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VF-1S Super Valkyrie (Roy Focker Special)

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28 comments posted
If you took one of the Valk

If you took one of the Valk (or really any) big "anime-accurate" transforming toys coming out of Japan today,and gave it to any kid to play with,it would not last 19 years. There's something to be said for a figure that looks "just like the show",but there's just something about a "toy" as opposed to an "adult collectable" that's really appealing. I like the blocky look better anyway.

kidnicky's picture
Posted by kidnicky on 2 March, 2009 - 09:01
Math

2009-1990 = 19, not 27. The original show came out in 1982, but this toy didn't. The Takatoku Super Valkyrie toy didn't even come out in 1982, that was 1983 and was pretty different than this one.

Also, this is not a Roy Focker special at all. Roy never flew a VF-1S Super Valkyrie in the TV show or the movie. In the movie he had a Strike and only Hikaru flew the white with yellow and black striped Skull One as a Super Valkyrie in the TV show.

-Jeremy

Destroy All Podcasts DX's picture
Posted by Destroy All Pod... on 2 March, 2009 - 13:36
Re: Math

Clearly you didn't watch my videos as well before you commented... -_-;

"2009-1990 = 19, not 27. The original show came out in 1982, but this toy didn't. The Takatoku Super Valkyrie toy didn't even come out in 1982, that was 1983 and was pretty different than this one."

Yes- the straight un-armored TT Valks came out with the series debut, and then later as the series progressed, we got the Armored & FAST Pack versions.
The specific set reviewed above was released in 1990- well after both the series and movie had long since finished.

"Also, this is not a Roy Focker special at all. Roy never flew a VF-1S Super Valkyrie in the TV show or the movie. In the movie he had a Strike and only Hikaru flew the white with yellow and black striped Skull One as a Super Valkyrie in the TV show."

The livery of this specific VF-1S is the "Roy Focker Special". Ichijyo inherited it and kept the livery... in the series.
The four movie-Skull Squadron Valks all use a variation of the "Roy Focker Special"- each pilot has a substitute for Focker's well-established yellow.

Yes- Focker never flew a Super Valkyrie in the series. It was Ichijyo in Focker's VF-1S who saved Misa Hayase's shuttle in this specific set-up as she was returning to Earth for the second time. Ichijyo debuted the Super in the series, but in the start of the movie at Saturn, they are already established.

Keep in mind that I will be addressing these issues as I go on with the four Origin of Valkyrie sets, so discrepancies will be cleared-up there...
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 2 March, 2009 - 14:41
Yeahhh

You're right. I did not watch the video. Why would I watch a video of a toy I have had since I was nine years old?

-Jeremy

Destroy All Podcasts DX's picture
Posted by Destroy All Pod... on 2 March, 2009 - 14:52
Re: Yeahhh

Touche.

I already knew- and said- all those things that you mentioned in this review and the video(s).
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 2 March, 2009 - 15:18
Okayyy

If you say so, but the article is still labelled Roy Focker special when it's Hikaru's. In fact, the 2002 reissue of same actually has the name H. ICHIJO tampo printed on the plane.

-Jeremy

Destroy All Podcasts DX's picture
Posted by Destroy All Pod... on 2 March, 2009 - 18:01
Dude, what are you doing?

I'm the nerd. You're the cool guy. You aren't supposed to be arguing about minutiae like "well technically this toy can't be called the Focker Special even though it's supposed to be the one he flew because he never flew the Super version of it".

My view is that the FAST packs don't change the actual unit--they're extras, like bomb racks or drop tanks. Indeed, they can be jettisoned if the pilot wants.

RobotBastard's picture
Posted by RobotBastard on 2 March, 2009 - 18:14
True- while the FAST packs

True- while the FAST packs do not change the VF-1 beyond what it started out as, it is the nickname Valkyrie that is changed. It is a way to immediately identifies it as a heavier unit than the standard one, but, yes, does not change anything physically.

As I understand it, real FAST equipment usually does not change the name of the air fighter it's attached to.
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 2 March, 2009 - 18:23
God- does DAPDX have it

"Wow, EVA- this was a great review! The photos have an odd tint to them, but I thought your videos and the text were great and informative. Your breakout in reviewing 'Macross' is successful, and I'd like to see you do more of it!"

God- does DAPDX have it out for me today, or what...? Sheesh.

Well, this toy came with Roy's name on it, not Ichijyo's. Believe me- I am well aware of the difference, and yet that is how the toy was released in 1990. So unless my research is really off the mark (which- admittedly- it has been known to be before), take it up with Bandai.
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 2 March, 2009 - 18:17
Whatever

Dude, what are you talking about? It has nothing to do with you. You know Andrew and I are both big Macross fans. We have reviewed every Macross show/movie on the podcast.

-Jeremy

Destroy All Podcasts DX's picture
Posted by Destroy All Pod... on 3 March, 2009 - 14:03
Why would bother reviewing

Why would bother reviewing the Origin of Valkyrie toys? Once you review one, you've pretty much covered them all.
-Andrew

Destroy All Podcasts DX's picture
Posted by Destroy All Pod... on 2 March, 2009 - 17:22
Hey- I don't hear any

Hey- I don't hear any complaints about the Yamato Valks that Atom has covered, or the innumerable Godzilla/generic kaiju vinyls out there, and should I even bring up Onell...?
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 2 March, 2009 - 17:46
Kaiju>>>>Macross

Really? Lately, I feel like I've done nothing BUT complain about Macross. But I can amp it up a bit, if you want? :)

And dude, I know you don't like vinyls, but there are way more varied designs in the world of kaiju than in Macross. Way, waaaay more. Waaay, waaaaaay, waaaaaaaaay more. Also much more. By a significant margin. And it's not even close. I don't know how familiar you are with kaiju, but if all you know is what we've reviewed on this site, I can assure you, we've only barely scratched the surface of the tip of the kaiju iceberg (and even in that small sampling there's much more variety than in Macross). Bad comparison.

"This must be settled the way nature intended....with a vicious, bloody fight!"
Onyx Blackman
Principal, Flatpoint High

NekroDave's picture
Posted by NekroDave on 2 March, 2009 - 21:37
I wasn't taking shots at

I wasn't taking shots at vinyl; I was just trying to make a point, and it was the first thing that came to mind regardless of if it was true or not.
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 2 March, 2009 - 23:53
Hey, just a quick question

Hey, just a quick question here. Is this the same Valkyrie model that was later used as the model for the first Jetfire toy? The mold seems very similar...

Dkun's picture
Posted by Dkun on 2 March, 2009 - 18:44
Well, yes and no. The

Well, yes and no.

The Takatoku Toys 1/55 Super Valkyrie was used. Only difference is the canopy had no replaceable shield, so you could always see inside the cockpit in robot mode. Also, Jetfire used TT's original VF-1S head design; the head seen here was designed by Bandai after Jetfire came out.

Others may be better versed in it, but generally I know that after TT folded under, their 1/55s went to another Japanese company, and that company gave the designs to Takara for use in "The Transformers". However, mid-series, Bandai acquired the rights to the Macross franchise, and sent out a cease-and-desist order. So Jetfire was pulled mid-season and never seen again in either the series or toy line.
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 2 March, 2009 - 19:04
TT sold the Valk mold to

TT sold the Valk mold to another company Matsushiro and Bandai quickly absorbed that...this was around 1984, when Macross DYRL came out. Early runs of Transformer Jetfire were the 'Matsushiro' brand (very rare, have Macross 'kite' on the wings instead of Autobots symbol) but the bulk were produced by Bandai.

The Cease-and-Desist (CAD) order came from Harmony Gold whom were putting Robotech together at the time as they held the Macross license.

Takara never held a license to produce the Valkyrie Jetfire. That was Hasbro's doing. And because Harmony Gold held the license for the Valkyrie likeness outside Japan, Jetfire was forced to become Skyfire in the Transformers cartoon.

Transformers Roadbuster and Whirl (from Dorvack) were also TT designed toys that Bandai picked up when TT folded.

Bandai later redisigned the heads for the later Valkyrie re-release.

edit: company name was Matsushiro

BraveMSW's picture
Posted by BraveMSW on 2 March, 2009 - 20:26
Jeremy wrote the book on

Jeremy wrote the book on Jetfires. He knows everything.

-Andrew

Destroy All Podcasts DX's picture
Posted by Destroy All Pod... on 2 March, 2009 - 20:28
This review needs to be

This review needs to be longer.

Roger's picture
Posted by Roger on 2 March, 2009 - 22:12
^_^; Yeah- sorry about

^_^;

Yeah- sorry about that. it's the intro that's the longest part, and a lot of it needed to be said. Since I only have five chances to review "Macross" product [for now], I figured I should do everything that I could with them right now. They may all be repaints, but I'm treating each one as a stand-alone, though with references to the others.
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 3 March, 2009 - 13:40
Can I review the 2002 Bandai

Can I review the 2002 Bandai re-issue VF-1A? It's the only one I have.

-Andrew

Destroy All Podcasts DX's picture
Posted by Destroy All Pod... on 2 March, 2009 - 22:24
I can't give you the

I can't give you the go-ahead, but all that I'll is say that I'm not covering it.
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 2 March, 2009 - 23:51
Yes. ------------------------

Yes.

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CollectionDX Admin

JoshB's picture
Posted by JoshB on 3 March, 2009 - 09:47
But Josh, now I'm

But Josh, now I'm confused- I thought that if you've seen one you've seen them all?
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 3 March, 2009 - 13:42
I'm just trying to save you

I'm just trying to save you the trouble of reviewing the same toy four times.

-Andrew

Destroy All Podcasts DX's picture
Posted by Destroy All Pod... on 3 March, 2009 - 14:06
This is something Josh and I

This is something Josh and I have talked about a few times in the past and could never agree on. He feels re-colored toys should get their own reviews and I've always felt they should just be added to existing reviews/galleries. Fortunately, he doesn't enforce his will too strongly. Can you imagine if I had to publish 5 reviews for this? Even I would have slapped me! lol

"This must be settled the way nature intended....with a vicious, bloody fight!"
Onyx Blackman
Principal, Flatpoint High

NekroDave's picture
Posted by NekroDave on 3 March, 2009 - 14:12
Oh- no trouble at all...!

Oh- no trouble at all...! I like covering these! I'm almost done with the first two basic Valks, and I have already started on the two OoV Super Valks.

I don't cover repaints very often since I get them so rarely. If I do get a repaint, it's either because I liked the original enough, or I have it in place of the original which I didn't like.
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 3 March, 2009 - 17:21
Wow... So, the legacy

Wow... So, the legacy that this review will have when it departs from the front page will be criticisms?

Perhaps my expectations were too high...
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 6 March, 2009 - 13:56