I think we gotta look at a bit of a better comparison here. MP-21 and MP-45 Bee - Just a bit less than a week shy of 5 years apart MP-10 and MP-44 - bit less than 8 years apart MP-11 and MP-52 - 9 years apart But yeah, if there was gonna be a 2.0 Arcee, wouldn't be too far off in comparison.
I completely agree with you. It's just so sad that Takara (the main guys) couldn't do better than third party. I personally wouldn't mind faux chest or parts forming if it leads to a better robot mode with Arcee. Sure the car mode is pristine but at the cost of the robot mode. Not looking forward to the QC issues this is going to have as well. It was just too late for me to cancel my preorder once I realized that there really isn't much hope with this figure. Like you said, wonky proportions at EVERY angle. Will probably get an expensive 3rd party add on like with Ironhide/Ratchet. It just feels like quick sand with this, sinking in deeper with every dollar. What's worse is that there will be 2.0 / 3.0 versions of these characters in a few years making them expensive obsolete toys stuck in limbo that belong nowhere in a collection. I will put her right along with MP28 and his odd proportions and start a collection of "Takara's Lovable Oddballs with great articulation at the cost of aesthetics!" I love to support Takara, but honestly guys, don't release it if it is not going to beat all the third party guys that are stealing your IP. Takara must ONLY release a definitive version of their characters so that it will make the 3rd party guys go home. No compromise, give us quality and your fans will support you.
It’s lazily designed figures like this that will kill the MP line. Well, that and the skyrocketing prices.
She sold out something like 11 times on Amazon Japan and Starscream was the #1 selling action figure for awhile there. The line may have lost your interest but seems like it's doing fine
I don't like the G1 toon look but modern MPs are anything but "lazily designed" IMO. The engineering that goes into these figure designs is amazing.
You forgot MP-01 to MP-10. MP-03 to MP-11. Don't they count? Define lazy? G1 consistent? Arcee was never meant to transform until "he" came along. He who shall not be named who was also a fan , who shoved his foot into the door with his legendary scratch/built "Arcee".
I was only mention the modern stuff since MP-1 - MP-9 was just a wild card, while MP-10 and after was all unified in terms of scale and style. But since you mentioned it... MP-1 and MP-10 - shy of 9 years apart MP-3 and MP-11 - shy of 6 years apart
See? How long the mold had evolved since. 4K units for indy companies is already a blockbuster. Where'd I pull that fig? From a Macross forum site that interviewed an indy mecha figure insider/manufacturer. He legit? Given its from the interwebs, 50% 50%.
Seriously. The engineering is crazy. Not always my cup of tea for lazy people like me, but lazily designed? Couldn't be further from the truth.
Bingo. I will however agree that this figure is likely a hold over from around hot rod and magnus. During that time where they were shooting for more toon accuracy but still hadn’t implemented the engineering wizardry to achieve it 100% like with 33, 36, 44 or 52. Designs back then like ironhide or hot rod had hints of things to come with wonderful engineering tricks, good accessory counts, and extensive paint, but often had one or two areas where they couldn’t hit the toon mark (see magnus’ bulk, ratchethide’s upper torso, hot rod’s chest and backpack, etc) If you ask me there have really been four eras of masterpiece: Meandering high-end line (01-09), Cohesive line with a high end aesthetic (10-21), transition line with good engineering and accessories but an unfocused aesthetic (22-28), super accurate to the source material with extensive accessories (29-now)
So I've said this on occasion, but it is also a YMMV. There are a handful of figures/characters where from an engineering standpoint 'mass shifting seems real' is true. Arcee isn't one of them. First, the design model/animation model is very much streamlined because it has that basis of 'Sorayama' type female robots, take it for what you will. Second, on the basis of what Arcee turns into, which is in effect a futuristic pink Cadillac, there are only so many routes you can go. Because you can only stuff so much into so little without it being just a complete collection of panels that make the alt mode look like a jigsaw puzzle, or worse, the final effect doesn't look nearly as good. Now that's not to say some of the other 3P's have not gotten certain things right. There are ways to do this (Rouge), but sometimes they have to leave things out. Like entire rear ends (Leia). Or it doesn't quite look right for the backpack (Azalea). But it's also not 'animation model accurate' by the purist standards. And sometimes the transformation feels fraught (Rouge). And lets be real for a sec. Even Nicee didn't get it right, which is why I've seen a bunch of people just shrug and go 'well, she's her own character'. Yeah, that's not why you bought her, you bought her because she was going to be a 3P Arcee. (No, not because you also may be a closet ecchi otaku). Takara definitely seems to have lost that translation alltogether though. And I have to wonder if it is because an engineer looks at it and goes "I can't do the entire car and keep it kibble free or without removing something to make this figure work right or have a giant back pack of the vehicle". tl;dr: MP Arcee from different angles and perspectives doesn't look good. But the only time when she's ever gotten it right for being a transforming thing is when she hasn't been a car.
Arcee is showing her age. Her chest plate is practically down to her knees. LOL Same with Devastator.
