mpchi

Not sure if thats a good defence though. I got some colored plastic figures (Takatoku, Takara, Bandai...etc.) thats more than 20-30 years old. I don't even see stress marks on their pegs thats not even half as thick as the broken swivel of my 1/48 1S.

The theory of brittle yamato plastic after some years might actually be true. Yesterday, my first release 1/48 VF-1S Hikaru just had its right arm elbow swivel cylinder peg broke off clean while I was posing it. It was in display case in the past years with some posing or transformation only once in a long while. That cylinder peg broke off clean from the 'disc', dismembering the entire lower right arm. Looks like just posing and the ratchet elbow had been stressing that peg little by little as it get weaker through time, then broke off without any force needed, like what you would normally pose the arm. Needless to say, 'yamatoed!' once again. I don't see similar crack on my YF-19 just yet, though I leave it in battroid mode mostly. But wouldn't surprise me if issues start surfacing as the plastic gets older.

Not sure if that is a good example though, since Macross Plus is all about the 19 vs. the 21 test project. 21 is not just the bad guy's mech per se, but the alternate ego of 19. But in Macross F, VF-25 is not in direct competition with VF-27. They are not that closely related, and you don't get the paired-up impression like you do with 19 & 21.

Just put this guy together, a new 1/48 Focker with the Urban Camo GBP-1S. Combined both stickers sheets as well to get the most details out of this design. While I encountered some QC issues (like usual ), this turn out to be my current favorite incarnation of the VF-1. Can't believe I currently like this more than my favorite anime color GBP with 1J. The colors and camo pattern on this just add a lot more contrast to the figure, without being too loud. Picked more yellow colored stickers to echo the paint scheme. Really loving this one, even though the whole thing really needs something to support it to stand right, thanks to the brand new wobbly knee ratchets of this particular 1S. Heh, and did this quick photoshop mock-up ad for my boy.

Or even better, changed the entire story and dialogue into something else, following robotech tradition.

Agreed. While the DX VF-25 has shortcomings, really don't see Bandai wants to invest more money on the same toy Bandai itself saturated the market with. I bet Bandai will try to make the most out of this mold to make its money's worth with all the variants they can pull off. While its just a simple assuption on my part, the Movie versions will probably sport a different paint job, or have just a handful of new parts that can swap with the current DX. Just look at SDF-M & DYRL. How much different are the VF-1 between the two? However, developing other valks from Macross F is much more possible. The same people that bought the DX VF-25 are more likely to buy those too. And I would love to get a VF-171 for sure. With armor pack even better. That is one sweet valk, even if it took over the 'cannon fodder' role of the VF-1A brownie.

Thanks for the info. My original color GBP don't seem to have this issue however on the 1J Hikaru. The original GBP has some loose groin pieces instead. But the legs were fine. Though I managed to use super glue to thicken the round peg of the loose panel on the Urban Camo armor, and now it sits much tighter. But like you said, there is a gap. As of the hinge of the new 1S Focker, I'll leave it for now. Doesn't seem the chest would fall apart because of it. Or I'll superglue it to keep it from worsening later on if necessary. I have a few 1/48 too. But this is the first one to have cracked hinge, while others have other issues. Haha, 'yamatoed' again I guess.

Hmm...interesting. But somehow all the broken shoulders, wobbly ratchets, floppy limbs, cracked hinges and stress marks on my entire Yamato valk collection speak otherwise. There is literally none that I don't need to disassemble some parts to fix something. In some case, some are not fixable.

Got myself a new 1/48 Focker VF-1S, but has a cracked front shoulder hinge. Not the one that connects to the arms, but the one that connects to the chest panel. Both shoulders are a bit too loose and need to be fixed. Also got myself a new 1/48 GBP-1S Urban Camo set. While the armor is really cool, the right leg right panel keeps popping off and can't close up completely. Connection is way too loose. Yellow paint on the chest has a bunch of 'dust' mixed into the paint, creating a lot of tiny bumps. Some stress marks in varous inner panels too. While I admire their artistry on making some pretty valks, I have yet to buy a Yamato valk with zero issues... really can't see how many of you guys still sworn by its quality and durability.

Wow...did all you guys watched this?! This is truely an amazing video. Might be the best compilation Macross clips music video I've seen. Though only has a few hundred views...

LOL. And they even have taxi in there too. If you can run pretty fast, you can cover 100m within 15secs. So having a city around 300-500m long (even with double or triple layers) and having 50000 people living in there is really pushing it. All they really need to change is the length of Macross from 1.2 km to something much longer. Not too sure why they didn't just change those stats and make the whole fiction much more convincing. But instead, they being stubborn about it when the entire show's visual is telling a story of a much much larger Macross.

Minmay got my vote for sure! She got the sweetest voice, well balanced singing technique, got the cutest look, and the songstress that started it all. Sheryl is pretty hot with some interesting edgy songs. Interesting personality as well. However, I don't always like the way she sings in some. Her voice is nice and she got technique for sure, but there are times she made her voice so 'tight' (like in her version of Aimo, as well as What 'Bout My Star?) in some incidences that is not quite to my liking. As if someone struggling in karaoke trying to hit a high note. But in her case, she purposely sings it that way, not very pleasant to hear nonetheless. But really like her more natural voice when singing in Diamond Crevasse. Ranka is kind of cute, get some catchy songs, but she doesn't have much technique and feels very green as a singer. Ishtar, Sharon Apple, Basara all got some nice songs. I like them, but not as much as Minmay or Sheryl. Worthy mentioning is Ranka's mom. Her voice is actually very nice. Like her version of Triangular better than Sheryl & Ranka combined.

Not sure if the loose shoulder issue are as universal as it seems. As both shoulder ball joints are still evenly tight on both sides. They 'broke-in' after a few transformation and some posing, so they are not super tight like when it was brand new, but they are still very tight. The hip peg on mine still connects pretty sturdy as well. Don't have the same 'universal' issues that you guys have. Though I do have a non clicky thigh ratchet & a loose hip metal hinge, which I did managed to fix.

Yeah. A lot of folks seem to have missed the 'angled neck' trick, and thought the DX VF-25 either has no neck or has a wobbly chest.

Not to mention Amazon Japan no longer ship things with economy shipping (1500yen & up). They use EMS for all oversea orders now, with a base shipping price of 3000yen & up, depending on how many items you adding to your order. So buying from Amazon Japan is no longer as cheap as it used to, unless you have a big order of multiple books, CDs or DVDs.

Its hard to say one better than the other, as I view them as one, 2 components working hand in hand. DYRL is definitely the one that defines the visual for me. When I think of classic Macross, its mostly DYRL visuals that pop up in my head. Its still a visual marvel to behold today, even though its dated back in 84. But it doesn't have all the details and character development from the TV series. Just by viewing DYRL, characters are very shallow for someone never seen the TV series. When we feel like we know the characters like Focker, Hikaru, Minmay and such, its the TV series characters that we actually know, as DYRL gives us very little info of who they are. So in the end, can't vote one over the other. To me, classic Macross = TV Series + DYRL.

Woooow~! So the Bandai DX VF-25 is roughly on par with Yamato's 1/60 ver.1 VF-1 & 1/72 YF-19... wow. Just wow. Graham, didn't expect you would go that far.

Haha. So true.

Yeah. The Bandai box is so compact that its like 4x VF-25 boxes = 1x Yamato Valk box.

Nice QuinJester! Finally got to open yours huh? Looking at your pic, the DX VF-25F actually made the Yamato VF-1A looks plain when it comes to the details.

The blow dryer technique works with the PVC antenna. You can even speed things up by cooling with a piece of ice or ice pack from the fridge. But make sure you DON'T correct or straighten the wings. Its not a warped plastic defect. Its intended to have that curve. Look at the housing of the wing where the wing is retracted into. The housing also has the same curve. So the curve is an aesthetic touch, not something you should correct. You can ruin your toy and the wings won't retract properly if you 'warp' it straight.

Thats a lot of nitpicking right there, but at the same time, the info corrections are accurate. Edward28, just don't feel bad or take it personal. The more you dig into Macross, the more you'll learn the difference.

Yeah, that neck/chest transformation is a bit funky. I tried following the instruction closely (the pics with the back view showing the cockpit block leaning on the neck platform), but the neck turn out short even on my Alto. But today when I transform it again and did the neck/chest slightly at a different angle, the neck sticks out more and now looks great (though the back view is not as close to the instruction pic as before). Since the chest assembly doesn't lock at a specific spot, I guess its up to us to arrange it however we like to get the best results? Not sure really.

Yeah, the 1/60 v2 is definitely the way to go if you just starting to look for a VF-1 toy. Not too pricey, but improved from all other previous generations. From my limited knowledge, Yamato is bootleg free. But if the sellers are dishonest, they can still sell you a VF-1 with defect or broken parts. So still need to be cautious. And since English is not your fluent language, its a bit more risky buying on ebay. Harder to communicate when there is an issue with your purchase. Most sellers are good, including HK or asian ones (especially Japanese sellers, they are very nice in general and pack your items real well). But you will encounter some bad ones too. So safer to buy from a online store like HLJ, BBTS, Lost & Found Toys, Angolz...etc., since they have decent prices and have good customer service (especially BBTS) in case something is wrong with your toy. But for resin kits and not something currently carried by above stores, then you might have no choice but to go ebay. Good luck on finding your stuff. And looks like HLJ has them in stock. http://www.hlj.com/product/CMS65236 http://www.hlj.com/hljlist2/?Dis=-2&fr...chpage=top_page

Don't think the Gundam Markers are great match, unless you are not picky. Bandai used flat black on the prints, but Gundam Marker black always has that very shiny 'purple' sheen (similar to Sharpie). So any black marker touch up would stand out a lot under some light at an angle, due to its glossiness. Not to mention the Gundam Markers don't sit well on smooth shiny plastic surface. They rub and smear, but still stain the plastic a bit. So a warning for you before you decide giving it a try. I got my Alto too. Haven't transform it yet, but its very beautiful in fighter mode. Though I've found that my pilot+seat assembled crooked... Do you guys happen to know if its being glued on or held by screws or peg? Doesn't seem want to move one bit with some push. But don't want to break anything on this brand new toy, so I might have to leave it the way it is. Guess Alto likes to lean on his left when riding the VF-25F, kind of like some people when driving...LOL. My road of Lemons never ends.