wraith1701

Hey folks. I greatly enjoy reading Sci-Fi, and I'm a big fan of Giant Robots. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble finding any sci-fi novels featuring mecha. The closest thing to mecha fiction I've come across in the past few years are Heinlein's Starship Troopers, the novel Armor (both of which feature armored suits, not actual mecha), and the various Battletech books. I've read all of these, and enjoyed them, but they just aren't quite what I'm looking for. I've also read the novelizations of the Harmony Gold Robotech show and the English version of Tamino's Gundam trilogy, but I NEED MORE. Does anyone out there know of any English language novels featuring Giant Robots?

Excellent screen caps, ComicKaze! Looking at them gave me an idea: Do you guys think that maybe in the scenes featuring complex mechanical designs, the animators might possibly slack off a bit on character design? I haven't gone back and reviewed many scenes, but it seems as though much more effort is put into the rendering of the characters in scenes where they are the featured attraction. On the other hand, it seems as though in the scenes where the characters share screen time with mechs or complex set designs, the mechanical designs are given more focus than the characters. I wonder if there are two teams of animators; one specializing in tech/mechanical design, and one specializing on character design? Anyone know?

That was a pretty cool video ron5864. That soundtrack brought back memories! Which Queadluun Rau and Valkyrie figures were those?

I agree; it looks like the mech is actually constructed out of metal. Did you dry-brush on the metallic surfaces along the edges, or did you apply the green over a metal-colored base-coat, and then sand off the exposed areas? The decal application is outstanding as well-- they look painted on! Very impressive!

I just watched this episode again after reading the plot summary, and actually got chills during the last few scenes featuring the Diamond Crevasse song... very well put together episode! While I envy and respect the discerning eye of many of the fans here, I have to say that I had no problems whatsoever with the animation quality. While I'm sure that they are there, I'm having trouble finding all of the flaws that have been mentioned. Just one of the few advantages of being an old fart who grew up during a time when the animation quality of shows like Super Dimensional Fortress Macross and Gatchaman was considered outstanding , I guess. By the way; if anyone else out there had trouble following exactly what was going on in the RAW of this episode, here's the summary- (source: Raymond Santos Estrella blog)

I initially checked out the show because it was a new Macross show, and I've always been a fan of the mecha designs in the Macross shows. What keeps me coming back each week is the story (and the hope of seeing more mecha action).

LOL! I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this episode, especially considering that it was another character building episode. As with the other episodes, I could kind of figure out what was going on from context, but some of the details and technical aspects escape me. Can someone explain to me what was going on with the drinks table at the 'creation of the Ranka fan club' scene? The characters seemed to be sending electrical pulses through the table's surface by tapping on it... what was going on there?

Nice looking work, man; very impressive. You've put an amazing amount of detail in such a small subject. How many points of articulation will be on this? Will it be flexible at the knees, arms, elbows as well as the hip? And with it being a resin cast, are you including commercial joints (like the ones made by yellowsub and wave) with the kits?

Nice pics, eriku! God Mars is pretty cool; the SOC looks great! My favorite SOC, however, is this bad boy- The photos are courtesy of Nakajo at the Robot Japan forums. Not sure if he is the photographer, but whoever it is is a true artist! This 'gokin is THE BEST version out there of what I think is THE ICON of Japanese super-robots. The engineering put into this thing is amazing; Bandai manages to provide a huge amount of articulation without drastically altering the clean, anime-faithful lines of the 'bot. The metal content is decent- the thighs, upper arms, and lower torso/pelvis area are solid metal, giving Raideen a nice, solid feel. I swear; this thing is hard to put down!

ToysLogic has them up for pre-order; release date September. I like the fact that products are coming out, but the SD characters aren't my cup of tea. They look well-made, but I'm looking forward to more anime-accurate depictions of the characters and mechs.

You aren't the only one-- I'm in Louisville KY. And let me tell you, this city has a disturbing lack of any type of anime-themed stores.

Same here! I think I got the jist of what was going on from context, though, and I enjoyed the episode. I liked the tour of the colony ship; it was cool to take a peek at "Zentradi-Town". Speaking of Zentradi, can someone clear something up for me? Mikhail Buran is a Zentradi, right? Any explanation yet why he seems to be living life full-time as a micronized guy? KK seems pretty comfortable switching back and forth...

I just found out that my SOC Raideen is on the way from BBTS! Now I have to hurry up and decide if I want to get the Deluxe version as well, before it sells out!

Rockhound pretty much summed it up, but I'll add a little. I'm assuming you are applying water-slide decals, not actual stickers. Unless the surface you are applying the decals to is already glossy smooth, you should prep the surface with either future or testors gloss-coat. In my experience, decals wont set right if applied to a rough or non-gloss surface. The more polished and smooth the surface, the better. This helps the decal to conform entirely to the surface, helping you to achieve a "painted-on" appearance. After your surface is prepped, you can use decal set to soften up the decal. This will further help the decal to conform to the surface you are applying it to, and is handy if you are applying the decal to a surface that has raised details, like rivets or panel lines. Be sure to carefully blot the decal before it sets and dries to remove any air bubbles that might be trapped beneath it. Once the decal dries, you can use any commercial overcoat to seal the decal to the surface. I personally like using testors semi-gloss coat. Just be sure to follow the instructions on the can-- use light passes, spraying past the surface. The idea is to apply the surface coat in miniscule layers at a time. Otherwise, you risk having a visible layer of laquer covering your surface, which wont look so hot. After you have sealed the decal, you are pretty much done. Depending on how much you want to detail or weather your mech. The only thing I'll add is if the initial surface treatment leaves your subject looking too glossy (which isn't very realistic for a military subject), you can fix it with a light coat of testors dull-coat. This will cut any glare, and leave your subject with a matt, or non-shiny finish.

VFTF1; glad you are enjoying the SOC line. These things are incredible! I have the Gunbuster, and it is magnificent... If I'm not careful, I can end up spending hours posing and re-posing it. I also have a couple of the EVA 01 SOCs (yeah, I know; the EVA isn't even technically a mech, but I'm a fan of the series and the design). The standard version is actually pretty "meh"; inaccurate coloring and proportions, and the joints are very floppy. The SOC-Spec version, on the other hand, is very impressive-- it features removable armor, much of which is die-cast metal, which lets you pose the beast in standard or "unmasked" mode. Right now, I'm waiting on the arrival of a SOC Raideen I preordered in March. From the pictures I've seen, this will be the crowning jewel of my collection!

You took the words right out of my mouth. I'm enjoying this show more than I have any other Mecha series in a long time, but I wouldn't mind a little less pre-teen fan-service. Unfortunately, this seems almost like a required element in a lot of anime... I guess producers try to include a little of everything to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. I've sort of trained myself to ignore it. I have to admit though; I'm enjoying the tension between Alto and Cheryl. As far as the homages to the original series are concerned, I like them. I probably haven't seen the first series as many times as a lot of fans here, but I remember enough to pick up on the more obvious nods. Seeing them helps connect this show with the rest of the Macross universe for me. I like the idea of inter-agency rivalry; that would be pretty sweet. I'd also like to see exactly how the chain of command/jurisdiction works out.. is SMS an autonomous agency with the same authority as NUNS, or is it sort of a mercenary force that is employed by NUNS? I'm also curious; how do the Zentradi fit into the picture? Are the Zentradi pilots a part of the government space force, or are the Zentradi a seperate military that is allied with the humans?

I'm all for gashapons as well, preferably made of ABS instead of PVC. Articulation would make my day; something like Bandai's Gundam Ultimate Action trading figures. In this small size, I wouldn't be too concerned about part swapping for transformation. Hell; I wouldn't even be too broken up if the small figures didn't transform. I just want tiny, poseable MF mechs that I can pose next to my SOC's and other 'bots. Of course, I'd like the 1/60 to transform as smoothly and anime-accurately as possible! This would be sweet, but I'd still like some 1/200 (7 to 9 cm) trading figure mechs. You and me both, buddy. I guess I have to look on the bright side, though... If there were gashapon machines at every corner 7-11, my bank account would be in serious jeopardy!

Right now, my favorite character is Ozma Lee; he reminds me of Fokker, my favorite character from SDF Macross. Like Fokker, he's an experienced ace pilot, but with more of an edge. This, along with his mysterious past involving Ranka and the Vajra, gives his character a lot of potential for further development. I just hope he doesn't get killed off before his potential can be realized.

Hey all; new guy here just chiming in on how great this episode was. As someone mentioned earlier, it had the perfect blend of character development, humor, and good old-fashioned mecha action! The dogfights seemed a little fast paced and hard for me to follow at the beginning of the series, but I'm starting to appreciate their chaotic energy-- it goes a long way towards conveying just how intense it would be to find yourself in that type of situation. I don't care how much pilot training I had; I'd be toast in a second! These are the best that I could come up with; Zentran KK isn't in the episode for all that many frames: Zentran KK Micron KK Hope that helps.