M'Kyuun

Having finally completed our Blu-ray collection for Attack on Titan earlier this year, and with my wife's having a long weekend due to the holiday, we binge watched the whole thing finishing today, and wow. This is really an impactful series, lushly animated, extremely well-written, and very-well performed by the English voice cast. We'd started watching it years ago when it premiered on Cartoon Network, but we'd missed eps here and there and I believe we only saw it up to S3, so a full watch was in order. Anyway, we were hooked back then and have been wanting to give it a full watch, so I'm glad this weekend provided an opportunity. It definitely did not disappoint. It's one of those rare shows that stays with you mentally and emotionally for some time after you've finished it. I've read that some fans took issue with the ending, but I thought it offered a satisfying and thought-provoking ending that speaks to human nature. My wife and I both served in the military, so the camaraderie between the characters was very relatable. I'm not a big believer in preordination or fate, but IMHO the way those elements were used within the narrative, especially with Eren's story, offered perspective and in flashbacks, really interesting glimpses at characters' reactions and choices that would affect events. Overall, a tour de force of character-building, narrative and plotting, world-building, and social commentary, not to mention the sheer beauty of the artwork and use of music throughout. To say the least, I recommend a watch.

As am I, honestly, despite my criticism of the frame system.

Yeah, the indeterminate window for standard parts deliveries can be frustrating. I dislike that they break them up into bestseller and standard categories in the first place, but then they also charge $7 service fees if a minimal number of parts isn't met, and that goes for each category, so you can end up paying $14 on top of what you're paying for a smaller order. I'd rather my money went towards actual bricks, so I always wait to order when I've got a project requiring, or potentially requiring, enough parts to exceed the service fee limits, as was the case with this last order. The numbers of parts compared to actual numbers I ordered were so random and excessive at times that it raised my antennae. I've never had such an odd experience before with their online Pick-A-Brick. I appreciate the free extra parts though. I'm curious if I'm going to have the same experience with my standard parts. Guess we'll see.

Or, now bear with me, they could've taken the extremely radical step of making the leg bots actually become the legs by virtue of their collective forty-plus years of experience designing transforming toys. I figure if they can pull it off with the Constructicons, they can pull it off with other combiners, too, especially if the knee joint is part of a large partsforming waist and thighs, at which point the knee just needs to slot into or otherwise enjoin with the leg bot.

Seconded. Takara could learn a few things by studying Kawamori's design approach. Alas, since they've been taking the same terrible lazy approach to jets for over forty years, I think both the designers and the vast majority of the fandom have become indoctrinated to the idea that robots that transform should be blocky and that those blocky robots that turn into jets should also have an element of blockiness to the alt mode, or should have arms hanging off the sides, barely if at all integrated or disguised as such, with kibbley, uneven, and virtually never smooth, sleek, or aerodynamic lower fuselages in the least. I've mentioned before how Maverick, certainly one of the best looking jetformers in jet mode that Takara has ever made received a great deal of criticism for its robot mode. Given that it takes a number of cues from the VF-1, it just struck me how the same fandom could love Jetfire but heap invective on this figure when the similarities in design are so apparent. Too, fans complained about how skinny or lanky it is b/c they're just so used to seeing a chunky bot with a heavily compromised jet mode that anything that doesn't fit that mold, so to speak, just doesn't compute as a Transformer. Unless there's a sea change at Takara in its approach to jetformers (much like the one that Alex Kubalsky introduced in the early 2000s with his general design approach, still used today), I think we'll just keep seeing more of the same from them and Hasbro by extension. I'm glad I discovered Macross in the 90s; it's been my refuge for excellent transforming plane designs all these years. Touch Toys is impressive for some of their recent releases as well. I have their J-16 (fully licensed) and man is that thing gorgeous with some very impressive engineering, form, and functionality. It hides its transformable nature more effectively than any other transforming jets I own, including my Macross valkyries, if only by a minimal margin in some cases. One caveat, however, is that the valks all have pilots in their fully detailed cockpits whereas the J-16 has neither. In all other respects, however, it's a remarkably realistic and nigh seamless design.

What purpose do the leg bots even serve besides being snap-on calves? I guess they're just trying to mimic the fronts of the leg bots with the frame, but it's kinda crummy that you don't even need the actual bots to affect the same appearance. Shame that they didn't put the plane bits out front on the G1 toy and in the animation, but history is written and here we have it in plastic.

Well, you're not being political by stating a financial reality. And yeah, that is a significant markup. I'm happy to pass on it. I'm quite satisfied with my Yamato Blazer Valkyrie and YF-19, both gorgeous and uncompromised. If I want a Fire Valkyrie, I'll get the HMR.

I wasn't going to buy it anyway, but that price is mildly insane. Like I said earlier, if they turned it into a regular crossover release at a voyager or deluxe scale and pricepoint and just gave us the plane, I'd happily grab it up. But what they're asking for what you're getting (I wonder how much of that $200 is wrapped up in that stupid trailer?), hard no. I think they're going to price a lot of fans out.

Change of topic. I'm working on a MOC and ordered a bunch of parts from LEGO's online Bricks and Pieces Hub as I've done many times before. The bestseller portion of my order came today and it was complete except there was only one of a piece for which I'd ordered two. Not a big deal. but here's the kicker: out of 36 different parts in the order, nearly every one had extras thrown in. and not just like one or two, although that happened with a few, too. Some parts had up to twenty or more extra pieces thrown in and in cases of matched pairs, the numbers of extras were generally highly incongruent. For example: I ordered 10ea 1x2 tiles with a wedge cutout both left and right; what I received: left 26 parts, right 16 parts This pattern repeats for a number of paired parts in the order. I'm not going to complain about extra free LEGO, but this is a highly unusual occurrence, and I have to wonder the meaning behind it. LEGO's a good company, but I've never known them to engage in this level of or method of altruism nor have I ever had this much discrepancy, albeit largely in my favor, between what I ordered (and paid for) and what was actually in the bag. I have had an extra here or there, as these are all hand-picked parts by real people, so mistakes happen, but usually they're pretty good about matching the orders. Anyway, my only complaint, being an entitled American, is that the incongruency messes with my inventory, as I generally always order paired bits in equal numbers and this is going to throw me off in the future unless I make another order to shore up the lesser numbers of those pairs. First world problem, I know. I'm grateful for the extra bits, but I'm really curious what's behind it. Perhaps there's a disgruntled employee or one who feels LEGO is too expensive and fans should get more for their buck. or maybe one person started picking the bag, went home, and another resumed picking without taking stock of what was already picked. Anyway, since that's only half of my order (the standard parts have yet to come), I'm curious if the same phenomenon is going to reoccur or if it will be a normal order matching what I ordered and paid for. Has anyone else here had this happen? I'm also curious if this is an isolated incident or if other folks are getting surprise orders, too.

LEGO was already an expensive hobby, but the recent price hikes have been pricing fans out of the hobby, from what I've read. As for myself, due to space limitations and also the higher prices, I've cut down substantially from just three or four years ago. I'm also more apt to wait for clearances. At this point, the only UCS sets I think I'd buy are the Imperial Shuttle or the Republic Shuttle, although, TBH, given my space limits, I think I'd rather have them both at regular minifig scale albeit done very well. Alas, I'm thinking the Imperial Shuttle set we got in 2015 (75094 is probably the best version we're ever going to get at the regular minifig scale). The current trend is to downsize all the large vehicles even more than they were before which really limits interior space and features like landing gear and such. I love set 75094 and I have a copy on permanent display; it was also a really good parts set, and I have an extra copy for that purpose. The nose was a bit too angular and I'd love to see them release a set where the nose is more rounded and has the fins under the nose within that curvature like the filming model. No official set has done that...yet. I could MOC it, I suppose, but I've got other stuff I'm working on and I'm lazy. As for your shuttle project, I'm always impressed by your talent, dedication and meticulous approach. I wish you every success with it and look forward to seeing WIP and finished pics.

Contrarily, I love the entire nose section which no official LEGO model has gotten right. The whole thing, though, is brilliant. Some new sets have been revealed for August. Among them this new V-19 Torrent (with trans yellow windscreen sure to excite many a Classic Space/Blacktron fan) is a bit smaller than its 2008 original, which actually brings it closer to proper scale as it appeared in Tartakovsky's Clone Wars. The design is a bit different, reflecting how it looks in recent animated Clone Wars related shows, but I like it and have hoped for a release like this. Sadly, it doesn't appear that this model possesses gearing to allow the wings and central foil to rotate into flight/landing configuration like the OG set did, relying instead on ball joints. Disappointing, but I'm still gonna get it. 567pcs,; $65 While the LEGO SW team seems to be leaning heavy into the Clone Wars with the August wave, once again there is no new Republic Shuttle set. The last and only other minifig scaled set came out in 2009 and it is in dire need of a modern update. For some reason, even though it featured heavily in the excellent Bad Batch series, no set was forthcoming then either. It's such a great design and its omission is curious and dismaying. LEGO's 2009 release. Definitely could be better. there's also a new MTT coming. Like the majority of minifig scaled sets, it's been shrunk a bit compared to previous releases. I still have my 2007 MTT which is, IMHO, the best version that they've released. I like the colors of this version but given that the prices have risen on SW sets in particular, and all LEGO in general, I'll likely be skipping it. That droid rack looks a bit off. 976pcs, $160 LEGO's continuing their homegrown animated SW series Rebuild the Galaxy this fall and they've got another oddball release to accompany it. Behold the Force Burner Snowspeeder. Of note, that canopy will likely appeal to Blacktron MOCists. It's also a new mold which makes me think a regular Snowspeeder is likely not far behind. 349pcs, $55 Back to Clone Wars. there's a new, also shrunken, Republic Juggernaut (Clone Turbo Tank) coming. 813pcs, $160 There's also a new miniaturized version of Jango Fett's Slave I similar to Boba's version released in 2021. Notably, this is the first minifig of Lama Su, the Kaminoan Prime Minister. 707pcs, $70 And finally, the set that will likely appeal to a number of you guys here, a new UCS AT-ST. 1513pcs, $200 For reference, the previous UCS AT-ST, released in 2006, had 1068 pcs and originally sold for $80. Thanks to the addition of innumerable new parts over the last 19 years, the finer details are executed far better on this set, as they should be. I still wish they'd imbue these things with appropriate articulation, but I get why they don't. Oh, one more. LEGO's been knocking it out of the proverbial park over the last few years with their Creator animal sets and this one looks to continue the trend. Not sure how many Transformers fans there are here, but this totally gave me Rhinox vibes from Beast Wars. Now they need to make a gorilla that can ride on his back.😁

That was my initial impression, too, but it wasn't a good one. 😄 I'm not a big fan of the Orguss mecha anyway, but they are what they are and if that was the inspiration here due to its relation to Macross, it's a bit of a miss IMHO. I think they were just trying anything to shoehorn that stupid trailer/stage accessory in there to justify a higher price. I would have been far more impressed had they figured out a way to transform him so that Prime's chest at least forms a somewhat passable truckish looking front end, but I'm guessing they didn't even try.

Different strokes, truly. Personally, not a fan, but glad you dig it and if you order it, I hope it brings a smile for, if for no other reason, just how ridiculous it is.

I doubt it's dead. Basara Prime is on the Takara side of the fence, although it wouldn't surprise me if Hasbro had it on Pulse for a very limited time. Anyway, I'd say the crossovers are popular with the majority of fans (I have absolutely no evidence or stats to back that claim, but merely my own interest level and the fact that they've been making these for some time now, and with budgets tight, I doubt they'd invest in stuff that they think is going to fail or has no track record of success). With a Tron film around the corner, I think they'd be very smart to have a lightcycle in the pipeline. Even if the movie tanks, Tron has enough of a fan following to make such a release profitable, methinks. I'd certainly buy one. I want a Batmobile, too, or several, as well as Airwolf and maybe Blue Thunder. I think the former helicopter has a better shot than the latter and that's fine; I'd buy it! Anyway, there are still IPs to plunder for crossover figs so I doubt Hasbro's done doing them. OMG. It's an abomination!

Gotta LOL looking at comments here and elsewhere on the interwebs concerning Basara Prime. Some things just should not be crossed. Looking at the general shapes of Prime and the VF-19, these things are so incongruous that no amount of wonky engineering can satisfactorily merge the two. I will concede, however, that the fighter mode, especially in light of Takara's usual fare, turned out better than I expected. However, I imagine one need only turn it over to be confronted with blocky Prime's chest where the actual VF-19 is all sleek complimentary contours. The addition of Hot Rod's retrofitted trailer is pure money grab; it's superfluous, adds nothing to the core character, certainly does not a good combination make so far as a ground vehicle, and exists purely to increase the price of the figure. The only way I'd ever consider getting it is if it was sold at retail as a voyager or deluxe minus the trailer. It would make for an interesting oddity among my other crossovers, but I imagine this is going to be much more expensive and exclusive, so I'm going to pass.