Post by Ultimate Coordinator on Jan 14, 2009 17:58:27 GMT 8
I want to share with you guys my small Macross Variable Fighter collection, which came to life once more since last year. Currently I have six Variable Fighters:
• 1984 Takatoku Toys Kanzen Henkei 1/55 VF-1S Super Valkyrie Hikaru Ichijoe
• Banpresto 20th Anniversary Perfect Transformation 1/144 VF-1A/J/S Max Jenius Wedding Ring Variant
• BANDAI 20th Anniversary Takatoku Toys Kanzen Henkei Re-Issue 1/55 VF-1J Max Jenius Wedding Ring Variant
• BANDAI 1/72 VF-25F Messiah Alto Custom
• Chara Works 1/144 VF-1J Max Jenius Wedding Ring Variant Fighter Mode
• Yamato 1/60 VF-1D Variable Trainer
I started collecting Macross toys when in 1986 when I was 13, when Super Dimensional Fortress first started showing on our shores on RPN 9. My very first Macross toy was a Takatoku Toys 1/100 VF-1S action figure, followed by a Takatoku Toys 1/55 VF-1S Super Valkyrie Hikaru Ichijoe my Dad got me for Christmas that year. I lost my 1/100 and all that was left was the 1/55 Super Valkyrie:
My Takatoku is 22 years old, color-faded, metallic-scratched, has battered decals, lost three of its four head lasers plus its left leg air-intake cover, and has lost its box and all accessories except for one of its Super Pack thrusters, but it’s still transformable, sturdy, reasonably tight joints and well-loved and well-played, being one of the few toys I’ve saved from my youth, so I guess it’s my most prized toy in all of my current collection.
Last year my significant other, sacred_essence, or se here at GT, gave me a Banpresto 20th Anniversary Perfect Transformation 1/144 VF-1A/J/S Max Jenius Wedding Ring Variant for my birthday.
This was part of a set, of which my SO kept the Milia Jenius Banpresto for her own collection (she is an avid Macross fan herself, even cosplaying Lynn Minmay in H3 2007 and Sheryl Nome in Cosplay Mania, UP AME and H3 2008).
Also at the same time, Sacred and I bought the BANDAI 20th Anniversary Kanzen Henkei Takatoku Toys Re-Issue 1/55 VF-1J Max and Milia Gift Set. Again she kept the Milia Jenius VF-1J, while I received the BANDAI 20th Anniversary Kanzen Henkei Takatoku Toys Re-Issue 1/55 VF-1J Max Jenius Wedding Ring Variant:
I really love the Takatoku Toys-style Valkyries. I really agree with the comments over at Macross World Forums that Takatoku/BANDAI Valks are way better than Yamato Valks. Not dissing Yamato, but I find the playability and ruggedness of the Takatoku/BANDAI Valks make it a better buy overall, and I love the old-school-ness of the Takatoku design, and the fact that Takatokus are harder to find. The Yamatos are great to look at, has more accessories and pretty sturdy as well, but nothing beats the classic look of the vintage Takatoku design for me. I’ll probably look for more Takatoku/BANDAI Valks in the future.
You can find pics of SE's Banpresto 20th Anniversary Perfect Transformation 1/144 VF-1A/J/S Milia Jenius Wedding Ring Variant and her BANDAI Kanzen Henkei 1/55 VF-1J Milia Jenius Wedding Ring Variant, together with my Takatoku/BANDAIs and Banpresto here on my Multiply page
Next up is the BANDAI 1/72 VF-25F Messiah Alto Custom from the anime Macross Frontier that I ordered from a contact over at Pinoy Gundam Forum last November:
Currently the Messiah is about 85 percent complete – all that’s left are the decals, which I still don’t have time to put due to schedules at work and laziness during free time. The details on this plamo are great, and it would probably look way better with the decals applied. A few honest knacks though – it’s not really the sturdiest plamo, and transforming it can be small pain during the first time you do it. Similar to the YF-19’s transformation style, the Messiah can be complicated to change modes for Valk newbies, unlike Takatoku-style VF-1 Valks, which I can probably transform while sleeping. I’m ordering a Super Pack for the Messiah by February, when it’s available.
Next up is this Chara Works 1/144 VF-1J Max Jenius Wedding Ring Variant Fighter Mode.
I found this little gem at Christmas Toycon 2008, and fell in love with its details. I should have gotten the 1/144 VF-1A Strike Valkyrie Hikaru Ichijoe DYRL that was sold together with the Max Wedding Ring Variant if I realized these Chara Works Valks were this good.
Finally the Yamato 1/60 VF-1D Variable Trainer, which I fondly call the “Date Valkyrie”, since the two-seat configuration is the classic choice for saving songstresses-in-distress in suspense-filled aerial rescues, or taking them for joyrides around Saturn’s rings.
While I like the Takatokus better, I have to agree that the detail and accessories in Yamatos are a lot better than old-school Valks, the VF-1D is no exception. But since these are generally more pricey I’ve probably taken the VF-1D out of its box twice eversince I bought it this New Year, including when I took those pictures above. I haven’t even transformed it yet (not even once), and I haven’t dared put decals on it, afraid that I might botch the attempt ruin the pristine-ness of the Valk.
So that’s my small Macross Variable Fighter collection. Hopefully I can increase it little by little, since Variable Fighters are a lot more expensive and harder to find than Gundams, which are my other love. I’m not in a hurry to buy another, though. I’m saving up for either a BANDAI DX 1/60 VF-25F chogokin, or another Takatoku (should I find one that’s of a good price). But for now these are all I have. Hope you liked them.
• 1984 Takatoku Toys Kanzen Henkei 1/55 VF-1S Super Valkyrie Hikaru Ichijoe
• Banpresto 20th Anniversary Perfect Transformation 1/144 VF-1A/J/S Max Jenius Wedding Ring Variant
• BANDAI 20th Anniversary Takatoku Toys Kanzen Henkei Re-Issue 1/55 VF-1J Max Jenius Wedding Ring Variant
• BANDAI 1/72 VF-25F Messiah Alto Custom
• Chara Works 1/144 VF-1J Max Jenius Wedding Ring Variant Fighter Mode
• Yamato 1/60 VF-1D Variable Trainer
I started collecting Macross toys when in 1986 when I was 13, when Super Dimensional Fortress first started showing on our shores on RPN 9. My very first Macross toy was a Takatoku Toys 1/100 VF-1S action figure, followed by a Takatoku Toys 1/55 VF-1S Super Valkyrie Hikaru Ichijoe my Dad got me for Christmas that year. I lost my 1/100 and all that was left was the 1/55 Super Valkyrie:
My Takatoku is 22 years old, color-faded, metallic-scratched, has battered decals, lost three of its four head lasers plus its left leg air-intake cover, and has lost its box and all accessories except for one of its Super Pack thrusters, but it’s still transformable, sturdy, reasonably tight joints and well-loved and well-played, being one of the few toys I’ve saved from my youth, so I guess it’s my most prized toy in all of my current collection.
Last year my significant other, sacred_essence, or se here at GT, gave me a Banpresto 20th Anniversary Perfect Transformation 1/144 VF-1A/J/S Max Jenius Wedding Ring Variant for my birthday.
This was part of a set, of which my SO kept the Milia Jenius Banpresto for her own collection (she is an avid Macross fan herself, even cosplaying Lynn Minmay in H3 2007 and Sheryl Nome in Cosplay Mania, UP AME and H3 2008).
Also at the same time, Sacred and I bought the BANDAI 20th Anniversary Kanzen Henkei Takatoku Toys Re-Issue 1/55 VF-1J Max and Milia Gift Set. Again she kept the Milia Jenius VF-1J, while I received the BANDAI 20th Anniversary Kanzen Henkei Takatoku Toys Re-Issue 1/55 VF-1J Max Jenius Wedding Ring Variant:
I really love the Takatoku Toys-style Valkyries. I really agree with the comments over at Macross World Forums that Takatoku/BANDAI Valks are way better than Yamato Valks. Not dissing Yamato, but I find the playability and ruggedness of the Takatoku/BANDAI Valks make it a better buy overall, and I love the old-school-ness of the Takatoku design, and the fact that Takatokus are harder to find. The Yamatos are great to look at, has more accessories and pretty sturdy as well, but nothing beats the classic look of the vintage Takatoku design for me. I’ll probably look for more Takatoku/BANDAI Valks in the future.
You can find pics of SE's Banpresto 20th Anniversary Perfect Transformation 1/144 VF-1A/J/S Milia Jenius Wedding Ring Variant and her BANDAI Kanzen Henkei 1/55 VF-1J Milia Jenius Wedding Ring Variant, together with my Takatoku/BANDAIs and Banpresto here on my Multiply page
Next up is the BANDAI 1/72 VF-25F Messiah Alto Custom from the anime Macross Frontier that I ordered from a contact over at Pinoy Gundam Forum last November:
Currently the Messiah is about 85 percent complete – all that’s left are the decals, which I still don’t have time to put due to schedules at work and laziness during free time. The details on this plamo are great, and it would probably look way better with the decals applied. A few honest knacks though – it’s not really the sturdiest plamo, and transforming it can be small pain during the first time you do it. Similar to the YF-19’s transformation style, the Messiah can be complicated to change modes for Valk newbies, unlike Takatoku-style VF-1 Valks, which I can probably transform while sleeping. I’m ordering a Super Pack for the Messiah by February, when it’s available.
Next up is this Chara Works 1/144 VF-1J Max Jenius Wedding Ring Variant Fighter Mode.
I found this little gem at Christmas Toycon 2008, and fell in love with its details. I should have gotten the 1/144 VF-1A Strike Valkyrie Hikaru Ichijoe DYRL that was sold together with the Max Wedding Ring Variant if I realized these Chara Works Valks were this good.
Finally the Yamato 1/60 VF-1D Variable Trainer, which I fondly call the “Date Valkyrie”, since the two-seat configuration is the classic choice for saving songstresses-in-distress in suspense-filled aerial rescues, or taking them for joyrides around Saturn’s rings.
While I like the Takatokus better, I have to agree that the detail and accessories in Yamatos are a lot better than old-school Valks, the VF-1D is no exception. But since these are generally more pricey I’ve probably taken the VF-1D out of its box twice eversince I bought it this New Year, including when I took those pictures above. I haven’t even transformed it yet (not even once), and I haven’t dared put decals on it, afraid that I might botch the attempt ruin the pristine-ness of the Valk.
So that’s my small Macross Variable Fighter collection. Hopefully I can increase it little by little, since Variable Fighters are a lot more expensive and harder to find than Gundams, which are my other love. I’m not in a hurry to buy another, though. I’m saving up for either a BANDAI DX 1/60 VF-25F chogokin, or another Takatoku (should I find one that’s of a good price). But for now these are all I have. Hope you liked them.
