Lolicon

These days it's one, maybe two. Before it was not unusual for me to get 3 or more. I mean I have at least 3 of Delta squadron, and I didn't even like the show.

"Hi Metal" is just a brand name, just like Subway's "foot long" subs. Only a fool would expect a sandwich called a "foot long" to be 12 inches.

I hope they got rid of the stupid swappable wings, but that's a fool's hope with Bandai.

Yeah I buy a lot less than I did way back when. It's not an income issue as I make a lot more now than I did 10 years ago. I think you just reach a point where you're like "why the heck do I have 3-4-5-6 copies of such and such valk?!" Over the years I've found that I get the most fun out of fixing these toys up the best I can; basically what I wish they were "out of the box" considering how expensive some of these toys are. I think the PF editions of the 0D, YF-19, and VF-4A are the only valks I've bought that I've been 100% satisfied with without adding any additional work of my own.

0D already broke. Lame!

We finally got a Bandai valk with proper white landing gear! Got my copy last night but only had time to fiddle with it a little. After being disappointed by the 0S, I lowered my expectations accordingly, and I must say the 0D is a nice step up from the 0S. Just out of the box, in battroid mode, I'll go as far as to say this is the best looking valk to date in the HMR line. Haven't transformed it yet, so I can't speak to its transformation and fit quality or fighter mode. I've always been lukewarm to the quality of HMR valks, but if this is the kind of quality Bandai can put out in this line, then I'm much more excited for future valk releases. The Arcadia PF version is still the best 0D, but this is a good (and much more affordable) alternative. I think I'm going to have to scrounge up some decals to pretty her up some...

Yep. I'm showing my gratefulness to Bandai's efforts in the only way that actually matters to Bandai: by forking over a bunch of my money for one.

Bandai saw so how much people enjoyed sanding down the tabs on their 31AXs that they went ahead and incorporated this "feature" into the HMR 0D.

I might do a panel wash, but that'll be it. Don't have a lot of time for hobbies as of late, and I'd rather use that time on 1/60 scale toys. Also, for some reason Bandai valks just feel like way more hassle to make look good, particularly HMR. They're gone for the Obon holiday. Was waiting for one more item this month before shipping my PW anyway.

I got two. After the disappointing 0S, I've lowered my expectations accordingly, so hoping this one won't be a letdown.

About 15 minutes ago.

The end customer does not care one whit about how much "hard work & effort" went into a product nor do they have any obligation to do so. If a product sucks or does not meet expectations, then it's a product that sucks or does not meet expectations.

Going by emails from HLJ it appears they have all taken off for the Obon holiday already. It would save me a lot of hassle if they did...

Didn't care much for the musical episode as I'm really not into musicals. The season finale more than made up for it though!

Making people buy the same toy again just to get the mechanical details that should have been included in the first place? No thanks, Bandai. Great for the people who missed out the first time around though.

Pretty good summary of the HMR line. HMR is the old beater car you drive to work everyday and don't care if it gets messed up in a hail storm.

I'll buy it but it won't be replacing my Yamato. I'm just hoping it actually fits properly and parts aren't warped, something Bandai has failed at since the first 31AX release.

I'm with you on that. The price is just right for what we're getting, i.e. not paying Metal Robot Spirits prices for regular Robot Spirits quality.

Another aspect that isn't mentioned too often is the cockpit. While the cockpit is more spacious and the pilot no longer is squished up against the instrument panel, Bandai didn't think to add an actual seat, so the pilot sits on the floor and can't see over the instrument panel. This isn't a QC issue. It's a poor design issue. It looks really dumb and makes the pilot look like a little kid at an air show.

Was considering getting that Threezero 1J but then I saw that they Bandai'd the landing gear, so nuts to that. That's right up there with putting the on/off switch for the arc reactor light on their Iron Man figures underneath a panel that you need to unscrew to open... after pulling the torso off completely from the lower half.

Wow you make almost wish I had bought the anniversary edition!

That price would be acceptable if it was the full set pack and not this corner-cutting reissue.

This might be an unpopular opinion, but Bandai could just, you know, make it easier to buy their crap, instead of making their customers scramble over each other like a bunch of circus seals fighting over a bucket of fish.

^ This. Regardless of the reasons behind it, Bandai is currently crapping out inferior quality products at a higher price than they were just a couple of years ago. Even long-proven toys from way before the pandemic have taken a step down in quality. Sure, the Revival 25 has that nice matte finish now, but it still has the same problems as before (the "improved" joints are a joke) and introduces a few new problems, like the incorrectly painted stripes. Good thing it comes with super parts to cover that up with. I mentioned I wasn't a huge fan of the HMR VF-0S in another thread. Aside from being overpriced for what Bandai is giving you, another major reason is, well, I'll let Rocket handle it:

Another Bandai PO I can skip.