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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    I suggest keeping an eye on New Elementary.com, as they are, to wit, the only LEGO fan site that keeps astutely abreast of all new and recolored elements on a continual if obsessive basis. I've found them to be an excellent resource, as I'm always interested in what new parts are being introduced for my MOCing needs and they are generally on top of new releases with both set reviews and parts breakdowns. Disclaimer: I have zero affiliation with New Elementary beyond being a fan, but, like Bricklink, they are a huge resource to FOLs and, IMHO, deserve to be recommended at every opportunity. As to those parts you pointed out, I agree. I, too, wish they'd make more types, as well as versions with studs. My parts wishlist is long, but LEGO has really been pumping out interesting and useful parts over the last few years, many of which were only available before by buying other "clone" brands, who in many ways, were way ahead of LEGO for years in their parts innovation. I still wish they'd make plates with studs top and bottom for simplified SNOT building. LEGO's playing catchup, but themes like Speed Champions are driving the addition of long sought highly useful wedges, slopes, tiles, etc and I hope that trend continues unabated.
  2. M'Kyuun
    I haven't really given the Sail Barge a look, but I'll agree that 35480 and its 3-stud counterpart have proven immensely useful. I wish they'd make more parts with hollow studs.
  3. M'Kyuun
    So they're all in a game? Not really a premise I was hoping for.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Congrats on a happy ending to your long journey! They look fantastic! 😄 Regarding restraint, it probably helps that I've very little attachment to characters beyond the first season, as I lost interest in the show once S2 devolved into whim and frivolity, losing the more focused story arc and slightly more mature tone of first season. To this day, the first is the only season of the Sunbow toon that I own or have seen in its entirety. In Bruticus' case, I always liked the alt modes the best of any of the other combiners, with Devy a close second (b/c who doesn't dig construction vehicles?!) Ha, no pun intended! The ep that introduced Devastator was kiddie crack to me: robot dinosaurs❤️ And construction vehicles❤️ AND the construction vehicle dudes can combine into a bigger more badass robot!!!!❤️❤️❤️ We take the pure awesomeness of that moment for granted now, but back then, it was mindblowing. Anyway, I can't honestly remember watching any eps featuring Bruticus (From S2 onward I'd watch an ep of Transformers occasionally just for something to do, so I'd catch S2 or 3 eps here or there. Most S3 eps were so bad I'd get up and change the channel (back before we had remotes). Had Takara done a better job with the Aerialbots' alts, I probably would have favored those guys above the rest (always did like jets), but they sucked big time, as has pretty much every incarnation since due to everybody's trying to capture the blocky-bot-under-a-plane look instead of taking a more Macross approach or just working some engineering magic to create a svelte accurate jet that somehow unfurls into a blocky bot. They manage it with just about any other vehicle alt, but for some inexplicable reason, never planes, the coolest alts of all in my heavily biased opinion. On that note, I'd like to see what MMC would do with a team of Aerialbots given their penchant towards believable alt modes. If done well, I'd maybe have to reconsider.
  5. M'Kyuun
    I think it'll be good, not great, as I'm not the biggest fan of the frame system. It lends stability, yes, but it's not faithful to the G1 toys where the bots themselves formed the limbs. That's one area for which I respect Combiner Wars, regardless of all the other deserved quibbles we might have with that line. I recently bought Magic Square's Bruticus, and that's a combiner done very well; I wish Takara/Hasbro had taken a similar approach. The all-in-one MMC approach would be even better, i.e. the best possible approach, but in a retail toy I'm more than willing to excuse large kibble-y bits to form the gestalt. Just make them what they are instead of adding additional kibble to them to make them comport into some sort of superfluous, unappealing add-on for the core bot's alt mode. On that note, I wish Newage and Magic Square would follow Newage's lead with Romulus. Both companies have made some amazing renditions of the various characters, and usually I find I prefer one company's take over the other's, and I've slowly built a tidy mixed collection. In most cases, I find these toys to be of surpassing quality next to official toys which makes me wish all the more that they would start producing them in CHUG scale. Perhaps their reluctance is what keeps them out of litigious waters, but on so many occasions I've wished for an upscaled version to fill my CHUG ranks.
  6. M'Kyuun
    So, I've got this guy coming. It shipped on 14 May and it has been sitting in customs for four days now pending delivery sometime between the 27th and the 2nd, a bit longer than usual for Showz products, especially given my geographical proximity to LAX here in WA. I'm guessing, given the trade war and subsequent difficulties placed on ports, with shipments being more sporadic, these sorts of delays are going to become commonplace. Logistics notwithstanding, this is an exciting piece for any G1 fan, as due to HG's stranglehold on the sales of VF-1 toys and likenesses here in the West, it presents a rare ability to get a modernized VF-1 Jetfire toy via a KO of Yamato's 1/60 VF-1 w/ FAST Packs. It's not 100% accurate, as the leg and FAST pack deco reflect the Macross livery rather than Jetfire's custom deco. I figured by now, with this having been announced last year, that Toyhax would have a sticker sheet to remedy those shortcomings ready to go by release, but not yet apparently. I've little doubt, however, that they'll come out with a set to address the issue. Anyway, this is a nice middle finger to HG, of which I'm always a champion, and the scale of the 1/60 works pretty well with CHUG or MP, if one considers the vast scale differences between the G1 carbots and the old 1/55 Chunky Monkey. Actually, realistically, in jet mode it scales pretty well with CHUG carbots and I wish from the very beginning that the toys had all been in RW alt mode scale, for the most part, rather than scaling everything to bot modes. I realize that's a big ask, as the toys would be more expensive and take up more shelf space by din of their larger sizes, and bigger would not necessarily equate to better engineering or adherence to RW jet aesthetics, which is what I would both hope for and expect. The argument is moot, however, and I celebrate Jetfire as a bit of an anomoly amidst the G1 toy releases and this modern equivalent. After a long wait, I'm looking forward to finally having him in hand.
  7. M'Kyuun
    I fear I'm unfamiliar with Mr. David's work. Nevertheless, the loss of a creative person, especially one who had such an impact in their field, is truly lamentable, a loss to culture and society as a whole. With that, I simply offer my thanks, adieu, and condolences to all who loved him and for whom the loss is monumental.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Hmmm. Well, I'm guessing this is only the start of more to come. Fortunately, I already have the majority of the G1 characters, especially first season, that I want so I'm really in no hurry for what's coming out now. I am a little excited to finish off Devy, and I'm anticipating the rest of the Combaticons, but I'm patient. They'll come eventually; we'll just have to wait longer it seems.
  9. M'Kyuun
    While not explicit, the poor animation depicts a sort of framework for the limb bots to attach to. And Soundwave transforms and flies off as a tape recorder next to Starscream in his jet mode. Crazy stuff in this old show.
  10. M'Kyuun
    Whoa, I wonder what that's all about? Somehow, I doubt that's related to tariffs, but rather factory issues. I think Devy is shaping up nicely. The only real issue I have with the combined mode is the huge superfluous butt flap that only exists to give his similarly superfluous kibble wagon a top cover. Personally, I don't need his kibble to turn into some half-a$$ed trailer; it adds nothing appealing to Long Haul and I'd rather it was just a nice, clean set of hips that I can swap in and out. I was hoping it contributed nothing to the combined mode, but apparently stuff plugs into it, which makes the possibility of just removing it for a cleaner Devastator questionable as to the gestalt's stability thereafter. Guess we'll see. I'm so glad, however, that Devy eschews the frame system that Hasbro is employing on all the other combiners; it just wouldn't have looked right at all, so I'm glad they figured out a way to make it work without that particular crutch. I still wish the bots formed the limbs without the necessity of a huge frame upon which they're merely accoutrement. I'll concede it adds stability; however, that's not how the original toys were, and this is one of those instances where all the liberties taken in the toon weren't necessarily beneficial to future toys. If they can make the Constructicons themselves form limbs, the same should be true for the rest, IMHO, and that would be preferable. Just my $.02
  11. M'Kyuun
    MMC are the undisputed masters of all-in-one engineering. This thing is a triumph of form and function. I've always liked emergency vehicle Transformers, but for some reason, the Protectobots have never really been on my radar. I don't believe I own any versions of them at all in my collection, which is rather ironic considering I now own two versions of the Combaticons with plans to buy all the upcoming Hasbro Legacy figures for a third Bruticus. Granted, Bruticus is my favorite combiner, but given my aforementioned interest in emergency vehicles, I find it odd myself that I don't own some version of the Protectobots at this point. In the interest of trying to preserve what little space I have left for display, I passed, oh so reluctantly, on MMC's Bruticus as I'll now pass on these. I appreciate the achievement they represent, however, and I vehemently wish one of the 3P legends makers would take so ambitious a course with their versions. I recently bought Magic Square's Combaticon Team and they didn't disappoint, although they rely, as most TF combiners do, on a handful of partsforming bits to complete the gestalt. Perhaps I'll invest in their Protectobots, should they get around to producing them. Too, I'll likely get the Legacy versions as well, again, should Hasbro choose to do them. MMC have long been my favorite 3P company, as I own more toys from them than any other third party, at least in the MP scale. I haven't counted, but it's a toss-up between Magic Square and Newage for most 3P toys in my collection at this point, but I digress. Anyway, MMC have been bringing an interesting approach to Transformers for years and they just continue to raise the bar with their engineering and thoughtful approach to both form and function. They make beautiful toys, including what is IMHO the best take on Arcee yet rendered in plastic. Even though I pass on many of their products, having largely stopped collecting MP scale (always room for more cassettes though!), I continue to be amazed at their output.
  12. M'Kyuun
    I must've missed this post earlier. This looks amazing. I'm curious, did you build this in LDD or Studio2? I ask b/c I struggle with any number of things in Studio, especially its abysmal hinge tool that works improperly 95% of the time. Since I build transforming bots and sketch them in Studio, that hinge tool is a necessity and the fact that it seldom works right vexes and frustrates me to no end. An updated UCS style Imperial Shuttle is overdue and hopefully they'll produce one in the near future that addresses the faults of the first.
  13. M'Kyuun
    Agree, as it's keeping with what Anna told Dutch and Co.- it returns and hunts throughout generations. The fact that humans historically have spent far more efforts towards advancing their abilities to kill each other than any other concern (except perhaps the advancement of wealth) would undoubtedly offer irresistible opportunities for hunting to such a creature as the Predator. Looking forward to this.
  14. M'Kyuun
    Pretty clever on Takara's part to just swing the front fascia of the cab into position for the foot rather than have the entire cab reposition. Some may see it as an engineering shortcut (well, technically it is if you're an absolute purist), but it's an effective shortcut that gets the job done. Granted, the leg is going to look a little weird from the side with the door and window details perpendicular to the ground while the face of the cab is parallel. I personally don't mind, especially given all the extensive partsforming that needs to take place to affect Devastator. Next to that, this seems a much smaller compromise. At least it's integrated. One ding against this is the lack of meaningful displacement of the forearms in leg mode; they just bend back at a slight angle, which looks more like afterthought and poor planning. Had they spared an extra bit of the mold to allow for a double hinge on those elbows, they could have folded neatly and purposefully. I guess they always have to bake at least one flaw into everything to justify another toy down the road, although given Hasbro's recent statements and their pivot towards prioritizing games, those supposed toys may never come.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Odd that it's taken this long for a sequel; it's not as much of a gap as there was with Incredibles, but still... There's not much in the way of narrative in that trailer; obviously there's a snake joining Judy and Nick as a new protagonist, and since they're being depicted throughout as being chased around the globe by the cops, there's likely suspicion that the snake indulged its carnivorous instincts, or so I surmise. I haven't watched Zootopia since it came out, but the carnivorous suppression in a mixed anthropomorphic animal society strongly reminds me of the far more mature Beastars anime, another worthy watch. Since Zootopia preceded it by about four years, I wonder if it wasn't perhaps the inspiration for the anime and its darker explorations of similar themes. Zootopia is an impressive film and, as always, there's concern that the sequel will fail to capture what made the first so good. I felt the same about Incredibles, IMHO one of the best animated films ever made, and after the long wait, and despite Brad Bird's heavy involvement, I didn't feel like it captured what made the original film great either. It's a good movie, don't get me wrong, but IMHO, it fell short. But then, Incredibles is a hard act to follow, even for its creator. I hope Zootopia 2 is fun and adds something new and interesting, but I feel like following the original film is an equally challenging proposition.
  16. M'Kyuun
    I like this set, or at least the intent. I've long been a fan of City sets, space and construction being my favorite subthemes. As a mashup of all the main subthemes, this is a nice primer for someone just getting into LEGO City, and a nice all-in-one representation for collectors. I'll admit, the spaceship and its unique astronaut are my main draws for this. I wonder if the parts to make that fig will show up on LEGO's Pick-A-Brick? The ship itself wouldn't be too difficult to cobble together from instructions but getting that minifig would be the challenge.
  17. M'Kyuun
    Not bad at all. I laud the return to his original alt mode form compared to the CW Mixmaster, whose alt I found rather unappealing. I'm concerned that those shoulders are going to have some very limited outward rotation due to how high they extend beyond the joint. Still, they're better than the "Rodimus shoulders", a technique I wish they'd permanently abandon. Great to see they managed to get the bicep rotation in there. Guessing it won't be long before either PvP or Toys Are Russ have a copy in hand for review.
  18. M'Kyuun
    I've yet to see any of the AOTP Prime figs. My Wally has retro Gears, TFOne figs, a copy or two of Party Wallop, a copy or two of Armada Red Alert, one or two Bayformer figs and that's about it. I'm likely forgetting a fig or two, but since I've actually been considering picking up Alchemist Prime, and perhaps Prima (I dig the moon buggyish alt), I've been dismayed to find them MIA in the two Wallies I frequent the most. The wife and I are planning a trip to Target tomorrow so perhaps I'll have more luck there. They carry a better selection of LEGO as well, so win-win. I'm not certain when Earthspark Soundwave is releasing, but I'm down for that fgure as well. Neat alt mode, and for a Takara/Hasbro jetformer, it looks to be better executed than the majority of their efforts.
  19. M'Kyuun
    And to think there were folks denying that the tariff situation was going to affect our hobby. FWIW, I've gotten the majority of the G1 characters I wanted in the main line, so if they were to stop production, while it would sadden me greatly, I'd continue to draw joy from what I have. That said, there are still characters left to do: Windcharger, the rest of the Constructicons, the Omnibots (I wish!!!!), a better Seeker mold, a better Soundwave mold, a better Astrotrain and Blitzwing (with equally good alt modes), better cassettes (not much hope but I can still wish), the rest of the Constructicons, the rest of the Combaticons, perhaps a deluxe Powerglide, Animated Blackout (b/c the original toy is ludicrously priced on the aftermarket), and a voyager scaled FOC Prime, just to name my most wanted off the top of my head. I'm sure there are more (I'd love to see most of Animated redone, faithful to Derrick Wyatt's vision and not homogenized with G1), but I covered the basics. I'm sure, if Hasbro were to drop the toys, third party would step up to fill the CHUG scale void, but I'd still miss the official releases. Takara would likely keep it going for at least the Asian market, so there'd likely be an avenue there as well, albeit pricier again for all the tariff nonsense. Anyway, for now, it looks like we'll still get our plastic crack. It's an uneasy reprieve, however, from the sobering concern that Hasbro has already contemplated ending toy production, especially when TF fandom is still thriving.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Likewise. Jetfire already represents an excellent Macross crossover without compromising the valk to impart another character's likeness. Thanks to Harmony Gold, we'll never get a proper official VF-1 Jetfire again, so I'll be satisfied with FG-01 (supposed to be delivered on Wednesday- been a long wait). Any interest I may have had in Basara Prime has all but ebbed; I'd rather they just gave us a proper VF-19 and gave it a Transformers name as they did with Jetfire. IMHO, by kludging it with Prime, all they did was ruin a truly beautiful transforming jet, which, historically, is par for the course with Takara/Hasbro, more's the pity. I'll just stick with my Arcadia and Bandai Macross offerings, thanks. I'm thinking the Evangelion Prime mash-up is going to be equally tragic. I, like so many fans, love the iconic look of the Evas; mixing their thin, lanky design with the boxy Optimus design will serve only to egregiously erode what makes the Eva so visually distinct and appealing (to those who like it, anyway). I think this whole line is geared far more towards Prime collectors who need to have every incarnation of the character, as the collaborative partners, like the VF-19, are being dealt the greater compromises. For a Macross fan like me, the beautiful valk designs are the main draw, so corrupting them to shoehorn in a Transformers' character's traits renders the appeal nonexistent.
  21. M'Kyuun
    The bottom is going to be Optimus' blocky chest with a couple intakes on the shoulders a la the Seekers. From what I can see of the fighter mode, it appears the shoulders are visible, as usual, along the sides of the jet, and I suspect the forearms will somehow, perhaps via a series of joints, fold in between the legs like most valks. The shield is attached to something, and I assume it's likely the forearms. Then again, the outer legs look squared off, so chances are far, far greater that Takara did their usual lazy approach and the forearms will simply tab into the outer legs and somewhat supply the curvy shape of the VF-19's legs/aft fuselage. They generally can't be bothered with finding better ways to engineer their jetformers, so why start now? The more they reveal of this thing, the more ass-tastic it looks to me. I much prefer my actual Macross toys to this. Too, I'm not a big fan of Basara anyway, so no real loss in passing.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Before we get heavily bastardized versions from Takara, we need proper VF-14 and Elgerzorene toys from Arcadia or Bandai.
  23. M'Kyuun
    If so, ugh. It's reminiscent of what they did with poor Legacy Silverbolt by adding all the gestalt armor onto his Concorde-ish mode leaving him far less svelte. I think Takara was just looking for an artificial way to bump up the price on BP and added a superfluous "stage" accessory which they then ham-handedly attached to the valk mode. IMHO, it adds nothing to either mode and it's just a big hunk of plastic that would stay in the box for perpetuity. A big hunk of plastic, I might add, that I'd rather not pay for given my druthers. Your "face of Optimus" argument does makes sense from a marketing standpoint, as he's very likely the most iconic character in the franchise (not sure if there's a poll to back that up). However, I remain steadfast in my belief that trying to comport all these crossovers, especially the VF-19, with Optimus' look just doesn't come off well, IMO. I'd just rather have a Fire Valkyrie over this kludged design. I love the YF/VF-19's design, so my bias plays a role, but honestly, which looks better, the actual VF-19 or Takara's mash-up? You know my answer. Likewise, my thinking extends to all the other crossovers they've done where they tried to use an established TF character rather than inventing a new one. I think the GI Joe crossovers, particularly, suffered from that approach. YMMV, of course.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Why does every collab have to turn into a bastardized form of Prime? FWIW, I've always thought a transforming Eva would be cool, but my idea was premised on the actual Eva, particularly Unit 01, as it's my favorite design of the base three, becoming a jet of some sort using those large shoulder armors for wings. I'd prefer that over making it a mash-up with Prime, or as with so many other collabs, mashing with other established Transformers characters where making the subject turn into its own distinct bot would better serve. I've always liked Zoids, and this particular mash-up should appeal greatly, but somehow it doesn't, and I can't quite figure out the cause other than their trying to shoehorn elements of Optimus into the bot's design. I think you're close to the mark, as I don't really see Basara Prime folding into some sort of weird truck form. I could be wrong (it's happened on more than one occasion), as that weird overly large microphone may serve as a hitch of some sort. If he indeed does have a third truckish form, there's gonna be a lot of kibble to deal with and it's probably not going to be the most believable truck they've ever done. Guess we'll see.
  25. M'Kyuun
    This is such a weird mashup. The plane looks alright from the top, but then that's generally the favored view of the majority of Takara's jetformer designs to draw attention away from the bottom where all the unseemly robot kibble is placed. It's noteworthy that no profile or bottom shots of the plane are shown. The bot mode, as well, is showing the compromises from trying to mash together two incongruous designs. It'll be neither VF-19 nor Optimus but an odd Frankenstein's Monster of the pair.
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