Update: English Translation of the manual can be found here, took a while to finish for me *snicker*
I’m starting August on a good note with this, a 1/60 VF-1A Valkyrie Mass Production version by Yamato Toys. Got this from from HobbyLink Japan. This is the workhorse Variable Fighter of the UN Spacy that was produced in massive numbers as seen in the SDF Macross Anime that came out in the 80’s.
The VF-1A Valkyrie can transform to 3 states, Fighter, Gerwalk and Battroid mode. This is what makes it unique and allowed it to set its mark in the mecha anime genre. This VF-1A Valkyrie was designed by Macross Co-Creator, Shoji Kawamori and was based on the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. It however lacks the rear horizontal stabilizers that the Tomcat has.
Aside from the toy, that can transform into Fighter, Gerwalk and Battroid mode, it also comes with the following accessories: 2 Yamato stand attachments; a front fuselage attachment; Gunpod; 1/60 scale pilot figure; 2 varieties of missile racks (4x each type) that can be attached to the wings; 4 spare hands; manual and marking stickers.
In starting with this review I’ll start with the bad news. First, as I’ve experienced with my 1/60 VF-1S, this VF-1A is not a toy, its flimsy and could easily break if you transform it often or in a rough manner. Its a display toy to be exact, Yamato Toys sacrificed sturdiness in order to stay true to the design of the VF-1 Valkyrie. If you want something that you can “play” with and transform often, this toy is not for you. This is something that should sit on a display case and be savored by one’s eyes like a fine wine.
Another thing is that the paint can be easily removed on this if you scratch or rub it with force. An easy way to fix this is to apply some clear or matte top coat on this to protect the finish, I’d recommend masking the canopy first before doing this. The only quality problem I’ve found with this particular kit is the presence of this yellowish paint smudge on one of the legs along with a slight smudge on the red markings.
Negatives aside, I still love how Yamato Toys was able to bring the VF-1A to life in 1/60th scale. Craftsmanship of Yamato Toys is really superb with the attention to detail given in the shape, lines and markings of this toy in order to recreate the original design. As long as you don’t treat it roughly or play with it, then I’m assuming that you really won’t have any problems with this toy.
