last_raven

Super parts came in. They definitely make the valk feel whole again. Draw the eyes away from the gaps. Luna Park packaged it well enough but the JP shipper box was torn to hell from local postage labels being torn off. Not a big deal for me since my primary concern is having it to protect the main box, which it does. Again had to email them to get the package moving at all. I'd call LP a coin toss right now. Won't be doing another PO with them. With that being said, I do really enjoy these super parts a lot. Mine fit pretty tight to the 31AX and can be handled without a lot of care. They aren't as tight on my lil draken adapters but they work as long as the boosters are the last part you touch/put on. Glad I was able to get this release but the Siegfrieds beat the pants off the Kairos AX for quality.

Likewise. Just did that myself. Showing 'in stock, ready to ship' on their website and I preordered in December..

At risk of damaging the finish I lifted from underneath the sides towards the middle of the canopy with my nails and it came open easily and there were no scratches. After moving it around some it was pretty easy to open from then on.

What file did you use @manfred17? Did you just go across the entire face evenly or did you make an initial rough pass in that 'groove' you highlighted? May just be my stanky old wizard eyes but in the first photo it looks like you did a first pass on that 'groove' at the bottom of the 'slope' and then went across the face of the entire section evenly from there in the second. Definitely achieved desirable results. A shame that Bandai dropped the ball on this one.

Yea I've heard of this happening a lot with P-Bandai and Bandai Spirits stuff especially. They suddenly limit overall production or how much one seller can get etc. But back in the day I heard of sellers cancelling and refunding POs instead when that's the case. Guess they couldn't stand not having the money or seen as 'not being able to fill orders'

Pretty sure none of us will cry that much about the relationship coming to an end. My items have arrived fine so far from LP but I hate to see this happening to others

Holy crap. I've had packages arrive from Hong Kong and Guangzhou in better shape than that, even after being pierced through somewhere along the way. I'd hit them up for a refund, which they'll undoubtedly deny, and then take it to the payment processor and/or your bank. If you paid with paypal you have a good chance of getting some money back.

I've gotten my stuff and and I know from messaging LP that depending on how it's shipped and where it's going it might be a week or so for the carrier you paid for (EMS/DHL/Fedex) to have the item from the local post or less-than-truckload carrier. The issue people are having with Luna Park is that after the first few POs went out (like mine) it seems that they had bought some 31AXs from Amazon.co.jp resellers and shipped them (with the Amazon receipt in the sleeve around the two boxes). Items still received for the price paid but that is kinda sketchy. Seems some people are still waiting for Nin Nin Game POs as well but they also are having delays in shipping items. They finally shipped my DX VF-31J Speakerpod/Fold Projector/Fauld Projector/etc ver + Lil Drakens after about 8 or so business days but I didn't PO either I bought them as in stock items for like 20 bucks over converted MSRP. I had thought it was gonna drag out longer but maybe it would have if I didn't stay on top of them, same with LP. My LP order was also made without a LP account so I had asked them to bind the order to it, which they said they couldn't so I was starting to get worried there but it looks like they did credit me points for their points program thing for the order without my asking. I have kept my PO with Luna Park for the 31AX super packs given everything so far but that will be my last chance for them to keep my business. I missed all the POs for the services I know and trust like HLJ and KuramaToys. Been a hectic release for sure. All in all it's still a good toy but you're left to wonder about the small stuff with the prices we are paying.

@Laughingman687 this is the post that got me started. Unfortunately this didn't work out for me though I did try. Thanks to @RedComet for the initial guidance

I'm glad I could help. Definitely high up on the pucker factor. If you marred up your screw cover panel like I did, mine was an easy fix with some loose runner plastic in the same or similar shade of white that I shaved off and kind of molded in with tamiya cement SP then sanded. You'd never know mine was broken (or that the CA glue I used to secure the joint assembly had spilled out the front and all over the bare side of the leg, again fixed with slow gradual sanding) And thanks for catching the reference @Laughingman687 those were fantastic games with fantastic soundtracks. Likewise, I'm a big SAC fan. Laughing Man was a great arc. I'll have to look further up in my post history to credit the person who initially guided me on the repair. If you were able to do it with just a new screw or by threadlocking or gluing it, it's them who should have the credit.

I suspect that the (singular) screw from the splay joint to the rear of the intake detail piece has come loose or jumped some threads. It may pull out all the way as mine did but this happened for me due to the splay joint being so tight on my Hikaru movie ver. I had to take the leg apart and modify it and glue a bunch of stuff. It's held up to this day but I had to drill the splay joint to get to the screw head to try a longer screw and some threadlocker or glue (been a long time I don't remember) first before committing to locking it up and basically gluing the edges of the joint to the inside area of the housing and then the screw and screw head to all the surfaces they contact. This removed the splay motion on my broken leg so locked up the other leg too. You can avoid having to drill it if you have what you need to knock the roll pin out of the joint and reinstall it/another one and that will probably loosen up the joint enough to put less strain on that connection. If it's too loose after you can tighten it with some super glue into the roll pin area then moving the joint before the glue sets. A single metal screw into ABS or PVC (I think ABS for that) holds the entire leg on.. They could have had a hole from that diecast rear cover with the screws index with a pin on the splay joint to help give it some strength but I may be mis-remember how that whole upper leg area goes together. If you don't want to bother with all that even if the leg falls off it holds together awesomely in fighter mode with the leg just in place

They've been really communicative with me but it seems there is a lot of bad blood people have with them and Nin-Nin. I'm hoping it's all just due to the clusterfrakk that is shipping anything these days. I made my cautionary post about Nin-Nin but it seems that once again they are doing right be me. Doesn't take away from others' experiences with both but I would hate to see N-Y 2.0. I'm looking forward to your video on it despite the issues we've all had. Still enjoying my 31AX but I'm a big fighter mode guy so I'm looking forward to my 31J Speaker to have on the walkure stand. I'd rather not fight with all the fiddly bits of the 31AX every time I want to transform it. I'm spoiled by the VF-1s and YF-29s I have. DHL moved really fast for me on the 31AX. Typical 3-ish days once the package actually was with DHL and not just in 'Shipment Details Received'

I lived in Bergen Co for most of my life. Small world. If y'all ever stop into Gundam Planet tell them the Idolmaster figure guy says hi. They left me sweet nothings on my last few orders I placed with them since I moved. I used to live walking distance from them when they were in Pal Park. Hopefully they can get Macross items in now but they've also been weak on the MB/DX items. They're kinda outta the way in Hackensack now but close to White Manna if you need to make a trip out of it

Technically not my 31AX PO, but I just got my DHL tracking # from them as well so it looks like they are getting orders out faster than they said to expect when I last spoke to them. Fingers crossed.

Cautionary statement for anybody with pre-orders through Nin-Nin Game. While I have done a bunch of business with them in the past my first experience with them was pretty raw. It took them over 2 weeks to ship and it took about over a month for that tracking ID to move at all and about another two for it to arrive. It came in pristine condition and was still sealed (YF-19 Full Set) and was packaged very very well from NNG. I was hesitant but eventually I ordered from them again and have a few times since and they almost always shipped instantly or the week of. I have also ordered from them during the pandemic/lockdowns etc and it was still pretty fast. I am reading a TON of reviews and tweets and trustpilots about preorders not shipped since they moved to their new location in October and them relisting said items for double price. I recently ordered the 31J Fold Projector Unit and Lil Draken Set from them both marked as in stock and the second it didn't ship within that week (Today would have been 5 business days) I contacted them requesting a status update and basically stating I'm familiar with the pattern/flow of their orders and was curious what was going on. I have no experience with Nippon Yassan but I am aware of their reputation. There is some speculation about them being composed of former NY employees but I cannot claim to know this firsthand. I urge any of you with PO for your 31AX from Nin Nin to stay on top of them via their support site and keep screenshots and receipts should you need to contest the charges with paybox, paypal, your bank etc. I hate to stir the pot on the already pretty narrow market for getting these items in the west but based on what we are seeing lately I think it's safe to say Nin-Nin and Luna Park are hit or miss at best and outright scammers at worst. Luna Park fulfilled my 31AX PO quickly(ish) and it didn't have an Amazon.co.jp receipt in the box/sleeve but I was also within the first hour or two of the PO going live with them, also why I have kept my super pack PO with them because same story there. I've got no business relationship with any importers or resellers and I'm not trying to attack anybody unjustly, I've just been the victim of a scam before and I want to make sure that's not going to happen to anyone else. Slightly censored NNG order history for proof of having bought from them prior.

It is rather good looking. Part of why I am so beat up about fighter mode. Even just to have both guns leveled with each other and one side looking good as far as gaps go and I would be happy. Maybe it's just my OCD but still it does very well in battroid mode and gerwalk so overall I am pleased.

No it does not. It has the development lineage similar to certain Bandai Gundam kits showing how the YF-30 became the various VF-31s and how the 31A became the 31AX as a graphic and some anecdotes and some character/story blurbs (I can't read runes just based on context)

God I hope so. I didn't buy the Mirage because I was worried the head sculpt would create the sort of issues we have on the Hayate 31AX. I prefer her design and colors by far and large. If it goes well when the rest of you gets yours I may punish myself a second time. The Hayate x Mirage pairing grew on me despite Hayate being a wet blanket and Mirage being underutilized. But if they announce an Arad or Bogue before then I may go for either of those instead. I'm usually not dead set on completing a lineup but with the YF-29s I am and if they can sort the rest of the 31AX lineup out I may be so tempted for these. Fingers crossed for a 1.5 after Mirage.

Pretty much. I doubt there's anything wrong with the plastic itself. Even if it was made in China, Vietnam, Philippines, etc there's plenty of quality products and toys out of each of those countries. It's probably exactly as you said and it was a rush job or there were a ton of callouts/sick leaves/staff shortages or they got cocky/greedy and skipped a ton of pre-production QC, especially considering the models from the hobby shows and expo looked super tight. Seems there's just no getting anything right the first time (or second) in present day.

Working on the corporate end of the car industry I can confirm that I would not buy my own company's cars made in the past 2+ years. Maybe even the past 10 years. In general I prefer my cars to be made in the 90s or earlier and just maintain them myself. Every single industry is in the same boat right now. Rush work in house, bad work from third parties/vendors, low morale, staffing shortages, etc etc. Little surprise that a re-design would get botched. It's not Daban levels of bad but it's not exactly what we're paying for either. Even for Japanese street prices it's a stretch knowing what I know now. I managed to fix my wing pegs but we'll see if that doesn't present new issues when the super pack comes out, it looks like we only get 1 of 2 peg holes to use and I sloped the passive pegs for that connection (maybe just more clear nail polish? I haven't had to use that trick in awhile). I'm not gonna fuss it with for a bit but I suspect with the wings pegged all the way and the valk having been transformed some I can get both guns aligned now if I really pay attention to how the elbow joint and gun joint gets folded up and put in place. The gap between the wing and cover panels has been fixed but the issue has become the panels themselves shifting with the slightest touch. Just a weird design overall when there is nothing to keep it in the position it wants to be in for fighter mode. It seems like one 0.25mm nub on each joint and a slight recess to index with is all it would take but with the QC we have that would probably create new issues. This is my first DX VF-31 period so I am a little sore about it to the point I bought the 31J w/ Speaker Pod from the movies just to have in fighter mode on the walkure stand. Being that this is also a newer release I am worried that it may have similar QC issues but everything I hear about the 31J/Walkure variants is pretty good so let's hope Bandai can't frakk up a wet dream. I'm happy with the 31AX in all other departments though. It does well in battroid mode and is great in gerwalk also. I love the big cannon for it despite it being a bear for it to hold onto without using the fixed pose hands. I enjoy the thicker proportions in the arms and the single red piece for the visor vs ketchup, mustard and relish on the 31J. The oversized guns start out feeling awkward but they do have a certain presence. Compared to the original Kairos this is definitely like a tuner/kitted version but that does have some charm to it. I'll be keeping my super pack PO but any future 31AX releases I am gonna suffer the scalper market after seeing initial reviews to find out if its worth it. The only other big Bandai Spirits thing I have coming my way is the MB Crossbone X-0 but it's not that different from the X-1 or Full Cloth so hopefully it doesn't suffer the same fate as the 31AX. I suspect this will be an interesting few years of releases.

IIRC they come with two in the box? Are you down to your last or are you out completely?

No worries, I appreciate you checking.

I've been working on shaving and sanding and it's still too thick for me. Don't suppose you have some digital calipers you could measure the pegs with?

Amen to that. The blue and white striping on the back of mine is misaligned with the head and everything past it too by maybe 1.5-2mm which is super minor but not something I have yet seen on a DX Valk. Aside from that it looks like I got pretty lucky on the arms I am able to get the arm guns into a good spot without needing to fudge the back pegs but that wasn't the case until I tried putting it in fighter mode without the hands. I was able to close up the wing gap pretty well but as soon as you touch anything it shifts around again. Probably going to live in battroid mode for a good while

I agree but I strongly doubt it unless they are willing to postpone release but I believe they have done so before. Looking at some of the early images and prototypes it looks like it's really the production models that crap the bed. I have to go back and look closely at the broadcasts but they looked pretty tight before. I just managed to get my cockpit open and it was a bear to open up the first time, I was afraid of breaking something or cracking it for a bit but I wasn't gonna brute force it. I needed to apply leverage from below the bubble with my nails to get it up, thankfully no scratches or warping. I was gonna get the Mirage version first because red is three times faster and Mirage was the best girl from Delta but it looked like her head sculpt was introducing serious humpage and I didn't want that for the first VF-31 I was buying. And look how things went! 😋