Ivan

Oh, it's still too early. Once more MWers get theirs, I am sure we will start to hear a lot of complaints, as usual.

Thanks for the great pics! Is it possible to have a pic of Alto next to a Saint Seiya figure if you happen to have one? Just wanna see how they compare next to each other

I believe the sequel will focus more on Yip Man's another famous student Wong Shun Leung, who was a mentor to Bruce Lee. Also, I doubt the story will use the master apprentice formula. My guess is it will revolve around the feuds between Wing Chun and other forms of martial arts in Hong Kong. Sammo Hung is confirmed to play one of Yip Man's rivals.

Yeah, I decided to wait a bit and see if price will drop later on. I saved HK$200 by waiting several weeks before purchasing the full armor Ozma. The first batch of Ex-Gear Alto that are being sold now are from Bandai Japan. Let's hope Bandai Asia will release an Asian version (essentially the same thing but for different markets) so that the price will become more affordable. And I agree, the weather really sucks!

The Alto Ex-Gear is out in Hong Kong already. Current price is around HK$530 (US$68). The box has a flap that can be flipped open to reveal the toy inside. The figure itself is about the same size as that of the Saint Cloth Myth line. The Exo-gear is broken up into many small parts (reminds me of the VF-100 line). People here in Hong Kong don't seem too excited about the release, probably because of the steep price. Still, I am surprised that there aren't any out of package pics yet. I have a feeling that we will hear a lot of complaints about this toy from MW'ers, which is typical anyway Graham, have you got yours yet?

No love for the 19? Come on...

I got a call from my supplier in Hong Kong that the Alto Full Armor has arrived. Will be picking them up tomorrow. BTW, the Bandai Alto action figure is also out here in Hong Kong.

Since I already bought the Gamlin version of VF-22, whose color is my favorite, I will probably pass on the M&M versions. BUT, I am glad I skipped the VF-11B. The VF-11C is so much nicer in my opinion. Let's all pray that Bandai's VF-100 Fire Valkryie will be a huge success so that Yamato will be convinced to make one. BOMBA!!!

They actually took a lot of liberties with the history of the film too. One reason why Yip Man went to Hong Kong was to escape the suppression of the Communists. But of cos, China being such a huge market for Hong Kong films these days, this aspect of Yip Man's life was completely ignored. And don't expect Bruce Lee to have much screen time in the sequel, as he will be played by a kid.

Pics of the transparent VF-25 Alto version. Looks nice, but not my cup of tea http://www.toysdaily.com/discuz/thread-108277-1-1.html

The movie did so well here in Asia that a sequel is already in the works. Expected release date is some time next year, I think. A young Bruce Lee will also make an appearance in the sequel.

They might as well put Rambo in the next Terminator film. Actually, I've always wanted to see Stallone vs. Schwarzenegger

For a site with such popularity, I can't believe the editors can't spell and write properly. Don't they have proofreaders?

1) Get rid of Bay 2) Keep the story simple and tight 3) Hire someone like Kawamori to re-design the robots - he once commented in an interview that the robots in the movie don't really transform but rather change completely. Guess he's not impressed at all 4) No more toilet jokes

I also get my Yamato's from In's Point. Probably the same seller as yours. He doesn't always have the best prices, but I prefer buying from him because of his excellent service and specialisation in Yamato. As for the VT-1, HK$988 still seems a bit too high to me. Not sure why it's so much more expensive than the Strike Vf-1S

Yes, it is just a bit thicker than the stand alone box. In retrospect, the box for version 1 was really ridiculous.

Saw it in Hong Kong today. I love how small the box is.

Yeah, the neck was way too short in the first release. That's why they added an extension in the second version. We were hoping for a re-design, but I guess that's the best Bandai could do in such a short time. Still, need to give them credit for trying. Keep checking the Toys Daily forum. More pics should be available tomorrow.

If you open the link, there's a pic showing the neck extension. I haven't bought it yet, as I will be traveling for a bit. I am sure Graham or ff95gj will give us a detailed report soon.

Yeah, it's out in Hong Kong already. Damn, should have visited Mong Kok instead of visiting the pathetic toy show. Anyways, here are some out of box pics: http://www.toysdaily.com/discuz/thread-104768-1-1.html There's a pic showing the neck extension

Good job with Ultra Magnus. I love the TF Animated show but still refuse to buy any of its toys as I don't find them appealing. However, I will definitely cave in when Arcee comes out.

No European accent, but she was still badass

Just saw the movie in Hong Kong tonight. Quite a big turnout... GI Joe is not as well known in this part of the world, but I guess the marketing department has done a decent job in attracting the main crowd. As a casual fan, I only know some of the history, and did not have the baggage that many die-hard fans have. Thus, I was able to enjoy it much better than Transformers. Here are some thoughts (spoiler-alert) Things I don't like: - The lips on Snake-eyes' mask, again, very silly and takes away from his coolness - The accelerator suits!!! In any other science fiction movie, they would have been okay, but not in GIJoe, please... reminds me too much of Iron Man Things I do like: - Storm shadow was bad-ass - Destro and Cobra Commander were cool villains - All the jets and vehicles... they were awesome. Now if only the night raven could transform Overall, the movie is very entertaining and not campy like I was afraid it would be. I enjoyed it much better than TF2.

I know Bandai did make Mac 7 valks. (I have them all). However, like many other fellow members, I just wish Bandai would re-visit the series and further expand on it. The VF-100 is a good move in the right direction, but I am worried that the line won't live long.

I started watching Mac 7 in the late 90's when it first came out, but gave up after after 2 episodes. Just couldn't tolerate how slow and confusing the plot was. Plus the Fire Valkryie didn't really appeal to me back then. I gave the series another try after several years and managed to finish it completely. What pulled me back into the series was the fact that Max and Millia were in it. I didn't know that the first time around. I guess having a direct connection with the original Macross series makes a huge difference. Can't say I have become a fan of the Mac 7, but at least I don't find it annoying anymore. Gotta give Kawamori credit for taking Macross in a completely new direction, unlike the Gundam franchise. As for the valks, the VF-19 has gradually grown on me, and the Blazer is now my favourite valkyrie. Too bad it was piloted by a jerk in the series. The other valks like the 17 and the 11 are also becoming more appealing to me. In retrospect, Mac 7 has really given us a ton of nice looking valkyries. If only Bandai would make them all, I would buy them. Sorry, I know most people here are Yamato fans, but I still prefer the chunkiness of Bandai