BlueMax

Just got one in  Amiami after changing my browser (chrome was getting me to log in but never past that).

19 hours ago, ScrambledValkyrie said:

So the second series of 1/100 armor is going to be more different color schemes? That’s great to know that the first series was successful enough that they would extend the line.

Yeah, great to see the 1/100 armors did well enough to warrant a 2nd series. I really wonder for the 1/60 version if they have managed to get close to their target with about 1 more month to go to hit the minumim number for production.

6 hours ago, MacrossMania said:

Appreciate the thought that may have been put behind the shape of the wings on both the 31 and 25's.  Not sure that was actually the case, but if it was, that's cool.  To me though, it's still a poor design choice.  And that's the point, design versus engineering.  At least in my world.  The engineers make the architect's vision happen in the real world.  And so the bandai toymakers make Kawamori's designs happen in the "make believe" one.  But it's the initial design that's totally flawed as far as I'm concerned.  No amount of engineering is going to solve that problem when the thing is designed to have wings that look like the back of a praying mantis.

 

I hate saying this, because macross fans are always so preening and well wishing -as the internet is generally I guess, but especially so when you get these self-anointed specialty groups like nerd heaven or something.  I know I risk the wrath of the Macross community by daring to criticize a Kawamori design, but let's face it, you can rank them, and as far as the 31 is concerned, it had to be said.

I agree that the wings on the 25 and 31 are not ideal, and if we are to be honest about it, despite justification for their existance as we know it, they are just kibble (to borrow a Transformer term, and Transformer fans generally HATE kibble). 

Re: Bugs and insects: I have also felt the same since the 25 - they look insectoid. jointed thin limbs with sharp extremities.  The head unit of the VF-31F doesn't help, it just screams insect. A lay person will have very much difficulty telling the 25, 29, 30 and 31 apart on 1st look in battroid mode with the Multi Purpose Container hidden. most would just refer to it as .... Gundam (as oppossed to Transformers for the VF-1)

Still like all of them though, just that, maybe except the YF-19, nothing equals the VF-1 in terms of how iconic and how clean everything look in all modes. In my opinion only.

37 minutes ago, eXis10z said:

The Advance is less valuable to you in your opinion? 

Personally, that is the case. At least when comparing the MSRP and my opinion of the advance is that it isn’t the defining version of the plane associated with Isamu. And as you said, other than the boosters, you get way less.

A few days before the release, people were dumping the Advance en masse, but it seems to have stabilised now.

I think it depends on how much you want the Advance and the boosters.... and whether the 19 is used or brand new.

One thing though: ugly ducklings and originally shunned releases do tend to pick up good value after a Long time.... but who knows when that’ll be.

2 hours ago, Sildani said:

I’d be tempted, since it’d give me access to the ADVANCE parts and I could go on an all-out orgy of weapons, armor parts, and booster rockets.

YF-19 STAMPEED prototype!!

Trade.... but with a top-up from him. Unless you want the Advance more than he wants the YF-19

Is this the 1st time we have pictures of the Arcadia 35th anniversary VF-1?

http://arcadia.ac/products/detail.php?product_id=272

4 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

It helps having Chrome with built-in translation function to navigate their website, if you want to give it a shot going forwards.

Or you can simply switch the language option to English instead of japanese. Not everything gets switched to english, but more than enough to help in navigating the site til payment with no issues.

Still available on Amazon.co.jp

https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B07CMT92SS/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

11 hours ago, jvmacross said:

Wonder where they are at on PO's for the 1/60 armors?

Taobao's inbuilt counter says each has sold 7 so far in the past month. Not sure if that is accurate, but it is still early.

https://shop257245113.taobao.com/category-1368085715.htm?spm=2013.1.w4010-17849520978.12.31c02398py1NSG&search=y&catName=Fext+Hobby#bd

On a related note, for the 1/100 OWL, seems the 202 (blue) version has sold out for the major sellers. 

2 hours ago, DewPoint said:

And this leads us back to the "where are our Destroids and Zentradi mecha"? They would not cut into the profits of the 1/48 line as much as I cannot see Bandai offering us Destroids and Zentradi in 1/48 scale. But you never know. 

Actually they do, though they are different products, but they are bought by the same, or at least overlapping, group of consumers. Not all the consumers are able to buy all these releases so close to each other (like me), and would have to be forced to make a choice as to what would be the priority. Some would totally give up and not get anything, since in their minds it is all, or none.

Bandai not wanting to cannibalize their own sales makes sense, and I am also of the opinion that competition with the Yamato 1/60 V.2 VF-1s was almost certainly a big part of why the original HM line didn't do well. 

Personally, I am happy that the HMR releases are not as fast now... gives me a chance to catch up what I had missed over the last 2 years.

Any fleet that successfully colonized a planet in peace and never makes it to a Macross series. I.E. A fleet with no events that would shorten the life expectancy of both civillians and military. Just wanna live and die in peace.

The OWL armors and this display has/will probably sold/sell more Hi-Metal Rs than bandai itself!

I'm seeing retailers sell out and/or raise prices for their previously shelf-warming HMRs over the last week!

1 minute ago, Axelay said:

Is it safe to assume that these are for v2 1/60s and not v1s?

Absolutely.

So SAD that your items have to be held at border entry. At least you know where your package is though. 

According to Fext Hobby on its Facebook replies regarding Color:

這1:60版本是淺灰丶深灰配上金屬灰色！

basically it translates to: these 1:60 versions are light grey, dark grey and gunmetal/ metallic grey

In other words, it should be close to the coloured versions we see on the transparent valk(S)

47 minutes ago, borgified said:

Ah! So my post did help you after all @BlueMax.

 

Yes,  I was looking for a set of Messer's supers for a while, but those i could find are waaaaay over priced. This set, while still expensive, was much much more palatable. Went ahead to get it as soon as i saw your post. Thanks again! 

On 8/9/2018 at 2:23 AM, borgified said:

Looks like someone has picked up Messer's Supers as list not listed anymore on Jungle; however, there is two more listings for Messer's 31f for a total of 5 choices. 

That was me.....

7 minutes ago, Lolicon said:

 

Though I wonder why some people are eager to see Bandai "hammer the nail in the coffin" of Arcadia. As I stated once before: what kind of fool wants less competition and choice in the marketplace? Did we suddenly become pro-multinational behemoths that grind any competition under their heels? 

Yeah Arcadia prices are high and I can understand if that's too much for some people. And you can show your disapproval by not buying their products. But wanting them gone so that Bandai is the sole provider of Macross toys? We had that for long time and we got nothing but garbage from Bandai.

 

 I absolutely concur. Competition is generally a good thing. Bandai would never have stepped up its game if not for Yamato. Also, with Bandai bring its A game, Arcadia would do well to toe a fine line between profits and sustainability.

11 minutes ago, mamboeidos said:

dun mind me asking but the one on the bottom ls from which line? 

its from the 80s right? i had one but arms r gone so is the chest plate...but man..it is a very quality piece of fig 

Yes, the 80's The Takatoku/Bandai 1/55, affectionately known as the "Chunky Monkey". The Super VF-1S was co-opted by Hasbro to become "Jetfire" in the TF line of toys

HLJ instock!

Finally watched RO yesterday, and I enjoyed it very much, much much better than TFA! 

A few things that i really liked:

- it is nice to have something rather than following the main characters from the main story all the time.

- Everyday people with no super powers (force skills) makes for more relatable characters

- Storm troopers actually show themselves to be able to aim AND hit their target!

- Vader was actually menacing in his combat scene.

- Rebels and their actions are many times less noble than perceived from main films. Some were even openly being cowards.

- The fact that the volunteer rebels were willing to, and actually gave up their lives for a cause they believed was beautiful. (For too long have films state how little chance of survival their characters have, but yet have plot armor thicker and more durable than any pinpoint/ omni directional barrier.)

Of course, it is far from perfect, but it turned out far better than i had expected.

Think I got lucky this time at amiami after many failures over the past few years

Got my HLJ confirmation... phew!

Negative.

As an episode, it was maybe just OK. However, it wasn't any episode.

It was a series finale and as a series finale, it was very disappointing.

Bottomline: it ended the series, but other than the (somewhat forced) love triangle and that Chuck's sister was alive, pretty much everything else was left hanging.

Eg. Regarding the protoculture. Other than than the questionable claim that songs was always meant to be a weapon by Berger, what else did we learn about the protoculture that was new?