Toradora Review

I have to say that I truly enjoyed the Toradora Series. I usually don't go out of my way to watch every anime made available but after watching a few episodes of Toradora, I got hooked. Hooked enough to borrow the series and watch it marathon style. Yeah, my eyes are still bulging from watching it.

VF-1S Delight - Christmas in May

My package from Over Drive Inc arrived yesterday, I rushed immediately to the post office to pick it up. Was planning to write a review on Over Drive Inc's performance afterwards, but for starters I really liked their service. I ordered a VF-1S DYRL from them that was on sale for just $73 and I got a prompt reply from them as well as my item was shipped right away.

Just another addition to my already existing VF-1S collection, will hopefully be able to get a new group shot of the gang with the latest addition.


Haven't been able to get any decent shots in right now, but maybe soon after I get to play around with it. I have to confess that I felt like the day I carried my son for the first time. You want to but you don't want to because your scared to hold it. Then desire gets the best out of you so you take him into your arms and start transforming him, the toy that is and not my son... hehehe

Yamato 1/60 VF-1S Roy Fokker Low Visibility Edition

Update: Official page of the Low Visibility VF-1S is already up at Yamato's Website. Me thinks Yamato forgot to turn on the lights when they took pictures of this *snicker*

Hobby Stock's coverage of the 48th Shizuoka Hobby show has them going over to the Yamato-Toys stand. One shot they had was of Roy Fokker's VF-1S in low visibility colors. According to them it will cost around Y10290 yen and will be out by fall 2009.

1/60 DX Chogokin VF-25 Messiah Valkyrie Armored Pack (Alto version)

Update: Over-Drive announced today (9/19/2009)that they have received already their stock of Alto's Armoured Pack and have started shipping them out. Since they are on Silver Week Holiday they will probably finish by next week.

Update: Pre-ordering seems to have stopped at Over-Drive-Inc.

Update: just found out that you can pre-order the VF-25 Messiah Armored at Over Drive Inc for $110 (shipping not included). You are going to have to pay upfront though then wait for the release in September or even longer if Bandai pushes out the release date.

Just saw this on the Tamashii site, an announcement for the Alto Saotome version of the VF-25 Messiah Armored Pack. Supposed to be that there is no definite date of release, so I'm not sure why the order form says that it will be available by October 2009. It will cost around Y6,500 yen (VF-25 Messiah not included, omochiron!).

1/72 Clan Clan Quadlun Rea and Brera Stern VF-27 Lucifer

Update:Waah!, its even cheaper at Amiami, pre-ordering at Y4,030. Too bad they don't sell overseas. They do now!, check out Amiami's English language site.

Update: HLJ has the VF-27 up for pre-order already! It will sell for Y5,225 if you pre-order it before Sept 18,2009 then it reverts back to its SRP of Y5500.

Update: Looks like the 1/72 VF-27 Lucifer could well be available by November of 2009 according to this.



Over at the Hobbystock Blog saw this article on their coverage of the 2009 Shizuoka Hobby Show. Its a 1/72 Scale Quadlun Rea used by Clan Clan in the Macross Frontier Series. Supposed to be released by Bandai in June but no price yet given.

Bandai Armor Plus: Ex Gear Alto Saotome Figure

Update: Announced today (09/24/2009) that its available for order already at Hobby Search for Y7,125. You can get it also at HLJ. Be sure to check out the detailed figure and box shots at Hobby Search to help you decide on your purchase.



Whoa, Bandai / Tamashii just showcased a figure wearing Ex-Gear. Not sure but it sure looks like Alto Saotome who's wearing the Ex-Gear. They displayed this in their booth at the Shizuoka Hobby show. Based from the literature, this is part of the Armor Plus series.

Sho Hayami on Genesis Climber Mospeada

Here's an interesting factoid I found out last week. I learned this while watching an episode of Genesis Climber Mospeada. As I was watching the Rainy Boy Episode I noticed that the voice of the main antagonist sounded familiar. True enough when I checked with Show Hayami's file, there it was.

Aya Endo, Kawaii!

I can't help but laugh at the antics of Aya Endo at her blog. She is the voice of Sheryl Nome in Macross Frontier. Is it just me?, but compared to her Macross Frontier alter ego, I have a feeling that they are exact opposites.

Yamato 1/60 VF-1D/J Max and Milia Wedding Edition?

Update: Yamato just posted pictures of the 1/60 VF-1D Virgin Road on their site.

I just realized while looking at this photo that there are two new figures in there that haven't been released yet as a toy by Yamato. And that's the figure of Max Jenius and Milia Fallyna-Jenius in their wedding ensemble. One can but speculate that Yamato will soon release a toy version of the Valkyrie that Max and Milia flew in for their wedding.

How to Survive a Macross Missile Massacre

I guess one of the cool things that made Macross great, aside from the music, the mecha, the characters and the awesome plot and graphics was the Macross Missile Massacre. More popularly called by fans as the Itano Circus because it was created by Ichiro Itano.

Review of Anime Export Ltd

Update (10/08/2011):Anime Export contacted me this week and kindly informed me that they have implemented changes in the shipment manager in their site and their service to address issues previously raised and which sort of makes this review I wrote outdated. I have yet to try out these mentioned changes to their site and service but will probably get somebody to purchase off their shop in the next months or so so that I can revise my review. In the meantime I guess we can just let the feedback of those who buy off their ebay shop speak of their service.

Update (10/20/2009): Just got my order last week from them. Box packaging was fashioned out of used boxes, generously taped together. This resulted in a non descript packaging, which is the way that I like my packages to arrive. Inside, the package was covered in bubble pack. I could say that I was satisfied with my purchase from them. My only minor complaint was that they didn't reply to me when I asked for a status update on my order. Like talking to a black hole after they got my money from me. Its a minor issue, but in the cut throat world of online sellers, it could mean a lot. Plus of course the thing with the "couldn't tell if it was shipped as SAL or EMS" episode.

Literal Box shots can be seen below:

Mekanda Robo Toy

Growing up in the 70's and 80's I got exposed to Japan's greatest exports. Aside from the TV and cars, one of the best things that came out of Japan was their anime cartoons. One of the cartoons I loved to watch at that time was the Mekanda Robo(t) series. So of course I got excited when I saw a toy of it being sold here.

Macross VF-11C Armored Thunderbolt

Update: Ooops, my mistake again, this is actually a VF-11C and not a VF-11B that was seen in the Macross Plus series. Yamato toys just released a 1/60 version of the VF-11C. This retcons my statement below that Yamato Toys doesn't have a license to produce Macross 7 toys.

Update: Ok my mistake, the VF-11B Armored version actually came out first in Episode 26 of Macross 7 and was flown by Diamond Force's, Kinryuu and not in FOTSW.

Speaking of Armored Valkyrie's, I was watching Macross 7 Encore yesterday and saw this Armored version of a VF-11B being shot off a catapult ramp. It was shown in the episode Fleet of the Strongest Women (FOTSW). That was the time that the Macross 7 fleet was under attack by a rogue Meltrandi fleet led by an ace counterpart of Milia Fallyna Jenius.

Macross on Google Trends

Google Trends is a very useful tool for tracking the popularity of something in the web. In our case, how frequently anything related to Macross was searched in the WWW. Click on the image below to enlarge.

Macross 1/55 Armored Valkyrie GBP-1S by Takatoku

The story behind this was that I got a Macross VF-1S Strike Valkyrie from DYRL for Christmas 23 years ago. A day after that, my mom came up to me while I was playing with it and she told me that she couldn't wait any longer so she decided to give me the gift that was supposed to have been given on New Year's day. That gift was a GBP-1S Armored Valkyrie kit for my Strike Valkyrie. You could just imagine me leaping into my mother arms and smothering her with Thank You's and kisses. Hopefully my wife and I will also get the chance to do something that awesome to our son on his Christmas day.

Macross Toys VF Size Comparison

I've always been curious to find out how the Macross Toy line varied in sizes from one maker and scale to another. Luckily after watching Wizartars amazing Macross toy reviews at youtube I was able to find an answer to that question.

From the picture below: 1st Row (L to R): 1/60 Destroid Tomahawk (Yamato), 1/60 VF-1A Hikaru Ichijo DYRL (Yamato). 2nd Row (L to R): 1/60 VF-0S Roy Fokker from Macross Zero (Yamato), VF-1S Roy Fokker with Strike Pack (Yamato), 1/60 YF-19 Excalibur from Macross Plus (Yamato)

Macross Frontier Corkscrew Maneuver

I was watching the Macross 25th Anniversary Special All that VF Air Show and finally understood what Luca Angeloni was talking about with regards to wanting to see Alto Saotome's Corkscrew maneuver during Sheryl Nome's concert in Episode 1 of Macross Frontier (First Contact). You'll see Alto do this in the video below at the 0:48 and 1:06 mark of the clip.



I guess its really possible because vectored thrust is something that the Valkyrie's can do. I wouldn't know how it would be possible for Alto to do it with just his EX-Gear though.

Waiting for Macross Frontier Movie News

Update 2: Just found out the latest Macross Frontier news that the movie will be in two parts. The first to be shown on Nov 21, 2009 will be a retelling of the series. The second movie will be a new plot altogther... Woohoo Fan Service!... Arigatou Gozaimashita Kawamori-sama!

Update: Found a Macross Frontier Movie Trailer here. Guess its going to be a re-make after all.


I have to admit that I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for any news or spoilers with regards to the announced Macross Frontier Feature Film that was announced at the end of the series last year.

The latest news I heard is that the movie will be released in the fall of 2009. During the launch celebration of Macross SDF1 early this year, character actress Megumi Nakajima(Ranka Lee) performed her new song "Sō Da Yo" for the movie. Also featured during the celebration was some animation on Sheryl Nome's new concert hall to be used in the film. The Macross F cast also performed an audio recording of a promotional video for the film.

Yamato Toy TV features VF-22S Sturmvogel II Gamlin Kizaki Edition and Macross Plus VF-11B w/ Super Pack

Just saw this Toy TV video on the Yamato website. In the video they show some product features of their 1/60 VF-22S Sturmvogel II Gamlin Kizaki Edition and their Macross Plus VF-11B Super Pack. Disappointing was that they didn't show the transformation of the VF-22S and VF-11B, mostly what was new and different from the previous products. Still consider the video as a source of information.

Check out the video here

Macross Toy Commercials

Found this very classic toy commercial for a Bandai Macross 1/55 VF-1S Strike Valkyrie at youtube. Brings back old times I have to say, because tv quality wasn't as good back then so it was quite grainy and dark.



There were other Macross related commercials in youtube from Yamato. Check them out below.

Macross Toy Collection

I confess, that I keep my 23 year old 1/55 VF-1S Strike Valkyrie from Bandai on my home work table to inspire me. Along with that is his baby brother, a bootleg VF-1S that I inherited from my brother (he tossed it away) that he got for Christmas from a relative. With them also is a Mospeada motorcycle made by Matchbox from the Robotech series. I have a GBP armor kit for the VF-1S that I make it wear occasionally. I should get shots of that in the future.