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To be fair, that's exactly what Solo Camping for Two advertised itself as... an infotainment-type manga/anime about the camping hobby. It's sponsored by like thirty different outdoor equipment companies. There's a literal wall of their logos in the credits. It's just a really phenomenally sh*tty ambassador for the hobby it's promoting because it does almost nothing to present camping as a fun or engaging pursuit. Kind of the opposite, really. If it weren't for Shizuku being there to be someone for Gen to talk at, it would be the incredibly depressing story of this perpetually unkempt 30-something misanthropic loser with no social ties who goes out into the woods alone every weekend to get drunk and rant to himself about camping gear. There are other titles that deliver edutainment way more effectively like Ruri Rocks (mineralogy), How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift? (fitness), Let's Make a Mug Too! (ceramics and pottery), or even Iwakakeru - Sport Climbing Girls (rock climbing). Not really... it's a pretty mixed bag this season but nothing good that's underreported as far as I've seen.

However the pricing, I think you’ll be happy. Fully transformable and includes the driver and a power armor. Lots of bang for the buck

Update 38 - December 2025 Posted by Robert J Woodhead Dec 19, 2025 Last month we submitted a test disc for review. While no major issues were found, there were a number of small changes that needed to be made, mostly related to the formatting of our reconstructed opening and ending credits -- there were some constraints that we were not aware of when we originally created them. We have spent the last month fixing all the issues and confirming that our fixes are correct. We are now producing another test disc for final review. If no further problems are detected, then we expect to receive approval in early January. We then need to produce the UHD version of the disc (which is a straightforward process) and put the disc into mastering and replication. This can take 6-8 weeks depending on how busy the pressing plant is. We are also expecting the results of the review of the artbook and packaging before the end of the year. Handling any corrections should be relatively straightforward, so these should not cause any additional production delays; when the discs arrive, we'll be ready to ship. Thus, our current shipping estimate is NET (no earlier than) late February. We know this is later than anyone wants, but everyone here (and in Japan) wants to ensure that you receive something that is as close to perfect as humanly possible. Sincerely, Robert & Natsumi

I think he just took the usual Gundam crest and moved it down, probably as a signature difference since all the other suits kept the crest up on top of the head. While Superheroes aren't generally considered Sci-fi, in my mind they fall into the bucket more often than not. Batman, with all his gadgets, is a particular favorite and I wanted to mention the late Anton Furst for his iconic Batmobile design, followed by Chris Nolan's and Nathan Crowley's Tumbler, still one of the most unique rides for the Caped Crusader, as well as Rocksteady's car-cum-tank Batmobile in Batman: Arkham Knight, to Patrick Tatoupolos', Ed Natividad's and Dennis McCarty & Team's Batmobile design for Batman vs Superman. The Batmobile for me is a star unto itself whenever it's featured, and while there have been countless versions of it over the decades, these particular designs stand out for me. Of course, I grew up watching the old '66 Batman show, and that Batmobile, the iconic heavily modified Ford Lincoln Futura, still stands out as well, although I prefer the more modern takes. I've also been a huge fan of the S.H.I.E.L.D. flying car since first seeing it in a friend's comic book back in the 80s focusing on breakdowns and cutaways for a plethora of Marvel Comics gadgetry. That image burrowed itself into my psyche, and I still think it one of the coolest bits of hardware in a vast universe of interesting and cool hardware, including my other favorites, Tony Stark's many Iron Man suits. I was really pleased when the flying car was featured in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Coulson's cherry red convertible, L.O.L.A. LEGO even made a set of it, much to my joy. As the LEGO Speed Champions Team seem to be exploring more media as fodder for sets, I hope LOLA get the treatment eventually. Since I'm talking about flying cars now, I have to mention the Delorean from Back to the Future Part II, which gave an already cool sci-fi vehicle, a sporty time machine, a flight mode with tires that curl under nigh parallel to the road, a look I've dug since seeing the old SHIELD car in that aforementioned comic. Staying with the car theme, I'll wrap up with the Mach 5 from Mach GoGoGo, or more famously known as Speed Racer. Much like many Batmobiles and James Bond vehicles over the years (another worthy mention), the Mach 5 blends style and gadgetry to create a formidable sci-fi vehicle wielded against the forces of evil. Ironically, I'm not a car guy by any stretch, but I'm enamored with cars with secret transformations, hidden weapons and functions, and other capabilities beyond those of normal cars. Guess I need to throw the whole inventory from M.A.S.K. in there, too. So much goodness. I'd love to see MASK make a comeback in a grittier show in the vein of G.I. Joe Resolute with both the old vehicles and new ones. It's such a great concept: it deserves a good show and some really badass toys, models, etc.

Aaand, on to the next project! 😉 Still early but here's what I'm working on next. In playing with the Al Shahal map, it was quickly becoming apparent that while I have a hard drive full of fighters now, there are pretty much no civilian craft available anywhere. I had made a couple of commercial versions of Zentradi craft to use as background freight haulers but wanted to fill out the spaceport with something more human oriented and decided to start here. I plan to make the Walkure shuttle as well (both are very simple shapes, which is nice), but may need to get inventive since I'm not aware of any other small to mid-size civilian ships in the "official" setting materials besides the container ships seen in Delta. Anyway, hope to have some preliminary textured version of the starliner soon.

Yep, and I figured if I waited and tried to get it from BBTS, one, I'd have to compete against all the TF fans who want it as a Roadbuster stand-in, and two, BBTS always has a bit of a mark-up on their stuff, so that along with tariffs might mean a far steeper price than just ordering from the source and paying a little more for shipping. Incidentally, they wanted $53.99 for the kit and $34 for shipping, which honestly, didn't seem too bad. I've been wanting a good version of this thing forever, and I love how the finished kit looks, probably more than all the other toys that have released over the years, so yeah, I'm resting easy with having secured a preorder at the price I paid.

@wm cheng here you go. Giant decal sheet. VF-1D box for comparison. My kid decided I should build a plane. Plamax VF-1 it is.

For once Venom doesn’t have the most nightmarish smileWolverine looks way too pervy here and that’s definitely not Gal Gadot

I feel like Tronime was big last decade and still lingering too much and even the fans seem to be complaining, but now Instructional anime is getting overly popular

Mercy Rabbit box art again. Lots of cool classics getting cool box art

It’s definitely a tough thing to guess these days with shipping and tariffs

Another bit of cool board from Mercy Rabbit for the moderoid kit

I figured about the same regarding price, so I just said the heck with it and ordered.

I’ve seen a few interviews with Syd Mead in the Blu-ray for Turn A, and he had some interesting ideas about how he always liked to start with the engine and power supply before making shapes of the vehicles like the Spinner and even his mobile suits. Still not sure about that mustache though

These look great, will they be available in multiple sizes?

This is definitely one of those simple looking ideas that makes things appear a thousand times more complex. Great execution and can’t wait to see it on the complete model. And if it goes into competition, I’m sure it will be greatly appreciated by the judges

This is definitely one of those simple looking ideas that makes things appear a thousand times more complex. Great execution and can’t wait to see it on the complete model. And if it goes into competition, I’m sure it will be greatly appreciated by the judges

The preorders just came up last night. Usually the American ones come up a few days later. Not sure if it would save any money though

Nick Trotta and Blake Foster are two builders renowned for their savant-like abilities to achieve incredible and intricate angles seamlessly in their builds. Moreover, both have an incredible talent for design on its face, as well as intricate detail work. IMHO, they are two of the best MOC builders out there, and that's no small praise considering just how many really talented MOC builders there are. When it comes to Sci-fi designs, though, these guys stand out. I wish I had just an ounce of their talent.

While sharing our thoughts about the late Gil Gerard of Buck Rogers fame, I thought @electric indigo made an interesting post citing guys like Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and Syd Mead, among others for their contributions to sci-fi design. I'm sure there are any number of idea guys at ILM today that come up with designs, and sites like ArtStation exist as a marketplace for such folks. As a huge Sci-fi fan, I'm not only interested in the designs themselves, but the people and the stories behind those creations. I wasn't sure there was a generalized place to talk about that here, so I figured I'd make one. If I'm wrong, Moderators, do your thing. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to the conversation.

Crazy Lego geometry:

It wasn’t easy to find a way to compress the arm without making it feel like a Transformers-style toy, but rather something closer to Robotech. I can’t wait to 3D print these parts

You mean Mugen Gacha which has a crazy long title.. I enjoyed this series at least.

POed this guy this morning on Good Smile's JP site. Came to $87.99 USD after shipping. After repeatedly checking with their US site and partner sites (BBTS), no one else had it but AmiAmi, who had it for 10% off, but I couldn't figure out their checkout system- it kept routing me back to inputting my email and password in an endless circle. Fortunately, Good Smile's JP site was much easier to navigate and my PO is secured. Can't wait to get this thing.

I see it as a static image not moving. No motor right!?