Graham

You can see the VF-0D at the following sites: - Bandai Visual Macross Zero site. Big West official Macross Zero site (go to the gallery section). Macrossworld magazine section: June 2004 issue of Hobby Japan. Graham

Wave, B-Club, Yellow Submarine, TECT, Hobby Base Retppu & Studio Half Eye have all released YF-19 resin garage kits in various scales. Sadly these kits are long out of production. Personally, I think the Wave 1/100 scale YF-19 battroid mode kit was the best of the bunch. There is presently no manufactuer making a YF-19 battroid mode model in either resin or plastic. If you live in Japan or Hong Kong, you may still be able to track down these kits in some of the specialist hobby shops. If not, your best bet is either Ebay or you can try PMing MW members Blackaces, Monkey-N or Neova as they all offer a service to track down older kits for members. Hope this helps Graham

The VF-0B has been out for at least one month already. Old news. The single seat VF-0A is the next Macross Zero kit. No news of the delta wing VF-0D yet, but I'm 100% sure Hasegawa will release it sooner or later. Graham

What gets me about the F-35 for A2A is that it can't carry Sidewinders in the internal bays. I've read that the shape of the airframe partially blocks the seeker heads. Also, of course no internal gun on some varients. Which means with a standard load of only 2 x AIM-120, it would be OK for medium range or BRV combat, but pretty much defensless in a knife fight. Of course, I'm sure that with external pylons fitted, Sidewinders could be carried, but then the F-35 losses it's stealth advantage. Graham

Time to rain on everybodies parade...again! Just when I though Okawara had scrapped the bottom of the recycling barrel, he proves that there are new depths of unoriginality to which he can sink. I mean Zakus in SEED........sheesh!!!!!!!! Okawara have you no shame man? Actually, it's all probably just a marketing ploy to sell more models and toys. I can just picture the meeting of Bandai's Gunpla marketing executives: - Exec A: We sold a whole sh*t load of SEED Gundam kits, but the bad guy mecha, the Ginns and Mobile BBQs (or whatever they're called) didn't sell too well. What can we do to increase sales figures for the bad guy mecha in Destiny? Exec B: Well, the Zaku from the original Gundam is probably the best selling enemy mecha in the history of Gundam, so why don't we ask Okawara-san to slightly redesign it for Destiny. I mean most of Okawara-san mecha are recycled designs anyway, so one more isn't going to matter. Exec A: Brilliant idea. Heck, we can even still call it a Zaku for instant name brand recognition. We're gonna sell millions to the fans, as they'll buy anything with the name Zaku or Gundam on it. I just feel that for the past decade the Gundam franchise has been sinking lower and lower. I long for the days of 0080, CCA, 0083 & 08MST. Please Sunrise redeem yourself with a good UC OVA soon. If nobody else is bothered by the crass commercialism and striking unoriginality of putting Zakus in SEED Destiny, then I'll shut up I dunno, it just irks the heck out of me. Does Sunrise & Bandai really have such a lack of confidence in designing a good looking bad guy mecha that they feel they have to plagarise designs from other series? Here's betting we see Doms in the second half of Destiny Graham

Is this 'Investigating team' supposed to be a bad translation for 'Supervision Army'? The FX set is a poorly translated, as expected from bootlegs. The line is more like: "We haven't confirmed anything yet, but we do know that the enemy's machines seem to be of the type sent on an investigative mission to the 4th planet in the Varauta 3198XE system." UN Spacy VF-14s as shown in 'Spititia Dreaming'. Graham

Gotta agree that Mylene's face looks a bit monky-ish in those pics It's great that they are making a FB2012 Minmay though. Now all we need is a Yamato 1/48 perfect transformation VF-4 to pose together with it Graham

Time to close, this is supposed to be a Macross toy forum, not a real estate forum. Graham

Perhaps when Rob (Monkey-N) is less busy, he could ask his partner to try writing in Japanese to Hasegawa to suggest a Tenjin Macross artbook? You never know, it might work. However, from experience, I know that Rob is going to be very busy with his new daughter and won't have much free time in the near future he sure will have fun thouh. Graham

Wow, that is some beautiful box art. Tenjin really is the master of Macross art. Hasegawa should really publish a hardback artbook featuring all of Tenjin's Macross box art printed on high quality glossy paper. I'd definitely buy that. Graham

I'm going to be 35 later this year and have no intention to stop collecting Macross toys. I'm still as keen as ever and very enthusiastic about each new release. However, financial realities and limitations in storage space have forced me to get rid of many of my multiples during the last year. Even I'll admit I went a bit crazy in the past. I mean did I really need 14pcs of VF-11B? I'm now limiting myself to 1 or 2pcs of each new release only. Also, luckily Hong Kong where I live is a place were toy collecting by adults is pretty common and not looked down on. Even if I did live back England, where the majority of people would think you were some sort of social deviant if you collected toys, I'd still collect and be proud of it. Graham

I don't own any I-men, so what's different about it? Graham

Here's a pic of the Bandai 1/65 scale VF-17S on the Yamato Launch Stand. Graham

Page 2 of this topic has some photos I posted of my stands with the VF-11B, VT-1 & 1/48 VF-1 Super. Graham

I think that's an incorrect assumption that a lot of little kids are watching Macross Zero. OVAs in Japan with their high cost and limited reletively limited distribution are traditionally aimed at the older hardcore fan market rather than litte kids, who when they watch anime tend to watch TV series. Not too many little kids are gonna be spending ¥5000 on a half hour OVA episode to a sequel to a 20 year old TV series that only comes out once every 6 months And Yamato toys have always been aimed more at the older fanbase rather than kiddies, for the main reason that most little kiddies have no idea what Macross is, as they are spoon fed on a diet of Gundam and sentai shows. Graham

Those are exactly the same pics of the VF-0S that have been shown in various Hobby magazines, for the past 6 months, so hopefully it is NOT the finished product as it still features those fugly hip joint sockets, a completely incorrect wing sculpt, a poor nose sculpt, terrible looking landing gear, tail fins which don't can't outwards enough and far to many removeable pieces. Not to mention no wing missiles or leg FAST packs....Grrrrr! Graham

We had a very similar thread in the Other Anime section a couple of weeks ago. Graham

IIRC, from the lineart, those elbow blisters are pop up missile launchers, not machine guns. Graham

That scheme looks similar to the 1/48 custom that is being offered as the grand prize in the 'write a Macross essay competition' in the latest issue of Figure Oh magazine. I think the custom is called 'Meteor Busters' or something like that. My magazine is at home and I'm at work so I can't check now. Graham

I thought about it when making my choices, but I'm not really a huge fan of those two characters. I mean Lucy only has a small role in M+ and Myung has never really appealed to me. Basically, when making my choices I asked myself, are they characters I would really like to see on my toy shelves and with both Lucy & Myung, the answer was no. Graham

Providence Gundam AKA Statue of Liberty Gundam. Separated at birth? You decide Graham

We've had this as a topic once or twice already in the past couple of months. I'd like to see CM's add some Macross Plus figures to the series. Anyway, here's my choices again : - CM's Macross Figures Set # 3 1) Gamlin in flight Suit (M7) 2) Mylene in Bikini (M7) 3) Isamu in Flight Suit (M+) 4) Breetai (DYRL) 5) Nora in Flight Suit (M0) Chase) Sharon Apple AI Box (M+) CM's Macross Figures Set # 4 1) Max in Captains uniform (M7) 2) Sivil (M7) 3) Shin in flight suit (M0) 4) Guld in flight suit (M+) 5) Sharon Apple, Short Red hair Version (M+) Chase) VF-1 Battroid Mode Cutaway Cockpit (DYRL). Graham

Still no chest gun tho! Graham

Dark Helmet: Before you die, there is something you should know about us, Lone Starr. Lone Starr: What? Dark Helmet: I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former room-mate. Lone Starr: What's that make us? Dark Helmet: Absolutely nothing. Graham

Japanese name: Nakamura Taiki. On a related topic, my Chinese name is: Well Hung Man Graham