jenius

No, I think all of us pointing out the head issue aren't saying "Just because of this reason, the 1/48 is better." I just am saying that it's a "con" for the 1/60V2. The notion that you think the 1/48 backpack is any where near the same concern as the 1/60V2's shoulders seems startling to me. Almost every BP8 that ever broke was because someone was forcing the situation with back armor (as I pointed out, I broke a BP8 because I didn't notice the back antenna wasn't recessed). The 1/60V2 shoulders can be broke in the packaging before you get them.... indeed, my REPLACEMENTs that were sent to me, that had never been on a valk, broke in their bag. So, what were you saying about much more solid?

I don't exactly see how "the head is in the wrong spot" is some sort of vague argument. Like Eugimon pointed out... just about every toy before the V2 got it right. Yamato decided there was too much backlash about how long the crotch looked on their 1/48 so they had it slide up and pushed the head up in the process. I understand WHY they did it, I just think it was the wrong choice. Also, just because we can't immediately see how a toy manufacturer could have made things happen doesn't suddenly make it impossible, it just means some engineering would have been involved.

Seriously, there was like an SDF-1 taking off to fight the Vajra. It's like a beautiful trainwreck of various Macross works. If I'm HG I am esctatic. This is exactly what they need. Provided it doesn't suck absolute balls and they can get US distribution rights they can totally abort Shadow Chronicles which has lower production values than this show and treat this series like a re-launch.

You should make a dedicated thread... that's too sweet to be stuck in this thread with all the observations on the stock stuff.

The pic comparison on the 1/48 there isn't exactly fair but yes, having a slightly recessed head does create some problems. Those aren't problems Kawamori seems to care too much about (see the VF-0 which has big chest spikes that limit the VF-0's field of vision). For that GBP shot, if the camera had been elevated a little, and the chest angled down a tad, it'd look a whole lot better. Having that higher head position definitely will make things easier on the 1/60 V2... but it's still wrong. I can understand proportion issues and that sort of thing (of which the 1/48 has plenty) but having the head be in the wrong spot is really awkward to me. It's the friggin' head... not too fat a leg or knee cap or something like that.

I could never get over the 1/60V2 having the head in the wrong spot but otherwise I would love it if I weren't so scared of the shoulders. I had countless little problems with the 1/48s but never got such a bad lemon that I wished I could immediately return it. I broke one BP8 but that was my fault and I suspect the vast majority of BP8 breaks were caused by the same thing I did... namely not recessing that one little antenna fin when putting on fast packs/GBP.

HG Exec: How's Shadow Rising coming? Macek looks at flyer of Astro Plan: FANTASTIC!!! That's the real scoop folks, a new anime that can be renamed ROBOTECH!

It was in the show... IIRC there were conversations with the main characters in the hangar and you can see the radar being serviced right behind them.

I'm confused as to why you mentioned VOTOMS. I mean, I get that it's a hard sci-fi show (mostly) but it is also pretty ancient and I don't think it had much impact in the US. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan, but I don't think it's really relevant in a conversation about US anime.

I preordered this and the GBP before the second panic came about. I thought we were past the shoulder problems. Now both are en route and I'm just going to be left hoping for the best.

I totally agree... the upgrade parts are clearly meant to be generic so it makes absolutely no sense that they aren't sold separately. Why did I have to buy another blue Legioss/Tread that hasn't changed at all to get these parts? Well, that's probably the game right there... CMs had to move stock and this was the best way they could figure to do it.

Yep, I almost ordered the upcoming Focker weathering edition but I wouldn't even consider it now. I'm waiting for 1/48 V2.

I've finally started digging into my new "improved" CMs Legioss. I'm really shocked at how CMs went about this. It is indeed a standard blue Legioss release with just a supplemental box of goodies. There are no instructions with the box of goodies but you do have to disassemble a toy that retailed for $270 originally to do the upgrade. It's so amazingly half-assed it's hard for me to get around. I would assume CMs had instructions up on their site at one point but I don't see anything instructing you to go there. All that said, the mods are very straight forward and not complicated... the instructions would be more for peace of mind than anything else. I'll eventually get a full post up on my site showing how the mods were done, before and after pics, and a verdict on just how improved things really are. Of course, I have a box of 8 other new toys coming in so it may take a while.

The Toynami Shadow Alpha just has most the same quirks that the other Toynami Alphas have (except the shadow has more durable hands). For the most part you just have to be worried about the arms following off just below the shoulder. The build quality on them is so poor that any host of other problems could arise, including the arched back in fighter mode. If you haven't checked out my review on the CMs Shadow you should, there were some good pics in there that should give you a better idea of what you'd be in for. If fighter is your favorite mode I think you'd do well to stay very far away from the CMs toys. No, CMs did not make a dark Tread. The Toynami Shadow Beta was due out in September 09. What happened to it is anyone's guess but Toynami's newest catalog has the Vinyl Battlepod and Maia Masterpiece back in stores in Q110 so there's a chance the Shadow Beta will be delivered to stores with those products.

That's a crap ton of weathering edition destroids!

Yes, Voltron is #1 of this series.

I got an email back from OD yesterday essentially just letting me know vacation was over. I also had a problem with my Spam filters catching their emails when I first started talking to them.

Just a little FYI, Toynami's Battlepod release is rumored to be concurrent with the Maia MPC second edition. I'm not sure if this had been mentioned before. I really doubt HG makes much off toy releases though.

My cover on the foot is loose on one of my Ride Armors also, it was so minor I didn't look into fixing it. Also, the Beagle/Toynami is actually a more complicated transformation than the animation so you can blame them... kinda. Basically they went through and had to figure out how to do it without "magic" and the only way they could figure out to pull it off and not take things off and add them back later was the transformation we got. It's a spectacle of engineering to be sure but the sheer complicated nature definitely makes this feel like a collector's item to be posed in one mode or the other, not a toy one should expect to transform often. PS - Got new Mospeada products in but haven't had a chance to open the boxes: 1) Drone Legioss (CMs) 2) Improved Legioss/Tread (CMs) 3) Riding Figure Set (CMs) 4) Character Figure Set (CMs)

That was really terrible.

Both are blown on my Roy 1S

I would guess that Yamato opted against metal shoulders for cost reasons. I think that plastic shoulders also works better in that there's some "give" to the part since it swivels and has two different primary positions. Essentially this "give" makes the shoulder connectors nicer to all the other plastic parts involved which allows the toy to be a bit tighter overall. Finally, the plastic can be molded in color whereas a metal part would probably remain unpainted metal. Personally though, I'd prefer metal and a shoulder that didn't break over those benefits.

Mospeada could have had a great prequel mini-series. It also could have spawned a full saga if handled properly (had it been SUPER popular). The Mospeada universe wasn't all that flushed out by the story of a rag-tag team driving to North America.

It's kind of hard to believe this is going to be some silly oversight. Even the replacement arms I was sent, that had never been on a valk, cracked from the pressure of the pin.