Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0

Is this something they said during the livestream?

Hikaru’s actually looks “pre-shaded”, where some initial weathering is laid down generously on the panel lines but meant to be painted over either with the base coat and/or brighter paint later instead of the excess being washed/wiped off.

Best/favorites: Yamato - Fire Valkyrie Bandai - DX VF-1S Hikaru but close with either the DX YF-19 and DX VF-31F For Arcadia I only have the VF-4 and 2 VF-1’s, haven’t handled any of their Macross Zero releases.

It would be cool to at least know what happened to Hikaru, Misa and Minmay rather than leave their fate vague. I’d rather they possibly return to Earth somehow at the end of the next series with the aid of the new protagonists or something.

Hoping this Tomcat Tales documentary has a lot of previously unseen footage. Aside from Speed and Angels, the various Fighter Flings, Top Gun and Final Countdown, the best footage I’ve seen is from the 70’s compiled I think on a Grumman DVD. Periscope film has clips of it on YouTube. I’d love to see stuff from AIM/ACEVAL.

Surprised there's no Britai planned to fight the 1/72 Veritechs

There's still value in those. I wouldn't expect much but they're definitely handy for fans(if you're willing to take yours apart) who need to do maintenance work(especially if the rubber sockets on yours aren't worn down)

Yea if you compare the Yamato 1/48 on release in 2002 to their V1 1/60 VF-1, it was a huge jump. Even that 1/60 VF-1 compared to the Bandai HCM was a huge jump in sculpt. The DX does some things better than the 1/48 and I do prefer it. It's just not the advancement I would've expected, the jump forward isn't like the long shot between the Yamato 1/48 and V1 1/60, when we know it could've very easily been. Stuff I would've liked to see on the DX, would've been stuff unique to Bandai's HCM; like missles that can stay on in battroid when wings are swept all the way back(yes the HCM had a gap to enable this but this 30 some years later, I'm sure Bandai could figure out an aesthetically pleasing way to incorporate that). Knees that can bend back beyond 90 degrees(like on their other mecha toys where they incorporate spring loaded doors to make way). Since the DX did copy the way the Yamato V2 1/60 VF-1 FAST packs attached, I wish the internal details would've been retained as well. The colors are the only things I like more on the DX FAST packs.

I think it's inevitable since the super/strike parts set has the Skull Team roundels(with specific modex numbers) for the VF-1A's Hikaru/Max/Kakizaki flew in DYRL?. I can see Hikaru's 1A as a mass release with the other 2 being TamashiiWeb. I'd be very surprised if either Kakizaki VF-1A ends up as a mass release.

I don't remember Bandai mentioning customer complaints about the DX VF-25 1.0's either. When they started their shpiel about the Renewal they were mainly hyping how they brought over the 1/72 VF-25 model designer over from Bandai Hobby to Tamashii Nations to design the Renewal DX VF-25. For the DX SV262 there were some reports of the thumb breaking off when transforming back to Fighter. I mainly remember because Bandai pointed out a specific way the fingers or thumb have to be folded in to prevent breakage. If the DX SV262 is harder to transform than the DX VF171, that may be why the complaints about the complexity of it from fans, was mentioned by Bandai. It was mentioned due to Bandai wanting to point out how much easier the DX VF-1 would transform. So in that respect, it would make sense to mention the 262 instead of 171(if the latter is easier to transform...I'm not sure that it is since I've never transformed a 262).

I wouldn't mind it, only if they retooled it. The triangle transformation and other aspects(like the hand retraction!) were overengineered. If Bandai simplifies the mold and especially re-engineers the lower body/waist to lock in SOLIDLY I'd be ready to buy an Alto EX and cannon fodder 171 all over again.

Honestly I think it was due to messy design. Bandai normally doesn't mention customer complaints when it comes to interviews with their Macross toy designers, but they did mention it for the DX SV262(with regards to transformation) which was a first to me.

What bothers me about the breakages(I have pics on the page before I think), is that the pieces cracked are made of POM(almost sure due to the texture, it's dense and grainy, lacks the gloss that the ABS parts have). So you'd think they wouldn't crack. Those pieces are found in the landing gear bays(for the landings gear hinges) and also the torso for transformation. Best scenario in the future is for Bandai to make those pieces in diecast as the spring pins used will have a much harder time cracking diecast apart. What you can try(this is tedious but has worked for me on similar breakages before), is to leave the hinge clip on the bar, apply Krazy glue to the hinge clip and broken piece of the clip, press the hinge clip and broken piece together to bond. Then, keep moving it frequently before it dries. That's the tedious part as the pieces will bond to the bar if you're not moving the clip frequently. It doesn't help that these pieces are quite small. You can also try this with Loctite or that glue that uses UV light to set/bond.

I'm down for 1/60 kits but I can see Arcadia being apprehensive since it makes things a lot easier to KO(and there's already KO's of their stuff) and the Yamato kits seemed to sit until Yamato went out of business.

I think what may happen is that the mold may either be extensively retooled or redone from the ground up. The DX VF-1's simpler transformation(by comparison) was made in part as a response to fans in Japan complaining about the DX SV262 transformation to Bandai(this was stated in an interview with the designer of the DX VF-1J last year). Given that the DX 262 also seems dated compared to the DX VF-31, I think those are enough reasons for Bandai to consider in making either a retooled 262 or all new mold in the same scale. I can especially see this happening if the 262 happens to be prevalent in the next Delta movie.* *They even made a Renewal VF-27 when some thought it wasn't needed/in-demand so who knows

Screen accurate, bigger vertical stabilizers please...

It would be nice if Bandai at the very least, changes the torso hinges and landing gear blocks to diecast; I've seen them crack on my VF-25's, crossing fingers it hasn't happened to my 29's but being that they're constructed the same way and it's happened to others...

Max and Kakizaki both had the packs in the beginning of the movie, each Skull Team member onscreen in the beginning had them. You can see them when they get in formation; Hikaru was the only one seen jettisoning the armor. Oddly enough, the skull roundels in the DX super/strike parts for Hikaru only have his "001" modex number for his VF-1S. This leads me to believe a DX VF-1A Hikaru Super Valkyrie is planned down the line. Since Bandai is on a Hikaru kick, maybe the VF-1D since: -it's never been done before in 1/48 scale -it's the 1st VF-1 Hikaru used -it's incentive to buy the inevitable VF-1S if Bandai makes the VF-1D cockpit/forward fuselage detachable and arm mountable in gerwalk/battroid modes

-Subtle grey(not black) weathering -Ability to swing wings back for battroid while keeping missles attached(like the HCM) -Universal ratchet joints for the shoulders and hips -Universal ratchet joints for the ankles -No spring pins used at all -Fixed ventral fins -Integrated waist swivel with more range than the 1/48 -Double jointed knees enabling the knees to bend back more than 90 degrees

I forgot the 6 months in advance but this year is the 35th anniversary of DYRL so I expect more releases than not

Has anyone figured out an easy way to remove the forearm armor?

Yes specifically with ball joints on Bandai DX valks. They don't use washers to increase friction, it's all direct contact from the ball joint to the socket.

I think if Arcadia were to make an all new 1/60 VF-1 they would've and should've, done so by now. I think it's more likely that Arcadia won't renew their 1/60 VF-1 license and that Bandai will swoop in and get the 1/60 license to make a DX VF-1 in 1/60 scale based on their current 1/48 but simplified.

I expect to see a Hikaru VF-1A, Hikaru Strike VF-1S and TV Focker Special at the very least before the end of this year. @takatoys are you going to make stickers for sale?

Another KitzConcept VF-1 review from a Chinese fan. This might be the same guy that reviewed the Minmay figure early and had a VF-1 prototype in the background. He put the missles on backwards(different reviewer did the same thing not long ago)... https://youtu.be/yRiB8L1ZXNQ Aside from that, things I noticed from the review: Heat shield seems like it's made from PVC Shoulders are ball jointed, he popped them off a few times Elbows have a soft ratchet Thighs/knees/ankles are ratchets Even when lower legs extended, seems like thigh swivel and forward knee bend is limited hence leaving the guardian mode not being as dynamic as it could be(I was worried about this since the 1st promo shot of guardian mode was shown) You don't have to unclip the hip bar when transforming the arms(to give the arms clearance to swivel and tuck underneath) from Battloid to Fighter/guardian mode. There are only 3 transforming VF-1 toys that do this; this, the recent DX VF-1 and the HI METAL R Shoulder hinges don't seem to swivel 90 degrees in Fighter mode for transformation, they instead seem to stop at 45 degrees which actually makes transformation easier/smoother(since you don't have to unclip the hip bar to make clearance for the arms to swivel) Panel lines toned down considerably since the 1st promo shots. Stand didn't seem to need adapters for each mode. Good but the stand itself looks cheap....would've been better molded smoke grey with the UN SPACY kite painted on Overall it seems like a hybrid of VF HI METAL/HI METAL R VF-1 transformation with Yamato style heat shield transformation and an easier arm transformation going from battloid to guardian/fighter. The detachable gun handle is due to the barrel LED and is something I could do without. I'd rather have a collapsing handle. I did see some comparisons on Facebook and it's a few centimeters shorter than the Yamato/Arcadia VF-1. For the Robotech crowd this is the best VF-1 toy to be offered domestically yet. For fans of Japanese Macross toys his will probably work as a mid-tier figure and possibly an alternative to HI METAL R. At $90-100 this gives you a perfect transformation VF-1 at 1/72 scale, a scale we haven't seen a transforming toy in for over 30 years(Bandai HCM) and also a display stand. I'm more tempted to get it now.