There is something about toy and model collectors that when a manufacture reissues a product in chrome or clear, we just lose it. We could be perfectly content with our collection and be about our business but as soon as we glance at a chrome reissue of a toy we already have we are drooling fools.

Arii Metalized Custom VF-1D 1/100

(For my review of the building and scale issues with this kit please read my Arii 1/100 VF-1A review, as it is the same kit with a different head detail and without the chrome plating.

There is something about toy and model collectors that when a manufacture reissues a product in chrome or clear, we just lose it. We could be perfectly content with our collection and be about our business but as soon as we glance at a chrome reissue of a toy we already have we are drooling fools.

Arii picked five model kits from their 1/100 Super Dimensional Space Fortress Macross line and plated them in blue tinted chrome. These included A Battroid VF-1S, Destroids Defender, Destroid Spartan, Gerwalk VF-1J and this Fighter VF-1D. I do not know how limited edition these kits were but I do know the Valkyrie fighter was fairly common back in the 80’s and 90’s but the other four are quite rare as the only other kit I have managed to locate is the Spartan.

When building this kit remember that glue does not stick to plastic chrome plating well, so the main issue when building this kit is making sure you scrape off all the plating with an x-acto blade in the areas about to be glued before building as your model will fall apart if you don’t. Trust me I found out the hard way all those years ago when I originally built this kit when I was a kid in the 80’s and the kit kept falling apart! I am surprised I still have as many pieces of the kit as I do.

I purchased this kit on clearance at a great, but no longer in business, hobby shop called The Hobby Hut in Upland California for $6.00 in the 1980’s. The Hobby Hut stocked a lot of great anime, airplane and military kits at great prices and it was a huge loses when they closed down. Not only that the Hobby Hut has got to be the greatest hobby shop name ever!

I am not particularly fond of the box art of this series as its very boring and the picture of the model could have been framed better.

There are some details with this kit that work and others that do not. For one thing the one of the main themes in building model kits is filling the seems in and with the chrome plating one simply can not fill in and sand the seams as the unique chrome finish can not be duplicated. You could use Testors Metalizer or Alclad metal finish but it would not match the chrome finish of the kit. Metal finishes are the hardest paint finishes to duplicate on model kits and it would be much easier to just buy an unplated kit and spray it with Alclad or Metalizer, which kind of defeats the purpose of a chrome plated kit to begin with. So if you are going to build it understand the seams are going to be part of the kit when it is finished.

And because its chrome I’m sure you’ll get a lot of discussion and remarks from other collectors and casual fans about that shinny Chrome Valkyrie on your shelf.

Leonardo Flores “ModCineaste” Copyright 2008

It is odd to note that when Japanese model kit firm Arii was licensed to produce model kits for the 1982 series Super Dimension Space Fortress Macross that the worst scaled kits in the line would be the flagship vehicles of the show, The Valkyrie Fighters, Battroid and Gerwalk variations.

ARII VF-1A Valkyrie Fighter 1/100 #50

It is odd to note that when Japanese model kit firm Arii was licensed to produce model kits for the 1982 series Super Dimension Space Fortress Macross that the worst scaled kits in the line would be the flagship vehicles of the show, The Valkyrie Fighters, Battroid and Gerwalk variations.

Looking back all these years it’s good to note that most of the other kits produced by Arii of their 1/100 Macross model line still hold up quite well. Good examples are the Destroids and Regult battle pod lines, one of which I should have finished for a review shortly.

Most model airplanes plastic model kits are usually manufactured in four scales: 1/144, 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32. 1/144 is considered the airliner scale, as most all airline model kits would be much too large to fit on a shelf if they were produced in a larger scale. The second scale 1/72 is considered an international or standard scale as most all manufacturers worldwide still produce kits of this size. It is a great scale as it is just large enough to produce a decent scale kit of a small WWII airplane but just small enough to produce a large bomber kit such as Monogram’s B-36 Peacemaker kit.

I/48 and 1/32 are great scales for large high detailed kits and it is a good scale to mix armor and airplane kits with for same scale diorama scenes. Yes there are other scales but these four are the most popular in aviation plastic modeling.

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One scale that has seemed to have died in military modeling is 1/100 scale. In the 60’s and 70’s there were quite a few companies producing 1/100 scale model kits, but over the last couple of decades 1/100 scale has seemed to disappear from the model shelves for aviation modeling. The huge exception of course is if you build anime robot model kits.

Most Gundam model kits are produced in 1/144 and 1/100 scale and those two scales are the most popular in anime robot modeling, with 1/100 scale being reserved for Gundam High Grade model kits. I personally build model airplanes in 1/72 scale and having these Arii Valkyrie kits produced in such a small scale that is out of scale with all my other airplane model kits, the VF-1A just does not look right sitting on the shelf next to my other airplanes.

Is it really not too much to ask to produce a 1/72 scale or even a 1/48 or 1/32 scale Valkyrie kit? The Grumman F-14 Tomcat, which is slightly larger than a Valkyrie, has been produced in 1/48 and even 1/32 scale by a few manufactures. So I ask, “When is our large scale Valkyrie model kit going to be produced?”

The VF-1A was the standard and most numerous fighters in the Macross TV show. Usually they were the cannon fodder in the series and most of the pilots on Macross seemed to have started with the VF-1A.

If you are going to build it out of the box, one fault is the clear window is molded distorted and thick and is out of scale. If you have the ability it would be best to vacumform a new window with thinner clear material. Also there is sparse detail in the cockpit and landing well areas of the kit.

I painted my VF-1A with Testors Model Master Flat Military Brown and flat white, they appear to be a great match to the colors on the instruction sheet. The model was painted with a Badger 350 airbrush. After spraying a gloss coat I applied the decals, which were a bit thick but went on and set well with Microset and Microsol decal setter. After a flat coat to seal the paint I applied a thin wash of paint thinner and black paint although these days I do not apply washes that way (I use oil paint now). I built the kit around 11 years ago, and although I have lost a few pieces over the years it still looks nice.

Now lets talk about Arii scale issues with the entire kit and entire Valkyrie line. If this model kit were to transform it would look nothing like the Arii 1/100 scale Battroid. The body of the aircraft is too thin and long and the arms would be too long and small. The heads are too completely different sizes as well. The Battroid is shorter looking and stocky and the legs and arms are fat. The Gerwalk and fighter bodies are two different bodies. It seems there was no continuity in designing the Valkyrie series, which is too bad as the Valkyrie was the main icon of the series. But of the three the Valkyrie Fighter looks the best and still looks in proportion even though it is out of proportion.

Since these poor kits were manufactured a few other Valkyrie kits were produced. Soon after this kit was released one of the other Macross model kit licensee Imai would produce an excellent 1/72 scale Variable Valkyrie model kit that 20 years later still hold up beautifully. Also Arii will scale down the Imai molds to 1/100 scale and release their own variable Valkyrie kit that also still holds up well.

Most important and recently, the model industries most innovative and important model aviation manufacturer Hasagawa started producing Macross Valkyrie kits. Of what I have seen they look beautiful and better yet they are manufactured in 1/72! It appears the designer of the new Hasagawa Valkyrie kit approached the kit as if it was a real aircraft, something Arii should have done all those years ago. I am looking forward to building one these Hasagawa kits soon; their Strike Valkyrie Fighter is a beauty!

Leonardo Flores “Mod Cineaste”

The first Kaiju of Bemustar was made by Popy and later imported to the US as part of Mattel's "Godzilla's Gang" series. In 1983 the character was re-sculpted and released as part of the Ultra Kaiju series from Bandai.

Bemustar (or Bemstar) first appeard in the 1971 series "Return of Ultraman" (otherwise known as Ultraman Jack) but has made appearances in other ultra series since.

The first Kaiju of Bemustar was made by Popy and later imported to the US as part of Mattel's "Godzilla's Gang" series. In 1983 the character was re-sculpted and released as part of the Ultra Kaiju series from Bandai.

The figure is about 5 inches tall and is cast in Soft Vinyl, with various color sprays. The figure was sold with a tag and a hanger.

Bemustar has articulation at the shoulders - thats it.

When Shoji Kawamori designed VF-1J Valkyrie, do you think he had this in mind?

When Shoji Kawamori designed VF-1J Valkyrie, do you think he had this in mind?

These little soft vinyl renditions of the Macross mechs are far from anime accurate, but somehow they manage to capture the feel of the series fantastically.

The blue version VF-1J valkyrie is the tv version of Maximilian Jenius iconic fighter.

In 1983, these came bagged with a header card and cost about $10. Talk about toy crack! The amazing thing is that these can be had today for about the same price!

The VF-1J Armored Valkyrie is one of my favorite designs from Macoss, and here it is rendered in dog chew toy vinyl.

The VF-1J Armored Valkyrie is one of my favorite designs from Macross, and here it is rendered in dog chew toy vinyl. Of course, it is so homely I can't help but to love it.

Typical of the time, this is one of a bunch of cheap soft vinyl renditions of mecha from the Macross TV series. Made in 1983, these toys came bagged with a header card and were a much cheaper alternative to the expensive transforming toys.

The Armored Valkyrie is far from anime accurate, but it has a folk-art appeal to it. There is an increasing appreciation for these vintage mecha vinyls in the Japanese toy collecting community and I can see why. These things are funky as hell, and come from a time where not everything had to be anime accurate.

Bask in the glory of sofubi mecha!

You can't deny the charm of these soft vinyl representations of classic mecha.

You can't deny the charm of these soft vinyl representations of classic mecha. The Regult is the standard tactical battlepod of the Zentradi army as seen in the Macross TV series (Or Robotech, for those of you in the states). it's a design that has almost no toys made of it. In fact, the best toy of this design came from a US toymaker of all places - The Matchbox battlepod.

This vinyl comes from Takatoku and was sold bagged with a header card. Its a cheap little toy that is not in the least bit anime accurate, and that is its charm i think. I've really warmed up to these small cheap Japanese vinyls.

Why some company hasn't come through and made really nice high quality versions of this mecha is beyond me.

The Destroid Spartan MBR-07-MkII is one of the supplementary mecha that appears in the Macross anime series (later shown as Robotech in the states). Unlike the other supplimentary mecha in the series, this one gets a small spotlight when Hikaru Ichijoe (or Rick Hunter) pilots it.

These were sold in Japan bagged with header cards. I’ve heard these were also sold in the US at Spencers Gifts of all places.

Why some company hasn't come through and made really nice high quality versions of this mecha is beyond me. Can you imagine a 10" tall diecast articulated Spartan? Either way, the toy is pretty cool and is one of the easier Macross vinyl’s to get. Its smooth lines seem more anime accurate than an injection-molded toy ever could.

At only about 4” tall and 3 points of articulation, it doesn’t do much. When I took it out of the bag you couldn’t stand it up due to the vinyl warping. I had to put it under a hairdryer to get it back into shape.

At only about 4” tall and 3 points of articulation, it doesn’t do much. When I took it out of the bag you couldn’t stand it up due to the vinyl warping. I had to put it under a hairdryer to get it back into shape.

The Destroid Defender ADR-04-MkX is one of the supplementary mecha that appears in the Macross anime series (later shown as Robotech in the states). While the mech does not get a lot of screen time in the show, it has been made into toy form many times.

One of the funkier offerings is this soft vinyl made by Takatoku toys. These were sold in Japan bagged with header cards. I’ve heard these were also sold in the US at Spencers Gifts of all places.

Either way, the toy is pretty cool and is one of the easier Macross vinyl’s to get. Its smooth lines seem more anime accurate than an injection-molded toy ever could.

At only about 4” tall and 3 points of articulation, it doesn’t do much. When I took it out of the bag you couldn’t stand it up due to the vinyl warping. I had to put it under a hairdryer to get it back into shape.

A nice but strangely unpopular Jumbo from Clover. Probably more for Dunbine fans than Jumbo fans.

Aura Battler Dunbine (聖戦士ダンバイン)aired for 49 episodes between 1983 and 1984 and Clover would release a Jumbo sized "Big Machine" in 1983. Although Clover did release at least two other Jumbos (Tryder G7 and the elusive Daiozya), Dunbine is the only confirmed release in the Big Machine line (though rumors of a Big Machine Gundam still surface from time to time, however these have never been verified). This is one of the less popular toys among Jumbo collectors on average. The design of the character just doesn't lend itself to a typical looking Jumbo and it's distinctiveness is a turn off for some fans.

Something about the character has always appealed to me though. It's just such a unique looking design, quite unlike the vast majority of other Japanese robots. The Jumbo really stands out among it's peers. It's a couple inches shorter than most, standing at approximately 21" tall and had a wider base with the feet spread out at an angle. The feet themselves are quite interesting, with three hooked claws.

The back has an interesting dual set of wings. The main wings for liftoff are a large cumbersome piece of polyethylene which rests on a hinge. These can be lifted up to reveal a thin yellow tinted piece of plastic resembling insect wings. These are attached via stickers and it's been said that these are the most common part of the toy to be found broken/missing. But I must say that among the vast majority of specimens I've seen, it's usually very much intact. So just because it's the most likely part to suffer damage doesn't automatically mean to suggest that it WILL. This piece certainly adds a lot of character to the toy. Certainly no other Jumbo that I'm aware of has something like it.

One other great feature having to do with the back wings is that you can store the accessory sword on it! Many other Jumbos have swords, but on most if they are not holding it in the hand, there is nowhere to put it. Here, the sword has a small tab that is simply inserted into a hole on the edge of the wing canopy for easy, and cool looking, storage. It can also be held in the right hand only.

Dunbine also has an opening cockpit in the chest into which you can rest it's pilot, Show Zama. A small (approximately 4.5") articulated figure of him is included. You can bend his knees and hips (to put him in a sitting position), as well as raise and lower the arms and turn the head. It's a decent enough little addition, but I would have preferred for it to have a little color detail. As it is, it is cast entirely in green plastic.

Two white claws protrude from both forearms adding a very cool looking touch. But be cautious with these. One time, I'm not even sure how or when, one of mine actually came loose and receded into the hollow arm. I was very lucky to be able to gently shake the toy and get the claws to stick back out where I grabbed it with a pair of tweezers and pulled it back into position.

Like most Jumbos, there's not too much articulation on the toy (wrists, hips, shoulders and neck can all be turned). The head and hands are soft vinyl (with the head being a particularly beautiful sculpt) and the cockpit door is green, translucent hard plastic. All other parts are polyethylene. The stickers inside the cockpit come pre-applied, but the rest are included on a small sticker sheet.

The box for Dunbine is one of the more boring vintage Jumbo boxes. Plain white cardboard with two color artwork, including simple directions on the back, doesn't make for a particularly great display piece.

The Aura Battler Dunbine Big Machine is one of the easier Japanese Jumbos to get, but it appears with much greater regularity on Yahoo!Japan auctions or in toy shops in Japan than it does on Ebay. Price-wise you are probably looking at something like $300-500 for a mint in box specimen. As always, some sellers may try to charge more or you might find one pretty cheap. It's just a matter of timing and waiting for a price you can live with. This is definitely not a "must get it because you'll never see it again" -type of toy. Worth having, but not worth breaking the bank over.

The Destroid Monster comes from the series Super Dimension Fortress Macross. It was the largest assault mecha created by the Earth forces. Meant as a mobile siege cannon, the Destroid monster is 22.5 meters or 75 feet tall. Compare that to the valkyrie’s 12.7 meters or 42 feet, and you can see that the Destroid Monster is one HUGE mecha – almost twice as tall as a Valkyrie!

This is the original Destroid Monster toy, made by Takatoku Toys in 1983. This toy was later released in the US by Matchbox in association with Bandai. This later release was under the ROBOTECH banner, and was painted a solid green color.

The Destroid Monster comes from the series Super Dimension Fortress Macross. It was the largest assault mecha created by the Earth forces. Meant as a mobile siege cannon, the Destroid monster is 22.5 meters or 75 feet tall. Compare that to the valkyrie’s 12.7 meters or 42 feet, and you can see that the Destroid Monster is one HUGE mecha – almost twice as tall as a Valkyrie!

The toy is a good hunk of metal, featuring diecast feet and body. The arms and cannons are plastic. Each arm can swivel and move up and down. The top barrels do not move but the whole section is removable. According to Robotech.com, the barrels were only good for about 30 shells and then were removed and replaced with a new set. Perhaps this is why they are removable?

There is also a plastic block on the underside of the rear that slides backwards; I don’t know what the reason is for this.

The toy comes packed in a Styrofoam tray inside of the typically cool Takatoku box. Inside are instructions and a sticker sheet.

The Destroid Monster is notorious for having fragile hip joints. Most loose specimens tend to have the legs broken off.

This is a very cool mech, and no Macross / Robotech collection is complete without it.