DX Chogokin VF-25 Revival Ver (WWM Releases)

[Slave IV]

I don’t think it’s they can’t, they just don’t care enough. All probably goes back to economics as things always do when they don’t make other sense. If Macross made more money for them, they might care more. 

[Chronocidal]

1 hour ago, Sanity is Optional said:

It's not nearly that easy, especially with how many pieces there are in these figures.

Tolerances add up across every connection, and even 0.001" adds up when there's a bunch of pivots, hinges, and sliders between two sides of a connection.

Oh, I know very well it's not that easy.  What I mean is that Bandai is also very aware of that, and they demonstrate it frequently on most of the figures and products they manufacture.

The thing is, it feels bizarre that they can't manage to make any VF-1 line up consistently as well as Yamato did over a decade ago, and the mistakes they keep making are consistent across all versions that I'm aware of, including the 1/72 model kit.  They cannot seem to get the legs and arms to line up with the backpack in a position that's not stressing some connection, and they cannot seem to comprehend that press-fit pegs are completely insufficient to hold legs and arms in place correctly.  It's like they have fixated on an incompetent solution, and refuse to improve on it.

The VF-25 is just another case where they made really questionable design choices that seem to completely wreck the stability and presentation of the toy.

Edited July 2, 2023 by Chronocidal

[Sanity is Optional]

The VF-1 is a lot simpler than the VF-25, and unlike their plastic models (which tend to have amazingly good tolerances) the DX Chogokin line is not produced in their in-house Japanese plants I believe.

 

Personally I've found the VF-25 Renewal line are quite sturdy and hold together well, aside from the battroid crotch issues, and so long as you aren't using Tornado/Armored packs (as they're huge and heavy).

Edited July 2, 2023 by Sanity is Optional

[Chronocidal]

19 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

The VF-1 is a lot simpler than the VF-25, and unlike their plastic models (which tend to have amazingly good tolerances) the DX Chogokin line is not produced in their in-house Japanese plants I believe.

This is the part that doesn't make any sense though, and I would love to understand.  How do they manage to screw them all up in exactly the same way, when Yamato pretty much nailed it as far back as the 1/48 release?

The leg/arm/backpack interaction is something that they seem to flub every single time, in the exact same ways.

[Sanity is Optional]

Yamato had their own design issues, like their line-wide pin related breakage issues, or the problems with fast-pack attachment (secure, but also prone to breakages).

It's a design philosophy, very secure connections tend to put more stress on parts and can cause more wear over time.

I do think they went a bit too loose with the arm connections in VF-1 fighter, but frankly doing those as pure friction fits was asking for trouble without shaving molds after a test-run to fine-tune the tolerances (something I believe they only do for in-house molds).

[PvtPrivate]

Bandai's QC strikes again!

Seems they manhandled it while the matt coat isn't dry yet. And some parts of the toy seems a bit dirty

Would an additional matt topcoat hide this?

[Raikkonen]

14 minutes ago, PvtPrivate said:

Bandai's QC strikes again!

Seems they manhandled it while the matt coat isn't dry yet. And some parts of the toy seems a bit dirty

Would an additional matt topcoat hide this?

Hard to tell if top-coat will fix this.

From my modelling experience, once the surface is even slightly rough, the light will always reflect this regardless the type of or amount of clear coats on it. 

[MKT]

[MKT]

Pics from Kin Fung Chan on FB:

[ArchieNov]

Just received mine from Hobby Genki. Wondering what I should do with my old one that has somewhat yellowed and the hip connection hinge has already cracked. I kinda want to dispose of it, but I can't bring myself to just throw it away.

I'm thinking of displaying it with the old Tornado set even though those parts are still in the glossy finish.

[Chronocidal]

Figures that I'd get charged for mine at HLJ literally single-digit hours after I shipped my private warehouse.  

Oh well, not in a rush.  I'm going to wait until the Fire Valk and my 171 kits come in and ship that as a bundle.

[Robin-11]

Only by watching these pictures i realized that Bandai added the NO STEP tampos on the wings of the new VF-25 releases. And i do own the Alto renewal released few months ago. Bandai, you are evil. Anyway any other extra tampos added to these new versions?

[treatment]

heppoko samurai posted pics of his VF-25G Revival, but not sure if he'd noticed it's got a curving not-straight head-laser OOB:

 

https://twitter.com/simsim5479/status/1705769026717430157

 

https://twitter.com/simsim5479/status/1705769568088760412

 

 

 

[MKT]

Hopefully that extra head laser piece is straight lol

[ArchieNov]

The one attached out of box is the softer laser. The extra laser is hard plastic

[DownIsUp]

On 7/23/2023 at 7:13 AM, PvtPrivate said:

Bandai's QC strikes again!

Seems they manhandled it while the matt coat isn't dry yet. And some parts of the toy seems a bit dirty

Would an additional matt topcoat hide this?

I'd get a very high grit piece of sandpaper and lightly wet sand until the finish is smooth. Then a matte coat should work! Of course use extreme caution if you try this at all

[davidwhangchoi]

On 9/22/2023 at 10:00 PM, MKT said:

Pics from Kin Fung Chan on FB:

Even the brown shipper boxes between the gundams in the background are a different shade. Terribly inconsistent Bandai 

[Raikkonen]

51 minutes ago, davidwhangchoi said:

Even the brown shipper boxes between the gundams in the background are a different shade. Terribly inconsistent Bandai 

Utterly agree. Must be painful for those sealed in shipper boxes collectors. 

[Raikkonen]

Jokes asides... 

So what are the improvements with this version VS the previous release? 

[MKT]

Perhaps one of the shipper boxes is the renewal version brown shade..
 

27 minutes ago, Raikkonen said:

Jokes asides... 

So what are the improvements with this version VS the previous release? 

 So far it looks to be the same as all Revival 25/29 releases - matte finishing, extra thigh screws, chest lock & the 'no step' tampo print on the wings.

The head laser being one soft and one hard as confirmed by @ArchieNov is an odd choice though. For the other Revivals, Bandai made them all hard plastic.  

 

[ArchieNov]

The old Tornado parts fit just fine with no issue on tolerances on the new one. Despite the contrast of glossy Tornado parts vs the matte valk, it actually doesn't look bad to me.

[Zeliard]

18 minutes ago, ArchieNov said:

The old Tornado parts fit just fine with no issue on tolerances on the new one. Despite the contrast of glossy Tornado parts vs the matte valk, it actually doesn't look bad to me.

V1 on a 25 wwm is it? It fits?

[ArchieNov]

23 minutes ago, Zeliard said:

V1 on a 25 wwm is it? It fits?

Those are the Renewal Tornado parts. When I said "old", I meant the last set of Tornado parts that were released.

I always preferred the look of the 25G with the Tornado vs the Super because its Tornado parts' wings were also blue like the valk. Unlike the Alto Tornado parts which were gray and looked ugly to me. 

Edited September 24, 2023 by ArchieNov

[Raikkonen]

10 hours ago, MKT said:

Perhaps one of the shipper boxes is the renewal version brown shade..
 

 So far it looks to be the same as all Revival 25/29 releases - matte finishing, extra thigh screws, chest lock & the 'no step' tampo print on the wings.

The head laser being one soft and one hard as confirmed by @ArchieNov is an odd choice though. For the other Revivals, Bandai made them all hard plastic.  

 

It appears the white detail on the tail was a thinner coat. 

[treatment]

HeppokoSamurai's is quite dissatisfied with his Super VF-25G:

 

https://twitter.com/simsim5479/status/1706311008535400537

partial web translation:

Quote

 I'm quite dissatisfied with how loose my shoulders and hips are.

 

 

addi/edit:

his followup:

 

https://twitter.com/simsim5479/status/1706311008535400537

web-translation:

Quote

Michelle's machine's legs are still loose even after tightening them. I guess I have to chew on something.

 

Edited September 25, 2023 by treatment

[MKT]

On 9/24/2023 at 7:29 PM, ArchieNov said:

I always preferred the look of the 25G with the Tornado vs the Super because its Tornado parts' wings were also blue like the valk. Unlike the Alto Tornado parts which were gray and looked ugly to me. 

+1. Also tornado parts pretty unique because it totally changes the shape of the wings as compared to any or most other packs for a VF. The blue on blue for the 25G helps sell that illusion compared to the 25F.

[Lolicon]

Chest stripes are still painted wrong.

[Raikkonen]

3 hours ago, treatment said:

HeppokoSamurai's is quite dissatisfied with his Super VF-25G:

 

https://twitter.com/simsim5479/status/1706311008535400537

partial web translation:

 

 

addi/edit:

his followup:

 

https://twitter.com/simsim5479/status/1706311008535400537

web-translation:

 

I assumed for the hip joint, there would be a rubber cap on the ball joint in the socket for extra tightness to prevent looseness of such top heavy toys. 

The shoulders of the VF-25 and onwards lot has always alarmed me because of their small structure in design. 

[PointBlankSniper]

11 hours ago, MKT said:

+1. Also tornado parts pretty unique because it totally changes the shape of the wings as compared to any or most other packs for a VF. The blue on blue for the 25G helps sell that illusion compared to the 25F.

imo the long sniper rifle fits the theme of all the long cannons and pods the pack comes with as well, and makes it extra non standard from other 25s as well.

btw, anyone know how the new paint job/matte coat for this stacks up beside Max's Durandal? Just curious to see how close or different they actually are when beside each other.

[Angesdad]

Nice! My head laser is bent out of the box too. 😂 thought we were done with that type of soft plastic a couple versions ago and switched over to more rigid kind. Revival my rear end? Going backwards thanks you very much Bandai!

[DewPoint]

Well there was the YF-19 broken head laser incident in the past...  I believe it was largely due to inadequate packaging.  I don't know if Bandai learned the right lessen from that though.  Bendy Laser less likely to snap in the box better? 

[Graham]

Got the VF-25G yesterday.

Only minor complaint is that are the shoulder ball joints are a bit loose.

Otherwise looks great.

I just wish they had included the wing-mounted speakers and little standing Ranka figure.

[Chronocidal]

Know what would have been an amazing upgrade for this re-release?

Hardpoints.

[MKT]

23 hours ago, DewPoint said:

Well there was the YF-19 broken head laser incident in the past...  I believe it was largely due to inadequate packaging.  I don't know if Bandai learned the right lessen from that though.  Bendy Laser less likely to snap in the box better? 

That may be true, but the VF-31 base or AX releases after YF-19 all had rigid lasers sticking up..

[Lolicon]

11 hours ago, Graham said:

I just wish they had included the wing-mounted speakers and little standing Ranka figure.

Wasn't that a pre-renewal TWE item? Don't think Bandai is that generous or going to reach that far back for these Frontier reissues. 

 

8 hours ago, MKT said:

That may be true, but the VF-31 base or AX releases after YF-19 all had rigid lasers sticking up..

That packaging was just plain shoddy. It was the usual crappy styrofoam tray with cardboard lid taped on, and the YF-19's head laser poking directly into that cardboard lid. Unlike the 25G the 19's head laser doesn't sit flat and flush with the fuselage. So the only thing protecting the laser from getting smashed is a cardboard lid and an even thinner sheet of cardboard over it (the outer box). Bandai figured boxes never ever get manhandled during shipping and that was sufficient protection for the hard plastic head laser. No need for any sort of padding/protection or leaving any space inside for the head laser.