lechuck

MPG-08 Trainbot Yamabuki – October release.
https://www.taghobby.com/archives/765121

That new Diaclone Raiden head is refreshing, don't see something like very often.

According to text, when Yamabuki or together with Ginou is used for combined mode, then it's called "Raiden Special Formation Shiden Y" or "Raiden Special Formation Shiden" respectively.

Takara is intent on making western Transformers MP/MPG fans hate on public transport... 😄

On 1/30/2024 at 10:50 PM, mog_kupo said:

After the Freedom 2.0 wich was awesome,  I would hope for a Strike Freedom 2.0 but nothing so far

Unfortunately I don't have a SF of my own, but I'm surprised to read it needs a 2.0? I thought it was already one of the newer/better MBs to have – engineering, articulation, materials bad?

20 hours ago, recon said:

Im not sure if im the only one who feels this way but i like the chogokin mighty strike freedom sculpt better than the MB strike freedom as its more anime accurate

Question is why bandai decided to release this variant under the chogokin instead of the MB line given the fact that anything related freedom is an instant sell out

I get that totally. For me the Master Grade kits were sort quasi-standard for design and the expressive MB interpretations weren't cutting it initially. But after experiencing some MBs first hand and being blown away at what one can pull off with them, I have kind of grown to appreciate these alternate design-takes.

As for Mighty SF going Chogokin instead of MB, I would guess the MB team is too busy and well into preparing the next new release. I think the MB team would probably want to have more time to curate a new Strike Freedom.

5 hours ago, Black Valkyrie said:

 

https://news.tfw2005.com/2024/01/30/takara-tomy-40th-anniversary-project-our-origin-503275

 

New MP and MPG reveals in April!

Rumor has it that we are in for a MPG Super/God Ginrai, so maybe that will get announced then. If it does become a reality, then I hope Ginrai's bot and truck mode size matches MP-44.

Ah... I was hoping that Fire Convoy might show up in the MPG line, I guess that's off the table for the foreseeable future now.

Hopefully Bandai has a much faster turnaround time getting a MB Strike Freedom Type II or Mighty SF out.

Based on this line art comparison, the current MB Strike Freedom would only require new hip cannons, shoulders and backpack.

18 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Touched a nerve, did I?  Oh dear.  In all seriousness, the lack of visually distinct designs is one of the most common criticisms leveled at Cosmic Era titles in general, not helped at all by both sides using Gundams.

Not at all, but the notion that there is no distinctiveness in designs reads like a construed argument for the purpose of putting SEED on the gallows. Ginn isn't Zaku, Murasame isn't Windam, Justice isn't Destiny, Destroy isn't LaGOWE etc. There is plenty of different types of mecha to be had in SEED. But if we entertain your line of argumentation for a moment, then the question is still open: Why does the supposed mecha templating affect SEED negatively for you, but is seemingly not an issue for Macross – what's the difference here?

18 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

I can't recall a point in Macross where painting a VF different colors was enough to give it a different model number, for instance.  (Like Cagalli's MBF-02 Strike Rouge, a GAT-X105 Strike Gundam painted pink.)

It's MBF-02 because Strike goes kaputt and Orb then takes it in to give it a complete rebuild. Seems natural to me that Orb will give it their own model code naming - I don't see a problem with that? The GAT-X line of MS is mostly Orb technology anyway. And just because Macross does their naming convention in a certain way, doesn't mean SEED/Gundam has to follow the same approach. But if it is naming consistency you are looking for, then there is GAT-X105E Strike Noir Gundam as an example.

18 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Come to that, the many different versions of Kira and Athrun's signature Gundams aren't terribly distinct from each other either.  I've watched SEED and SEED Destiny multiple times and I couldn't for the life of me tell you the difference between the Freedom, Strike Freedom, Rising Freedom, Mighty Strike Freedom, etc...

I've watched SEED/Destiny exactly twice, back then and just recently, not really an issue to discern them. For the Freedom – different backpacks, hip-railguns, one has the beam cannon in the abdomen and can use DRAGOONs, one transforms, the other has a white backpack etc. The intent behind the thematic similarity is because the creators want to show a progressive lineage/evolution here and associate it with certain characters. I see this as being no different of a problem then say YF-19 and VF-19 Advance, or YF-21 and VF-22, or VF-31J/F/S and VF-31AX? It's the same idea – a similar base structure/silhouette and then making tweaks and changes to show a progression. Again, why is this bad for SEED, but not for Macross?

On 1/28/2024 at 7:35 PM, azrael said:

FYI, SEED Freedom premiered on Friday.

Yep. Whomever is doing the lineart for SEED, please fire and ban them from ever working on a Gundam production. I'm sure these designs will look much better on screen or on promotional artwork that isn't lineart. 

If I'm not mistaken then the lineart seems to be coming from the main Gundam guy himself – Kunio Okawara.

https://gundamnews.org/veteran-designer-kunio-okawara-unveil-freedom-gundam-and-justice-gundam-real-type-colors
https://gundamnews.org/original-gundam-designer-kunio-okawara-designs-tatsu-gundam-for-chinese-new-year

2 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

It's not a leak if it's official promotional material being run in a magazine...

Yes, if you have to be pedantic about my wording, then it is official promo material meant for the movie goers that has been photographed and leaked to the broader public.

2 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

But also... it's Gundam SEED.  Much like how the entire cast share maybe 3-4 faces and body types, the Mobile Suits all look the ****ing same because 80% of them are the same Gundam with different paintjobs and slightly different accessories.

Looking at 'em, I feel like these are just the same designs we saw on the official website last year.

2 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

May as well call it GUNDAM: The Xerox Wars.

So terrible and one dimensional of them, it is good thing that Macross doesn't practice that. Imagine Valkyries just being minimal colour variations and head swaps... no... wait...

On 1/20/2024 at 5:01 AM, Goodman Models said:

Here’s my latest completed work: RX-121-2A Gundam Hazel [Advanced] titans test team Black Otter Squadron

 

Nice! 👍

On another note, Bandai has put up their Hobby Online Showroom, allowing for some full 360 degree views on their various model kits. Should help with getting a better impression of the assembled kit and purchase decision.

Lineup is planned to be updated on a regular basis.

New MS designs leaked two days ago and not a single posting about it on MW. This disrespect towards Gundam is unacceptable and must be corrected!
https://www.taghobby.com/archives/721046
https://www.gundamkitscollection.com/2024/01/spoiler-alert-gundam-seed-freedom-new.html

On 1/27/2024 at 11:55 AM, Scyla said:

Hacchaka's review for the MB Providence is up: https://hacchaka.net/archives/52104992.html

He beefy: 

Looking very much forward to this, should hopefully have mine in hands by next weekend.

And I'm willing to bet that Bandai will give us a Legend Gundam derived from this. There is enough reuse potential on the base Gundam, for it to be a valid business case – of course meaning P-Bandai distribution only.

New Hobby Japan posting and info on the HMR L-Gaim Mk-II.
https://hjweb.jp/article/1339567/

Looks like it is finally getting a release this year.

According to Blitzway's Japan website the release is in January, so maybe you might get a notice end of the month or early Feb.
https://blitzway.co.jp/products/carbotix-blackgetter

On the otherhand it could also be a general delay, their Mazinkaiser is nowhere to be seen either which I think was expected early Q4.

15 hours ago, Big s said:

I honestly never really liked it especially on the Sazabi. The Nu felt like it was trying to be like the Unicorn on the mg ver ka and the Nu really only had psychoframe on the cockpit orb. But it does seem to be something that was a mix of the customized and influenced a bit from Inicorn.

I won't argue that the Nu Ver.Ka was to a certain extent riding the Unicorn train at the time, but its conception actually stems from the then also popular Evolve Nu Gundam (from CG animation short) with the more segmented armour and exposed frame.

I believe Katoki said in an interview that just tweaking the design and fixing proportions would have only made it a "Version 2.0" of the Nu, there needed to be more for the Ver.Ka – hence we got the Nu Gundam "Evoke Mode" that sort of combines that popular Evolve split armour design with Unicorn NT-D mode. Personally I think the Ver.Ka Nu did its "NT-D mode" with a better implementation than the actual MG Unicorn, which is a flimsy to keep transformed and appearance wise has proportional issues.

22 hours ago, Scyla said:

I would say it fixes some of the issues. I’m a bit frustrated that it doesn’t seem to be included with regular Kaen which will be released next month since the toy is already a heavy parts former so why not go all the way.

However, this whole set is already a huge disappointment for me, so I don’t think this will do much for my enjoyment of the set anyway. Maybe a 3rd party company will give MPG Raiden a new skeleton (like New Age Devastator for example) that will fix more issues once Kaen is released but we will see.

[edit:] The real question is: why doesn’t Kaen form more of Raiden's torso anyway, instead of consisting of 95% hip kibble?

Yeah, that is what I meant with "big irritation" in my posting – seems like Takara is only now finally conceding that there are proportional issues with Raiden. Although I am interested in the waist piece, I just can't warrant buying MPG-07 for it. If a KO company offers this accessory part, I will pick it up.

I hope this gets a localisation, because I do want to give this a watch and see how the intriguing mix of real and super robots plays out.

MPG line further expanding – MPG-07 Trainbot Ginoh due out in September.
https://www.taghobby.com/archives/759133
https://hobby.dengeki.com/news/2192872/

This is a repaint and slight body tweak of MPG-01 Shouki with a new head and outer train bits to transform into an official real world maintenance train. Additionally the shield/chest part has been revised to resemble the original Diaclone rendition. Of biggest interest (and for me also perhaps biggest irritation) should be the completely new "maintenance box" accessory, which not only can be used in robot or train mode, but is actually a new waist piece for Raiden seemingly to fix the proportional issues.

I think I might need to jump into Yolopark's AMK Pro line, all the right ingredients seem to be here.

Clean sculpt/silhouette - check!
Proper proportions - check!
Advanced engineered/integrated articulation - check!

The only thing I don't like is that Megatron's silver face is a bit lost with all the other silver surrounding him.

On 12/17/2023 at 12:34 AM, Chronocidal said:

Ordering the new version from a domestic retailer?  I don't know if it's fluctuated, but the last time I looked, the new version without weapons was more expensive than I paid for the full set.

Curiosity struck me and I had to look at the numbers:

Maybe wage growth and spending power was better in 2018 than it is today, which of course would factor into the perceived notion that things were cheaper back then. But honestly the reality for many outside of Japan was aggravating Bandai pre-order hassle and scarcity, which meant you would be paying way more than the advertised MSRP anyway – and that was not even considering the additional country duty and shipping costs.

It might not have all the parts, but from my perspective this is welcome reissue for those that might not even have a YF-19 yet or those that want another copy. Give it till late spring or summer and domestic sale price will probably dip below the 200 mark for it.

As for the dislikes for regarding the amount of tampo and the new PPBP effect parts – I seem to be on the other side of the fence. The more tampos the better, don't skimp on it like Arcadia only to charge an additional hundred for a questionable amount more of tampos. And the new effect parts are arguably more accurate compared to the green Hadouken we got with the previous iteration. The only thing that is not to like about them is that they still require a special adapter instead of just slotting it over the hand - it's pin-point barrier PUNCH not pin-point barrier ball-joint.

New Code Geass animation project, first part of four is to screen in May '24.
https://www.taghobby.com/archives/755182

I enjoyed the TV series, so looking forward to this. I really need to sit down and watch the OVA spin-off and Resurrection movie.

Mazinger will have an appearance in this one!

On 12/6/2023 at 6:46 AM, 68whiskey said:

They also have some Tiny Sessions for $8 and $11 as well 😃

Also here my Astraea 6 sword because I can’t find a 7th

If you are interested Mandarake has some Protozan Units on offer right now.