{"id":7624,"date":"2014-12-31T02:40:12","date_gmt":"2014-12-31T02:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/anymoon.com\/blog\/?p=7624"},"modified":"2023-03-17T16:58:59","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T16:58:59","slug":"mastermade-makuros-sdf-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anymoon.com\/blog\/?p=7624","title":{"rendered":"Master Made “Makuros” SDF-1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Review: HG Falls Asleep at Wheel, Fans Start Getting Good Toys<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Packaging & Extras: (4.5\/5)<\/strong>
The only thing keeping this toy back from a perfect score here is the super thin, more paper than cardboard, packaging. Otherwise, there is a nice color sleeve that goes over a box that opens like a book revealing windows that show off the goods inside. It\u2019s a surprisingly high-end feel to an unlicensed product; there\u2019s even Velcro in play to keep the box sealed (though magnets would have been preferable). A little bit of Engrish also helps give the toy an unlicensed feel, especially the very clear \u201cchocking hazard\u2019 warning. For me, it just adds to the charm! Inside the box you get the following (beyond the SDF-1 itself)
1) 2x \u201cDF-1\u201d battroid-mode Valkyries
2) 2x optional legs for DF-1 bent at the knee
3) 2x display stand adapters for the large display stand (one for \u201cship\u201d mode, one for \u201cbuster\u201d mode)
4) 1x large display stand (base and arm) with city detail
5) 2x small display stands bases for DF-1 toys
6) 4x metal rods to be used with the small stands (Long, pretty long, kinda short, short)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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7) Color instructions
One of the ARMD toys also comes detached with thrusters removed so it can be easily attached to the Makuros. The ARMDs feature the same tiny hole that is used to peg the DF-1 toys into the metal rods on their display stands so you could have an armless SDF-1 on the main stand with the ARMDs on the little stands. In all likelihood, you\u2019ll be storing your ARMD thrusters in the box and attaching both to the Makuros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Collectability & Charm: (4.5\/5)<\/strong>
This toy was released in October 2014 for about $100, it sold out quickly, and it has climbed in value since. MasterMade had expressed interest in other 3rd Party Macross or Robotech products but one can presume that the success of this toy put them on the license holders scope and thus eliminated any chance of supporting products or reissues. I didn\u2019t give this toy a perfect score here for three reasons:
A) it\u2019s super-deformed so it won\u2019t appeal to some collectors
B) it\u2019s not a licensed product which may be an excuse for some collectors to overlook it
C) It\u2019s only \u2018very nearly\u2019 perfect transformation
Of all the rare and obscure toys I\u2019ve posted about, this toy is the one the most people have reached out to me and asked if they could buy. While a bit on the smaller size at 22.5 cm tall in attack mode, the toy has a lot of girth to it and weighs 254 grams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sculpt, Detail, & Paint: (8.5\/10)<\/strong>
This score is really tough to pin down given the super deformed nature of the toy but overall I am impressed. From the translucent plastic of the bridge to the frequent bits of molded on detail, this toy does a fantastic job. I remember opening my Yamato 1\/3000 SDF-1 toy and thinking \u201cIt looks really accurate\u2026 but it looks dull.\u201d Unlike the Yamato, this toy pops. The only obvious negative were some gaps in buster mode. Cruiser mode wasn\u2019t as attractive to me. The giant head is more like a giant sore thumb in this mode. The finer details aren\u2019t present here in favor of a more cartoonish appearance. Some might also take offense to the bizarre interpretation of Hikaru\u2019s VF-1S from the DYRL movie. Master Made seems to have combined Hikaru\u2019s VF-1S head with the VF-1J head giving him the 1J\u2019s visor and the 1S lasers. The lasers are integral to the head so don\u2019t assume you can fix this when you get it without some serious surgery. For some reason, I find the odd mish-mash head sort of charming, as if it\u2019s the toy\u2019s way of admitting some \u2018knock-off\u2019 heritage. Real line art enthusiasts may notice that MasterMade got the \u201c01\u201d and \u201c02\u201d labeling wrong on the ARMDs but that will be easily forgiven by most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Design: (7\/10)<\/strong>
At this scale, and with deformed proportions, some compromises were inevitable. The compromises are minor, and the toy is impressive. The ARMDs are detachable and have a plug that fits into the rear to make them standalone vessels. On a larger more perfect toy, it would be nice if there was a trap door on the rear of the craft that simply was pressed up as the toy was attached to the arm. Similarly, in order to bring the gun booms forward into \u201cbuster\u201d mode, the radar and sensor arrays on the side of the bridge must be removed. They unplug easily and fit nicely back into place, but a larger more perfect toy might have gone for something like a spring-loaded recessing ability. Transformation to cruiser mode is where most the compromises become most evident and, for some, most painful. There are a few parts that must be removed during transformation, namely the head and the shoulder rail guns. They all plug right back in later so at least you don\u2019t have to hunt down the box to find a different part. Once in cruiser mode the toy doesn\u2019t feel as sturdy as I would like, some locking mechanisms would have been helpful. Of course, a larger more perfect toy would probably cost a lot more so these all seem like very reasonable compromises for a small super deformed toy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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