09.22.07

Yamato 1/48 Grenade Box Protection (GBP Wood Land color)

Posted in 1/48, Macross/Robotech TMS, VF-1, VT, VE Valkyrie, Yamato at 4:45 am by micronian

 

Observations & Gallery: No, the ‘c’ isn’t capitalized

 

If you’ve seen my review of the Anime Colors version of this accessory you already know that this is a quality product. The only thing that has really changed here are the colors. That said, provided below are a couple features of the GBP I skimmed over in the first review so here are some pictures. The rear boosters can be articulated to your liking as is demonstrated by the Stealth Valkyrie. For those of you who think the stock cod piece is too long, you can remove the nosecone of your valkyrie and use a smaller cod piece as Hikaru is demonstrating.  Finally, when you open the chest plates it actually presses the missiles slightly forward.

When this toy was first announced entusiasm seemed muted and things haven’t gotten much better. The problem is pretty clear, Yamato has designed an armor specifically for one Valk, and that Valk is amongst the least favored in their entire line-up. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the LowVisII, but based on the number of them languishing at retail shops, I appear to be in the minority. Even as a fan of the paint scheme, I really much prefer it in fighter mode, I think it makes the best use of the camouflage. Also, the LV2’s charm lies entirely in that camouflage, why would you buy an accessory that hides it? Now you might be thinking, “Hey, I could put that accessory on the other valks, I think it’d look great on my Cannon Fodder.” Well, you could do that, but keep in mind it ONLY COMES WITH GREEN HANDS. Sorry, when the GBP covers the vast majority of the Valk, the hands become kind of crucial. Below is a pair of pics of Hikaru, one posing with white hands, the other with green, the difference isn’t all that dramatic but the green hands are enough to bother me.

So here we have a GBP specific for the LV2 and it doesn’t bother mimicking the camouflage of the LV2 it sits on. In fact, the best description of this GBP is “drab.” The funny thing is, it doesn’t seem like the absolutely boring (if not ‘realistic’) color choices are Yamato’s fault, it seems like it’s the fans and their backlash to the original color scheme that made Yamato opt for much tamer colors. Below I have the initial promotional picture Yamato released next to a picture of final version. The ‘hideous green’ in the end, despite my being the ones to label it as hideous, is sorely missed! This GBP desperately needs something bright to make it stand out and without that it becomes instantly forgettable.

The most common flaw discussed involves some slop on the painted line that goes around the leg armors. Another problem I encountered was that the grenades on the hips are very loose (for my sample) and this occasionally causes half the grenade to fall off. The root cause of this is Yamato’s design which requires the grenade be split in two to be removed from the hip holster… I have no idea why they didn’t just go for the more logical peg and hole approach that toys like this usually use for missiles. I was unfortunate enough to lose half a grenade while doing my photo shoot (probably rolled under my desk somewhere), the picture below shows the problem.  Some people broke the chest mechanism in their GBP Anime Colors when installing the missiles, it appears to me that the WLc version would have the same issue.  Finally, just in an issue of fit, the fists don’t seem to fit all that well and can leave a gap unless you’re going to press until your fingers get sore.

 

Maybe this awkardly named Wood Land color GBP really appeals to your preferences and if that’s the case, then you’re not going to be let down by this quality product. If you don’t own a GBP yet, my recommendation is definitely to go with one of the other color choices or purchase custom made hands for your valk so you’re not stuck with the green ones (although if you’re throwing it on an LV2 that’s all you need).

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