Transformers Masterpiece MP-11 Starscream Ver. 2.0~

11:03 AM in Generation 1, MASTERPIECE, NOT IN COLLECTION, Potential Buy, Remake, Starscream, TAKARATOMY

It has finally been announced that orders for Takratomy's new Masterpiece- MP- 11- a retool and recolor of sorts of Starscream will be shipping out this week from Japan and other Asian countries. I should be getting this and doing a simple review  when I get mine in approx. 2 weeks time! Stay tuned!  Pics linked/credited to Robotkingdom.com 

Masterpiece 11, Starscream Copyright 2011-2011 Takaratomy. 

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UPCOMING TEASER RELEASE : BOTCON 2012 'GIGATRON'/ OVERLORD!

12:07 AM in Botcon 2012, Exclusive Repaint, G1 HOMAGE, OVERLORD, Remake, reminiscent

Hello folks! Sincere apologies for not updating my blog, been busy on the travelling side as I visited Beijing, China sometime last week. Back and refreshed from my trip, here to preview another anticipated release, this time straight hot off the highly anticipated upcoming annual USA-themed Transformers Convention- Botcon, which is slated to take place sometime in April 2012. 

The Overlord@ 'Gigatron'  homage was the first reveal from the Themed Boxed Set of 6 remoulded/ repainted Classics/ Henkei figures, this time with Fun Publications utilizing the Classics Bludgeon/Banzaitron mould.  Today, courtersy of

Hong Kong Fans Group - '

Transformers Galaxy', we get to examine up-close the detailed changes made in terms of how the color scheme matches the original Generation One Masterforce Overlord. 

This incarnation of Overlord is derived from the inspiration of how uber Transformers artist Nick Roche, depicted the Emperor of Destruction is the highly acclaimed and mind-blowingly rated Transformers Graphic novel: 'Last Stand of The Wreckers' (LSOTW)

When TFW2005 picked up this story on their front page news, and I knew I had to feature this on my blog  for one of two reasons: First: It's the very first time, ever, that the Overlord character was remade into a homage in toy incarnation since it's original 1989 release; and two, when the first pictures surfaced, the majority of fickle Transformers fans reaction of the chosen mould- Bludgeon, was received with much scorn and trepidation. Admittedly, I was one of those who thought that the great history and reverence of such an important character such as Overlord in the fandom should at the very least receive the  highest form of treatment it deserved. The head sculpt then, looked certainly quite unfitting on Bludgeons body, but oh how perceptions can change once better and clearer quality pictures of this toy surfaced.  He certainly looks miles better and the sculpt is nothing short of fantastic- pouty lips and all- in the same vein as Roche's depiction as seen in LSOTW- 

Tank mode is pretty spot on, because it works- while looking menacingly like his original Generation 1 predecessor, albeit without the 'Mega-Jet' portion to combine into his robot mode. I have to admit that using the tank-mode from Bludgeon is a stroke of genius.  The colors pay a great homage to the 'Giga-Tank' original, and works well in both modes. As his Bio is shown,  from Transformers Wiki.com, he has a ruthless history littered with violence and anarchy. True to his namesake, he is merciless and unrepentant...all the qualities of a tyrannical Decepticon leader.  

Dreamwave Generation 1 comics

Gigatron was an ancient Cybertronian, who developed an idea to allow Decepticons to survive on alien planets by biologically integrating local inhabitants into their systems. In modern times, Gigatron's records were uncovered and used to develop the Powermaster process. More than Meets the Eye #8

[IDW Generation 1 comics 

“	A good strategist is half psychologist and half sadist. And I was the best.	”
—Overlord, Last Stand of the Wreckers #3

Hey, he appeared as a rabid fan of gladiatorial combat in a crowd shot once. Wouldn't it be awesome if someone built a whole character round that?.

In the days before the Cybertronian civil war, Overlord was an avid spectator of Megatron's gladiatorial matches. Like many, this led him to join the charismatic pit fighter's army and bear the badge of the Decepticons. Megatron Origin #2

However, Overlord perhaps didn't join for the right reasons. He was enthralled not with the loftiness of the Decepticon cause that Megatron espoused, but more with the glorious excess of the gladiator battles and the freedom of making entire worlds his arena. ToOverlord, the ends didn't matter overly much when the means themselves were this pleasurable. As a result his tactics developed a reputation as unsound, and his schemes as nothing more than flights of brutal whimsy. Unlike many other powerful Decepticons, he had no interest in command, only in taking his slaughter to the next stage. Megatron was not convinced, however, believing the image of Overlord as simply interested in killing to be a façade, and began searching for a way to exert greater control over him.

Final thoughts: A very excellent homage which will test the resolve of Masterforce fan-boys and give them a valid reason to go all out and purchase him.  I know I will certainly try and achieve and strike up a deal to get Botcon 2012 Overlord. 

Last Stand Of The Wreckers/ Overlord Copyright IDW Publishing'/ Hasbro & Takara 2011

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WING SABER TOYZ UPCOMING RELEASE: TRANSFORMERS MASTERPIECE CONVOY Ver.2 - MP-10- 「MP10コンボイver,2.0」! Anticipated Release for 2011!!

1:02 PM in Convoy, Latest Addition, MASTERPIECE, MP-10, Remake, September 2011, YET TO BE RELEASED

Remake and re-engineered Convoy/ Optimus Prime mould.

Features completely redesigned and streamlined/ G1 Accurate Truck mode

Trailer remade with additional repair bay and additional 'Roller' mini buggy

Additional 'Spike' human figurine which is able to fit any of the previous G1 toys plus this new Convoy

More proportioned Robot Mode/ re-sculpted head/ face

slightly shorter but highly more detailed compared to the 'outdated'  MP-01 model

Est. Retail Price: 22,000 Yen/ USD250! 

Est release date/ End Sept or Early Oct 2011

Personally,  as this was pretty much anticipated for awhile now, MP-01 the original/ default and pretty 'dated' Masterpiece Convoy mould can be consigned to the history books and thrashed. 

Pricey, but bought due to the engineering style and overall aesthetics/ FFS, he IS Optimus Prime after all!  

^Pics linked and credited to Amiami/ Dengeki Hobby Magazine, Japan

copuright 1984/ 2011 Takaratomy All rights Reserved

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REMADE INTO PERFECTION! VINTAGE CHOGOKIN LIONBOT AKA GOLION / VOLTRON!!!

11:17 AM in 1980's, LIONBOT, Remake, TAIWANESE, Vintage, VOLTRON

UPDATE: TOY ARRIVED IN POST TODAY-- FRIDAY, JANUARY 22nd 2010! ECSTATIC, ALTHOUGH HAVE NOT OPENED HIM UP, SAVE FOR A FEW IN BOX SHOTS. MORE PICS TO FOLLOW? WE SHALL SEE!

Arriving sometime next week to WSX toyz is yet another of those rare gem of a piece toys--one which every serious Mecha collectors absolutely need to add to their 'armament' of diecast-engineered Japanese toys. I'm very sure that most of you guys and girls out there are quite familiar with the "invasion" of sorts on your Saturday morning TV cartoon slots when you were just young kids. One of my fondest childhood memories was being able to own one of the more "commercial" version of the mighty Defender of the Universe: VOLTRON.



The version of VOLRTON/LIONBOT which I have bought on ebay, is supposedly a "bootlegged" Taiwanese reproduction made famous somewhere during the 1980's- early 1990's. Yup, like the original Gokin Golion, this version still sports pretty much the same features/weight and more importantly, all the firing spring-loaded mechanisms and weapons of those famous FIVE Lions. The HUGE box in question is packaged in true Gokin style, very reminiscent of the original GOLION Bandai/Poppy vintage one, save for the original Japanese Kanji being replaced with English fonts. After scouring the internet, there are several mini-reviews/ write-ups and most certainly feed-back on this very-well done LIONBOT. The additional feature and bonus of this unofficial boxed set is that it came with a plethora of "original" accessories and weapons, which were omitted in the US Gokin/ Trendmaster's American versions for obvious reasons-- chiefly US child-safety laws on toys which have lots of pointy sharp bits. Even the Blazing Sword was not considered in one of those releases!



Now, I know that most recently as 2003, and last year, there has been a mini-revival of sorts since the phenomenal success of the Live Action 2007 Transformers movie. What, may you ask, does Voltron have to do with that multi-million dollar cash-cow of a franchise by Hasbro!? Well, its simple really, as more movie and comics/ toys companies wanted to cash in on nostalgic 1980's themed cartoons/ television series-- Hence, Japanese/American toy makers Toynami too, decided the time was right to make another re-issue on the hugely popular Lion-themed super-robot. IMHO, although more aesthetically accurate and faithful to the shows slender mecha proportions, --however, its the vintage designs which really adds more weight in gold-- Solid, built like a brick and imposing--With over 90% of the individual Lions' bodies made of diecast, plus numerous gimmicks and weapons! I like!


LET'S GO VOLTRON FORCE!


Pictures are credited/linked to brilliant sites which include Collectiondx.com and for some strange reason-- in addition, a Zoids http://www.zoid.us/lionbot.htm page! WSX Toyz extends a sincere thanks and gratitude which goes out to them. In addition some pictures from these sites would be taken down, as soon as the seller has shipped the giant and heavy box to yours truly. My own original in box shots will be watermarked as usual--middle finger pose and all--LOL!--especially for my "die-hard fans" ( those internet "white-knights" and lame asses) who still have nothing better to do with their lives- At this point, the ebay seller and auction for LIONBOT can be seen here-- http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370320279771&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

GoLion/ Lionbot / Voltron Specifications

GoLion was separated into five separate lion robots by a goddess/ (in Voltron Hagar the witch )who wished to teach GoLion humility until he could be reassembled. GoLion later gains a soul after being reawakened by the five pilots who use GoLion to protect the universe from Emperor Daibazaal's/Zarkon's evil.

GoLion is 60 metres (197 ft) tall, and weighs 700 tonnes (771 tons).

• Black Lion (黒獅子, Kurojishi): Forms the body and head of GoLion. Powered by lightning. Piloted by Akira/Keith
• Red Lion (赤獅子, Akajishi): Forms the right arm of GoLion. Powered by fire. Piloted by Isamu/ Lance
  
• Green Lion (緑獅子, Midorijishi): Forms the left arm of GoLion. Powered by wind. Piloted by Hiroshi/Pidge
• Blue Lion (青獅子, Aojishi): Forms the right leg of GoLion. Powered by water. Piloted by Takashi/Sven, and later Fala/Princess Allura, after Takashi's/Sven's death.
• Yellow Lion (黄獅子, Kijishi): Forms the left leg of GoLion. Powered by sand. Piloted by Tsuyoshi/ Hunk
  

So, without further delay, here is another quick run through of the 5 individual lions which make up LIONBOT, as well as its individual strengths and weaknesses. As usual well start with the King of the team, the main torso and head of LIONBOT/ GOLION:

BLACK LION

My most favorite lion as a kid. He is the most bulky naturally- a big, solid fella who has pegs hidden in all four thighs with interlocking mechanisms to insert the other lions' tails. Legs and main body is entirely made up of diecast-- His overall appearance is pretty kickass--especially when the side cannons and weapons are added. The fact that he is the leader of the lions and protagonist in the cartoon series--Shoom!--lighting silhouetted Black Lion introduction flashback scene in my head! makes him A-graded in my books. Excellent. A ++


RED LION

Emerging from the fiery depths of the volcano, Red Lion's toy really didn't do any justice as far as scale and cartoon accuracy was concerned-Red lion, being the right arm of Voltron, is skinny looking but with a more solid and "fuller" body design. His mid-drift section can be also rotated, and head launched with the press of a button visible just behind the lion head. Better than Green Lion , IMHO in terms of the overall aesthetics, but not the greatest of all. B


GREEN LION

Piloted by the spunky and vertically challenged kid-genius, Pidge. The main essence why I kinda liked the Green Lion more than the Red-- I dunno, dontcha ever notice, that every time Voltron/Golion strikes the "finishing off the enemy" pose, he ALWAYS uses the Green Lion as the main ROAR before he slices them i half?! I know all the Lions would take turns to let out roars, but the Red one would be wielding the sword. Spindly, with a rounder body design, Green Lion also comes with a spring loaded mechanism which enables him to launch is "head-attack". In addition, as expected, his mid-drift is jointed and can be moved and rotated, just like his other arm component counterpart, Red Lion. B +


BLUE LION

My second most fave, this Lion had its fair share of pilots, but none more so charming than the Princess of Planet Arus herself, Allura. Out of all the limb-attachment Lions, the Blue Lion is to me the epitome of
grace and strength. Add to the back missile pods and its head design looks miles better than the rest of its limb counterparts. Awesome! A


YELLOW LION

Although pretty tough looking, the Yellow Lion is pretty useless in the Voltron cartoon series, if memory serves me correctly. His face design was not one of my favorites, although without his other weapons, he just has a single cannon on his back and "cheek-flares"--kinda lame if you ask me... B


MEGA-THRUSTERS ARE GO!



FINAL THOUGHTS:

TWO WORDS: HELL YEAH! For those who are on a tight shoe-string budget, but also rather reluctant to spend thousands of Ringgit on the original GOLION, one has to be "smart" enough to be able to "see" a good deal when it hits them right smack in the face, THEN BY ALL MEANS, NOSTALGIC FEELINGS ASIDE, scour ebay.com to hunt for this bad-boy. These days, LIONBOT's are still widely available-- however, you must be prepared to fork out a small but justifiable sum of around US$ 90.00 to US$190.00 plus shipping if you wish to own a cheaper and high quality Taiwanese reproduction. There is no such shame in owing a so-called "bootlegged" toy in your collection, as to me everything has its price, but I wont be willing to shell out close to RM2,000 on a mint in box American Chogokin or loose Japan-made GOLION just yet. Damn that Voltron theme song and introduction by the great Peter Cullen- voice of Optimus Prime--is stuck in my head now. LIONBOT is a cheaper alternative, not necessarily a flawed one and encouraging the support of acquiring bootlegged toys--BUT its for those who want to own a priceless vintage toy for a fraction of the cost. VERDICT? NO HESITATIONS AND BUY IT!!!

VOLTRON © 2009 World Event Productions/Toei.inc.Japan. All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2009, Toynami Inc.

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CITY OF ANGELS: REVOLTECH YAMAGUCHI SERIES NO. 076 - EVANGELION 2.0 Eva 01 Test Type Model Awakening Ver.

8:26 PM in 2009 Release, Awakening Version, Beserk, Evangelion 2.0, Kaiyado, Neon, Remake, Revoltech, Yamaguchi

Front of Box and contents

Back of box

Item Name : Revoltech Awakening Ver. Eva Test Type-01 New Movie Edition Series No.076
Manufacturer : Kaiyodo
Scale : N/A
Material : PVC , ABS
Producer : Katsuhisa Yamaguchi
Series : Revoltech Yamaguchi Series
Original : Rebuild of Evangelion
Release Date : Now Released (Oct' 09 Tentative)
Regular Price : 2,400 yen (tax included)/ RM 110

Promotional test-shots

Hello once again, good people who visit my blog! Many sincere thanks for keeping up with my updates, no matter how inconsistent my postings are! LOL! Well, I am sure that many of you are wondering about my hiatus -- well, truthfully, I have since returned from a short holiday of sorts to the "City of Angels" of the East: Bangkok-- So, I guess after all that spicy and stomach churning food escapades, and countless hours and money spent on souvenirs, it is rather fitting that on my last night there, I managed to obtain the one item that is synonymous with the word "Angel" -REVOLTECH YAMAGUCHI SERIES NO. 076 - EvANGELion 2.0 Eva Test Type-01 Awakening Ver.



Frantic scouting for toy and hobby shops in Thailand, especially in a so-called modern metropolitan like Bangkok can take a heavy toll both physically and emotionally-- mind you, its definitely not a collector friendly place, as I can personally attest to. Nevertheless, the mini-review will just concentrate on the type of release, poseability, and aesthetics, spare parts and finally playability and value for money.

Beware: I'm Coming to GET you!


THE MINI REVIEW:

The first thing you would notice is the bigger-and spiffy Revoltech box which has the tried and tested "window" view display. This allows you to see the awesome figure, plus its plethora of accessories, which in this case has the standard interchangeable head, hands and of course spare parts and weapons. Kaiyodo has once again borrowed heavily on the current Anime OVA and movie which needs no further introduction to seasoned fans of the Evangelion Series and Franchise, as the EVA unit was featured in the now released 2009 theatrical version Evangelion 2.0 : You Can (Not) Advance / (ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版: 破, Evangerion Shin Gekijōban: Ha. The figure is draped in a flash of bright neon colours, mainly bright purple with a hint of orange and red to finish off. Black accents are used to "break" up the body parts/plates gauntlets/ to make the figure even more bold and gives it a much fiercer look. Well, IMHO... it kinda resembles a sea creature slug or more commonly known as a ..... "Nudibranch". -_- u

Arrgh! My Arm!

Yeah, I dunno, I kinda see the colour scheme and the reason I look towards this analogy--(not to think too deeply into the context--of course)-- is that this colour scheme for the "REAWAKENING EVA-UNIT 01" means that its basically warning its enemies that its a "bad-ass" killing, non-feeling machine-- even though it is piloted by a human being.

Text taken from Wikipedia :

"Among this group can be found the most colorful creatures on earth. In the course of evolution, sea slugs have lost their shell because they have developed other defense mechanisms. Their anatomy may resemble the texture and color of the surrounding plants, allowing them to camouflage (cryptic behavior). Others, as seen especially well on chromodorids, have an intense and bright coloring, which warns that they are distasteful or poisonous (aposematic coloration).



As with most Revoltech figures, they are super-poesable, interchange - bendable and most importantly, sturdy and virtually unbreakable." For me, Personally, the colour scheme works well, in the sense it gives the figure a much more sleeker feel than its original counterpart. It also comes with the"default "Berserker" head sculpt. Big bulging eyes and a "psychotic" gaping mouth-- which opens and closes when moved. Hmm...going "ape-shit" and all nuclear in order to save the world, perhaps? Or maybe he is "possessed" by the "essence" of an evil and malicious "Angel" I cant say for sure if this mimics the final scene in the OVA, but who knows, maybe I just might be tempted to pick up the movie to find out for myself! Also, coupled with the shining/ power-infused (well, at least that's what I think it is!) "right hand/arm"-- it makes for an omnipotent-potent sight to behold. But aside from that, the coolest feature is that the right arm is also detachable, making it look like it had its arm ripped off/ damaged in the heat of battle with one of the "18 Angels" -- the mortal enemies from the series.

The main "accessory" that suits the "Berserker" head is the glowing eyes effect attachment. Ahh, yes, what would a crazed and atomic giant mecha be without its glowing eyes of utter rage --hell bent on total destruction?!

This Revoltech also comes with about 9 pairs-- yes NINE pairs of different hand gestures/ poses. While generous, I would have liked it much better if Kaiyodo had graciously included more that ONE weapon to the armory. Some blades or knifes would be a welcomed bonus. It wouldn't hurt also to include a BFG -- (A BIG F*%$ING) GUN to its arsenal. But beggars cant be choosers, I suppose!



WEAPON/ CABLE AND "HALO" ACCESSORIES

As mentioned, the lone rifle is pretty disappointing, but, together with the additional "default" normal arm it makes up for the lameness of a lack of weapons through Revoltech's signature action poses. This EVA 2.0 Type 01 Ver. also comes with a power plug and "cable" which can be hooked up to its back, plus a clear "Halo" attachment which can be placed behind its neck area.

COMPARISONS WITH THE ORIGINAL COLOURED VERSION

Essentially, Eva Test 01 Awakening Ver. shares the same sculpt as its original release from the same line. Also to note is that the original neon green and purple colour scheme came with a chock full of weapons. In addition, there seems to be no obvious variation or changes to the "default" EVA 01 head sculpt, pictured on the left. The center "horn" or antenna is still detachable for both models. Also, the similarities can allow for a cool combat diorama, Eva 01 Vs. The Test Ver. Awesome and dynamic pose, don'tcha think?!

GRATUITOUS POSER SHOTS

As seen by the variety of poses shown, EVA 01 Test Version can show off some of the most "movie accurate", outrageous poses. This, and add to an excellent overall sculpt and also super detailed parts, make this a must get for any fan of the Revoltech Series. Also, if you are into Giant Mecha Anime franchises, especially to those who dig hot chicks (who use skin tight neo-suits and look deadly but sultry while kicking a$$) -- and gigantic monsters beating the living crap and total destruction out of each other and the surrounding landscape around them, then this is worth the addition to your growing collection of Revoltechs.

FINAL VERDICT

Well, to be honest, I didn't actually know what I was really buying-- (figure and garish colour and all)-- until I did some research on the internet -- about where and when this series of Revoltechs were released. Was never really into the Evangelion craze, although was briefly introduced to it when I was a teenager... BUT having said that---with most Revoltech stuff, you can be damn 100% sure that the figures churned out is one of high quality and in terms of the unlimited (literally) number of crazy poses and positions for diorama/ photo shoot/ display purposes, count on Kaiyodo to deliver the goods. Thus, I give this awesome model a high scoring 5 / over 5 !

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