I just wiped much of my collection clean to start again, for now collecting MISB, (which I never thought I'd do.) Do the metallic paint jobs on the Takara create an eyesore, and am I better sticking with the matte paint jobs on Hasbro's Animated line, or do the shiny figures actual give the impression of a premium paint job? I just kind of always imagine TF's as glossy or shiny, show accuracy be damned! Also, is Takara Animated Blackout, Hyper Hobby Black Rodimus, Black Prime, Elite Guard Prime, and TTS Elite Guard Prowl done in matte or metallic, as I'm trying to stick with as cohesive an aesthetic as I can? Thanks
Yes. Blackout is matte finish (thank the good lord!) and so is Black Rodimus and Elite Guard Prowl. I don't have the others so I can't comment on them.
Takara Figures are junk. The metallic looks awful, isn't applied evenly, isn't accurate and just comes across as not understanding the point of the line. Go Hasbro, man.
Personally, if you want to pick up an Animated Takara one, do Prime. I may be biased but I love the red paint on him and he's really the only one where the metallic paint works aside from maybe ratchet (I think Metallic red works better than the rest imo) And because the metallic finish on Animated Prime goes really well with the wingblade armor which is painted the same way. That's just me though.
Since I want pretty much all the voyager Prime redecos...I'll probably get the takara one. What about Takara Arcee. I've heard it's matte finish while many TRU releases are glossy/metallic whichever.
Also, I forgot about Blacout. His shiney paint is limited to the thin red lines all over him. Barely noticable. Blends in with the others fine.
I think it has slightly better colours in robot mode but is Matte as far as I remember. Good luck on your Voyager Prime collection!
Rodimus is the only figure I feel that can wear the shiny in an appropriate manner, but even then, I'd prefer the matte finish. Otherwise, Hasbro all the way. Takara perfected the art of MISSING THE GODDAMNED POINT with this line. And then they go and carry it over to United, too. Blech. Again, only a very small handful of figures do well with that metallic finish. Most of them are woefully inappropriate.
The only Takara Animated figures I can suggest is the "Wingblade Optimus Prime" and "Sons of Cypertron" sets. The rest I would go for Hasbro versions.
Prior to Botcon I saw a fairly nice display of Takara Animated Transformers on here and I strongly considered collecting them. After seeing them close up at Botcon I decided against it. The big hang up for me was the color issues that have already been mentioned. I love my Hasbro Animated collection and its almost complete!
Though I wouldn't get it for show accuracy...if you intend to keep things sealed, the Takara Voyager Optimus with the shiny paint is nice looking and looks good in it's packaging (with bot mode shown off). I just love that mold so I have every version of it (except Elite Guard, though I intend to pick it up before summer's end), so I might be a bit biased. It's the only "shiny" version I've been motivated to pick up. The others don't really do anything for me.
If you are collecting MISB/MOSC, I personally prefer Hasbro packaging, it's brighter and fun. TakTom's packaging for exclusive figures are boring. Some figures are in our toy gallery Animated - Transformers Toys - TFW2005.COM
The only Takara Animated I have are Blackout, Wingblade Prime, Voyager Prime (to go with Shiny Wingblade parts), Hot Rod and deluxe Family Mart Prime. I would like to get voyager Bulkhead at some point.
Idk the touches on swindle and wasp are nice. Voy sunstorm looks great as does voy megs and leader megs. Lockdown is more accurate and has no shiny paint. Also skywarp is much better than the hasbro version.
The paint job on Takara's Voyager Prime is actually quite nice. Most of the other with Metallic Paint jobs i've seen in person and wasn't too impressed with.
Overall I think the Hasbro versions look better and more show accurate. However the seekers look really sexy in the Takara decos too. I've got both Skywarps and they both look great, just different. I'd get the Takara Starscream and Sunstorm if they were cheaper.
I don't collect Animated (not because I don't like it or anything, though), but I think the Hasbro ones are far better. I can't stand the metallic paint on the Takara ones, especially since, unlike with United, these aren't supposed to look "real," they're supposed to look like a cartoon. In the cartoon, they're not shiny. I think the shiny paint makes them look like Christmas tree ornaments.
