Battroid mode:
Sans armour. You can really see the alien Zentradi influence.
There is a neat transformation gimmick where you can push the pilot seat back, to tilt the pilot right-side up during Battroid mode. Little details like this make the toy.
Armour.
Fold Booster:
This is the box with the Fold Booster and FAST packs. You have to buy this separately. On the front is the YF-19, which I will eventually review one day if there is ever a second version made. (The first version has a host of QC problems, from flimsy joints to the plastic literally exploding a year or two later).
Packaging tray:
The Fold Booster attaches with separate pieces. The best part? It glows. It takes 3 LR44 watch batteries that you can buy anywhere, and it pulses different colors. The middle compartment glows green, and the front pulses blue and red. This completes the toy. What an excellent gimmick!
Pros: So much to like here. From the design of the plane itself, to the little details like the cockpit. The figure itself is very durable. It's very anime accurate, which is what Yamato really does well. The Fold Booster accessory is just flat out AWESOME. Apparently a few pretty lights is enough to sway my opinions. Aside from the little pieces of plastic you have to remove when attaching the Fold Booster, as well as the plastic vent covers you have to remove in fighter mode, this is a perfect transformation. Another win for Yamato. Macross Plus is one of my favorite anime shows, so it's a real treat to be able to own this plane.
Cons: There are little things to nitpick on, such as the canopy, which seems flimsy when you open it, and won't stay open without you holding it, which is unusual for Yamato valkyries. The FAST Packs seem pointless really, but that's not Yamato's fault: it's the shortcoming of the valkyrie design in general. But the big con is the transformation. This is, by far, the hardest valkyrie to transform. I spent over 6 hours yesterday, and I couldn't figure out how to fit the legs back in properly. I still can't. I'm not the only one: I guess the problem was so bad that Yamato included extra instructions. Problem is, I don't read Japanese. A final con is that this toy feels a bit like a shell-former, if I can borrow a Transformers expression. But again, it's hard to make a toy about a hybrid alien/human designed robot that transforms.
The YF-21 is available at HLJ.com. The MSRP is a whopping 18,800 yen, but there is a sale right now until the end of the month. I got mine for 45% off at 10,340 yen, which is about $140 cdn. The Fold Booster is on for 4,930 yen - approximately $65, which is kind of pricey, but a must have.
Correction: HLJ's sale is ending October 27th, 6pm JST.
