crasis

News (sorta) from the latest issue of Anime Insider (Dec 04): There's a three page interview with His Holy Froating Head which focuses primarily on Arjuna and The Daichis:Earth Defense Family (with VERY little Macross mentioned other than a brief plug thrown in at the last moment by Kawamori for Macross Zero 5's release in Japan). He ends the interview with a mention of the new project: "Another series I'm working on is a super transformation robot series called Sousei no Aquerion (Holy Genesis of Aquerion), which will be aired in Japan next spring. Aquerion is like a mix of Macross, Arjuna, The Daichis and Escaflowne. It's something insane, so please look forward to it!" Mixing all those ingredients into one show? I think "insane" definitely sums it up. This looks promising...or at least freaky weird.

What an awesome idea. Put me down for a copy, as well!

Sweet! Looking forward to it. Thanks Pat and Zeus!

Check the Upload folder on imacrossvii. I uploaded Mospeada OST vol. 1-3 there. 192kbps. I'm still interested in that LLA stuff...

Sorry to burst your bubble, Ali Sama, but those tracks in your folder are NOT from LLA. Those are the normal versions of the songs from the Mospeada OST (volumes 1-3). The LLA versions are vastly different, with re-recorded and (mostly) male vocal versions of the songs. Thanks anyway, though. The search continues...

D'oh! My bad... I knew it was 2CDs. That's what I get for not proofreading my post. Corrected. I wonder if the Anime Corner Store only recently started carrying that cd set...? I remember looking at just about every online store I could think of (including that one, or so I remember) last fall and going nuts trying to find these soundtracks, until a fellow MW member pointed me to otaku.com. Weird. Now if only someone could point me in the direction of the Mospeada: Love, Live, Alive soundtrack, I'd be forever grateful...

Go here: http://www.otaku.com/cgi-bin/productlist.a...search=mospeada This is the only place I've seen (after a long time searching) that carries the Mospeada OST (Volumes 1-3 packaged in a nice 2-disc set). I'm pretty sure this is out of print, so grab it while you can.

Capt Hungry -- I was definitely not thrilled with the Total Crash Collection DVD...once I got to episode 3, that is. I noticed early on in that episode that the subs would just suddenly appear moments before characters would actually speak; rarely synching up to the current dialogue. This is most noticeable during sudden outbursts/utterances, such as "WHAT THE...?!". Example: No one on screen is speaking when the subs for "WHAT!?" appear on screen. The words disappear just as Priss actually makes the exclamation. Linna will be talking when Sylia's next line is translated a second too early, causing confusion as to who is saying what. As you watch, it seems the show is moving too slow to catch up to the dialogue. I imagine this could be even more confusing to those who are unfamiliar with the series. Don't get me wrong, the concept of having all three Crash eps on one DVD is fantastic, and the transfer is not bad at all...I just wasn't thrilled with how the subs turned out for the final episode. And no, I refuse to watch the horrid dub instead.

This is excellent news! I'm on a big BGC kick right now, having recently rekindled my love for this classic series. Frankly, I'm ready to sell off my current hot pink (what were they thinking?!) eyesore of a boxset and replace it with a freshly remastered/repackaged version. Compared to the SDF Macross DVDs, the original BGC set did not get the royal treatment it deserved (yeah, I know, M2K rather than Animeigo is to blame, but still...I expected better). My first love will always be Macross, but Bubblegum Crisis is very high up on my list of anime greats. The series is a true classic in every way. Hey Yamato! THIS is the next series you should be designing toys for! Oh, and speaking of Animeigo... has anyone heard any mention of a future DVD release of the original AD Police OVAs? I know they released the Bubblegum Crash! series in one dvd ("Total Crash Collection"...and besides the content being sub-par, the horrible timing of the subtitles on episode 3 leaves much to be desired...I prefer my old VHS). Hopefully, the AD Police will see the light of day again...with a proper dvd release. OH! I just remembered...last year at the Big Apple Anime Fest (I didn't attend...just read the website), there was a screening of a new(ish) series called Parasite Dolls, which apparently takes place in the continuity of the original BGC, circa 2034?! Has anyone seen this series? Good? Bad? How does it relate to the classic OVAs?

I found this rather disappointing news in my e-mail this morning: "Hi, Thank your for your Special Request. We have examined the availability of your requested item, but unfortunately, it is not available from CDJapan. It has gone out of print, meaning that it is no longer obtainable. As for other SILK's CDs on the indicated web page, we have checked the availability of them, but unfortunately none of them are available from CDJapan. We apologize for our inability to be of any service for these items. Thank you. Best Regards, www.cdjapan.co.jp" ...ah well. The hunt continues. Thanks for the ideas, though! -D.

Forgive me if this is the wrong forum for this, but "Where to Buy" didn't seem to be the right place, as the items I'm searching for aren't Macross related. Judging by my years of lurking on these boards, I gather there are plenty of old school anime fans here, and many of you share my appreciation for the classic Bubblegum Crisis OVAs. I've been on this big BGC kick recently, falling in love all over again with the series and soundtrack cds (yeah, the music is heavily 80s, but I'm a sucker for that sort of thing). Call it nostalgia or whatever, but I found myself attempting to hunt down as much of this music as possible (I recently scored a few of the OOP original soundtracks on eBay for a pretty penny). Listening to these songs for the first time in roughly 10 years or so (!) reminded me of an old cassette tape a friend had made me of Oomori Kinuko's (Priss' seiyuu) band, SILK 'WE LIVE IN LONELY FREEDOM' (the album was "FACE") back in 92. I remember the music being more on the "pop" side of things, as opposed to the more synth-rock of BGC, but I still loved it nonetheless. A quick google search landed me on a Japanese fan site ( http://www003.upp.so-net.ne.jp/toshi/kinuko/index.html ), but I can barely read a word of it. I did manage to stumble on the discography page, and it seems I have a lot of catching up to do. I would love to find any of these discs (or even some high-quality mp3s if they are, in fact, OOP), but I get this sinking feeling that they're near impossible to find (ebay, cdjapan, otaku.com, and gemm came up empty). Can anyone confirm? Or perhaps send me in the right direction to tracking down any SILK cds? I'd even settle for just the "BEST" collection, which appears to have been released in 1998. Help!

I nearly fainted this Christmas when my girlfriend surprised me with a 1/48 Hikaru VF-1J w/ FAST Packs (okay, so technically it was a pre-order slip from Twin Moons, but I should have "my preciousss" in hand by the end of the week or so...right Tam? )!! I'm still in shock. Upon opening a "Someone must really love you.." card, I didn't know what to feel...I ran the gamut of emotions from excited to amazed to guilty (she spent way too much money on me!), ultimately coming to the conclusion that I simply have to marry this woman... not because she bought me expensive stuff, but because of the shear trouble/effort/research she went through (and always goes through) just to make me smile. She told me she knew "this would be the ultimate gift" and was right on the mark. Even though she doesn't understand my hobbies, she appreciates the fact that these valks make me happy, and is willing to go the extra mile. I love this girl!

Is this from some sort of "alternate history," where Max had his vf-1a painted in his later 1j's paint scheme, or a careless coloring error that no one caught? Either way, I couldn't believe this went to print. I try and try not to be as tough on Robotech as some of you are around here (after all, it pointed me in the right direction those many years ago), but so far their recent efforts (toys and comics of the macross saga era anyway) have been quite careless and shoddy, to say the least.

Haha... It's interesting and even comforting to see how similar many of our stories are. I may be the one big Macross geek in my area, but at least I'm not alone. Kinda OT, but to answer your question: I majored in Graphic Design...which wasn't my first choice, actually, since a majority of the students in that discipline (at least in my school) seemed to come from the more business end of the spectrum, with little to no artistic background/skills. This, of course, drove me nuts, as I'm the complete opposite... Art has been my passion since birth. I knew I just had to do something with my abilities early on, and wanted to create for a living...but get paid to do so. Being a Fine Art major is all nice and dandy, but it rarely brings in the dough. I gotta say though, ever since I've walked down this path, I occasionally do have to fight off that nagging feeling of being a "sellout" each day, especially since I work for two of the largest names in the snack/beverage world. For the time being, I'm a corporate whore... but hey, they're paying for my valks. It's all good. B)

I posted this awhile back in an earlier/similar topic... I'm definitely in the same boat as you all. Just in case you missed it: My Yamato Valkyrie Addiction -- An Essay Hmmm...where to start? I suppose this obsession began in early childhood (1984), when this transforming toy junky couldn't be spotted without his favorite Transformer constantly at his side--an incredible armored plane I got for Christmas named Jetfire. Okay, so the toy was a brick, I had no idea that there was such a thing as Gerwalk mode, I lost most of the armor, and I remember all the times my poor little hands were abused by the snapping metal landing gears, but damn if I didn't adore that toy like some kids loved their pets. I remember being VERY upset when this imitation jet --Skyfire-- appeared in the TF cartoon, not at all accurately portraying the "ultimate" Autobot that I staged wars with daily. I even remember being so foolish as to mock the Robotech toys/commercials I saw back then as being "knockoffs" of the "real thing" (hey, cut me some slack! I was only 6!). Funny thing is, in recent years I've come to still view Robotech in a similar way, now that I've FINALLY seen the "real thing"--Macross. When I was around 12 or 13 years old, my best friend at the time had just begun tape trading with some kids he met on the Prodigy boards. Soon after that, I was exposed to Akira, Bubblegum Crisis, Gunbuster... Soon my life revolved around staying up late watching those fuzzy looking tapes with almost impossible to read fan-subs of a language I didn't understand. That's when I really got hooked on anime. That's also when Robotech came back into my life. My friend and I had found a dusty set of tapes at the local comic book store, a six volume edited version of Robotech: The Macross Saga put out by F.H.E. Now, keep in mind, these were edited versions of an ALREADY edited show, taking six or so episodes and cannibalizing them into mini-movie length bits, chopping up "non-essential" (read: character development) parts in the process. The quality of the tapes was questionable at best. Regardless of all this, we were amazed just to find these tapes...this was no small feat, considering there was no widespread anime retailing back then, especially in a nowhere place like Southington, Connecticut. I vaguely recalled the show, remembering my refusal to watch it as a kid (after all, ALL convertible robot shows were rip-offs to my 6-year old mind. GoBots, Robotech...it was all the same. Heh). After the first few minutes, I came to the realization that I had been duped all this time--HASBRO had ripped off the design from THIS show. "Jetfire" was not a sentient being. IT was a war machine in a very compelling and human drama... piloted by Roy! That evening, I pulled out ol' Jetfire from his closet prison and discovered that he could make that "weird" half-plane/half-robot pose as well. Damn, I had been lied to! That's when I firmly decided to one day collect any "Veritechs" I could get my hands on. I would've given anything to have a TRUE Skull One. But I was 12. And poor. Damn it. Years went by, I was still stuck in the bowels of Connecticut, ExoSquad-labled Robotech toys came out (???) around high school, and I promptly snatched most of them up (enemy mecha! woot!)...except, what should have been the prize of that collection turned out to be a crappy, non-transforming fisher price Veritech. Yeah. Okay. PASS. By that time, I had also become an enormous fan of Macross Plus, owned two fansubbed copies of DYRL and Flashback 2012 (that were just slightly better quality than watching one of those blocked/scrambled channels on cable tv), found (and then almost slit my wrists watching) Clash of the Bionoids, and couldn't quite figure out why Macross 2 seemed so...out of whack when compared to the other shows (but the Valkyries were cool ). Robotech: The Sentinels movie left a funny taste in my mouth, especially seeing Bizarro Britai (Buckethead) and butch Miriya. I heard rumors of a Macross 7 in Japan, and wanted desperately to see it, though all the Macross I had viewed really confused me at first, because I still couldn't quite figure out where the Robotech Masters and Invid fit into the whole thing. I did some research and discovered that Macross was/is an entirely separate entity. Now I had TWO things to hunt for--the original, unedited Japanese Macross series AND that Skull One perfect toy. Fast forward to 2001 and the end of college. I had slipped out of anime fandom for a few years, and temporarily forgot all about my attempts to find the perfect Valkyrie toy. In a random fit of nostalgia, I checked out a link from IGN to Robotech.com...and saw an add for Animeigo where the HOLY GRAIL was up for PREORDER before my very eyes--MACROSS! ORIGINAL JAPANESE!! SUBTITLED!!! ....For $250?! The boxset was supposedly marked down from an even higher price before I had discovered the site, but that was a LOT of money for a DVD set. Ignoring that guilty/nagging feeling, I bought it anyway, even though I didn't even OWN a DVD player. This was MACROSS--the "real thing." Finally! After falling in love with my 9 disc boxset in early winter of 2002 (cheers to my roomate and his Playstation 2!), I soon started scouring the web, trying to find sites that discussed the original series... and that's when I found Macross World, my daily stop on the web ever since. And THAT is also when I discovered Yamato and their SERIES of Holy Grails. The prices scared me at first... I was out of college, looking for a job, and couldn't imagine spending over $50 for a TOY... (this is what also kept me at bay from the HG MPCs), so I simply drooled at all of Grahams pictures for a long while, thinking "must be nice." The Bandai reissues were out, and I finally had my chance to get the Skull One I always wanted ...only... as an adult collector I found myself more into accuracy vs. nostalgia. I knew there were better things out there. But the Yamato 1/60 seemed overpriced! Argh! But then luck struck. I finally got that Art Director job I'd applied for six months prior, started making real money (finally got that dvd player...heh), and Ebay proved to be my best friend one night in December. I noticed a 1/60 Max valk going for a ridiculously cheap price (like $20 or so), so I sat there for a good hour (at 3am or so on a work night) making sure I won that auction. I almost got sniped, but in the end, I won the thing for $35. I immediately fell in love with the sculpt, anime-accurate look of all three modes, and diecast content of the toy. But by the time I had Max, he was already old news to a lot of you, and much greater things were out. But I'll always have a fondness for my first 1/60... not only is Max my favorite character, but my first Yamato as well. But like I've read here many times, the valkyrie addiction starts to grow (no thanks to you guys and gals! heh). I finally got a chance to see Macross 7, based to recommendations here (the FX set all the way!), and wanted desperately to own a VF-17 Nightmare. I then went through a time of collecting all the Bandai-made M7 valks... but they just weren't satisfying every time I'd look at my lonely Max 1/60 in all his glory. It was time to hunt down that elusive "perfect" Skull One toy at last. And I found my 1/60 Roy Focker Strike Valk for a damned good price ($60 shipped)! At last!! Soon after that, I simply HAD to get the Max and Milia Supers and found a great deal on a Cannon Fodder 1A from hlj. I adore these valkyries... I couldn't imagine ever parting with them. I seriously didn't think Macross toys could get any better, until my amazing girlfriend surprised me this summer with a 1/48 Roy for my birthday. Now THIS is the perfect Skull One I had wanted all those years ago! He's proudly standing next to the computer right now in all his glory, and I periodically pick him up and transform him, all the while feeling like I'm 6 all over again. I don't think Tina quite understands just how much that gift meant to me. I associate that particular valkyrie with a great deal of my life thus far... and now I have the best representation of it sitting at arms reach. Gah, I'm rambling. Anyway, this thread really hit home, because just last week, I picked up the 1/72 VF-11B Fast Pack (missed out on all the MPlus valks the first time around) and definitely can see how Yamato has progressed. Granted, I like the little guy, but he's not nearly as impressive as the other bad boy I took home that evening--the 1/48 Low Vis. I think this one even has Roy beat in sheer beauty. THIS is my center piece, and I'm still in awe every time I walk by it. I have nothing but respect for Yamato, and the thought of all these upcoming toys in the future seriously sends shivers up my spine. I can't wait, though my girlfriend and empty wallet are due to kill me soon. I still have that old Jetfire... he sits over with the TOYS of my collection (Bandai Macross 7 valks, Bandai Hikaru VF-1A reissue and the "Exosquad" Glaug, Regult, and Destroids). Calling these Yamatos "toys" just doesn't seem right. They're far more than that... they, in part, symbolize my youthful dreams coming true at last. -Dan

My apologies if this has been brought up before... I was just browsing Egan Loo's wonderful Escaflowne Compendium (http://www.anime.net/escaflowne/index.html) when I stumbled across the production list page. I know Kawamori has lended his talents as a Mecha designer on an enormous amount of shows, but a quick scan of his work as a creator raised a question mark. I have never heard of the recent series "Earth Defense Family," to which he is credited as both Creator and Series Planner. A quick search on google brought up mostly online shops selling a HK bootleg set of the series with very little plot information or reviews. From what I can gather, it seems to be a comedy (geared towards a young audience?) centered around a family wearing powersuits...? It looks very...cutesy...for a Kawamori production. Does anyone have more info on this series? Is it worth picking up this HK set? So far, I've loved everything I've seen from the man (from all Macross to Escaflowne... haven't picked up Arjuna yet), and I'd hate to pass up a cool series based on my initial reaction to a "kiddie" image. And while I'm thinking about it... besides Earth Defense Family, does anyone have any info on the failed Kawamori project, Maimu (never completed, pilot only)? I'd be interested to see what it was about...? Perhaps it mutated into another of his fine works? Just curious. B)

My most expensive purchase (in one shot) was also the least practical at the time: the 9 disc AnimEigo SDF Macross boxset for $250... I don't regret it, but I did feel strange paying all that cash back then, considering I didn't even own a DVD player (nor did I have what could be considered a steady income). Since then, I've joined the 1/48 lover's club and I'm afraid I may easily top that amount soon...

It's all about Gundam, baby. Sad... but true.

"death to roid monster HWR-OO-M k II "... ?? Could this be the ultra-limited, highly classified, CVS exclusive PREPARATION H paint scheme Monster varient we've ALL been waiting for? At last!

WOW! Great job! As much as I love collecting valks, there'll always be a soft spot in my heart for character figures. If put into actual production, these babies would definitely be in my collection (Yamato, I'm looking at you!).

That was Beautiful! I almost cried! Gawd!! I have to second that!! <clapping> Heh. Thanks guys. What can I say? I get all weepy when I sit down at the computer and see this giant Roy VF-1S pointing his gunpod at my head every day. Sure, Yamato has some QC bugs here and there, and I don't mindlessly buy everything they put out, but I still get a kick out of knowing that it's 2003 and Macross fans never had it so good. Here's to many more years of amazing films and toys! -D

My TV Hikaru, Max and Milia Banprestos ALL broke within the first month of owning them. Granted, Hikaru was abused by coworkers, but I was always very delicate with the other two. Max's canopy just snapped off one day during a normal transformation, and Milia's backpack landed at her feet as I tried to pose her. Those things are way too fragile, and I almost feel the $5 a piece I spent on them would've been better spent on lunch. Ah well.

...because my Matchbox Glaug needs to have it's arse handed to it.

I would have to say my two 1/48 Yamato valks...especially the Roy VF-1S, as that particular model holds a big place in my heart (though the Low Vis never ceases to amaze me). I babbled all nostalgic in THIS thread: Yamato: From the YF-19 to the Low Vis

Most of my valks came from some patient eBay-ing... the only scary part with that is the risk you take in having missing/broken parts, since no Hong Kong seller will be nearly as cool as Kevin (Valkyrie Exchange) or Tam (Twinmoons) with replacing anything. My 1/60 Super Max, for example, came without instructions or stickers, but luckily I found Devin's (Anasazi37...check the FOR SALE section) customs (which are superior decals anyway). And recently, thanks to a recommendation in the old forums (tom, you rock!), I discovered a relatively local shop (just over the George Washington Bridge in NJ) that carries yamatos at seriously cheap prices...with incredible service, to boot. I just got an amazing deal on the 1/48 Low Vis and 1/72 VF-11B Fast Pack that no online shop could possibly beat (plus no troublesome shipping charges! woot!). He even threw in a World's Smallest Transformers figure for free, just for making the trek from CT to NJ. Willy's the man. I already have the 1/48 Fast Packs and Macross Mini Figure Collection box preordered from him. IMO, the 40 minute drive to NJ is well worth it, since there's nothing quite like physically walking out of a store with a new valk in your hands (and money left in your wallet). Any other CT/NY/NJ folk, definitely check out: Endless Cellular 147 Main St. Fort Lee, NJ 07024 201-944-8898 Ask for William -Dan