Forum - View topicINTEREST: Model Kit Close-Up: Bandai's Voltron Super Mini-Pla
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Kicksville
 Posts: 1265 |
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Oh neat, I didn't know a full Voltron branded version was out yet. Makes sense!
Super Mini-Pla has been a very interesting line to keep an eye on - it started with Xabungle, where you had the individually packaged machines that combine into the title robot, along with versions of the grunt robots (which are the best!). And since then they've had a lot of cool additions, like Zambot 3, Giant Gorg, Galiant, GaoGaiGar, Getter Robo Armageddon...these are franchises that don't totally lack merchandising anymore, but maybe haven't had anything this affordable in a while. For a while, it was mainly transforming multi-part robots, where you could buy the individual parts in a store or buy them all in a box. In fact, I suspect that may have to do with the confusion putting this together: The Japanese GoLion release had all five lions in their own boxes, so they must've just taken all those and thrown them together into one package. The funny thing is, in Japan, these are candy toys. I wish I still had the photo of an opening of the giant King J-Der kit, with the teeny tiny little piece of gum buried in there that allows it to qualify. Mmmm mm, that's some good tax evasion! |
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The Bandsaw Vigilante
 Posts: 20 |
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OPEN THE FLIPPIN' CRANIAL HORNS PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
This bothered the heck out of me when ABC's Lost did the same exact thing: http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Voltron |
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Ryomanagare
Posts: 71 |
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Please always include a scale/size picture in all toy/model/figure reviews.
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GeorgeC
Posts: 795 |
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I'm pretty sure they're selling these Voltron sets at B&N nation-wide now.
That's where I've seen it. Shame, though. The old model kit/hobby store model is pretty much dead in the US (the local model stores I had are pretty much all closed now, the best one being shuttered for at least the last 3-4 years) and the hobby craft stores left (Michaels, Hobby Lobby) are carrying fewer and fewer model kits all the time. They hardly had any Star Trek model kits the last time I looked and the Star Wars selection was very limited and split between the mediocre Revell and the generally much better Bandai snap kits. It's ironic you have to go to B&N in many places to even get a Gunpla kit unless you order online. Online ordering is definitely cheaper, especially if you buy more than one kit which makes bearing the shipping cost better. |
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Tind
Posts: 43 |
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This looks the same as the models included with the Funimation Iron BLooded Children CE release (those are also made by Bandai) :O
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Kicksville
Posts: 1265 |
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It really depends on where you are - there are three pretty healthy dedicated hobby stores in my area, although they are each a decent driving distance. They all stock Japanese kits, mainly a truckload of Gundam, but sometimes even stuff like Maschinen Krieger. But it probably helps this general location has a good combination of old time enthusiasts and Gundam fans to keep this kind of thing afloat (two of them are part of a local chain). This is why I'm glad Barnes & Noble has been giving areas without those a chance to get some kits - Toys R Us looked like it was going to be good too, since they were starting to do full Bluefin item displays, buuuut...yyyyeah... |
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BodaciousSpacePirate
 Subscriber Posts: 3023 |
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Overseas sites like HobbyLinkJapan and HobbySearch tend to be even cheaper than their state-side equivalents, too! Even when I end up having to pay upwards of $40 on shipping, it will usually work out to be much less per-item than if I got the kits from eBay or Amazon. It's easy to eat that kind of shipping cost when you're paying four dollars per SD kit or a buck-fifty per Gundam Marker.
Makes sense, those were High Grades, and "Super Mini-Pla" kits seem to generally be of comparable quality (Bandai used to call all kits that were like this "High Grade", but nowadays tend to mostly restrict that to Gundam kits). |
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fuuma_monou
 Posts: 1873 Location: Quezon City, Philippines |
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Why does the box have Legendary Defender branding when this is clearly based on the original Lion Voltron?
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BodaciousSpacePirate
Subscriber Posts: 3023 |
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For those who would rather not deal with the stickers, these are the detailing pens that match the colors of Bandai's plastic and decals in this set:
Red: https://hlj.com/gundam-marker-gundam-red-gnzgm07 Yellow: https://hlj.com/gundam-marker-gundam-yellow-gnzgm08 (use multiple, thin coats) Blue: https://hlj.com/gundam-marker-gundam-blue-gnzgm06 (shake thoroughly, or it will come out too dark) Black: https://hlj.com/gundam-marker-gundam-black-gnzgm10 White: https://hlj.com/gundam-marker-gundam-white-gnzgm11 (use multiple, thin coats) Silver: https://hlj.com/gundam-marker-gundam-silver-gnzgm05 (although this MIGHT be closer to the silver that is exclusively found in the Metallic Set) Gold: https://hlj.com/gundam-marker-gundam-gold-gnzgm04 Green: https://hlj.com/gundam-marker-gundam-eye-green-gnzgm09 (might be too bright? kind of hard to tell, Bandai is weird about green) Thinner, in case you mess up and have to remove a bit of paint: https://hlj.com/gundam-marker-remover-gnzgm300 Panel-Lining: https://hlj.com/gundam-marker-black-fine-tip-for-panel-lines-gnzgm01 (although honestly I prefer a fine-point Black Sharpie pen for this kind of kit) |
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Stampeed Valkyrie
 Posts: 863 Location: PA |
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This does look pretty neat. however a $50 price tag for an 8 inch tall plastic model/toy puts this into neat.. but pass territory.
Especially if the build quality is as cheap as I am reading. |
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