Nekko Basara

I just finished my first HoiHoi-san kitbash. It actually started as spare parts from a different project to make a gothic HoiHoi (which isn't done yet). I combined a Combat-san kit with a "swimsuit" body to get something sort of GitS-inspired.

Wait, what if Ozma got those tapes from the weird bird, but instead of Luca having the necessary hardware, he had to hire a couple of shady bounty hunters to retrieve it?

Bam, perfect FB7 + Bebop ep.18 fan edit!

Now, how to add G Gundam...

My thought with the haters of the reuse of common songs like Planet Dance is that it is actually reflective of real life - think about how the same one or two songs from an artist are often played again and again on the radio, and then become near-demanded concert staples: even if the musicians don't especially like them.

Is more musical variety good? Sure. But there is at least a viable in-universe reason for why we hear a lot of the same songs repeated.

And as you noted, we see the band writing new music through the series - having certain songs played before then wouldn't make sense. I would say the same thing with a lot of later stuff - anything from Re.Fire!! for sure, as well as certain tracks from Dynamite Fire!! that are prominent in D7 and seem to be more "current" at that time, unlikely to have been composed a year or two earlier. (e.g., I wouldn't think something like New Frontier would have been composed in-universe during the events of M7 proper.)

I think those are all good points.

Regarding the "Planet Dance" effect, I didn't regard its frequent re-use as a realism issue. I agree that a group's first hits always get played to death, but that doesn't mean the show has replicate the effect. I thought the general concern, even among fans of the show (like me), was that using one song so often just gets cloying. It may be what a real resident of Fleet 7 would experience if they hung around a mall all day, but I, as a viewer, would sacrifice a bit if that "realism" for more variety.

By the same token, I would give up some realism to get post-M7 music into the series. Yes, it would take a knowledgeable fan with a good ear to keep it consistent, and certain versions (like anything on Gift 25) simply wouldn't fit, no matter how awesome they are. But I think it could work. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the introduction of new tracks into M7 was originally dictated at least as much by what was ready and being pushed to market in Japan as it was by what fit the story.

I feel like the greatest potential in a fan edit, which unfortunately couldn't come from a "must watch" list, is the opportunity to introduce more variety to the music. A fan edit wouldn't be restricted to just the music that was on sale at the time a certain episode aired, so it could bring in more songs sooner to replace umpteen uses of "Planet Dance." Even better, the extended catalog of sources like Acoustic Fire and Re.Fire could be used. Admittedly, the editor would have to keep the tone consistent and not make it seem as if Fire Bomber had their full catalog available from day one; in particular, we see certain songs being written and recorded during the show itself. But, with that in mind, I think a fan edit with a focus on the music has the potential to enhance the show in a way that both super-fans and haters could appreciate.

Unless they are specifically Fire Bomber haters. Screw those guys.

Hey new guys, you should watch Macross 7, because you'll always have something to talk about!

Doesn't matter. Most of it isn't even in Japanese.

Hurray for Yoko Kanno make-believe languages!

I really like how the (non-alien) lyrics get changed around for the "Battle" version of Aimo, because it reinforces the idea that perhaps all of the lyrics were originally in an alien language, and somewhere along the line humans just approximated some of them to Japanese.

GearTribe Hatsune Miku GT Project 2014 Ver.

Hatsune Miku GT Project. Shoji Kawamori x Good Smile Racing

In February 2014, a concept illustration by Shoji Kawamori of a transforming Miku robot quickly gained popularity, and now it is finally becoming a real product.

The car itself is sculpted to the same level of quality as any other model car, faithfully reproducing the paintwork of the actual racing car in full detail.

When transformed into robot form, the 1/24th scale car becomes larger than you may expect, standing an impressive 275mm in height.

The transformation has been carefully calculated by Shoji Kawamori and makes use of dynamic movements which allow the transformation to look amazing even when only halfway through the changes!

It's a product born from an amazing project, that fans are sure to enjoy in their collection for years to come!

Is that a CARWALK?

http://www.goodsmile.info/en/product/4721/GearTribe+Hatsune+Miku+GT+Project+2014+Ver.html

I have been using a Corsair K90 (Cherry reds) for a few years and I adore it. The layout is clean and simple, and it is built like a tank. The big advantage I feel it has over every other mechanical keyboard I have seen (or rubber some types, for that matter) is that the keys are placed free-standing on top of an aluminum backplate, not countersunk or surrounded by any type of cutouts. This makes it much easier to clean the keyboard out - simply tilting it and tapping will cause any crud behind the keys to slide out. I haven't found any disadvantage to this "naked key" design in terms of feel/use, and I wish more companies would adopt it.

It's also worth noting that because the keys are on standard Cherry switches, you can replace the keycaps with aftermarkets, add dampener rings, etc.

The K90 is out of production, but the K70 lacks only the bank of macro keys, and has several improvements:

- You can get it in other flavors of switch, including Brown.

- The keys now have individually programmable backlighting.

- All keys are mechanical (on my K90, a few peripheral keys actually use rubber domes).

Corsair keyboards aren't the cheapest mechanicals out there, but they're far from the most expensive. I researched and waffled on getting mine for at least a year, but I've never regretted it since. I've honestly never seen a bad review of one of their mechanical keyboards from a professional site.

That shading around all of the corners looks fantastic, anubis20. How are you getting that look? Graphite? Drybrushing? Some kind of pre-shading?

Haha, no worries, I'm guilty as charged where the dollies are concerned. I've taken a shine to Kotobukiya's HoiHoi-San kits, so I've had to endure far worse jabs from my wife and friends

As far as the decals go, the way the Fei-Yen kit achieves the striped look on her top is to cast the pieces in pink plastic and provide clear/white waterslide decals for the stripes. The decals are basically separate pieces for every polygonal surface, and they fit together like a puzzle. Each arm, for example, uses six for the lower part and nine for the upper part, so you have to apply thirty decals just to cover both arms. I was ready to pull my hair out by the end.

You can check out the instructions and decal sheet on Hobbysearch, which (you've probably figured out) is a fantastic resource for model kit info, because they usually have images of the full instruction booklet and everything in the box for any kit they have ever sold.

Is that like a "never lick a lampost when it's freezing outside" kind of scenario? She looks like she is stuck...

Forgive me for posting yet another thing that is not a Gundam (although it is a Hajime Katoki design), but this Hasegawa Fei-Yen and its nightmarish decals are part of the reason I haven't built any gunpla in a while:

Hot looking Unicorn, and - let's face it - you wanted the normal mode anyways, right? ;-)

It's funny that you mentioned the idea of a RG with the transformation gimmick. Ever since building the MG, I've been thinking what a mess that would be. "Fiddly" just isn't a strong enough word. Although, maybe a larger suit worth a less complex transformation could work - can you imagine a RG version of the Sazabi ver. Ka?

The more I see of those amazing butterfly wings, the more I think I'm going to need a pair when I build my RG Destiny. I was going to leave the effect parts to my wife's HG version (which comes with them), but now I don't know.

I'll definitely post pics for you guys when it's done, but I doubt it'll be as impressive as Hikuro's or Nekko's PG version.

Sorry, I haven't done the PG yet!

In fact, the only gunpla I've done recently has been the adorable Beargguy F set. I've spent the past couple weekends on the Hasegawa Fei-Yen kit (from Virtual-On), but my RG Wing Gundam just arrived today.

What about the little Loto 2-pack? That design scratches a "real robot" itch for me better than most Gundams do. I built one a while back, and I felt it was a neat change of pace in terms of both style and scale.

Hey, guys, sorry that I haven't posted in here for a while. There is so much awesome building going on!

Hikuro, really enjoyed your "comic!" That GM looks great.

Mog_kupo, the Destiny with those effect parts looks awesome. Can't tell about the topcoat in pictures, but I hope you got it finished to your satisfaction.

MikeS, I'm with David in loving that red color scheme. And you did an awesome job with it, of course. Not a lot of folks know this, but when Char was in his early teens, he suffered a very bad fall while horseback riding, resulting in multiple fractures to his femur that could not be perfectly healed. Although he was too proud to ever show a limp, he never regained full mobility in that leg, so of course when the Neo Zeon researchers custom-built a mobile suit for him, they incorporated this. I think you're a genius for working that obscure bit of trivia into your build!

David, I'm just stunned at how well that build is coming out. I've said it before, but I think you're being fearless in trying out things like that silver panel-lining for some of the darker parts, and it's really paying off. But even if stuff doesn't work out how you intend, so much better to try it and learn something. Don't think I didn't notice that you did a little detailing on your System Base, by the way. Oh, and while it was very nice of you to call me a "pro" in the weathering discussion, I am decidedly a casual. In addition to some of the great skills more experienced folks have shown off here, I hope you check out some of the dedicated modelling threads in the Overtechnology forums - there is amazing non-Gundam work on display there. And if you want to see loads of dirty, scuffed-up weathering, you could probably spend days in the galleries of an armor-specific site like Missing Lynx.

As far as the "boring" parts of a kit - weapons and accessories in my case - I try very hard to spread them out during the build, because I hate being left with a pile at the end. I'm like a kid trying to eat his vegetables in the least "painful" way during the meal. It doesn't work perfectly - there are usually a handful of things to finish up, generally extra hands, for me - but it helps. My least favorite part of most kits is the shield, because panel-lining the back can be such an effort for so little gain.

Sounds like it was a great panel, renegadeleader1! Folks may also want to check out Veef's review of the con over on CollectionDX.

Thank you very much, Seto. You prettymuch covered everything (as I expected you might)! All I'm really left wondering about is whether the railguns function when the barrels un-dock from the bank unit, which would let them tilt forward over the destroid a bit. But, judging by what you said about aiming those guns, this may just be an unknown.

As far as my wife goes, I am very lucky. I've wanted this beast since I first saw it on Collection DX five years ago (and I wanted there to be a toy since I first saw Frontier), but for reasons of budget and marital harmony, I do not collect valks as a rule. Since this was a "big" birthday and I've been building up a lot of husband points lately, I guess she decided to bend that rule .

I have some VB-6 questions!

My wonderful wife got me a Bandai DX Koenig Monster for my (mumble mumble) birthday, and having the design in hand has made me realize how little I understand about how it "works" in-universe. The Mecha Manual explained a lot, but here's what I can't figure out:

The cockpit:

Does the crew end up in the "head" section in destroid mode? (I am following the Manual in calling the humanoid mode "destroid," although I really want to use that term for the gerwalk because of its resemblance to the original Destroid Monster.) That would be strange for a variable aircraft, but - at least in the toy - the section with the windows appears to be nothing more than a shell. And, if the crew is in the head, how do the windows function in other modes?

Also - and this is just my bad memory - did Canaria have two gunners, or did she control hers solo?

The armament:

Is the destroid mode capable of firing the railguns and, if so, how does it align them with a target, and how does it take the recoil? Also, can they be fired when they are bent forwards and "detached" from the backpack section, or only when all of those parts are connected?

Is the destroid mode capable of reversing the arms and using the missile launchers? Likewise, can the gerwalk mode employ the "hands?"

The modes:

What is the purpose of the destroid mode versus the gerwalk? It seems to interfere with at least some of the armament, and I suspect its agility isn't all that impressive (or important). Is it more of a utility mode (i.e. it's handy for recovery or engineering purposes to have a massive humanoid with arms around)? I will accept "because giant robots are freaking awesome" as an answer.

That's it for now, but I may come up with more. Thanks in advance!

That is a great point about the ease of cleaning - getting behind the fan on most heat-sinks is a real pain. And I appreciate the info about the airflow directions; if you can recall the article, I'd love to check it out myself. If I didn't (finally) have dust under control in my cases, I'd be tempted to go rearranging some of my CPU fans now.

I was also concerned about the distance from the rear fan, but I didn't think it would be that close, so apologies for the bad suggestion. And I'm in the same boat regarding vertical mountings (blowing towards the exhaust fans on the top of the case) - I think it makes a lot of sense, but my brackets won't allow it.

Something I forgot to ask about changing the rear fan to an intake - is the "grill" cut into the case at that spot the case flat or domed? I've sometimes seen the latter, and it could make mounting a filter difficult. Personally, for the intakes on my cases that don't already have some kind of filter, I used generic filters that I got on ebay, shipped from China/HK for a few bucks each. They have a plastic frame that mounts to the case (on the outside) using the fan screws, then a piece of foam sits in this, and another plastic frame forming the "grill" snaps over it, so if you want to remove and clean the foam, you pop out the second frame while the first one stays on the machine. They aren't the prettiest things, but they work - I don't usually even open them and remove the foam, I just vaccuum them out while attached.

Yeah, sounds like a plan. The only suggestion I have - and maybe I'm just not clear on what you mean by flipping the CPU fan - is that you mount the fan on the opposite side of the Kotetsu's cooler tower from the norm (that is, place it on the side away from your RAM), rather than installing it on the normal side but facing the opposite way. Every tower cooler I have seen is set up with the fan "pushing" air over the heatsink fins rather than "pulling" air over them, so I assume there is some efficiency/effectiveness advantage to the former. Having said that, if the clearances on your motherboard simply won't allow for a fan on the side away from the RAM, then just go ahead and do it the latter way.

I... hope that made sense.

Jet-powered seaplanes are largely a path not taken. It's tough to evaluate their merits and potential because, as already said, world militaries chose other approaches like carrier-based aircraft or land-based aircraft to fill similar needs. That was probably based on sound reasoning (I'm thinking particularly of the high maintenance needs of seaplane and the greater difficulty of performing maintenance and resupply), but it makes for some interesting "what ifs."

Personally, I've always been impressed that (to my knowledge) there have only been two jet-powered seaplane fighters attempted, both of them proved flight-worthy and flew quite well from what I've read, and one of them even managed to go trans-sonic. There aren't many novel classes of aircraft that can claim such success in their earliest examples.

EDIT: I fixed to say seaplane FIGHTERS.

David,

1) That's too bad. It's not an uncommon situation for the bottom fan location to be partially blocked by the PSU, but usually it only happens with larger PSUs. Sounds like your case is on the cramped side.

2) Using the rear fan as an intake is unconventional, but it might work. I'd suggest spinning your CPU cooler 180 degrees to align its airflow with that intake (or remount its fan on the opposite side if it's a design that allows for that, or if neither of those is possible, mount its fan backwards to suck air into the heatsink rather blow into it).

3) I wonder if adding a red filter to your blue power LED could make it anything like the purple on the rest of your setup. Barring that, just cover it - you'll know when the power is on from the fan LEDs, anyhow.

Thanks for clarifying, Valkyrie Driver. I apologize for mixing your posts to take a cheap shot like that. I was feeling a bit salty at the way the conversation keeps veering towards assigning objective value to essentially subjective artistic expressions, but I think it's all meant for the sake of good discussion.

To start another tangent, thinking through each Macross idol and what I liked about them reminded me how much credit I think Frontier deserves for the relationship between Sheryl and Ranka. The show sets up these two natural opposites: Sheryl is a mature, trendy "Shibuya girl" idol who is an established mega-star and a consummate professional; Ranka is a juvenile, awkward "Akiba girl" idol who is just starting out and had little going for her except enthusiasm and clumsy charm. Then Frontier places them in competition for the same prizes in both a love interest and an audience, and fans the flames with elements like making Sheryl a failing star while Ranka is an up-and-comer, and giving them a common manager who actively tries to play them against each other.

Anyone would expect a bitter and predictable rivalry plotline to result from that setup, but the show doesn't go the cheap "cat-fight" route. Instead, it makes both characters empathic women who are drawn together by their common challenges. Sheryl is unfailingly supportive of Ranka and her singing aspirations. Ranka is endlessly grateful and deferential, acting like Sheryl's biggest fan even when (in the film) inviting a declining Sheryl to her big debut concert. They are rivals, but also fast friends. I just find that more interesting and more believable than the alternative, and it really enhances both characters for me.

I just can't resist asking this, Valkyrie Driver.

If I were to go read some lyrics from AC/DC or Knife Party, where on a scale from "shallow and lacking in substance" to "insightful and thought-provoking" do you think I'd put them?