Review of new Japanese Hobby Magazines

[Graham]

The new (September 2004) issues of both Hobby Japan magazine and Dengeki Hobby magazine have just hit the stores today in Hong Kong.

Unfortunately, from a Macross fans perspective both issues are very disappointing

Hobby Japan Sept 04 issue

No Macross article this month. At least a third of the magazine is full of Guncrap, sorry Gundam stuff as usual, the same seemingly endless, near identical mobile suit models and toy designs, which blur together in a seething mass of repetativeness......yawn!

The only thing Macross related is a quarter page color lineart pic of the upcoming Hasegawa VF-0A model on page 232. Interestingly, the pic is colored a low-vis grey rather than the tan used in the anime.

Dengeki Hobby Sept 04 issue

Dengeki can usually be relied upon to give us a 2-4 page Macross artical every month. Frequently we're even treated to even longer Macross articles. This month though, we get a meagre one page of Macross!

Featured this month are some pics of the painted Yamato 1/100 scale VB-6 in battroid mode, still no chest gun!

The same Hasegawa VF-0A lineart pic is also shown, just a bit larger than in Hobby Japan.

Probably the most interesting thing shown is a small color pic of the cover art for the upcoming Macross Zero episode # 5 DVD, which shows Sara at the bottom of the pic with angle wings coming from her back. In the sky above Sara are what I guess is the AFOS/Birdman and in front of it is a VF-0 in fighter mode viewed from the rear, with what looks like one of the Ghost drones from episode # 3 attached to the back of the fighter.

Graham

[eugimon]

Thanks for the reviews.... two questions:

1. scans?

2. and have there been any changes to the 1/100 VF-0?

thanks!

[Graham]

Thanks for the reviews.... two questions:

1. scans?

2. and have there been any changes to the 1/100 VF-0?

thanks!

1. Scans when I get home tonight, or maybe tomorrow depending on how much free time the baby gives me I'm still at work now.

2. The 1/100 VF-0S is not in the magazine, otherwise I would have mentioned it!!!!!!!

Graham

[Graham]

Here's the page from the new September 2004 issue of Dengeki Hobby.

Graham

[Blaine23]

bummer on the lack of Macross...

But the VB-6 looks like such a cool toy. Chest guns or not... I'm diggin' it.

Thanks G!

[ChristopherB]

Thank you very much for your perspective, and the scans.

The VB-6 looks great, all it needs is the chest gun as you mentioned.

[Pat S]

Hobby Japan Sept 04 issue

No Macross article this month. At least a third of the magazine is full of Guncrap, sorry Gundam stuff as usual, the same seemingly endless, near identical mobile suit models and toy designs, which blur together in a seething mass of repetativeness......yawn!

Don't you think Macross has even less mecha design variation than Gundam? Is the VF-0 any different than the VF-1 really? The SV-51 is a bit different, but in the different arena, I think the YF-21 and YF-19 already did that. I mean, there are only 3 or 4 basic mecha designs in this whole new OAV.

I haven't really enjoyed any Gundam outside of the UC storyline, but I have to say that at least Gundam shows spice things up with a new badguy design every few episodes Even if it looks similar to something else, it's not usually just a paint stripe or head change like with the VF-1's.

[Bub]

The VF-0A. Is that in a "low vis" paint scheme?

[Skull Leader]

Interestingly, the pic is colored a low-vis grey rather than the tan used in the anime.

[Neova]

Thanks Graham! I just saved a few bux!

[Jawjaw]

Koenig still looking good but look at that side profile pic. It sure must be back heavy or they just decided to lean it forward so much.

[Godzilla]

Oh boy oh boy. I cant wait for the VB-6. Thanks for the info Graham. Too bad there are only meager amount of stuff on the Macross stuff.

[wolfx]

Is it transformed correctly? I thought I remembered the battroid mode to be standing straight but from the side view, the knees seem to be bent out as if still in gerwalk mode.

[F-ZeroOne]

Probably the most interesting thing shown is a small color pic of the cover art for the upcoming Macross Zero episode # 5 DVD, which shows Sara at the bottom of the pic with angle wings coming from her back.

Hmm. Kawamori getting Escaflowne pangs?

[RosarioLuv]

Is it me, or does the Monster not look as cool in bot mode as I remember in previous pics?

Like the hips should be closer together, and the legs somehow look as if they should be telescoped out (longer) but haven't been transformed correctly (I don't really know how it's s'posed to transform).

These pics make bot mode look like a cheesy Transformer for some reason. These pics of the Monster make it look like a supersize version of the Autobot COSMOS......or is it just me?

Makes me hungry for some tacos.........

Edited July 23, 2004 by redemption

[bandit29]

From the few issues I have owned of Dengeki Hobby, they should rename the magazine Gundam Monthly..it gets kinda boring afterawhile.

[Jolly Rogers]

Wasn't Hobby Japan changing their format to a larger size with a bonus DVD? Has that happened yet?

[Armor]

I gotta say it looks stupid.

[scand]

For some reason I'm not digging the VB-6 in Battroid mode. It just doesn't look proportionaly correct. I guess gerwalk mode is the mode for it to be in. Where oh where is the MK II Monster that was originally planned?

[KingNor]

I gotta say it looks stupid.

i LOVE the original monster; transforming monsters make my eyes bleed with angquish

[Graham]

Don't you think Macross has even less mecha design variation than Gundam?  Is the VF-0 any different than the VF-1 really?  The SV-51 is a bit different, but in the different arena, I think the YF-21 and YF-19 already did that.  I mean, there are only 3 or 4 basic mecha designs in this whole new OAV. 

I haven't really enjoyed any Gundam outside of the UC storyline, but I have to say that at least Gundam shows spice things up with a new badguy design every few episodes   Even if it looks similar to something else, it's not usually just a paint stripe or head change like with the VF-1's.

While it's true that the overall design of the VF-0 is very similar to the VF-1 (minor cosmetic styling differences only), the same is not true of most other Macross Variable Fighters.

The point I was trying to make is that 99% of most Gundams follow a very similar design philosophy, e.g. near identical looking head/face with V antenna, very similar color scheme (white body with red, yellow and blue trim) and other similar design features, e.g twin chest vents, two beam sabres on back, very similar styling on arms, legs, body, skirt etc.

By comparison, the different models of variable fighter look distinctly different IMO with very few design similarities. It is hard to confuse a VF-1 with a YF-19, YF-21, SV-51, VF-17, VF-11, VF-9, VF-14, VF-4, VF-5000, VA-3 etc. At least Kawamori makes each new type of Variable fighter different enough that there is little chance of confusing them, unlike Okawara, who should be called 'the king of recycling'.

Yes, you can say that in Macross within a single VF model type, for example VF-1, there are only minor differences such as the head and color variations, but the same could be said of Gundam as well. A prime example being the original RX-78, where as well as the anime colors, you also have 'Roll out' colors, G3 colors, full armor color etc. Same exact design, different coloring only.

And one of the many things I find unrealistic about Gundam animes is the preponderance of new mobile suits. Given the compexity of an MS, one would think that it would take years from the design stage to production and testing to get a new MS model into service. Not to mention there is probably a very high dollar value attached to producing an MS. However in the various Gundam universes, it seems that new models of MS are introduced nearly weekly. Sometimes, to be produced only in extremely small numbers, sometime even only one unit is built and then discarded a few weeks or months later as soon as the next 'Wonder' design is ready. If real world militaries went about procurement the way the Feddies and Zions (insert equivalent SEED names here) do, they would be bankrupt very shortly. This is another area where I think Macross scores in reality terms. In the Macross universe, Kawamori has the main model of VF in service for 10-20 years (just like the real world), before a new design comes into service.

Gundam is probably better if you like 'mecha of the week' shows, but I think I'll stick to Macross as a better example of a more real militay mecha show

Graham

[Pat S]

The point I was trying to make is that 99% of most Gundams follow a very similar design philosophy, e.g. near identical looking head/face with V antenna, very similar color scheme (white body with red, yellow and blue trim) and other similar design features, e.g twin chest vents, two beam sabres on back, very similar styling on arms, legs, body, skirt etc.

By comparison, the different models of variable fighter look distinctly different IMO with very few design similarities. It is hard to confuse a VF-1 with a YF-19, YF-21, SV-51, VF-17, VF-11, VF-9, VF-14, VF-4, VF-5000, VA-3 etc. At least Kawamori makes each new type of Variable fighter different enough that there is little chance of confusing them, unlike the Okawara, who should be called 'the king of recycling'.

Yes, you can say that in Macross within a single VF model type, for example VF-1, there are only minor differences such as the head and color variations, but the same could be said of Gundam as well. A prime example being the original RX-78, where as well as the anime colors, you also have 'Roll out' colors, G3 colors, full armor color etc. Same exact design, different coloring only.

And one of the many things I find unrealistic about Gundam animes is the preponderance of new mobile suits. Given the compexity of an MS, one would think that it would take years from the design stage to production and testing to get a new MS model into service. Not to mention there is probably a very high dollar value attached to producing an MS. However in the various Gundam universes, it seems that new models of MS are introduced nearly weekly. Sometimes, to be produced only in extremely small numbers, sometime even only one unit is built and then discarded a few weeks or months later as soon as the next 'Wonder' design is ready. If real world militaries went about procurement the way the Feddies and Zions (insert equivalent SEED names here) do, they would be bankrupt very shortly. This is another area where I think Macross scores in reality terms. In the Macross universe, Kawamori has the main model of VF in service for 10-20 years (just like the real world), before a new design comes into service.

Gundam is probably better if you like 'mecha of the week' shows, but I think I'll stick to Macross as a better example of a more real militay mecha show 

Graham

Yes, the actual gundams usually look very similar. Though I can tell the differences no problem. It's sorta like once you find a good design, stick with it. Same thing with Macross's VF-1 series, though with more variation. It would just be nice if a toy company would release some of the other designs like the VF-5000 and VF-4.

I'd bet that if there were as many Macross TV series as there are Gundam TV series, you'd get just as bored with the designs for each show.

I agree that it doesn't make sense for there to be small quantities of new mecha every week, though since I don't watch the non UC timeline shows, I don't know what's been happening with those. I don't think the way things are presented in the UC stuff up through Char's Counterattack was too bad, except for the end of Zeta and all of ZZ. Usually (not always) new mecha came from newtpe labrotories trying to create a bigger/better newtype weapon.

Sarcasm here... Sure Macross is more realistic for a Millitary show if you count a Millitary of billions of space aliens invading the earth sphere, being defeated by a few thousand ships, and a young girls singing.

Edited July 26, 2004 by Pat S

[DrClay]

back on topic. i think that monster is gonna' seriously KICK ASS!!! I'm glad to have these new photos.. but i'm sure the toy is not properly transformed, so people should take that into account when looking at 'em.

as far as i can tell, it looks like the legs are still in gerwalk mode and the torso has been transformed to battaloid, so we get some kind of chicken bot! but this is certainly no vf-0, judging by the earlier pics, this thing's battaloid mode is gonna' look supa' sweet!!!

[eugimon]

Sarcasm here... Sure Macross is more realistic for a Millitary show if you count a Millitary of billions of space aliens invading the earth sphere, being defeated by a few thousand ships, and a young girls singing.

not any more unrealistic than a young boy with no military or martial training, getting into the cockpit of an uber advanced robot with super armour and going on to win a war and find out he has psychic powers so that he can go fight with laser swords against robots that look like something the nazis would think of with giant axes....

[Pat S]

eugimon: True.

[Guppy]

But 'mecha of the week' sells a hellavalot more toys & models! But Gundam's just like Transformers: the anime is there to advertise the products. Although if Macross was as big as gundam we'd see vf mecha of the week too.

And thinking about the lack of Macross content in Dengeki & HJ: It must mean that Yamato hasn't moved forward in developing the 1/100 Zero toys and Monster.. ?

[Graham]

And thinking about the lack of Macross content in Dengeki & HJ: It must mean that Yamato hasn't moved forward in developing the 1/100 Zero toys and Monster.. ?

Unfortunately, I suspect that is probably true

With no new Yamato Macross products slated for release until the end of the year, except the Max Q-Rau and CM's Milia figures, it looks like Macross toy fans are in for a boring 2nd half of 2004

Graham

[Renato]

And thinking about the lack of Macross content in Dengeki & HJ: It must mean that Yamato hasn't moved forward in developing the 1/100 Zero toys and Monster.. ?

Unfortunately, I suspect that is probably true

With no new Yamato Macross products slated for release until the end of the year, except the Max Q-Rau and CM's Milia figures, it looks like Macross toy fans are in for a boring 2nd half of 2004

Graham

Personally I don't mind at all.

Gives me time to save up for the Koenig and if I get bored I have a couple of Binaltech Transformers to look forward to.