05.22.07
Yamato 1/60 Q-Rau (Max & Miria Versions)
REVIEW (updated): Macronized Loving
Packaging & Extras (3.5/5) (-1 for Max)
The toy is delivered in the standard version 1 1/60 style Yamato packaging. This means you’ll get a large box that is made of flimsy cardboard with an overly large window. The art work on the box isn’t half bad. The Miria version of the toy is packaged with a little Miria pilot figure (pictured below) which is a very nice touch. The toy also comes with missile pods in their open position which can be swapped out with the stock closed missiles pods initially on the vehicle. Other than that there’s not really much “extra” to count here but it’s hard to imagine what more could have been done. A real stickler might have liked an articulated pilot figure for both Max & Miria but that seems like it’d be asking a bit much.
Charm & Collectibility (2.5/5)
I may be low-balling these toys a bit here but this score is based more on casual observation than anything else. These toys were mass produced but not in the huge quantity that the VF-1s were and they didn’t seem to sell particularly well. While they’re becoming more scarce these days they still don’t seem to be a hot collector’s item. It seems like the Max version of the toy got an even smaller release but it seems even less popular. There’s a common belief in the toy industry that “bad guy” mecha doesn’t sell well and Yamato seems to have shown that this is true (even if “bad guy” is an inappropriate term here). Time might show more appreciation for these toys in the years to come. They are fairly large toys, check out the comparison (of sorts) with a VF-1 1/60 Yamato toy below.
Sculpt, Detail, & Paint (8/10)
There’s no question that this is an excellent representation of the Q-Raus from DYRL. What I find truly odd is that a TV version of this toy was not produced and it seems like this would easily be the most popular version. Regardless, the toys are great with only a few visible flaws. The biggest problem I have is with the large back area that serves as a cockpit. While the rest of to the toy has a bright, shiny finish this area appears dull and rubbery. There’s a nice bit of detail in the paint application to the rear boosters that helps liven things up though (pictured near Articulation). The Max version of the toy has a purple quality with the areas that should have a metal finish looking a bit beige and for some reason both seem a bit off to me. Pictured below is the detail included in the cockpit area and a close-up of the Miria figure’s face.
Design (8/10)
An opening cockpit that accomodates a pilot figure was a brilliant idea and it is well executed. Again, it’s a bit of a shame the pilot figure isn’t articulated but that likely would have drove the price through the roof. That said, one has to wonder how cheap this toy could have been if the cockpit gimmic was deleted completely. Still, the intricacies of the cockpit are neat with a fold-out display and plenty of hinges to make the whole thing possible. It would have been nice if the leg missile pods could open and close without needing subsitution from the supplied parts but the manner in which the back missile pods handle this is very nice.
Durability & Build (8/10)
One major flaw is holding this back and it’s a flaw I absolutely hate to see in any toy… the Q-Rau has a tendency to get floppy. What’s really tough here is the fact that this toy doesn’t get floppy to the same extreme of some other toys I’ve seen but the design of this toy is such that just a little floppiness can really suck some joy from it. The toy also has some potentially precarious parts such as the large head antenna, thin fingers, and cockpit mechanisms that a child might find easy to snap but they don’t seem like something a collector would have issue with. When held in hand this feels like one sturdy piece of plastic so it certainly isn’t fragile by any means.
Articulation (6.5/10)
Some of the problems with this toy stem directly from the original line art. This thing has thin legs and a huge, hulking back which makes it readily apparent that it will be hard to get it to keep its balance. The knees are located very high which means some poses will be diffult to pull off. The feet have some mobility but they do a poor job in both allowing for additional poses and in keeping the vehicle stable. There is no pivot joint at the waist but the mobility in other aspects of the toy largely compensates for this. A nice touch is the creepy little head of the unit that can be articulated. The hands are pretty amazing being able to rotate and clutch.
Total Score (36.5/50) (-1 for Max)
So long as this toy doesn’t get floppy on you it can be a joy to own. If it does get floppy you can expect it to be a bit less fun and far more awkard. It’s great to see a company take a modern stab at enemy mecha and I would hope that this becomes a trend although it already seems unlikely.
Note: This post has been updated
Original Post Date: June 10, 2006
Dave said,
February 20, 2010 at 8:09 am
Just got mine & I gotta say I was most disappointed with the leg articulation. I’ve been eyeballing this toy for a while now, so I already knew it was HUGE, and coming from Yamato, who usually do nothing but impress me, this issue was a surprise. I assumed, incorrectly, that the Leg’s articulation would be a big part in why this toy was cool.
My bad really, as on reflection I realize I’ve never seen this toy photographed doing anything other than just standing there. Also – I get it. When you have it in your hands you can see they almost intentionally limited it’s leg movement to try and keep it standing. As stated in the review – it IS top heavy. So that makes sense, But it would have been better knowing this going in, hence my chiming in here…
The Sculpt is gorgeous and of course that, plus it’s scale, are the real charms here.