That is one of the reasons I'm thinking of getting the "KO" version instead of the official. I see many saying the $50 "KO" quality is the same as the $150 official version and the quality as even gone down with the reissues. Torn as I really want the reissue.

 

My reissue is from Amazon Japan, so it's a legit copy and it has a few issues. I own a KO and an original issue MP-13 as well.

The sculpt is sharper than the KO I own, the materials and chrome parts are superior and the whole chest door mechanism is much more solid. The material and sharpness of the details seem to be identical to the original issue - but my original MP-13 has been in the box for a long time, so I'm saying this based on memory only.

1 - Mine also has the super tight legs that are really scary to handle, especially the forward/back ratchets. It really feels like it's going to snap just from trying to move the joint. Laserbeak's wings were also quite tight on mine, but they loosened up after the first transformation.

2 - It has a rather sloppy paint job, too. While the lines are nice and straight, the coverage of the silver areas is quite uneven and the finish is rough to the touch. The red paint on the visor has quite a lot of bleed and was applied way too thickly. It has a really obvious defect that I assume is a bad paint run, as if they applied the paint and it ran down while drying. Either that or there's a super thick hair under the paint. The paintjob on Laserbeak is also thick and uneven. The gun-mode Megatron has what I assume are brush marks on the silver parts.

3 - There are a few sprue marks on Soundwave as well, some easy to ignore, some not so much. I have sprue marks on the frontal silver section of both of his thighs. They're not a huge problem for me, but they're there and for the price I don't think they should be. My KO doesn't have them, but I can't remember if the original issue had them or not.

4 - Laserbeak's head camera is assembled in a weird, crooked manner which keeps it from extending all the way through. Also not a big deal for me, but still something that is a bit baffling considering it's a Masterpiece figure. In fact, Laserbeak as a whole is not very well put together and his tape mode suffers as a result. I have other versions of this mold, KO and official, that aren't nearly as bad.

I don't think these issues - bar the paint issues, obviosuly - are due to mold degradation. They probably haven't made enough of these to damage a steel mold and the details do look sharp. The quality of the materials is good and much superior to what they used on the KO I have. I think the execution is quite lacking, though, both in the assembly and paint apps. It's unfortunate, but I'm keeping mine.

 

I was very happy to have a relatively good Soundwave come in the mail today (other than the right leg joint being way too stiff like some have mentioned and minor qc issues) but saw that my Laserbeak only has one eye painted. Not sure if its worth trying to return and risking a sloppy Soundwave.

 

If you received it from Amazon Japan, you could request a replacement and the just do some figure and/or accessories swap based on which look best - original vs replacement MP-13. After that, box up the rest and return them.

 

That’s what I did for MP-44 3.0  

 

That’s a good idea, but I went through BBTS.

 

Does Amazon Japan cover return shipping costs?

 

From what I’ve seen stated by other forum posts, you have to pay the return shipping cost up front, then send them a scan of the receipt and they will reimburse you.

 

It may be tough to get BBTS to issue a return or replacement for a missing paint detail. I’ve had no luck with them in that regard in the past. Do let us know if you have better luck.

 

Ouch, unless they give a special rate on shipping costs like Amazon US I cant imagine it being cost effective to ship back to Japan.

 

It’s not if you use DHL as they recommend. Cost me about $250 to ship back POTP Throne of the Primes. Others have said if you contact customer support they will usually concede to using a different carrier such as USPS but that also may be less reliable.

 

I’m probably just going to leave it as is or get a fine tip yellow paint marker and touch it up myself.

 

I just completed that process for MP-13 (and MP-44 before that), and they refunded me; however, they only return up to 12,000 Yen to your card and the rest goes on a gift card.

 

Great pics

 

If I could spare the cash I would, never owned the original of the mold but always wanted it. But my collecting has been scaled back significantly and I just can\'t do it right now.

 

Still good master piece figure got rid of my original still not seeing any mold on figure

 

Maybe we'll be lucky and there will be a Ratbat reissue..

 

Does anyone know if they’ve made any changes to the tape deck door? Last copy I had of this the hook keeping it from springing open snap off after just under a year, and I want to know how likely it is that’ll happen with this edition before I buy it.

 

I got mine the other day. I actually really like him. He is really solid and the colors are really nice. I did have the issue where his forward and back hip ratchets were really tight. I was able to solve this by loosening the screws on the back of his thighs. Doing that made the hips work just fine.