Hurin

I saw the Macross English dub by HG before it became Robotech. A local anime store (that quickly went under) called "The Robot Center" showed it to us as a special Saturday party one day when I was just a kid (I'm 29 now). . . but I distinctly remember the bad opening. Robotech was already on the air when they showed it to us. So I also remember thinking one change was cool: In it, Minmei called Rick "cute" as she went off to the shelters. I could have sworn we saw the first two episodes. Rather than just the last one. Please excuse the HG names. I *was* watching HG's version after all. The voice acting wasn't so bad. They did good acting considering how bad the writing was. That being said, the actual voices of the people playing Minmei and Misa/Lisa were terrible. H

This post is to bump it up so that those who might have read it earlier might be prompted to see the "important" notice at the top. I'd hate for anyone to ruin their valk. H

That would be a great service! Thanks for even looking into this! Since reading the other post about Yamato parts from HLJ, I've been tempted to try to order the cockpit floor/seat piece for the Hikaru 1A 1/48 and the Roy 1S 1/48. But I can't find the part number in the manual(s). It is possible that part BD6, which is the bottom half of the fuselage, includes the seat/cockpit floor. But, I can't be sure. I think it would be nice to have replacement parts to return my valks to "factory" condition after I have shaved that part down to reduce/eliminate the fuselage/nose gap. I don't think that counts as a mod. It's more of a repair! Anyways, I'd definitely order these two parts if they were available. But, again, I can't be any more specific about the part number. Here's the best I can do to list the part #s Cockpit Seat&Floor / BD6(?) / 1/48 / Hikaru VF-1A Cockpit Seat&Floor / BD6(?) / 1/48 / Roy VF-1S

Isn't that what they do cost when you don't have to import them from Japan!?! Anyways, much of the stuff above is dead-on. But I don't think this has been mentioned: * More painted-on details (fewer stickers). Especially the "U.N. SPACY" on gunpod and possibly legs. I can never get it right on the Gunpod. And even super-thin custom stickers still seem to show an outline. More paint! * Have to agree with the missile detail/painting as well. They are just too plain. But, of course, these toys still rock!

Great. . . now you can go back and get the increasingly expensive Hikaru 1A. And thus it begins. . . Welcome Aboard! H

If my best friend threw the woman I loved to the ground, and ripped her clothes off. . . I think I'd have more motivation to do him harm than "petty jealousy" I can't? Why not?!? People who suffer delusions, fugue states, and repressed memories aren't "out of control." They are suffering, and they develop alternate realities in which to take refuge so that they will not have to deal with reality. Realizing that you are a monster who would even come close to doing that to someone you've known and loved all your life. . . that's quite a frame of reference. As for the "visual cue": There appears to be a misunderstanding. I just watched the scene again. There is no shot of Isamu holding Myung in torn clothes. There is a shot of them staring agape at Guld as he enters the room, Isamu (apparently realizing that Guld is in a jealous, violent rage) shoves Myung aside and takes a puch from Guld, and falls to the floor. Myung is standing and staring in shock. Guld then approaches her and Myung falls (or is pushed) down against the dresser (Which, suprise! Has a mirror above it!). Guld reaches down and terrors off her top as she stares back in terror. He then catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror above the dresser. . . and screams in horror at the monster he now realizes he is. And. . . that's it. The next shot is of the missiles impacting and the super-imposed Guld screaming in the cockpit. edit: Is there another flashback where Guld sees a Isamu holding Myung in a torn shirt outside of the flashback mentioned above? If so, I had forgotten it and couldn't find it tonight as I scanned through volume 2. So, if I'm wrong about the above point. . . my apologies. I think you have a very confused understanding of how dimentia takes place in the mind. It's not as though he instantly conjured the alternate reality at that very moment. He didn't suddenly stand there and say: "Isamu! Stop raping Myung!" Now, I'm engaging in the sort of theorizing of which I'm being so critical. . . but I assume the rest of the story is that Guld screamed, and fled the apartment. He then disappeared and didn't see either of them again. While away from them, unable to face the fact that he almost raped Myung, assaulted his best friend, and shattered the relationships between them, he gradually succumbs to a fantasy world where he was the hero. . . and Isamu had attempted to rape Myung. Huh? I'm not sure who's offering and who's reaching out in that scenario. The fact is that they do sleep together, and I'm not sure how any conceivable scenario you present in that sentence makes Myung's sleeping with Guld any more understandable. But, if you find it so inconceivable that Guld could get ahold of himself before actually raping her, and then couldn't feel so ashamed at what he almost did to repress the memory. . . then I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. Hey sparky! I type 90wpm. So this is like talking to me. Anyways, I've said all I'm going to say on this. I just watched the scene to refresh my memory. There is definitely a rythm to the scene and it flows rather smoothly. This makes me even less likely to believe that there is any "missing" time there. It's more like watching a scene in a strobe light. There are no huge gaps of time. People can insert whatever they desire. People can interpret it however they want. However, I don't see the need to do so. What is there on the screen presents an entirely consistent and compelling story. I don't see the need to insert events not shown in the scene while ignoring or re-interpreting those that are there in order to force Guld into the role of a rapist. Why do this when "violent monster-of-a-person" fills the role and needs of the story just fine and is fully supported by what is on the screen. Further, he is ultimately supposed to be a sympathetic character at the end. I don't think it is good writing to designate a character as a rapist if you want anyone to feel sympathy for him. We're going around in circles here. So, I'll let someone else take up the good fight if anyone cares enough to do so. But, I'd still like to hear someone in the "he raped her" camp address more directly the arugments of the other side rather than just say: "No. I disagree. He reaped her." Yes, I've written a lot. Probably too much. But I think I've made some valid points and addressed the points of others. 1. If the writer/director wanted us to know that Myung was raped. Why show the mirror stuff at all? Why not just stop the dream-sequence at the shirt-ripping. That would remove all doubt. 2. How could Guld rape her with Isamu still in the room and presumably still able to defend her? 3. What reason, other than bold assertion, do we have to believe that Guld did not look into the mirror and come to his senses before actually raping Myung? In other words, why on earth would we believe that Guld would insert this into his memory to protect himself from the actual visuals at the very moment that the story has him regaining his true memories!?! 4. How in the heck are we expected to believe that Myung would sleep with Guld later in life after he brutally raped her? 5. Are we expected to believe that Isamu as well would simply forgive Guld as soon as Guld admits to raping her? 6. Assuming we're supposed to feel sympathy for Guld as he sacrifices himself. Would the writers really expect us to feel sympathy for someone who brutally raped the main love interest of the story? I could go on. . . but with just those points above. . . Guld actually raping Myung doesn't seem to fit as well into the story and circumstances as well as what is actually shown on the screen. And that's the last I'll say on this topic. I'm out! Best Regards,

I don't know, coming to the realization that you are capable of that sort of horrible violence against someone you supposedly love. . . to know that you were about to commit such a heinous act (if not for the fortuitous glance up at a mirror). . . and the sense of rejection by Myung. . . and the sense of being betrayed by the two people you love the most in life. Not to mention that there might be an aspect of him hating his own zentradi blood and the violence it brough to the surface in that moment. . . that would be some pretty heavy stuff. He's not repressing the fact that he raped her. He's repressing who he is.

There is no doubt that the scene is presented as a "flashback" in Guld's mind. Nobody is doubting that. I don't think anyone seriously doubts that the torn shirt is meant to symbolize that Guld intended (at that moment) to rape her. I also agree that a mirror is often used in the manner in which it is used in Macross Plus. It happens all the time in stories. Someone catches a glimpse of themselves in a mirror and realizes what they have become. . . and turns away from what they were about to do. But, the fact that the mirror "device" is so often used in narratives, to my mind, adds credence to the idea that the mirror event actually happened to Guld, rather than being an imagined event in his mind. Couldn't it be that the writer's went back to a cliche to stop Guld from raping her. . . rather than having Guld's mind do so to protect him from emotional trauma? But, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that he actually went through with it other than your assertion that the torn shirt means that he did. Meanwhile, there is plenty to suggest that he did not actually go through with it and rape her. It just does not make sense, narratively, to have Guld suddenly remember something. . . and yet that memory is still false. His memory had been false up to that point. It would be messy and narratively confusing (as demonstrated by this thread!) to have the reclaimed memory be faulty as well. No. . . but nor do we need to see him stopping after "only" ripping her shirt if the intent of the show is to demonstrate that she was raped. If the writer/director wanted us to believe she was raped, couldn't they have cut back to Guld screaming in his cockpit immediately after the ripped shirt? Then Guld wouldn't have had to suffer the further recollection, and we would safely be left with what you assert is the right impression. . . that a rape took place. Then, I don't think there would be any doubt. But, there is a reason the writer/director placed the added mirror scene there. It is much more plausible that the mirror is a "cliched" plot device to actually stop Guld from committing rape rather than a mental device in Guld's head to keep him from emotional trauma. Look, basically, the scene tries to show us what happened between the three of them. It does an effective job of doing so with style and dramatic cinemetography. It says what it needs to say. I don't see why some people are so darn ready to assert that this very well-done scene is actually very murky and unclear as to what happened. It isn't. . . unless you want it to be. Until someone can address the reasons why it seems impossible/unlikely that Guld raped her, I think we have to assume he didn't. Just asserting that Guld is a bit nutty and that, therefore, we can assume anything happened in between the shots the narrative provides is a bit. . . as I started out by saying. . . convenient for those who want to insert their own interpretations into what was shown and/or those who assert that Myung was raped. Heck, what if I want to believe that after he tore off her shirt, he went to the kitchen and made a ham sandwich!?! I can assert that too, can't I? I mean, if his memory is faulty and we really don't know how reliable that flashback sequence is, anything could have happened. So, there is my new theory: He tore her shirt, went to the kitchen and enjoyed a ham sandwhich, and then meandered on home. I did not include the mirror stuff because apparently that is cliched and probably never happened at all. But the ham sandwich definitely did! As for the magical bike comment. It helps me to realize that there is no magical bike because it's pretty clear he's in a coma at the time. The oxygen mask and bandages are a dead give-away. H

"Turgon! Turgon! Remember the Fens of Serech!" Amen brother.

Agreed. As I said above, I consider Guld the villain of the story. Especially before his repressed memories return. However, regarding the attempted murders. . . we can cut him a little slack there because he thought that Isamu was the rapist. . . not himself. Indeed, it could be argued that he was projecting the rage and shame he was feeling towards himself at Isamu. But, now I'm reading too much into this.

Actually, it is those that are asserting that an actual rape took place who would seem to be reading into things. The rest of us are just going by what's up on the screen! H

I see great similarities. . . if the 9/11 attacks had been a giant extra-terrestrial spaceship crashing into an island. Or, instead of the U.S. fighting a war against terrorism essentially alone, the U.N. had decided to unify humanity, via war, under its rule. And. . . if thrust vectoring were actually giant transforming robots and planes. The similarities are only there because you want them to be there. You can look at any story, written in the past, set in today's era. . . and I'm sure you'll be astounded at the similarities. . . if you look hard enough for them. I think this is a case of "I really want Macross to be real!"-itis. H

JsCarlight, That's pretty much it. . . I think that was the motivation for Guld. . . and then he started to go too far, and stopped himself. But what he's already done was horrible enough for him to repress things. Between his shame and his grief over Myung choosing Isamu (in his mind), he became one sick little puppy. Anyways. . . the "evidence" for Guld not raping Myung: 1. The story doesn't show it. Though some would argue the ripped shirt "suggests." 2. The next shot after the ripping shirt shows Guld looking into the mirror and (IMHO) "coming to his senses." 3. Isamu was still in the room. Unless rendered totally immobile or unconscious, a rape would have been nearly impossible to accomplish before he interfered. 4. Myung sleeps with Guld later in life. This would be more easily explained if Guld had not raped her. 5. Isamu seems okay with Guld once his memory returns. An odd reaction to a guy who actually raped your best friend/woman you love. Had the rape actually occured, I doubt Isamu would actually say, essentially: "Hey, all those years ago, I broke your airplane. And you raped Myung. We're even." The case against Guld: 1. There may be "missing time" not covered by the show between the shirt ripping and Guld "coming to his senses." 2. Guld's memory of the event may still be screwy and the ripped shirt is intended to make us all assume that he raped her. Notice that the latter two both contain the word "may." Though, of course, I wrote them. So that's not entirely fair. But, basically, I just prefer to go with what is on the screen. And I think the writers/director/animator would have been more clear if they intended us to believe that Guld actually raped her. Again, you can interpret it any way you want. . . but the intent of the writers/directory/animators should also be taken into account. . . and I think the perponderance of evidence is in the "no rape" camp. Best Regards, H

Okay, I'm going to take the Devil's/Guld's Advocate position here. Except, of course, that the story teller shows him looking into a mirror immediately after tearing her clothes with no other "flash scenes" in between. "Pretty much suggested?" Or, just maybe it happened just as the director/story teller relates it! He was about to rape her, and saw himself in the mirror, and came to his senses! I think, if the director/writer wanted us to know that he raped her, there could have been a more definitive "suggestion" than just a ripped shirt and a scream into a mirror. While still remaining PG-13. It would seem a bit odd for the story to come to the point where Guld finally recovers his repressed memories, only to have those memories be false as well. This all just seems too convenient for those who want to believe that Myung was raped by Guld. Granted, you can interpret it any way you want, but it seems, again, awfully convenient to dismiss what's there on the screen simply because it doesn't fit in with what you think happened. Plus, Isamu was still there. . . so unless he was knocked totally unconscious, I don't think there was any time to commit such a heinous act. edit: The idea that he did not actually rape her also makes Myung's decision to sleep with him later much more understandable. I just think what's on the screen and in the story more broadly supports the version of, well, what's on the screen (ie, that he didn't raper her).end edit And since we're on the subject of cutting the guy some slack. As for the murderer rap. . . at the time, he believed that Isamu raped the woman he loved. So, in that light, was he such a bad guy for almost killing Isamu, several times? Just my two cents. And, by the way, I dislike Guld's character. I considered him the villain. Though, in all honesty, I didn't like Isamu that much either. That is actually one of my problems with M+. I don't actually like any of the protagonists! Best Regards,

This is just a theory. So don't shoot me for stupidity. But, if there are fine scratches on the existing canopy, and the floor polish not only fills those scratches, but also puts a glossy, smooth layer on the canopy as well, the result should be a more clear appearance. Again, just a theory. Best Regards, H

Uh. . . not to preach. . . but just having the hero die at the end doesn't make the story a tragedy. In other words, had Isamu died at the end of Macross Plus, he would have just died. . . but it wouldn't have made the story a "tragedy" in the classical sense of the term. It would have just been a story where the hero died at the end! The Shakespearean form of a tragedy usually entails foreshadowing the hero's fall, as well as a terrible sense of inevitability to his demise. A lot of tragedies are based in the idea, as well, that is the hero's own failings that will eventually do him in. Again, I'm no English lit major, but I think just saying: "Isamu should have died and made the story a tragedy" totally misrepresents the rest of the Macross Plus story (which is definitely not a tragedy). . . and oversimplifies things quite a bit. Best Regards,

Those interested in the "nose/fuselage gap fix" can check out my thread on it here. Thanks!

I had a hell of a time getting the arms to set securely in fighter mode. I kept thinking that they were supposed to snap into the "base of the valk like they do on the Bandais. Let me save you a lot of pushing/pulling, and staring in wonder at just where the hell they are supposed to snap into! They don't! The arms are held together and up inside the valk by a variety of holes/pegs/tabs/slots. And it actually works really well. . . but it took me a while to accept this and stop trying to get those arms to "snap" into the body of the fighter. Good Luck! I've transformed mine probably three-four times each. . . and never had a problem. Don't sweat it too much! Best Regards,

IMPORTANT: I am no longer recommending this procedure unless you really don't care if the landing gear loses its stability. I have now done the below procedure on my VF-1S. I didn't even shave any plastic from the seat bottom. . . but now the landing gear will not stay down when rolling at all. Sadly, it reached this point even before I shaved enough away to fully remove the gap problem. So, my 1A was a success. I'd say my 1S was only moderately successful, with quite a trade-off in landing gear firmness/stability. Disclaimer: I take no responsiblity for any damage done to your valkyrie if you attempt this fix. I am only relating my own experience here. Your experience may vary. Try this fix at your own risk! I couldn't decide whether this should go in the "common repairs for 1/48s" pinned thread. I finally decided to make a seperate post because this isn't exactly a "common repair." I've only heard of one person doing it (SuperJaw). Many of us have been annoyed with the gap that forms along each side of the fuselage (below the cockpit) when the landing gear is lowered on first few 1/48 valks. Both my Hikaru 1A and my Roy 1S suffer from this. The gap is barely noticable with the gear up. As you lower the gear, you feel resistance build in the gear as the gap widens. The gap is biggest when the gear is only partially down. When the gear is fully down, the gap isn't quite as large as it is during deployment. . . but it is still big, and ugly. And, I suppose it could eventually cause problems with decals/stickers apllied over that gap (the UN SPACY kite and fighter number go over the gap). I'll try to take pictures when I borrow a digital camera again. Just in case this description isn't clear. Anyways, the tools you will need are: 1. Clean hands (don't wanna get your Valk all oily!) 2. A small-ish screwdriver. 3. A small nail file. Or any other metal instrument with a blunt edge. Taking apart the valk nose is actually quite fun. And it's interesting to see how it's put together. Once I had the fuselage apart, I was reminded of when I built a Spitfire model when I was in high school. I really wouldn't worry too much about getting the valk back together. Though, it is helpful to have another one nearby to compare things with to make sure you got it right. The basic rule of thumb is, go slow. Take each component out one at a time if possible. Though, things are so interconnected that you may find it just falling apart once the screws are removed. Speaking of screws, there are only three that need be removed to do this operation. One is right in front of the head, within the front landing gear bay. The other two are located inside the bay where the "swing bar" rests in battroid mode. Once the screws are out, try to spread apart the back where the fuselage meets the rest of the valk. You should then be able to remove the nose from where its two halves sorta sandwich the rest of the plane. The head may fall out at this point, but don't be alarmed. When you put it all back together, it will be just as snug and happy as it always has been. Just don't let it fall onto anything that might scratch and mar it. Try to watch as the front of the nose comes apart as well. Note the orientation of the radar! I couldn't figure out which way was up when I put it back together. . . so I had to look at my other valk. Then everything made sense. So, once you have it apart, you should get a pretty good idea of how the landing gear functions, and where all that tension is coming from. Basically, the top of the gear rubs against the piece that forms the seat and floor of the cockpit. There is a raised "globby" thing that looks more like a defect than a planned appendage to the top of the gear. At first, I thought just flattening this out would take care of the problem. However, there was still a bit of gap when I put it back together and tested things out. By the way, you really need to put the thing all the way back together to test because only when it is fully put back together is the stress and torque on the parts quite the same (the chair/floor part doesn't sit quite the same way in the fuselage when the fuselage isn't connected to the rest of the valk). However, be careful. I would think that taking the valk apart and putting it back together too many times might cause the screw holes to become stripped, and you might not get it as tight as it used to be. I don't think the risk of this is high (I had to disassemble/reassemble it three times and did not notice any problems), but I thought I'd mention it. I wasn't quite happy with the amount of gap that was still visible, so I took it apart again and this time smoothed the top of the gear quite a bit more, and also went to work on the bottom of the floor/cockpit piece. I used a metal nail file for this work. It has a sorta "hook" end to it. . . and i found myself just scraping away plastic rather than "filing/sanding" it. The plastic is pretty brittle and can be scraped/carved away easily even with the blunt edge/corner of a metal nail file (heck, you could probably use a fork! It's that easy!). There is a long ridge of plactic where the top of the gear makes contact with the floor/cockpit piece. It is this ridge of plastic that causes the constant tension during deployment as the top of the gear rubs it as it deploys. It occured to me that I wasn't so much concerned with the gap that forms during deployment. Rather, I just wanted it to look good after the gear is deployed. So, it occured to me that, if I could just carve a notch out where the top of the gear rests after it is fully deployed, this would leave the tension during deployment, which would keep the gear from getting floppy and/or collapsing too easily under pressure. I still think this "notching" of that platic ridge is possible, but I lost patience after I tried this approach and put it back together for the second time. . . only to find there was still a bit of gap. So, it was closing in on 2AM and I was getting tired. . . and I just decided that if I mangled it, and the gear got to "weak" or "loose", I'd just buy a new one on my credit card! Anyways, I shaved quite a bit off from the the bottom of the floor/cockpit piece along the entire area where contact was made with the gear and even took a bit more off the top of the gear. And, after re-assembly, the gap was completely gone! However, I did definitely lose some tension in the gear assembly. It isn't loose now. Meaning, it doesn't jiggle or anything. But, when I roll it across the table, it does shift back after a while. . . and if I apply considerable weight to the front of the nose, the gear will will collapse/retract. However, this is much more weight, applied in a non-standard spot, than would ever be applied during display, even with FAST packs installed. Heck, even with another valk on top of it! I have to really press on it for the gear to retract. So, the moral of the story is. . . you can get rid of the gap. But, you want to make a trade between that super-stiff gear it comes with, and a gap-less fuselage. So, my advice is, be very careful, take your time, and, when in doubt, shave less than you think might be necessary and test. Remember, you can always shave more, but you can't replace what you shaved! Personally, I don't ever plan on playing "runway" with my valk and rolling it all about. And, even if I did, it still can do it. . . its gear might just retract unexpectedly if I'm not careful. I ran it across my table a few times. And only if I placed downward pressure on the nose while rolling it pretty fast did the gear budge. . . and once retracted. I'm more concerned with how the valk looks with its gear deployed rather than how well it stays deployed when it rolls on its wheels. Before the operation, I was most concerned that the gear wouldn't support the weight of the valk after the operation. This fear proved to be unfounded. You'd really have to go nuts and really shave the parts down to make the gear that unstable. Anyways, because the valk can still roll (with some care), it still easily supports its weight (and any future FAST pack weight), and the "posture" of the landing gear is unaltered, I think this is a worthwhile fix. I'm happy with the results. Though, if I do it to my 1S, I'll try a bit harder to strike an even better balance between stability and "gap-less-ness." I hope this all proves helpful to any of you contemplating this fix. I had heard about this fix in only vague terms. . . and nobody could really provide any details. I finally just decided to take the plunge. Maybe in the future I can provide some pictures too. It's nice to have my Hikaru 1A sitting there with its gear deployed, gap-less, and I don't have to worry about the stress to the seam, or the damage the gap might do to the Takatoys stickers I plan on applying (my 1S already has them, and I avoid deploying the gear on it). Thanks!

TakaToys does some incredible stickers. I have four sets for the 1/48 valks. The U.N. SPACY on the legs looks great. And, with a toothpick, the stickers are so thin that you can even press them into the panel lines. I promised a review of them a few months ago. But I lost my motivation when I started selling a bunch of stuff on Ebay (non-Macross). And then the digital camera I had borrowed was given back. But I hope to take some pictures some time this week and give a more detailed overview of them. They are great. Downright incredible compared to Yamato stickers. Plus, you get to keep the Yamato stickers "mint" and in the box. So, anyways, you can buy them at Twin Moons Anime or Valkyrie Exchange (currently sold out). I believe this is the Takatoys homepage. And, finally, here is a 1/48 Roy VF-1S that has been panel-lined, and has Takatoy's stickers applied. Very nice! Okay. I'm linked out now. I think I'm going to go apply some stickers.

Sweet! I'm originally from Cupertino/Saratoga. So, I know exactly where you're talking about. Of course, I'm 300 miles away now. But the next time I'm in town, I'm stopping by and spending a boat-load of quarters. H

Will the standard FAST packs being released in a few days/weeks fit the VF-1J? I thought that possibly the VF-1J would come with its own FAST packs because its arms had been subtely re-molded (thus making the DYRL FAST packs not fit).

I went with the WHM-6R Warhamm-- I mean Tomahawk! Tomahawk!!!

That being said, however, let's have a little patience here. Jeez! It's just a couple colors and a logo! Give the guys a break! The boards will be fine for a while. The important thing is functionality! Which they have done a bang-up job providing.

The '84 always threw me off too. Almost made me fee like: "What, they haven't bothered to come up with a new logo since 1984!?!" But, yes, I know what '84 really means! H