Escaflowne... Guymelef?

[imode]

I just checked my email and saw the newest mail magazine from Yamato and noticed on April 22nd they're releasing something from Escaflowne that just says "Guymelef" Anyone of our resident toy dealers or Yamato insiders have any idea what this is?

[Sebastian]

Guymelef refers to the mecha (the robots). I guess is the same ol Esca coming again?

Maybe is Allen Shezar guymelef? That could be so nice! But no way, Yamato cant work that fast.

[Graham]

A while ago, there was talk of releasing a black (Gucci ) version of the Escaflowne. Maybe that's it.

Graham

[Druna Skass]

I wanna movie version...

[jonwayne]

maybe something like this?

http://www.hlj.com/scripts/hljpage.cgi?BAN54293

but this guy does not transform like the Escaflowne

[Anubis]

I'll take whatever Guymelefs I can get. A Scherzade and an Alseides would be sweet. A black Escaflowne would be pretty cool too.

[GreenGuy42]

Awesome. I actually liked the Esca, and frequently used it as a prop in my Exalted (RPG) games...

A black Esca would be pretty neat.

[Sebastian]

Well a Blac Esca could be nice... but after all the problems I got with my "TV version" I think I wont buy tha same floppy guy again.. no way.

[wolfx]

maybe something like this?

http://www.hlj.com/scripts/hljpage.cgi?BAN54293

but this guy does not transform like the Escaflowne

Believe me...those are crap. I got the Escaflowne one and its utterly crap of a model figure.

And I'm still hoping there's a masterpiece edition of Escaflowne. The current Yamato ones were pretty bad....boxart, and all.

[Anubis]

I must be one of the few who was at least reasonably satisfied with my Escaflowne. Pretty good detail and transformation for under 50 bucks at that size. My only complaints were the non-cloth cape that weighs the shoulders and adding the sword weighs down the right side further. Transformation and posability were diffucult things to put together given the complexity of the escaflowne, but with a cloth cape I think it would have been more stable. If it was completely perfect transformation, and more posable, it would likely be fragile, and cost 300+ at that. I agree the sculpt was out of proportion, but it was the ony way to get transformation like that at the price point they set it at.

[Limbo]

I was thinking in getting the yammie Escaflowne. What is so bad about it?

[LurkerX]

i'm pretty happy with my transforming escaflowne [yamato]

as mentioned above the downside is the rubber cape and the lack of poseablity

i think it looks very nice with good detail. i actually bought 2 and display 1 in robot & the other in dragon mode. [too much of a hassle to keep transforming]

for what it is [more of a display piece/ model than an actual toy] it does offer good value for your buck IMO.

consider your options: studio half eye $300US++ resin kit perfect transformation, more fragile and joints are probably not tight at all on the upside you'd get more posability [of course with the loose joints its redundant] and a cloth cape, more accurate proportions BUT $300US??? so in my view, your paying an extra $250US for a cloth cape and minor design improvements over the yamato

i guess if your a die hard escaflowne fan with money to burn and very anime accurate detail oriented then you'd perfer the SHE version but then there's the issue of loose joints i've encountered on my previous SHE piece

i'd take my yamato escaflowne any day.

[Anubis]

for what it is [more of a display piece/ model than an actual toy] it does offer good value for your buck IMO.

consider your options: studio half eye $300US++ resin kit perfect transformation, more fragile and joints are probably not tight at all on the upside you'd get more posability [of course with the loose joints its redundant]  and a cloth cape, more accurate proportions BUT $300US??? so in my view, your paying an extra $250US for a cloth cape and minor design improvements over the yamato

i guess if your a  die hard escaflowne fan with money to burn and very anime accurate detail oriented then you'd perfer the SHE version but then there's the issue of loose joints i've encountered on my previous SHE piece

i'd take my yamato escaflowne any day.

Exactly. That's why I think for 50 bucks you get your money's worth. I didn't think 300++ was dead on for the SHE. Damn that's expensive. Gorgeous, but uber expensive.

For 50 bucks Yamato made a good effort, and in light of all the valk money I hemmoraged last year, I appreciated only having to shell out 50. It looks pretty good as a display piece, so the bang for the buck factor worked out in this case.

Edited April 21, 2004 by Anubis

[KingNor]

does anyone know if they'll ever make some of the Samurai Mechs that go greased in like the first episode?

i know they're like the weakest of the entire line, but damn if they arn't the coolest looking with their traditional looking weapons and armor.

have any of those been released?

[rnurmin]

Hm... except for the heavy rubber cape and lack of poseability, I am very happy with the Yamato Escaflowne. Definitely worth getting at $50. IMO if you compare the price $50 with some of the toys out there (Macross, transformers, etc), you are getting something that is unique (transforming dragon).

I have mine displayed in Dragon mode. Unfortunately it has fallen off from my desk 3 times, but it is still in one piece

[Mechamaniac]

For pure value, the Yamato Escaflowne is worth the money.

But ultimately, I was very disappointed. I think, however, that the reason the toy failed so many expectations is because they built it up for so long, and because it is CLEAR when you transform the thing that it is a prime example of something that looks good in Anime, but just doesn't work in the physical medium.

I would be willing to bet that the animators never thought through an actual transformation sequence, they probably just drew it in Dragon mode, and Guymelef mode, and then flubbed the split second transformation. This left Yamato to try and figure out how to make the thing do what the Anime said it would do, but in reality it didn't work too well. I hated the way the head was on a hinge that just hung about 1/2 inch over the shoulders.

But hey, it was the best toy I ever bought for $60 bucks, then had to sell for $30.

[bandit29]

I was thinking in getting the yammie Escaflowne. What is so bad about it?

Let's see:

1) Its hard to transform

2) the posibility/articulation is poor/very limited

3) dragon mode looks bad

4) poorly balanced in Guymelef mode

5) rubber cape is too heavy and sometimes will drag down the arms

but ya can get high off of the fumes when you open the box....

easliy the most disappointing toy I've bought in years. What a piece of crap.

Edited April 21, 2004 by dejr8bud

[wolfx]

For pure value, the Yamato Escaflowne is worth the money.

But ultimately, I was very disappointed. I think, however, that the reason the toy failed so many expectations is because they built it up for so long, and because it is CLEAR when you transform the thing that it is a prime example of something that looks good in Anime, but just doesn't work in the physical medium.

I would be willing to bet that the animators never thought through an actual transformation sequence, they probably just drew it in Dragon mode, and Guymelef mode, and then flubbed the split second transformation. This left Yamato to try and figure out how to make the thing do what the Anime said it would do, but in reality it didn't work too well. I hated the way the head was on a hinge that just hung about 1/2 inch over the shoulders.

But hey, it was the best toy I ever bought for $60 bucks, then had to sell for $30.

Well....i guess the same went for Macross, with the swing bars and all....

Who knows....we might get an affordable perfect grade Escaflowne one fine day. One fine day. I don't really mind transforming or not....but poseability is a must. Transforming would be better.

[imode]

I actually liked the dragon mode. The transformation was way too complex though. I tried putting it back into umm... humanoid mode, and I got stuck halfway and just gave up.

[Jolly Rogers]

I would be willing to bet that the animators never thought through an actual transformation sequence, they probably just drew it in Dragon mode, and Guymelef mode, and then flubbed the split second transformation. This left Yamato to try and figure out how to make the thing do what the Anime said it would do, but in reality it didn't work too well.

Didn't Shoji Kawamori design it? Are you saying he didn't work out the transformation details before handing the design over to the animators?

I think a transforming Escaflowne has been available in resin kit form long before Yamato "worked out" the transformation details.

[Final Vegeta]

I would be willing to bet that the animators never thought through an actual transformation sequence, they probably just drew it in Dragon mode, and Guymelef mode, and then flubbed the split second transformation.

No, they thought all the transformation (they have sketches), but some details were impossible to recreate properly in a limited scale toy. Making it bigger would have helped a bit, maybe.

FV