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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    So very true. I also hate it when a figure is either at the military position of attention or extreme A-stance due to the ratchet indents being too large or too far spaced to achieve a natural standing pose. How this passes QC by people who design these things for a living, and who arguably like action figures, is beyond me. This is especially true for the third party folks, for whom these toys are labors of love. He does look good, yes. But, I'm also struck by the similarities to the original Primal toy. For its time, it was an extremely well done figure. Concerning MP Primal, I have to admit a small bit of disappointment that Takara couldn't or wouldn't find a way to give him a furry hide. I suppose it's impractical, esp if they won't even put rubber tires on the MP cars, but part of me hoped they'd do something cool and surprising like that to make the animal modes more realistic. Ah, well, Primal still looks pretty sweet, and I'll be happy to give him a home. It's sad and disheartening when the toys you've dreamed of for 20-30 years are finally made, and so many shortcuts are taken. Those faults are only magnified when a third party comes along and makes a superior product comparatively. On that note, there's a Huge part of me that wants to just go ahead and get Sphinx and Willy, since in many ways, they exceed the quality of the current official MP toys, and I can expect no more from the eventual official Mirage and Hound. But, there's some part of me that really wants that officialdom, and I don't really feel the need to have two each of these guys, nor spend the funds which could go towards something new. First world conundrum. That said, I did break down and buy Apollyon, since a new G1 MP version seems uncertain. I do hope for an official version, and hope it will be a better design than Apollyon, but for now he does the job. Can't get behind you on that new Blast Off...too many things about it don't look right. But...I'm still going to get the UW version, as it'll likely have other improvements over the CW version. I also wouldn't be surprised if Dr. Wu, or some other third party, make their own shuttle fig that has a more realistic shuttle mode, not to mention a better bot mode. Those feet ...barf. (What ever happened to our vomiting emoticon? That thing was useful.) TRU...Price gouging -R-Us. I like that they exist, but man, their pricing shenanigans often deter me. They do get some cool exclusives sometimes, though.
  2. M'Kyuun
    Um, it looked better in the small picture. From a company that's been designing these toys for 30+ years, I was kinda expecting better. While I appreciate the effort, neither mode looks very good to me. Those engine bells for toes...Ugh. No OHMS pods, and the old, lazy 'just-lay-the-arms-along-the side' transformation. Disappointing, but I still intend to get the UW Bruticus set, b/c a sh!tty shuttle is better than no shuttle at all. Incidentally, there was an early test shot somewhere of a retconned Vortex heavily reworked into a shuttle that kinda looked better.
  3. M'Kyuun
    After doing a bit of searching, I finally found GCIToys. Looking at the feet, at first I didn't think they had ankle tilts either, but upon closer inspection, I believe the peg itself is attached to a ball joint recessed into the foot. Hopefully it's sturdy plastic. Bruticus will likely have a little more heft to him given the slightly larger size of his component bots. If he were to become unbalanced and take a tumble, I could see those things sheering right off. Although CGIToys have a better price, I'll likely go with PE's set. As for the back cannons, I'd wait to see if the UW version comes with more cartoon accurate ones. TT are sticklers for keeping things close to the animation, and for generally providing a better product than Hasbro. I'm anticipating pics of the final toy, just to see how many changes they've made. Just had to go back and look at those MP Ratchet pics again. I'm really impressed by how expressive this figure is. On a down note, I wish they'd given him and Ironhide double jointed elbows...a 90 deg bend is too limited. Double joints should be the standard with today's tech, esp in anything bearing the name 'Masterpiece'. My $.02
  4. M'Kyuun
    I was considering Robot Kingdom, at $114.90, but having ordered from them before, they get you on shipping. I'm hoping HLJ will carry it as well...I've done more business with them than any other online Japanese toy retailer, and only ever had one issue with an item. They resolved the issue immediately without question. I wasn't aware of GCI Toys, just PE. I'll have to scope them out and see how their Bruticus upgrade set compares. Edit: Nice new pics of MP Ratchet over on TFW2005: http://news.tfw2005.com/2016/01/20/masterpiece-ratchet-new-image-308081 I hadn't noticed before, but his waist and his thighs are different from Ironhide's, and he comes with a few additional accessories. Nice. Also, is it me, or does it look like his light bar recesses to allow him to fit in Prime's trailer?
  5. M'Kyuun
    Blast Off does look good; the pic is so small, it's hard to tell if he's a recycled mold or new. Either way, I'm glad he's coming in this set. The 4 bladed prop doesn't bother me; regardless of the number of blades, it's in a less than optimal position when bending the elbow. At least now it's more accurate to the original. I don't own a copy of that mold yet, since I was waiting for Bruticus; can it be repositioned in arm mode for better accessibility? Those tiny uni-feet look terrible, esp given how wide both legs are. Really wish they'd found a better solution. Once I get my UW Bruticus, I may have to get a PE set for a more appealing gestalt.
  6. M'Kyuun
    I agree with you, JBO...there's always compromise when using ratchet joints. Like anything else, they need to be customized for their particular application. In Tracks' case, the forearms aren't that heavy, and more indents likely could have been used. There are only three from straight to 90 degree bend. Not much posing to be had there. A double hinge would have been nice, but it is what it is, I guess. Having messed with my copy this evening, Scyla's critique is valid. Tracks is still a decent figure, but still not as well done as Sideswipe, Wheeljack, or Prowl. When I ordered Tracks, I was on the fence concerning getting Road Rage, but in the end I relented. Glad I did now. I'm hoping Ironhide will release next week (26 Jan, IIRC). I'm looking forward to getting him, and hope overall he's a better designed figure, esp since I've already preordered Ratchet. After watching the vid above, the pros are outweighing the cons so far. Toyfair season is coming up soon, as well. I always look forward to new TFs and LEGO stuff. I hope we get a Kickback figure to go with the previous Insecticon releases (the atrocious FOC version doesn't count). I'm not too plussed about headmasters (for sentient robots to take off their heads so they can transform into their little driver bots is beyond the pale of stupidity for reasons that should seem self-evident), but I must confess that Titans Return Galvatron, and possibly Powermaster Prime, have my attention. Hopefully there are a few surprises that haven't leaked...it makes these things fun to follow, and I enjoy the anticipation.
  7. M'Kyuun
    Sonoya and Alicia are both incredibly fine women. Kyoko's character was more overtly sexual, though, since Nathan essentially used her for service and recreational duties. She is what a type-A sociopath would consider an ideal mate: beautiful, mute, completely subservient, and wholly devoted to him. Ava has a more subtle sexuality, esp since her face and hands are the only parts of her that look truly human. Her intelligence, her ability to incite emotional response, and to project emotion are what make her so captivating, esp when Caleb, and the viewer, are acutely aware that she is an anthropomorphic machine throughout most of the film. I found the psychology of the film very interesting. Alicia played a completely different kind of character in The Man from U.N.C.L.E., but no less enjoyable. There was much more levity and playfulness in her role, which had an allure all its own. Very lovely and talented actress. That's the mark of good actors. They completely inhabit their roles, and can play all kinds of characters and personalities. While I love actors like Nicholson and Eastwood, they essentially play themselves in everything, and I can't unsee that its them. Character actors are often more fascinating b/c they play such a broad array of characters that one oft forgets that they were in this picture or that b/c its the character they play, not the actor, that one remembers. Just my personal observation.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Concerning ratchets, I see where you're coming from, and agree 100%. If ratchet joints are going to be implemented, they need to have numerous indents for greater range of motion, otherwise, what's the point? I haven't handled my Tracks that much, and honestly didn't really notice the limitation in the elbow. I put him in a pose I liked, and that's how he remains. I'll have to go mess with him a bit to see how limited it is.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Valks aside, the 3rd iteration of the Nirvash is the full package- it has a ground vehicle mode, robot mode, and a flight mode, giving it an excellent range. But this is Macross, so variable fighters will always be front and center. While the Destroids, and GERWALK have ground covered, I think it'd be interesting if they had to fight an undersea enemy, requiring a new type of mech. It's unexplored ground, so to speak, in the Macross Universe, and the fighters in space thing can only be done so many times before it starts to become stale. The direction they're taking with Delta does little to capture my interest, although I do hope to see at least a few eps to give it a fair shake. I do like the idea of valk vs valk; Plus and Zero both did it well, so that may be the most interesting aspect of Delta.
  10. M'Kyuun
    I think he looks good,too. Definitely Ironhide. Looking forward to Ratchet as well. A couple nitpicks(this is MW, after all): I still wish they'd figured out a way to integrate his main cannon into his back for deployment in both modes, but c'est la vie. I'm not too crazy about the G1 inspired "face" plate that shows through the windshield in his van mode; I think it's part of the hinge to move the windshield into his chest position, and likely will not be able to be folded out of view. Not a deal-breaker, but I could have lived without it. Judging by the vid, those butt wheels and red van side skirts are non-negotiable by design. Shame they didn't hinge them so as to cover those wheels. Everything else looks pretty solid, though. That transformation system is interesting. On the whole, though, I'm pretty pleased with what I see thus far. I know some folks don't like the ratchets in the joints, but on a fig this size, they maintain the longevity of the figure and prevent floppiness. My 80's Galvatron still has nice tight ratcheting joints, so despite that they impose limitations on fine-tuning poses, ratchets do impart a degree of integrity over the long term. I don't really play with my figs, so once I find a good pose for them, that's how they remain until I get a sudden urge to take them off the shelf and either transform or re-pose them. I'm still looking forward to Takara's UW Bruticus revelation. I'm curious if they retooled an existing mold, or just created a new toy, like UW Groove. I hope the latter, but I'm dubious. Anyway, I want a G1 faithful Bruticus, with Space Shuttle alt mode for Blast Off, and I have faith that Takara will once again deliver. On the subject of shuttles, nearly a year has passed and still no news concerning the Soul of Gokin Machine Robo/Gobots toys that were shown at the 2015 Japan Dynamic Toy Show last Feb. I was hoping to get several of those figs, including Spay-C. I hope they haven't been round-filed.
  11. M'Kyuun

    Bandai DX VF-31

    M'Kyuun replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    Thanks for the link, Chaff.g. After looking at the pics, I'm also of the opinion that the panels with the 05 marking are the gear doors. I'm guessing Bandai employed either a folding or an extending gear, although my feeling is the former, esp since we got a trial run of that idea in the VF-19 Advance. I was also looking at the underside of the wings to see if there was a possibility of their being installed there, but I couldn't see any definitive evidence. As they progress with these new valk designs, I think Bandai are trying different ideas to set them apart from what's been done already. Innovation is great so long as it doesn't compromise integrity over time. Yes. One of the best aspects of most of the Macross series has been its attempt to ground it in in some realistic military sensibility. There's a nice bit of sci-fi tech to expand its environment beyond Earth, but the overall dynamics involved in aerial/space battles, and the general mechanics of a real world fighter, are generally observed, which maintains a level of plausibility. There's a grain of reality to it that makes it easier to take seriously, I guess is what I'm saying. When you put flashy pop stars singing their little asses off riding on a stage mounted to a fighter and on magic rainbow boomerangs in the heat of combat...all is lost in an infinite sea of ridiculousness. I can suspend by disbelief only so far. I prefer my Macross to have a certain amount of grittiness, esp where the valks and combat are concerned. The original series, 0, and Plus did a good job of capturing the feel of people involved in a military environment, with a healthy dose of levity thrown in. I'm not against the music aspect; I thought the explanation for it in SDFM, 0, and Plus were realistic, and served the greater story extremely well. Sing-battling with transforming fighter jets is just, well, stupid. That said, I've only seen a trailer or two, so I'm quite possibly judging prematurely, and out of ignorance for what is really happening, but sing-battling was my impression, and that is not my cup of tea. I most sincerely hope I'm wrong, as Macross is the chocolate to my inner fat kid, and I really, really want to like it.
  12. M'Kyuun

    Bandai DX VF-31

    M'Kyuun replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    While I realize that Macross and singing go hand in hand, I'd rather it be done in the original Macross or M+ way, with a practical reason for the singer doing their thing. When the singing takes on a mystical role and the singers are front and center, it loses its appeal. I didn't mind it in Frontier, although most of the songs didn't grab me. M+ still has the best soundtrack, IMHO. Yoko Kanno is amazing. That said, I'm hoping this will get streamed with subs somewhere like Frontier so I at least have an opportunity to give it a fair shake before turning my nose up at it altogether. I figure, if nothing else, the battle scenes with the new valks should be interesting.
  13. M'Kyuun
    Agreed on Soundwave...just not quite right; Blaster looks good though. I wonder why they didn't make regular cassette figs; I love those things, as probably so do many other folks, and it's always neat to see what kind of cool origami they can pull off from something so small. MP Laserbeak still impresses the hell out of me. I'm not really digging PM Prime, but that Galvatron looks fantastic to me, and both of his alts look decent. Scyla, I'd recommend tracking down UM, but PM Prime will likely be as fun in hand as UM; actually he'll likely be a little more involved in his transformation, since he has alot more panels to fold, plus a "battle station' mode, for what it's worth. The "train" and "shuttle" modes of Sentinel are just inexcusably atrocious; as it's a given that this guy will be recycled into Astrotrain at some point, I hope there's some serious remolding to make his alt modes better. I'm gathering that Sentinel's alt modes are Cybertronian, hence the extraordinary fugliness of his alts, which seems to be the general hallmark of Cybertronian alt modes.
  14. M'Kyuun
    I'll throw in my recommendation for Leader Ultra Magnus as well. Personally, I preferred and bought the Unite Warrior version for the improved paint apps, but the basic toy is solid in both modes, captures the look of the character very well (strong IDW influence), is easy to transform, and features a well-engineered all-in-one transformation (except the weapons, which have to be removed and reinstalled accordingly). Fun in hand, looks great on display. And, he's a fully functional car carrier to boot, although his loading ramps leave somewhat to be desired. Minor nitpick. Go get one while they can still be found affordably. Blue MP Bluestreak and MP Tracks get honorable mentions for 2015. Bluestreak just looks gorgeous; I keep him and my other MP Autobots in a corner of my living room beside my tv, and my eyes are constantly drawn to him, Prowl, Silverstreak, and Smokescreen standing next to each other in their heroic poses. I so love that Fairlady Z mold.
  15. M'Kyuun
  16. M'Kyuun
    But to my thinking, if TT are going to produce these as a gift set, much like both CW and UW Devastator, why not just do that with all of them? It seems to be that would be a cost effective measure, since TT are producing them anyway. All they need to do is increase the production run, which generally saves money over the long term rather than making special variants like TT are doing. If both companies release sets of the same figs, it would likely cut costs on both sides. I guess not, since that's not what Hasbro is doing, but it makes more sense to me to make identical products for both companies. Moot point. As long as Takara continue to put out improved versions of the TFs I want, they'll be getting my money. Hasbro can suck it!
  17. M'Kyuun
    I've been waiting for TT's Bruticus to be revealed, expecting that they would make a proper shuttle mode Blast Off, so this is good news. Hopefully clear pics will emerge soon so we can see what's on the table. I do have to wonder, though, if TT are willing and able to make all the limbs of these things properly relative to their originals, why isn't Hasbro just releasing the same toys? I'd expect, given their close working relationship, that Hasbro are aware of TT's plans, so it perplexes me that they are releasing substandard versions of these guys with sh!tty paint apps, improper limb alt modes, and in Devastator's case, lack of articulation, among other features and details. I know the argument will come that Hasbro sees these as purely children's toys and that the kids will neither know nor care that these updated versions of old toys are not entirely accurate to their originals; however, Hasbro is acutely aware that there are a lot of grown men and women filling their coffers with hard earned cash these days, and we have financial resources far exceeding that of Hasbro's intended demographic, which they also know. They also know that we know our sh!t when it comes to these toys, and every subpar release is a huge disappointment, which drives folks like me to wait for TT's eventual superior release. Which brings me back to my original question: why not just release the same toys as TT? More and more, these shenanigans are compelling me to buy the TT versions...so yes, as Mike so elegantly stated above, Hasbro can , indeed, eat a d***. One gripe for both versions, however: I wish they'd ditch the awkward and insufficient hand/foot/weapon accessories and just make proper feet and hands, similar to what Perfect Effect are doing. It would vastly improve the look and articulation of the combined modes, even if the hands and feet just have to be set aside when they're not joined. Small price to pay, methinks.
  18. M'Kyuun

    Bandai Sv-262 DX valk

    M'Kyuun replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    A really bulky upper torso and arms would be a nice contrast to the thin lanky -31, or just about every other valk out there, for that matter. The VF-31's forearms are really thin...they don't look right even to me, and I like lanky bots. If the Sv-262 ends up being a little bulky, that'd be a welcome departure from the norm.
  19. M'Kyuun
    To that end, I hope CW Devy does well enough to spark Takara's interest in putting out a MP version. I'd be really happy if they sold maybe two figs a year for around $80 a figure. That'd be a nice pace, and I could afford to get the whole team, and still pick up the other MP releases. Plus new valks. And LEGO. Gaaah! too many expensive addictions.
  20. M'Kyuun
    There exists quite a disparity between the quality of design and engineering in his MP toys as compared to either version of Devastator, IMHO. I wouldn't have even guessed he was part of the Devastator design team, honestly. But I guess he and the rest of the team were under more restrictive constraints for the CW line than the MP line. Shame really; such iconic characters as the Constructicons, and Devastator by extension, should have been given their just due, since he's arguably the best known and probably the most popular of the combiners, and he still would have sold well at the $200, even $250 price tag for improved individual bot modes. Oh well, at this point, it's a dead horse, and I shan't beat it any longer. Looking forward to more G1 MP goodness for 2016. Since we already have Ironhide, Ratchet, and Shockwave coming, I wonder who the next figures will be. My hope is for Jazz, Hound, Mirage, and maybe Brawn, Cliffjumper, or Huffer for the Autobot camp, and V2 Megatron, Reflector, Insecticons, or a new F-15 design (the current one is ok, but not without its flaws) to help fill out the Decepticons. It's a shame we probably won't get MP Constructicons, as they made their appearance in the first season, and quite often thereafter in numerous episodes and the Movie. Third parties to the rescue! Also curious to see what Takara rolls out for their Beast Wars MP line. I wish Alex Kubalsky still worked for Takara- that guy was an amazing designer, and I think he'd have been a great asset for the MP design team.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Considering 3P Devies, it's a tough choice. I also favor Giant over Hercules. Gravity Builder's bots have some amazing looking construction vehicle modes, which appeals to me, but they took serious license with the bot modes. Toyworld's bots are pretty plain in their alt modes, although I absolutely love that their Scavenger and Bonecrusher have actual rolling treads. That kind of engineering is what I think of in terms of MP quality...it's tough to pull off, but I think they did it beautifully. And, their Long Haul is the most evocative of the G1 toy, which I also love. All their bot modes are pretty faithful to G1, actually. However, I'm not sure their Long Haul's legs form the legs in combined mode; it looks to me like they're add-ons. Anyway, I'm waiting for reviews on this guy to see if he's worth plunking down $600+. I'm hoping MP Ironhide will be shipping soon; I've got him and a LEGO set sitting in Private Warehouse, and the LEGO set's time is almost up. I also preordered the Takara version of Warrior Class Fracture in Earth motorcycle mode from RiD. Hopefully, they'll all ship together.
  22. M'Kyuun
    I've not actually seen it in person, although TRU had a CW set. The poor, or lack of, articulation on several of the figs' arms just turned me off to the Hasbro release. Articulation is of huge importance to me, esp in a voyager sized figure; Mixmaster, Long haul, Scrapper, and Hook are just exceptionally poor figures, IMO. The Takara version had me slightly interested, but after looking at pics and reviews, they still do not appeal to me. Devastator, OTOH, looks brilliant, and seems to have been the greatest focus of the design, which is understandable, I guess. But I've always been partial to Long Haul and Scavenger, and I had high anticipation to see how they looked when Devy was first announced and shown. When the pics finally came of the individual Constructicons, it became readily apparent that their designs were secondary and lacking. Big letdown. I've been considering third party releases, but they're all fairly costly. With lots of new LEGO, Macross, and other TF stuff coming out in 2016, I'll probably just live without Devastator. Plus I owe escrow on my house. Priorities. Shrug.
  23. M'Kyuun
    I want to like this so bad, but too much was sacrificed for the combined mode. For voyager sized figures, I would have expected the individual bots' arms to be far better designed and better proportioned , esp Long Haul. I also would have expected the vehicle modes to have better working features, such as Scavenger's cab section capable of rotation. I really would have loved to have seen them figure out a way to make Long Haul's bed actually dump. Not sure if any of the third parties have even been able to manage that, but it'd be a nice bit of polish. I'm not crazy about Mixmaster's front dispensing cement truck mode; the old rear dispensing truck would have made a better looking Mixmaster, not to mention it'd be true to the source. I'm actually surprised Takara didn't produce a different Mixmaster figure for their version, since they seem obsessed with cartoon accuracy. I was seriously thinking about grabbing the Unite Warriors version, but having watched two reviews, there are just too many compromises that I can't get past, esp since my Constructicons would spend most of their time in their individual bot modes on the shelf due to space restrictions. I will say, the Devastator mode is about as good as it can possibly be, minus Mixmaster's odd little foot. All things considered, I'm disappointed in this set. For those who love it, I'm happy for you...it's just not hitting the mark for me.
  24. M'Kyuun

    Bandai Sv-262 DX valk

    M'Kyuun replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    Funny you say that- I was thinking the same thing. Or four arms. I doubt it, but it would certainly set it apart. The Octos from Zero is the only other quadruped styled mech I'm aware of in Macross, and it didn't get much love despite the fact that it was a cool and aggressive looking design. Transforming boats just aren't as cool as jets, I guess. An oceanic series with variable combat watercraft would make for interesting viewing. Macross: Aquatic, anyone? Variable subs, battleships, cruisers, and carriers with a host of new valks, underwater bases, and genetically altered people who can breathe underwater...just a few ideas. I digress. I'm also curious why they're keeping such a tight lid on the 262's other modes, esp with the buildup about its uniqueness. If I was Bandai, I'd want pics of the thing out there to whet appetites.
  25. M'Kyuun

    Bandai Sv-262 DX valk

    M'Kyuun replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    Heeeey, the VF-4 doesn't look awkward....I love its battroid mode. My only beef with the Yamato version is that the shoulders don't rotate, which greatly and ridiculously diminishes its range of motion. When I built my LEGO version, I made sure to alleviate that restriction. "All new transformation" makes me far more excited than apprehensive. The YF-19 was an all new transformation, as well as the SV-51, and the VF-25, and even the VF-4, relative to the ubiquitous VF-1 style transformation that became somewhat of a standard with transforming jets in the 80s. ( Diaclone F-15 design notwithstanding, which was also Kawamori's) So, given that Mr. Kawamori continues to churn out new and interesting, if not functional, mechanical transformations, I have high expectations that this will be an interesting valk. I'd find it very interesting if that ventral cannon ends up attached to an arm-I like that kind of integration. Anyway, as long as it doesn't share any of the fugliness of the VA-3 Invader, which had potential to be a whole lot cooler if those legs had been designed differently, I think I'll be pleasantly surprised when the big reveal comes. And come soon, I vehemently hope.
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