{"id":2289,"date":"2012-03-28T00:44:34","date_gmt":"2012-03-28T00:44:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/anymoon.com\/blog\/2008\/07\/21\/kaiyodo-revoltech-yf-19\/"},"modified":"2015-06-24T06:42:01","modified_gmt":"2015-06-24T06:42:01","slug":"kaiyodo-revoltech-yf-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anymoon.com\/blog\/?p=2289","title":{"rendered":"Kaiyodo Revoltech Macross Plus toys (YF-19 and YF-21)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Mega Review: Now both YF-19 and YF-21 toys are in one post<\/p>\n

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Packaging & Extras:<\/strong> (4.5\/5)
\nThese toys come packaged efficiently in a small box.\u00a0 With an MSRP of 1,900 YEN these were budget toys so you won’t get a collector’s style flip-top lid, instead there’s a large window that shows you the goods within.\u00a0 The boxes came with a sleeve advertising the product within.\u00a0 Each toy comes with the following:
\n1) Super parts (4 parts for each toy)
\n2) A gun (only one gun, you don’t get both guns for the YF-21)
\n3) Pin point barrier punch effect part (attaches to closed fist)
\n4) 2x Pin point barrier shield parts (simulates the forearm shield defending against an incoming attack)
\n5) 2x (4 total) sets of fixed posed hands (gun gripping, and open palmed)
\n6) Display stand
\n7) Advertisement leaflet
\nTrue to Revoltech form, many of these extras are included in little baggies taped to the inside of the plastic tray that houses the toy.\u00a0 This is unfortunate as once you open that baggy it greatly increases the odds of losing parts.\u00a0 The inclusion of so many extra parts that lend themselves to so many more cool poses has allowed me to overcome some of the packaging shortcomings in this category.<\/p>\n

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Charm & Collectability:<\/strong> (2.5\/5)
\nJune 2008 saw the release of the Kaiyodo Revoltech and the Yamato GnU Dou Macross Plus toys .\u00a0 The market for off-scale, non-transformable versions of these toys didn’t warrant the glut of releases.\u00a0 While Yamato’s toys were more expensive and made of higher quality materials they were also had less articulation and came with fewer extras.\u00a0 The small market was split and it seemed neither manufacturer was a winner in terms of sales.\u00a0 Both lines of toys became shelf warmers receiving steep mark-downs before ultimately selling out but remaining available near MSRP in secondary markets. Here’s a complete list of Revoltech Macross releases (excluding the transformable Yamaguchi line that followed):
\nRegult, 1,900YEN, May 2008
\nYF-19, 1,900YEN, June 2008
\nYF-21, 1,900YEN, June 2008
\nVF-1J Hikaru Custom Super Valk, 1,900YEN, September 2007
\nVF-1S Focker STrike Valk, 1,900YEN, \u00a0October 2007
\nVF-1A Hikaru Custom Super Valk, 1,900YEN, November 2007
\nVF-1J Max Custom Super Valk (Limited), 1,900YEN, May 2008
\nVF-1J Miria Custom Super Valk (Hobby Japan Exclusive), 1.900YEN, October 2008<\/p>\n

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Sculpt, Detail, and Paint: <\/strong>(7\/10)
\nThe Revoltech brand is synonymous with stylized interpretations of mecha and characters with highly animated, often aggressive, postures. Revoltech\u2019s joint system is ridiculously cool and adaptable but it does require a compromise when it comes to the looks of the toys.\u00a0 Generally the toy’s designers do a good job burying the round Revoltech joints into the figure but some joints, like shoulders, can sometimes still standout more than they should.\u00a0 In the case of the YF-19 the joints weren\u2019t the only issues.\u00a0 First, the paint application to the toy is very glossy and a bit bright which makes the toy look cheap.\u00a0 Second, the Fast Packs are the wrong color.\u00a0 The Fast Pack parts are supposed to be gray, not beige.\u00a0 The YF-21 does slightly better but some may feel the choice of color is a bit dark which washes out much of the limited detail that is present.\u00a0 The picture below compares various facets of the Revoltech toys to the Yamato GnU counterparts.\u00a0 This picture highlights how obvious the ball joints can be and also how Kaiyodo took a simpler approach to design elements.\u00a0 Surprisingly, the level of detail is very similar between the Kaiyodo and Yamato offerings.<\/p>\n

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Design:<\/strong> (8\/10)
\nKaiyodo does a pretty good job with their Revoltech line.\u00a0 For the most part the joints are hidden well and positioned as to not hinder the range of movement.\u00a0 You may find yourself occasionally popping a limb off so you can fidget with the underlying joint to get it just how you want it but that\u2019s a small price to pay for having a joint system that typically does allow you to get exactly that pose you\u2019re imagining. If you’re into customizing toys than you may want to opt for Yamato’s GnU Dou toys instead.\u00a0 Those toys allow the owner to pop off the exterior of the toy which makes them much easier to modify.<\/p>\n

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Durability & Build:<\/strong> (6.5\/10)
\nThese toys are bendy and feel cheap in the hands but that should be somewhat forgivable since they are, in fact, cheap toys.\u00a0 There\u2019s some fear that some of the joints might get sloppy\/loose at some point but I was able to handle these without fear and the joints all cooperated perfectly.\u00a0 What holds Revoltechs back in this category are their cheap materials, potential incorrect accessories (like the two left hands I received on my VF-1), and questionable paint applications.\u00a0 I originally remarked that the peg on my YF-19’s pin-point barrier seemed poorly put together and three years later I opeend up the toy and the peg was nowhere to be found… it seems to have disconnected from the part, fallen out of the baggy, and ultimately out of the box.\u00a0 This goes to reaffirm why I’m not thrilled with extras thrown in a baggies or the build quality of these toys.
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