Vic Mancini

I'm going to say the VF-0, on balance. The SV-51 was quite a bit larger than the VF-0, especially in B-mode. Didn't it have to crawl when it attacked/entered the carrier because there wasn't room to stand? I think the VF-0's smaller battroid size gives it an advantage for infiltration style operations where the SV-51 would have to literally crawl around to fit in the same areas the VF-0 could walk/run in. (I'm talking about the Roy/reactive armor scene, but I'm going off memory so someone correct me if I'm wrong).

I think the VF-0's head laser is also a useful advantage over the SV-51. We see Roy use it with great efficiency in a defensive aspect.

In a pure air-to-air dogfight of fighter mode vs fighter mode, I'd give it to the SV-51 simply on the basis of it having a much better thrust to weight ratio. But how often do dogfights in Macross actually go down like that? It's always a constantly changing rock-paper-scissors match in all 3-modes.

The YF-21 was better in every way to the YF-19, but the YF-19 won. The real reason it won wasn't because of what happened at the end of Mac+, it won because it was the more conventional design from the more established company.

Being unconventional does not equate to being better. The YF-19 was pwning the YF-21 on the big chart in the control room of New Edwards.

Guys, I've been pushing Yamato for a standing Basara figure to be included. No word yet if it will be.

Can I have some screen shots of what sort of bose you would like to see a standing Basara figure in, please.

Graham

That's a cool idea, Graham.

I'd like to see a standing (flight suit on helmet off) figure for every Yamato valk.

If it's optimized for battroid then I'm hoping there's a way to get that chest down better... maybe they just aren't doing it because it's a resin prototype. It's good to see Yamato bringing everything back out to a show as I'm looking forward to all of these releases... even the Zent uniform

I wouldn't hold your breath if you're talking about the gap above the nosecone. It looks like it's there even on the cad art, or concept rendering, or whatever this is:

Even the gaps below the torso sort of look present in the concept art. But it's hard to see for sure.

I love the look of the model too. (I still don't have one myself, but hope to get one eventually.)

The only thing I don't like about the 1/72 models is the small pilot. He looks like he is 1/100 scale to me.

I dont think what I said was that bad.

I don't think what you said is that bad (trolling) either. Zombies aren't your thing. That's totally fine by me. It's not like you're trashing the show in a production, writing, or acting sense.

I think we can all agree that even if Zombies aren't your cup of tea, this was a well made first episode to a series that looks like it's going to be great...(if you're even mildly into zombies).

It's an AMC show. Was there any doubt it would be awesome?

The production, sets, and make-up were especially amazing. I'm hooked.

Technologically I have to go with the 21, for obvious reasons like the BDI, and morphing wings, etc...

Transformation-wise I really like the SV-51 for it's innovation. First valk to use bird-like feet. First to have legs that rotate at the knee for transformation. The gunpod is more integrated into the fighter than just about any valk. The use of the landing gear bay to transform the nosecone. The giraffe neck on the gerwalk is one of a kind. It goes on an on.

And I especially love the way the turbo fans position from fighter to battroid. I think it's really cool how they hide under the air brake, which doubles as a hatch, so the SV can hover and VTOL. And then how the turbo fans are exposed and become the backpack in Battroid. It's all very clever.

Add: It also launches from a submarine. The more I think about it the more I see it as the most unique Valk there is.

The point was that it was the creators of Macross II: Lovers Again (and its prequel games) that introduced those design innovations to Macross anywhere from 2-16 years before Kawamori used them in his designs.

I was just teasing you, buddy. I am well aware which designs came first in the real world.

Hey... what gives? Where are the Macross II Valkyries?

Some of the design innovations that show up in the main continuity's VFs first appeared on the fighters created for Macross II: Lovers Again and its videogame prequels... like a support armature in the cockpit to help pilots function better under high g-force loads, the ability to control multiple drone fighters from a single VF, mounting two gunpods on one VF (and using them both at the same time), using a beam rifle as a gunpod, making railguns standard equipment on VFs as gunpods and heavy cannons, mounting a second pair of reaction engines on a VF for improved performance, application of Zentradi overtechnology in a human-built VF, etc.. At the very least, the VF-2SS Valkyrie II and VA-1SS Metal Siren ought to have made the list, since they did almost all of those things first... (kudos for first beam rifle and first use of remote weapons on a VF goes to their predecessor, the VF-4ST Siren).

Except Macross II takes place in 2092 and everything else up to Frontier takes place before 2059. So the Mac2 Valks were technically the last to do all those things.

Isamu gets punched out by Guld at the beginning of the scene.

I always took it that Isamu was spark out unconscious during the attack, if he wasnt then how did he let anything take place at all ?

Good point. That didn't occur to me.

I guess I assumed Isamu was conscious during Guld's spazz-attack, because in the present day Isamu has knowledge of what happened back then. He purposely keeps it from Guld, for years, because even though Guld is being a dick, Isamu is noble and lets Guld blame him if that's what makes him feel better about himself. Granted, the details of the attack could have been relayed to Isamu by Myung, I suppose.

In regards to your question, have you even been standing next to someone in real life who got punched or attacked? Things can happen pretty fast and you don't always have time to react even if you're right next to it. A full-on rape on the other hand takes a little more time.

How could Guld "rape" Myung with Isamu right there? Does anyone really think Isamu would stand by and let that happen?

My interpretation:

-Guld walked in and saw Myung and Isamu in close proximity, sharing a moment.

-Guld became jealous and punched Isamu.

-Guld was angry and irrationally took it out on Myung by tossing her to the floor and ripping her shirt, probably thinking at the time that she was being a whore for liking Isamu instead of him.

-Guld saw his own reflection, was horrified by what he was doing, and stopped.

-Guld's subconscious altered the memory as a defense mechanism to help him deal with it. Isamu was replaced as the villian in the memory as a way for Guld to deflect his guilt.

He probably was about to rape Myung. Otherwise he could have just smacked her up and not ripped the shirt. Ripping the shirt implies a sexual attack. But Isamu was there. There was no rape. Even if Isamu wasn't there, Guld sees his own reflection and realizes what he's doing before anything too serious happens.

I'm not a fan of zombie movies, but AMC rules. Breaking Bad, Rubicon, and Mad Men are all outstanding shows, especially the first two. I'm pretty sure Walking Dead will be great on that premise alone. I'm looking forward to it.

According to Graham, it sounds like it's a possibility, but not for a few years:

An all new YF-19 is actually a possibility for the future (say 2-3 years later), but far from confirmed at this stage. More in the 'we're just starting to consider it' category.

Graham

Personally, I'm fairly certain Yamato will redo it. There's too much money to be made to not make an updated YF-19. The people want it, and will buy it. By that time it will be the YF-21 that will look dated and people will be begging for a new Omega 1. Yamato will some how come up with a magic solution to make a more battroid accurate 21 and blow us all away again...Then a new VF-11. By this time (2014-ish?) the "new" YF-19 will look dated once again and we'll all want a new one. And around and around we go...

Awesome pics.

I'm in the small minority of YF-19 Gerwalk lovers.

And the vf-27 is pretty obviously a call back to the sv-51 design which had wing mounted booster packs.

Good point.

Again, I'm just speaking for myself in response to Anime52k8's comment. I see a lot of SR-71 in the VF-27, so it reminds me more of a recon/interceptor than a true air superiority fighter. The 27 gives me the same feel as the FZ-109. They just don't look like fighters to me, personally. Fine by me if they do look like fighters to other people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_YF-12

Neat!

It's an interceptor though. Not a fighter. Looks optimized for intercepting and shooting down bombers. It doesn't look like it's built for tangling with actual air superiority fighters that specialize in dog fighting.

I don't get why people find the wing mounted engines strange. Personally I love mid-wing engine nacelles, it's like the fictional plane in question is channeling badass and awesome directly from an SR-71.

I can only speak for myself on that, but the reason it doesn't work for me is because the Black Bird is a recon plane. It's not a tool for air superiority. I like my Valks to resemble actual air superiority fighters if they are going to be dog fighting.

The SV-51 channels Flankers and Hornets, which is why I prefer it. I do think the 27 is technically more sleek though, if we are going by the definition of the word. But it doesn't look like a plausible fighter to me.

I know we're talking about sci-fi here but valks in battroid mode are more like mobile tanks rather than infantry.

You're thinking of Destroids. Battroids are absolutely more like mobile infantry than tanks. They were designed from the start to be the direct counterpart of the Zentran mobile infantry.

@Anime52K8:

I should have thought of this sooner, but here is a fairly relevant example of a soldier carrying both a rifle and a sidearm.

I know the picture doesn't show them carrying knives also, but hopefully you won't hold that against me too much.

most infantry don't carry sidearms. pistols and such are reserved for officers, medics, engineers, etc. People who's Job prohibit or do not require a full size rifle.

I'm pretty sure all sorts of different countries have provided sidearms as standard issue to their infantry soldiers throughout history.

So let me get this straight.

There are practical applications for battroids using gunpods/rifles, bayonets, knives, and sniper rifles...but...not...pistols? Come on dude. Did a pistol sleep with your mom or something?

Edit/Add:

We have valks with boobs that open up and have speakers inside. But you are ok with that and totally against pistols? I just can't get over this. lol.

it's a cartoon and they look cool. If you want valks to have a space p90 because they look cool, no argument, if that's what you like, that's what you like.

^

That is exactly my argument.

It's everyone else who is trying to poop on it because they can't find the practicality in it. (And some how they find the practicality in a Valk wielding a knife).

Lots of soldiers carry side-arms in addition to their rifles and knives. So saying a knife makes a side-arm redundant doesn't make sense. Hell...soldiers would probably still carry side-arms even if they did have head lasers and internal weapons bays.

seriously though, there's no practical reason to have a tiny handgun stored on your robot when it has a laser built into it's head and machine guns mounted on its hip/arms.

So what's the practical reason for having a gunpod?

Why compare real soldiers to fictional anime mecha?

To make a point.

That's why the VF-25 and the VF-27 have knives stored in their shields...

So should we take away the side-arms of all the soldiers in the real world because they are already carrying knives and rifles?

sv-51 also imo has a cooler gunpod. The long one that the 27 uses wouldn't be as good for close range fighting. It's time valkyries had optional gunpods in the same way they have optional armor upgrades and boosters.

I'd like to see a Valkyrie get a side-arm. Something smaller for close range combat that they could tuck into their shield. Or into a hidden compartment in their leg, sort of like Robocop. They'd still have their larger full-auto gunpod as well, of course.

Add: The VF-17 had two gunpods, didn't it?