Imagine if in the end they just released a figure of the non-transformable combiner as a single piece  

 

A quick little detail I found while checking out pics of the show display/poster on a Japanese blog:

At the very bottom-right corner of the big poster is some small copyright-type text in Japanese, which says:

©東映 ©TOMY
JR東日本商品許諾申請中
JR東海商品許諾申請中
JR西日本商品許諾申請中

In English:

©Toei ©TOMY

“Under ‘JR East Japan’ (railway company) product license application”

“Under ‘JR Central Japan’ (railway company) product license application”

“Under ‘JR West’ (railway company) product license application”

...The headmasters cartoons in Japan were produced by Toei and Takara (now TOMY used as copyright).

And the 3 railway companies are from a total of 7 ‘Japan Railway Groups’ (privatized in the past) which control all major railways in Japan. I’m guessing the reason only 3 of them are pending product license is maybe because the 6 locomotive models from Raiden were created and/or used by these 3 groups (?).

Anyways, this little tidbit just adds confirmation to me, about realistic locomotive designs to be expected as MP incarnations.

At first I thought these copyright marks were there in regards to the G1 toys, but when translated I realized the copyrights were ‘pending’ under copyright application. So I guess it must be for the MP project.

Finally, I am starting to think that this ‘Raiden MP project’ is just green-lighted at this point, and maybe we won’t be seeing prototypes any time soon, but sketches or blueprint teasers.

 

へらくわ on Twitter

 

Can anybody kindly translate the Japanese text? Any new info besides the one @tf_one ebay mentioned above that might be important? Many thanks!

 

Authentic and accurate piece. This is a good sign regardless. Thank you for sharing this.

 

Good catch!

No new info there. Just the guy saying that he felt it was a bit out of place for TT to announce a toy at a proper railway convention.

 

...I'm too young to even consider selling my kidneys, guys.  

 

Whokay.. like really? If anything that's the perfect place for an MP Raiden announcement... lmao

 

How long do these licensing deals take, a year or two? I think Optimus V3 was announced a year or so before we got prototypes.

 

Shouldn't be that conplicated to get the deal between Takaratomy and the respective JR Train Companies for the official licences to produce MP Raiden's designs in toy form...
Maybe sombody who's familiar with the nitty gritty of how these deals work could kindly tell us just how intricate the whole process takes..
Lol

 

We got word in February 2018, saw glimpses in June, and saw a full prototype reveal in July 2018.

 

I suspect it's more about the paint schemes (like Wheeljack having Alitalia's scheme*) than the actual locomotives themselves. Most, if not all of Raiden's members, use real railroad liveries. (so, they are very much in-disguise when in alt-mode, unlike Astrotrain's bright purple...)

*oddly, there is no licensing info for Alitalia on MP WJ's box. And Takara-Tomy makes airliner models, so they're well aware that "you have to license using an airline's logo".

 

I had been refraining from posting during the mass "it should be MP!" "No it should be CHUG!" debates because I can't can't stress enough how much I want this to be MP and not CHUG. So much so that I would probably come off as a real asshole to the pro-CHUGers. Anyway, I find it crazy to step back and just think about how we get all worked up over these potential licensing finds. I can't even begin to count how many times I've had to explain to friends and family why so many MPs have been unique and a big step in one direction for TFs in general.

Some noticeable discussions have been:
-Trying to explain the significance of MP-21 and the VW license
-Trying to explain the significance of MP Megatron (either of them) toy gun replica
-Trying to explain the MP reboot into a toon accuracy (aka why did I just buy a 3rd MP Optimus and a 2nd Bee)
-Why I feel like dinobots and combiners are still possible

Stuff like that last one, nobody really understands because they just think that me saying I want it means a company will produce it to meet demand. They don't quite understand how a company has its own set of rules and guidelines and potentially a map that's guiding them on a course they've decided to take, and where they draw the lines. Raiden being an MP would blow quite a few doors open in my opinion, and sometimes it's just weird to think how we can want this so bad for all these different reasons, and normal people will just scratch their head and go "it's just a couple trains that click together, how is that any different than that weird Thomas abomination you have in the corner?"

 

Masterpiece or CHUG, I don't give a rats buttocks. Just give me a good iteration of Raiden in combined & single modes. Just don't price it ridiculously and I'll be happy.  

 

Uh oh... 

 

I just jinxed us all didn't I?  

 

Studio Series uses licensed designs as well. It's possible they couldn't do an updated Raiden without it. (MP or otherwise.)

 

I mean, it was already going to be expensive 

 

Alright, if that appeals me right, I'm chipping in my 2020 money for it.

 

Interesting things brought up here