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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    Quite the collection. That BIG prime is like, Wow.
  2. M'Kyuun
    While a well done live action movie has the potential to do for Macross what the Bayverse did for Transformers, the quality of such a film depends on who they hire to write, direct, and star in it. If they go low on production, it likely won't do well. Even a well known lead actor won't save a movie; consider Ghost in the Shell. Too, as a Macross fan, I'm not crazy about the changes they made to the story, especially the nature of the Protoculture, nor the addition of Mospeada and Southern Cross. I'm just not, nor shall I ever be, a Robotech fan. Personally, if I was going to try to raise awareness of a property like Macross which has an established body of work, I'd get some good dubs made and introduce them on a far reaching streaming service, or services. Heck, if possible, I'd work out a deal with Cartoon Network to show Frontier over a period of several weekends at good time slots just to get one of the modern , and IMHO, better quality, series out there to generate attention and bait the hook, as it were, to create interest in the franchise as a whole. Along with that, maybe produce some in-between commentary showing off toys, talking about the music production, the process of creating some of the valk scenes- stuff that serves to further pique interest and make people want more. Judging by the enduring popularity of Transformers, there's certainly a market for transforming robots here in the Americas; you couldn't turn around without seeing some sort of transforming robot back in the 80's, but along the way, Hasbro locked it up and Transformers is the only domestic game in town today. From a marketing perspective, I'd want to foot-stomp the availability of these awesome Macross transforming jets in the American marketplace as much as possible. Furthermore, Transformers isn't exactly known for good transforming jets, so a series of realistic and kibble free transforming jets would encounter little competition from Hasbro, unless they really stepped up their game. I'm sure they wouldn't like having another transforming product on the market, but I don't know that they'd have any legal recourse to stop the marketing of Macross valks here in the Americas. Personally, along with Transformers and Macross valks, I'd love to see a resurgence of transforming robot popularity here in the US.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Yep. I think putting Timm in ultimate control is the best move they can make. He's more than proven he knows Batman inside and out, can craft a good story, and has an amazing eye for the details that make the world of Gotham feel real, gritty, and believable. To not give him lead would be an enormous waste of his experience.
  4. M'Kyuun
    I should concentrate my collection, or pare it down, but my attachment is such that I'd have a very difficult time deciding what goes and what stays. There'd be far more of the latter than the former. My pack-rat tendencies and sentimentality towards my toys make getting rid of anything nigh unthinkable. I've always been choosy about what toys I pick up, though, and I rarely feel like I need to get every repaint; generally, one copy of a mold is good enough, unless it's first season- then I want the full roster. Even with that I'm still choosy, though. My MP first season still has holes, but oddly, I don't feel as strong a need to complete it, so I continue to pick and choose figs that I like to slowly fill it out. CHUG is by far my largest TF collection, and at this point, my focal point, so I'm more apt to pick up figs as we go along. I'm hoping that the next line will offer the remaining first season minibots in deluxe scale to go along with WFC Cliffy, Bee, and Huffer. Oh yeah, and the rumored deluxe Insecticons. And, hopefully, a voyager scaled set of Constructicons that prove to be vast improvements on the lackluster (I'm being kind) CW versions. I think that would do nicely to round out the first season with all modern takes in proper scale. Since there are no third party CHUG scale takers, for better or worse, in Hasbro I trust.
  5. M'Kyuun
    Ha, funny you mention the t-shirts, as I was contemplating buying one, but I couldn't find the new ones they were touting in the vid this morning, so I just got Gnaw and Wreck-gar. But yeah, $45 is a bit too steep. That's like convention pricing, where you're paying experience tax for everything. If they were like $25, that'd be more reasonable-still high, but reasonable.
  6. M'Kyuun
    Amazon.com: Transformers Toys Studio Series 86-07 Leader Class The The Movie 1986 Dinobot Slug Action Figures, Ages 8 and Up, 8.5-inch: Toys & Games Got it thru Amazon- there's a 3 dollar markup, but free shipping.
  7. M'Kyuun
    I was putting in my order on Pulse, and it wasn't accepting the promo code "I still function" that they gave us in the vid. Well, in the time it took me to go back and look it up and then try several times, Slag sold out and he was removed from my cart. Grrrr! So, to put it in perspective, Slag sold out within about 17 minutes of availability on Pulse. Not quite Macross 'midnight madness', but pretty damned close for a mass retail fig. Crazy.
  8. M'Kyuun
    I've only seen a fraction of the Berserk anime out there, and none of the manga, but my wife and I both enjoyed the first season or so that we have seen. Miura-san was obviously a talented gentleman, and his loss hits me for how close in age we were- he was only five years older than me. Far too young to lose him, both as a human being and as an immensely creative artist. RIP, good sir.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Gnaw is also a Husui-san design. Nice to know he's still designing these things, and I'm especially glad to know that he appears to be behind the Dinobots. Sucks that they're reverting back to the politically correct Slug so as not to offend our British cousins. I get that the term 'slag' has a derogatory slang meaning towards women in Britain, but I assume its proper meaning is the same as it is here- the cast off by-product of smelting metal. Since we're predominantly English speakers, America no doubt carried the term over from our British forebears. It just seems overly fussy to assume the slang meaning when you're talking about a bunch of robots, but such is the sensitive world we live in. Gnaw was a nice surprise; it is nice to get those from time to time, and I'm glad the Hasbro folks got to spring it on us. Evan, the product designer who presented this morning, is definitely a TF fan, and I like his natural and generally uninhibited geeky discourse when they do these presentations- unlike a lot of the marketing presenters, he doesn't come across as just reading off a teleprompter. I appreciate these presentations, period; they don't have to, but it's a pleasant way to peddle their wares (b/c of course these are elaborate commercials), and we get some insight to the people behind the scenes, the processes (Evan's speaking about the challenges of trying to color match to TF: The Movie was interesting), and guest appearances like Matt Ferguson this morning. Seemed like a very modest fellow, but his talent is readily apparent when you consider the body of his work. I really wish they'd tell us whether or not G1 toy versions of the Dinobots are coming, but of course that would probably hurt sales of the current Movie inspired toys; I'd likely eschew the Movie versions in lieu of the toy versions, so I'm the guy they're trying to get to double dip, which I probably will if toy versions are released later on. They need to make a t-shirt with a bunch of multiples and repainted figs on it superimposed with the word, "SUCKER". That's me. I say it with a cheeky grin, though. I could be a meth head or a an alcoholic, but plastic toys are a much more fulfilling addiction, methinks. Healthier, too, or so I'm lead to believe. Just not very space efficient. So, yeah, I'm down for all the SS86 stuff they showed off this morning. I have neither familiarity nor interest in Shattered Glass, but I'm happy for the folks who are invested in that storyline. Even if they're just repaints, at least they're making the effort. More than we Animated fans have gotten.
  10. M'Kyuun
    Friendly reminder that this is happening today.
  11. M'Kyuun
    Glad to see Bruce Timm's name attached. Tim Burton's depiction of Batman changed my perspective 180 degrees, having grown up watching the Adam West series as a wee lad, and the Superfriends as I got older. While I enjoyed both, my impression of Batman as a character, having never read the comics, was of a cheesy guy in a cheesy looking suit who relies almost entirely on his utility belt to solve every challenge. In fact, until Burton's film, my nickname for Batman was Utility Belt Man, such was my low opinion of him. So, Batman happened, and then Batman: The Animated Series made its debut, and it was just so well done. Although Burton's film was the catalyst to put Batman back in the popular consciousness as a serious and dark crimefighter, B:TAS , IMHO, was a superior medium for telling his stories thanks to Bruce Timm and his team. We also have him and Paul Dini to thank for creating Harley Quinn, who's become one of the most notable villains in Batman's Rogue's Gallery, along with her Puddin'. The stamp of The Animated Series continues to reverberate and inform how we think Batman should be almost thirty years on. To create something that lasting and influential is a hell of a legacy. Honorable mentions to Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin who brought Bats, Joker, and Harley to life in such memorable fashion. It's still hard for me to hear any other voices coming from these characters. With the combined talents and experience of Timm, Abrams, and Reeves behind the scenes of this new show, I have faith that it'll be worth watching. If anything causes concern, putting it on Cartoon Network, who haven't been the best hosts for DC shows in the past, gives pause. I want the show to be on regular tv rather than subscription, but CN, with its erratic scheduling and seeming disdain for anything that isn't tactless and raunchy, as well as anything that actually has decent animation, I wonder that they wish to partner with them. There's not good history there, and I think they'd do better to put it on a different network. Guess we'll see.
  12. M'Kyuun
    I've had that box sitting under my table for a couple of years now- same issue, no room for it, but hopefully someday. I also have a similar looking cat. If you're short, bald, and a little paunchy about the midsection, I think we've got some parallel dimension stuff going on.
  13. M'Kyuun
    I may be biased , as Prowl's my favorite G1 Autobot design, but objectively, I think your observation is right on the money. Incidentally, Prowl is also Hasui's favorite character, and he personally designed the MP toy, so there's a a case to be made that Prowl benefited greatly from that personal attachment and Hasui's design philosophy of striking a good balance between the real world car details and the toon look. In Prowl's case, it's an impeccable marriage. I wish his approach had continued throughout the life of the line, as the plain Jane hyper-toon look and many of the subsequent concessions don't enthrall me. However, Skids is looking to mirror the old approach, with articulation regressing back to early 2K levels. I wish they could step up the articulation and maintain the early Hasui look, but if that's what it takes, so be it. Concerning WFC Jetfire's scale, I think they got it pretty close. https://reflector.tfw2005.com/wp-content/plugins/justified-image-grid/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.tfw2005.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F14%2F2019%2F08%2FSiege-Jetfire-090.jpg&h=330&q=90&f=.jpg The toon's capricious scaling from scene to scene makes exact scaling nigh impossible, so there's wiggle room. To me, he scales well with the rest of the line. I'm also a fan of the mechanical detailing on the WFC figures, so I'm pretty happy with him. He's a 'dream' figure, one that I never thought would get an actual official toy, especially after thirty-plus years, so I remain grateful, and grateful that he turned out as well as he did.
  14. M'Kyuun
    It can be done with WFC Jetfire and FT Phoenix: Of course, the WFC fig doesn't have the ventral structures shown in the animation screenshot, and Phoenix approximates it, but without the blue window. Phoenix's landing gear are housed in that section where the blue window should be. I assume that Takara's MP will have the same bit of ventral detail, and very likely, the blue window. After all it's in the animation.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Are you being sarcastic? I think he means the semi-'GERWALK' form Starscream and Skyfire adopted in an ep or two, coming in for landing with their legs extended while the rest of their bodies remained in jet mode. I couldn't find a screenshot of Screamer landing like this, but I believe he did in at least one ep.
  16. M'Kyuun
    Never been a big Mad Max fan, or a fan of post-apoc vehicles modded to the nines with cow catchers, bars, spikes, etc, but if you're gonna make one and make it transform, then Frostlight's the way to do it. Looks awesome in both modes.
  17. M'Kyuun
    PvP's effusively enthusiastic reviews are always fun; one could make a good drinking game from his constant repetition of descriptors like 'fantastic', 'awesome', and 'superb'. I sometimes wonder if he's a paid reviewer for Hasbro, as he seldom has much negative to say. I hope not, and that he legitimately enjoys these figures as much as he seems to. If he ever gets tired of doing toy reviews, he has a future in advertising with his rapid well-enunciated elocution and lovely British brogue. As to Rodimus, I think it's nigh beyond dispute that this is the best official Rodimus figure made to date. It's certainly not without its flaws (the break in the exhaust pipes, the back wheels of his car mode clearly visible when attached to the trailer, too much car poking out of the trailer when attached, very little ground clearance because of transformation hinges, trailer a bit too long). Some may not like the face sculpt either, but I do; I think it gives him an air of gravitas, and it actually makes me wish that they'd written him as a competent leader in the old toon instead of a self doubting whiner, which was out of character from how he was portrayed as Hot Rod. I digress. The aforementioned nitpicks aside, I'm pretty impressed with what Hasbro's done here. This looks so much better than the MP toy, and does much more right than not. I also appreciate the little drawer on the trailer's underside, as it's a great storage solution that doesn't mar the look of the vehicle mode, and provides a better option than having accessories strewn willy-nilly about the vehicle. Crappy weapon/accessory storage is one of my biggest nitpicks with Transformers in general, so when I see efforts like this, I have to give credit. Although I've never been a huge Rodimus fan, there's a lot to like here, and I'm very glad that I put in a PO for this guy. Looks like a great fig, and likely one of those iconic ones that we're still talking about twenty years down the road.
  18. M'Kyuun
    The Hiya Toys' ED-209 is a nice looking toy, especially for its size, but I ended up not waiting for it, and bought the larger Neca version last year. I just watched a review of the Hiya, and I'm glad I went with the Neca. It's larger, more detailed, has better sound quality and more sound effects/phrases lifted straight from the movie soundtrack (that can be a good and bad thing) and pretty much the same articulation. Unfortunately, neither version has any articulation in the feet, which sucks b/c you can't recreate the fun scene where ED is testing the staircase with his toes before taking a tumble and throwing a tantrum (one of my favorite scenes in the movie, and just one of the best robot scenes in any movie). Essentially, It also limits him to basically a static standing pose, as trying to pose him in a walking pose looks awkward and will more than likely result in his tumbling over. I assume the same will be true for the Hiya. It's frustrating and unfortunate to have such a well done toy, but that lack of foot articulation limits a lot of the fun that could be had.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Great quote. I was unfamiliar with the TSR-2, so Wiki to the rescue. Neat looking plane, with a similar MO as the later B-1 Lancer- low and fast penetration into enemy territory, pop and drop, then turn tail and GTFO as quickly as possible. From the reading, it didn't meet original specifications, and those specs had to be reduced. Cost overruns, inter-agency squabbling and politics conspired to end her before she really ever got started. Unfortunately more cool aircraft than we'll likely ever know about have fallen to those axes. One wonders how many black program aircraft are buried out in the desert. The YF-23 is a constant reminder, though, just hanging out in the AF Museum. So much unfulfilled potential.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Digging this guy. Wish there were a few paint apps to pick out the wires and such on his side panels/wings, and that his horns weren't hollow- seriously, Hasbro, how hard would it be to make those things solid or put some gap fillers in the box? Instead we get Daniel. I do like the weapon storage solution, but I don't like that it's white against the proper gold of the tail. I think it would have been better executed if the gun was completely ensconced within the tail. It's a concession, and better than just pegging it onto his shoulder or some other odd place on his dino body. The back feet definitely look disproportionate in this view. It's not too bad from the side, but, yeah, it would have been nice had they found a way to make those feet wider. Fans Toys, a la Perfect Fusion, managed it with Cesium using a similar folding technique. Has/Tak should have taken notes. Ah Hasbro, why try when nobody makes them. Still, it looks to be a good fig, and I'm sure third parties will come along with solutions for the hollow horns and swords, and probably some removable slip-ons for the back feet. The horns stand out to me as something that shouldn't have passed , but Hasbro. I do think it's interesting that they came up with a new transformation for the legs, and that it's not terrible. Perhaps someday they'll do a 'behind the toys' segment explaining the departure- I always enjoy that sort of thing. Anyway, it's nice to see another G1 leader sized Dinobot in the official line, and all things considered, looking pretty good with minor nitpicks. Sure beats the slag out of the PotP Dinos. I'll just be going now.....
  21. M'Kyuun
    Totally down for some Daily Bugle action. I'm really surprised to see Punisher in the lineup; given the nature of the character, this'll likely be the one opportunity to get him in LEGO form. Nice to see this done in a more deluxe build- they could have just made it like the Avengers' Tower, simplifying it to meet a $120-150 price point for mass retail in the big box stores, but given how iconic the Bugle is to Spidey lore, I'm glad Mark got his wish to design this at a larger scale with all the detail an Exclusive allows. The minifig lineup is impressive as well, although I wish Bobby Drake, AKA Iceman, had been included so we'd have the full team from Spiderman and His Amazing Friends, which I watched religiously as a kid. Firestar is a pleasantly surprising addition (funny that the reviewer didn't know who she was), and a nice nod for us 80s kids who watched her, Spidey, and Iceman take on the gallery of villains every Saturday morning growing up. The Goblin's smashing escape is pretty darn cool, and I appreciate its inclusion. That particular feature was also something the designer, Mark Stafford, long dreamt of doing since his pre-LEGO AFOL days; it was a passion project for him, and it's cool to know that he got to actualize it as a set.
  22. M'Kyuun
    That's a very short service life for such a complex and expensive airframe, considering it only entered operational service in 2005, and many Cold War era planes are still actively flying. Had the right plane been chosen back in '91, I wonder if the F-23 would have enjoyed a longer operational life. It would have been prettier doing so, anyway.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Which is odd, as I would expect Takara to be more careful about trying to get the details right, starting with the right model of truck. The new Hasbro branding isn't wrong; it's just not applicable in this case.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Yep. I was gonna say that MOC's over a decade old now, but it still looks pretty good. He also built a pretty nice VF-1 back in the day. I'm pretty sure this is fully transformable, which is notable b/c the legs are better proportioned than the Yammie. I started building my own YF-21 around 2003 or so, but abandoned it for lack of skill and parts necessary to do it justice. This model was posted on Brickshelf around that same period, IIRC. It's quite well done, especially in light of the palette back then. It's nice to bring some of these old Macross MOCs to light again, as so many were really well done and show off the skill and creativity of the builders long before we had all the complex curved slopes and wedges that we have now.
  25. M'Kyuun
    Sad state of affairs when a 67 second toy commercial has Peter Cullen voicing Prime, but not their Netflix animated series. And while the bot mode looks good, the truck mode suffers.
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