05.31.07

Takatoku 1/100 VF-1 Valkyries

Posted in 1/100, Macross/Robotech TMS, Takatoku, VF-1, VT, VE Valkyrie at 5:52 am by micronian

 

Review: The Baby Chunky Monkey

 

Packaging & Extras: (3/5)
I can’t get enough of Takatoku’s packaging. Each toy comes in a box specifically made for it with attractive art and that signature paper texture Macross fans have come to love. You can also expect the standard weaknesses of the box flaps that can be easily torn and the fragile plastic windows. The toy is nestled in an old school styrofoam tray and comes with an insert and stickers but apparently not much else. These toys originally came with guns but then a cult of firearm theiving elves stole nearly all of them (none of my four samples had one). The 1/100 does not come with the arm clip of its bigger 1/55 brother so you won’t be mounting the gun (if it has one) ever.

 

Charm & Collectibility: (4/5)
These guys are remarkably hard to come by considering how many were likely made. Some appear to be more rare than others in relation to what characters were more popular. With the trend of Macross merchandising to be bigger and bigger I find it’s only increasing my desire to own the older and smaller toys and I doubt I’m the only collector feeling this way. Please note that there was no Miria/Milia version of the toy made. Also note that there are numerous knock-offs available with a varying degree of quality (typically they will come with plastic inner-trays instead of styrofoam and funky-looking guns). The Hikaru VF-1J pictured in this reveiw is actually not a Takatoku version but appears to be a Matsuhiro release. With the exception of the 1/100 VF-1J Max, all toys pictured here were generously supplied by Zor Master.

 

Sculpt, Detail, and Paint: (6/10)
A pretty good barometer for me in this area was to compare the toys both to the current 1/100 offering by Toynami and then to their larger counterparts. For the era, and in comparison to the 1/55 toys, I’m actually quite impressed with these. Sure, they’re not the best-looking toy in any mode (especially GERWALK) but they do capture the spirit of the VF-1 very nicely despite the necessary compromises. No, you’re not going to get a lot of attention to detail and yes, you are going to see some awkward sections like the landing gear doors and the less-than-ideal tail fin section. The paint tends to be decent and matched to the plastic well (although after this many years you can expect these toys, even if they were cared for properly, to be showing slight signs of yellowing). Expect a shrunken 1/55 with some evidence of compromises to obtain the smaller size and that’s what you’ll have.

 

Design: (7/10)
It may be smaller in scale but this toy essentially contains all the cool design aspects that made the 1/55 so beloved. Unlike Toynami’s 1/100 offering, the Takatoku does not require attachable hands and landing gears, this toy has its hands and landing gears attached at all times. The landing gears are not spring-loaded but that will probably just save your thumb from the unpleasant whack the bigger version was known to cause. The toy transforms intuitively and has a feel that will be immediately familiar to all Macross collectors.

 

Durability & Build: (7/10)
Unlike the 1/55, the 1/100 doesn’t feel so bullet-proof. The ratcheting joints are all gone so you can expect looseness to develop and there’s no more diecast here. The tail fins are secured via a very frail and finicky system that is prone to failure (first picture below). As with all Valks, additional care should be given to the head lasers. My Max VF-1J had never been moved before this review and as a result of its first transformation to GERWALK mode I completely stripped the paint off the legs (second picture below). Max is the only 1/100 that features painted legs and so I recommend you all learn from my mistake and immediately loosen the screws in the hips so the legs can move without having the paint shaved off. The landing gears open via a small plastic hook you must pry upward; unfortunately that plastic hook can pop off if the landing gears have frozen up rendering the landing gears exceedingly difficult to open ever again (third picture below). The feet of the toy also have a tendency to do their own thing as far as opening and closing which never leads to anything broken but can make the toy look a bit sloppy in fighter mode if a foot has opened up. One final thing to look for is the visor on the VF-1J toys. Takatoku applied a sticker for the visor with glue that will inevitably be failing by this point in the toys life as witnessed in the pictures of the VF-1J Max.

Articulation: (6/10)
This toy is pretty capable of everything your 1/55 can do… unfortunately, as you’ve probably realized, there’s not a whole lot the 1/55 can do in comparison to modern toys. As mentioned earlier, the ratchet joints are no longer present which leads to the toy feeling more smooth when being articulated and makes it so you never feel like that proper angle you want is in-between where a ratchet would allow. Really, you only have two choices here: the stiff soldier standing at attention (or looking in any direction) or a running soldier. GERWALK mode looks a bit silly to me without the A-stance.

 

Total Score: (33/50)
By today’s standards this toy is a little bit lackluster and really can’t compete with the more flashy Toynami offering but it’s still great in its own right. Basically, you can expect to spend 4x (or as much as 10x) what you would on a Toynami offering for this vintage Takatoku and you’ll be foregoing the missiles, display stand, posed hands, heat shield, and additional points of articulation for landing gears and fists that stay attached and a feeling of nostalgia. While to some collectors, such as myself, the charm of these little toys is entirely worth it, if you’re on a search for the best Macross toys by current standards then this toy won’t be worth the price of admission for you.

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