Unofficial Plastic Model Kits (Knockoff/Bootlegs)

[nightmareB4macross]

Not at all stupid. Always good to ask questions.
 

you would find it here.

problem with this method is that you will find a lot of used 1/100 missing this pin. It’s in there with pressure and the force of spring works the pin out over time.

Edited April 1, 2023 by nightmareB4macross

[transjet]

Detail of 1/100 VF-1A model kit.
It is made from a mold copied from Takatoku, but the head laser has been changed to a shape similar to the one made by Bandai.

[nightmareB4macross]

So now this is quite peculiar. Why would they have the Bandai head laser? More questions arise.

[Bolt]

31 minutes ago, transjet said:

Detail of 1/100 VF-1A model kit.
It is made from a mold copied from Takatoku, but the head laser has been changed to a shape similar to the one made by Bandai.

Cool 👍🏼 If that's the same model i was talking about, I'm convinced those are stickers.

[transjet]

24 minutes ago, nightmareB4macross said:

So now this is quite peculiar. Why would they have the Bandai head laser? More questions arise.

Since Takatoku's head lasers are shaped to break easily, it is likely that this manufacturer made the same decision as Bandai and accidentally came up with a similar shape.

[nightmareB4macross]

Just now, transjet said:

Since Takatoku's head lasers are shaped to break easily, it is likely that this manufacturer made the same decision as Bandai and accidentally came up with a similar shape.

Sounds plausible. But only way to be sure is to check casting marks on the parts to compare.

[transjet]

I briefly compared it with Bandai's 1/100 VF-1A, and found that the thickness and length were quite different.

[nightmareB4macross]

45 minutes ago, transjet said:

I briefly compared it with Bandai's 1/100 VF-1A, and found that the thickness and length were quite different.

Good comparison.

[Shawn]

Thanks for posting those pics of the instructions! Now I can see the pin and spring usage in detail.

Now the next question....why are the instructions in English? Isn' that odd? It is not just a small section, it is the entire instruction sheet.

[Shawn]

And did anyone notice the VF-1AJ head?

[nightmareB4macross]

1 hour ago, Shawn said:

And did anyone notice the VF-1AJ head?

WT hahaha.

[nightmareB4macross]

On 4/6/2023 at 8:15 PM, Shawn said:

And did anyone notice the VF-1AJ head?

It actually was shown in SDFM.

[Hiriyu]

One of the most interesting things to me about the 1/100 kit (I mean, aside from the fact of its existence!) is that the 1/100 has a separate canopy part, more like a scaled-down 1/55 than a straight copy of the Takatoku or Bandai 1/100 toy.

[nightmareB4macross]

7 hours ago, Hiriyu said:

One of the most interesting things to me about the 1/100 kit (I mean, aside from the fact of its existence!) is that the 1/100 has a separate canopy part, more like a scaled-down 1/55 than a straight copy of the Takatoku or Bandai 1/100 toy.

That is truly interesting. The toys that were released with a blue molded canopy also had the same removable canopy. But for some odd reason there is no clear canopy to swap out for fighter and GERWALK modes. 

[Hiriyu]

On 5/25/2024 at 5:15 AM, nightmareB4macross said:

The toys that were released with a blue molded canopy also had the same removable canopy.

Those are a new one on me as well. Thanks for the info!

[Shawn]

Found some more amazing kits from this youtube user

https://www.youtube.com/@rebirthtv7460

 

I think this is the Takatoku Henkei SDF-1 toy converted to an assemble yourself model?

 

 

Misc others

 

And another Takatoku 1/100

 

another Nichimo Defender, so cool

[Shawn]

love this original box art on this, wow! Don't recall this angle before

[Shawn]

It looks like its a copy of the LS Legioss kit

 

[strikevalk]

[derex3592]

Need a meme of Woody from Toy Story saying "He's NOT a space rangeeer!" 🤣

[strikevalk]

3 hours ago, derex3592 said:

Need a meme of Woody from Toy Story saying "He's NOT a space rangeeer!" 🤣

He's a Space Ranger, and a Power Range Saturn! All in one!

[Big s]

I think it’s trying to say he’s a space ranger with the power range of Saturn 

kinda surprised it says super Valkyrie VF -1D. And that it’s kit 2000. I guess they really had to celebrate that 2000 with Hello Kitty wrapping paper

[strikevalk]

[Major Tom]

Space Gandam Model:

https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/f1220402669

[Shawn]

That one on YJ was secured by @xstoys !
It is wild we have a Takatoku 1/100 in model kit form (like the Yamato Assembly kits from many decades later)
Whoever finds the 1/55 version will have the Ultimate Grail! Can't believe we can't find one in this wild world of interconnected web tubes.

Here are some additional pics for the archives, if curious!
The gun is detached on this one too...it seems it was common to pop off the sprue, in our 2 or 2 known samples.

 

[sketchley]

Thanks for the closeup on the on "A" sprue, as the manufacturer's name caught my eye: 뽀빠이 과학 (Popeye Science).

Did some digging on the company and found this https://namu.wiki/w/뽀빠이(동음이의어)  (translation in spoiler—seems to be the modelling arm of a larger company):

Spoiler

1. American comics[edit]
Details Icons   For more information Popeye Please refer to the document.

2. Sweets[edit]
Details Icons   For more information Popeye (Sweets) Please refer to the document.

3. Nintendo'sThe Game[edit]
Details Icons   For more information Popeye (game) Please refer to the document.

4. Korean Model Company[edit]

The official legal name is Popeye Science, and its headquarters was located at 24 (Silver Action), Suin-ro 3247beon-gil, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do.

In the early 1970s, the founder Shin Hyun-hwan was established to make five-won low-cost stationery toys such as insect-shaped toys, and in 1978, he made a model by seeing <Golden Wings 123> at the Seoul Civic Center with his son. In 1979, he bought the rights to the Boy 007 Galactic Task Force and released the first licensing toy in Korea. In 1980, he became a corporation and went to Japan to learn the business model of association with Annie's production company. In 1982, he made a connection with director Kim Chung-ki and released the robots and models that appeared in Kim Cheong-gi's works such as "Shola One-Two-Three", "84 Taekwon V", and "Uremae from Outside" series.

Until 1990s, like other mid-sized model companies in Korea, it was sometimes sold in foreign product copies, as well as domestic development products. The problem is that the company later sponsored a number of Korean theatrical animation works, including Robot Taekwon V. This makes it easy for them to create related products and imitate foreign works. It’s not just the science of the past, but there are a few more. However, since 1991, injection mold printing film was produced in China, and it was scrapped and no longer produced a model. From 1991to the year of "core industry", it changed its name to "core industry", and until the 2000s, it had transferred such and other businesses such as block production and computer A/S.

5. Broadcaster Lee Sang-yongof Nickname[edit]
Details Icons   For more information Lee Sang-yong Please refer to the document.

6. Processed milk products[edit]
Processed milk products from Samyang Foods. The motif of the name is believed to be a confection of the same name above. There are two kinds of chocolate, oats.

7. Seoul Songpa-gu Popeye[edit]
It is the name of the Popeye. Like any branch, if you put a branch in the back and read it, so if you ask Popeye to go, it will point to ten this branch house if you have a fever. See the document for details.

8. Boy group TargetJapanese Single 2nd[edit]
Details Icons   For more information Popeye (album) Please refer to the document.

9. Category: Missiles developed by Israel AGM-142[edit]
Details Icons   For more information AGM-142 Please refer to the document.

10. Category: Japanese fashion magazines[edit]
Details Icons   For more information POPEYE (magazine) Please refer to the document.

That said, the Youtube results are intriguing—I see a couple of videos with knockoff Valkyries!: https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/뽀빠이과학

[Big s]

2 hours ago, sketchley said:

Thanks for the closeup on the on "A" sprue, as the manufacturer's name caught my eye: 뽀빠이 과학 (Popeye Science).

Did some digging on the company and found this https://namu.wiki/w/뽀빠이(동음이의어)  (translation in spoiler—seems to be the modelling arm of a larger company):

  Reveal hidden contents

1. American comics[edit]
Details Icons   For more information Popeye Please refer to the document.

2. Sweets[edit]
Details Icons   For more information Popeye (Sweets) Please refer to the document.

3. Nintendo'sThe Game[edit]
Details Icons   For more information Popeye (game) Please refer to the document.

4. Korean Model Company[edit]

The official legal name is Popeye Science, and its headquarters was located at 24 (Silver Action), Suin-ro 3247beon-gil, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do.

In the early 1970s, the founder Shin Hyun-hwan was established to make five-won low-cost stationery toys such as insect-shaped toys, and in 1978, he made a model by seeing <Golden Wings 123> at the Seoul Civic Center with his son. In 1979, he bought the rights to the Boy 007 Galactic Task Force and released the first licensing toy in Korea. In 1980, he became a corporation and went to Japan to learn the business model of association with Annie's production company. In 1982, he made a connection with director Kim Chung-ki and released the robots and models that appeared in Kim Cheong-gi's works such as "Shola One-Two-Three", "84 Taekwon V", and "Uremae from Outside" series.

Until 1990s, like other mid-sized model companies in Korea, it was sometimes sold in foreign product copies, as well as domestic development products. The problem is that the company later sponsored a number of Korean theatrical animation works, including Robot Taekwon V. This makes it easy for them to create related products and imitate foreign works. It’s not just the science of the past, but there are a few more. However, since 1991, injection mold printing film was produced in China, and it was scrapped and no longer produced a model. From 1991to the year of "core industry", it changed its name to "core industry", and until the 2000s, it had transferred such and other businesses such as block production and computer A/S.

5. Broadcaster Lee Sang-yongof Nickname[edit]
Details Icons   For more information Lee Sang-yong Please refer to the document.

6. Processed milk products[edit]
Processed milk products from Samyang Foods. The motif of the name is believed to be a confection of the same name above. There are two kinds of chocolate, oats.

7. Seoul Songpa-gu Popeye[edit]
It is the name of the Popeye. Like any branch, if you put a branch in the back and read it, so if you ask Popeye to go, it will point to ten this branch house if you have a fever. See the document for details.

8. Boy group TargetJapanese Single 2nd[edit]
Details Icons   For more information Popeye (album) Please refer to the document.

9. Category: Missiles developed by Israel AGM-142[edit]
Details Icons   For more information AGM-142 Please refer to the document.

10. Category: Japanese fashion magazines[edit]
Details Icons   For more information POPEYE (magazine) Please refer to the document.

That said, the Youtube results are intriguing—I see a couple of videos with knockoff Valkyries!: https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/뽀빠이과학

Interesting reason for doing a knockoff. I guess if the animation that’s already a knockoff, then licensed a product, then to them it’s ok to produce a knockoff from the knockoff animation, but call it an original even though it’s totally a knockoff 

[nightmareB4macross]

Congratulations @xstoys!

I noticed the canopy is colored differently from the built up toy version releases. Very cool.