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SuperSenpai

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Everything posted by SuperSenpai

  1. SuperSenpai
    Actually, that first letter could be a cursive capital "G". http://www.janbrett.com/images/cursive_g_goat.jpg
  2. SuperSenpai
    Any updates on the replacement hands for the Toynami Alphas?
  3. SuperSenpai
    I have it on good authority that Max is in fact completely blind, but masks his blindness due to a radar sense which informs him of his surroundings. Little know fact: He was adopted by the Jenius family when he was a young boy, but his birth name is Max Murdock.
  4. SuperSenpai
    I agree that Toynami has released some poor products, but I think people misplace the hate at times. Yes, several of their releases sucked big time. But Toynami, to my knowledge, doesn't appear to do any design or manufacturing in-house. They basically license existing designs, repackage them, and sell them to the U.S. market. So if anything, they just pick poor designs to license, or they pick the wrong manufacturer to build. None of these flaws are inherent to the company's structure that would prevent them from releasing better toys at some point. And as we've seen, it's entirely possible for them to release something very good (like the MPC Cyclone). My point was that so long as they license a good design (and the Yamato VF-1 molds are a great design), and pick a good manufacturer, they can put out something good. Of course, this is all pie-in-the-sky talk anyway, since it's doubtful it would ever happen. But what else are Internet message boards for if not to engage in rampant speculation?
  5. SuperSenpai
    You all made my point for me. So long as Toynami licenses and distributes a good design, there's no reason why they can't put out a quality product. The MPC Cyclone was literally the same toy that Beagle released with a modified head sculpt. The sticker sheet still even says Mospeada and Beagle all over it. It's when they either modify or adapt an existing design that wasn't all that great to begin with that we have problems. And since the Yamato V2s are a proven design, I can't see how Toynami re-branding and distributing in the US would be a bad thing. Saving on shipping alone is bound to result in a less expensive product.
  6. SuperSenpai
    Why all the hate on Toynami? Yes, they put out some crappy products, but they put out pretty good ones too. The MPC Betas and Cyclones come to mind. So it's not like it's impossible for them to put out a good toy. In fact, if they did inherit the Yamato molds and released them in the U.S. without messing with the designs, it could be a good turn of events. Imagine being able to buy a re-branded Yamato V2 from U.S. sellers and not have to worry about international shipping.
  7. SuperSenpai
    That's actually why I prefer the SDFM version, among other reasons. Milia always struck me as being rather arrogant, whereas Max was more humble, so I liked that she got a thorough beating. It also served to accentuate how talented Max really is, that he could easily handle the Zentraedi's most capable pilot. I know everybody is into imperfect heroes that can be beaten, but sometimes it's nice to have a badass hero that nobody can touch.
  8. SuperSenpai
    I voted SDFM. The DYRL version wasn't as much of a dogfight, as they pretty quickly took it close-quarters, whereas the SDFM was truly an aerial dogfight. I also think they demonstrated the acrobatic nature of Max's flying style better in the SDFM version.
  9. SuperSenpai
    I think the Ikea lights come with both mounting screws and adhesives. The Home Depot lights I used could be mounted with adhesives, I suppose. But honestly, it's not that hard to screw them in, and you'll get much better results. You just need a drill to make the pilot holes, and it comes with the hardware you need. I'd rather do it that way then use adhesives, as it's neater and you don't have to worry about lights falling onto your very expensive toys.
  10. SuperSenpai
    I installed these: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-White-LED-Puck-Lighting-Kit-21343KIT/202866296#.UXTHSrWG0Zk The Ikea I bought my Detolfs at had some similar puck lights on display next to the Detolfs, but they were fluorescent bulbs. Ikea also sells LED lights as well. The main reason why I used the set from Home Depot was because after I bought my Detolfs and brought them to assemble, I realized I forgot to buy lights. Rather than drive all the way back to Ikea, I went to the local Home Depot which is only a five minute drive away from me. One good thing about the set I bought is that the lights are dimmable.
  11. SuperSenpai
    Well, if we assume that Hikaru is Japanese, then yes I suppose it would be appropriate for him to call Roy "sempai". And if we assume that Rick Hunter is American, then it makes more sense that he calls Roy "big brother". But now I wonder -- would a native Japanese refer to a non-Japanese senior as "sempai" if he were speaking to him in English? Anyway, as I wrote previously, it's not like Rick calls Roy "big brother" all the time. And if we were to assume he is American, then I don't think an equivalent title is really necessary. After all, people in English don't normally refer to each other by title, whereas it's normal in Asian languages, and absolutely required when speaking to a senior. I think HG decided to use that term for RT because it connotes the family-like bond between Rick and Roy -- something that titles don't really convey, since by definition formality rather than familiarity is inferred by titles in the English language.
  12. SuperSenpai
    This is an issue common in literature, where you have works written in foreign (or sometimes ancient) languages that require translation into English. There exists a spectrum with lexical precision on one end and conceptual accuracy on the other, and a translator's job is to find an appropriate balance between the two. Otherwise, you end up with either 1) a woodenly literal translation that is often very hard to understand and can actually obscure the original meaning of the text, or 2) a loose translation that paraphrases the essential idea, but misses some of the nuances of the language that can convey additional subtleties. Another way to look at it is that while (1) renders the work in English, it still requires an additional step of translating the *concepts* from one culture to another, whereas with (2), both language and concepts have been translated. I think that the point along the spectrum the translator chooses can and should vary depending on the work translated, the intended audience, and the purpose for which the translation is being made. Since we are talking about anime and not scholarly pursuits, I really don't see the point of erring so much on the side of lexical precision. I know some people watch anime because they are really into Japanese culture and want to immerse themselves in that. And that's cool, more power to you -- but I just want to be entertained. For the purposes of entertainment, I think an overly precise translation (word-for-word) would distract too much because, while I'm hearing English, it would still require translating Japanese concepts to American concepts. And honestly, I'd rather not have to do that if I'm watching something for enjoyment. But that's just me. Something like "sempai" or "senpai" is a good example. There's no word in English that conveys the same idea *and* sounds natural. But I think "big brother" is as good as it gets. In fact, I think it actually does a better job than "sempai", since it's a phrase that would be immediately familiar to an English-speaking audience, and it actually conveys the closeness of Roy and Hikaru's relationship. Those more familiar with Japanese can correct me if I'm mistaken, but I believe "sempai" does not require affection or closeness between the individuals, just seniority. At least in Robotech, Rick only called Roy "big brother" a few times -- enough to establish that they were like family, but not so much that it didn't sound natural since in Japanese, it is perfectly normal to refer to someone only by their title. By the way, that ADV dub of Macross is terrible.
  13. SuperSenpai
    The Gakken Cyclones are good, well-designed, quality toys if the customers are adult collectors. But I think they suffered from the problem of being bought by the wrong audience when they were originally released. The original customers were mostly kids, and it may well have been aimed at kids, but it most certainly should not have been a kid's toy. The transformation is too complicated for a kid's toy, many of the moving parts are likely to break with a typical child's handling, and the lack of articulation in armor mode doesn't make it very playable. Compared with a typical Transformer from that era, the Gakken doesn't fare well. In fact, according to anymoon.com, the original designer of the Gakken Cyclone was fired for its poor sales -- not in small part due to these same reasons, I'd imagine. However, in comparison to other toys aimed at collectors, I think the Gakken fares very well. The transformation, though complicated, is rather ingenious for a toy/mecha whose transformation is not at all intuitive. It's also fairly sturdy in comparison to other toys aimed at collectors (I'm looking at you, MPC Alphas). You have to keep in mind, these things are 30 year old toys, and it's fairly uncommon to find one these days that hasn't been played with at all, so that should also be taken into when evaluating their sturdiness. The Gakken Cyclones really were ahead of their time, IMO.
  14. SuperSenpai
    Whoa, you're right. I picked up mine off of Amazon for around $150 with free two-day shipping thanks to Amazon Prime. Looks like I picked a good time, since it was just before the price increases. Usually Amazon indicates that it will get a restock whenever supplies are running low, but for the MPC Cyclones, the page simply points the buyers to 3rd party Amazon sellers. Not a good sign that there will be a resupply. These sellers probably got wind of the fact that there's not going to be a restock of these things, so whatever stock they have left is all they'll be able to sell. On the other hand, everyone seems eager to dump their stock of Betas. I've seen plenty of steep discounts for the Betas online. I think BBTS is selling them for under $100. I just checked out the store at Robotech.com -- that place is a ghost town. If they don't plan to restock any of those items (and it looks like some of things have been out of stock for quite some time), they really need to revise the store pages and remove the links for out-of-production items. It just looks pathetic to have a online store with a bunch of dead links -- the online equivalent of a run-down strip mall with boarded up storefronts.
  15. SuperSenpai
    I got the Rand model. It's nearly impossible to find the Scott model for what I'd consider to be a reasonable price these days. As far as I can tell, the only differences between the Rand and Scott models are the head sculpts, forearm armor, and under armor fabric colors, but the Rand is a few hundred dollars cheaper. Besides I already have a Scott/Stick Gakken ride armor, so I feel like he's represented in my collection.
  16. SuperSenpai
    It's a wonder that the Beta, which to my knowledge is the only completely original design by Toynami for their Robotech line, is one of their few well-designed toys. Makes you wonder if they could have put out an equally good Alpha or VF had they designed it on their own, rather than adapting an existing design. Speaking of Toynami, I recently picked up an MPC Cyclone. I think that might be the most amazing transforming toy design I've ever seen. The transformation for that thing is insane -- it must have been a nightmare to design. I love the little touches that made it seem more authentic -- in particular the pistons/suspension parts that link the forearm armor to the main body, and how the leg armor attaches to the thigh pieces, it reminds you that it's supposed to be a powered armor suit. I thought the Gakken ride armor toy had a complex transformation, but this thing is on another level.
  17. SuperSenpai
    It's not Macross -- but I saw a Beagle Mospeada Ride Armor toy for $10,000 on Amazon. I really wonder about some of these astronomical prices. I understand (but don't necessarily condone) trying to milk a desperate buyer for all you can, but after some point you're just guaranteeing that it's going to warm your shelf for a long time. A VF-4G for $1600? Hey, why not $2000? Or $5000? I mean, if we're going to price things at ridiculously unobtainable prices, might as well go all out!
  18. SuperSenpai
    I finished Frontier a little while ago. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire series. I agree with everyone who said that Frontier is the first series that really does justice as a sequel to the original SDFM series. Without being too spoiler-ish, I will say that I am amused that you picked Grace to be the Misa counterpart. I'm sure you'll revise that opinion after watching more episodes.
  19. SuperSenpai
    I think the problem lies in the tips, not the actual structure of the base and supports. In order to properly grip whatever is being displayed, the tips need to have some friction on them. The most logical choice would be some kind of rubber or flexible plastic, as it provides friction while also being flexible and not damaging the toy by scratching it. As far as I know, Shapeways only offers printing in rigid materials, not rubber-like ones. Besides, even if it were possible to 3D print using a rubber-like material, there's no guarantee that we wouldn't get the same paint-damaging affect.
  20. SuperSenpai
    Kotobukiya makes great statues, but I've never seen them make anything articulated. I'm a little afraid at what their first attempt to make anything as complicated as a Valkyrie might look like.
  21. SuperSenpai
    Did you recently get this off of eBay? I could have sworn I saw one just like this listed there... it's a custom right?
  22. SuperSenpai
    If you're talking about Macross toys -- don't blame the toy companies for that.
  23. SuperSenpai
    I agree. Certain VF-1 designs have not aged well, and arguments could be made that they were not that great to begin with (Toynami MPC, Yamato V1). Other VF-1 designs have become outdated when compared to newer designs that make their shortcomings evident, yet they still have a lot of appeal in spite of their shortcomings because they were innovative or outstanding in some particular way. I would place the Yamato 1/48s and the Takatoku/Bandai 1/55s in the latter category. Like I said, the 1/48 is not a bad toy at all. I think I have a bit of a different experience compared to some because I owned a Yamato 1/60 v2 before owning a 1/48. This was after owning only 1/55s, so I was completely blown out of the water when I first handled the v2 1/60. Later on, I decided to get a 1/48 knowing that the v2 1/60 took a lot of their design cues from the 1/48. While still a very good toy, I think the 1/48 definitely does show that it's a previous generation toy.
  24. SuperSenpai
    You guys know that she's a model and actress right? She's been in Maxim. http://www.mandyamano.com/
  25. SuperSenpai
    Don't get me wrong, my 1/48 experience notwithstanding, I think it's still a good piece to have in your collection. The 1/60 v2 is just such an incredibly well-engineered and well-made toy that anything else is bound to pale in comparison. If you like to have a diversity of VFs, then I think it's worth it to have at least one in your collection. It isn't a toy worth avoiding by any means, and there are many worse toys out there.
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