Observations & Critique: Miss Macross Viewing Attire
When Bandai announced they were making a TWE limited GBP accessory AND a regular retail gift-set GBP+Hikaru VF-1J in the same month, I expected them to reuse the original Hikaru VF-1J box and sleeve it to the GBP box… but instead they went full deluxe on a special gift-set box (37.5 x 24.5 x 20 cm) that is definitely a stunner. There is a sleeve with gorgeous renditions of the fully decked out 1J and inside the sleeve is a beautifully decorated box that opens like a book. The left side of the book includes two trays that house the VF-1J and the display stand. Though the toy is in battroid mode this time around, the contents remain unchanged from the original box:
1) Pilot
2) GU-11 gun pod
3) Strap for gun pod
4) 4x pairs of hands: mechanical-looking fists, gun gripping hands, splayed finger hands and TV rounded R gun-grip and L splayed fingers. Articulated hands come installed on the toy.
5) Intake fan covers (since this version is packaged in battroid, they are already installed)
6) 2x GERWALK antennae
7) Display stand arm and battroid adapter
8) Leg removal tool (for waist gimmick)
9) 2x side cavity fillers (already installed)
The right side includes:
1) The armor
2) VF-1J Hikaru head with gray visor
3) Hikaru pilot with full helmet
4) 2 x pairs of fixed posed fists (jumbo huge and large)
5) Pilot’s seat to simulate pilot entering/exiting while in battroid mode
6) A special display stand adapter for use when the GBP is equipped
7) And behind it all, you’ll find color instructions.
The Tamashii Exclusive GBP accessory comes in a brown shipper box that protects a retail box that is the same size as a standalone VF-1 release. Though the packaging is far simpler than the gift-set, the contents are unchanged from armor section of that box.
Bandai released the Roy Focker + GBP gift-set at the November 2025 Tamashii Event with lottery sales through the Tamashii website for additional sales in April 2026. Within the typical Tamashii exclusive brown shipper, the retail-style packaging has a sleeve that conceals a decently attractive box. One side of the box is an homage to the Nichimo model kit that inspired this GBP scheme. Sadly, Bandai didn’t reuse the book-style box that was included with the VF-1J + GBP gift set, instead opting for one tall box with lots of trays with the same overall dimensions (37.5 x 24.5 x 20 cm).
In the first tray, you’ll receive the VF-1 packaged in battroid mode. Bandai seems to have corrected the contents to better match the TV or Movie orientation of the releases. Starting with the Tamashii Retail Store exclusive VF-1J Hikaru, all TV releases now come with three sets of TV style hands and no mechanical-looking movie hands. So, this release does not have the three sets of mechanical fixed posed hands of the first release but it does come with two additional TV style fixed posed hands. This toy comes packaged in battroid so the intake fan covers and side cavity fillers are already installed. The basic style display stand (base and arm) comes taped in a baggy to the back of VF-1 tray.
Second and third trays include:
1) The armor
2) A pair of giant fixed posed hands
3) A special display stand adapter for use when the GBP is equipped
4) This release also gets full color, variant specific instructions
Nichimo didn’t show any armor on the VF-1S head so there’s no second head with a gray stripe like we received with the VF-1J Hikaru + GBP gift set but it’s strange that the pilot figure wearing the helmet and the elevated chair to simulate ingress/egress were omitted.
The GBP Heavy Armor is one of those items that generate just enough demand for toy manufacturers to make them, but they then go on sale and never become hot collector’s items. You may find the price intimidating but this is a substantial accessory that doubles the weight of the toy from 490 grams to 980! Roy’s GBP Gift-set may be a rare exception to this rule since it includes a TV VF-1S Roy, arguably the most sought-after paint scheme in Macross toy collecting. It baffles me that Bandai didn’t use this opportunity to release a TV VF-1S Hikaru but maybe Bandai thought a limited release product didn’t warrant another element that would increase demand.
Macross and Robotech when converted to home video have suffered from terrible color balancing that has impacted the way we all remember the show. You know Roy’s purple flight suit? Yeah, it was gray and then the blue balance got screwed up and made it purple. Similarly, the GBP was shifted to very blue from a steel blue. Unlike Yamato, Bandai took their inspiration from the original artwork and not the DVDs. Bandai then applied their typical (and fantastic) DX paint job, putting every marking and warning possible on the toy making it pop in a way no previous GBP has. The proportions look fantastic, the armor is an excellent 3D representation of the line art. While the GBP armor fits any 1 seat vehicle, the “101” is a reference to Hikaru’s VF-1 squadron number but this would be easily overlooked if you wanted Max’s 1A (or another Valkyrie) to don the armor.
While seemingly not anime accurate, the hip grenades with their doors that expose the red tips looks good. Unfortunately, the inside of the bays on the back of the legs and in the shoulders are left bare white plastic and look cheap. Bandai should have painted the missile storage plates dark gray.
The Nichimo-inspired Roy GBP is a stunner and the scheme makes sense. The red trim that matched Hikaru’s VF-1J is swapped for yellow trim matching Roy’s ride. The main color has a tint of green to it with hints of bronze and is very dark, if you’re a huge Nichimo fan you might think it should be more green. Some will take issue with the idea that Roy wears a “1” on his chest like Hikaru did but this was how Nichimo portrayed it. Like Nichimo, Bandai swapped out all of Hikaru’s 101 markings with Roy’s 001 squad number. I think it would have been fun if Bandai had come up with different art for the crotch armor, maybe the Jolly Roger? They reused the symbol from the original Hikaru just like Nichimo did. A little side rant – Nichimo also did repaints for Max, Miria, and the cannon fodder but they didn’t follow the same methodology and I don’t find them nearly as attractive. The trim on Max, Miria, and the cannon fodder Valkyries are white so they should have white chests and cuffs with potentially body-colored shoulder and ab covers. I would argue that Max and Miriya would have then looked good with a dark purple/gray as the main armor color with the cannon fodder getting a solid dark gray though you could talk me into a dark brown.
This toy includes the features you would expect from a premium offering:
1) Every grenade box is present, opens, and stows the correct number of missiles. Most hinges slide and are hidden
2) The leg bays have individual missiles. Sadly, Bandai didn’t go as far as Yamato did on their 1/48 toy where the missiles in the chest, shoulders, and forearms could all be individually removed.
3) Bandai has a new take on the hip-mounted grenades, which have been sensibly interpreted as grenade launchers. Pop the cap off the launcher and you’ll see the red tip of the grenade inside waiting to be fired. Unfortunately, the cap is a separate part that can be easily lost. I would have preferred hinged caps for each grenade. You can access the grenade holder within by removing the exterior of the armor and remove the individual grenades. As interesting as this interpretation is, I would have preferred that the big grenades on the side simply be removable.
4) The chest missiles aren’t removable but Bandai did copy the Yamato gimmick that slides the chest missiles forward as you open the chest bay
5) While not as intricate as the Yamato 1/48 GBP, the DX also disassembles its core components. The waist armor is simpler, going from 11 parts (not including the hip mounted grenades) to 6 parts (not including the internal grenade part or individual grenade covers). Don’t worry, that simplification doesn’t impact the use of the hips.
6) You can easily use the gun gripping hand with the GBP installed and achieve very natural gun firing poses.
GBP armor includes a special display stand adapter. Since the display stand is limited, the adapter serves to elevate your toy which allows you to pick a pose that doesn’t require balancing this very heft toy and armor.
The Hikaru version comes with a seat and neck cover to simulate the pilot either getting in or leaving the GBP equipped battroid.
While the armor itself feels very sturdy, I encountered issues while using it. The DX toy can swing its nosecone behind it which then tucks into the rear of the pelvic armor. When handling the toy, I frequently had the flaps pop off the VF-1 wings as the pelvic armor would press against them.
Use extreme caution with the hip missile covers which are tiny and easily lost. I dropped a hip armor on the floor and the three little tops bounced in different directions.
I encountered one peculiar build quality issue specifically with the Roy VF-1S GBP. On the inside of portion of the leg armors there’s an odd mark that looks like a swirl in the plastic or maybe where the part was stressed removing it from the mold. It is in area that shouldn’t normally receive more stress while handling so I don’t expect it to get worse.
Where this GBP really shines is in the articulation of the underlying VF-1 and how little it interferes with that. The DX VF-1 has excellent ankles which makes a world of difference when the armor is applied. The lack of rotating thigh pieces seems like it should hinder the hips more but it had little impact due to the accessibility of the GERWALK joint just below the hip. Nice wide stances were also easily achieved which helps with bracing while firing poses.
Bandai’s DX line continues to frustrate me by being the best available toy while not striving for the stars. It’s easily the most playable and best-looking heavy armor on the market so it’s easy to recommend… but it would have been better with individual missiles and dark interior bays. The conspiracy theorist within me still believes Bandai has left the door open to a 1/35 grail VF-1 someday and are intentionally holding back some features to help keep the DX line affordable and stoke demand for that toy should it ever be made.