Fujimi joins Macross Modelers

[TMBounty_Hunter]

Fujimi, another one of Japan's long time plastic model companies is joining Macross Modelers members Hasegawa, Wave, Aoshima, Bandai and Max Factory.

Exactly what they're doing will be revealed on a webcast on 25th of April.

While Fujimi has made all sorts of military and civilian models in the past I feel like they're most famous for their ship models....so are we going to get some very high detailed Macross ships with a disgusting amount of photoetch? Time to speculate!

 

 

 

[Urashiman]

I wonder what they will be doing... so many wishes...

[Big s]

I wouldn’t mind some of the ships. A good tv version of the Macross or some of the Zentraedi ships would be nice for a start. I also wouldn’t mind seeing some of the non transforming aircraft. I’m not super familiar with the company and have seen some real world kits, but haven’t paid enough attention to notice any sci-fi stuff from them

[Chronocidal]

So that's definitely an interesting development.

I think I have a grand total of one Fujimi kit in my collection, and it's an ancient 1/48 F-14A kit from 1978.   I'm not going to attempt to compare the accuracy of it, but it's probably the best fitting 1/48 F-14 kit I have, and I remember it being several huge steps above any other manufacturer in terms of ease of assembly, even to this day.  It just went together perfectly.

[Focslain]

3 hours ago, Big s said:

I wouldn’t mind some of the ships. A good tv version of the Macross or some of the Zentraedi ships would be nice for a start. I also wouldn’t mind seeing some of the non transforming aircraft. I’m not super familiar with the company and have seen some real world kits, but haven’t paid enough attention to notice any sci-fi stuff from them

I would love to get models of the cruisers and other larger ships. Bonus points if they manage a transforming SDF or other Macross ships.

[KOG Water Dragon]

I've got a bunch of the Fujimi 1/24 sports car kits tucked away, but I know they do other things as well. I wish I had their Blade Runner spinner kits.

Really not sure what they can add to the mix that the other companies aren't doing. Other than provide stuff in scales the other companies aren't doing, or doing some more obscure subjects.

[MechTech]

COOL!!! Wonder what it will be! - MT

[Thom]

Some Macros ships, please! Battle 7/Frontier, the stealth cruisers, the carriers, some good Zentradi ships. Probably hoping for too much, but oh well!

[KOG Water Dragon]

Maybe they'll do a 1/72 Destroid Spartan since Wave isn't 😆

[SteveTheFish]

Oh wow. So Fujimi has inserted a coin and pressed start. Here comes a new challenger! I think I may have mentioned on this forum before, but Fujimi is a sort of "black sheep" among the Japanese modeling community. Shizuoka City is the plastic model capital of the world, home to Tamiya, Bandai, Aoshima, Fujimi, Platz, Sweet, Asuka, Ebbro, Rocket Models, RC Berg (although they only do resin garage kits), and Hasegawa (in nearby Yaizu). Fujimi is blacklisted from showcasing at the Shizuoka Hobby Show and the All-Japan Model Hobby Show because they stepped on Tamiya's toes many decades ago. Fujimi only has a booth at the Wonder Festival events. Up until now, you'll see how the various kit makers refrain from directly competing with identical products. While Hasegawa makes 1:72 scale Valkyries, Max Factory's 1:72 Valkyries have rounded, cartoonly-proportions, Wave sticks to 1:100 scale, etc. Hasegawa refrained from releasing a VF-4 because Wave was planning to make one.

So there is a sense of camaraderie and cooperation among the Japanese model companies, but Fujimi does their own thing and are not concerned about harmony. Their business model is more akin to an American company's. So with Fujimi entering the fray, I believe the phrase is "no holds barred"? Or unless the Macross Modelers association sets forth rules for others to abide by. Fujimi did not follow the established rules with the 700 Waterline Series of battleship models in association with Tamiya, Hasegawa, and Aoshima, and were thus blacklisted. Tamiya made a Yamato kit and Fujimi did too, and were subsequently shunned.

[Big s]

32 minutes ago, SteveTheFish said:

Wave sticks to 1:100 scale

Wave kinda does almost more stuff in 1/72 scale. I think the only did the multi modes of the VF-1 in 1/100 with a few minor variations. Other than that they were all larger scale. 
As far as Fujimi, I couldn’t find any examples of robotic kits or really anything with joints, but I’m no expert on their stuff. I have a feeling they will stick to what they know 

[Bolt]

This should be very interesting.!

[Big s]

Oh, I just found this for the Eva fansseems they do bugs and odd crustaceans with various anime themes. This may just end up an awkwardly disappointing item like a Macross themed insect or something, but after a while these were the only kits I could find from them with joints and they seem rather limited 

[TMBounty_Hunter]

Fully transforming kits are definitely out of the question, that's way too fancy for Fujimi.

Speculation on Japanese twitter so far has been:
1/700 Prometheus and Daedalus
Ozma's and Mylene's cars
They've recolored some of their nature kits into Evangelion colors as seen above, so if they're lazy they might do that for Macross.
If they're not lazy some are hoping for Vajra kits

[Big s]

2 minutes ago, TMBounty_Hunter said:

Fully transforming kits are definitely out of the question, that's way too fancy for Fujimi.

Speculation on Japanese twitter so far has been:
1/700 Prometheus and Daedalus
Ozma's and Mylene's cars
They've recolored some of their nature kits into Evangelion colors as seen above, so if they're lazy they might do that for Macross.
If they're not lazy some are hoping for Vajra kits

After seeing what they have for other anime in the last couple years, it seems like a bit of a list of disappointing items 

[Shawn]

If they want to get weird, there are some very cool ways to go weird!  😛

[David Hingtgen]

My vote is gonna be a basic fighter-mode-only VF-1 kit.  They make some really nice F-14s.  

[Shawn]

From the news page "What kind of products will be created in the future using "Macross" as the theme? I'm already looking forward to the new product plans proposed by Fujimi Models."

So I'm going with Macross "Themed" goofiness

[Bolt]

7 minutes ago, Shawn said:

So I'm going with Macross "Themed" goofiness

Ok, definitely interesting 

[Shawn]

They are either going super serious, so we'll get a 1/300 Prometheus, or they'll go crazy themed

From their webpage under anime characters-they are definitely different! lol

https://www.fujimimokei.com/item/category/39

only 2 more weeks to speculate

[SteveTheFish]

1 hour ago, Big s said:

Wave kinda does almost more stuff in 1/72 scale. I think the only did the multi modes of the VF-1 in 1/100 with a few minor variations. Other than that they were all larger scale. 

Yeah, what I meant was the VF-1 Valkyries. Wave has done Destroid, VF-4, and Vampire kits in 1:72 scale for sure.

[pengbuzz]

3 hours ago, Shawn said:

They are either going super serious, so we'll get a 1/300 Prometheus, or they'll go crazy themed

From their webpage under anime characters-they are definitely different! lol

https://www.fujimimokei.com/item/category/39

only 2 more weeks to speculate

While they're at it, how about a 1/300 Daedalus and a 1/300 Macross to go with it?

[Big s]

9 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

While they're at it, how about a 1/300 Daedalus and a 1/300 Macross to go with it?

While that would be cool, after seeing their other products I’m expecting a weird Macross lobster

[Thom]

I'd definitely go for 1/700 Daedalus and Prometheus.

[Duymon]

If they made 1/700 ships at least the photo etch addon kits for them wouldn't be super insane like they are on WWII kits. Just hope they do full kits and not waterlines 

[VF-1A Grunt]

17 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

While they're at it, how about a 1/300 Daedalus and a 1/300 Macross to go with it?

1/350 is the common scale for model ships. I’d love to see Prometheus and Daedalus in that scale.

[Bolt]

8 hours ago, Big s said:

While that would be cool, after seeing their other products I’m expecting a weird Macross lobster

Same.  

[Urashiman]

Mhmm… Maybe a FUJIMI Macross Zero F-14 rebox? That would be possible too.

[Big s]

3 hours ago, Urashiman said:

Mhmm… Maybe a FUJIMI Macross Zero F-14 rebox? That would be possible too.

Yeah, but probably a skull squadron lobster

[KOG Water Dragon]

If only Tamiya would join the Macross Modelers group...

Imagine a 1/48 VF-1 with really comprehensive internal detail, opening hatches and photoetch detail everywhere...

[Rock]

2 hours ago, KOG Water Dragon said:

If only Tamiya would join the Macross Modelers group...

Imagine a 1/48 VF-1 with really comprehensive internal detail, opening hatches and photoetch detail everywhere...

You gonna have to buy all that detail from 3rd parties via resin, etch or prints! lol  But, man would it build like a dream. If your going for detail in 1/48 nobody is topping Minibase their recent Flankers are a step above!

 

The only Fujimi kit I've had the pleasure was the Datsun Z/S30 in the mid 2000's. I don't have any fond memories of it as it was quite a curve ball for a beginner snapfit gunpla builder 19 years ago... even more of a suprise finding out it was just a repackage of their older 90's kit with cartograph decals!

 

[The Original Cobywan]

I'd wager they will start with a sportscar in Skull Leader livery.

 

[Big s]

8 hours ago, The Original Cobywan said:

I'd wager they will start with a sportscar in Skull Leader livery.

 

I’m putting my fake cash on the Lobster with the same color scheme. 

[Urashiman]

On 4/14/2024 at 12:42 AM, Big s said:

Yeah, but probably a skull squadron lobster

there is a 99% propability that will actually happen, but let's dream a bit. Some possible quick pull-offs FUJIMI would be capable to do.

1/72 Macross Zero F-14
1/72 Macross Zero Mig-29
1/72 Macross Zero SH-60 Seahawk
Varja themed lobster or rhinoceros beetle

[TMBounty_Hunter]

Seems they're building up hype for May 9th and going to actually reveal things at a webcast during Shizuoka Hobby Show weekend