VFTF1

Well - you'd be surprised but - I have NOT read any of the threads or any spoilers about anything past episode 15 I made the Luca-Shinji connection because I have recently watch the ENTIRE Neon Genesis Evangelion series; and when I saw people in this thread badmouthing Luca for being all goody-goody too-shoes, the first thing that came to my mind was "oh what? You think a girl would prefer a semi-suicidal masturbating loony toon like Shinji?" Honest to gosh - it's just so logical if you think about Luca that he is - at least up until episode 15 - the anti-Shinji... If Nanase was the one doing the biting - I would have nothing against it! Pete

I would put it as follows: If you are the type of person who buys ONE or TWO toys a month or every couple of months, then it MIGHT be worth your time to wade deep into the swamp that is ebay and pray that the HK dealer you happened to find is legit and that you will get the ONE or TWO items over a 1-2 month span that you desire with little hassel...and save your oh so precious 10 USD. However If you are a collector, and you buy LOTS of stuff, then you will actually save more buying from a reputable online dealer who offer tons of items with combined shipping available without biting your finger nails over whether you are dealing with a legit ebayer or not... But then again - I'm biased ... Pete

After a long break from Frontier; I have just finished watching episode 15. Here are my thoughts (please be mindful that I have yet to watch the remaining episodes 16-24) .... "AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo!!" This was, I will admit, my first thought - as soon as the stock footage showed up and it dawned on me that this episode recaps the previous 14. Imagine my bitter dissapointment at having not watching ANY Macross:Frontier in like...two months...and coming back in with THIS!! The Recap episode!! NOOOOO!!! Here I was hoping to pick up with the story and instead I get a rehash... But - in all fairness; it is a very very well done rehash, in contradistinction to the recap episode of the SDFM TV series, which I usually skip whenever I re-watch the series (which, I actually have been doing...again...)... This is far better organized; or rather - as far as recaps go it's an utter mess. If you start watching Macross Frontier from this recap episode, you will have NO IDEA what the hell happened - even though they seem to tell you. But, since the chances of someone starting on episode 15 in this day and age are miniscule - that isn't a concern. In effect, you see that there is a gorgeous chick in BDSM get up singing and lots of robots blowing stuff up and transforming into super cool airplanes. I think that should be sufficient to get you interested Mercifully, the recap action did not last and the Sheryl song they used to illustrate it wasn't all that bad (although she's still no Ranka)... And then - we got back to the lovely, heart warming story - and ooooo what a WONDERFUL way to "end" this first "segment" of the story (aka the segment where the enemy was a total mystery and the characters were being fleshed out). Even though the singing competition starts out of jealousy - I get the feeling that even Ranka and Sheryl warm to one another and real like one another and are happy to share a love for Alto. Alto's reaction is funny - the whole dialogue is funny - and yeah; I guess it also serves to recap - but it is a recap that at the same time manages to move the plot forward - because both girls openly profess their love to Alto in the best way they know how: through the power of song AWWWWwwww shucks I was also authentically scared for Ranka's future as soon as I noticed she'd been taken into the "care" of the Three Stooges (Leon, Brera and Grace). Of the three, the only one I "trust" is Brera - who seems to have a past life in which he was capable of moral reflection... Grace is pure evil... even if she is some wierdo "We" - and Leon...well...Leon is the classic REMF (Rear Echelon Mother Focker)... all of them, Stooge-like are of course playing with fire... and it would be almost absurd if not for the fact that it's actually quite typical for human beings to behave like them ... Mr. Bilar and his fairy wonder land are nifty - a big Up to the Anime World - we'll all look like that one day (I hope) - wheelchair bound with a manshion that has internal dioramas of Atari Island and Iacon, served by good looking anime dressed girls But in all honesty - it was the hospital song-duet that was the most lovely and moving. But WHERE is Luca? Where is Nana? I get the feeling they were anywhere but in this episode? Final comment: Luca might be all of those terrible things mentioned in previous posts - but here is something else Luca is: 1) Clearly very intelligent (not just because he can fly a Valk which seems to be no big achievement for a kid in the world of anime, but because he understands Space Fold theory and seems to have a good scientific mind) 2) Luca CARES for his friends very very much - he is loyal and authentically concerned for other people's well being. 3) The type of crush he has on Nana is of course "immature" - but if you think about it - any smart, self-respecting woman would want this kind of love; she would nourish it, help it grow and mature - but take advantage of its' purity, of the fact that Luca hasn't been hurt by a girl yet and this makes him all the more a potentially wonderful guy to be with... So...if Nana is smart - she's stick with Luca - the Anti-Shinji Sniff..but the duet sniff sniff Alto doesn't have a dilema anymore Although...still...I think Misa and Minmey's more subtle "resolution" of this tension had its' beauty as well... well...enough babbling. Best Anime Ever Pete

Waahah I didn't know they had that! Dag - this can clearly compete with Foxnews now This is hilarious stuff...particularly this article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25936129/ and this bit of advise: (I can just see this working - mom and boyfriend having to later explain to junior why they got arrested in the parking lot...the park...the Macdonalds Bathroom...) I couldn't stop laughing! The picture of the kid when he opens the door is just too much! Ahahahah:) Yeah - that definitely explains why the focus on HelloKitty Vibrators and pedophilia - I mean -what ELSE would they focus on if it's in a section dedicated to sex This is great! One thing I love about the United States is the unintentional comedy that results from American oppenness with regard to sex (aka "being open about it" is ok - as long as by openness you mean education/psychology - aka treating the subject with the proper gravitas....which of course just heightens the extent to which this subject is made taboo) anyways - thanks for pointing that out Pete

What you say is true. however - never underestimate the power of the internet and independent journalism. I think that in time we will see the bankrupcy of the conglomorates and mass de-centralization because ultimately the more a company lies to people and cheats, the sooner it will loose its' share of the market--- EVEN if government bails it out, takes it over or helps it (because governments that do this systematically will also fall). Might sound like whistling in the wind, but remember that even in 1989, very few people would have "imagined" that the Soviet Union could have collapsed even though just about everybody living in it and their grandmother knew it was just a matter of time. With businesses; even big businesses - it's no different. Bad investment and spewing idiocy will lead to their demise (heck, look at AIG and the others). So...I'm an optimist Plus - we have to leave a little wiggle room for the off chance that this article isn't part of a worldwide coordinated conspiracy... but rather just results from a case of brainless journalism Pete

I have gained new appreciation for the Urban Cameo Armor from Kickier's picks. Also, I so love the CF 1A paint scheme...even if you only see the head here:) That's actually one thing which I DON'T have and WILL want to purchase in the new 1/60 line... a CF 1A Pete

What you say is logical - but on the other hand... Classics Inferno is just such a handsome Autobot: I mean; they went all out and just made him blocky and a tad realistic... I am looking forward to him. He looks powerful and big in robot form... It would be nice to get a Classis Red Alert for Inferno to carry around. Pete

I just want to point out that this is the second thread that I've participated in which has followed the following SET UP: FAN: Hey guys, check out X! FAN 2: Wow! That's really impressive! Show us more! FAN 3: I also have X and agree that it's great. Did you know that A, B , C and F? FAN: Oh wow! Thanks for letting me know! That's interesting! MOD WANNA BE: YOU ARE ALL ANNOYING! STOP SAYING MACROSS IS COOL! STOP LIKING MACROSS! WHY DO YOU INSIST ON LIKING MACROSS! FAN: Dude...we're just praising X in the Macross Forum...I don't understand? FAN2: We apologize if we did anything annoying; we just wanted to express our joy in our hobby. FAN3: Why can't you just leave me alone and allow me to epxress my joy in my hobby on a forum dedicated to the hobby? MOD: OK! BACK ON TOPIC OR THE THREAD GETS LOCKED! FAN: But we were on topic until this guy showed up and... LOCK! Pete

I would say the same about Animated Swindle... As for guys like Blurr, Bumblebee and Ratchet - imagine taking the head of a Classics/Henkei and sticking them on to replace the "goofy" Animated ones... Although - on the other hand - I have to say I prefer the expressionism of Animated to the some what boxy style of Classics/Henkei... both lines are overall dreams come true Pete

An overstatement worthy of grownups who play with toys VFTF1

Um... As far as I can tell, all of us - every last Macross Fan on this forum - engages in "essentially posting the same crap you posted yesterday the last time they posted." Every time Yamato comes out with ANOTHER VF-1 it's "woowww!! yeeeaah!! I love the VF1".... Bandai brings back the chunky monkey and it's "woooow! yeaahh!! I love teh chunky!" Heck - the entire Macross Franchise is really limited to a few key valkyrie and characters that have seen people coming back for 25 years saying 'wwwo!! yeeaah!! I love it!" In this thread; we got some pictures of a Hikaru toy doll in some funny positions - people are just commenting about the doll. If someone would like to post a lengthy essay rather than some smileys and one liners then no one is forbidding it. I don't know about others - but I never get the sense that substantive posts get "drowned out." I try to read ALL of the posts in a thread before writing my own. Often times, this results in me finding a few things and bringing them back in a quote to re-open some interesting (for me) aspect of the conversation. But ultimately; sometimes in a public forum you will get people talking at cross purposes a little bit because we aren't conversing real time... I apologize is my one liners and smiley faces are giving anybody grief; but I have also written lots of very lengthy posts (agree or disagree with them) in the TV forums... Also - this particular thread is a simple one: guy shows picture of his doll. Other guys comment on doll. If we wrote Shakespearian essays it would be equally "difficult" to figure out who/what/where/how as it is to figure out esoteric smilies and one liners. I don't think it's fair to Ryan to be on him over this stuff. And I am not trying to take sides - but I consider myself to be a person who likes to read/write substantive posts AND sometimes to read/write smilies/one liners and relaxed posts. Can't the forum have room for both styles? And above all - where exactly in this Hikaru Doll thread has there been spam? I mean... if anything everyone seems to be having fun... If there are people who are feeling left out or who want to participate but feel that their voice will be ignored because they write in a stylistically different manner or want to focus on some other aspect... well... I for one will happily read what they have to say... smilies are not meant to exclude others Pete

Fear not. Yours is one of many spares On another note - I recently took a picture of my entire 1:60 collection. Can't wait for perfect 1:60 VF-1S to arrive! Pete

I can't remember if I already gave my answer or not... but here we go... I listen to: PRIMARY LOVES: Fire Bomber Lyn Minmey Spinal Tap SECONDARY LOVES: Poison Europe Alice Cooper Bon Jovi Other: House music...because I live in Europe...and wherever you go...it's always house music...although some variation of Jazz also pops up frequently. Of course - it's not as good as Spinal Tap Mach II: The Rebirth Jazz Improv. Pete

But the whole point of Henkei (I don't like Classics) is that independent of what kids "today" like, it's supposed to be geared towards kids of twenty five years ago I mean, they could just as well have said that kids today wouldn't want a datsun police car or something... I "understand" what they did with Megatron; and am thankful that Takara-Tomy exists to remedy the paint job... But Galvatron - c'mon! SUUUUCCCHHH a simple alt mode and such a simple transformation.. Look how great Cyclonus came out? Imagine putting Henkei CYCLONUS next to Galvatron...true pity for Galvatron fans. As for the Energon version - I will say only this much: Energon Galvatron is a perfect match for Grand Convoy/Energon Prime: they are BOTH fat.... Pete

I give anything for a Misa doll... sigh... Pete

I would love to get a Groxier X... maybe one day. Pete

Eh, the article didn't bother me at all. The mainstream media are just as clueless when they cover politics and economics, so why would reporters suddenly be wise to anime? This is because journalists are not trained in economics - but they write about business and finance, they are not trained in political science, but they write about politics, they are not trained in anime, but they write about it... Besides - the focus on sex says more about American culture than about otaku: namely - if you can't sexualize it, then it won't make MSNBC. Notice this drivel: “The appeal of Japanese pop culture [to Americans] is that it is a moral-free zone,” explains Patrick Macias, editor in chief of Otaku USA, a bi-monthly magazine with a circulation of approximately 60,000. “The ideas of good/bad, right/wrong, that duality is not present.” Hmm...Anime is A MORAL FREE ZONE!?!? Riiight. There are NEVER any important moral issues brought up in anime.... suuurrreee.... Actually; you can stereotype and over-emphasize sexuality in most any genre - even traditional literature...so...whatever... I long ago stopped reading newspapers, stopped watching the news - the mainstream media are clueless and if you want a reflection of a clueless populace: turn them on sometime...because that's all they are - mediocre... but no reason to get angry or annoyed about it. Pete

My Macross collection: most are in their boxes... PS (to people who are expecting to recieve fighters by mail from me: no; yours aren't in the picture:) The ones up for trade are unopened extras:) ) Pete

I just have one question: HOW does Hikaru manage to do all those summersaults and badazz moves without messing up his ultra-stylized hair?? I need to know. I'm still trying to get the Macross look with my hair. I haven't had to do summersaults yet, but you never know and I just want to be prepared. Pete

Dag. Those are both beautiful! Toy companies really need to start thinking about making beautiful diaorahmas! That is just lovely. Utterly lovely. Pete

Well I just hope that when my 1S arrives it'll be a ok. Pete

I share much of your thinking and feeling on this one, Macross Man. Here's how I "explain" it to myself - IF I were not into Gundams, Soul of Chogokin, Transformers, Revoltech, Girls, Pizza, Yammies and life in general ALL AT THE SAME TIME - I would get the chunkies. But when I consider that my limits are basically "set" around the above - something would have to be sacrificed for the Chunkies... and I can't really bring myself to sacrifice any thing else. I mean - obviously I'm not going to give up Yamato to get chunkies- to me - that's senseless. Giving up SOC to get chunkies? Pointless - I already have the Yamato Valkyrie which are the best...giving up SOC to also have chunkies would be like giving up bowling when you already have a wife....err...wait...pointless analogy...but...err... I like the variety and build of SOC - not going to give it up for chunky versions of Yammies... The same goes for all the rest... So, it's not a matter of me not wanting the chunkies - it's more a matter of - what would I rather have? Two chunkies, or...say... more of the upcoming 1/60 V.2 from Yamato? Questions like that - for me -a nswer themselves. Pete

I also enjoy the people complaining about Bassara because it reminds me of the characters in Macross 7 always complaining about Basara So true to life! Pete

I hope they make it. Would love to buy it. Go Bandai! Pete

That MSiA Qubeley is just gorgeous...yum! Pete