05.23.09

Yamato 1/48 VF-1 Macross Chronicles Limited Editions (Max TV VF-1A)

Posted in 1/48, Macross/Robotech TMS, VF-1, VT, VE Valkyrie, Yamato at 12:01 am by micronian

 

Observations & Critique: Who said the 1/48 scale was dead?

 

The packaging of these new LEs has been downgraded. Gone is the flip-top collector’s box replaced by a corrugated box (although still smooth). In some respects I understand the decision as these toys were mail-order limited editions so customers in stores will not be picking these up and flipping the lid to marvel at the toy inside. If that was Yamato’s thinking they also should have shrank the size of the box, especially since they were going to have to mail all of these out; but no luck there. One other bummer with these packages is that they don’t include the fixed posed hands which should be standard by now on TV-style releases. You do get the regular accessories, 8 missiles, pilot, gun, and strap as well as stickers and an instruction manual tucked away.  Yamato was also very careful to keep the paint in good shape through shipping (things to look for if you’re buying one second hand that was supposedly never opened).

 

The quantity of these produced is a mystery, and I don’t know if Yamato intentionally left wording anywhere vague enough to be able to reissue these at some point, so it’s hard to guess how hot demand might get for them. The next in this series to be released will be Hayao Kakizaki’s TV scheme which is a bit of a dud typically so it’s likely very few will be produced. Some day these might end up being extremely coveted collector’s pieces… but there’s also a good chance that the love affair with the new cheaper 1/60 toys will help keep the secondary market for these bohemiths small. The mark-up on these toys was pretty steep since it involved a bit of work for people in Japan to get their hands on them (about $300 wasn’t an uncommon asking price).

 

New for the 1/48 line is a TV style VF-1A head. If you’re unfamiliar with the differnce between the TV-1A and the DYRL-1A heads you’ll have to check back later for a comparison post (sorry, I only had my 1S out of storage when I took these pics). The easy way to differentiate the two is that the DYRL scheme has the eye in a black visor whereas the TV head has the big eye sitting out in the open. Other aspects of the paint and detail should be familiar to everyone from other 1/48 reviews and write-ups.  Yes, this toy does look pretty bland when looking straight down on it.

 

I didn’t notice any improvements to this 1/48 over previous 1/48 VF-1 toys I’ve owned. Over all it’s a bit simpler than the new 1/60 toys to transform and it does have an integrated antenna for GERWALK mode, something you won’t find on other VF-1 toys.

 

One thing I was really thrilled to see on this release was that the blue areas are molded in blue and not just painted plastic. By using molded plastic there is a lot less likelihood there will be chipped off paint (paritcularly on the hips, and issue that really bothered me with my Angelbirds toy).

 

You won’t be able to achieve any new poses with this 1/48 that you couldn’t with previous ones. One thing to be on the look out for is how difficult the head can be to transform properly. The antenna laser is very long and the angle must be carefully watched in transformation. Once in any mode the 1/48 is a fun toy to pose.

 

If you’re a huge fan of Max’s TV-1A paint scheme then this year you have not one but two great options. If you like the V2 1/60 then you probably can save yourself a couple hundred dollars and just stick with that version. If you’re a Max completist or prefer the 1/48 then you can still find these 1/48s available in several places. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to demonstrate what the Max TV-1A looks like wearing the Max 1J super parts, I’m afraid I only keep a couple 1/48s lying around these days because of their monstrous size (well, the monstrous size of their packaging to be more precise).

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