Californium

Is that a hatch on the back of the lower torso/crotch area? If it is, what is it for? Room for the canopy in bot mode? Beta hookup in bot mode?

great link. Anyone else reminded of those starship trooper suits when they see the "flight suit" in bot mode? (especially the arms and head...)

Actually, I don't think I have. Can you post it? Does it look rather RX-78ish?

It's different from the Imai, but the knee does seem to be hinged in some way. Not quite sure how that might help. I might be interpreting this/remembering the Imai wrong.... I don't know.

a bit OT perhaps... I've never seen M0, and maybe M0 is already everything I'm thinking of... But I always thought it would be interesting to base a Macross series loosely on The Right Stuff, with all the humor and competition therein. An alien ship has crashed and is soon to be re-launched with a human crew. So now there's a competition to crew it with the UN's best pilots, with only so many slots to fill for the last of so many squadrons which it will carry. (certain other squadrons were guaranteed space on the craft as a result of treaties between some of the larger nations launching the thing. This last squadron would be a dream team of sorts, and could feature pilots from nations which otherwise would remain unrepresented...) And while competing they would be testing the latest hardware, various prototype fighters, valks, and destroids, sometimes with horrid results. And every once in a while, "The russians, they did it again!" Of course now, with M0 and M+, that territory has already been covered one way or another.

Haven't you asked this question before? Or maybe my memory is befouled by endless plot repetition. Gundam, especially AU Gundam, certainly recycles its basic story elements ad-nauseum. I can forgive this in half of the UC series, as it changes up the presentation while remaining consistent within its own universe and themes; Sometimes rejuvenating the old formula using new viewer perspectives or sheer good writing. (0080 for example) AU gets really bad though, and owes its popularity simply to the facts that it is much hyped, has an overwhelming infrastructure of product tie-ins, and is easy to digest for those who don’t care that much what they're getting into. It’s the easy thing. The latest in big-robot crack. Macross does the same thing. Endless repetition of the old formula. Especially in the character-types. And like Gundam, sometimes makes the mistake of trying to make a new series “Bigger” and “More Radical Dude” than the last. The only exception to the formula-junkieism being Macross Plus. (Inspired in part by a Dale Brown novel?) In part it’s a product of success. The easy thing to do is to say, “how did we create a great thing before?” And “how can we repeat it?” The simple answer? Repeat it: all of it. The details and nuance of what was great get lost in the new iterations, which try to hard to encapsulate the original without being the least original in the process. Besides which, being original can be dangerous once one has built up a fan base of simpering robot-addicts. Case in point: how well was the Turn-A design received? (perhaps not the best example, but my point is clear…) Making a new series then becomes a race for the lowest common denominator. BTW: I really like the more refined and detailed iterations of the RX-78. A simple clean mech without need for transformation gimmicks. (er… ignore all that core fighter nonsense..)

There's some paint flaking on the intakes, so those are undoubtedly metal. Looking at the rest of that pic, some of the parts seem a bit glossy and the edges bulge a bit near the seams. (classic signs of die-cast) I'd say the upper legs and lower torso are also metal. Probably the lower legs as well. I can't see anything else that looks like metal to me; besides the screws and maybe the shoulder and knee joints. Looks great now. I'm impressed. Though, as nicely as they hid some of those Imai joints, with the reduction to 1/55th scale those joints must be very small now. I suspect this thing will be a bit delicate. Especially around the wings. Not long now.

"As for indirectness because fixing (part mobility), the fixed pause is adopted, there are no times when for the mobility which is seen in the other item detail becomes sacrifice!" I'm going to memorize that line and learn how to blurt it out real fast while flailing my arms whenever someone asks me a stupid question. Those designs look rather Katoki freindly. --Certainly on the RX-78 anyhow. And the NT-1 forearms have been redesigned a bit. Now they have that inset sleeve like on the RX-93. Was the FIX NT-1 like that? I'm betting the mystery mech is the RX-78 in all white rollout scheme. Lastly, nice to see the Victory get some love. Especially the Hexa.

Quoth Charlie Brown: Good grief! Sounds like kiddie-silliness to me. oh well.

Why wings? The wings make it go, of course. That's like asking why it has an engine. The engine is there to create the thrumming noise which spills the captain's coffee when he calls for more power. Obviously. Really, I'm so tired of people who never bother to pick up a "superspatialthermohydrodynamic occillations and the spaceships who love them" textbook at least once in their lives.

Isn't PatLabor's Kanuka Clancy supposed to be American or Japanese-American? The way she is drawn always looked more Asian than the other Patlabor characters to me.

Looks great so far. As has been said already, great color choice.

wow. that gold chrome really blends. Next time i'm playing paintball in a pink forest, I'll know what to wear.

Forgot about this one...

Eh? What? More info, pray tell..... This pic is all I have. Looks articulated to me. Who knows?

I don't think anyone mentioned their BGC hardsuits either, but Yamato displayed at least one of those as well.

Topless?

Is that verified as the final sculpt, or might it just be a mock-up of what they would "like" the final version of bot mode to look like? Either way, my reception to this thing remains, for now, a bit chilled.

Unlike the KS Zeta, the KS Hyaku Shiki is certainly worth it. Hefty with nice amounts of diecast, including feet, calves, knees, upper legs, shoulders, and upper torso. Also really poseable and generally kickass. I wouldn't touch that zeta though. And I doubt I'll touch the Legioss. It's looking great, and I like Mospeada, but I just don't have that much interest in the toy. That might change though if the reviews all says it's incredible and I can find one cheap, but what are the chances both those things would happen?

The HGUC NT-1 looks really nice. The lines and shapes are closer to the original Yutaka Izubuchi art and not moderated into painful blandness like the MG. For that matter, all the 0080 HGUCs are looking great. I can see I'll be spending some cash in that direction. OT: anyone notice pics of a BGC hardsuit made (I think) by Yamato? I hadn't heard anything about it...

Looks better than the F-35 anyhow.

Dead end looks better without the red glass. Just the same, I'd rather he didn't have Sunstreaker's head.

...

Meh. I just want the Exelion. Or better yet, an SOC Sizzler Silver with optional battle damaged and dented parts.