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Darth Mingus

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Everything posted by Darth Mingus

  1. Most likely Bandai switching factories in China and lack of Japanese staff overseeing production on the main land. Prior to the pandemic, they released a Tamashii Nations video touting the extreme quality control that went into every release (ha!), but with the pandemic, I am pretty sure they would want their employees travelling to China to oversee the production lines.
  2. I have not had problems with them yet. They list the quantity of an item they have on their page which is nice and they send you a confirmation that your order has been placed in the case of P-Bandai. Hopefully they will continue to be good and not turn out to be another NY. Keep in mind, NY was good at the beginning as well.
  3. They are going to transform it into a regular theme hotel, minus the 48-hour forced audience participation set pieces. In the end, it was an ambitious idea that they could not pull off in an economic manner. Whatever consulting firm sold them on the idea oversold the public's willingness to part with obscene amounts of cash for this type of experience. I am sure the pandemic did not help either. It will probably be booked solid until the end of its run as the die hards get it off their bucket lists, then you will be able to stay in the hotel at much more reasonable rates. @ 100 or so rooms, it will be one of the smaller properties at the site.
  4. I was in Japan in February and most of the non-Bandai Macross stuff was easy to find. Gunpla on the other hand was almost impossible. If you are looking for plastic models from Wave and other manufacturers, the Yodabashi Camera in Kyoto had them in stock, right near the train station. The best place for plastic models was in Osaka, a place called Joshin Super Kids Land HQ. The Jungle Mecha Store is also worth visiting if you are in the area. If you want Resin kits, those are much harder to find. You can try Mandarake Nakano Broadway, which is a much see in my opinion. The other branches might have as well but it might be easier to order online and have it shipped domestically to where you are staying. Jungle, Volks and Yellow Submarine may have some items in stock, but avoid Surugaya at all costs. These guys have gone full scalper mode, charging double/triple for recent releases. Their store in Akihabara is stacked floor to ceiling in Amazon boxes filled with models they order online to resell. Thankfully I enjoyed the hunt, but I ended up buying very little while I was there.
  5. I literally just bought the Volks resin SAV version of this. Maybe if I buy the resin LED Mirage with Boomerang unit I have my eye on, they will announce the IMS version. In any case, I am glad they are still pumping out the IMS kits. They are a lot more complex than gunpla but are quite fun to build in the end. The lance on this one will be longer than the flame launcher on the Inferno Napalm.
  6. Arrgh! Doesn't ship to anywhere other than the US!
  7. Looks great. I wonder how this will pair with the teased S.H.Figuarts Kira Yamato figure
  8. Great looking kit, but it will be a while before it is available outside of Japan. Apparently, first release is lottery only, then limited release in Fukuoka Gundam Base. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be in a hurry to milk the Geara Doga mold. They have done 2 colour swaps since the kit was released in 2013 and that's it. Where is the heavy beam cannon version, the Stuka head version. Heck, they can probably milk a Gear Zulu out of it, maybe. I would love a MG version of this, maybe I will just do my own mode of the base Geara Doga someday.
  9. Pre-Order up at HLJ: https://www.hlj.com/1-72-scale-plamax-vf-1s-fighter-valkyrie-roy-fokker-macross-max01328
  10. Thanks for the review links. Looks good, although the gold is a bit of a let down. It looks like there are only a few instances of lame gold. The coating also does not seem consistent, but the armour hides most of the it. I am still on the fence as to the value of the kit. It looks much nicer than the original kit but it is pricy for a master grade.
  11. Pre-Orders at Volks USA start tomorrow for a Feb 2023 release.
  12. The follow up question would be whether you have to pay import taxes again once it comes through your mail system or via DHL/FedEx. If I am charged taxes by a Japanese vendor, they better not charge me again when I get the package. Thankfully, it does not look like they are doing this for Canada just yet.
  13. You can get much better looking 3d printed or resin version for $5. I like that they are expanding the line, but the softness of the mold is embarrassing. vs. vs.
  14. Pretty much came to the same conclusion with the RG Hi-Nu. I am blessed to have some local shops that stock Bandai products so I have been able to find them about 1 month after release in Japan. With most Japanese e-retailers stopping international shipping of Gunpla, HLJ is one of the last reputable ones so I don't see the situation getting better anytime soon.
  15. I think they teased that the zakus would be released on at a time.
  16. Plenty of time to save, who knows, maybe your Valk collection can pay for her education (congrats, by the way). My wife and I used to trade off, she would go to bed at 9:00 and I would stay up until 1:00 AM for the "sew yeh" feeding, and she would get up for the 6:00 AM breakfast. Worked out great, I managed to finish a ton of video games.
  17. Good advice. It is currently listed for $70USD more than MRSP based on current exchange rates.
  18. Very nice. If you have the chance, I am sure each one of those has a story to tell.
  19. Promotional Video for the MGEX Strike Freedom (Nov 2022, 14,000 Yen)
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