05.30.09

Yamato 1/48 VF-1 (Original Releases)

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

REVIEW (updated): The Benchmark 

 

Packaging & Extras (4.5/5)
Before I really get into this updated review, it’s important to note that the “first edition” toys are a very small population comprised entirely of the initial VF-1A Hikaru/Max and VF-1S Focker releases.  Any reissues of those schemes (and there have been several) are second edition toys and you can rest assured that any later releases (Cannon Fodder, Stealth, VF-1S Hikaru, VF-1A Hayao, Angelbirds, etc.) were a second edition toy from the very beginning.  Unfortunately, if you’re in the market for a second-hand Focker 1S or Hikaru/Max VF-1A then you will need to ask the seller whether or not the toy is a first edition before making your purchase.  The only hint you can gain from the boxes are tiny bits of Velcro at the corners of the collector’s flap.  Second edition toys, for the most part, do not have these Velcro bits (the LV1 and first releases of the super parts bundle sets included the velcro but were second edition toys).  Yamato’s initial intention, the story goes, was to produce very few 1/48 toys as there was some uncertainty how well an expensive VF-1 toy would do.  With this in mind Yamato created a huge box for the toy (so it seemed the collector was getting more for his/her money) complete with a collector’s style flip top lid displaying the bird with wings extended for flight.  The instructions and decals were tucked away behind a sliding cardboard tray leading to quite a bit of confusion for first time buyers back before this became Yamato’s standard.  Included with the toy were 4 sets of TV style missiles which can be pulled apart from their bundle, 4 sets of DYRL missile boxes which I’m sure have some fancy name and open to store the TV style missles, a very well detailed pilot, a gun featuring a collapsible stock and grip, and a gun strap.  Yamato would improve upon this recipe when it got around to releasing “TV-style” second releases which also included fixed-pose hands.

 

Charm & Collectability (3/5)
In this update I’m shaving a point from this score for two reasons.  First, while the “first edition” of the 1/48 is a seemingly rare breed these days, it’s not the kind of first edition toy that collectors usually hunt out.  The real diamond first edition toys in the collecting world are created when the second edition features cost-cutting changes like less metal or a tweaked mold that unifies two parts previously cast separately.  In the case of the 1/48 all of the changes made in Yamato’s second edition are legitimate improvements to the toy.  The second reason I’m lowering this score a fraction is Yamato’s newest line of 1/60 VF-1 toys which feature design elements derived from Yamato’s experience in their 1/48 line as well as the lessons learned in the creation of the 1/60 VF-0 toys.  Now that the 1/60 Macross universe is broad enough to include such items as a fan jet model, destroids, and the SV-51 series it is easily THE official scale for the Macross junky (even Bandai adopted that scale for their VF-25 DX toys).  That said, while it seemed like the 1/48 line was doomed to a quiet exile, news of Macross Chronicles exclusives have shown us that Yamato still thinks there is money to be made from this line of toys.  If you have embraced the 1/48 scale then you may want to also consider embracing modeling as Bandai recently announced a 1/48 VF-25 model hot on the heels of an announced 1/48 YF-19 model by Hasegawa.

 

Sculpt, Detail, & Paint (9/10)
At the time of its release the 1/48 so easily trampled its predecessors in all respects that it quickly dominated the market.  The toy isn’t without fault, in fighter mode the arms hang a bit low and in battroid mode the arms look a little thin, the chest looks a little large, and the nosecone hangs a little low.  The pre-painted detail, for its day, was only average for a toy of this size.  Check out the photo below to see some of the detail (and design) highlights.

 

Design (9/10)
There are lots of areas where this toy should be lauded as it’s the first “second generation” VF-1 toy Macross fans really got (the Toynami MPC and original 1/60 VF-1 were rather sad efforts).  The transformation sequence, while not radically different from predecessors, was overhauled to allow things like a twisting waist, integrated heat-shield, and hidden swing for the legs in the migration from fighter to battroid.  The list of positive design elements is huge including a functioning canopy for the detailed cockpit and removable pilot, an integrated antenna for GERWALK mode, twist points at the knees with separate knee-cap armor, anime accurate three-door landing gears with articulated tow bar up front, even an air brake and wing flaps.  Early adopters had to overcome a slight learning curve with the updated style of transformation but many soon found it nearly as intuitive as previous incarnations of the VF-1.  There were two common complaints that extend to all 1/48 toys, not just the first editions.  Those complaints stem from the heat-shield occasionally popping off mid transformation (it’s on a track and if one side is pulled out further than the other it can pop out and easily be put right back in) and the plugs which conceal the holes for the hips can be very difficult to pull back out when transforming the toy back to fighter mode.  Problems that were later solved by the second edition release included finicky wing-flaps that seemed to pop off in a stiff breeze and a nosecone that almost never stayed on the toy through the duration of a transformation.  The picture below shows the changes that occurred when Yamato moved to the second edition, some of those changes will be discussed in the section below.  If anyone ever makes a 1/35 scale transformable VF-1 I hope we see intake covers that are integrated into the hip rather than being removable plugs.

 

Durability & Build (8/10)
The first releases featured some fit issues such as the easily dislodged nosecone and wing-flaps mentioned above.  In addition the canopy was occasionally floppy and would not stay up on its own and the front gear’s tow bar would often dangle listlessly and potentially fall off creating some issue in tracking it down.  While chipped paint is still an issue of concern on second edition toys, the first edition toys had teeth on the front landing gear covers that made opening the doors more difficult and increased the likelihood of harming the paint.  Also unique to the first edition Focker was a build issue that caused the VF-1S head to have a bump on its right side (hard to see but pictured above).  Common to both first and second edition toys is the potential to chip the paint off the swing arm from frequent transformations.  There are rubber O-rings in the hips that may also begin working their way out of the hip with only moderate handling, a situation alleviated by removing the leg and re-seating the ring.  Both the first and second edition also generated complaints from people having hips that were too loose, a situation generally caused by the plastic block that housed the ball joint forming cracks.  Now that people have owned these and transformed them many times a lot more issues are being noted ranging from fast pack hooks (part of the backpack trap door) falling off too easily and not supporting the weight of Fast Packs on the Valk, to the BP8 below it snapping when pressure is applied to the backpack).  You can avoid breaking you BP8 hinge by making sure the little triangle fin on the back of the vehicle is fully recessed when using the trap door hook to lock the backpack in place when using GBP or Super/Strike parts.

 

Articulation (9/10)
This toy was an improvement over its predecessors in all respects, including articulation.  It could move, twist, and pivot in just about all the ways you would hope.  My first edition toys did seem to have more of a tendency than later releases to have points in the range of movement that seemed to conflict with the joint (meaning I’d want an elbow at a 25 degree angle but it would only stay in a 28 or 22 degree position).  Similarly, the feet and legs and all the joints along the way seem to have different ideas of how this thing should stand when perfectly erect.  The biggest complaint though was definitely the poor range of movement in the toy’s elbows (better than some previous toys but not quite great).  Yamato 1/60 2.0 toys really stepped up the elbow articulation so it would seem Yamato was aware of this weakness.  The only other area of the 1/48 that I felt could have been improved was the feet articulation which were toothy in their movement which I felt cost me some poses (obviously not a problem for those of you using stands).

 

Total Score (42.5/50)
Obviously much of what I said here is valid for the second edition toys which have their own post.  The secondary market never seemed to develop a taste for the first edition toys so I still advise collectors to pass on these first editions unless you find them available at a discount.  The 1/48 was a revolutionary product and many will continue to support the line for the sheer presence it will bring to a shelf.
Note: This post has been revised twice.   First for additional pictures, second for content and improved pictures.

Original Post Date: June 12, 2006 

First update: October 16, 2006

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