to conceal my PII

[Lolicon]

1 hour ago, Shawn said:

If I remember the stateside Hi-Metal R line had the warning on Amazon about it being a 'high level return' item...but that was due to the lack of metal in a 'hi metal' item and the customers being surprised.

I wonder if the WWM YF-21 will end up with the same type of flag if enough have the issue.
The sole bad review on the YF-19 warranted a return instead of a fix

"Hi-Metal" is just a brand name, like Subway's "footlong" subs. An intentionally misleading brand name, but a brand name nonetheless.

He couldn't exchange it but could return it? So couldn't he just return it for a refund and just buy another one? 

[Bolt]

Though it doesn't really matter much. I imagine the head laser having some steady and constant pressure on it , for that bend to occur. 
we will probably never know. I doubt Bandai is even going to acknowledge it. 
Also, shouldn't the bubble plastic shell over the head laser show some sign of wear or being crushed ?

Edited July 8 by Bolt

[jvmacross]

1 hour ago, Shawn said:

If I remember the stateside Hi-Metal R line had the warning on Amazon about it being a 'high level return' item...but that was due to the lack of metal in a 'hi metal' item and the customers being surprised.

I wonder if the WWM YF-21 will end up with the same type of flag if enough have the issue.
The sole bad review on the YF-19 warranted a return instead of a fix

Is Amazon listed as an "official" webshop? Maybe it was bought from a 3rd party seller?

[Ignacio Ocamica]

Hope my YF-21 arrives with no damage from AmiAmi.

 

[treatment]

meanwhile...

 

https://x.com/simsim5479/status/1810224750935077335

web-translated:

[dragontype]

Got my set from AmiAmi today.  Shipper box was fine, but the actual product packaging was smashed in.  Had low expectations but I opened and checked the laser antenna.  No breakage or bend.  Your mileage may vary but hopefully that puts some at ease that are expecting a shipment from AmiAmi.

 

[MacrossMania]

On 7/7/2024 at 3:39 AM, shazam said:

 

I just want to interject for a moment, take a pause and just glory in this amazing piece of artwork.  Bandai is simply the best toy company around.  From all of the formal training that they do with their designers to the absolute dedication to the final product, this is just simply a stunning piece.  And I'm absolutely sure it will take its place in the annals of great masterworks in the toymaking industry.  Right up there with the chunky monkey.

I just wanted to take a moment to say that.  I know how fond people are of knitpicking various shortcomings to death (whether perceived or real), but this is such a magnificent work that all of those trivial little problems don't amount to much in the end.  (Of course I understand the problems about the laser, that is huge, no doubt).

I wish I had something more to offer in the way of personal experience.  I missed the PO (doubtless distracted with my usual obsession with vintage), but this is definitely one for the ages that will be going into my collection.

[aurance]

1 hour ago, MacrossMania said:

I just want to interject for a moment, take a pause and just glory in this amazing piece of artwork.  Bandai is simply the best toy company around.  From all of the formal training that they do with their designers to the absolute dedication to the final product, this is just simply a stunning piece.  And I'm absolutely sure it will take its place in the annals of great masterworks in the toymaking industry.  Right up there with the chunky monkey.

I just wanted to take a moment to say that.  I know how fond people are of knitpicking various shortcomings to death (whether perceived or real), but this is such a magnificent work that all of those trivial little problems don't amount to much in the end.  (Of course I understand the problems about the laser, that is huge, no doubt).

I wish I had something more to offer in the way of personal experience.  I missed the PO (doubtless distracted with my usual obsession with vintage), but this is definitely one for the ages that will be going into my collection.

It’s subjective personal preference man. It’s fine that you love it but you shouldn’t dismiss others’ opinion of it as trivial.

[no3Ljm]

On 7/7/2024 at 3:14 AM, MKT said:

By one Franz Peter Siegfried:

There you go!  Would be nice if there's a version where the nose is still not detached to the head.  

On 7/7/2024 at 7:48 AM, Lolicon said:

Okay, had some time to fiddle with it. Going from fighter to battroid wasn't too bad at all, other than kinda juggling everything while you move everything into place.

Going from battroid back to fighter was another matter. Getting the panels to all line up and lock back together is a hassle. 

I think I will keep my second copy to keep it in battroid mode permanently. 

I still think the Yamato has a better looking fighter mode, but Bandai's looks pretty good too.

For battroid, Bandai is definitely better.

Took a couple of quick fighter pics.

I really love your landing gears, @Lolicon.   

9 hours ago, CF18 said:

Agreed. Yamato's YF-21 fighter mode is still the best looking. Atleast I have an extra Yamato Fold Booster to use for the YF-21 fighter mode. Battroids will be the DX ones.  

[26662]

5 hours ago, 26662 said:

Box from HLJ is hella-small compared to Nin Nin's packaging:

And there's zero packing material inside:

 

It's been a good Monday.  I'm not ready for it to be tarnished by a bent head laser, so I'm gonna let the YF-21 marinate...

 

Surprisingly, the head laser is in perfect condition.  I hope the rest of you have similar good fortune.

[MKT]

8 hours ago, jenius said:

This might sound a little crazy, but I don't think it's from the box being squished. I think the toy is so heavy that the problem comes from the box being shaken. I think the little brick of toy causes the trays to flex if the box bumps around too much. Just my guess though. 

 

8 hours ago, MacrossJunkie said:

Sounds plausible to me. In reality, it could be that and other reasons, none of which are exclusive. Whether it's getting bumped around, shipped upside down, box getting squished, etc, it still comes down to the poor packaging design that leaves the head laser susceptible to damage. and compounded by Bandai not owning up to their screw up and calling it a "quality variance". 

As opposed to the YF-19, external impact on the box seems unlikely to account for the head laser damage.

I'm wondering now, what if the damage comes from the box being upside down somewhere along the way? Perhaps the blisters do not clamp the toy down sufficiently, and because of the toy's weight, the front of the toy somehow loosens from the blister and the head laser touches the blister. Weight of the toy then exacerbates the head laser rubbing & then bend from sideway forces during transport.

But this really depends on how tight the blisters really are in holding the toy down, and I can't speculate more until I receive my own copy.

[Lolicon]

9 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

I really love your landing gears, @Lolicon.   

Thanks! @no3Ljm! 

So an unopened YF-21 sold on Mandarake earlier. I think it's better to buy an opened item this time around so they can tell you if the head laser is busted or not. 😁

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1265994300&ref=list&keyword=マクロス&lang=en

[ArchieNov]

5 minutes ago, Lolicon said:

Thanks! @no3Ljm! 

So an unopened YF-21 sold on Mandarake earlier. I think it's better to buy an opened item this time around so they can tell you if the head laser is busted or not. 😁

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1265994300&ref=list&keyword=マクロス&lang=en

I wonder if this will be a rare instance where an MISB copy will sell for less than an opened/inspected copy.

[chriswoo]

YF-21 just added into my collection. Lucky there is no fin bending during packing. Anyway can able to display with my X9 ghost.

[treatment]

Meanwhile...

 

I might be the first to have just lost one of the tiny unnecessarily and mind-boggingly insecure removable pieces on the DX YF-21. 

 

Thanks and F-U for another "genius" design/engineering decision, bandai...

 

Hopefully I find it later on after more extensive searching...

 

[chriswoo]

let me guess the connector for the pin point barrier ? or the fin from the wings ?

 

[Bullet_Sponge]

Got mine in from Yoyakunow yesterday and there's a very minor bend at the end of the head laser.  

 

I haven't kept up on the thread like I should, but has anyone here tried a heat gun to straighten it out?

 

@chriswoo, that ghost is awesome.  Which kit is that?

Edited July 9 by Bullet_Sponge

[chriswoo]

5 minutes ago, Bullet_Sponge said:

Got mine in from Yoyakunow yesterday and there's a very minor bend at the end of the head laser.  

 

I haven't kept up on the thread like I should, but has anyone here tried a heat gun to straighten it out?

 

@chriswoo, that ghost is awesome.  Which kit is that?

its from Xigfrid 3D printing however I did some customized details on it.

[Pontus]

1 hour ago, treatment said:

Hopefully I find it later on after more extensive searching...

You could try to recreate the wormhole it fell through by creating a stable plasma, but you're going to want to synchronize the carrier frequency with the time since it disappeared or else you could end up in who knows when/where.  Be sure to account for your movement in the universe by moving it to the location it would have been going to be.  Or you could also try to heal the split in time space by remerging the timelines in which it disappeared with your own.  That's the method that works best for me (finding it).

Seriously though, I repair electronics for a living and often work with small parts, and I have literally watched them fall through an invisible wormhole and disappear before only to have them pop back into existence nearby.  I'm only half kidding.  I have these aluminum full sheet pans that are made for commercial baking that I use when playing with my valks.  They really help keep the bits from falling through wormholes as the aluminum shields the area from timespace interference.  

[treatment]

38 minutes ago, chriswoo said:

let me guess the connector for the pin point barrier ? or the fin from the wings ?

 

 

This damn piece:  ( pic courtesy of https://x.com/Ezwea1/status/1809760219364512252 )

 

 

Edited July 9 by treatment

[spacemanoeuvres]

Finally got shipping notification from nin-nin. Still no word from Luna Park 

[no3Ljm]

1 hour ago, Bullet_Sponge said:

Got mine in from Yoyakunow yesterday and there's a very minor bend at the end of the head laser.  

I haven't shipped mine from Yoyakunow. But I started to get in touch with them regarding on inspecting my item prior of shipping. That way, if there's a problem on the head fin (which they're now fully aware of since a number of customers started contacting them) they can ask Bandai to have it replace first while the item is still with them.

Try to reach out to them and see if they can help you on your copy. Good luck.

[Shawn]

I tried cracking the neck open in fighter mode when it is in the blister pack (top and bottom) and I could not get any real movement in the packaging
So I'm not too confident this is the result of movement of the toy in the box in transit.

Every time I'd open/crack the neck a bit, then put the top plastic cover on, the neck gap would close up and it was all secure.
 

[Pontus]

2 minutes ago, Shawn said:

I tried cracking the neck open in fighter mode when it is in the blister pack (top and bottom) and I could not get any real movement in the packaging
So I'm not too confident this is the result of movement of the toy in the box in transit.

Every time I'd open/crack the neck a bit, then put the top plastic cover on, the neck gap would close up and it was all secure.
 

I'd bet money that it was a packaging error.  The blister plastic seems to hold the nose very securely and was hard to remove, and putting it back into it was a bit difficult as it has to snap quite firmly into the plastic.  So my theory is that it was placed in the plastic without making sure it was snapped in all the way, then the lid was pushed on without paying attention and bent the head laser.

[David Hingtgen]

Got mine from AmiAmi, antenna is good:

[505thAirborne]

Hi everyone, besides getting my DX YF-21 the other day, I also acquired a Yamato VF-22 Max a few days ago, after watching @jenius Anymoon.com transformation guide, I'm a little hesitant about transforming the Yamato into Battroid (as well the Bandai DX 21.) 

So, my question is, which toy has the more complicated transformation, Yamato or Bandai? 

Thank you! 

 

[Silverstreak]

So, after getting Bandai’d a few too many times in the past, I swore off them. Decided to give them a chance again with the 21. 
 

 

I’m done with Bandai. I’m debating whether to fix it myself or send it back for a refund and just settle with my Yamato 21. Will be interesting though as I bought through a third party Amazon JP seller. 

[IIymij]

16 hours ago, chriswoo said:

YF-21 just added into my collection. Lucky there is no fin bending during packing. Anyway can able to display with my X9 ghost.

who produce this ghost? loooking goood

[Actar]

2 hours ago, 505thAirborne said:

Hi everyone, besides getting my DX YF-21 the other day, I also acquired a Yamato VF-22 Max a few days ago, after watching @jenius Anymoon.com transformation guide, I'm a little hesitant about transforming the Yamato into Battroid (as well the Bandai DX 21.) 

So, my question is, which toy has the more complicated transformation, Yamato or Bandai? 

Thank you! 

 

IMHO, Bandai's is definitely more complicated, but I enjoy transforming it more than the Yamato. Maybe it's because of the age, but my Yamato has gotten all loose and floppy, the paint on the die-cast parts has started peeling, and the plastic just feels more fragile. Definitely would like a V2, if that's even remotely possible...