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Bandai 1/72 Scale Macross Frontier Plastic Models


Graham

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Bandai has no love for Macross

Considering how much money Bandai's dumped into this new incarnation of the property? You gotta be kidding.

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although, all this prototype pics look slightly promising, I still don't think Bandai will make a quality Macross model/toy, they seem to be showing, as always lack of interest in developing this properly, example of this, Gandam 00 was halfway through the series and there were already releasing their fugly mechs, and Macross is close to halfway already and all we got are crappy rivet filled unfinished prototype.... Bandai has no love for Macross

Or, you know, they're taking a lot more time and care working on the designs, because a transforming Kawamori design takes a sight more work than knocking out yet another gundam design?

This "Bandai hates Macross" nonsense is mind-boggling.

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It could be worse. Code Geass didn't get any models until shortly before season 2.

Considering how much money Bandai's dumped into this new incarnation of the property? You gotta be kidding.

I think Bandai is just taking a more cautious approach due to the price of materials these days. Even Gundam 00 was not given the same Z, ZZ, and V Gundam treatment (constant new kits for every MS available) - they limited the FG series to the 4 protagonists only. However, looking at the 00 1/100 line, the products themselves will be given more attention.

I'm sure the Macross Frontier series will be given the same treatment. I just hope they learned from Code Geass that if they do wait, they might as well wait longer (they had to release the Lancelot 3 times because by the time the Air Cavalry was released, that very week on TV you saw a new set of armaments... ). In fact, I hope they release them slightly later so that we don't end up with 6 Alto kits - which is very possible for Bandai!! (Normal G head, Super, Full Armour, S, S Super, S Full Armour).

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Loving the look of the model over the toy. Yes I'm not a model kit guy (no patience or skills) but so far it's doesn't look bad to me.

It says in that gunota article that it is the latter age group (the thirty year olds) that are buying gunpla and sustaining it, more than the younger kids.

http://aeug.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archiv...345944912736370

Random Gunpla facts & figures

Nikkei Business Online has been posting a series of discussions with Bandai Hobby Division's Deputy General Manager & Bandai Hobby Center chief Katsuhiko Sasaki. The second one focuses on his work as a manager and the people who support the Gunpla market.

- Development of a plamodel takes 120-150 days from design to shipping out. They plan on optimizing this to 100 days.

- The plamodel market exceeds 50 billion yen in value.

- Said market is such that even 10-year-old products can be manufactured and sold with repeated demand. The ratio of sales for new products vs. old products is roughly 50-50.

- The people who buy Gunpla can be largely divided into two groups: 14-year-olds who purchase them because of their interest in the newest Gundam on TV and 35-year-olds who've been fans since First Gundam. Gunpla has been particularly sustained by the latter.p

Are the gunpla the easy to make stuff? I have no idea about gundam models (casual watcher of the shows more than a fan) as I am a toy guy. But what I would love to see is a larger transforming kit of all my fave VF from macross. Hasegawa can make the dedicated mode models but I would love for bandai to make higher detailed models of bigger size that can be built but would be cheaper than a similar sized toy made to be played around with by the average kid. (ie big enough to hold without breaking stuff, but retaining details not on the toys and possibly having a highly complex transformation at the same time)

The reason I like that idea is because I don't really play with my toys, and I do treat them like display pieces, (barely ever touching them) but when I like to transform them, I don't want to worry about things cracking or causing stress on it. If a bandai model of a larger size (than 1/72) meant more room and thicker material able to be used, I could get the best of both worlds.

Now my question is: how come bandai don't even try to make macross models at a Perfect Grade level of complexity/size like with the gundam shows? I think a lot of macross fans would love to get something like it. For me the thing that spoils the look of the valkyrie is when bandai make the mecha a little too chunky for the sake of the toys which I can imagine would be designed to be handled by kids who might be a little rougher on them than the guy who just wants to display something on the shelf. Is it just a question of them thinking that macross is a smaller market than gundam so they haven't bothered?

Unlike collectors, I don't really care about 'weight' or 'heft' just the finished look of the thing so it appears good when blown up to size. I do want it to be able to transform, (just like the cg model shows in the ova/tv series/movie) but without necessarily having the chunky body of the toys. Now if a lot of the older guys; the hardcore fans of macross, are interested in accurate Valks in model form, why don't bandai try to put the same level of attention towards making Macross PG kits as they do for Gundam? Just seems like a wasted opportunity since older guy doesn't play with the toys of there is less of a need to make them chunky.

Edited by 1/1 LowViz Lurker
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Just how big is a 1/72 scale?

It means that if you lined up 72 of the model, they would add up to the same length as the real thing. So the question is how large is the "real" VF-25? Then divide that by 72. I think the sizes have been stated a few pages back though. I'm guessing thier the same size as a MG Gundam kit.

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The VF-25F Battroid is 15.59 meters including head lasers. That would make the battroid model approx. 0.216527 meters which translates to 21.65 centimeters approximately. If you want your measurements in standard then that's around 8.52 inches.

By the numbers also if anyone is curious, the 1/60 DX toy would be approximately 25.98 centimeters tall and 10.23 inches or so.

Edited by Master Dex
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The VF-25F Battroid is 15.59 meters including head lasers. That would make the battroid model approx. 0.216527 meters which translates to 21.65 centimeters approximately. If you want your measurements in standard then that's around 8.52 inches.

Standard would be 21.65 centimetres. ^_^

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Loving the look of the model over the toy. Yes I'm not a model kit guy (no patience or skills) but so far it's doesn't look bad to me.

It says in that gunota article that it is the latter age group (the thirty year olds) that are buying gunpla and sustaining it, more than the younger kids.

http://aeug.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archiv...345944912736370

Are the gunpla the easy to make stuff? I have no idea about gundam models (casual watcher of the shows more than a fan) as I am a toy guy. But what I would love to see is a larger transforming kit of all my fave VF from macross. Hasegawa can make the dedicated mode models but I would love for bandai to make higher detailed models of bigger size that can be built but would be cheaper than a similar sized toy made to be played around with by the average kid. (ie big enough to hold without breaking stuff, but retaining details not on the toys and possibly having a highly complex transformation at the same time)

The reason I like that idea is because I don't really play with my toys, and I do treat them like display pieces, (barely ever touching them) but when I like to transform them, I don't want to worry about things cracking or causing stress on it. If a bandai model of a larger size (than 1/72) meant more room and thicker material able to be used, I could get the best of both worlds.

Now my question is: how come bandai don't even try to make macross models at a Perfect Grade level of complexity/size like with the gundam shows? I think a lot of macross fans would love to get something like it. For me the thing that spoils the look of the valkyrie is when bandai make the mecha a little too chunky for the sake of the toys which I can imagine would be designed to be handled by kids who might be a little rougher on them than the guy who just wants to display something on the shelf. Is it just a question of them thinking that macross is a smaller market than gundam so they haven't bothered?

Unlike collectors, I don't really care about 'weight' or 'heft' just the finished look of the thing so it appears good when blown up to size. I do want it to be able to transform, (just like the cg model shows in the ova/tv series/movie) but without necessarily having the chunky body of the toys. Now if a lot of the older guys; the hardcore fans of macross, are interested in accurate Valks in model form, why don't bandai try to put the same level of attention towards making Macross PG kits as they do for Gundam? Just seems like a wasted opportunity since older guy doesn't play with the toys of there is less of a need to make them chunky.

Bandai won't sink any money into PG kits for a few reasons. One is that PG kits are expensive to design and create, and it shows in their pricepoint. Kind of risky to put that out there, when they haven't even seen how well the 1/72's sell yet. The other reason is that Gundam has MANY more fans than Macross. You have to remember they're in this to make money, not accomodate fanboys like us. The other reason I've heard Bandai's leery of PG's is because they don't sell well in Japan due to smaller living spaces, which means people have less room to display their models. Don't get me wrong, I'd love a PG valk from ANY macross series, but I'm not holding my breath, especially since aside from recolorings like the Strike Rouge, RX-78 color variant, Titan Mk.II and Pearl wing zero, we haven't seen a new PG kit in a VERY long time. I'd recommend you build one though, it's not that hard and a memorable expierience. I have all of them to date and love them. Bandai does make excellent models, really.

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Standard would be 21.65 centimetres. ^_^

Standard measurement is the name for what America uses instead of Metric I thought, maybe I'm wrong and it is called something else. Well you should be able to tell what I mean, in metric it is 21.65 centimeters and in the American measurement system it is 8.52 inches. While I'm American I actually prefer Metric as it makes more sense to me. However I gave both as I know not everyone may know how big that is.

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Standard measurement is the name for what America uses instead of Metric I thought, maybe I'm wrong and it is called something else. Well you should be able to tell what I mean, in metric it is 21.65 centimeters and in the American measurement system it is 8.52 inches. While I'm American I actually prefer Metric as it makes more sense to me. However I gave both as I know not everyone may know how big that is.

Inches, miles and farenhieght are measured in the Imperial system. I think there is one other country in the world that still usess it besides the United States. I think it's a small third world country.

They never did come up with a Metric equivilent of lattitude and longitude. The current system is base 60.

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Inches, miles and farenhieght are measured in the Imperial system. I think there is one other country in the world that still usess it besides the United States. I think it's a small third world country.

They never did come up with a Metric equivilent of lattitude and longitude. The current system is base 60.

I've never heard it called the Imperial system, sounds like something the British would say, and they should use inches and stuff still I would think unless they took the time to convert unlike lazy America (I really do prefer metric).

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Guest sh002

Which US online stores are the best to buy Macross models like these? I know several for toys but not many for models.

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I've never heard it called the Imperial system, sounds like something the British would say, and they should use inches and stuff still I would think unless they took the time to convert unlike lazy America (I really do prefer metric).

I was called the Imperial system during the days of the British Empire, when we ruled the world and everyone did as we said. So the system of measurement that we made every new nation of stick bashers we conquered use became know as the Imperial system. Then as soon as the Empire died (the end of WWII) everyone ran away from it except for the USA, who Liked it.

I can and do use either Imperial or metric, which ever is easiest at the time, although metric takes less thought

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Which US online stores are the best to buy Macross models like these? I know several for toys but not many for models.

I'm partial to Hobbylink Japan myself: www.hlj.com

SAL shipping will cost you about the same as domestic Priority, but will take a bit longer to get to you from Japan.

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I was called the Imperial system during the days of the British Empire, when we ruled the world and everyone did as we said. So the system of measurement that we made every new nation of stick bashers we conquered use became know as the Imperial system. Then as soon as the Empire died (the end of WWII) everyone ran away from it except for the USA, who Liked it.

I can and do use either Imperial or metric, which ever is easiest at the time, although metric takes less thought

Ah, your British, I wasn't expecting that. Yeah, America must have liked it a lot though. I prefer metric like I said but I still use Imperial in my life because I was born with it and learned it first. However metric is becoming second nature to me, especially since in space even America uses metric and my future career will involve designing spacecraft.

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I did Aerospace Engineering at university. I found it difficult, and ultimately dissatisfying - it takes a very particular sort of person to become a good engineer. I have a different career now. Good luck with the career choice, and getting to know metric is a very, very good idea.

Anyway, lets get back on topic. Let's have the new Q-Rau please Bandai! At least you can't make it transformable... :rolleyes:

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I did Aerospace Engineering at university. I found it difficult, and ultimately dissatisfying - it takes a very particular sort of person to become a good engineer. I have a different career now. Good luck with the career choice, and getting to know metric is a very, very good idea.

Anyway, lets get back on topic. Let's have the new Q-Rau please Bandai! At least you can't make it transformable... :rolleyes:

It is difficult, but it is the right thing for me I'm pretty sure. Thanks for the words, of course "in my experience there's no such thing as luck" (I like that quote).

Bandai would probably make a pretty good Q-Rau, or Q-Rea for that matter.

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