Bandai 1/60 DX Chogokin Macross 7 Fire Valkyrie

[nightmareB4macross]

Is it just me or does it seem like this step was either missed, or if the gunpod inadvertently unlocked itself from the boomerang position it’s supposed to be in when in fighter mode.

[Chronocidal]

Probably more that they just completely missed this part.

Whether that will look any better is still up for grabs though, since it's just dropping the pod even lower.  Plus, Bandai didn't make the lower fin under the barrel retract like Yamato's version did.

But hey, not even Bandai could remember to unfold that gunpod for some of the poses in the instructions.  

[treatment]

not sure if AI/LLM bot-scrapers are heavily scraping MWF right now, but forum's been weirdly slow in response-times.

As such,  import-pricing is currently down to 27.5k-yen for now at amz-jp as of this posting:

https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0F62BC2MB

.

 

Not as low as the the previous 26k-yen import-pricing or the <22k-yen jp-domestic pricing, but at least it went down from the regular 30k-yen from earlier this afternoon's pricing.

fwiw, this particular jp-tweet says it's a "reseller killer" (scalper-killer) due to the current discounting. At least for jp-residents:

https://twitter.com/ikayaki9156/status/1982586405751767274

web-translated:

 

If amzn-jp lowered it to below 20k-yen for import-pricing, then it'll be very tempting for me to reconsider biting on it... 

 

 

[Graham]

I'm picking up mine tonight.

 

[Apok451]

I Iike it, but at the current price Ill hold off for now.  I got the HMR at such a crazy low price, a whopping $65 on Amazon.  But eventually Id like one to add cause I like how it stands out from the rest.

[treatment]

hacchaka's pictorial review now available:

 

https://hacchaka.net/archives/52126590.html

 

downscaled samples:

Edited yesterday at 12:15 PM by treatment

[MKT]

Hmm for all the extra engineering Bandai did, it's kinda strange they missed on having the gunpod pointing straight in Fighter, and this perhaps may be the most crooked gunpod in DX history. Most of the other DXs released over the years have their gun pods aligned very well.

In hindsight, I looked back at the PO pics and they never showed it mounted in Fighter lol.  

[PointBlankSniper]

Gotta wonder why nobody seems to be using the mega grip swivel on the gunpod. I would think the slider and bendy mechanisms shouldn't even need to exist if the grip swings so far. It really doesnt look like the under barrel fin gets in the way of anything. I wanted to say it might be a matter of the swivel being loose, but he slider already puts the weight on the back which should give the muzzle the tendency to go up. Really a headscratcher ATM...

[Chronocidal]

Yeah, it looks like everyone is somehow just completely missing all of the ways to get it aligned better.  I'm not sure what to think there.

[Froy]

I'd really like to Bandai find a new way to connect the fighter mode to the stand.

That adapter, like the VF-1s, obscure the gunpod a lot.

Maybe something like the Arcadia VF-0.

[treatment]

6 hours ago, PointBlankSniper said:

Gotta wonder why nobody seems to be using the mega grip swivel on the gunpod. I would think the slider and bendy mechanisms shouldn't even need to exist if the grip swings so far. It really doesnt look like the under barrel fin gets in the way of anything. I wanted to say it might be a matter of the swivel being loose, but he slider already puts the weight on the back which should give the muzzle the tendency to go up. Really a headscratcher ATM...

 

5 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

Yeah, it looks like everyone is somehow just completely missing all of the ways to get it aligned better.  I'm not sure what to think there.

 

If so, seems even TN booth display staff have also been doing it wrong as usual...

 

 

snapshot:

Edited yesterday at 08:16 PM by treatment

[locidm]

still waiting for a comparison shot with the Yamato/Arcadia unless I missed it already.

[nightmareB4macross]

I wish Bandai had used this body of the VF-19Kai for the YF-19. It could have looked so much better.

[treatment]

56 minutes ago, locidm said:

still waiting for a comparison shot with the Yamato/Arcadia unless I missed it already.

 

full-scale versions at  https://twitter.com/simsim5479/status/1982443757107908824

web-translated:

 

full-scale versions at : https://x.com/Julian_hob/status/1982873685766877535

web-translated:

 

Think he meant Yamato since  Arcadia;s got gold trim instead of bright yellow:

downscaled:

 

Edited yesterday at 09:42 PM by treatment

[locidm]

Thank you! Doesn't look like a big improvement to me.

[Graham]

Got my 2 last night.

So far have unboxed one, opened the front and rear landing gear, attached the speaker pod launcher and put Basara in the cockpit. Front landing gear seems more tight and less prone to collaspe or fold compared to the YF-19.

Have not transformed it from Fighter mode yet. I'll keep this one in fighter mode and when I unbox the second one at the weekend, that will get transformed to battroid mode.

It's really solid in fighter mode and in my opinion looks great, apart from the speakerpod issue, which I personally don't really consider that much of an issue. I just wish Bandai had made the sensor on the front bottom of the launcher collapsible, so that the launcher could be stowed a tad closer to the plane's belly.

I really like all the small tampo printed warning markings, which is something we never got on any other version of the VF-19Kai.  Seems Bandai finally learned their lesson and made the tampo markings small and understated unlike the YF-19 and YF-21, which in my opinion had way too many large, gaudy and unnecessary tampo printed markings.

I really hope the next release is a VF-19S or VF-19F.

 

[MKT]

7 hours ago, treatment said:

 

 

 

It's interesting that both versions' overall sculpt turned out to be so similar, & the visual differences are just more of nitpicky ones.

1. The DX has the hump on the back where Yamcadia's doesn't.

2. Feet on DX looks better whereas the other looks a little lost.

3. DX has that big gap on both sides below the uniboob, whilst the Yamcadia (by extension, also the HMR) has that additional articulated flap to cover it. It'll be interesting to see if that gap becomes more of a conspicuous see-through when viewed from the side.

4. DX has a shorter forearm, which makes it look better, and nicer sculpt in that it tapers thinner from elbow to hands, whereas the Yamcadia is mostly same width.

5. I always wished the area below the knee pads on the Yamcadia is body colored -  the black makes it look like there's a big gap there. Thankfully this is a not an issue on the DX.

 

Edited 18 hours ago by MKT

[jenius]

Is the DX mistransformed? I thought there was a panel on the inside of the leg that covered the gap. Very surprised there are no uniboob covers!

[treatment]

14 minutes ago, jenius said:

Is the DX mistransformed? I thought there was a panel on the inside of the leg that covered the gap. Very surprised there are no uniboob covers!

Yeah.

"Julian" either forgot to do it or just haven't check the manual for it, yet...

 

 

[Chronocidal]

These are just so ridiculously similar, I'm really looking forward to doing a comparison.

Went ahead and asked AE to ship mine, along with an HMR VF-19P, so hopefully it won't get hung up due to the usual DHL shenanigans.

[treatment]

wotafa's...

 

[MKT]

^^ Wotafa does spend a bit of time explaining on the mold's subtleties around the head. There's a neck joint that acts as a lock, and the head lasers have to be angled outwards first before they can be rotated. 

The shoulders purple diamond elegantly moving in and out of the way as the speakers are opened & closed is a very nice touch and makes up for the lack of rotating pilot seat. 

[treatment]

downscaled from  https://twitter.com/28experience/status/1983178984725852185

 

---

Cross has an unfortunate defect with his copy:

https://twitter.com/cross_W42S/status/1983164809609916737

web-translated:

while Gorilla's bit frustrated with his recent string of Bandai mfg-luck...

https://twitter.com/MTM_025_8_S04/status/1983136583575580889

web-translated:

 

Edited 8 hours ago by treatment

[treatment]

you are  thinking about it, no?

full-scale versions at  https://twitter.com/28experience/status/1981991404147789888

---

and moar comparo shots from same fan:

web-translated:

full-scale versions at https://twitter.com/28experience/status/1982308081041297433

Edited 3 hours ago by treatment

[rsvictor1976]

I got mine today from Amazon JP. Shipping + tariff came out to be 11704 Yen, but I opted for the expedited shipping. 

I don't understand why Bandai would make the stand adapter for fighter mode into three pieces using these tiny pegs. I feel like they're going to snap off when I pull them off.

Also, the pivoting gunpod handle that you're supposed to use in fighter mode doesn't work too well. The gun keeps wanting to snap into place so I can see why previous photos we've gotten show the gunpod in a weird angle. 

Edited 3 minutes ago by rsvictor1976