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I did not mean to criticize, you've done a wonderful job with the image!, I was only eager to see the new head (thanks Talos). I managed to sketch a coloured version.

A quick photoshop retouch from Macross Ace #5: Hikaru new flightsuit in TV colors

It's similar to the toynami: can be done, but doesn't look particularly good. Anyway, here you are a quick pic (sorry for the bad quality).

Most if not all of the Tenjin stuff on the site is from his Valkyries book.

??? Even in the anime the head must rotate when in battroid before beginning transformation into gerwalk or fighter. Standard on most modern transforming valks, too.

A few more pictures. This little guy is a sort of Yamto v3, as it takes much of the design from it but manages to improve hips and (more importantly) shoulders with a mix of the old chunky monkey coupled with the "slide bar" innovation. Side view and comparison (revoltech, GNU, Bandai and Toynami) - Side note: the grey gunpod on the Hi-Metal is the GNU one: the hand fits perfectly. Classic pose comparison Front view comparison Battroid closeup

Mine arrived today. The left shoulder joint mechanism was mounted in the wrong direction. I almost fainted when I saw the arms were not at the same level in battroid mode and did not connect well in fighter mode. I was able to disassemble and turn it in the right direction by using an hairdrier to soften the plastic without breaking it (and much, much patience). Everything seems tight after the "operation" (sometimes even too tight: I had to carefully adjust one of the two bending mechanisms in the arm with a flat metal edge because I feared I could break the arm). Battroid mode is gorgeous, holds poses well without the stand and is light years away from a Toynami (even if I'm still fond of them and you could buy three of 'em with the money you pay for one Hi-Metal). It shines even when compared to Yamato 1/60 v.1 and 2 (no wrong neck position or tiny shoulders). Die cast is (well) used in the backbone mechanism. Transforms in a breeze, excellent design for both shoulders and pelvis connectors. The gaps between chest and backplate are there but not nearly as big as those on the 1/60. The neck gap, on the other hand, is as bad as the one on the Yamatoes v.2 Package is gorgeous (and bigger than that of the VF-19 Fire Valkyrie). More to come when I find the time to fiddle with it some more (for now I'm just happy I was able to correct the assembling mistake without breaking anything!) Hi-Metal line comparison Battroids (with Revoltech transformable)

It's very similar to the one that appears in the CG trailers for the pacinko game (the ones with the real actress and the VF-1J)

Gubaba mentioned the head got a restyling, but from your picture it seems the same as usual.

I stil prefer the white one, but to each his own! (but, to be honest, the grey visor on my 1/55 indeed looks cool)

How about starting to dish out some Vf-17/171 goodness??? Even a revamped VF25 would be cool, not to mention a VF-4 or, better still, a VF-2SS or 2-JA from Macross II!

Absolutely cool!

No. Unknown female zentran pilot.

Why is the visor painted dark grey? In the other poster's posts it's white.

I finally completed chronicle with the last batch of issues (41-50). It was a great ride, I'll miss it (even if my wallet was beginning to scream). Time to draw some conclusions (I'll update some considerations and facts made a while back). Macross Chronicle run its course giving us approximately 1600 pages worth of content making it the best comprehensive source for the entire Macross universe. - While full of text, for those of you (like me) who can't read or have a very limited understanding of Japanese, there are over 800 pages of lineart of characters and mecha (not counting the background lineart that appears in the Worldguide section) that will surely make you happy. Even if you own a lot of Macross books, many of the reprinted lineart comes in color and you will find many never before published or very rare lineart: Macross 7 The Movie, Macross 7 Dynamite (previously only available on the laser discs jacket), Macross 0, Macross Flashback and Macross Frontier being the most interesting ones. But You'll find that also Macross Plus and Macross 7 lineart is "updated" with many drawings I have not seen before in other publications. - The mecha section contains almost all color variations that appeared in the various series (the most notable missing "customs" being the teal VF17 from Dynamite and VF25 Cannon Fodder from Frontier). There are some coloring errors here and there (the VF17 being the most notable). - Chronicle also contains characters and mecha lineart from various Macross games (M3, VF-X and VF-X 2), even if in this case it's not a "complete" collection (still, it's well worth it if you don't own any game manual). - Chronicle has also approximately 184 exclusive new illustrations (50 being made by the beloved Hidetaka Tenjin), many of which are simply gorgeous - Apart form Characters and Mecha sections, you will also find: History section for almost any series (Dynamite, II and M7 movie excluded) Worldguide section (with many lineart about backgrounds, cities, etc.) Technology section (with many new drawings about mecha details - from gunpods to missiles) Merchandise section (incomplete but interesting. It probably got cut due to space contraints) Songs section (texts of almost all macross songs - probably the least interesting section of Chronicle) Gallery section (gorgeous illustrations - some printed here for the first time. No Macross Plus!) Extra section (includes the games and MF movie lineart along with live concert articles and series data) All in all, this is the rough pagecount devoted to characters, history and mecha of each Macross series: 228 pages: Macross TV 196 pages: Macross 7 138 pages: Macross Frontier 88 pages: Macross DYRL 68 pages: Macross 0 66 pages: Macross Plus 54 pages: Macross II (no History section) 48 pages: Macross 7 Dynamite (no History section) 12 pages: Macross Flashback 10 pages: Macross 7 The Movie (no History section) Extra 2 pages: Macross Frontier The Movie I 14 pages: Macross games. Long live Macross Chronicle!

I'll chime in and give my two cents on these questions: Well, side covers should have been mandatory on the 1/60 v2 as the gap between the chest and the back is HUGE compared to other VF1 transformable toys (the 1/48, beside the gap being less noticeable, had a sort of built-in system that, while not perfect, certainly lessened this problem). I didn't notice any huge gap in this new incarnation. As for the complains about the head position on the 1/60 v2, Genius is right. I'm one of those who can't really stand the way the head sits so high in battroid. There are ways to lessen the ugliness, but it's still a design decision that bothers me (along with the skinny shoulders). And what't to criticize about the 1/48 line? It's pure beauty!

Thanks Talos and Gubaba (poor Hikaru...)

Finally got my hand on issue #4 (I'm slightly late on shedule) and I have a couple of questions for you japanese-reading guys: why do the mechanics show the destroid hangar to Fokker? why is Hikaru dressed like an idiot??? (reminds me of Video Girl Ai) why does Misa faints on the bridge after the main cannon blast? who's the long haired spectacled guy with Minmay near the end of the episode? why does Shammy bring flowers on the bridge?

I've checked TIA Macross II and entertainment bible 52: the only B&W lineart available for wendy rider is her in the "metal siren replica" suit, wich appears in colour as an extra report on Silvie's chronicle sheet B. All other Wendy pictures are (in TIA) watercolours by Mikimoto and (in Ent. Bible) the very same watercolours - some of them - reprinted in b&w. So, technically, Wendy is there A missing character,however,appears to be the Dynamite black market dealer (he is featured broadly in the laser discs lineart but not in the sheet dedicated to the bad guys in chronicle.

I could not resist the urge and have just placed an order with HLJ to have the 70% shipping discount... but only if monday they file my order in time (crosses finger)!

Thanks nonetheless, I'll wait. EDIT: Preview pics here (too small to notice the different head) I'm madly curious: how are the colors different from the TV series? Is it now red AND black with skull insigna on the cockpit shield like the DYRL VF1A? PS: nice, it seems the issue comes with stickers!

I guess the red Super VF1 in the preview trailer will spawn a tons of toys. Maybe Basara makes a coming back???

Gorgeous!

Could you post a pic or two of the new VF1J for this salivating 1J geek? Pretty please? (I'll get my copy of Ace #5 in September along with the collected The First tankobon #2, don't be cruel with a poor soul!)

I've got a soft spot for VF1Js, so this is on my to-buy list, but a decent review would certainly be welcome.