technoblue

With the latest KC Valkyrie/Veritech design improvements, I can’t shake the notion that the popped tail in fighter mode gives their Valk bunny ears. Alas, although amusing, no VF reinvestment from me.

The fabric clothing shown on Minmay and Hikaru…er…Rick…needs more work, especially if KC are doubling down on the new gimmick as these prototypes show.

Minmay’s dress and turtleneck combo could use more color adjustments, especially in the yellow and blue. The hemline could be brought in a smidge so that the dress doesn’t billow and look baggy. Also, I think the shoes worn with this outfit were open toe in the show?

Rick’s fan racer suit is missing much of its own detailing: the black stripes and the grey pieces on the side (for instance). I would expect these details on a retail copy.

On 7/29/2022 at 1:07 AM, M'Kyuun said:

My copy of DR. Wu's Amie came today so I thought I'd do a quick review.

…

Amie comes with a pistol and a rifle, and a separate Arcee face that apparently fits a larger Arcee figure. Neither the box nor the instructions give any indication as to which fig it's for. I didn't take a pic of it, as it obviously wasn't for Amie, having left it and the obligatory collector's card (why?) in the box.

 

Nice detailed review, @M'Kyuun. With regard to the face, it is meant as a bonus for those who have the official MP Arcee but are not happy with Takara’s face options. Dr. Wu’s bonus face provides a replacement for the neutral face with full cheeks and an updated eye shape.

6 minutes ago, Mommar said:

They got "Guardian" and "Veritech" mode swapped on the art.

Yes they did. Oops.

I’m liking what I see overall, though. The waffled/grated cover on the upper intakes and those prototype landing gear, notwithstanding.

For me, I think that the upper intakes would have looked better had they kept the new grated part inset. Now I’m curious to see if it was molded flush to make room for new transformation bits and bobs.

I have been enjoying Three-Zero’s Patlabor releases and I’m glad they’re taking extra time to get their first Valkyrie out at retail. With any luck, the production/retail version of this 1J will have good quality like other stuff they’ve put out recently.

So…will we get to peek at a possible premium finish version or the pre-order details next? 

1 hour ago, treatment said:

meh.

Also, why does it have DYRL-hands instead of TV clown-hands, anyway?  

Bandai Assymetry again?

I think the VF-1D was the first Valkyrie to include a full set of TV style hands? The Angel Birds release looks to be going back to the two standard TV options: the splayed hand and the gun holding hand.

Poor TV Kakizaki passed over again.

The new wing emblem on Bandai’s version of the Angel Birds 1A is nifty. The blue stand is cool too. I’m not sure what to think about all of the extra stripes.

Someone is clearly having fun with the figma art marketing photos.

7 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

I get you. As I said, as with most of what LEGO does in their Creator Expert, Icons, and Ideas lines, I am in awe of the sheer talent manifest in the various models, and the Atari is no exception. The subject matter, however, has little appeal for me personally. By contrast, although I'm not a car guy, I appreciate models like the Volkswagon Beetle, the Ford Mustang, and the Mini Cooper, just to name the ones I have in my own collection. I'm tempted to add the James Bond Aston Martin DB-5 to that list- I think it's brilliant. Going further, I think the Botanical line is a brilliant as well; I don't own any, although I'm tempted to pick one or two up. They have a certain appeal- not for everyone, but I think it's cool that they're doing something so outside of their traditional norms. Likewise the Murals and Architecture lines. I was playing with LEGO before the minifig made its debut in '79, so I've seen a lot of evolution and progress over the years. I also remember the dark times in the early 00s when they were producing lackluster sets and nearly went bankrupt. They've had quite the journey, and I've been along for the ride. Thank goodness for Jorgen Knudstorp and LEGO's willingness to listen to his advice. From just going back to basics and making nice looking sets again focusing on the building experience to almost twenty years later with all the eclectic themes they now offer, I'm grateful that my favorite hobby has persisted and been so successful and open-minded.  

As a mecha MOC builder and articulation fiend, I do wish they'd make stronger and more varied joints, as well as a fully articulated midi-fig as an analog to the beloved minifig. Alas, their open-mindedness has its limits. 

Thanks, @M'Kyuun.

I wanted to add that your knowledge of LEGO history, the designers, and what is useful among the current batch of LEGO pieces (to help enhance limbs or make things sturdy) is much appreciated. I still catch myself marveling at your MOC VF-4. It and the MOC Konig Monster that you shared some time ago are fantastic pieces.

And although TLG is reticent, I still have some hope we will see enhanced joint pieces eventually—especially if they continue with the fun retail super robot designs. The ability to pose in action or hold items would add to the play value.

A fully articulated well proportioned midi-fig sounds enticing. I recall the Buildable Figure series had some fun builds, but the larger proportions made for some uncanny valley results with the human characters. Scaling down the articulated LEGO builds, and using more familiar LEGO pieces could go a long way to improve that final look.

58 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

Unlike the majority of my fellow geeky Americans, I did not grow up playing video games, so I have no nostalgia to anchor me to these console sets. They're cool, from an artistic standpoint, but considering you could probably buy the real thing from a Gamestop for less than the set, the appeal is somewhat lost on me.  Alas, different strokes.

Indeed. The console sets are very cool and implement a number of artistic elements. I see value in how TLG could expand on the theme if they wanted to. It’s that same artistic license that LEGO bricks bring that I think will help these sets reach a wider audience than just gamers. I don’t know. For me, it’s just fun.

For instance, my sister, who was only casually into computers and gaming when we were young is tickled seeing that the LEGO NES and Atari sets are actual retail sets. 

Can someone who is tech savvy rescue a used console for cheap or spend a bit to build a low-power computer around Retropi that then plays these games? Sure, but now we’re talking about a completely different project with its own timeline and constraints—apples and oranges.

So no, I don’t think the LEGO console sets are meant to replace the solutions someone might seek out to play and revisit a fun childhood game. Instead, as licensed sets, they are simply LEGO celebrations of the original. Like how the Creator Expert/Icons/Technics cars celebrate those designs. I understand they won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. 

I can’t believe I’m writing this, but saying that I’m into the set but passing on it is in no way trying to influence anyone else or force an opinion. But in case it needs to be reiterated, I hope that gives some clarity.

10 hours ago, eXis10z said:

Just finished s3 and boy is vanya annoying. I find that character exceeding annoying. 

Well, Netflix changed a lot for the show. I suggest taking a look at the comic, if you’re willing and want a different perspective of the events and characters.

As for me, I’ve enjoyed both interpretations. It will be interesting to see where the story goes if we get a season 4.

4 hours ago, Mog said:

Just finished Season 1 (I know).

Dumb question:  I wonder if the future before Number Five ditched The Handler (after being moved up to management) would have averted the apocalypse?

Everyone has a fairly happy ending.  And Vanya still discovers the journal, but there would be (theoretically) no gorilla boy to trap her. 

Yeah. At the end of season 1, something like that happy timeline is possible…

On the other hand, there are so many other variables at play, and we didn’t get to see much of the revised present-day timeline that the Handler intended to use as her main reset. Something else could have come up to cause things to go sideways. I’ll leave it at that to avoid potential season 2 and 3 spoilers.

I really like the look of the LEGO Atari VCS and NES—so much nostalgia in those two for me—but I’m also going to pass.

What would be tempting about these retro consoles, and what I’m glad LEGO didn’t do, is have a collectible retro cartridge line that includes the video game vignettes as separate builds.

Oh, I think there’s a chance for streaming licenses if Macross gets a positive reception here. Whether or not Big West is working on those license contracts concurrently with these blu-ray licensing deals or at a later date is my question. I guess we will find out eventually.

On 7/15/2022 at 4:57 AM, kazuo said:

I wouldn't expect any of this to be dubbed. That is just grasping at straws, let's be real. Same with 4K. Isn't going to happen, nothing else currently exists that has been scanned/mastered at that resolution. I'd love to be wrong about 4K, maybe Anime Limited can surprise us. That'd be amazing.

Imagine thinking Plus is "uninteresting" though, yeesh. 🥴

I don’t know. Sure, I wouldn’t expect a 4k remaster before Japan gets one. But I’m thinking there’s a good possibility that Anime Limited would want a Macross Plus collector’s set that gives users as much choice as possible to set preferred sub and dubtitles. Here, I’m thinking how the Japan release from a few years back tweaked the English tracks. For instance, maybe there will be an option to flip between the original Manga sub/dub and the updated sub/dub for the OVA and movie? We will have to wait and see what the new licensing allows for with regard to domestic translation in the west.

Speaking about the show itself, man…it will never be uninteresting to me. Macross Plus and Macross II are what introduced me to actual Macross content back in the day. I remember watching them both on VHS tapes.

Before that, I only really knew about Robotech and the cut-up version of DYRL: Clash of the Bionoids. Those were cool in their own way but, for me, ended up being poor substitutes to the real Macross TV series and DYRL itself. Once I was able to access the actual content with decent subs, I was hooked.

4 minutes ago, Convectuoso said:

Their prices are too high. I've been getting mine from ShowZ or AliExpress 

+1

I can vouch for ShowZ. I also like their points system. It has come in handy on a couple of my orders. 

3 hours ago, troyness said:

I watched the trailer to Super Dark Times & that is EXACTLY the movie I was talking about!!!

Thank U technoblue!!

You're awesome man.

Hey, troyness, it was my pleasure.  

I’ve been running quick searches here and there on the other movies mentioned above, but so far I have no new clues or titles to share.

10 hours ago, troyness said:

Thank God this thread was started!!

I've got one:

It was an independent movie a few years ago. It's about a teenage boy (or group of friends???) that accidentally killed someone. The premise was trying to lead a normal life/fear of being discovered/coming of age drama suspense. ...I think it was critically acclaimed...been dieing to watch it for years.. but obviously can't because I have no idea WTF it's title is.

Doing a Google search like " teen who accidentally kills someone, trying to move on with life" doesn't work lol.

Thanks Guys.

Based on this description, I was thinking either Paranoid Park (2007) or Super Dark Times (2017).

I saw the movie yesterday and I didn’t mind the humor. In fact, I appreciated that the movie embraced it. I have had friends and family (young and old) who have/had what Jane Foster’s character has—what ultimately leads her to Mjolnir. Giving humor lets someone in that position escape with a smile or a laugh for a brief moment. It can be just as important as rest and support, especially if time is a limited commodity.

For me, that’s an important juxtaposition the movie is making between how Jane handles what she’s given and how Gorr does the same. Sure, it would have been nice to get more depth from Gorr’s side… I kind of wish the MCU wasn’t all about making the audience comfortable all the time, especially when dealing with difficult subjects like the ones raised in this film. 

Anyway, I digress.

The one thing that did stand out as a little dry to me was all of Waititi’s narration in the film. I’ve read that a lot was cut out to get this to its published runtime. Thinking on that, I kind of wish more editing had been done to smooth out the transitions and remove the narration. Let the movie speak for itself, you know?

9 hours ago, Convectuoso said:

I don't see one in the accessories picture.

True; however, I like the potential choice in possibilities this implies if the enhancement wasn’t just rendered in.

I mean, the FT gimmick was an okay idea but I felt it was executed poorly since the swap on those low tolerance parts could damage the paint. That happened on my copy of Rouge. I’m curious about whether NA figured out how to do the gimmick at this scale and avoid the downsides.

But if they are simply teasing another potential version of Arcee, like an H48c(urvy), that’s okay by me too.

Very nice. It looks like Newage compromised on Arcee’s alt mode to give us a better bot mode. IMO, that’s the way to do it if you have to add constraints.

Oh, is NA giving their Arcee a swappable chest piece like FT Rouge? I do like how the soles of her feet become the back of the car seats.

Yeah, it may be a tease for now, but it would be sweet if Bandai ends up making some of these long-awaited announcements close to the show’s anniversary. Gonna wait and see…

Mm. It is possible.

Here’s my take on the end:

Quick question… Or maybe I’m missing something obvious, but who is the figure in the hat and the cape? The one who is also in the artwork with Ranka and Sheryl and the horse?

Edit: I figured it out. It’s one of Osamu Tezuka’s characters—I was missing the obvious.😅

The Midnight Hour, perhaps? 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Midnight_Hour

Edit: Sorry, I just noticed this one was already mentioned. Apologies for that.

4 hours ago, Lolicon said:

Tomahawk Walkure edition! Comes in red, purple, yellow, green, and pink! 

I don’t know about those colors, but I wouldn’t mind it if Bandai released alternate color HMR Destroids. Maybe navy blue, khaki, and olive drab?