Bandai Hi-Metal VF-19 Toys

 Review(updated): Includes both VF-19Kai and VF-19S Blazer Valkyries

Packaging & Extras: (2.5/5) VF-19K
The packaging is top notch with vibrant art and a magnetic flip-top collector’s lid that allows you to see the toy in fighter mode within. The packaging is compact at 25 x 19 x 6 cm. Things are decidedly less premium once you pull the plastic inner tray from the box. With the VF-19Kai you get:
1) 1x speaker pod shooter (gun)
2) Wrist covers (there are no perfect transformation hands, fighter mode only, comes installed)
3) 3 fixed posed hands (1x pair open palm, 1 right hand trigger)
4) Neck cavity filler (for fighter mode, comes installed)
5) 3x head parts (not perfect transformation)
6) 3 pairs of leg cavity fillers (optional: thigh, back of knee, and calf)
7) Alternate face for battroid mode
8) Adapter for the Bandai Action Base (Action Base sold separately)

9) Instructions (black & white)
The display stand adapter must be paired with a Bandai Action Base. The lack of landing gear or display stand renders the VF-19Kai’s fighter mode nearly useless unless you’re actually holding it. Everyone immediately groused about the lack of fists and landing gear which explains why the VF-19S includes a lot more good stuff. Bandai addressed VF-19K’s lack of accessories by selling a Tamashii exclusive accessory kit and even a Tamashii exclusive Soundbooster which I have reviewed separately.

Packaging & Extras: (4.5/5) VF-19S
The VF-19S retains the quality art (though there are no Docker character art, just the mech), and the impressive flip-top lid box. Along with the Blazer toy, you received:
1) 1x gun
2) Wrist covers (there are no perfect transformation hands, fighter mode only, comes installed)
3) 5 fixed posed hands (1x pair open palm, 1x pair of fists, 1 right hand trigger)
4) Neck cavity filler (for fighter mode, comes installed)
5) 1x head parts (not perfect transformation)
6) 3 pairs of leg cavity fillers (optional: thigh, back of knee, and calf)
7) 3x landing gear (for use with including display stand)
8) 2x Optional open leg missile bay parts
In a baggy behind the tray you’ll also find:
9) 1x Bandai display stand (base and arm)
10) 3x adapter for Bandai display stand
11) Instructions (color)
The big disparity in scores is driven by the VF-19S’ inclusion of a display stand and landing gear. Sadly, while the accessory kit for the 19Kai includes a gun attachment piece for fighter mode, that piece was not included with the 19S toy even though it works perfectly with the 19S’ gun.

Charm & Collectability: (2/5)
While Macross7 enjoys some popularity in Japan, it never developed much of a following internationally. While this is a “Hi-Metal” toy, finding the metal may require the use of a tiny metal detector because it’s anything but obvious and the toy doesn’t have the heft (110 g) of a deluxe toy. The “Hi-Metal” name is Bandai’s attempt to cash in on sentimentality while conjuring images of the old perfect transformation toys… something desperately needed after the VF100 debacle (a line of VF-25 parts-formers that was terrible). These toys are 1/100 scale at 15.5 cm tall in battroid. The 21 cm length in fighter mode is 1/88 scale. As every toy has struggled to capture the dimensions of the two modes consistently, either Kawamori goofed on his estimate of battroid height (13.5 meters seems better) OR the very stylized art of Macross7 deliberately makes battroid look stocky. The subsequent releases of the Yamato 1/60 scale VF-19Kai, the entirely new Hi-Metal R toy, and the DX VF-19Kai reduced the already lukewarm demand for this product.

Sculpt, Detail, & Paint: (7.5/10)
At the time these toys were released they were, with a huge cushion, the best representation of the VF-19 that had been made, easily blowing Bandai’s 1/65 DX VF-19Kai away. That distinction was shortlived as Yamato released their superb 1/60 scale VF-19 toys starting in 2011. In fighter mode the Hi-Metal toy is a very good approximation of the fighter mode line art. The biggest shortcoming are the large gaps between the legs and the arms which can be exascerbated by fit issues. There’s a little Basara pilot figure at the guitar-shaped controls in the cockpit (although he’s tiny and a little hard to make out at this scale). Bandai did a fair amount of tampo-printing, there is no sticker sheet, and the Kai is made of a pearlescent plastic which captures the glam-rocker ambiance pretty nicely.

GERWALK mode is an acquired taste that I have not yet acquired. The vernier thrusters in the shoulders are a nice touch.

Battroid mode looks tall in comparison to the line art. All Macross7 line art favors battroids with huge thickness, a stylistic choice that’s incongrous with the sleek representations of fighter modes. While the battroid mode doesn’t capture the stocky line art well, it’s an attractive compromise to make both modes look good enough.

The Blazer Valkyrie was a military vehicle so the pearlescence of the Kai’s plastic is abandoned and replaced with a blue that I felt could have been a little darker. To Bandai’s credit, this wasn’t just a quick head and color swap like the old VF-1 toys. Docker is in the cockpit of the Blazer Valk but there’s nothing special about his minuscule pilot figure. Many will find the 19S head a welcome improvement over the Kai’s human face. The shoulder flaps have been notched to accommodate the Blazer’s head laser in fighter mode. The wings have a different shape and the part the wings attach to has different molded details. Even the shield has some unique 19S details.

Design: (6/10)
Compared to prior VF-19 toys, and Bandai’s atrocious VF100 line, the Hi-Metal VF-19 toys are easy to handle, hold their modes well, and do just enough to be enjoyable as toys.  Unfortunately, they do have a pretty long list of shortcomings:

1)  Imperfect transformation. Bandai defenders might point out that even Yamato’s 1/60 VF-19 toys have a bit of partsformation but you’re going to find yourself digging for more pieces with the Hi-Metal line. You have to pop off and stow tiny black, easily lost, wrist covers to install the hands. You also have to install the head antennae when transforming the 19Kai from fighter mode. For the 19S, swap out the head lasers to achieve the angled outward look. I found the additional parts for the backs of the legs unnecessary unless you plan on prominently displaying the back of the toy. The leg parts do snap in well and stay on the toy.

2) No removable intake covers to reveal fan detail
3) No opening cockpit with removable pilot
4) Gun doesn’t stow in fighter (!?!)
5) The toy doesn’t lock together well (particularly the shoulder and wing pieces in fighter mode)
6) No integrated gimmicks like opening shoulder speakers or leg missile bays. Bandai partially addressed the shoulder gimmick through their release of a sold-separately accessory bundle that included parts allowing for an open shoulder speaker on the Kai. Bandai similarly addressed the missile bay with their release of the 19S which features reworked legs to allow for part-swap missile bays. There was no way to have the open missile bays in the legs on the 19Kai toy.
7) No integrated or plug-in landing gear! This shortcoming was partially addressed by the later 19Kai Accessory kit (reviewed separately) and the 19S comes bundled with a stand and landing gear the toy can be placed atop.
8) No connecting points for super parts or sound boosters. A Sound Booster for the 19Kai was sold, it required separate attachment parts (and is reviewed separately).

9) The 19Kai comes with an adapter for the Bandai Action Base for fighter mode only. Bandai addressed this in their sold separately accessory set that included a dedicated stand that worked in all modes and included a similar stand with the 19S.

What about some positives? There is the ability to swap out the 19Kai face for what I’ll deem the ‘battle mask’.

Only the 19S comes with a display stand and it’s a huge bonus. The base of the arm can be swiveled 360 degrees. There are up/down pivots points at the base of the arm and the top where the adapter connects. The top of the arm also features a left/right pivot for banking. The arm of the stand is removed and the landing gear are plugged in to create the shelf you can use to rest the toy to make it appear as if its sitting on landing gear.

Only the 19S has legs with a removable side portion that can be swapped for legs with an open missile port. While an integrated feature would have been preferable, the parts swap in easily and stay on securely.

Durability & Build: (7/10)
While catastrophic failures were rare, there were a few build quality issues ranging from over-gluing to loose fit. Though some joints (like the knee swivels) could have been tighter, and some panels didn’t fit together as well as hoped, the toy benerally handled moderate play well. Any toy with numerous option parts that plug in will have more potential for pieces being broken. The quality of plastic on Yamato’s VF-19 toys is notably higher. The antennae/lasers on the VF-19S look fragile and my VF-19S has a leg that doesn’t peg together as tightly as it should.

Articulation: (7.5/10)
This toy does very well while having a few key short-comings. Heads are attached via a ball joint but the joint is shallow on the base of the head limiting motion before the head pops off. Lasers swivel on the head after being installed on the 19Kai and after the battroid-only back of the head is installed on the 19S. The base of the shoulders can pivot backward for transformation which also comes in handy for aggressive battroid and GERWALK poses. The shoulder is a ball joint that allows the base of the arm to angle out in any direction with the top shoulder armor rotating and pivoting freely to remain out of the way. A swivel just above the elbow allows the forearm to rotate. The elbow is a single hinge meaning it can only bend 90 degrees. There are no articulated hands but the fixed posed hands attach via a long ball joint giving them the ability to twist and angle freely. There’s no waist or core articulation. The hips connect to the beginnings of the wing and can rotate a full 360 degrees – or they could if the legs didn’t eventually hit the upper body. Pivot points at the hips allow for the hips to angle in or outward for a more aggressive, wider stance. There’s a GERWALK joint below the hip that allows the leg below it to swing about 90 degrees forward. Within that GERWALK joint is also a swivel that allows the lower leg to rotate a full 360 degrees. Ball jointed ankles complete the package. The ankles can extend and allow the foot to twist in either direction and move the toe/heel up/down though the range of movement in all directions is limited compared to larger, more deluxe toys.

Total Score: (32.5/50) VF-19K, (34.5/50) VF-19S
The subsequent release of Yamato’s 1/60 VF-19 toys exposed that there may not be much demand for smaller, cheaper Macross toys. As frequent as the complaint is that Macross toys are too expensive, most people buying these are adults making splurges with their disposable income and it’s easier to justify the splurge on something that may cost three times as much but has all the bells and whistles and feels substantial in the hand. Bandai revisited the VF-19 in their Hi-Metal R line while teasing a DX version and the Hi-Metal R version appeared to underperform just like the original Hi-Metal release. Was the original Hi-Metal release a stellar toy? No, it’s light, flimsy, and full of compromises. Was it a good toy for the price? The 19S, being the much more complete package, felt like it was good for the price, especially after the dismal failure of the VF100 line.

Original Post Date: March 30, 2010.
January 17, 2012: this review was updated to reflect the release of the later Tamashii accessory kits, Blazer Valkyrie, and Yamato 1/60 toys. 
April 2015: Review was updated to HD
November 2025: Review was updated to 4K and included information about the Hi-Metal R release