For those who loves Macross, you might want to check out their Tamashii Nations' line called DX Chogokin. It's an equivalent to Gundam's Metal Build. Pretty dang good with transformation gimmick
@@ArchusKanzaki well most MB are 1/100 scale while in the DX Chogokin the Valkyries are in 1/48 scale (Macross SDF/DYRL) and 1/60 scale (Macross Plus, Frontier, Delta), so think of it as buying a PG with metal parts that transform and has decals applyed But you are right, the DX Chogokin line is expensive.
@@Ren-bj4xm yeah I know..... that's why I'm looking for it recently lol. Bandai also reproduced the super old Destroid Monster model kit recently, the 1980s one.
Having built about 80% of this line I can say they are amazing but like he said in the video the gold plastic sucks. Be very careful not to get paint in any joints because they WILL seize and break. I also recommend glue the wing and body attached area ( especially if you have the super parts add on) , the wings will be heavy.
Im mostly a RG gunpla builder and felt pretty confident when I built my VF-31J 35ty Anniversary edition a couple years ago. I finished the build feeling pretty damn humbled. Ive transformed that thing a total of 1 time and will never try to change it ever again. It will forever sit in plane mode on my desk though. Macross in the form of Robotech was my first anime I ever experienced and it will always hold the top place in my heart.
WOW never thought I'd see a macross kit getting reviewed by mecha. This is a treat for me, I love macross delta! These kits are so hard to find though I was luckily able to snag the vf-31c just recently on buyee.
if you go over to Transformers Source right now they have the vf-25 and for around 205.oo you can have it shipped to your house in two to three business days I recommend that all day over the kit but if you simply must have a vfj 30 then this is kind of the way to go because the secondary Market their astronomically way too expensive but the kits aren't that great I had the gold plastic break on me too and there's like a C-clamp that connects it to the foot that broke on mine and I had to glue it and I enjoyed mine for about 6 months until it fell off the shelf then I had to throw it away but for $130 more you can have one that's plastic and diecast that is by all means far superior and not as fragile
@@jamescaulfield6632 Ah yes I've seen the diecast ones! The DX chogokin line I believe, they look amazing yeah I'll definitely look into getting em some time soon. And as for the c clamp part I actually was able to find a metal replacement part in one of my local shops!
@@Sams1802 it's a tamashi's nation as far as I know the souls line has been discontinued for a while there's also a pre-order one with super parts for around $200 and something because I thought the same as you did the model kit will work it really doesn't I hope this was helpful collecting Macross is very expensive it's very cool that you found metal parts and I would say I'd recommend using glue on it but there are parts that if you glue they most definitely will break be careful of the way the chest locks in at the front because for some reason the piece that locks in the chest at the front of the chest is very stressed there's just a lot of issues with this kit
I will mention one thing about this kit. The original release version and all of the other kits from that line had the option of waterslides or marking stickers for the livery. This kit, much like the 1/72 Tornado Messiah that Bandai did, only comes with waterslides for some bizarre reason instead of including both
I've always wanted one of the DX Chogokin Siegfried figures. Sure they're 10x more expensive compared to these model kits, but they're a lot more robust, they have a full transformation system, and all the details are already there.
For anyone who wants to try one of these kits, the brittle gold plastic is a common problem only found in the Delta series. The Frontier VF-25 based mechs do not have this issue.
Something to keep in mind about the kit: 1) the original color separation was meant to be for the VF-31's color scheme from the original release, hence why the new color scheme doesn't quite fit in terms of color separation. 2) For the Macross kits Bandai does seem to treat them more like a traditional military aircraft model kit, which doesn't help when the original designer Shoji Kawamori more or less treats them as such, hence the abundance of details and livery that aren't so easily solved via plastic color separation. Will you also be reviewing the 1/100 HG Macross YF-19 kit being released next month?
@@danielcraig9666 I'd get the dx chogokins if they weren't all marked up by at least 50% of their original price.. I remember seeing a VF31A being sold in Japan for 60k yen, it was fucking insane
@@mappies123 The 31A was a unique circumstance being both a web-exclusive and Bandai officially changing how stores could order said exclusives. It took a year for Nippon-Yasan (before they went under) to source/fulfill all of their orders, stocks were late from CDJapan (the last time they officially would carry a web exclusive), people were scrambling to find replacements from Chinese stores. Nearly every store stopped carrying web exclusives after this. The 31A was basically the hardest one to get.
I have Draken III and it's amazing. It's a nice kit but be careful when you transform. Too much transformation can break the plastic. Recommend to put in one mode if you want to display.
9:23 Variable Fighters don't really "walk around" in Gerwalk mode. The idea is that they use the thrust from their jet exhausts/feet to hover, making them faster and more manoerverable than the Battroid mode, but can still take on suface threats with their hand held weaponry. They would convert to Battroid mode to actually touch down and walk, engage in close combat, or take cover.
Even the old school Valkyrie kits were fragile, it's just the way they are. Scaling them up helps a hell of a lot, as does adding metal parts, which is exactly what the toys do. I don't understand why Bandai won't just make them in the larger 1/55 size of the toys to make them more durable, unless it's because they want the jet mode to match the common 1/72 scale used for plane kits? Oh, and Studio Halfeye is like one guy (or used to be) that makes perfect transformations of Macross and other mecha, and then other brands (Yamato) sometimes make cheaper versions as Studio Halfeye stuff is just low volume and CRAZY expensive (thousands of dollars for many of them). Worth looking at just to see the insanity of the engineering.
Built one of the Siegfrieds, same thing happened to me with that golden plastic for the ankle, seeing it brought back flashbacks of frustraition and anger. Ended up just turning that entire ankle area into a mass of superglue. Left it transformed ever since I built it.
The original macross series is an absolute masterpiece that I put it alongside gundam as some of the best not just mecha anime but anime in general of all time, this kit looks pretty nice although my favorite valkyries are the ones from the original.
I clearly remember the dissapointment at the start of the build when i found the massive sheet of decals and how it slowly turned into pure amazement while i was bulding it. Requires a lot of effort but is totally worth.
it's actually a High Grade, variable valkyrie, I noticed with the last model announced recently, the YF-19, although I couldn't be too happy with the vf-1a/s models or the delta macro models, they are very delicate and many pieces will break when handling them a couple of times, these delta macross models are somewhat delicate in the ankle pieces, there are to apply these pieces very carefully in that area
From what I remember about the Delta kits, a lot of them did include the decals. A lot of it was for customization. The movie kits had a silly amount of them too.
The happiness and excitement when this video came up LOL I love macross so much and infact I'm building the same kit rn. I had the same problem with the holden ankle piece, and I'm thinking of using metal wires to try and make it sturdier
I was a huge Macross fan as a kid. I'd love to pick one of these up and do a full decal + weathering job on the whole thing with some metallic paints in select spots. Might have to be my birthday splurge.
I really love Macross mecha design and build a few of these MGish kit. But sadly it really require a lot of care and technical expertise. For my heavy armor siegfried version, I already have to fix the shoulder joint, waist joint, ankle joints and it doesn't age well with a lot of loose joint. Other than these issues, i still enjoy it. PS: the enemy mecha is more enjoyable than siegfried.
The gold parts broke on me too. Gluing it worked well enough and some people actually sell those parts specifically. Still, once you put on the decals/stickers, they look amazing and these kits don't even look like they should transform when you put them in plane mode!
2:04 considering how it's used in the anime (which is primarily as a jet fighter and then secondarily as a mecha) it's more likely that instead of a mobile suit standard inner frame it has a proper airframe that just so happens to transform. Edit: I personally would only use it as jet.
Having done several of the VF-25 kits back in the day I had to just give up and buy the DX Chogokin because I actually like posing and playing with these. Never forget Kawamori was an aerospace engineer before JAXA was a thing... so he got into anime... The VF-31 figures are VERY GOOD and very handleable just gets very pricey even compared to metal build. If you look on forums and 3D printing sites (FDM and Resin) you can find a lot of accessories for the VF-31 figures you can make and paint at home
I want to try this kit, but suck at applying decals and stickers, still looks like a good challenge. I stopped questioning the knife in a macross valkyrie since the epic speech from Ozma in Macross Frontier.
Well, the fact that they transform is kind of their only gimmick, unlike other series Also, haven’t the modern series just turned into idol anime stuff
@@elipse371across is always about "saving the world with music". They had Rock Band, Jazz-style, Pop-music, and recently Idol Group. Nothing is worse than others, just different genre of music. Also the concept of Macross Missile Massacre also comes from Macross. The Utano Circus kinda starts from Macross
Finally! Mecha got to review a bandai 1/72 macross kit! Although I built 6 of these kits, I do not recommend these to casual builders as these kits will give you a alot of headaches. I gave away all my kits and bought DX chogokins instead and never looked back. I only recommend these if you really love macross. P.S. those foot joints will 100% break on all VF 31 kits. I should know, I built 2 of these lovelies.
For weeks, I was wanting to get a Macross kit because over time, i I sadly have been getting bored of the Gundam stuff I’ve built and seen lately, and I really was obsessed with the Macross designs for so long, and now I’ve gone and bought one, finally
I grew up on Robotech, the bastardized US version of Macross. I had a Revell model of a VF-1A and one of the Matchbox mechs from back in the day. Thanks to licensing issues, getting Macross products in US stores has been almost impossible. Great to see our host is a Macross fan, too. I've not paid the newer series any attention at all but these models are tempting.
Yeah those breaking gold c-clips are a common issue, had to use some plastic cement to build my VF-31J. You can barely see them, why have them in brittle gold? (Awesome looking kit though).
There is a card on a mobile game I play called "Blackbird". And it's a transforming fighter jet. Would be interesting to see one of these painted up like it.
I had the same problem with mine at the gold on the foot broke and I had to glue it and it was the c-joint that broke on mine it's a cool transforming gimmick but after time they really don't hold up because the plastic on them is very brittle and their old kits to begin with I enjoyed mine for about half a year until it was knocked off of a shelf and then it got thrown away
Aside from simple full-transforming Gundams i find Macross VFs fascinating even if the complex transforming and fragility makes it kind of a turnoff for me. Also looking forward for HG 1/100 YF-19 despite not being a fan of partsformers. YF-19 looks cool and I heard Isamu is a super gigachad pilot.
I had the Ozma Lee's Armored Messiah (the one from Macross Frontier) It is one of my most favorite mecha ever. It just looks so damn imposing in my shelf even next to all the Gundam... but I have literal PTSD from the build itself. It took so long, and the build is soooo difficult and tiring, and the panel lining and decaling tooks foreveeeeer. That build literally staves off my hand every time I saw Alto's Armored Messiah, or Super Siegfried since I still kinda remember the stress I have building it.... I'm seriously glad Bandai actually made this and the thing is mostly free from Parts-formation, but DAMN this is super difficult build. Also seriously too bad that choice for good Macross kits are pretty limited especially on limited budget...
I keep thinking how I want to find a solid Gundam-quality model kit of a Macross Valkyrie-style mecha plane. Looks like this one goes on my "no thanks, I'll pass" list!
I got into plamo building because of my love for Macross. But, after building a VF-25F Messiah kit from 2008, I only have one suggestion for beginners: get the Chogokin, Hi-Metal, or Tiny Session (SD). They're gorgeous and better for your mental health. I don't know if it's just my luck or it's the entire batch but my 2008 kit is a disaster. The plane form barely holds together, parts became loose right away, and the articulation is just meh. It's a VF equivalent of RG Sinanju or RG Zeta Gundam.
Same thing happened to me when i built my macross delta kit joint to attach the feet just broke. So i just super glued it and i dont bother with extending the ankle down for robot mode
Ive had the VF-25S kit for about 2 years, but I havent built it as Im not sure which "mode" to pose it in. I dont want to be changing it after Ive built it, for the very reasons you have outlined in this vid. But now, after seeing your one built, Im a bit more keen to get it done. But it will be only ever in plane mode.
just wish bandai did more with this line like affortable macross kits that least transforms with as little as possible partsform is really neat, had the S varaint not decaled still planning of painting it and also mod the VF-31A's delta winglet instead of a forward swept. And yeah the gold ankle joint is the bane of this kit and rather annoyed they didnt change that for the movie version of the kit either, I did have STL for the replacement ankle joints to 3D print and a very few people had tested it, it's up on macross world forums if I get replies I'll hand in the link to the post to prevent bot kicked, the same thread I also have VF-31A style winglets replacement but that one was less tested. overall I want a VF-171(EX) of the 1/72 trasnformable kit
Macross is a very close 2nd for me... that is after Gundam, I just really love these kits but if you didn't get them back in the day they're really hard to find not too mention somewhat more expensive, especially in Canada... I'm so glad you did this review because I haven't built any of the Delta kits yet, not to mention, I'm having a hella of time finding them here... but as you mentioned, they are not for beginners, especially if you want them to look really good and once they're built, they're more of a pose and leave it that way... lol... it does look like they have improved since the Frontier kits... man, I gotta get some of these now... cheers...
Had the vf-31 siegfried anniversary edition. Need to be extra careful with the gold injection part that’s located at the ankle, since it’s known to be very brittle. I broke mine, and since then I’ve been very careful with gold injection part
yeah, i got a draken, sigfrid and a yet to be built super messiah, they are way more fragile and janky than even say the mg victory or rg sinanju, but they were super fun builds, and stand out on a shelf regardless of which mode they're in. i kinda want to get one of the metal build macross figures, but i'm not a fan enough to pay a few hundred for one figure...
oooohhh.... I must say this is really technical. But the pain is the decals. This series is not for beginners. The decals will drive you crazy; you will be so willing for the 1/60 chogokin.
I love this kit. I spent a month working on it, but sadly one of the lill draken connectors broke on me while i was trying to tighten it. Overall its great for display, not so much for play.
Yeah, knife. If I remember correctly, back in Macross Frontier the enemy aliens render weapons that's already been used on their kind ineffective the next time they use it. So the Frontier pilots were, at one point, left with just the knives left as weapons that can still do damage.
Those gold parts were the reason why I did not pursue this line of kits. Mine is forever stuck in one mode. I hope the upcoming HG model kits are decent.
I had a model kit of VF31J before and it was a sticky hell and broke when I try to transform it for the 3rd time I should have bought the DX chogokin instead
i was hoping things would change with the transforming robotech kits but it looks like the single mode kits are still the way to go. (the gold plastic on the last one i built broke too! fuck that gold plastic!) the Hasegawa 1/72 The Super Dimension Fortress Macross Series No.26 VF-1S/A Strike/Super Gerwalk Valkyrie kit i did was amazing and nothing has compared to it (not even close).
if you think Macross is over the top try checking out Macross 7 where we have the protagonist pilots his transforming robot plane with a guitar, yes a guitar.
This piece's finicky nature may be why most Macross kits are single form-usually the sleek jet modes. IIRC, Macross Delta was the one where the Valkyries had more or less funnels that projected holomatter VTuber avatars of the pilots that transformed the battlefield. Really weird tuff.
yea i should look more in to what i was getting my self in to because it was my 1st time build a figure and it took a few months and i dont have water decals yet but i have no motivation anymore but still wanna see it full done 💀
U broke a single ankle part, i broke both… the golden part was so fragile… i glued it and never touch the ankle area… really love the overall transformation, but always having breaking part anxiety
I 100% agree. If you want a better value go for the chogokin version. As about 5 transformations will basically break and stress the plastics. At least some of the chogokin are metal and more durable than this. Can still break tho. Overall would not recommend these unless you want low replay value
i have the 1/100 YF-19 from macros plus, and even though its a partsformer it fucking worth it. INSANE posability in robot mode, ok ish Gerwalk and then amazing fighter mode.
I really hope you would review HG 1/100 YF-19 from macross plus that released next year. Its partsforming but imo all macross kit should be, its just add more stability and make the kit less fragile.
I'd honestly keep it as is. The VF-31 is like one of those protype/concept fighters you'd see on AC COMBAT like the ADFX-02 or The X-02S. I'd mostly keep the VF-31 in airframe mode so she sits nicely next to said ADFX-02
i have a love hate relationship with Macross design, i love the Fighter mode design with a passion and i despite the Gerwalk mode/ the mech design with a passion
For those who loves Macross, you might want to check out their Tamashii Nations' line called DX Chogokin. It's an equivalent to Gundam's Metal Build. Pretty dang good with transformation gimmick
I'm still looking for Konig Monster Chogokin....
But anyway, yeah Chogokin probably better, but that thing also way more expensive like Metal Build.
Hella pricey stuff tho. 25,000 yen or $183 per unit. I got my YF-19 and spent 2 hours just transforming it from plane to Battroid.
@@ArchusKanzaki well most MB are 1/100 scale while in the DX Chogokin the Valkyries are in 1/48 scale (Macross SDF/DYRL) and 1/60 scale (Macross Plus, Frontier, Delta), so think of it as buying a PG with metal parts that transform and has decals applyed But you are right, the DX Chogokin line is expensive.
@@ArchusKanzaki Monster Koenig Chokogin are already exist. Well its not on the same scale with the rest of it though.
@@Ren-bj4xm yeah I know..... that's why I'm looking for it recently lol.
Bandai also reproduced the super old Destroid Monster model kit recently, the 1980s one.
I cherish Gundam as a franchise, but Macross has a special place in my heart that I cannot describe.
Same. SDF Macross, Plus, and Frontier have special spots in my heart. 7 and Delta were fun in my book.
Your heart... Or your Totsugeki Love Heart?
@@weaselwolf I see what you did there :) to answer your question, YES.
@@migg5702 Dynamite!
@@weaselwolf EXPLOSION!
Having built about 80% of this line I can say they are amazing but like he said in the video the gold plastic sucks. Be very careful not to get paint in any joints because they WILL seize and break. I also recommend glue the wing and body attached area ( especially if you have the super parts add on) , the wings will be heavy.
Im mostly a RG gunpla builder and felt pretty confident when I built my VF-31J 35ty Anniversary edition a couple years ago. I finished the build feeling pretty damn humbled. Ive transformed that thing a total of 1 time and will never try to change it ever again. It will forever sit in plane mode on my desk though. Macross in the form of Robotech was my first anime I ever experienced and it will always hold the top place in my heart.
WOW never thought I'd see a macross kit getting reviewed by mecha. This is a treat for me, I love macross delta! These kits are so hard to find though I was luckily able to snag the vf-31c just recently on buyee.
if you go over to Transformers Source right now they have the vf-25 and for around 205.oo you can have it shipped to your house in two to three business days I recommend that all day over the kit but if you simply must have a vfj 30 then this is kind of the way to go because the secondary Market their astronomically way too expensive but the kits aren't that great I had the gold plastic break on me too and there's like a C-clamp that connects it to the foot that broke on mine and I had to glue it and I enjoyed mine for about 6 months until it fell off the shelf then I had to throw it away but for $130 more you can have one that's plastic and diecast that is by all means far superior and not as fragile
@@jamescaulfield6632 Ah yes I've seen the diecast ones! The DX chogokin line I believe, they look amazing yeah I'll definitely look into getting em some time soon. And as for the c clamp part I actually was able to find a metal replacement part in one of my local shops!
@@Sams1802 it's a tamashi's nation as far as I know the souls line has been discontinued for a while there's also a pre-order one with super parts for around $200 and something because I thought the same as you did the model kit will work it really doesn't I hope this was helpful collecting Macross is very expensive it's very cool that you found metal parts and I would say I'd recommend using glue on it but there are parts that if you glue they most definitely will break be careful of the way the chest locks in at the front because for some reason the piece that locks in the chest at the front of the chest is very stressed there's just a lot of issues with this kit
I will mention one thing about this kit. The original release version and all of the other kits from that line had the option of waterslides or marking stickers for the livery. This kit, much like the 1/72 Tornado Messiah that Bandai did, only comes with waterslides for some bizarre reason instead of including both
I've always wanted one of the DX Chogokin Siegfried figures. Sure they're 10x more expensive compared to these model kits, but they're a lot more robust, they have a full transformation system, and all the details are already there.
For anyone who wants to try one of these kits, the brittle gold plastic is a common problem only found in the Delta series. The Frontier VF-25 based mechs do not have this issue.
Something to keep in mind about the kit:
1) the original color separation was meant to be for the VF-31's color scheme from the original release, hence why the new color scheme doesn't quite fit in terms of color separation.
2) For the Macross kits Bandai does seem to treat them more like a traditional military aircraft model kit, which doesn't help when the original designer Shoji Kawamori more or less treats them as such, hence the abundance of details and livery that aren't so easily solved via plastic color separation.
Will you also be reviewing the 1/100 HG Macross YF-19 kit being released next month?
Except the 31's aren't painted like they're military. They're painted like airshow performance, which is even more painful.
@@danielcraig9666 i had one of those tiny siegfried models and even those had stickers that were a pain to put on lol
@@mappies123 I just get the DX Chogokins, I don't mess with the Macross Models.
@@danielcraig9666 I'd get the dx chogokins if they weren't all marked up by at least 50% of their original price.. I remember seeing a VF31A being sold in Japan for 60k yen, it was fucking insane
@@mappies123 The 31A was a unique circumstance being both a web-exclusive and Bandai officially changing how stores could order said exclusives. It took a year for Nippon-Yasan (before they went under) to source/fulfill all of their orders, stocks were late from CDJapan (the last time they officially would carry a web exclusive), people were scrambling to find replacements from Chinese stores. Nearly every store stopped carrying web exclusives after this. The 31A was basically the hardest one to get.
I have Draken III and it's amazing. It's a nice kit but be careful when you transform. Too much transformation can break the plastic. Recommend to put in one mode if you want to display.
9:23 Variable Fighters don't really "walk around" in Gerwalk mode. The idea is that they use the thrust from their jet exhausts/feet to hover, making them faster and more manoerverable than the Battroid mode, but can still take on suface threats with their hand held weaponry. They would convert to Battroid mode to actually touch down and walk, engage in close combat, or take cover.
Even the old school Valkyrie kits were fragile, it's just the way they are. Scaling them up helps a hell of a lot, as does adding metal parts, which is exactly what the toys do. I don't understand why Bandai won't just make them in the larger 1/55 size of the toys to make them more durable, unless it's because they want the jet mode to match the common 1/72 scale used for plane kits? Oh, and Studio Halfeye is like one guy (or used to be) that makes perfect transformations of Macross and other mecha, and then other brands (Yamato) sometimes make cheaper versions as Studio Halfeye stuff is just low volume and CRAZY expensive (thousands of dollars for many of them). Worth looking at just to see the insanity of the engineering.
Built one of the Siegfrieds, same thing happened to me with that golden plastic for the ankle, seeing it brought back flashbacks of frustraition and anger. Ended up just turning that entire ankle area into a mass of superglue. Left it transformed ever since I built it.
I love these modernized Valkyries! 😍😍 I wish they make Macross Plus' Bowman's YF-21 kit. or even better an OG Macross updated VF-1 A-S kits.
The original macross series is an absolute masterpiece that I put it alongside gundam as some of the best not just mecha anime but anime in general of all time, this kit looks pretty nice although my favorite valkyries are the ones from the original.
I'm with you on that. But I also like the designs of Macross Zero.
@@R_Caine I should rephrase as personal favorite because there are a lot of great designs in the franchise.
Gerwalk mode holding the knife just gave me "trying to catch a plane in London" vibes
I clearly remember the dissapointment at the start of the build when i found the massive sheet of decals and how it slowly turned into pure amazement while i was bulding it. Requires a lot of effort but is totally worth.
Builder: I HATE STICKERS!!!
Factory: I'm sorry to say but we have WATER DECALS!
Builder: Okay... I'm IN!
it's actually a High Grade, variable valkyrie, I noticed with the last model announced recently, the YF-19, although I couldn't be too happy with the vf-1a/s models or the delta macro models, they are very delicate and many pieces will break when handling them a couple of times, these delta macross models are somewhat delicate in the ankle pieces, there are to apply these pieces very carefully in that area
Earlier macross kits doesnt have a grade, and it's on different scale
From what I remember about the Delta kits, a lot of them did include the decals. A lot of it was for customization. The movie kits had a silly amount of them too.
MechaGaikotsu: ". . .Mecha with a knife! Mobile suit gundam, move aside!"
Strike/Impulse gundam: "Are we a joke to you?"
The happiness and excitement when this video came up LOL I love macross so much and infact I'm building the same kit rn. I had the same problem with the holden ankle piece, and I'm thinking of using metal wires to try and make it sturdier
Sweaty palms watching the transformation thinking another bit would snap lol
Gerwalk mode with the switchblade reminds me of that gif of the crab holding a knife. Just as threatening
God, 4 years after bought almost all of Walkure album, now i want to save my pocket just for Hayate's Valk🔥
this transformation gave me nostalgia.its so similar to my old starscream transformer i got goosebumbs :'D
I was a huge Macross fan as a kid. I'd love to pick one of these up and do a full decal + weathering job on the whole thing with some metallic paints in select spots. Might have to be my birthday splurge.
This brought a tear to my eye
I really love Macross mecha design and build a few of these MGish kit. But sadly it really require a lot of care and technical expertise. For my heavy armor siegfried version, I already have to fix the shoulder joint, waist joint, ankle joints and it doesn't age well with a lot of loose joint. Other than these issues, i still enjoy it. PS: the enemy mecha is more enjoyable than siegfried.
The gold parts broke on me too. Gluing it worked well enough and some people actually sell those parts specifically. Still, once you put on the decals/stickers, they look amazing and these kits don't even look like they should transform when you put them in plane mode!
2:04 considering how it's used in the anime (which is primarily as a jet fighter and then secondarily as a mecha) it's more likely that instead of a mobile suit standard inner frame it has a proper airframe that just so happens to transform.
Edit: I personally would only use it as jet.
Unless it’s like modern cars where the body is the chassis. So basically a frameless structure.
@@zacharyradford5552 or monocoque like the A6M fighters, although I don't know how effective it may be since the speeds are very different.
GERWALK with a hard "G" like in ghost.
Having done several of the VF-25 kits back in the day I had to just give up and buy the DX Chogokin because I actually like posing and playing with these. Never forget Kawamori was an aerospace engineer before JAXA was a thing... so he got into anime...
The VF-31 figures are VERY GOOD and very handleable just gets very pricey even compared to metal build. If you look on forums and 3D printing sites (FDM and Resin) you can find a lot of accessories for the VF-31 figures you can make and paint at home
I want to try this kit, but suck at applying decals and stickers, still looks like a good challenge. I stopped questioning the knife in a macross valkyrie since the epic speech from Ozma in Macross Frontier.
Macross can be said to be the most perfect mecha line that can transform into a plane, a hundred times better than the Deceptions. 😎👉
Who are the deceptions?
@@staples. how dare you.
Well, the fact that they transform is kind of their only gimmick, unlike other series
Also, haven’t the modern series just turned into idol anime stuff
@@elipse371across is always about "saving the world with music". They had Rock Band, Jazz-style, Pop-music, and recently Idol Group. Nothing is worse than others, just different genre of music.
Also the concept of Macross Missile Massacre also comes from Macross. The Utano Circus kinda starts from Macross
@@ArchusKanzaki I thought it was a real robot series supposed to be about the horrors of war like most other mecha
I guess not
Finally! Mecha got to review a bandai 1/72 macross kit! Although I built 6 of these kits, I do not recommend these to casual builders as these kits will give you a alot of headaches. I gave away all my kits and bought DX chogokins instead and never looked back.
I only recommend these if you really love macross.
P.S. those foot joints will 100% break on all VF 31 kits. I should know, I built 2 of these lovelies.
For weeks, I was wanting to get a Macross kit because over time, i I sadly have been getting bored of the Gundam stuff I’ve built and seen lately, and I really was obsessed with the Macross designs for so long, and now I’ve gone and bought one, finally
I grew up on Robotech, the bastardized US version of Macross. I had a Revell model of a VF-1A and one of the Matchbox mechs from back in the day. Thanks to licensing issues, getting Macross products in US stores has been almost impossible. Great to see our host is a Macross fan, too. I've not paid the newer series any attention at all but these models are tempting.
Holy shit guys it's blue Jetfire
Yeah those breaking gold c-clips are a common issue, had to use some plastic cement to build my VF-31J. You can barely see them, why have them in brittle gold? (Awesome looking kit though).
2:05 I see what you did there. Nice one.
There is a card on a mobile game I play called "Blackbird". And it's a transforming fighter jet. Would be interesting to see one of these painted up like it.
detailing them is so much fun
the knife worked in Frontier. cool design jet.
I had the same problem with mine at the gold on the foot broke and I had to glue it and it was the c-joint that broke on mine it's a cool transforming gimmick but after time they really don't hold up because the plastic on them is very brittle and their old kits to begin with I enjoyed mine for about half a year until it was knocked off of a shelf and then it got thrown away
Aside from simple full-transforming Gundams i find Macross VFs fascinating even if the complex transforming and fragility makes it kind of a turnoff for me.
Also looking forward for HG 1/100 YF-19 despite not being a fan of partsformers. YF-19 looks cool and I heard Isamu is a super gigachad pilot.
I had the Ozma Lee's Armored Messiah (the one from Macross Frontier)
It is one of my most favorite mecha ever. It just looks so damn imposing in my shelf even next to all the Gundam... but I have literal PTSD from the build itself. It took so long, and the build is soooo difficult and tiring, and the panel lining and decaling tooks foreveeeeer. That build literally staves off my hand every time I saw Alto's Armored Messiah, or Super Siegfried since I still kinda remember the stress I have building it....
I'm seriously glad Bandai actually made this and the thing is mostly free from Parts-formation, but DAMN this is super difficult build. Also seriously too bad that choice for good Macross kits are pretty limited especially on limited budget...
I'd leave it in jet mode. Looks better than robot mode. Reminds me of that old Clint Eastwood movie called FireFox.
I keep thinking how I want to find a solid Gundam-quality model kit of a Macross Valkyrie-style mecha plane. Looks like this one goes on my "no thanks, I'll pass" list!
Hmm yes mechmanjet
I have the normal Siegfried. Now I love Macross to bits but the sheer amount of stickers/waterslides are just keeping me from building it...
I got into plamo building because of my love for Macross. But, after building a VF-25F Messiah kit from 2008, I only have one suggestion for beginners: get the Chogokin, Hi-Metal, or Tiny Session (SD). They're gorgeous and better for your mental health.
I don't know if it's just my luck or it's the entire batch but my 2008 kit is a disaster. The plane form barely holds together, parts became loose right away, and the articulation is just meh. It's a VF equivalent of RG Sinanju or RG Zeta Gundam.
Ah yes, the terrifying Jack the Raptor.
Same thing happened to me when i built my macross delta kit joint to attach the feet just broke. So i just super glued it and i dont bother with extending the ankle down for robot mode
I built a yf21 forever ago and the plastic was very thin and brittle. Seems that hasn't changed
nice vid
Ive had the VF-25S kit for about 2 years, but I havent built it as Im not sure which "mode" to pose it in. I dont want to be changing it after Ive built it, for the very reasons you have outlined in this vid. But now, after seeing your one built, Im a bit more keen to get it done. But it will be only ever in plane mode.
Wait the wings don’t come with a small iron rod to keep them attached like frontiers kits did?
Me: starts watching macross
* A day later*
Mecha gaikotsu: well, i'll build a Macross and bye bye to your wallet
i want to see it put all the panel lining it and putting all that decal, what it looks like after
just wish bandai did more with this line like affortable macross kits that least transforms with as little as possible partsform is really neat, had the S varaint not decaled still planning of painting it and also mod the VF-31A's delta winglet instead of a forward swept.
And yeah the gold ankle joint is the bane of this kit and rather annoyed they didnt change that for the movie version of the kit either, I did have STL for the replacement ankle joints to 3D print and a very few people had tested it, it's up on macross world forums if I get replies I'll hand in the link to the post to prevent bot kicked, the same thread I also have VF-31A style winglets replacement but that one was less tested.
overall I want a VF-171(EX) of the 1/72 trasnformable kit
Macross is a very close 2nd for me... that is after Gundam, I just really love these kits but if you didn't get them back in the day they're really hard to find not too mention somewhat more expensive, especially in Canada... I'm so glad you did this review because I haven't built any of the Delta kits yet, not to mention, I'm having a hella of time finding them here... but as you mentioned, they are not for beginners, especially if you want them to look really good and once they're built, they're more of a pose and leave it that way... lol... it does look like they have improved since the Frontier kits... man, I gotta get some of these now... cheers...
Had the vf-31 siegfried anniversary edition. Need to be extra careful with the gold injection part that’s located at the ankle, since it’s known to be very brittle. I broke mine, and since then I’ve been very careful with gold injection part
yeah, i got a draken, sigfrid and a yet to be built super messiah, they are way more fragile and janky than even say the mg victory or rg sinanju, but they were super fun builds, and stand out on a shelf regardless of which mode they're in. i kinda want to get one of the metal build macross figures, but i'm not a fan enough to pay a few hundred for one figure...
Bandai is also not ready for fully transformable VF kits, hence we get the partsforming YF-19 later next year. But i'm sure we're getting there.
oooohhh.... I must say this is really technical. But the pain is the decals. This series is not for beginners. The decals will drive you crazy; you will be so willing for the 1/60 chogokin.
I love this kit. I spent a month working on it, but sadly one of the lill draken connectors broke on me while i was trying to tighten it. Overall its great for display, not so much for play.
I still get PTSD thinking about building building one of these and the fucking tension joints and how they scream. Looking forward to the HG YF-19.
Yeah, knife. If I remember correctly, back in Macross Frontier the enemy aliens render weapons that's already been used on their kind ineffective the next time they use it. So the Frontier pilots were, at one point, left with just the knives left as weapons that can still do damage.
Those gold parts were the reason why I did not pursue this line of kits. Mine is forever stuck in one mode. I hope the upcoming HG model kits are decent.
I have built 2 of these and that gold piece that is essentially the ankle broke for me on both
...and they're never in stock locally
I had a model kit of VF31J before and it was a sticky hell and broke when I try to transform it for the 3rd time
I should have bought the DX chogokin instead
“Jerwalk mode”
i was hoping things would change with the transforming robotech kits but it looks like the single mode kits are still the way to go. (the gold plastic on the last one i built broke too! fuck that gold plastic!) the Hasegawa 1/72 The Super Dimension Fortress Macross Series No.26 VF-1S/A Strike/Super Gerwalk Valkyrie kit i did was amazing and nothing has compared to it (not even close).
if you think Macross is over the top try checking out Macross 7 where we have the protagonist pilots his transforming robot plane with a guitar, yes a guitar.
This piece's finicky nature may be why most Macross kits are single form-usually the sleek jet modes.
IIRC, Macross Delta was the one where the Valkyries had more or less funnels that projected holomatter VTuber avatars of the pilots that transformed the battlefield. Really weird tuff.
the VF-31 Seigfried/Kairos' container pack never vibed with be compared to VF-29 Durandal's on frame cannons
yea i should look more in to what i was getting my self in to because it was my 1st time build a figure and it took a few months and i dont have water decals yet but i have no motivation anymore but still wanna see it full done 💀
Finally you review this kit
U broke a single ankle part, i broke both… the golden part was so fragile… i glued it and never touch the ankle area… really love the overall transformation, but always having breaking part anxiety
I 100% agree. If you want a better value go for the chogokin version. As about 5 transformations will basically break and stress the plastics. At least some of the chogokin are metal and more durable than this. Can still break tho. Overall would not recommend these unless you want low replay value
Don't expect it had a good color paintjob without painting
i have the 1/100 YF-19 from macros plus, and even though its a partsformer it fucking worth it. INSANE posability in robot mode, ok ish Gerwalk and then amazing fighter mode.
I really hope you would review HG 1/100 YF-19 from macross plus that released next year. Its partsforming but imo all macross kit should be, its just add more stability and make the kit less fragile.
My gold ankle bits snapped too!
you might wanna check out the new HG YF-19 from Macross Plus
I hope the upcoming High Grade YF-19 is less finnicky. If it's an overall more solid kit, I honestly don't mind if that means more parts-forming.
The HG Y-19 is definitely less finicky as it's partformer instead full transform.
I've always loved these awesome mechas, I can't wait for the HG one coming.
let's just hope the HG YF-19 returns the Macross kits back to be "none" jank
I've tried to get one for over a year but they are out of stock and it seems I am not on HLJ's priority customer list, like you are :)
I'd honestly keep it as is. The VF-31 is like one of those protype/concept fighters you'd see on AC COMBAT like the ADFX-02 or The X-02S. I'd mostly keep the VF-31 in airframe mode so she sits nicely next to said ADFX-02
If you want to keep it in plane mode just take the Hasegawa one, no transformation but more detail and cheaper
A long way to be solid like the MG 2.0s
So, Ace Combat 1/144 when? No Transformation, but you get the plane just right
Damn i get so many axc 10 aircraft flashbacks from ace combat
i have a love hate relationship with Macross design, i love the Fighter mode design with a passion and i despite the Gerwalk mode/ the mech design with a passion
I tried building this kit a few weeks ago, the gold plastic is terrible and both ankle joints snapped the moment I tried attaching them.
I am building the VF-25S Armored Messiah Ozma Ver. It's a bit of a nightmare... xD
I hope they release an updated VF-1 model kit.
Hoping for more macross reviews.