yellowlightman Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 So what is the best bit of the Patlabor series then? If I had to name one single part of the Patlabor franchise it would be Patlabor 2, but that's not really indicative of the franchise as a whole. I think the TV series is great, just not when it's doing the lame Griffon stuff. It's best when it's being slow and pointless and has an entire episode about fishing or other mundane stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermillion01 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 (edited) I agree with yellowlightman, P2 is the best. Its dark, gritty and moody.. and a bit different to most anime mech shows/movies. Its actually got quite a believable storyline. Edited December 9, 2008 by vermillion01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olivers Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I like some of the non-mech eps. The one when the chief goes on a rampage and bans all the mechanics stuff is classic, with Shige becoming a dictator like figure is awesome. Prefer Patlabor 1 to 2. 2 is just a remake of SV2's Longest Day part 1 and 2 done better. WXIII is really bad. Think part of the attraction of Patlabor is that it isn't a 100% mecha show but does have lots of character stuff and character growth. Some eps such as the onsen and Ohta Blade Runner ep are a bit pointless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the white drew carey Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I think P1 has a better plot., and P2 is much more dramatic. A lot of the plot elements in P2 are a little hard to swallow, simply because it tries to be so realistic at the same time. Both are much better than most anime out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd77 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I think P1 has a better plot., and P2 is much more dramatic. A lot of the plot elements in P2 are a little hard to swallow, simply because it tries to be so realistic at the same time. Both are much better than most anime out there. I agree, the first movie is a lot easier to digest especially when watching it for the first time but the second movie is every bit as good in its own right too! It just takes a lot of effort to really appreciate it; its deliberately slow but tense pacing may not be to everyone's tastes. Both, for me, are hallmark Oshii movies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the white drew carey Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Both, for me, are hallmark Oshii movies. Wow, what if Oshii actually made Hallmark movies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowlightman Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 The first Patlabor movie is about as linear as a Oshii movie as you're likely to find. It's a pretty straightforward detective story with an action pay off. Patlabor 2 is much more difficult to get into, especially if you're not aware of it's real life basis... but once you understand it I think it's a far better movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olivers Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 Got my 2*1/72 Hannibals this morning. WOW, Kotobukiya have really outdone themselves and I am really going to enjoy making these models. For the scale the detail is incredible. Was also thinking it would be fairly easy to scale up to 1/35 so it matches the Master Grade kits. Will have to take a proper look once I start making one of them. White NATO colours I think for the first one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd77 Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Just recently got my WAVE WHAM Ingram and while initially I wasn’t too impressed with it, after watching a few episodes of Patlabor, the toy has really, I mean really grown on me. The best aspect of the toy, in contrast to Yamato’s effort and to some extent CM’s, is that the overall proportion is wonderfully balanced. It may not match the somewhat squat proportions of the line art but it pretty much captures the look of its on-screen persona. The torso is just nicely sized – not too small like the Revoltech’s, not too elongated like the CM’s, and certainly nowhere near as oversized as Yamato’s. The legs, while long, are also quite slender with a pair of proportionately matching feet, which again, contrasts that of CM’s whose lower legs in particular, seemed quite a bit oversized (I’m not slating CM’s effort though as I love them way too dearly). The only thing they could improve with regard to the overall proportions is perhaps to make the soles of the feet a little thicker, but really, that’s only a minor quibble. As for the head, I think I’ve read some past comments that it isn’t quite as “handsome” compared to other incarnations of the labor. This, like everything else concerning aesthetics, I think depends on your personal preference on what constitutes a “handsome” Ingram. For me, the profile shot of WAVE’s effort is pretty much spot on compared to the line art as the visor remains rather wide and doesn’t taper as much as say, Yamato’s. From the front, I think the chin of the face mask could use some sharpening as it is quite a bit rounded. Nonetheless, it still looks good, again, matching how it looks on average as seen on TV. Now on to the other aspects. Articulation: Torso – probably the worst aspect in this regard, the torso only rotates to the left and right and even so, not by much. It doesn’t pivot up or down nor swivel from side to side, which could really help in more dynamic poses. Arms – possibly the biggest disappointment here is the lack of double-jointed elbows and as such, like CM’s Ingram, rotates up to the typical 90-degree range. Someone once mentioned that the rubber shrouds could interfere with the articulation and to some extent, that’s true. In my case, the left elbow would occasionally “pop-off” after rotating it to the max due to the aforementioned shrouds. Elsewhere though, everything is very much free from obstructions as the joints are quite tight and hold their own pretty well. The shoulders, rotate as they should (a full 360-degree rotation would contort the rubber shrouds to unsightly extents though) and can even swivel back and forth slightly. And the upper arm can be rotated towards or away from the body. Legs – definitely the best part of the toy in terms of movement range. The hips are nicely spaced away from the waist, which mitigates some of the obstructions that occur between the upper part of the hip armor and the waist (a common issue with the CM’s particularly if you want to stretch the legs farther apart or perform a kneeling pose). It helps as well that the hip armors are quite a bit shorter, being at level with the waist instead of going above it. The amount of twisting afforded by the hips as such is greatly enhanced by the preceding two factors. The knees are every bit as good as CM’s – tight, double-jointed goodness. However, the considerable range of movement afforded by both the hips and knees make kneeling poses really easy to pull off and the best part is, they do not look awkward. The feet, like CM’s effort, is divided into two parts: the heel and the sole, both of which can be rotated toward or away from each other. Each foot rotates ever so slightly and can be pivoted up and down. Movement range is probably hindered due to the fact that the feet practically take up the entire socket in the lower legs. As for the rubber shrouds, they don’t pose too much of a hindrance since the joints are quite tight. Overall, while the amount of articulation is similar to that of CM’s though I think the movement range with WAVE’s is a little better due to the more slender sculpt. Head – another weak point, the head rotates to the left and right but doing so even at slight angles would unsettle and pull out the rubber shroud, which is a little too small / short. The head also doesn’t tilt up much at all, just enough to look straight ahead. Overall, the head articulation is the one area most hampered by the rubber shroud. In terms of accessories and gimmicks, WAVE’s offering is a bit sparse, with only two opened hands (left and right), two closed fists (left and right), a gun-holding hand (right only), a stun stick-holding hand (again, right only), a riot gun, a revolver cannon, two stun sticks (one fully extended), and an armored visor. The first thing I have to mention is how oddly sculpted the opened hands and closed fists are, at least to me. The opened hands have their middle fingers jutting out above the others, making it look a little “unnatural.” The closed fists, on the other hand, again to me, are somewhat blighted by conspicuously thick fingers, at least from the top view. I don’t know, maybe I’m just a little picky but they do bother me a bit since they don’t look quite as good as they should in a neutral A pose. Like CM’s effort, you’ll have to deconstruct the head in order to replace the standard visor with the armored one. Thankfully, all you have to do is remove the top part of the head, pop-off the current visor and replace it, and put the top back – very effortless unlike CM’s, which borders on model-kit building. I also like how the torso pat-lamps are implemented – remove the backpack (the Ingram battery cover) and simply push in a tab to pop open the lamps. The backpack also conceals a sliding switch that elevates the pilot seat. Overall, these implementations are better than their slightly fiddly CM’s counterparts. The neck windshield can be raised as well but my Ingram’s is a little loose as it can be rattled quite a bit. The Noa pilot figure cannot be removed however, though at the very least, it does have a good semblance to the character (unlike the CM’s) with neatly painted eyes and facial features. While the revolver cannon compartment on the lower right leg works, it’s not as good as it should be since it doesn’t hold the weapon very well – the gun pops off too easily and it’s quite a bit of a hassle to put it back in place. What’s worse though is that the cover on my Ingram doesn’t close as tightly as it should, resulting in an unsightly gap. Of course, this can be easily remedied by thickening the peg on the cover with some nail polish (or in my case, superglue). As for the stun stick, oddly enough, the short one is not fully concealed when inserted into the shield – its end protrudes outward quite a bit. I’m pretty sure the entire thing is supposed to be hidden unless it is ejected. And of course, the right hand extends though I wish the exposed mechanical details are painted, particularly the wires. The cockpit hatch opens but in a non-canon way. Normally, only the black part that houses the police crest slides out and flips upward. However, WAVE took a little shortcut by simply molding the black and white pieces as a single part, and so, the whole chunk just after the chest windows (the three cockpit windows at the top of the chest that are sometimes transparent and sometimes not) simply slides out. It doesn’t look too bad however and again, it might just be me nitpicking a little too much. I believe (correct me if I’m wrong here) that almost the entire toy barring the rubber shrouds is painted, with a mixture of plastic and purportedly, diecast parts though I can’t be sure which is which. The paint job has a nice glossy sheen to it, making it look a lot better in person. The various labels such as the license plate numbers, the division designation, the SV2 emblem, the Alphonse label etc. are all pre-printed on the toy so no stickers are necessary. What I don’t really care for though is the inconsistent inking of the panel lines that “breaks up” (the lines on the knee covers break-up here and there) and are of varying hues (the one on my Ingram’s right shoulder armor has a slight greenish tint). Frankly, I wish they would just leave out the panel line inking, which would perhaps lend a cleaner look to the toy. More annoying is the fact that the police crest on my Ingram is slightly crooked to one side. At about $150 (from HLJ) a pop, is it worth it? This will likely depend on how much you care for the Ingram’s design and a more balanced interpretation of its proportions as I believe those are the most distinguishing factors of WAVE’s effort. Other interpretations of the labor may offer better mileage in similar or other aspects depending on what you’re looking for in an Ingram toy. Personally, the sculpt alone sells it for me despite some of the flaws mentioned above. For me, it’s as good an interpretation you’re going to get aesthetically out of the current (and perhaps upcoming) crop of Ingram toys. Here are some pics: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd77 Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Updated pics of Yamato's Ingram here. Is it me or are the proportions a little more balanced now? Shoulder armors are still a little over-sized though, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante74 Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Updated pics of Yamato's Ingram here. Is it me or are the proportions a little more balanced now? Shoulder armors are still a little over-sized though, IMO. If anything, the price is over-sized. Toy looks awesome though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizman Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Im suprised that the wave ingram came out looking so nicely, as I recall it's prototype mold looked terrible. For $150 I think I'll stick with my CM version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drifand Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Just recently got my WAVE WHAM Ingram and while initially I wasn’t too impressed with it, after watching a few episodes of Patlabor, the toy has really, I mean really grown on me. The best aspect of the toy, in contrast to Yamato’s effort and to some extent CM’s, is that the overall proportion is wonderfully balanced... Hi Todd, Glad to hear that you're enjoying the WHAM Ingram. All quibbles aside, could you do a side by side size comparison with the CM's? That's because the CM's scale was never officially stated, and I'm sure many fans would be considering getting the WHAM Helldiver if the relative sizes weren't too far off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd77 Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 (edited) Hi Todd, Glad to hear that you're enjoying the WHAM Ingram. All quibbles aside, could you do a side by side size comparison with the CM's? That's because the CM's scale was never officially stated, and I'm sure many fans would be considering getting the WHAM Helldiver if the relative sizes weren't too far off. Hello Drifand, That's the first thing I wanted to do but unfortunately, I don't have my CM's Ingrams with me right now (they're in my home whereas I'm currently living in an overseas dorm). I did measure it with a ruler and WAVE's Ingram tops out at above 19cm (about 19.5-ish) for antenna height and above 17cm for head height. I remember measuring my CM's and if I recall correctly, they top out at about 18cm for antenna height. Still, I took a pic of my WAVE's next to a fastened ruler. I hope this helps. Edited January 5, 2009 by todd77 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drifand Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Thanks, Todd. My measurements for the CM's is 17.3 cm to the top of the antenna (if the head is tilted slightly down). So I guess the WHAM is taller/larger. Still wouldn't deter me from getting the Helldiver, if only to enjoy the better finishing compared to CM's all-plastic Mecha-Action series. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IXTL Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Yamato 1/24 Ingram Unit 1 lightbar feature http://www.yamato-toys.com/dev/cont_067/in...l?infolnk=index Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holytoledo69 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I'd really love to get the yamato version.. But Im strictly a Transformers/Robotech/Macross collector. Its nice though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd77 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 The flashing pat-lamps look really nice and the light-up chest lamps are a nice touch. Knowing Yamato however (fold booster hello!), I think it's a safe bet that batteries are not included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizman Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 So Yamato is finally putting lights on their toys, oh happy day! This means the (never going to happen) 1/60 monster will have a light up cockpit, cannons and other uneccesary places to have lights! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd77 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 So Yamato is finally putting lights on their toys, oh happy day! This means the (never going to happen) 1/60 monster will have a light up cockpit, cannons and other uneccesary places to have lights! Don't forget the fold booster - that one lights up too - if you find batteries for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CF18 Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 More pic of the Yamato: http://ameblo.jp/digitamin/entry-10190050681.html The pilot better be painted in the final product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
type j9 Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 the AV 98 WAVE is on sale on HLJ http://www.hlj.com/product/WAVKP-01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante74 Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 the AV 98 WAVE is on sale on HLJ http://www.hlj.com/product/WAVKP-01 I'll wait for the Yamato to go on sale, even if it takes a couple of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macrossnake Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I'll wait for the Yamato to go on sale, even if it takes a couple of years. same here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignacio Ocamica Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 I'll wait for the Yamato to go on sale, even if it takes a couple of years. Must resist pressing the preorder button Don't know if I can wait too long!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante74 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Must resist pressing the preorder button Don't know if I can wait too long!!! Be strong my friend! You'll regret it when it goes on sale. (if it ever does...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scream Man Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I really want to see the Yamato Labor NEXT to something, so I can judge the size myself.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b24m Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 hi.. i want to share my patlabor collections, but this is 1/35 MG model.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd77 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 hi.. i want to share my patlabor collections, but this is 1/35 MG model.. Nice! What kind of models / toys are those peacemakers and the X-0 in the background? They look a little Kubrick-ish / cardboard-like to be MG grade models and I wasn't aware that they made MG kits for these labors either (I'm no modeling fan though). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blowsperior Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 1/72 Hannibal JGSDF Ver. by Kotobukiya Hobby Search: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10084716 Hlj: http://www.hlj.com/product/KBYKP-102 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anime52k8 Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Nice! What kind of models / toys are those peacemakers and the X-0 in the background? They look a little Kubrick-ish / cardboard-like to be MG grade models and I wasn't aware that they made MG kits for these labors either (I'm no modeling fan though). I think the 3 in the background are Papercraft models. the 2 up front look like the bandai MG kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vostok 7 Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 1/72 Hannibal JGSDF Ver. by Kotobukiya Hobby Search: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10084716 Hlj: http://www.hlj.com/product/KBYKP-102 OH I SO WANT IT. Does anyone have the PKO version to comment on the quality? I was almost going to buy the PKO version and paint it olive drab to replicate the JGSDF version! I'm glad Koto's making this version! And geez, looking at those pictures I can see why Yamato's AV98 is so danged expensive! Look at all the little gimmicks! Can someone tell me why CMs Brockens are so expensive though? Vostok 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drifand Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 No particular reason... it's just basic Otaku Tax. They know the average fan is a working adult by now... what's expensive is not 'unaffordable'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFTF1 Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 That gallery of Yamato's 1/24 shows just why Yamato is not "becoming" but pretty much already IS my favorite company. The prices are "insane" - except that they are actually not "THAT" insane - becaus SHE's prices were usually double what Yamato charges. Yamato has suceeded in bringing us what was once thought of as limited garage/SHE quality items for a price that - while certainly pushing the envelope in terms of upper limit - does not bring the cieling down on our heads. The only thing stopping me from getting that Ingram is one sad little truth: I HAVE NO INTEREST IN THE DESIGN!! I just don't like it. I watched a couple of episodes o Patlabor and it was relatively fun. Maybe I'll watch the whole series eventually. I have a few of the Revoltechs - well - most of them except the Ingram, which is my least favorite. And I also have a list of more lovable (to me) mecha which take precedent over this guy... But rest assured, if a Gene were to come slithering out of a bottle and grant me three wishes - the 1/24 Ingram would definitely be number three. Well...ok... It would...be on the list... of wishes... after wishing for - er - you know - many more wishes... oh - blimy If I had more money I'd get him Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zx31 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Not sure if anyone has noticed, but apparently HLJ is running a sale on Patlabor figures: http://www.hlj.com/hljsalepage.html/?serie...isplayMode=list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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