M'Kyuun
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Ghost in the Shell Live Action - March 31, 2017
M'Kyuun replied to Mechinyun's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
If it didn't have Scarlett, it most likely wouldn't have had the budget it had, and would have been a direct to video release. It's a virtually unknown property here in the States, and probably in the rest of the Western Hemisphere, so they needed a well-known actress to leverage what was otherwise an absolute losing gamble. As with most movies in this genre, the Asian market is where it will make its mark both financially and in popularity. I hope so, enough to justify a second. I felt it succeeded, just that it was very derivative. I thought Scarlett carried the picture well, and that she and Pilou (Batou) embodied their characters and their characters' relationship very well. I'd like to see the rest of Section 9 fleshed out more in a new movie with an original plot and mecha, and maybe a Tachikoma or two thrown in there. Azrael- yeah, that's lower than I'd expected for a big movie with Johansson headlining, but then again, if people don't know what "Ghost in the Shell" is, they're just not gonna pony up for theatre seats, but wait for Netflix or Redbox. Reality. -
The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
Takara did a good job of scaling his scope/fusion cannon to the bot mode. It's kinda jarring to see all the third parties having more red on the arms and legs than the official, not to mention their shininess compared to nearly-matte Megatron. Seeing the four of them together, I still think Apollyon comes closest to what I want in a MP Megs, leg kibble notwithstanding. XTransbots did a good job with proportionality, overall colors, and keeping the G1 transformation while delivering a pretty clean bot overall. I'm looking forward to MP-36, but I'm glad I also have Apollyon in my collection. Shame to hear about all the paint chipping, esp at the price point- unacceptable. Guess I'll never be putting his accessories on his gun mode. I hope his scope doesn't scratch his arm up over time. Perhaps they should have just molded him in color. I PO'd thru Captured Prey, and have yet to hear anything at all from them, so I don't know if they're installing plugs, or even if they're starting to ship orders. I'm hoping to hear something from them soon, as this thing's a bit of an investment. -
Ghost in the Shell Live Action - March 31, 2017
M'Kyuun replied to Mechinyun's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
Honestly, if those are domestic numbers, I'm not surprised. While it has its fans, most anime as a whole, just isn't that well known here in the States. There are a few exceptions, like Pokeman, Naruto, and DBZ, but outside of a handful of really popular animes aimed at kids, the more mature anime is obscure. We saw GiTS at an 1130 showing yesterday, and there were only about 20 people in the theatre to see it, so even with Scarlett attached, a big name doesn't always sell a movie. My wife and I were the first two people in the theatre, followed by another couple prob in their 40's or 50's who had no idea what the movie was about, and most likely, had never heard of Ghost in the Shell. I'm guessing they were bored, or they anticipated an empty theatre so they could get up to some sexual shenanigans (we had an older couple than this having sex a few rows down from us during another movie a year or two ago- crazy times we live in). Anyway, I imagine profits will be much higher in China and Japan. I hope it makes some kind of profit; it's a better movie than some others I've seen (like every Bayformer movie thus far.) -
Ghost in the Shell Live Action - March 31, 2017
M'Kyuun replied to Mechinyun's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
Saw it today, and I liked it, but I have mixed feelings. I like the homages to the '95 film, and there are quite a few, as Hikuro mentions, although a number are changed to suit the story. For those of us familiar with Oshii's film, sadly, there really aren't any original standout scenes; all the memorable shots were lifted from the animated film, and to me, this is the greatest weakness of the film, IMHO. Many of those shots will give you a deja-vu feeling, as they are very faithful to the Oshii film. The movie itself is a visual treat, esp those city-scapes, which feel very much like GiTS. The special effects were really well done. I personally didn't mind the Major's backstory; it made sense, and gave a plausible explanation for her character, while introducing her to folks with no prior GiTS knowledge. While philosophical topics are explored, it didn't have the exposition of Oshii's film to make that exploration as blatant. To some degree, I think that's a good thing, as I've always found some of the dialog, at least in the English dub, to be clunky and un-natural, esp her and Batou's conversation on the boat and some of the Major's questions to the brain hacked guy after she beats his ass in the water-sheened lot. Just my opinion. In the end, I think it's a good GiTS movie- all the necessary elements are there. But I also think it relied too much on the '95 film for content/scenes, and could have benefited from more originality. My hope is that it will do well enough for a sequel with a unique non-derivative story line, and where the other Section 9 characters besides the Major, Batou, and Aramaki will be fleshed out more. -
I wasn't a fan of it, either. I pretty much detest gold coloring, unless it's used sparsely, and this thing is plastered with it. But, in hand it's not as gaudy, at least to me, and the pattern and break-up of the gold against the dark blue looks sharp. It's grown on me, and I find it rather striking. Still, it would have looked even better if they'd gone with a Su-27 blue and dark grey camo scheme.
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I fail to see the difference between selling a set on Ebay and selling it piecemeal on sites like Bricklink and Brickowl. Either way, the seller purchased the set; what does it matter the manner in which it is resold so long as the parts are properly identified with the brand? I was under the impression that most folks buying LEGO by the part are generally too purist to even consider muddying the LEGO waters with some Mega Bloks, even if the parts in question are highly useful and not produced by LEGO, thus the lack of interest. Personally, I'd consider using those plates with studs on top and bottom, and a few others as well.
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The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/takara-tomy-seminal-designer-hideaki-yoke-retires/37663/ Best wishes and utmost respect to a talented gentleman who greatly impacted my life, and the lives of millions, with his work and art. Happy retirement, Yoke-san! -
Well, depending on how LEGO purist you guys are, Mega-Bloks sets these days offer some nice alternative parts, as they tend to craft special parts specific to some sets, including some contoured parts. Moreover, they make plates with studs on both sides (so, so useful- extremely high on my LEGO want list), as well as a lot of other specialized bricks with different stud alignments, shapes, slopes, etc that LEGO hasn't made. I haven't brought myself to use MB parts in a LEGO MOC yet, but I've been tempted. For anyone on the fence whether to buy a Mega-Bloks set, I'd highly recommend their Call of Duty Harrier set or the CoD AH-64 Apache set. I have both, and I love them. The overall quality is good, much improved since Mattel bought Mega-Brands. Parts-wise, the Harrier set is a treasure trove of specialized parts with studs going in different directions. It makes me wish there was a Bricklink for Mega-Bloks, or that Bricklink would start selling MB parts.
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Chronocidal- that's a lovely start on the VF-19, immediately recognizable. As for your comment concerning LDD's limitations when dealing with a lot of moving parts/transformation systems, I'm so very, very aware. I really wish they'd redesign the hinge and hinge alignment tools. The first is frustrating, the latter nigh useless in my experience. Mazinger- Glad to hear you supported Voltron, although it's probably moot at this point, as it's currently being reviewed by the Ideas Team. I doubt additional votes have impact at this stage, but you never know. As for the creator of the Ideas Voltron, he is a Philippine national named Leandro Tayag, currently residing in Malaysia.
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The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
I hope nobody misuses their Megs in the commission of a crime, as it would definitely draw unwanted attention and gun laws would only become more stringent concerning replicas and toys. I suppose the one positive aspect of all those panels is that he doesn't look like a real gun up close, but from distance, it would be much harder to tell. This reminds me , when I was in high school, the drama club were using G1 Megatron as a prop gun in a play. I was giving someone a ride, but somehow Megs ended up in my greedy hands and I got to transform him quickly. That was my first and last experience handling G1 Megs. I'm totally down with an easily removable plug if it satisfies Customs, as well as the necessity of retailers opening the package to install them. It sucks, but it is what it is. I want my G1 inspired Megatron figures, and I consider a removable plug to be the best option and still remain mostly within the law. -
QFT. The joint you describe here, and a sister joint to mate with 47455, are high on my want list. They would be easy for LEGO to make, and enormously useful. Anyway, I wish you every success with your VF-19. I've seen pics of your earlier attempts to build a VF-1, and that was an impressive model. Despite LEGO's inherent limitations, I hope you're able to move forward with your project. Best wishes!
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Mazinger, Big F, here's the link to LEGO's customer service https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/?domainredir=service.lego.com Hopefully you can get some resolution for your accounts. As for Ideas, I did support the Voltron project and vehemently hope it gets realized as a set. Moreover, I hope it opens the door to more anime licenses (they've already done Speed Racer, short lived as it was). Whether or not you liked the movie (I did-guilty pleasure), the sets were rather well done overall. I'd say they were a seed for the current Speed Champions line. It also hearkens back to the Exo-Force sets, which sought to capture the anime look and feel, although many of those mecha sets felt very anemic. With all the new parts, I'd love to see them do E-F 2 at some point. Based on reports from Toy Fair, the Ninjago Movie sets slated to release later this year feature a number of cool mecha and sci-fi ships. Looking forward to them.
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You're doing it right- it's just shitty engineering. Let me add a caveat; make sure the little hook at the bottom of the backplate is extended and engaged into the lip behind the cockpit (where the right hand stows in fighter mode). If that is engaged, then the little flap at the top of the backplate should lock. It's still a weak locking mechanism, and I wish they'd found a better, more solid, solution.
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It's not a difficult transformation once you get a basic idea of what ends up where in each mode. However, it is frustrating due to really close clearances between moving parts, plus the double hinge to which the wing roots are attached needs to be maneuvered within a limited space. The instructions are so-so for certain areas. It'd be a really nice courtesy if Bandai printed them in both kanji and English so that non-Japanese speakers/readers had that extra guidance. However, as with most things, repetition breeds familiarity and comfort, so I advise taking it down off the shelf and carefully transform the thing. You'll never get complete fulfillment from it unless you handle it and transform it periodically, esp since all three modes look great. I simply can't fathom buying a transformable toy and never transforming it- it's like buying a high performance car and garaging it for life. Sinful! I guess if you're someone uncomfortable handling these things, as they can be fragile and finicky, the fear of breaking something may be an excellent dissuader. They're not cheap. The instructions can confuse more than help, in some cases. But, despite this rationale, I still have to try. I've broken some things along the way, but I don't let let that prevent me from enjoying the unique experience that these toys offer (all transforming toys, for that matter). The puzzle element is what's attractive to me and keeps me shelling my hard-earned for them. Anyway, I just want to encourage folks to at least try transforming their valks, otherwise you're missing out on a large part of the experience.
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The hinges for the feet are disappointing; despite all that room for the feet to be able to flex forward for some really dynamic poses, they stop at 90 degrees from their nozzle position in fighter. Moreover, those ankle flaps barely move to make clearance, and then there's the odd articulated hands that barely hold the gun- these are just a couple of minor issues that keep a good toy from being a great one. IMHO. It also makes me wonder if there was a rush to get this thing into production, and refinements like these were passed over to meet deadlines. I transformed mine several times through, and it doesn't feel as refined as, say, the VF-19 Advance. It's not as much fun to transform, either. (Those accursed double hinges for the wing roots are a killjoy for me). Of course, YMMV. Once transformed, however, it looks amazing. Just handle with care in battroid, as that shield will untab and the gun fall out of his hand if you sneeze from across the room.
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The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
I wonder if Hasbro's going to release a version with Frank Welker doing the lines, at an even more extravagant price point? If so, probably TRU exclusive, as usual. It would have been nice of Takara to release this guy with two sound cards; one for English and one for Japanese. I think I'd rather have that than most of his accessories. -
The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/03/23/mp-36-masterpiece-megatron-hand-images-modes-336129 New pics of MP Megatron over at TFW2005. The flatness of his upper torso (where it should be curved) and origami pistol mode really make me wish they'd stuck to the G1 transformation for the torso and arms to preserve all the shapes inherent to his pistol mode, as well as eliminating all those panel lines where he breaks apart. Liking Apollyon a little more for that reason. Too many cheats on Megs 2.0 Still getting him, though. -
I don't mind the shoulder pads; in fact, I like everything they did with the arms, save for the terrible articulated hands; having a number of Bandai valks sitting in front of me, all with decent articulated hands, I really have to wonder why they moved away from a working design to these nearly useless articulated hands. Makes no sense to me. Even more mind-boggling when you consider the size of the gunpod. While I'm griping, I'll also mention the limited forward movement of the feet, as well as those barely moveable ankle flaps. After transforming my copy, I find that the moving panel under the plane's nose(battroid head) remains loose, like it doesn't really tab into anything. It's not dangling, but it is loose and noticeably gappy. Having transformed mine through a full cycle and back to fighter, the sense I get is that the 262 was a little rushed, and a number of design issues which should have been addressed were given a pass. It's a pretty valk- all that tampo is just amazing, and the paint on mine looks good (no peeling or scratching from the protective films). The joints on mine are nice and tight. Fit however- I feel there could have been a few more tabs to keep things anchored and minimize gaps. Also, there should have been more clearance for the upper legs to maneuver without making contact with other surfaces in GERWALK. Finally, the hook and tab system on the backplate in battroid is flimsy and disengages very easily. Did I mention it's pretty? Gotta say, the battroid mode with that sweet Anubis head and overall body shapes and proportions is so striking, despite a few issues, I have no regrets.
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The biggest issue I have is the really close quarters between the intakes and the tops of the thighs- little room to maneuver the legs without either chipping paint or outright damaging something, esp that little panel that hangs down from the intake. I have a few other complaints, but that's a design issue that should have been redesigned before going to production. Bandai have been in the game long enough to know there should be clearance between moving parts.
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Funny- mine came via DHL, but I had to sign for it. I think they change the rules from state to state.
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I'd be talking to my carrier about that drop-off to make sure it was indeed delivered (not still at the PO, or on the truck, or mis-delivered to the wrong address), and to get a description of the person intercepting your package. Really sorry to hear about that, Mommar, and hope it gets resolved in your favor soon. As far as Fed Ex and your book, hopefully that's just a customs deal, and it reaches you within the next few days. Been in your shoes- I mailed a package worth over $200 with USPS several years ago containing LEGO sets(my B-day present from my sister who I was visiting), a few rare Star Wars figures, a few Transformers, and other miscellaneous stuff. It never reached me; it got as far as Federal Way, WA (across the state from Spokane), and the USPS folks sent the shipping label all the way back to PA, even though Spokane was its final destination. By the time I got the paperwork from my sis, my claim had been closed, so I didn't even get the insurance for it. I hope for a much more positive outcome for you, sir. Decided to monkey with 262 today; transformed him from B to G, which wasn't too bad today, not as frustrating as yesterday. Going to Fighter had me digging out the instructions to check a few things. I got it all together, but it could certainly due for a few more tabs, IMHO. Really wish they'd put at least one tab on the feet; the fold-out purple tab in the legs do ok, but they just don't bring the feet together solidly, at least on mine, so I'm left with a gap that simply won't close no matter what I try. My one leg doesn't like to stay tabbed either. Fortunately the big wing panels hold everything in place, but looking top down, there's a little gap where I can see straight through b/c that leg doesn't want to stay tabbed. IMHO, this thing could have used another round or two of QC checks.
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Saburo- I had the same problem with the poseable hand barely holding the gunpod- the design of those hands is odd, and certainly inadequate to the task of holding his weapon. I think they just made those as fillers for transformation, intending for the larger, better looking extra hands to be used. I usually opt for the poseable hands, but I got tired of the gun falling out, and used a couple of the extras. They're scaled better, anyway. I found the transformation to be a bit tricky, what with all the minute positioning of those wing root hinges and such. This looks to be a fairly straightforward transformation, but I ended up pulling out the instructions to make sure I didn't force anything. I took mine from fighter to G to B modes. Going to G was a pain, but I think with a little more time spent, it'll become easier. I was a little disappointed at how flimsily this locks, or doesn't, really. The lower hook/upper tab on the backplate are just barely holding stuff in place, at least on mine. A little bit of handling or picking him up by the wrong spot loosens it all up and I have to realign and retab. I'd have expected a better tabbing /locking system, esp for the asking price and pedigree of this high end toy. On the positive side, it looks amazing once its in any of its modes. Another beautiful valk from Kawamori-sensei. Not the most solid of Macross toys, however. Sandman- I opted to go with DHL, as it was slightly cheaper than EMS. It may cost a bit more than SAL, but I had my valk in hand two days after I got my shipping notice. Pretty impressive.
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Spanner, those are some beautiful shots. Kawamori hasn't lost his touch; this is becoming one of my favorite designs. I generally don't care for GERWALK, but this valk looks fantastic in all three modes- ya just can't lose no matter how you display him. I was complaining about not getting a shipping notice yesterday; well it came later in the day after I'd posted, and my Sv-262 is due on my doorstep tomorrow. DHL, you rock! They even called me this morning to let me know. That's far quicker than I'd anticipated, and good service to boot. I take back all my negativity from my last post- this is the fastest shipping I've experienced in quite some time. I'm a pretty happy dude. Just hope my bubble's not burst tomorrow upon opening a defective toy. Staying positive- everything's gonna be good to go.
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The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
While I get the appeal accessories may have, esp those specific to a memorable scene, I rarely have any use for them. For me, it's all about the core figure- that's what I'm paying for ultimately, and that's where I want the focus to be by the manufacturer ( Has/Tak and 3P). Case in point, I actually thought the different Cheetor heads with their varying expressions were a brilliant addition- I have yet to pull them out and try them on my figure. I've just never been much into accessories ( FAST Packs in the Macross universe, however, are an exception- there's just something cool about playing dress-up with a bot that can become a fighter) Agree on the price for Megs 2.0- a little extravagant. I hope he turns out to a good figure, and not a floppy mess- those pics , esp gun, make me think Origamitron. Really wish they'd stuck with the G1 transformation- I've always been a fan of that, and it very much informs the look of the robot mode. This Megs has a number of cheats to give him his iconic look due to his unconventional transformation. I don't mind innovation, but I wish they'd stuck a little closer to the original, as that would make him truly MP in my opinion. YMMV.