Disney Pixar's LIGHTYEAR - June 2022

[no3Ljm]

Pop Mart Gong 1/8 Space Ranger Alpha BUZZ LIGHTYEAR Diecast Action Figure

[Numbninja]

PO starts mid August, with release Q4 2022 -193.85usd

[MKT]

I got my hands on the Chogokin Lightyear XL-15 Spaceship today. The following are some impression with pics:

 

This was something I impulse PO’ed, when I saw how the many XL spaceship concepts and designs recall memories of old-school side / top scrolling shooting games, how FWS wings seem so cool & avant-garde at that time, with the various engine nacelles & boosters slapped onto the sides of the fighter ships looking like X,Y, A-Wings and whatnot. Heck, the XL-7 will fit right alongside the Vic Viper in Gradius.

 

 

Upon unboxing and pulling the clamshell out, there was initial disappointment in its smaller-than-expected size of the toy. Yeah the size was mentioned by Bandai in the listings, but visually when half the box area is taken up by the stand, it just feels like space padding by Bandai when they have always been very space efficient in their packaging before.

The stand look a lot like what is being used for Gundam Metal Builds, so although it is beefy, from others’ reviews it just looks too big for the XL-15 to the point of being distracting. I just left it in its clamshell.

 

 

I did a quick comparison with a Yamato 1/60 VF-1 I happen to readily have in display. They are both actually the same length, at about 240mm. But the XL-15’s heft, with almost all its upper body (except the engine & vertical stabs) being diecast, at 375g makes it almost double the VF-1’s 195g. Are they the same scale? Looking at the sizeable difference of the cockpit glass area, it doesn’t appear so.. or is it?

 

 

Since there doesn’t appear to be any published in-universe dimensions of the XL-15, I lined up the included sitting and standing Buzz figures with the Yamato 1/60 pilot & ground crew figures. They do seem to scale rather well with each other, so the XL-15 does appear to scale quite well with most of our favorite Macross toys.

 

 

Bandai as usual, are generous in tampo prints. There are many spread throughout, even the underside, and the smallest & tiny ones appear crisp to my tired, 40+ years eyes. Paint is adequate, with Bandai having done a good job matching the shades of paint between the plastic and metal areas. It would be sweeter though, if it came a bit weathered like what they showed off on the box art.

 

 

There are small gripes with the general design though. Mainly, the very wide cockpit glasshouse, coupled with the rather steep downward wing cant, gives it an SD-ish appearance from certain angles. Although, this is just nitpicking, as spaceships can basically be any shapes they want.

 

 

The wide cockpit means Buzz has plenty of room inside, and it looks like he can have generous armrests on both his sides if he so wishes. In the earlier pilot & crew comparison pic above, sitting Buzz actually has his legs all stretched forward, so I can imagine him just reclining the backrest for some bit of first-class space travel comfort..

 

 

Another gripe I have is the totally unexpected way the landing gears work. The bay doors are integrated; they open but only to reveal peg holes for the separate landing gears to plug in. At this size, the whole affair should really be integrated. I believe this is also the same arrangement for the upcoming HMR VF-0S.

On the plus side, the wheels do roll. The fronts are plastic wheels, while the bigger rear wheels are rubber.

 

 

It so happens this is the second butt shot I took within the space of a week, perhaps I have a fetish for nice rear ends. 

The XL-15’s rear section does have lots of detail going on there, from what I assume to be the some sort of power unit between the boosters, the secondary exhaust vents below, and the rather intricate molding of the booster nozzles themselves.

 

 

 

In a nice touch, Bandai also bundled in Zurg. For its size, the molding & paint details are quite crisp, such that I initially thought there’s some articulation in key joints (it doesn’t).

 

Overall, I’m quite happy with this purchase. The diecast-heavy heft of the whole thing quickly subsided my initial disappointment of its size, and off the top of my head, I don’t think there have been many or even other companies actively making diecast sci-fi fighter ships in this size or scale. The nearest comparison would be diecast 1/72 fighter jets, else in spirit I’m comparing it to my old Aoshima Cheyenne Dropship, the Aoshima 1/48 Airwolf and the 1/32 Organic Blue Thunder.

I’ve not seen the Lightyear movie yet, but am still attracted to the spaceships almost purely from their design standpoint & what little I know of Buzz from Toy Story. I do hope Bandai continues this line, I really would like to see them releasing the XL-7 next..

 

 

Edited July 23, 2022 by MKT
Fixed wonky fonts

[Chronocidal]

I'm thinking the movie didn't wind up doing well enough for them to really continue the line, but I have made a point to pick up all of the smaller Mattel ships.  Judging by the scale of buzz in this one, they're all much smaller scale than the figures they include, probably closer to 1/100, with the figures being around 1/60.

As for the ship dimensions.. take them with a grain of salt, since the LEGO version is very non-scale and quite different from the actual model, but it does include a nameplate with dimensions on it.  They give a length of 48'2", and a wingspan of 34'10", so not far off a VF-1.  

I'm waiting to ship mine from AE once another order comes in, so thanks for the preview.  

 

[sh9000]

I really like the Hyperspeed series.  I have XL-01, XL-02, XL-07, XL-12, and XL-15.

My order of XL-03, XL-09, and XL-14 will be coming in later.

 

[MKT]

13 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

I'm thinking the movie didn't wind up doing well enough for them to really continue the line, but I have made a point to pick up all of the smaller Mattel ships.  Judging by the scale of buzz in this one, they're all much smaller scale than the figures they include, probably closer to 1/100, with the figures being around 1/60.

As for the ship dimensions.. take them with a grain of salt, since the LEGO version is very non-scale and quite different from the actual model, but it does include a nameplate with dimensions on it.  They give a length of 48'2", and a wingspan of 34'10", so not far off a VF-1.  

I'm waiting to ship mine from AE once another order comes in, so thanks for the preview.  

 

I've only just been reading the general responses to the movie, and I get the feeling the experience will carry over some sourness to the merch haha.. I guess the Mattel line is the most accessible way to get the other ships, so I should pick up some of them myself too. 

Oh watching the trailers again, the Chogokin should have implemented the air brakes, and the way the cockpit opens on the toy is also wrong as compared to on-screen. I don't know if I am expecting too much, yet these are stuff that can easily be implemented without affecting the price much (if at all).

[sh9000]

 

[Dynaman]

Watched this movie today, I've got D+ so might as well.  I'm glad I didn't see it in the theaters, it took about a third of the movie to get in gear and then stalled out again for another large chunk of to boot but was entertaining enough overall.  It does make me wish Pixar would get some straight up sci-fi action movie writers and do a couple of those (yes, this movie was not straight up action sci-fi).  Their "FX" are excellent now and could easily support a Star Wars or Star Trek type of movie.

[MKT]

Amazon JP having massive discount for the Chogokin XL-15 in case anyone interested:

Amazon.co.jp: Chogokin Buzz Lightyear XL-15 SPACE SHIP Approx. 9.4 inches (240 mm), ABS & PVC & Diecast Painted Complete Figure : Hobbies

[sh9000]

Lightyear Robosen Buzz Lightyear.