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Bandai Macross Frontier toys thread


valhary

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If I remember correctly, Kawamori did THS-02 Prime focusing in robot mode. That's why the vehicle mode is a bit "lacking". Personally, it's my second favourite toy of my collection (so much tiny awesomeness).

MP03 brought the floating head when the thing was already designed. Kawamari, being a plane nut, changed the design so that plane mode looked more like a real fighter. He didn't do a perfect job on that one (David could fill you in on the new inaccuracies the god of Macross introduced to the design).

The undercarriage wasn't 100% plane like because they couldn't figure out how to do it or because there would be a lot more kibble or maybe Takara finally said stop. The colour scheme was also by his decree (by now we all know K-sama has special tastes in the colour department). IMO, the end result was also awesome.

All this means that if he's bitching it's because plane mode isn't up to his expectations. We might end up with a YF-21, were fighter is beautiful and battroid mode is second place.

Since the VF-25 looks to have less anime magic than the YF-21 and that Bandai has some truly skilful people when they want to make expensive toys, the end result could be very nice looking in all modes. Heck, the VF-25 even looks thought out beforehand to be a toy; that incredibly big rack of kibble the wings turn into says it all. Hey, I like it, but you would expect that 70+ years of alien technology would have made possible to fold big ass wings a bit more by then. :lol:

Edited by Twoducks
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I can see why. He didn't really do a satisfactory design job with the MP03 and the THS-02 Prime.

I find MP-03 superior to all the valks released to this date. Cleaner, better transformation, more solid. THS-02 is pretty sweet too.

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MP Starscream is awesome. You're wrong.

Umm...Original MP Starscream was awesomer!

I really just hope the 1/60's turn out well. Might be the first semi-expensive Macross toys I've bought in years. I really like the look of the fighters, especially with the armors. I haven't visited the thread in awhile, so what price range are we looking at on these?

Edited by protostar8
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Pricing hasn't been announced yet for the 1/60 and 1/100 Frontier toys or the 1/72 Frontier plastic model kits.

I don't see a 1/60 Full Armor vF-25 being cheap though.

Graham

That's kind of disappointing that a Bandai product will possibly be very expensive. I was hoping to be able to get one for less than $100, but now I'm guessing it will be more than that. Though I'd gladly settle for a non-perfect transformation palm sized one. :D

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The Aquarion DX Chogokin was 20,000 yen. Since these are being released under that same banner, I see them similarly priced. Although I wish the full armour one is about that price and the supers a little cheaper.

EDIT -- I EXPECT, not WISH. What I WISH is that they were free, given away with pastrami sandwiches. I'm hungry.

Edited by Renato
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The Aquarion DX Chogokin was 20,000 yen. Since these are being released under that same banner, I see them similarly priced. Although I wish the full armour one is about that price and the supers a little cheaper.

EDIT -- I EXPECT, not WISH. What I WISH is that they were free, given away with pastrami sandwiches. I'm hungry.

mmm... I could use me a pastrami sandwhich.. a nice reuben with a kosher dill pickle.

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Every time I enter this thread, I do so expecting to finally see product pictures and prices :)

Alas...

That said - I am interested in what Bandai has planned in the model department for MF :)

But yeah - waiting on the 1/60 final version :)

Oh - and about MP Starscream and Hybrid Prime:

1) MP Starscream's one "flaw" - or rather the one thing I don't agree with Kawamori about is not the color - but the tail fins - that he decided to go with the more angular legs and have the tail fins hanging off the torso... on the other hand - I guess if you wanted the legs close to anime you had to do this - but still - it creates a slight problem for SS...

As for Hybrid style - well - the truck mode was actually very well designed - but at the small scale execution became impossible...

the design has everything fitting together - but maybe it just wasn't possible to do this.

VFTF1

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Well then where was he when Bandai did the Macross 7 Valkyries??

Yup, supposedly Bandai's Macross 7 toys received Kawamori's approval.

I guess back then Kawamori knew that Bandai was sculpting the M7 toys by hand, so he was willing to give them a pass. But now he must know they're working with CAD and rapid prototyping, so there's no excuse why they shouldn't be able to produce stellar toy. Plus, he's probably been spoiled rotten after seeing Yamato's work. B))

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I don't think it's possible that bandai would release a DX line vf-25 with permanently attached packs. the internets would explode with people yelling that bandai got pwned by yamato and such a thing would be terribly embarrasing.

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I don't think detachable armor would be that hard to make (how many thousands of other toys have detachable armor or pieces). So I just don't see that happening on any toy that Bandai produces other than a model kit (I know some of the gundam kits that have armor don't transform like the FAZZ kit). Even the cheap Banpresto toys had removable armor and I think the one I bought was under $10, so if it can be done on a $10 toy, there's no excuse why a more expensive one couldn't have detachable armor.

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I don't think it's possible that bandai would release a DX line vf-25 with permanently attached packs. the internets would explode with people yelling that bandai got pwned by yamato and such a thing would be terribly embarrasing.

Well there is no way im paying $100 - 200 for a 1/60 VF-25 that you cannot remove the armor on.

The 25 looks so sexy without them. B))

I wonder if Altos and Ozma's sell well they are gonna make Mikhail and Luca's too.

If the quality is good i'll buy all 4.

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Am I the only person who likes the VF-25 with the armor on?

I like the armor on the VF-25 too, i just want the option of both.

I have a 1/48 1J with GBP armor and sometimes i want to display it with the armor on , other times with it off.

Thats how i want it with the 25 too.

But i doubt Bandai is gonna be that stupid as to have it permanent.

Edited by thankheaven
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Am I the only person who likes the VF-25 with the armor on?

I do as well - more than the unarmored version. The unarmored fighter looks nice, but the battroid is too thin for my taste - and Battroid form is more interesting to me. If I was primarily interested in just a nice looking fighter, I'd just get a YUKIKAZE kit... :p Unless you load it up with that VF-25 armor!

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I don't think it's possible that bandai would release a DX line vf-25 with permanently attached packs. the internets would explode with people yelling that bandai got pwned by yamato and such a thing would be terribly embarrasing.

Embarrisment indeed! Sepuku for gundam luvers! :p

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Well there is no way im paying $100 - 200 for a 1/60 VF-25 that you cannot remove the armor on.

The 25 looks so sexy without them. B))

I wonder if Altos and Ozma's sell well they are gonna make Mikhail and Luca's too.

If the quality is good i'll buy all 4.

Bandai loves to rehash color variants. It's easy money for them. If sales for the Alto and Ozuma trim are good, they'd be stupid to not give us the others.

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There's no way Bandai would miss an obvious gimmick like removable packs, whether they go Yamato's route of having all sorts of internal mechanical detail is probable but not certain.

Repaints are practically a given unless the thing absolutely bombs and even then they might be released just to try and re-coup development costs which I imagine must be huge for something like this.

As for price, around 20k yen as one other poster said seems most likely, only recentley have their SOC's started exceeding that barrier and those are usually loaded to the gunwhales with gimmicks and all sorts of accessories that appareaed in maybe only one scene.

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Screw the gimmicks with the internal details, that's more parts to fall off like the nosecone on the 1/48. They have to make the VF-171, and that doesn't mean taking the old 1/65 M7 VF-17 and releasing it in teal plastic. :p

As for the VF-25, if Bandai does a good job, I'm going to have to pick up Ozma's VF-25, Mikhail's, and Lucca's.

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I will be curious about one aspect:

If Bandai can create a VF with the accuracy, precision, detail and general coolness of Yamato and do it WITHOUT ANY QC ISSUES....

then I'm sure we will all be dancing for joy.

Paying huge prices is NOT a problem.

When I saw how Yamato's stuff LOOKED - it is a no brainer that the development and execution of Yamato's 1/48s necessitates those kind of prices - and actually the prices are comparatively GOOD for what you're getting (design wise).

The PROBLEM is the quality - when you pay lots of money and it falls apart - that's just unacceptable.

VFTF1

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Don't fool yourself and think that Bandai can do without these problems, I've had HCMs Pros and GQ lines with questionable joints and paintjobs and battle damages too.

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Don't fool yourself and think that Bandai can do without these problems, I've had HCMs Pros and GQ lines with questionable joints and paintjobs and battle damages too.

And the high end stuff can also have bugs. My SOC Gunbuster has the right metal arm that holds the knee guard thingy very loose. It won't fall in some poses and could be fixed with just nail polish but yes, you can get QC issues even in the SOC line.

Bandai's better QC means you'll be less likely to get a lemon, not that it's impossible to get one.

And remember, more important than QC are design f*ck ups. Remember Yamato's breaking hips (old VF-11), shoulders (VF-0) or crooked gun pods (1st ed YF-19)? Now those aren't the fault of the Chinese slave/worker building them but the people in charge of the design and it's approval. On that end, I think Bandai delivers good stuff, at least on the high end spectrum.

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I find MP-03 superior to all the valks released to this date. Cleaner, better transformation, more solid. THS-02 is pretty sweet too.

On that comment alone, I agree with you completely. The transformation designs that Bandai and Takara use makes Yamato's transforming toys feel piss poor infantile and antiquated. However, on looks alone, Kawamori's Macross valks' fighter, gerwalk & battroid (from Yamato especially) beat his own efforts for MP03 Starscream and the THS-02 Convoy hands down.

Edited by Beware of Blast
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I bet Bandai will release ones w/o all the add on packs and then release it w/ the packs way later so you're forced to get both. Lol.

The mock up on display at wonderfest had the packs though so I wouldn't worry there.

Bandai can rarely be accused of leaving things out, usually they do the opposite, puttig loads of small parts and accessories in to justify a high price. :lol

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