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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun

    BANDAI DX YF-19!!

    M'Kyuun replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    The anticipation and tension is palpable just scanning down through the last couple pages. I'm perfectly happy with my Advance and my Arcadia YF-19, so I'm happily gonna pass on this round of madness. Best of luck to you guys!
  2. M'Kyuun

    BANDAI DX YF-19!!

    M'Kyuun replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    Kinda surprised that they didn't remold the panel under the uni-boob to give it a nice upward curve instead of the bulge- that was really about the only glaring flaw I saw with the Advance mold (painted gear would be nice too, esp given all the care to other areas). The heels never bothered me, quite honestly. Alas, money saved. Good luck to folks who'll dare the midnight madness to score a copy. It's a nice addition to the collection. Hope this is portentous of an upcoming YF-21. I'm curious to see what kind of origami solutions they can come up with to try and make everything more proportionate in battroid while maintaining a svelte fighter. It's a tall order, as moreso than the 19, the YF-21's b-mode enjoyed more than its fair share of anime magic. If such a project is under way, I wish every success to the designers, as this is a long awaited toy.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Same here. I saw this at TRU a couple weekends ago (they had about 6-8 of them), and I was mildly curious. I recognized the mold from one of the last two movies, and, it's not a bad looking figure overall. Just the same, I passed. I like that intake marking on the kneecap- too bad there's a huge hinge where the intake should be. My interest in Bayformer designs has waned significantly over the last couple of years (while I'm not crazy about the aesthetic, I'd be remiss if I didn't say that I've found quite a few of the toys to be interesting, and that I probably have a couple dozen or so of them in my collection). Just a few years ago SS Blackout would have been bought on sight, but even in my hands, I just didn't feel that urge, that thrill of finding something cool. I wish they'd done those hands differently, as in just about every other respect, this is the Blackout toy I've been waiting for.
  4. M'Kyuun
    I vaguely remember a deluxe version of this guy- I'd thought about picking it up, but the idea of a bot with dreads just made me - oh, Michael Bay, how profound are the depths of your ability to suck. Bias aside, it seems to me that the deluxe cleaned up better in truck mode, and the bot mode wasn't as accurate. They went the opposite direction with the Studio Series, from what I'm seeing- big toes sticking out behind the rear wheels, not to mention a pretty obvious undercarriage. I find it a bit unusual to have that much compromise, especially in an obviously branded alt mode- guess they're not as picky as Lamborghini or Ferrari.
  5. M'Kyuun
    I still have my old voyager scale? Ratchet from the 2007 toyline, and chunky beast though he may be, esp his legs, I still prefer that figure over the more screen accurate toys that have been made since, including the Studio Series mikeszekely so kindly reviewed here. I think it's the chunkiness that appeals to me, as he seems to me more like a standard Transformer than many of the other Bayverse toys that tried to capture the skeletal and shardy look of the CG. Speaking of the Studio Series, I saw the majority of them today at Target. Of the lot, Blackout is really the only one that holds my interest, and yet, even holding the one and only copy they had, showing it off to my bored wife, I was able to put it back on the shelf with no regret. Hoping Takara will make an MP that outshines this figure.
  6. M'Kyuun
    I didn't notice the newspaper you're referring to; your eyes are sharper than mine. Your 'nomad' theory seems sound.
  7. M'Kyuun
    If they in fact spawned like roaches, as electric indigo mentioned, my assumption is that the family in question would have been overwhelmed by sheer numbers, or that there would be corpses of the things everywhere once the food supply had dwindled to what we see in the film. Unless they're cannibals, too. Alas, neither of these things is shown in the movie. It would seem that they're rather efficient, only requiring a few to be remarkably effective at population control. Hope they're not cooking any of these things up out at Plum Island- eeesh!
  8. M'Kyuun
    Of all the Bayverse designs, Blackout and Brawl remain my favorites, so I had a lot anticipation for this figure when it was announced. I've since watched a few video reviews, read Mike's here, and maybe one or two others, and overall, I have to agree that Takara did a really good job on him, minus the two niggles Mike mentioned (hands and refueling probe), some of the arm kibble, and the panels on the feet. But for $50, not a bad deal. Just the same, I think I'll wait to see if they make a proper MP of him that, hopefully, gets even more right. However, if I stumble across him in the store, all bets are off. The pics I've seen of SS Brawl have my attention, though. Looks good so far, but I'll wait for a review or two to see if there are any niggles with that figure that can't be overlooked. Also gotta throw in my $.02 that the Blackout scene in the first live action was indeed the best of the entire series- it truly had me hopeful, but then it all spiraled ever downward shortly thereafter.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Actually, not really, at least not the larger fighters like the F-15 and the F-22, which are both wide and relatively deep in profile. The F-16 is pretty small, but still has a side profile that's on par with a small convertible, at least from the intake back. The forward fuselage on that plane is tiny, though- almost makes you wonder how these 6' tall pilots can cram themselves in there. Moreover, we've had TFs of small cars and Takara still managed to fit all the bot into them- consider Classics Mirage, as well- a brilliant design of a very low profile car, not to mention MMC's Sphinx. So, I don't think profile is really the issue, esp when a lot of the fighter TFs are bulkier, esp in profile, than their real life counterparts. As Macross fans, we've been spoiled by Kawamori's valk designs, all of which hide or utilize the arms within the aircraft mode to give a realistic looking jet, so we're especially aware of what's possible with integrating all the bot's limbs within a svelte jet mode. Concerning the latest jet TF designs, I'm inclined to say it is just pure laziness on Has/Tak's part. They've been making their jets like this now for some time, people accept it and buy the toys, so why change. I'll give them props for leader class Jetfire and TR Powerglide, both of which integrated the arms in a way that benefited their jet modes. I still don't understand why they don't use the transformation design from the G1 seekers, where the arms rotate in and form the spine of the plane, at least on non-combining jet TFs. It seems to be the most eloquent solution, and yet they've only used it twice AFAIK: the G1 F-15s, and then again on the Robot Spirits F-15s. As for the Bayformer Starscream design, I didn't honestly care for it initially, but I will give props to its originality and departure from convention. It has grown on me, a little, over time, although I still don't like the head design. Digression aside, at least, throughout most of the various toy iterations, the arms were contained within the fuselage (except for the protruding hands on the one design-forget which one that was). The F-22 is a big plane, rather boxy, and pretty forgiving as an alt mode, so, in my mind, little of the bot should have been evident in jet mode. That hasn't been the case with any of the toys, not even the leader class, which was pretty well done, but still revealed its true nature rather apparently, esp if you set it next to any Valk. So, again, I don't get why ground vehicle TFs are crafted with such care as to hiding all bot parts, but that same consideration is ignored for aircraft. It's a design dichotomy I find most irksome. To that end, Yay Macross! Yay Kawamori-san!
  10. M'Kyuun
    The guy had a pretty amazing life for a former drill instructor; always entertaining when he appeared on screen, whether he was doing his DI bit, just playing a character, or being himself on his own shows. He was definitely the standout character in Full Metal Jacket, a role he wasn't intended to play (he was only an advisor), but one he won by determination- the rest is film history, and pretty much every military movie featuring drill instructors have taken their cue from his performance. Another sad loss; condolences to his family, friends, and fans. Semper Fidelis
  11. M'Kyuun
    Saw it on Saturday with the spousal unit, and we both liked it. Good film that puts you there with the protagonists.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Likewise, concerning Bayformers, which I can usually pass on with ease. However, I've wanted a decent Blackout from the start, so the Studio version has my attention. I just don't like the hands. Moreover, with Takara doing MP versions of the Bayformers, I'm content to wait for what may prove to be a better figure. Again, I say this, but if I see these things in stores, I'll likely come home with one or two, most likely Brawl and Blackout, both of whom have bot and alt modes I like. I have a few Deluxes of SS, but I may grab the Studio version of him, as it looks pretty well done overall. We'll see. I haven't seen the Studio toys anywhere yet, so I've not been tempted. Edit: After posting, I watched a vid of Studio Starscream; as it turns out, he's essentially an upscaled version of Deluxe Dark of the Moon Starscream, just at voyager scale with some aesthetic improvements. I believe I have the deluxe version, so I'll likely pass. After watching the review, there's still a lot of bot showing along the sides of the jet, even though everything tucks in pretty neatly. But I have to ask the question, 'would this ever pass muster with a car bot?'. Why can they make a smooth car, but not an aircraft?
  13. M'Kyuun
    RIP, Mr. Forman. His Amadeus still ranks high in my book- the lavish settings, the humor, the performances, that laugh, and the music-" it was God speaking through this little man". I still can't see F. Murray Abraham in anything without thinking 'Salieri'. Cuckoo's Nest is also a good film- some great performances, and a lot of well-known faces in that movie. A loss for cinema, indeed.
  14. M'Kyuun
    Sunstreaker pic above is priceless- good start to my morning. The happy countenance on MP Streaker's face is perfect, along with the posing. Thanks, Kuma. The new Star Wars TFs are mildly interesting; I don't feel the same enthusiasm for them, despite their being better than the originals, IMHO. I have the original Falcon, and this is an improvement in just about every way. Love Chewie's bot form, especially. I'll probably skip them, though, unless they do a new Tyderium or a better version of the Eta-2 Jedi Interceptor, or a decent Naboo fighter. Then again, I say this, but I often cave if I find these things in store where I can pick them up and look at them. I'm a sucker for this stuff. I'm still feeling non-buyer's remorse for passing up TR Blitzwing after finding him in-store. Now he's nigh impossible to find in stores, and internet pricing is exorbitant- I won't pay it. I was even contemplating just sucking it up and getting the Takara version, but he's double the US price or more- it's just crazy the pricing shenanigans. I've paid it before for Takara versions, but I'm getting to the point where I'm just willing to live without it. Speaking of overpriced TFs, I PO'd MP Dinobot at AmiAmi for 21340 Yen, one of the better priced options I found, but still expensive. He's going to be a pretty sizeable figure, though, looking at pics of him alongside Primal and Cheetor. Makes me wonder how big, and thusly how big the pricetag for, the eventual Megatron is going to be. Second mortgage.
  15. M'Kyuun
    I'm thinking the black hands are just a matter of cheap recycling, since they already cast them in black for Thundercracker. Moreover, as well as being a time expedient, the cost of purple plastic may be higher than black (I know this is the case with LEGO-black is the cheapest color for them to produce). As for the chest, intake, and pelvic areas, at first I thought it might be a trick of light due to the angle, but upon closer inspection, I think you're right, which is odd, as they should both be silver. Gotta agree with the general sentiment that the overall design is brilliant for Meteor- in just about every way, an improvement over the official MP (the hollow wing undersides stand out as a negative).
  16. M'Kyuun
    Concerning MP Sunstreaker, I think Takara set a new bar for themselves, especially in the articulation department. There was a lot of love and affection put into the car mode, too, even if some of that was mandated by Lamborghini, we got a nice dual option out of it. Yeah, he has a sizeable backpack as the price, but really, in-hand, it's compact and light and doesn't hinder the figure's poseability at all. It's a little unsightly at first, but after putting him through his paces, it's a compromise that I'm willing to accept for everything else that Takara did right. Of course, as they make their way through the pantheon of characters, the cost of progress is wishing that some of the older MP figs could be updated. Case in point, placing Sunstreaker next to his brother Sideswipe, the first of the MP carbots, really illuminates the progression in techniques and articulation. Looking forward to the next G1 release, whoever it may be.
  17. M'Kyuun
    My point exactly. He and Waspinator would make good counterpoints, esp if they changed Waspinator's personality to be more cunning, fierce, aggressive, defensive, and single-mindedly loyal to his 'queen'. If they included the rest of the Insecticons, Tarantulas, Scorponok, Inferno ("For the Royalty!"), and any other arthropods I'm forgetting, all in their natural scales, they'd make an interesting faction of mini-spies. Moreover, it'd be a fresh take, especially if all mass-shifting was eschewed.
  18. M'Kyuun
    I wasn't even aware of those T-Beast designs; pretty neat. Thanks, Kuma. I could totally get behind a reimagined Beast Wars, or a mashup of G1 and BW like they seem to be doing, as an animated show. Bumblebee's alt mode should be obvious, rather than the Zoids Liger-like design they did. After all, he is a mini-bot and a spy in G1, so that's an alt that would be really fitting.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Thigh restriction notwithstanding, that's a neat looking mecha-Primal. Reminds me of the Trans-metal versions of the characters, which I favored over the organic alts, from a more practical standpoint (that alt modes should be mechanical regardless of the forms they assume), much like the Dinobots. Alas, I still love Beast Wars, and they conjured up a decent excuse for the organic forms, impractical as they were. I wonder how BW would have played out had they gone totally mecha throughout, just making the beast forms look as close to their organic counterparts as possible while still retaining hints of their mechanical natures.
  20. M'Kyuun
    I thought Pacific Rim 2 and Ready Player One were both enjoyable movies; they do different things and tell different stories, but for a couple hours of over-the-top sci-fi concepts and action, they both offer a nice bit of escapism fit for nachos and a large blue-raspberry Icee. It seems like people like to analyze, or way over-analyze, their media of choice these days; I just take it at face value and try to enjoy what it offers. I'm generally a pretty content guy- I don't stress over camera flare, or too-orange/bluish color hues (which I didn't notice). Perhaps being a dullard helps me get more enjoyment out of my entertainment choices. In my case, ignorance truly is bliss. I feel sorry for all you smart people.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Saw it today with the wife. Definitely a love letter to the 80's, but there's so much more than that as far as pop culture references go. As for the film itself, it's a nice bit of sci-fi fun, nothing really new or original, but what it did do was entertaining and fun to watch. It's one of those movies that requires a few viewings to catch all the references Spielberg and the writers tucked in there. Seeing Kaneda's bike in action, not to mention Iron Giant and the Gundam, were highlights that make you want to see more. Great nerd-fare, this film. I was all smiles the whole way through. Loved Mark Rylance's performance in this movie, and Simon Pegg is always enjoyable. Really though, I felt the whole cast did a really good job. Kudos to all the artists behind the scenes, as at least half the film is rendered, and it was pretty neat to see so many disparate characters, vehicles, and other pop culture things brought to life in a single bit of media.
  22. M'Kyuun
    I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with setting the film either in China or Japan, esp the latter who created the whole Super Robot idea to start with. It's fitting, and I also appreciated that throughout the film, many of the characters spoke their native languages among themselves, and even to the foreigners who were working with them. It's such a rarity in American films to see that instead of everybody speaking English in faux accents, which bugs the crap out of me. I don't mind reading subtitles. I'm a white American guy who only speaks English, BTW, as mine isn't an ethnic bias so much as a practical one- no one speaks in a foreign language to his fellow countrymen in general, unless they enjoy it, want to improve proficiency, or are required to by virtue of environmental or transactional reasons, or if it's a common language shared by two or more people from different countries, or perhaps dialects. I'm sure there are other reasons, but as I said, in general, people speak their native language amongst their own countrymen. However, I'm sure the same thing happens in film and tv around the world, for simplicity's sake. Don't even get me started on sci-fi stuff where we go to another planet and everyone there speaks perfect English, no translators necessary. So dumb.
  23. M'Kyuun
    First time seeing it, too, but this is a good approach, IMHO. There's still a little bit of a fragmented look to the bots, but at least they look more coherent and both less shard-y and less skeletal. I figure much like insects, reptiles, and other critters with scales or some form of carapace, there needs to be separation between the exterior plating to allow for movement, otherwise they'd be statues. Moreover, it's a better, more realistic solution than having the metal bend and stretch like skin. Anyway, my G1 nostalgia overfloweth watching this; I have to admit, I'd be down to see this expanded into a full length film. I'd also be interested to see this approach taken to the reboot regardless of whether any of the G1 characters were even in it; marry this aesthetic to a good Transformers-focused story with well-written dialog, a good plot, Autobots waging their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons, and I'd buy a ticket to see that.
  24. M'Kyuun
    That Nerdist take is spot on- that trailer's more exciting than the actual movie. After this movie, I'm not sure how they can up the ante, unless they make bigger Jaegers, or turn them into combiners, which would be kinda cool.
  25. M'Kyuun
    Watched it tonight; gotta agree with its being a fun movie. The plot was decent, the kids were ok, and there were a number of 'Evangelion' moments in there that my wife and I noticed (and liked). Evangelion is especially fresh to me, as just yesterday I started watching the original with a friend who's never seen it before. Anyway, they raised the level of agility in the Jaegers compared to the first movie, which makes the action more dynamic. Having younger pilots works well to that end, and overall, it made it a fun movie to watch. They also built off of many of the established ideas from the first without lingering or over-explaining them, keeping the momentum of the movie going. I hate it when movies feel the need to expound on stuff at length by virtue of awkward dialog or some form of expository demonstration rather than explaining it naturally as the story unfolds. They did a good job of reintroducing the tech from the first, as well as new ideas, in a way that didn't bog the momentum. It was a good sequel, and I hope there's another, as this about as close as we've gotten to anime-style storytelling with mecha on the big screen, done well.
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