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Macross Bandai 1/55 Super VF1S Valkyrie...


CamuiGackt

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I bought a 1/55 Bandai Hikaru Ichijo VF1S while in Japan for only 1,900 Yen (about $17!!!...with tax) and it is worth every Yen. I have to say it is much better than my much more expensive Yamato 1/60 VF-1J with Super Pack for 6,500 Yen ($55?!?!?). The Yamato is very delicate by comparison, even though I do not throw these things around and treat them very well. The Bandai 1/55 transforms much better and is so very solid. I think it is a masterpiece, and can hardly be improved upon. Yes, I have seen the 1/48s from Yamato and I can still say this with conviction. I would go so far as to say it is the best Valkerie design I have ever seen. Besides, they are likely just as delicate as the 1/60 VF-1J anyway...Any opinions would be great to hear, thanks.

I have an obsession, a Minmay obsession. Don't try to help me, I will not let you.

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Yeah! To hell with accuracy and poseablity! :lol: These are toys, not models dammit! I also love my re-ish Chunky Monkeys, the fun factor is high on these Macross originals. And yes, I'm still holding hope for Bandai to release the last four 1/55s: GBP-1S (Solscud you lucky man), VF-1S Strike, VT-1 and VE-1.

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Where did you get it for $17!  I've got 3 but for that price I'd get 3 more.

I got it in the Tachikawa mall in Tokyo prefecture in Japan when I was in the Air Force last year. They had a bunch of the Yamato 1/48s collecting dust. I think I saw like 8 all told, all blue Maxes...They were like 10,000 Yen each (about $80-82), way too high for what you get, in my opinion. They also had the Ostrich ELINT-seeker and tons of Bandai 1/55s for only

1,600 Yen ($9.75 +/=), a veritiable steal. I passed on the one w/out the fast packs and got the real deal, the VF-1S Strike Valkyrie baby!

This thing is so cool, I still drool over it after a year or more of ownership. Yamato makes great Valks, but if Bandai makes them for less w/more durability, I say go for it.

I want a YF-19 and an SDF-1...

Edited by CamuiGackt
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I bought a 1/55 Bandai Hikaru Ichijo VF1S while in Japan for only 1,900 Yen (about $17!!!...with tax) and it is worth every Yen. I have to say it is much better than my much more expensive Yamato 1/60 VF-1J with Super Pack for 6,500 Yen ($55?!?!?). The Yamato is very delicate by comparison, even though I do not throw these things around and treat them very well. The Bandai 1/55 transforms much better and is so very solid. I think it is a masterpiece, and can hardly be improved upon. Yes, I have seen the 1/48s from Yamato and I can still say this with conviction. I would go so far as to say it is the best Valkerie design I have ever seen. Besides, they are likely just as delicate as the 1/60 VF-1J anyway...Any opinions would be great to hear, thanks.

I have an obsession, a Minmay obsession. Don't try to help me, I will not let you.

Well, I'm glad you like the 1/55, it has a very important place in Macross fandom...but I fail to see how the bandai is a better sculpt than the 1/48.

the 1/48 (so far) is the closest to official line-art offered up by Shoji Kawamori (he himself, the MAN WHO DESIGNED IT, says it's the best representation so far). They're very well built and far more sturdy than any 1/60 ever was. Have you even handled a 1/48? The way you barely mention it I have to wonder.

If you genuinely HAVE handled one and still stick to that conviction, more power to you and more 1/48s for me and everyone else....

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They also had the Ostrich ELINT-seeker and tons of Bandai 1/55s for only

1,600 Yen ($9.75 +/=), a veritiable steal. I passed on the one w/out the fast packs and got the real deal, the VF-1S Strike Valkyrie baby!

wait a tick, you bought a VF-1S Hikaru STRIKE valkyrie for 1600 yen????

Either you've got it confused with the "SUPER" valkyrie or something's up...

You guys smell something?

Edited by Skull Leader
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I bought a 1/55 Bandai Hikaru Ichijo VF1S while in Japan for only 1,900 Yen (about $17!!!...with tax) and it is worth every Yen. I have to say it is much better than my much more expensive Yamato 1/60 VF-1J with Super Pack for 6,500 Yen ($55?!?!?). The Yamato is very delicate by comparison, even though I do not throw these things around and treat them very well. The Bandai 1/55 transforms much better and is so very solid. I think it is a masterpiece, and can hardly be improved upon. Yes, I have seen the 1/48s from Yamato and I can still say this with conviction. I would go so far as to say it is the best Valkerie design I have ever seen. Besides, they are likely just as delicate as the 1/60 VF-1J anyway...Any opinions would be great to hear, thanks.

I have an obsession, a Minmay obsession. Don't try to help me, I will not let you.

Well, I'm glad you like the 1/55, it has a very important place in Macross fandom...but I fail to see how the bandai is a better sculpt than the 1/48.

the 1/48 (so far) is the closest to official line-art offered up by Shoji Kawamori (he himself, the MAN WHO DESIGNED IT, says it's the best representation so far). They're very well built and far more sturdy than any 1/60 ever was. Have you even handled a 1/48? The way you barely mention it I have to wonder.

If you genuinely HAVE handled one and still stick to that conviction, more power to you and more 1/48s for me and everyone else....

I like the way the 1/48 looks, but the 1/55 just feels "right" in my hands.

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They also had the Ostrich ELINT-seeker and tons of Bandai 1/55s for only

1,600 Yen ($9.75 +/=), a veritiable steal. I passed on the one w/out the fast packs and got the real deal, the VF-1S Strike Valkyrie baby!

wait a tick, you bought a VF-1S Hikaru STRIKE valkyrie for 1600 yen????

Either you've got it confused with the "SUPER" valkyrie or something's up...

You guys smell something?

I was reading through this thinking surely this guy is mistaken. 17$ for a hikaru strike?! How bout posting some pics.

The 1/55's are cool 'n' all, But the toy is behind the times. Plus, those bubble heads are just butt ugly.

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They also had the Ostrich ELINT-seeker and tons of Bandai 1/55s for only

1,600 Yen ($9.75 +/=), a veritiable steal. I passed on the one w/out the fast packs and got the real deal, the VF-1S Strike Valkyrie baby!

wait a tick, you bought a VF-1S Hikaru STRIKE valkyrie for 1600 yen????

Either you've got it confused with the "SUPER" valkyrie or something's up...

You guys smell something?

Given the time frame he mentions, its very possible that what he says is true. Last year was when the Bandai re-releases were flooding the market and many retailers over ordered. I picked up a 1/55 VF-1s Roy(no fastpack)when the price dropped to 2000yen(at Gamers in Motomachi, Kobe) But prices dropped even further. In Tokyo where even more stores were overstocked, It is likely that even a strike VF-1s would go on sale for under 2000yen. Even the 1/48 was not immune, I got a 1/48 VF-1s Roy for 5,000yen.

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Holy Cow $17 for a VF-1S Super!?!??

That is amazing!!!

For it to get that cheap they must have been REALLY overstocked.

Of course that would NEVER happen here.

We are always understocked which results in the prices rising so only the ones willing to dish out the high cash can get one.

So all the 1/60's were that price?

Anyways, yeah i agree that the 1/55's are awesome.

The 1/48's to me are the best, but so far i just keep mine in their boxes because i'm afraid i might break em.

My shelf is full of 1/55 Valks.

Even when my nephew comes over, i let em transform the suckers. They are so strong and sturdy that none of them ever broke yet!

The 1/55's are pure fun!

The 1/48's are not as fun as the 1/55's, but sure as hell better to look at! :D

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Put it this way... how many times would you transform your 1/48? Once, twice? I'm afraid to break mine!

Chunky Monkeys rule!!!! Add a few custom parts (new head, new paint job, etc.)... you're set for life!!!

I'd wish Bandai continued with the reissues.... *please God?* :(

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The 1/55s are still great toys even now more than 20 years since they were first released. They are very durable and quick to transform. The only down side is that they are not that well articulated, the sculpt is not particularly accurate (especially for the A & J heads and plane nose) and the gunpod doesn't attach in fighter mode.

Transforming toy design is always a trade-off. If you want more gimmicks, better articulation and more detail then you have to accept a longer and more complicated transformation sequence and perhaps slightly decreased durability. I think though that with the exception of part # BP8, the 1/48 has proven itself to be much more durable than expected. Of course not as tough as the 1/55, but it's still more a toy than a fragile 'display only' model kit as some people claim.

Anyway, I do think that Bandai would have sold many more 1/55 toys if they had made some minor redesigns to update the toy. I'm not talking about turning it into a 1/48 clone, but just doing minor resculpts of certain parts so that the toy would look better, but still transform quickly and keep the legendary 1/55 durability.

Here's the bare minimum changes that I would have liked Bandai to have made to the 1/55: -

  • Resculpt the A, J & S heads, especially the A, which is terrible.
  • Slightly resculpt the plane nose, especially the FLIR sensors which are too big and the wrong shape on the original 1/55.
  • Remove that stupid scope from the gunpod and change the gunpod design so that it can attach in fighter mode. The HCM method would be perfect.
  • Add wing hard points and missiles.
  • Add wrist rotation (I don't care about an articulated hand tho).
  • Add a pilot figure, even if it's only from waist or chest up.

All the above changes would make the toy look better IMO, but should not negatively affect durability or transformation time.

Graham

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Are the 1/48's that fragile that people are so damn afraid of transforming them? I've got 4 and I play with 2 of 'em all the time. They're actually very flexible and have yet to break anyone of 'em. And plus they look like a million bucks! I don't think anything else would come close to KAWAMORI's line-art ;) ! The 1/55's are great to play with but when you want something really good to gawk at, it's gotta be the 1/48'S :) !

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Put it this way... how many times would you transform your 1/48? Once, twice? I'm afraid to break mine!

I've transformed some of my 1/48s dozens of times, without fear of breakage. I even speed transform them and I'm not really gentle about it either. :lol:

Graham

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Hey Graham... I'm pretty sure you talked to Tony already. But most of those redesigns were on their way before they decided it wasn't worth it. I belive they just came too late to the market. They waited until they saw the 1/60s making good money and they flooded the market , the dam already broke. They should have released earlier and put out the rarer valks first. Ostrich, Elint and Strike. And left the rest for the completists.

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You know, I used to own a 1/48, but I didn't think it looked all that good. For some reason, the plastic always struck me as a little on the dull and plain side. I didn't like the sculpt of the 1/60 either. The nose was just way too pointy for my tastes.

My collection now is exculsively 1/55 Bandai's. I love the heavy, sturdy plastic and the durability of thing is unmatched. I also think it looks really good in robot mode except for the head. I agree that those could have used a major retooling. If only yamato could make heads for the Bandai toys. :lol:

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I have always been a long-time 1/55 fan to the point of being flamed for trouncing the 1/60 Yammies (which I still don't really like).

So for the longest time in my book 1/55's reigned supreme, and there was no other way to convince me otherwise.

This year I bought my first and only 1/48 (hikaru strike).

Now I say the 1/48 is the best combination of looks and playability. It has all the awesome features of a model, but is nice and plasticy like a toy. Some folks I know complain it doesn't have that chokogin feel, but honestly, since it is all plastic, I feel like I can actually play with it more without worrying about breaking it from dropping it or chipping the paint.

The only thing the 1/55 has over it is that the 1/55 is FUN to transform during mock battles. 1/48's just aren't fun to transform for me, even though I am good at it. Heck, deploying the landing gear isn't even fun; it's almost like a mini transformation sequence in itself. Just too much work.

The 1/48 is durable enough for me, with two exceptions that I find myself "babying":

1. BP8 (just cause everyone else has broken theirs, though mine seems fine)

2. Hip Ball joints: I feel like if I move the legs too fast between fighter to battroid mode, the ball joints will break somehow.....they just look so thin, plus the rubber washer keeps popping out the side like a hemaroid waiting to burst.

Other than that, it is pretty darn durable for an all-plastic toy.

BTW, anyone ever put a 1/48 VF-1S head next to a Chris Baretta 1/55 VF-1S head? THe 1/48 head looks almost 99% identical in shape and size to a Chris Baretta VF-1S head. I swear they're almost exactly the same. Either they copied Chris' head, or we can attribute it to how well-sculpted the Baretta head was in the first place that it happens to match up nicely with the official one. Who sculpted the Baretta head in the first place anyway? Wasn't it a japanese fan? (I know Chris fixed it up and cast it, but wasn't it someone else's head before?)

BTW, I just remembered how the whole Chris Baretta 1/55 Head was one of the catalysts that made MW even bigger at one point....that and talk of the release of Yammie Plus Valks in the US.....remember those old days, preordering MacPlus valks at Valk-Exchange? Leaving messeges to each other on that old messege board with baby-blue solid background? Drooling over Nam's collection pics at Valk Factory, and being amazed at Eric's (takatoys) first 1/55 SUPER DETAIL CUSTOMS with a Maxtype DYRL VF-1A with extended nose cone and super details, Ah, the good ole days....

vf-max_1.jpg

Actually, Eric's old custom looks better than a 1/48 to me for some reason....now THIS is the colour I wish Yamato used on the 1/48 Fastpacks:

mabrich_GD_valk.01.jpg

Edited by redemption
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Hey man, I love the 1/55's like they were made of crack and I'm a junkie. But, there's no need to compare it to the Yamatos. They're all great toys. The 1/55 just happens to be a 20 year old design that's totally stood the test of time and emerged as a true classic among all transformable toys.

That being said, if I saw some for $17, I'd have bought them all. Just because I could. :D

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But what do those things look like when transformed?

Anyway, when you really think back to the genesis of Macross--the fact that the project finally got off the ground through a synergy of toy marketing and a TV cartoon--the 1/55 is the perfect product for that purpose. The triple-transformable Valkyrie is one of the key elements of Macross's appeal, and the 1/55 emphasizes playability and ease of transformation for all ages. While Graham may be able to speed-transform his 1/48's, I really don't think the 1/48 or 1/60 design is as accessible and quite as good at encapsulating the dynamic triple-changing nature of the Valkyrie in toy form.

That's why I'm planning on keeping at least one 1/55 and one 1/100. But for the sake of enjoying the beauty of the Valkyrie design and the coolness of a realistic-looking science fiction mecha, I prefer the 1/60's and 1/48's. The 1/48 in particular just looks "alive" in the battroid and Gerwalk modes.

As for improvements to the 1/55, I think the single biggest improvement they could have done (don't know how easy it would have been) would have been to give the hips/knees a greater range of motion so as to allow more dynamic battroid poses and a more correct Gerwalk. Kingnor recently posted some pics of his modded 1/55 bootleg over in this thread. Here are a couple:

post-25-1092855081.jpg

post-25-1092855112.jpg

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That's awesome!! If I come across those Valkyries at that price, I would buy out the entire stock. Because i'm a kid in the 80's, I have to say that I love the 1/55. Even if I was a kid and exposed to the 1/55 and the 1/48 series, I would definitely choose the 1/55. I feel that everything about the 1/55 is just perfect. Yeah the 1/55 could add a few details, as mentioned, to spruce it up like the custome 1/55 Valkyries. Just imagine that.

Speaking of custome, I have the following 1/55 reissues that I plan to customize and make it look like the Macross "DYRL" series.

Super VF-1S x 8

VF-1A H. Ichijo x 4

VF-1A Kakizaki

I'm just having trouble to match the colors of the armor as in the movie though. While i'm on the topic, does anyone know where I can get those exhaust funnel for the leg armor and the 1/55 "DYRL" decals?

I must say, eventhough the 1/48 are high in details, the 1/55 is just right for me.

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Ahh yes my greatest moment and addition to 1/55 customs. Fulcy is the one who did the ball joint hips and that helped. All I did was remove unecessary plastic from the knee caps so the legs coudl bend more into the chicken stance.

I have to say im not that much of a 1/60 fan either. after discovering the holy grail (my new vintage Taka GBP1S) I thought hey I should get the 1/60 GBP. It was kind cool and looked good. But the cod piece falls off as if the valk jsut cant wait to get naked. And It jsut doesnt seem as cool as the taka version. So i traded the GBP to Mike Salzo for a large SDF-1 yeay more vintage toys!!!!

Edited by Solscud007
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They also had the Ostrich ELINT-seeker and tons of Bandai 1/55s for only

1,600 Yen ($9.75 +/=), a veritiable steal. I passed on the one w/out the fast packs and got the real deal, the VF-1S Strike Valkyrie baby!

wait a tick, you bought a VF-1S Hikaru STRIKE valkyrie for 1600 yen????

Either you've got it confused with the "SUPER" valkyrie or something's up...

You guys smell something?

I was reading through this thinking surely this guy is mistaken. 17$ for a hikaru strike?! How bout posting some pics.

The 1/55's are cool 'n' all, But the toy is behind the times. Plus, those bubble heads are just butt ugly.

I have nothing to gain by lying to any one of you. My 1/55 stands on top of my TV in all it's glory, fast packs and all, and, yes, I DID get it for that price!

I was trying to find a YF-19 and YF-21, but I came across these first. I looked online first and saw their prices and I was laughing my socks off. Near Yokota AB in Japan, the local mall was very overstocked at this point and I took full advantage. Looking back though, I should have just dropped $250 and bought the whole lot and sold each of them for $50 here in the US. Even at that price, they would be way cheaper than the prices online because they try to rob you at gunpoint for just one VF.

I prefer the Bandai 1/55 over the Yamato 1/60 because the Yamato is so darn delicate. Don't get me wrong, I like it that the engine covers come off and all, but the plastic is so weak. The thing hardly stands in Batloid mode! The Bandai will stand forever and it has not once fallen over. I think when I return to Japan, it will stand through an earthquake! :lol:

Bandai banzai!

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Well I am kid in the 80s too. I was in 5th grade when the anime came out. Naturally, I fell in love with 1/55s back then. It was BIG and HEAVY when you're a kid with small hands. The packaging rocks too. I will not forget how beautiful the Roy and Hikaru placed side by side with their boxes. But the best art for me back then was the elintseeker. Way cool. My mom bought me the Taiwanese bootleg 1/100 Roy and Hikaru, after a couple of transformation those bootlegs hardly stands up. Crap.

That's why I bought all the re-issues except for the Millia and Max variants, I run out of money. I never had the takas, they're darn expensive.

I have nothing against 1/48 and 1/60. I saw and played them. But my heart belongs to 1/55.

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Ahh...sweet 1/55(s)!!!

I have all the re-issues, and have just begun to customize an old 1/100 VF-1J (to VF-1D) bootleg because of this. I will begin with this 1/100 and move on to the 1/55s...I know there will never be re-issues of certain valks (like: Strike, Ostrich, Elintseeker) but at least I can make all the ones I never had as kid.

I have purchased several duplicates of the 1/55s and have a few original Taka and some bootlegs

Purchased Reissues:

4 x Super VF-1S

6 x VF-1A Hikaru

1 x Max

1 x Millia

1 x Hikaru VF-1J

1 x Foker VF-1S (Grey)

2 x Brown Production Type

With this number of valks now I have most of what I have wanted and cherished as a kid (due to slight modification and exchange of parts) I now own:

1. Hikaru - Super VF-1J

2. Max - Super VF-1J

3. Millia - Super VF-1J

4. Roy - Super VF-1S (Grey)

5. Max - VF-1A

6. Hikaru - VF-1A

7. Roy - VF-1A

8. Kakikazi - VF-1A

9. Max - VF-1S

10. Hikaru - Strike VF-1S (Original Bandai Armor)

11. Roy - VF-1S

12. Kakikazi - VF-1S

13. Brown - VF-1A

14. Brown - VF-1A

15. Two Extra VF-1A(s) will be customized into Elint and Ostrich.

The feel of the 1/55 is like no other...I have 1/48s but still, to me nothing else seems to come close.

While the 1/48 is the closest to anime line art...the 1/55 is chunky but seems to me as more plausible and more military, agressive, and realistic in its block form.

Don't take this as a haters move on the 1/48, I like those, but my heart will always belong to the 1/55.

LONG LIVE 1/55!!! :rolleyes:

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Well put.

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