So many gates, so little time  

 

I want my Autobot shopvac for Sunstreaker. That should have been one of his accessories!

 

Hm. I read most of your post with a lot of mental nodding, completely understanding your perspective even though I feel very differently about the cartoon.

However, that last comment threw me. My “ENC” comment wasn’t an intentionally directed insult. I apologize if you received it as such. I used that analogy because I feel that sometimes fans call something “good” simply because it adheres to the Sunbow animation model, but not all people base their opinions on that criteria. I prefer to look at these things outside of such a confined box. I try not to force things to match the cartoon, comic, movie, G1 toy, packaging art, whatever— I just want it to look appealing and interesting.

We can argue all day long about preferred aesthetics and will inevitably come to the same conclusion: that neither is right. And that’s the way it should be. I personally feel this figure is let down by its color. Trailbreaker in my mind and memory is black, and even if he was grey in the cartoon, I think in plastic he presents better in black. Simple as that.

Again, if you interpreted my statement as a personal insult, I apologize. It wasn’t intended that way.

 

It’s already tomorrow in Japan.

 

Yeah, that use to be my opinion too but now thanks to the TFW threads chipping away at it and having had the Optimus and Hound molds in-hand I think even in the toon aesthetic they look extremely good, and by no means cheap at all.
And @Sam's previous statement really did hit it home, that the MPs are what the original cartoon designs are at their full potential if the cartoon's animation was at a consistently good quality like the movie or Armada's final episodes. It's not my preferred aesthetic (that would be MP Skids or XTB Inferno) but for what Takara's aiming for they've almost always hit it out of the park as long as the factory doesn't muck up their QC (I still think Bee missed the mark and we all know the sad fate that befell Hound).


So now for figures like MP-44 my main complaints have been extremely whittled to just 1, and that's the fact that he didn't come with a basketball.

 

Agreed. A color choice i'd say definitely shouldn't be a mark of something being cheap. If something crumbles in your hand or feels light, THEN we're getting there.

Same here, i'd have been fine with either or. This grey they're using though IMO is popping really nicely and just feels like Trailbreaker.

Fucking seconded.

Though honestly my favorite OST from the cartoon actually has to be from Season 3, Ultimate Weapon. That leitmotif that starts at 0:28 never leaves my mind. Right neck and neck with it though is Auto-Bop. Fucking brilliant jazz track.

God I need a basketball for him.

 

Not sure I agree with that. Little kids maybe, but the masterpiece line is not for kids. That's why the MPM line is a sub line and not the main line

 

I appreciate that, but an apology isn't necessary. Wasn't trying to come at you too hot with that last bit, I just wanted to point it out. Because even if it wasn't directed specifically at me, it's difficult to see generalizations about people who like a thing and not follow that rhetorical breadcrumb trail to the conclusion that you think that I'm a follower or a sheep because I also like the thing. That very well could be a "me" problem, though, so again, we're good.

Even if we don't see eye to eye on the Sunbow thing, I do think you try to engage in good faith, and I can't begrudge you your preferences. As you said, neither of us is right because we both like what we like. I'm definitely not trying to change your mind or shut you up or anything like that - I enjoy having these types of discussions about why we like/don't like stuff. I think you not liking the gray and wanting black makes sense. I also want figures to look appealing and interesting, and frequently have complaints with design decisions even if a figure is chasing an aesthetic that I enjoy, so I definitely don't hold your opinions against you.

The scores from the Movie and Season 3 definitely have their charm, for sure. Definitely didn't mean to denigrate them or act like I don't think they're good. That Season 1 score stands out for me, though, because there's just something so vintage about - not in the retro sense of the 80's, I think it sounds older than that. Some of the pieces feel like they're straight out of a 60's or 70's approach to scoring a tv show. And then there's the old school synthesizer "bweeeeeooooooooo booop" soundscapes thrown in for good measure. Good stuff!

 

I just want to know how the heck they persuaded narcisistic Sunstreaker to vacuum  
Yes, I second a shopvac accessory for Sunny.

 

Ahaa, this MP figure doesn’t seem to look cartoon accurate in bot mode after all. See pictures below.

Takara has painted dark areas around his wrists all the way around while in the cartoon there are none.  




Heh, well the cartoon was full of inconsistencies, so that’s that.   There was also Trailbreaker with dark colored wrists in the cartoon.

 

Think the without is the error, the model sheet has the bands

 

Yes, that’s true. Trailbreaker should have dark colored wrists. At least i have grown up with that…

My last post was more joke in mind.   Takara TB looks fairly good. Interesting to see hi-res pictures.

 

The pic without the dark wrists is from the stock transformation sequence - maybe they aren't animated once it starts or something.

 

Damn, that “grannie panties” image with the lasers isn’t flattering at all…

 

From @WildBill, BBTS has a placeholder up.

Transformers Masterpiece MP-56 Trailbreaker

 

HE'S COMING

HERE WE FUCKING GO

 

I need that AJP link.

 

That yen.......beautiful for us anyway. Hopefully they go on a roll,perfect time for Skyfire and a prime reissue.

 

Transformers is unique in its relationship to its toys. The MP line treats them the same way all the super robot shows of the 70s and 80s are treated by the various brands building them. Looking at Voltron/Go-Lion in particular, you can see how many companies are trying to nail that cartoon look, with the new trend being to cover up the lions’ legs when combined. Of course most all of those shows came before their toys, and the ones available back then were limited in so many ways, and often had random details, like giant names, added to them. No one considers those toys as a metric for accuracy, it’s all how close it can match what was on screen. Takara is doing the exact same with the MPs.

Transformers, though, with the toys coming first, gives us an inherent conflict, as evidenced by the staunchly defended camps of toy vs cartoon accuracy. Wanting the MPs to be toy accurate is clearly a losing proposition these days, but in comparison to what Bandai, or or any of the other companies are doing with other 40 some odd year old properties, Takara is doing a stellar job, ESPECIALLY considering the challenge of transformation. Very few other properties have robots that transform anywhere close to as intricately as Transformers do, and the few that do only have a handful of robots, generally sharing transformation schemes.

The task of creating a MP level toy with engineering form scratch for each character from Transformers is Herculean. Takara is working against material science, physics, size of market, and the tastes of their fans. The fact that they’re continuing in this direction seems to indicate that they sell more cartoon accurate figures than they do toy accurate ones. I feel for the toy accurate fans, and I hope that the third parties move a bit more in that direction, which might provide them more business – less direct competition with Takara has got to be good for them. Of course, that they’re not might double down on the overall fandom’s preference for toon accuracy…

I’d love to get figures that are truly at the level of the highest caliber SoCs, but then we see that even they can be topped by the more boutique design studios. There’s always more that can be done with any design, and knowing where to draw the line is a complicated process. It’s informed by a mixture of feasibility and cost. We complain about the cost of MPs already, but to get them to a higher level of finish would absolutely raise their costs. Go look at what Sentinel charges for their figures. I own (and am happy to do so) their Sentinel designed Gridman figure, and there are parts of it that feel SUPER premium, but there are also parts of it where I know Takara would’ve managed better engineering. And even that figure had its own controversy with the “Tokusatsu Edition” being significantly more expensive for just paint.

Paint is often a topic brought up in cost, especially as a lot of fans will do their own touch ups and tweaks. Think about how long it takes to do that on just one figure, and recognize that the materials cost is only part of it; the workers also need to be paid, and in many cases pads have to be made for tampos or jigs made for the more precise ops many fans want. Again, finding the line of where to call it good is a balancing act.

I love what we get from Takara, even if there are occasional missteps. I can count on them to have (almost alwasy) have pleasurable transformations, and fanatic sculpts. I’m also glad third parties exist, to keep Takara’s game up, and to fill in any gaps – though to my standards most third party toys tend to be lacking in some way or other. La Hire is about as good at they get…

Of course, toy accuracy does hit another limit in a show with as many characters as Transformers. Not all designs are equally refined. When Trailbreaker was announced, my response was a distinct lack of excitement, but that was because I was picturing Hoist’s cartoon form. Once I remembered what Trailbreaker looked like, and saw the toy, I got excited! Should they do a Hoist, however, it’s likely my tepid response will be more justified. Unless, that is, they go the Skids route, and take a character with a notably dumpy design and cheat on their commitment to cartoon accuracy.

Either way, it’s always exciting to see every reveal, since the variety in character designs means each one has so much potential!

Onto the responses!

I always think of this when the topic of “what color is Spider-Man’s suit supposed to be? Is it dark blue, or is it black with blue highlights? That the Venom suit is always black with white highlights murks it up, but the arguments are still fun to watch.

I also imagine you HATE the Super 7 Snake-Eyeses, with their cartoon accurate colors. -:laugh… cry:- At least there are plenty of other great options available.

I’d lose my mind if a new version of Alternators that went in that direction was announced, but the fizzling out of both Binaletch and Alternity give us a pretty good idea of what the market has to say about our hopes and dreams…

That said, i would be very surprised if Trailbreaker’s hood doesn’t open, given his mirrors transforming. A tail and lift gate that open would be a cherry on top of that and the doors… though I did admit that some of those features get fiddled with and then ignored. The best is when they’re able to incorporate those features into the transformation, though it does drive me a little crazy when we have opening doors with no rocker panels. -:shakes fist:- Good job Sideswipe for rocking those; he really is the currently pinnacle.

It’s crazy how much better Crosscut looks than Skids; that freedom from the restraints of the cartoon’s flat uninterrupted colors really can make a big difference! Though I have to add that I hate it when they go too far with the toy sticker details – they have always been too fussy for my tastes, and often looked unrelated to the figure’s designs. The best ones add it as simplified sculpted detail – best of both worlds, a bit of texture added while still matching the cartoon look.

Why you hatin’ on Trailbreaker’s dad bod? Joking aside, I love that the has a cohesive silhouette not defined by his toy, while also not adhering to typical “super hero” proportions. It’ll be interesting to see, in further photos, whether his torso looks more like a beer gut or a barrel chest.

Probably convinced him that cleaning the floor would give him a massive mirror to stare at himself in!

Sorry to those of you who have made it this far, I’m fresh out of cookies. I’ll bake up another batch next time I get a good rant on.

I do have some licorice though…

 

Yeah man, the fucking dollar to yen right now is INSANE. I'm gonna have to move my pre-orders of the Trainbots over to AJP sooner or later cause of them, haha.

Those as well as Nightbird and Crosscut, and maybe Reboost if they're all still up.