Macross Toy Reviews

[pud333]

Let's get this out of the way: I hate Macross 7. It is the official sequel to the original Super Dimensional Fortress Macross series, but I can't stand it. I can't even get through the first episode. Everything about the anime bothers me. And I'm not the only one. Many Macross fans cannot stand that series. However, the valkyrie designs kick major ass.

What I have here is Yamato's 1/60 scale VF-19 Custom Fire Valkyrie. (Sound booster review right after this). The Fire Valkyrie is piloted by flamboyant rock star, Basara Nekki who flies through space in his McDonald's toy shade of red, shredding on his guitar and blasting enemies with his rock music that blares through the giant speakers attached to his valkyrie. I did not make that up.

Packaging:

Typical Yamato packaging, but the quality seems better. Box is a bit sturdier, and smaller. Yamato finally listened to buyers and got rid of the copious amounts of plastic and space to reduce their box sizes.





The valkyrie comes with an extra anime-accurate shield, a tiny rubbery Basara, additional face plate, gun pod, attachments for the Yamato Valkyrie stand, and several plastic panels that are used to fill in gaps for anime accuracy. Yes, I know this defies the definition of perfect transformation, but it is not parts swapping. Just additional pieces that you don't need to use if you don't want to.



Fighter Mode:

Yamato once again does a great bird. The diecast landing gear, the line art accuracy; it's all there.











Basara:



Gerwalk Mode:

Yamato does an excellent job making sure the torso is connected by tabs to the rest of the valkyrie in Gerwalk mode. In the previous YF-19 incarnation, the torso would be loose from the body, so that when you tried to handle Gerwalk, it would be a floppy mess. This time, no floppiness.





Be careful when pulling the legs out. The Gerwalk joint has snapped on a couple people, where the black plastic came partly away from the red plastic of the leg. This is a minor issue that is entirely avoidable if you know what you are doing and don't force things.

Transformation:

This is so cool. The engineering on this toy is awesome.



During transformation, Basara's seat flips down.



That way, once in Battroid mode, the back panel behind the head opens up to reveal Basara sitting upright, just like in the anime.

[pud333]

Battroid mode:

Yamato said Battroid was the focus of this toy, designing the rest of the toy around what they wanted Battroid to look like, and they did not dissappoint. They really did a great job in capturing the chunky, yet agile nature of Battroid mode. I particularly love the look of the samurai wing kibble on the hips. If it weren't for those, you really wouldn't be able to tell it used to be a plane.





The spine is all diecast.



How many valkyries can you pose on one foot? This is probably the only one. The articulation and the balance is amazing. It helps having those chunky feet.



The shoulders open to reveal speakers. Yeah, makes no sense, but whatever. I think we've established by now that Macross 7 is nutty.





Bits and pieces:

The Basara in civilian clothes on the left is the one that comes with the valkyrie. The rocker one on the right comes with the Sound Boosters.



Missiles in the legs. Makes more sense than speakers in the shoulders.



The gun pod has an amo clip you can take off. Also, the gun pod attaches underneath in Fighter and Gerwalk modes. I just forgot to do it, which is why none of the pictures show this feature.



Extra face plate, should you not like the clown face.



Extra anime accurate shield on the right. Nice they included it, but unnecessary.



Typical Yamato engineering with the hands folding out of the arms.



Final thoughts:

Pros - Definitely lots to love here. This is Yamato's finest Valkyrie offering. All the years of trial and error have paid off. The QC is solid, despite the minor gerwalk issue, and some instances of people getting loose ankles right out of the box. Yamato changed their manufacturing to a different plant, which had much better QC control, and the change really paid off here. It really shows. You can transform this toy with confidence. The transformation itself is fun, yet easy enough to do. It takes me about 15 minutes every time I want to transform my Bandai VF-25F. It takes me mere minutes to transform this toy. The fluidity of transformation is second to none.

Cons - The only thing that really bothers me is the lack of fixed plastic fists that other valkyries came with, but it's a minor issue since the gun fits so well in the articulated hands. I suppose the red is a big turn off for many people. The VF-19 Fire custom looks like a Samurai Ronald McDonald on crack. If you don't like the red, there's the VF-19S alternative which just came out, in a shiny blue and yellow. This has different molding for heads, shoulders and wings, less gimicks and no Sound Booster accessory.



Another con might be lack of tampoo printing. The toy comes with stickers, but there are no instructions as to where to put any. Would be nice if this was the one valk that came panel lined for you, so it can bring out the details since the red tends to blur everything.

Price. It is EXPENSIVE. The change to the better manufacturing plant also meant increase in MSRP. The MSRP for this toy is a whopping 22,000 yen! (approx $290 cdn) You can find it at HLJ.com for 10% off. I got mine from HKCollectibles, which was the cheapest place at about $220 USD, which is an easier price to swallow.

It was worth every penny though. A must buy for any Macross fan. This chunky valk is so different than Bandao's sleek and sexy v2 VF-25F, but it is just as cool.

[pud333]

This review is the Yamato's 1/60 scale Sound Booster accessory that goes with the VF-19 Fire Custom Valkyrie.

The box is pretty much the same size as the one for the valkyrie. Slightly thinner.

Packaging:





It comes with an extra Basara in his rocker outfit and a couple attachments



Attached in Fighter Mode: The attachment piece is really solid, letting it attach to the fighter very easily. However, my quibble is the attachment is too hard to remove off the sound boosters, but I assume that gets less sticky over time.







You can have the sound boosterse attach to the Yamato stand (sold separately) on their own.





These are the money shots. As you can see, the sound boosters transform to reveal the speakers inside. The detail is very, very cool and really makes the valkyrie look so menacing. Too bad these aren't cannons. (I prefer to think of these as giant blasting cannons, rather than speakers.)













The sound boosters are a must have accessory. I believe it makes the entire toy, and really makes this beast impressive. This toy is massive with the sound boosters on. Next to the 1/3000 scale SDF-1:



The only con is the price. MSRP is $8,820 yen, but you can normally find this for anywhere between $103 - $113, depending on where you look. I got mine from HKCollectibles, which had it at the cheapest price. The thing is, I could buy another VF-1S for that price or three Yamato stands. On its own, the Sound Boosters are just meh. But I believe it is necessary to put the VF-19 Fire over the top in terms of sheer awesomeness. Too bad it costs so much. Admitedly, it was easier for me to drop $220 on the valkyrie than it was for me to drop $100 on an accessory. The end result is just ballin' though.

[pud333]

Something a bit different today: The Zentradi Heavy Missile Carrier Pod - or Regult. This was one of 1,000 units made. It's a 1/100 scale vinyl toy, with 11 points of articulation. Made by Toynami, and presented by Harmony Gold (Boo! Hiss! ) Not much to say except to show you photos, since it doesn't really do much except what you see.

Packaging:





The toy:

The sculpt and size is okay for the price. But the articulation is horrendous. When things move, they're stiff and they feel like they could break, and most of the movement is side to side or up and down swivel movement. Nothing dynamic at all. And it certainly cannot do any running poses since the knees just swivel side to side at the joint instead of being a balljoint.

Normally the Regult is a white and blue color scheme, but this is from the Macross movie, Do You Remember Love? where the Regults were an odd shade of green. I prefer the blue and white TV version, which you can buy as well.











Size-wise, it matches okay with the 1/100 scale macross toys. In this case, it is next to the Robot Damashii version of the Quaedluun Rau which is the same size (or maybe slightly bigger) than a VF-1 valkyrie.



Obviously not in scale with the 1/60 Valkyries, but it displays nicely.



Pros: For the price, the sculpt is okay and detail is nice enough. The price normally retails for $25 approximately, but these are on sale at BBTS for $16, and every once in a while they go on clearance. I got mine during the Black Friday sale for $9. I feel good about paying $9. At $16 it is borderline, and at $25, I'd consider it too expensive.

Cons: Could still use more detail, it seems a bit fragile, articulation is terrible despite boasting 11 points of articulation (11! Gasp! ), and at full retail price this would not be worth it.

To be honest, I just bought it because it was $9. What you will be buying isn't really a toy, but more like a statue that displays okay. Unfortunately, I don't have $500 for a full 1/60 scale version of the Regult by Yamato. A version that is a kit, that you have to assemble and paint yourself, mind you.

For shits and giggles, here's a photo of the Yamato 1/60 Regult next to a 1/60 valkyrie. Maybe one day Yamato will make a more affordable, preassembled toy version. A boy can dream...

[antilles]

Nice review on the 19Kai. I pretty much went the exact same route as you for this one. Have much the same thoughts on it as well. I have to admit that while I immediately liked the heft of it (after being a bit disappointed with how light the SV-51 felt compared to the VF-1s), oddly despite the loud red colour, the fighter mode seemed kind of plain to me

Maybe you're right and it's the lack of panel lining. Compared to the 19S it does lack for tampo details.

Having said all that, this really is a fighter that begs to be put in batdroid mode; particularly with the Sound Boosters. It means breaking my general rule of fighter mode only but this is one nice looking robot.

Now however, I'm also looking longingly at the 19S as my fighter versioin of the VF-19. All in all, the Fire Valk is a solid release and enough to get me stoked for more - what are your thoughts on the upcoming (but even more pricey) VF-17?

[pud333]

Tampo printing would greatly help the Kai's fighter mode. I like the design of the plane, but you're right, the 19S certainly does show that off much better. It's funny, because I was thinking of doing the exact same thing: getting the 19S and leaving that in fighter mode.

As for the 17, I will probably get it too, but only at a steep discount. I mean, we'll see. Really,I would much rather have Bandai make a VF-171 EX Nightmare which shares a lot of similar design points to the 17's fighter mode. I think it is the superior design, and a 171 is pretty much a grail piece for me. I've said in the past I'd buy two without even thinking. That said, the whole frankenstein battroid mode is growing on me.

At any rate, my priorities right now are the following in order: 19S or VF-11C, VF-25S, and after that it's sort of a free for all. I suspect we'll see the 17 discounted later on down the line, so there is no rush for me to get one.

As for the SV-51, I agree, it's pretty light despite the gigantic design of the toy. Though, I do sort of regret selling mine. Considering how far Yamato has come in their QC and designs, I would like to see them take another stab at the Macross Zero series.

Off topic: Next two reviews will be Alto's Ex-Gear and Bandai's SD Infiniti VF-25F. One's in customs, the other is still in transit.

[pud333]

Here's a treat. Bandai's SD Infiniti VF-25F Alto custom. SD stands for Super Deformed, which is a line of robot toys with oversized heads and undersized bodies, giving an alternative, comic look to its original counterparts. This one represents Alto's valkyrie, the hero from Macross Frontier. Let's get into it:

Packaging:

This is different than typical Bandai valkyrie packaging, but it's small and compact, just like the toy within.





He comes with a stand, transformation instructions, a gun pod, extra head, knife, extra hands, three stand attachments, shield and blast effect.



Fighter Mode:

This is a great little toy. Lots of detail here for such a small figure. The paint apps are great and the design is solid. No landing gear though, and no real detail in the cockpit, but there's only so much you can expect form such a small transforming figure. The fighter mode attaches to the stand using one of three unique stands, one for each mode.









Even with the shield, you can still see the fists. Normally the shield would cover these up in the 1/60 scale.



Gerwalk mode:

Very surprised at how much I like it in Gerwalk mode. The legs don't really clip in anywhere, so they sort of hang there, but still, quite faithful, and you can still get an aggressive A stance.







Battroid mode:

This is where the SD toy shines. You have the giant head, which is just awesome. Lots of detail, and it's nice that it has a clear plastic visor instead of it being painted on. The original VF-25F didn't even have that!

[pud333]

You can replace the fisted hands for the ones molded to hold the weapons. The articulation is very good, with various ball joints and swivel joints. Also, diecast feet!





This toy is just a lot of fun.



You can add on the blast effect to the tip of the gun.





Details:

The extra head is smaller, but it has all the detail as the larger head. You actually have to switch to the smaller head to transform it from Battroid to Gerwalk and Fighter. I suppose you can just leave the smaller head on, especially if you are transforming this a lot, but the big head is what the SD is all about.



The gun pod transforms. But unlike the 1/60 valkyries, the bottom piece comes apart an attaches at various points to simulate the close and open gun pod look.



Final thoughts:

Pros - Very well made for such a small figure with so much detail. The transformation is different than its 1/60 counterpart, and it's actually a lot of fun! The added details like the clear visor, the diecast parts - all of it works very well. Finding diecast in such a small toy was a huge bonus. I didn't expect it, so imagine my surprise when there was diecast not only in the feet, but in the hip hinges! It is shockingly faithful to the spirit of the original valkyrie. Size. It's small, but that's the point. There's a really cool fun factor with this toy that makes it so different than the 1/60 scale valkyries. This thing is certainly cute!

Cons - Lack of detail in the canopy and legs not attaching at the hips to stabilize Gerwalk mode are drawbacks, as well as no landing gear, but really, you can't complain too much considering it manages to pull off so much despite its tiny size. The size itself is also a con. While the small size was a pro earlier, it's also a con due to the cost of the figure. It's about 4 inches tall, which really is tiny. This toy originally came out over a year ago and retailed for 4,500 yen, which was about $55-$60 at that time. Only diehard Macross fans would pay that much for such a tiny figure. But what you have to realize, is that there is so much detail that goes into it. Trying to fit a near perfect transformation into a 4 inch toy is why the price is so much. It would be a perfect transformation if it weren't for the swapping of the heads.

Overall, I really like this toy, and it represents all the fun of Macross very well. It's near impossible to find now for a decent price. I saw one of these sell for $170 in an auction on eBay just a couple weeks ago. It's certainly NOT worth that. I certainly didn't pay anywhere near that. But realistically, most people should wait for a re-release, if there ever will be one. I am doubtful on it. There was supposed to be an SD Gurren Lagann as well, but that hasn't seen the light of day ever since this was released over a year ago. My guess is that while these things did sell out initially, perhaps Bandai didn't sell enough to warrant future releases. I don't know. You'd have to ask them. I hope they release more, though. I would love a full Skull squadron of SD figures.

And now, some fun comparison pictures with its big brother:

Fighter mode:







Gerwalk mode:





Battroid mode:



Family portrait! Awww...



Coming soon: Reviews of Alto's Ex Gear from Bandai, and Yamato's 1/60 VF-11C from Macross 7!!!

[pud333]

HLJ is having one of their regular Macross sales right now.

http://www.hlj.com/scripts/hljlist?S...der=macsal1211

Valks from 30-70% off right now. For example, you can pick up the 1/60 VF-19 Fire valkyrie for 30% off! They also have a special EMS shipping sale right now for 2,000 yen. If you order one of the special items from the list, you can combine it with other orders for only 2,000 yen shipping! The 1/3000 SDF-1 and VF-22S are both on the special item list. If you order of those, you can then add other valks for super cheap shipping!

http://www.hlj.com/emscampaign2011.html

However, don't go overboard. Read the fine print. They have a max box size, so let's say if you order the SDF-1 and half a dozen valks, it probably won't fit into one box.

fine print:

IMPORTANT: Due to weight and size restrictions, larger orders may be split into multiple shipping boxes. The 2,000 yen shipping rate will be charged per box, not per order. Example: If a large single order must be shipped in two boxes, the total shipping charged will be 4,000 yen (2,000 yen x 2). Please note that we cannot make estimates about whether particular orders will fit into a single shipping box, or provide details on our various box sizes. For very rough estimate purposes, the largest shipping box the postal service will accept measures 82cm x 57cm x 44cm, and can weigh up to 30kg. These limits are lower for some countries.

Every order at HLJ shows the box dimensions on the toy order page, so you can probably guestimate what you can fit.

As an example, when I ordered the SDF-1 a few months ago, it came in a giant box with my MP-10, which is also a giant boxed toy. So you could easily fit the SDF-1 and at least one large valk. Heck, even if you can't take advantage of the cheap shipping, the valks themselves are discounted enough where it's worth it anyways! You can pick up some VF-1's for under $80!!!

Due to the terrible currency exchange, this is when I normally buy older valks; during HLJ's sales. Just picked up the VF-11C and another one of those Yamato stands.

Happy shopping!

EDIT: One more SD picture for the road... So much fun even Optimus likes to swoosh!

[Tkim87]

Ahah, thats cute.