Jump to content

kajnrig

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    4983

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by kajnrig

  1. kajnrig

    Bandai DX VF-31

    kajnrig replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    Like I said, /snob
  2. kajnrig

    Bandai DX VF-31

    kajnrig replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    grumble grumble yeah so you have a point shut up grumble grumble pout EDIT: I'd say even those are a bit too thick, even for 1/35, but meh, semantics. They look alright, I guess. If you blew them up to scale, though...
  3. kajnrig
    Speaking of, one thing I do miss from the original SDFM is the theme of cultural exchange, and music as its symbol. Like, the entire series can be condensed into that final scene in DYRL not because the protagonists' enemies are fanboying (and fangirling, lest we forget the Meltlandi) over pop music, but because that pop music exposes them to new emotions, feelings, experiences. And all this comes as a revelation, as does the realization that there exists other options for dealing with this than what has been the norm for ages (ie snuffing it out). In almost all the productions that come afterward, they largely reduce music back to existing singularly for entertainment's sake. Sure, each entry puts their own twist on music, but it never again becomes about exchange across civilizations. Part of that, I think, has to do with the Zentraedi/Meltlandi being human in every way but name only. They're superficially aliens, but when it comes down to it, SDFM is entirely about human conflict. It's not like M+ where the ethics of AI are involved, or 7 with space whales, or Frontier with bugs (or 0 with... was it another Vajra queen?). The above quote is kind of ironic, because it seems to me that only in the newer shows has music explicitly become a form of psychological warfare; the original show was much less deliberate about using it to knowingly affect enemies. They certainly didn't use M2/Frontier-style tactics.
  4. kajnrig

    Bandai DX VF-31

    kajnrig replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    Beat me to the punch. Keep in mind that that landing gear is from the model kit, not the toy. Anyone who has ever built any version of any Gundam core fighter knows how bad Bandai model kits are with landing gear. If there's a joint in there, they'll focus all their efforts on reinforcing that joint rather than making it aesthetically pleasing. They will always err on the side of practicality rather than aesthetics if they can. That said, the toy I expect to look slightly better but only just. If it's not made by Hasegawa, I don't have high hopes for it at all. /snob
  5. kajnrig
    So I was watching some Mac30 gameplay videos: The Super/Strike Packs were designed for space use only, right? I was comparing Mac30's gameplay to that of Robotech Battlecry (I consider it to be the best Macross game available, but then I haven't played any others), and in the above video Mac30 allows you to use Super/Strike Valkyries in atmosphere, whereas RBC doesn't. And while we're at it, something else that popped up on my feed:
  6. kajnrig
    I know, I was just parsing the fine details. I really liked the look of Hayate's 171, but that was probably due to the vibrant tan coloring. I agree, the CGI work for the most part still leaves a lot to be desired. It's a step up from what it was before (and I'd call it a major improvement over Frontier), but they could stand to make the Valks a bit more vibrant to stand out against the dark backgrounds. There's still no beating M+.
  7. kajnrig
    1.) I thought the point was that it WASN'T practical? Or at least not yet? 2.) Also, both fighters and the Ghost were testbeds for active stealth tech, right? So it would make a certain amount of sense that they could both break through orbital defense systems using currently-existing technology (though I suppose Isamu does sort of have to brute-force it anyhow given he gets detected right away) yet have trouble with each other.
  8. kajnrig
    Like you did? Not a bad idea at all. As for me, I'm likely to grab one of the itasha Valks. Klan or Ranka? Or both? (Did they ever release a Sheryl version?)
  9. kajnrig
    I dunno, I sort of think you're all right to a certain degree. All the elements in this first episode were present in other series as well. The psychedelic visuals, the suspension of physics, and on and on. Basically everything Seto and Duke were arguing about. It's all been done before, to varying degrees. I'd go so far as to say that some episodes of Frontier topped this one in terms of sheer outlandish bombast. The movies certainly did. Is it a departure from "Macross norm"? You could spin it that way, but only insofar as it does all of the bombast all at once. It comes smothered in pop culture excess, and can seem overwhelming when compared to the rest of the franchise. But like others have said, it's only the first episode. Things will probably level off with time... or not, considering this is Macross and things only tend to get more chaotic. I remember watching Frontier and hating, absolutely hating, that it was Macross in name only. What is this "Another High School Anime (Complete With Its Very Own Panty Episode)" doing? How can it possibly be talked about in the same breath as M+ and SDFM? Frontier was MY Delta. I thought the main characters were terrible anime stereotypes, I thought the mecha combat was uninspired, the CGI was boring and poorly implemented, and the EX Gear was the stupidest thing to ever come out of the series. It wasn't enough that the AIRPLANES could transform, now the PILOTS had to, too? I mean, I got over it, but it was only for recognizing the phenomenon for what it was: Macross becoming mainstream. Macross WAS changing, and I could either change to accept it or not and abandon it. I chose the former, and I didn't particularly suffer for it. Do I think it's one of the weaker entries in the franchise? Yes, but then that's only because SDFM and M+ set the bar so high. Next to Zero and 7, it's no better or worse. So here comes Delta, and while I think that pretty much all of the critique has merit, I also don't see those critiques as necessarily being worth addressing. Anyway. My two cents.
  10. kajnrig
    http://www.animeherald.com/2014/11/26/youre-looking-gundam-model-not-anime-cel/ There was also a hyper-stylized model I saw back during my days on Hobbyfanatics that took this to the nth degree. It went beyond the shading techniques here; proportions were highly exaggerated in order to achieve a very specific look from a very specific angle. I forget the source, it was years ago, but it was definitely something worth seeing.
  11. kajnrig
    Aside from some scuff marks and such, the only thing I noticed was the big dent in the chest armor (possibly pushing the cockpit down enough that it's exposed to the open air).
  12. kajnrig
    The 17(1) underwent some major slimming down in the transition from 7 to Frontier, yes? Is it strange that the discrepancy between the Yam/Ban designs would be so huge considering the former is working off of line art and animation cels whereas the other is basing theirs off a 3D model? That said I agree the Yamato 17 looks much more... aggressive? than the DX. More anime.
  13. kajnrig
    Are you thinking of the non-transforming 1/100(?) fighter mode kits?
  14. kajnrig
    Ah, dang it. I legitimately forgot his name again. What was it?
  15. kajnrig

    Bandai DX VF-31

    kajnrig replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    They're going for longevity. Something that can withstand some punishment rather than specifically looking accurate.
  16. kajnrig

    Bandai DX VF-31

    kajnrig replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    Well, the DX toys continue Bandai's tradition of not particularly good-looking landing gear, so I wouldn't expect them to look much better on the toys than the models. The knee armor looks to be empty space, and I think I can just barely make out a black arm (it blends in with the wheel and the aforementioned cavity) that connects to the wheel axle. So it looks like it can roll, but it certainly is a tight fit.
  17. kajnrig
    Plastic thickness also plays a surprisingly large role. Thinner plastic means more accurate scaling means better proportions and better details.
  18. kajnrig

    Bandai DX VF-31

    kajnrig replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    Like wm cheng, I'm not surprised at the beefiness and "second priority"-ness of the landing gear. Bandai have always (well, for the most part) designed their model kits as toys, not as models. Their plastic tends to be thicker, too, and they avoid sharp angles at all costs. It'll still sell like hotcakes due to the transformation gimmick. And they're accurate enough. Say what you will about Bandai, but they're at least smart about getting right what needs to be gotten right.
  19. kajnrig
    Once they develop the CGI models for them, I'm sure that'll be the case. Who knows, there might come a day when you see an inexplicable VF-0 flying around.
  20. kajnrig
    Considering how loose Macross is with canon, it could very well be that the only "real" couple to date is Max/Milia. Everything else is Schrodinger's cat.
  21. kajnrig
    Thanks for that. See? I really am just bad with anime age.
  22. kajnrig
    Lol No, and I do get what you mean. I just think that... I dunno. One of the things I appreciated about 08th MS Team (Gundam) was that the majority of the cast were 20s and up; Shiro Amada is 21(?) when the story begins. It can help lend characters a bit of but not too much maturity, but mostly I just like it because it's a shift away from the 15-18-year old protagonists that we normally see. It's for the same reason that I appreciate the Myung/Isamu/Guld cast in M+, and FFVII's main cast being mostly 21 years old or above. EDIT: (They don't ever mention age, but I picture the M+ trio being 30-ish. The Macross Wiki lists Isamu as 24, which I can also buy even if I don't at all trust it as a source of reliable information.) EDIT 2 because lol I know it seems that way and I have no way to disprove it despite having perfectly innocent motives:
  23. kajnrig
    Truer words have never been spoken. Claudia and Roy. But speaking of Reina, I was a bit distressed to find that she's officially 15. The impression I got from Walkure, justified or not, was that they would all sort of be onee-chan type figures to Freyja. So perhaps hoping against hope, I pegged them as all being in the low- to late-20s, with Reina being about 22. She can't reasonably have Oneechan status when she's only a year older than the protagonist. Boo. ...then again, I pegged everyone as being several years older than they actually are, so maybe I'm just bad with anime age. EDIT: A thousand times yes. (I was already suspecting it MIGHT go this direction given they're constantly depicted with each other, but physical proximity only implies a close relationship.)
  24. kajnrig
    Regardless of whether they're "tent pole franchises" or not, your argument was that people, the general public, want superheroes to be more realistic(ally violent) yet hypocritically "scoff at the notion ... of disarming them without lethal consequences." My counterargument was to point out the many "realistic" violent superhero films that have been both financially and critically successful. The degree to which financial returns and critical acclaim accurately represent what the general public wants out of a superhero movie is questionable, certainly, but all the same. You're moving goal posts here. That's fair, and I do agree that BvS has potential, but like you say, potential =/= substance. The idea of a morally compromised Superman isn't bad. The idea of a Batman who kills isn't bad. Neither was executed particularly well. But what gets me about that is that it was PREDICTABLE that they wouldn't execute those ideas well. I just don't understand why they - DC - would gamble $400 million ($250M budget + $150 marketing) of potentially good ideas away on a director with such little chance of winning the bet for them. Like, EVERYBODY agrees that Snyder is a visual maestro lacking in all other substantial filmmaking qualities. 300 was proof of that, Watchmen was proof of that, Sucker Punch and Man of Steel were proof of that. It's not like he's gotten incrementally better since 300 and had a burgeoning grasp of cinematic storytelling and/or exploration of ideas/themes that they were banking on fully maturing with this movie. He has consistently been all style and almost zero substance, and... avoiding him should have been obvious, but it wasn't. But it'll make its costs back and then some regardless, and so I guess in that regard it's a success. It's just disheartening to think about how much better DC's cinematic universe could have been. It could have been a legitimate contender to the MCU.
  25. kajnrig
    Team Mireyja all the way! There will be no white flag above my door!
×
×
  • Create New...