03.23.07
Yamato 1/60 VF-1 GBP Accessory
REVIEW: Those are some awfully big hands
Packaging & Extras (3/5)
This is not a review of the Hikaru combo pack but rather a review of the stand-alone GBP accessory kit sold for Yamato’s 1/60 line of toys (not to be confused with the more stellar 1/48 versions). The accessory kit is packaged like all the other Yammy 1/60 VF-1 products… in a flimsy, over-sized, box. The art is decent enough and the box does its job but don’t expect to be bowled over by the goods inside. You’ll get the accessory kit, gigantic fists, instructions, decals, and that’s it. It would have been nice to see some new posed hands, maybe some that could accomodate the gun, or any new tidbits that were only available through the purchase of this accessory. Check out how big the new fists are compared to the stock ones that come with the toy.
Charm & Collectibility (2.5/5)
The product essentially seemed to crash and burn. It’s big but not too heavy but just the same it seems to carry some transportation cost with it amongst the importers. The major deal-breaker here is the obvious superiority of the 1/48 VF-1 in comparison to the 1/60 and the same thing goes with accessories like these. This product came out late in the 1/60 life cycle and was almost immediately supplanted by the 1/48 valks so demand was just never there. In quite an interesting move Yamato only released the Hikaru VF-1J in a giftset with the armor and as a super variant… so if you didn’t purchase the Hikaru with the GBP you would then need to buy a Super Hikaru VF-1J to accomplish your goal and you’d then be left with excess super parts that only fit on a few of the Yamato 1/60 releases (essentially all the 1/60s that came with their own parts). Basically, it only makes sense to put the stand-alone GBP on the first DYRL releases which further will limit the number of people looking to pick this up.
Sculpt, Detail, & Paint (8/10)
As mentioned in my review of the Hikaru GBP Giftset, the color of the GBP is a bit too dark and the proportions seem a little off in a few places but otherwise it’s a fine effort. For some reason the fully-dressed valk just isn’t quite as intimidating as it ought to be. The missiles in the compartments could have looked a lot better. The cartoon-style fists are also too large and make the whole toy look a little silly. Still, I’m going light on the scoring in this department as this was the best representation when it was first released, check out the comparison to the original below (and the original ain’t too shabby either).
Design (7/10)
This accessory deserves some bonus credit for attaching in a visually seamless manner and for having all the necessary compartments that open to reveal stowed missiles. The backpack boosters also attach in such a way that it won’t matter if they’re attaching to a second generation 1/60 VF-1 or a first generation which is a very nice touch. Unfortunately the manner in which they attach seems to promote the boosters getting a bit crooked but overall they were surprisingly sturdy for how delicate it seems the method could be.
Durability & Build (7/10)
As mentioned in the GBP Giftset review, the crotch section of this GBP does fall off, a lot. I have heard of people resorting to all manner of methods to keep the crotch on their GBP. Really though, beyond that and the sloppy fit of the rear boosters the toy definitely seems pretty sturdy.
Articulation (6/10)
This toy gets points for having so many opening and closing panels. No, you don’t get the individually removeable missiles like you do with the 1/48 version and the grenades on the hips and above the wrists aren’t removeable either. You also will lose some mobility at the swivel point near the knee which is more than a minor bummer as demonstrated below.
Total Score (34/50)
The final score of this accessory is just below average (avg=35) for its tendency to have the crotch armor fall off and the limiting of mobility you’ll see in your 1/60 VF-1’s legs. Fortunately, this accessory can be found very cheap these days and so you can spruce up the look of one of your lonely battroid’s and not feel too horribly out if you’re not thrilled by the result.
