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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    If Nicee does well, I wouldn't mind a Windblade in this style from Big Firebird. I hope BF give you optional chestplates to vary her endowments. The overall figure is just beautiful, though. Great style.
  2. M'Kyuun
    Hasbro got their pound of flesh from me for Unicron, but honestly, I went in eyes wide open. It's not as well done as I think it could or should be, especially given that it's targeted more at an adult fanbase with plenty of disposable income, but I figured this would likely be the only opportunity to an official Unicron this well detailed. I do wish they'd made him less of a panel-former, or at least found a way to integrate or hide said panels better (the thing is huge, after all), and given that they have 30+ years experience making these toys, expectations are, like the price, pretty high. Anyway, the deal is sealed, as it were, and so I await my copy in a couple of years, which gives me plenty of time to make a shelf for him next to my CHUG shelves. In the meantime, looking forward to the Earthrise Seige figs. Lots of complaining on the TFW board about the upcoming Starscream having no waist rotation, but I'm more plussed that the waist skirt is one piece, and that it shares the same huge hollow area under the forward fuselage that its Classics inspiration had. I still think the Classics was a decent toy, but it was by no means perfect, and unfortunately they basically just upscaled that figure rather than taking the opportunity to improve it beyond just ankle articulation. Ah well. They could have done worse.
  3. M'Kyuun
    I noticed the similarities to the Classics Seeker mold, too; was also hoping for something more streamlined and closer to the MP design. Oh well- at least the arms tuck in flush; that's already a monumental improvement over their latest spate of jet-formers, Jetfire notwithstanding. Agree with Mike that Prime looks to have some similarities to the Bumblebee Movie Prime toy. Not necessarily a bad thing, although I wish they could have incorporated the front wheels. Oh well, it still looks like a pretty good fig, and it's the most G1 take on Prime in both modes since the original. I don't even mind the trailer. And yeah, a Micromaster Roller would be cool. Should be included. As for the rest of the G1 homages, IMHO, they're all looking pretty sweet to this old G1er's optical sensors. Nice to see a Cliffjumper who's not a BB repaint. Looks like HasTak took a cue from 3P and included his cannon and waterskis. I'm not at all familiar with Ironworks; is he from the comics, or just something Hasbro made up to make a toy? It's interesting, in concept. I'm not a big partsformer fan, in general, but the modularity of the alt mode lends a sense of practicality and fun factor to the alt mode. Soundbarrier- scraping the bottom of the alt mode barrel! Reminds me of the old SNL skit where they mention the Women with Mattresses on Their Backs. They should have allocated the plastic from this thing into producing the aforementioned Roller fig.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Just tuned in, and I'm pretty pleased to see Siege going all Earthy already, as I believe this is supposed to be a trilogy line like the previous. Anyway, if Prime and Grapple are the standard, I'm getting purdy excited to see what else they roll out, pun not really intended. Looking forward to seeing how well the new Seekers are designed- I'm hoping for something akin to a scaled down and simplified MP-11, with arms tucked in and not just hanging off the sides like they've been doing. I wonder how much they're going to change on Megatron, as his first version is pretty close to an Earth tank already. I hope for a gun mode, but know it'll never happen, more's the pity. What I really want to see is a properly scaled Soundwave with G1 compatible cassettes- that would be excellent, and it's not like it hasn't already been done. Anyway, bring on the G1 homages, HasTak. My wallet's ready! My shelf space is another story...
  5. M'Kyuun
    Nicee turned out, well, nice! Even with the stylish take and anthropic embellishments, it's still Arcee. Giving a choice of heads is a nice touch, too, and I like the sculpts of both- much more modern anime inspired. I wish she didn't have quite so much back kibble, but I think they did an admirable job of trying to stylistically minimize it to thin protruding bits akin to what we see on Gundams and other anime mecha/bots. Definitely would make for a striking presence on the shelf.
  6. M'Kyuun
    The Ostrich and the Elintseeker are both rare and interesting models of the VF-1, although my preference is for the latter, of which I own two from this last batch that Arcadia released. I have no interest in valks in other scales, as 1/60 is a good size for display shelves, while allowing for quite a bit of detail and features to be incorporated. All my Yammie 1/48 VF-1s, beautiful toys though they are, rest peacefully in their boxes. As the majority of my Macross collection is 1/60, that's the scale I have on display, and it works well. The VF-1 has been done to death; I'd like to see them do a few valks that haven't been done before, especially the VF-14, the VF-3000, the VF-9, or the Variable Glaug. Any of these (and more) would be welcome additions to many a collector's case, I'm sure. Given their rarity in any kind of toy form, I think any of them would be a profitable investment for Arcadia.
  7. M'Kyuun
    Some nice looking Stunticons there. Fans Toys? That Wildrider looks like a nice figure just on its own, but that die cast plate in the leg looks like it was half-heartedly painted, which erodes the spit-n-polish of the figure. Still, I think back to the 80's toys, and it makes me appreciate what marvels these modern Transformer toys are, official or non.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Anime52k8, you're vignettes really bring home how expressive the MP figures can be, to great comical effect.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Great picture- no words necessary. Totally should become a meme.
  10. M'Kyuun
    Yea, totally. I got G1 Ratchet as a kid, and although I knew what it looked like from the toy brochures that came with all the toys (a practice that still gives me a lot of joy and nostalgia, and that I wish Hasbro still observed), having it in hand just really brought home what a half-finished feeling figure it was. I'm not sure what the designers were thinking, or why Hasbro stayed with the Diaclone toy, but the decision to completely reimagine Ironhide and Ratchet for the toon was great and prescient thinking. Imagine had they animated them to be more like the toy, anemic looking bots rolling around on their little treaded sleds. So, although I rail a bit against the totally-toon or bust design philosophy espoused by Takara, so far as the van bros go, toon design all the way! I thought they did a fair job with the van bros design, but I do wish they'd figured out the door idea employed by Shadow Fisher's add-on, and I wish they'd figured out a way to have Ironhide's back cannon permanently mounted and retractable as part of the final design. I know lot of folks take issue with the front of the van sitting too low and looking like a beer belly, but it honestly never bothered me. They look like Ironhide/Ratchet to me as-is. Different strokes. Still, better than the G1 design!
  11. M'Kyuun
    I know; it saddens me deeply that the -23 isn't protecting our and our allies' skies today. I've said it from the beginning, when Lockheed won, America lost. What really always perplexed me about the decision was that stealth and speed were the highest priorities in the ATF program, and they chose the lesser performer in those two areas, as the YF-22, and F-22, by extension, had greater dogfighting skills due to its vectored thrust. Well that's wonderful at an airshow, but in real combat, the best tactic is to avoid close range fighting in favor of long range targeting, and both superior stealth and speed remain the most favored attributes of military fighters. QFT! Everything about it was ahead of its time. Too bad the decision makers weren't. She certainly does. Typical brass- I don't know how it happened, but sometime in the mid to late nineties there seemed to be a shift in the mentality of military leadership from the top down wherein tree trunks were sharpened and thrust not-too-gingerly within the collective anuses of officers and senior non-commissioned officers alike throughout the various echelons, and all fun , all whimsy, all creativity, and all joy was stamped out and crushed asunder like so much dog sh!t under a boot heel. We lost a lot of people due to drawdowns on force size, but the number of missions increased, procedure and safety were foot-stomped ad nauseum (not that either is a bad thing, but , as in all things practical, common sense should rule the day when procedure is more of an ideal than a reality. I speak from a maintenance POV), most TDYs to anywhere not a wretched deployment site all but vanished, attitudes soured (guilty), and most military functions, which once were fun and looked forward to, became exercises in 'forced fun' that the majority of folks would rather avoid. My first eight years in the Air Force were punctuated by fun and an overall enjoyment of military life. I got out for a year and a half, and decided to re-enlist and make a career of it, which I did. But the remaining twelve seemed more of a grind, a long marathon of misery to get to the finish line. But I made it, and now I can try and look back on it more fondly than when I was in. But pics like this, along with the story, just bring back memories of my frustration and why I couldn't wait to retire. Bad ass pic, and I salute the folks who did the paint job and the spirit in which it was done. In the larger scheme of things, it's a small thing that brings a bit of joy and patriotism to the troops, and it saddens me that leadership couldn't, wouldn't, or didn't recognize the morale value and at least make an effort to keep it. But, then again, this is why nose art is nigh but an anachronism today, and even when it is allowed, there are so many rules attached to avoid offense that most modern nose/tail art is lame compared to that of yesteryear. Thanks for sharing that E2 pic, mcfly50. It warms my heart to know that, at least for a short time, it was making folks happy and proud to serve.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Been watching a number of anime on cartoon network, and one that stands out as a guilty pleasure is Food Wars. Amidst the innuendo and fan service, the show can actually teach you something about the culinary arts. It's unlike any anime I've watched before, as I'm mostly a sci-fi/mecha/action/drama sort of guy, but the show is light hearted fare, and behind all the silliness, when they expound on various cooking methods, there's a glimmer of experience informing the content. It's a fun show that my wife and I have taken a liking to. just don't watch it hungry.
  13. M'Kyuun
    I'll be glad when Takara's obnoxiously ardent devotion to toon accuracy abates, as I'd prefer to have the alt as real world as possible, and those vehicle details, plus additional mechanical details to enhance the bot mode, be evident throughout. I never would have thought that toon accuracy would be the direction they'd go in the MP line- just the opposite. But here we are, and the sooner they abandon that philosophy, the better, IMHO. However, for those that like their figures over complex for the sake of trying to have vehicle realism but uber-plain bot modes, you're wish has been granted. With MP-44, though, I think Anime52k8 makes a good point- they took the pains of adding wipers and rivets, but didn't paint any of those realistic details, and the overall impression comes off cheap and superfluous. They should have just gone total toon with both bot and cab- completely plain. The only thing about MP-44 that I like is the articulation- it's superb. So far as overall look in both modes, I'll stick with my MS-01. His mirrors could stand a secondary attachment, and his hitch deck is a bit thick, but otherwise, he's a fine Optimus Prime figure.
  14. M'Kyuun
    You're not kidding about the TF boards- so much vitriol and invective over there, no matter what thread you look at, it seems. You'd think by now they'd moderate it better to try and maintain some semblance of peace and harmony, but apparently no one cares and the bad behavior continues. It's a pretty toxic environment for a toy hobby board. I generally stay away. Much prefer discussing TFs here. So Siege Omega Supreme looks pretty good. I'm not, nor have ever been, a fan of Omega Supreme. I thought his G1 toy was crap back when I was a kid; it just didn't seem like a true Transformer to me, with all the, what we now call, parts-forming going on. Animated Omega Supreme was the first instance of the character that I embraced, and I still think it's the best incarnation (so, so, so wish we'd gotten a toy), but this figure, admittedly, has my attention. Like others here, though, my space is limited, and becoming moreso with every passing year. I wish houses grew with sunshine and rain, but unfortunately, unless you live in a tree... And I still have to make room for a potential Unicron. So space, or lack thereof, is definitely becoming a limiting factor. But, as to the figure itself, I think Has/Tak did a great job updating him. I love the elevated track- there's just something really cool about that that appeals. Moreover, the way they designed his arms to become the rocket, as well as making it accommodate small figs inside the nose cone, is fantastic , even if it is partsformery. It's good playability and some nice engineering brought to bear to give it a cohesive transformation on its own. It's also a nice bit of additional playability that his tank can open and carry small figs. They didn't have to, but it's nice that they did. Having no previous affinity for the character, I guess I'm able to see this version in a very positive light. For such a large figure, they gave him a pretty good range of articulation, they imbued all his separate parts with some functionality/feature, his sculpt work looks amazing, to me anyway, and on the whole he just seems like a really good update, a fun toy, and one that had the benefit of some love from the designers incorporated into the design. There's a part of me that wants to get him, but I have no idea what I'd do with him, as he wouldn't fit on my CHUG shelves, and I have nowhere to really display him. Alas, first world conundrum.
  15. M'Kyuun
    The SV-51 is one of my favorite valks, and I still have my old Yammie standing tall on the display shelf. I seldom ever touch it, and if memory serves, never had any issues with it since I opened it and transformed it a few times. It's been in battroid ever since. Of course, it suffers the same weak hip joints that most Yamato 51s did, so I don't consider that an issue per se. To the point, are there enough updates with the Arcadia to warrant buying a copy if the original Yamato is still in good shape?
  16. M'Kyuun
    Not to derail the topic, but... https://news.tfw2005.com/2019/09/12/war-for-cybertron-siege-leader-class-astrotrain-in-hand-images-396400 I can't understand why, with all that add-on accessory chunk, they couldn't make a plate to fill out the aft cargo section and OMS pods for a complete orbiter. I could accept a little parts-forming to make it look better, although it should have been designed better from the start, IMHO. It makes me wonder how some of these figs are done so well, and then stuff like this, which looks half finished, gets through final approval. It's even more mind-boggling to me when the fig comes with add-ons, but nothing in those add-ons addresses such a glaring lack of finish. After the tragedy that was TR Astrotrain, I had really strong hopes that this would finally be the definitive G1 Astrotrain homage I've been waiting for, and it almost is, but that shuttle mode just bugs the hell out of me, as that's my favorite alt mode for the character. I think it's a bit underwhelming, too, when compared to the G1 toy, whose alt modes are both superior to the update. I hate it when this hobby disappoints.
  17. M'Kyuun
    Makes perfect sense, if you're Michael Bay.
  18. M'Kyuun
    Paid a visit to the Air Force Museum in Dayton last month and got a shot or two of this beauty:
  19. M'Kyuun
    I got my Seige Refraktor Recon Team yesterday, and decided to take a few comparison shots with the G1 toy: Overall, I think it's a nice update, and although the guns may look a bit wonky, I like that both shields and guns become accessories for the camera mode. The additional wrap-around panel (Shutter Armor, per the instructions) for Spectro (red), Flash Launcher for Spyglass (blue with yellow chest), and grey shoulder pauldrons (interestingly enough, no silly name for them in the instructions) for Viewfinder (blue with green chest) add a bit of realism to the camera mode while providing the requisite G1 updates (the flash and the pauldrons) while giving Spectro an added bit of armor, even if it is a bit weird looking. The original Viewfinder's pauldrons were part of the arm mold, whereas they are partsforming add-ons with a rotating armature that swings 180 degrees to allow for attachment to the raised shoulder humps on either side of the head in either camera or bot configuration. As all the bots are the same mold, the pauldrons can be attached to any figure in the set, even if they traditionally belong to Viewfinder. I like how Refraktor is written across the two pauldron halves and the Decepticon symbol is placed above the name on the robot's left pauldron just as it was on the original toy. It's a nice detail. Unlike the original toy, the color of the camera face differs from one side to the other. The reason for this is that the original bots transformed differently from each other: Spectro's shins became the left camera face, while the back of Spyglass' legs became the right camera face, as can be seen in the pics. Since the Siege figs are identical molds, it was a concession to the camera mode to prioritize the G1 look of the bots. It's noticeable, but not jarringly so, and I don't mind it. Truth be told, I'm just happy that after all these years they finally made an updated Reflector, and that he turned out as well as he did. Moreover, I'm glad they released this set, with all the additional parts, along with the toon accurate figures at retail, as it's nice to have both. Now they just need to make updated Omnibots! Cheers!
  20. M'Kyuun
    Yeah, I'm aware of those figs, but I don't think they were exactly the best characters to start with. TBH, I didn't get them either. I think if more notable characters were done, it might spark interest- an improved Blitzwing, or Starscream, perhaps. Or custom Slag and Snarl within the aesthetic to round out the Dinos. I've seen some nice customs, and it makes me want them. Anyway, I guess the ship has sailed, as there don't seem to be any other folks trying to do Animated stuff. Ah well, I'm glad that G1 is still popular, and there seems to be no end to that roller coaster ride.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Some great photography by all. Kuma- you're the King of Super Robots; nice group shot. Prime looks good, but Voltron totally steals his thunder. SH900's shot of MP-44 in his natural habitat (good ole Ark) brings on the nostalgia. I like that he's not toting his gun in this shot, as the Autobots rarely had weapon in hand while hanging out at their HQ. Treatment, nice use of the blast effects parts from Seige Jetfire to spice up the action. That would look amazing with an animated cell environment in the background. Nice showcase of MP-44's articulation. RED WOLF, I've been enjoying you're stylized shots since you starting posting them- just a nice bit of flavor and color as well as homaging some memorable themes from the old toon. You're shots also bring to the fore Takara's direction of improving articulation in the MP line, a salient improvement that I absolutely adore in the latest figures. To all, thanks for sharing your pics and your talents with us.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Hope you're feeling better, Mike. Back before I finally got my hands on FT's Swoop, which none of the e-tailers of renown were carrying when I was trying to complete my Dibot collection, I gave some consideration to Volar. I like the look in bot mode, but I think his Pteranodon mode suffers a bit, more than I believed, actually, after reading your review. I'm glad I waited and found an ebay seller with a blue-chested Soar to fill out my Dibots. Like you, I just like the contrast of his blue chest to the red chests of the rest- it stands out in an eye-pleasing way, and looks nice with the overall color scheme of the character. Moreover, while I like the look of the FOC Dinobots ( the game designs were hit and miss for me, but I loved the look of their Prime and the Dinos were pretty cool looking, too), I much prefer the very G1 look of FT's Dinos across the board, and they managed to incorporate some neat mechanics in his little dino legs to give them some nice articulation, as well as his dino head and wings- just a well executed robo-Pteranodon. The only nitpicks I have with Soar are that due to an abundance of die-cast, he's very heavy for his size, but his ankles are friction joints that don't handle the weight very well, and I wish they'd designed his arms to retract into the body at more of an angle going down the body to give him a "V" shape instead of straight in giving him a boxy look. I guess it's how the G1 did it, but I don't mind a design concession if it improves the alt mode. Anyway, I'm pretty happy with Soar, with all my FT Dinos, really. I still think Animated Swoop is one of the best Swoop designs. His wings were way too small, but otherwise, they did a good job of giving him a more organic look, especially with the legs articulating forward like a modern bird. It looks cool, although, it doesn't seem anatomically correct based on a Google image search for Pteranodon. I'd love to see what a good third party company could do with some of the Animated designs- still one of my favorite TF toy lines, and one I think, that still has potential. We never got an Animated Omega Supreme, and that's my favorite incarnation of the character. Since HasTak did absolutely nothing to celebrate Animated's tenth anniversary, I've been hoping a third party somewhere would seize the opportunity. Still waiting- nuthin' but the sound of crickets.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Sucks to pay $400 for a figure only to learn it has an issue, especially a joint issue. Hopefully Takara are aware and are addressing it. Overall, I kinda dig the design, although it still slews a little too much towards the Bayformer look for my tastes. I raise a skeptical eyebrow when I see four nose landing gears being used as toes, which only cements the fact that ILM just slaps whatever where-ever on these things if they think it looks cool, without practical consideration to the actual machine in question. Just looking at it, I see no way for a practical transformation to happen without extensive CG magic, which shall ever remain my greatest beef with the all the live action designs. I applaud Travis Knight for the much improved writing and characterization he brought to Bumblebee, but even with the improvements to the designs to make them closer to a more plausibly mechanical look, and closer to the G1 aesthetic as well, there's room for improvement. As Kawamori does, I think they should start out with a practical transforming model and design from there- it'd make more sense on screen, and provide a rough model for the eventual toy. I never thought of it from a sales perspective, but, yeah, it makes sense to pump out 'army-builder' type characters, and Reflector was certainly that in the original show. So were the humanoid cassettes, and the Seekers. I wouldn't argue with multiple releases of the cassette dudes in different colors- small, and fairly cheap, they'd be an ideal toy to mass produce. Those Real Gear bots that accompanied the main characters in the 2007 live action toy line were pretty nifty. They were the brainchildren of Alex Kubalsky, who also design the Concept Camaro Bumblebee figure for that line. From interviews I've read, his design philosophy was a game changer at Takara, who until that time, generally liked to make everything square and blocky, and Alex liked to introduce curves into his designs. The influence is evident in many of the toys released over the last decade. Alex is now one of the main designers for MMC.
  24. M'Kyuun
    I think, just by design, and by virtue of anime magic, Unicron is always going to be a difficult figure to realize in a transforming toy without losing fidelity in one mode or the other. I appreciate the comparison shot, as it highlights the two very different approaches taken, as well as what was prioritized. Although I've already backed the Haslab project, my own preference skews more towards the better engineering of the Zeta for their ingenious transformation mechanics and virtually kibble-free robot mode. IMHO, Zeta's concession of eschewing anime accuracy on the planet mode's backside was a fair trade for the final result, as I would likely never display him with the backside out front anyway. I can understand where it might be an issue for those with a fully walk-around display, in which case, if planet mode is the desired display mode, then Hasbro's definitely the way to go. For my preferences, Zeta's planet mode does a passable job, and more than likely, I'd have him in robot mode most of the time, as is my wont. The coloration differences you pointed out, Captain America, are certainly of concern, and something I hadn't previously given consideration; those paint differences, dictated by the transformation, could really throw off the look of the planet mode, and I hope that's something that the Zeta folks took into account when designing this thing. It's possible that those hip skirts, in particular, are double sided and can rotate 180 degrees to provide the proper deco. I wasn't paying attention to that aspect when watching the vid, so I may have to go back and watch it again. Harkening to the Megatron discussion, I'm in the favorable camp regarding MP-36, although I'll concede it 's not without its flaws. If I had my druthers, they would have eschewed all the origami involved in forming the upper torso and made his slide/chest a single piece while engineering the arms to swing around into position, much as X-Transbots did with Apollyon. I think the legs are really the standout bit of engineering on the figure, and had Hasui had more time and insight to design MP-5, utilizing MP-36's solution, it would have been a far better received, and certainly a far better proportioned, figure. Presently, I still like the looks of MP-36, short of the chest area, as it makes for a striking looking fig with impressive articulation. His gun mode, as everyone knows, is replete with panel lines that do nothing to hide the fact that it transforms. It's a concession, and like me, I doubt the majority of MP-36 owners keep their figure in gun mode, or even transform it, very often. I think Takara made that assumption as well, and the alt mode become a lesser priority. Still, it does transform, and from a distance forms a reasonably realistic facsimile of a Walther P-38, which is all I require. As to third party MP Megs, I still think Despotron and Apollyon are the two top contenders, and while I own the latter, I don't have the former but may pick one up if I ever see a good sale.
  25. M'Kyuun
    It truly is. And speaking of choice, having watched the Zeta Unicron transformation, that's the kind of engineering I wish Has/Tak had employed with their version. While I still prefer the detail work of the Has/Tak, the cleanliness of Zeta's is fantastic. Nice to know that there's an option if the official fails to secure backing, although I imagine they'll just keep pushing the deadline out until they reach 8000. Kinda wish I'd stalled on backing, now. A point of concern with the Zeta is the amount of force necessary to untab the legs from planet mode- that guy is exerting a scary amount of effort, especially for a test shot. But the way they form the sides of the planet is just fantastic, along with all the other folding bits. If the Hasbro ultimately fails, this will be on my buy list for sure. On the final fix wish-list, I'd hope to see the belly panel outfitted with translucent plastic abs and the outer ring extended farther from the planet surface. As a test shot, some floppiness is to be expected, and hopefully all the loose joints, especially his jaw, will be toleranced well on the final.
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