Hoihoi-san in 1:1 scale

In an anime mecha plastic-model kit (“plamo”) industry dominated by Bandai, there are few contenders. Kotobukiya is a relative newcomer working to carve out their own piece of the market by catering to the franchises that are NOT Mobile Suit Gundam. The Hoihoi-san kit is based on a PS2 game property about an automated robotic cockroach extermination system... which, interestingly enough, means any kit standing about 3 inches high could be considered “life-sized.”Hoihoi-san comes injection-molded in several colours not unlike the Bandai Gundam plastic kits (“Gunpla”). There is absolutely no flash and the sprues are clean and sharp. Kotobukiya, tampo-prints some of the markings directly onto the parts. However, if one chooses to base-coat and paint the kit, they also provide wet-transfer decals.
Kotobukiya also ups the ante by also pre-painting certain parts to simplify the build. Personally I would prefer they didn't but the ultimate goal seems to be for allowing the build to look its best without additional paint. The boot assemblies come with a smooth coat of black paint in the appropriate area.

When the instructions are marked with "!", pay attention to the orientation of the pieces or else they won't fit!
In all my years of plamo, I never expected one day I would be assembling a pair of miniaturized plastic bloomers.

At what appears to be the half-way point through the illustrated instructions, it's time to stop and consider what to do next. While a majority of the parts are molded in pale colours, the black parts pose a bit of a problem. When black plastic is strained, the plastic turns white. Even taking extra care with my snips and using a utility knive to gently shave the sprue, there are visible stress marks on the hem. Perhaps this is a good time to do some paint touch-up and start the matt-coat (especially because from this point, I'm starting to foresee certain parts which are indeed molded in the “wrong” colour such as the replica USB port, etc).

VF-19 Hi-Metal Series

Bandai's Hi-Metal Fire Valkyrie an attempt to break into the Macross figure franchise beyond the “Frontier” series Bandai has been stuck with while Yamato continues to hog the majority of Macross licenses. To differentiate themselves, they've gone with some perculiar build choices.
Firstly the scale is 1/100 making the VF-19 Kai Excalibur model only about 8 inches long (and similarly tall in battloid mode). Compared to Yamato's near universal 1/60 scale, this is almost puny. The size also presents an inherent problem: the need to compromise on what can been implemented for transformation and what's “faked.” So the set comes with a variety of “part-swapping solutions.”

The second design choice is the use of die-cast metal only where it counts. There is a main torso skeleton and ankles. Other than some screws, the rest is plastic. The red plastic is a nice deep metallic, however, so while it the main fuselage is not painted in pearl clear-coat, it's a nice cheap facsimilie.
Transformation isn't much different from the Yamato interpretation. However, it does improve a few things such as tabs in the right places while removing a few in others. The fighter mode snaps snuggly and by virtue of the plastic composition, it's not floppy or top-heavy. This is important because the VF-19 is has a very delicate GERWALK mode compared to the classic VF-1 design with its arms over the wings.Transformation to GERWALK is the first time parts need to come off. The head's main fin is an extra bit that needs to sanp on, but first, the panel that hides the neck joint needs to be temporarily removed to get at it. The hands are also plugged into the wrists which are hidden in fighter mode by pop-off panels.
Next, the metal endoskeleton in the torso goes into action by elevating the fuselage and then wrapping over the nose-cone. Beware the arms during ths transformation. Thankfully the arms are plastic on ball-joints so they are forgiving. They pop back on if they do accidentally fall off. And finally the pair of antennae are plugged into the head.
In battloid mode, Bandai also supplies a couple of extra bits to fill out the proportions in the thighs. As seen in the photo, they're a little skinny (but this is only visible from certain angles, of course). I actually don't like the bits much as they some don't plug in snugly enough.
I have mixed feelings about this rendition of the Fire Valkyrie. I'm so happy to finally have a transforming toy of the VF-19 Kai Excalibur (my first was a plamo kit from the 90s that didn't transform but was actually 2-models-in-1-box). On the other hand I'm torn over the mish-mash of plastic parts-swapping (which, in my opinion, is a cheap alternative to proper transforming-toy-design.

Vinyl Lion Voltron

Toynami is the outfit behind the Robotech Masterpieces series. That infamous line-up ranged from the mildly disappointing VF-1 quality control issues, down to the outright factory recalled Shadow Chronicles Alpha Fighter due to fan-outrage and, strangely, also up to the dizzying heights of rave reviews for the Beta Fighter.
So that is why when I found myself staring at the clear-plastic packaged 9-inch tall vinyl rendition of the Lion Voltron, I was prepared to let things slide a bit. Even my novice eyes picked out the over-spray on the hip. But you know, it's a relatively minor thing and it's not like this figure is terribly expensive. The key is to accept that Voltron is a license in that niche just a bit too mainstream for the likes of Kid Robot to make a Munny out of, but nowhere near big enough for Hasbro to turn into a Mighty Mugg.
Other than the paint defect, the rest of the figure is great. No mold deformaties to speak of. And the rest of the figure's paint is great. He's brightly coloured to all the correct shades. Joints twist where one would expect (and in some places one wouldn't). Heck, there's actually a waist joint. And each Lion head twists as well.
There's not really much else to say except I got the urge to finally pick one up because of the following news: Toynami has shown a prototype for a second in this series. That's right, CollectionDX reports that Vehicle Voltron will also be coming to vinyl form! And yes, he will similarly be adorable.

Reaction: Fast Attack Bag

Unlike its bigger brother, the "Tactical Pack," Fast Attack Bag does away with the theme name. I would have called it a “utility bag” if I were in charge of such things. It's exactly that: designed to be utilitarian for the hobbyist on the go.
On the surface, Fast Attack Bag is a messenger bag with a “Fast Attack” unit choice symbol on the front flap along with rubber Imperial eagle logo on the front.
It is entirely functional. The flap is held down by velcro. Under the flap is a series of mesh pockets. Two are velcro-shut and the third with a zipper. Unfortunately, the flap itself is not a pocket. The main compartment is a fairly stiff structure and is easily accessible by zipper on the back so the flap doesn't even need to open clumsily if the bag is slung over one's shoulder.
The main gimmick of this bag is the insert that it comes with. The Fast Attack Bag has an insert specifically designed for miniatures enthusiasts. The top half is zipper pocket with a “egg-carton” foam insert. Together with the stiff main compartment, in-progress miniatures will be well-protected. The bottom half is a tool-kit organizer. Elastics sewn into the insert can hold up to 15 Citadel-brand paint-jars, a pair of snips, knives, and even security containers of super-glue. Finally, there is a sleeve system for brushes.
There appear to be only a few short-comings to the Fast Attack Bag. Firstly, there's no handle commonly on most messenger bags of its type. Then again, since the main flap is held by only velcro, this probably for the best. The shoulder strap, while adjustable, is sewn directly onto the body. That means any accidental twists need to be straightened out before wearing the bag.

Reaction: Lightsaber Flashlight

When I was little, a technician at the Ontario Science Center shined a laser into a dust cloud to show how it kept its thin directed path. The crowd all gasped because, well, it was kind of like seeing a real lightsaber. I held up an aerosol can to a flashlight in an attempt to replicate the demo at home. This didn't work so well, but in my 8-year-old mind, it was pretty close.

Twenty-five years later, somebody finally did what I've been waiting for: an actual flashlight fashioned to resemble a light-saber. It seems like the most obvious idea ever.
The flashlight uses 4 LEDs and a slide-switch on the to light up blue or green. Interestingly, this "hilt" has something we haven't seen before: clear panels along the side. They unfortunately don't light up as seen in some promotional materials. I'm not sure if it's meant to be a particular character's saber, but it kind of looks like a cross between Obi-Wan's and Anakin's.The hilt is very toy-like and even has a printed "Clone Wars" logo. Four AA batteries go into a compartment on the side. This means that there are unsightly seems near the end of the hilt where this panel is located.

Whether or not this is a functional flash-light depends on if one accepts that everything will be illuminated in a shade of blue or green. The reality is that the switch powers only a pair of the LEDs at a time: the two blue ones or the two green ones. While fairly bright, one can't help but realize that compact LED flashlights powered by a single battery are commonly available at local dollar-stores. Given that, this lightsaber flashlight is reduced to a whole lot of "flash" without substance.

Reaction: Tactical Back-Pack

I don't remember much of 1989. I do however, remember the disdain I had for the official Nintendo Game Boy Carry Case. The literature for that case promised room to protect my portable device along with storing some games, my earphones, and even the network cable. But in truth, only the games had dedicated pockets; the rest could only be haphazardly stuffed into the main compartment. That feeling of disappointment has followed me around for 20 years.
I was skeptical when Games Workshop put out a series of “gaming-luggage.” They claimed that this lugguge was exactly what I need to take my tabe-top war on the road. They even themed the luggage after the unit types of a Space Marine army (Fast Attack for the smaller courier-bag up to Heavy Support for the large duffel).

When collapsed, the Tactical Backpack sports a leatherette “arrow symbol” of the Space Marines “Troops” unit choice. The pack also features rubber patches of the Imperial Aquila on the straps and on the back. And typical of most backpacks of this type, the pack features light padding in all the usual places.

As a very pleasant surprise, it does exactly what it promises.

The first specialized compartment on the Tactical Backpack is the expanding pocket on the outer shell. The Troops symbol unbuttons to release a pocket about 3 inches thick. This is just the right size for either 2 layers of standard foam storage trays of figures or a 1 thick one for vehicles! Trays can either be the official Citadel trays or even the Sabol brand trays which work just as well. The buttons secure to a second set of hidden snaps so that the panels don't hang loose.Inside the main compartment are a series of smartly-designs pockets. The first is a large flat mesh pocket inside the flap excellent for the one item I could never find a storage solution for: the oversized Apocalypse weapon templates.
Inside the back-panel are pockets for game essentials. There are 2 large flat padded slots for rulebooks. And finally, there are 4 mesh pockets, which (probably by design) exactly fit the Games Workshop dice-tins. The overall main compartment is also expandable. But I don't recommend overloading it. The securing traps go under the main zipper instead of over it, which means the zipper is the only thing holding all that weight you may be tempted to put inside.
About the only complaint is that other than those very specialized pockets, there aren't any other pockets to speak of. My zip-lock baggies of markers will have to simply get dropped into the main compartment.
Overall, while one could certainly live without this pack (I've been playing WH40K for over 5 years while making do with cardboard boxes from Ikea), it is certainly well worth the investment if one does a lot of travelling with a small army.

Reaction: Macross Quarter by Bandai Chogokin DX

While I haven't paid much attention to their “DX Chogokin” line (back in the early days of the gokin-renaissance, Bandai reserved this label for reissues of classic molds and kept the new designs under the “Soul of Cogokin” label). Now they've seemingly given the DX line an anachronistic slant by slapping it all over their newest models as well.

The Macross Quarter is the “mini” super-dimensional fortress that appears in the Macross Frontier series. Quarter is, like most other known Macross ships, a transformable cruiser that assumes a humanoid shape when it enters close-combat. According to the established mythology Macross Quarter is one of the smaller ships in the Frontier fleet and serves as a fleet escort and as the carrier for the local private military contractor, SMS.

My initial reaction to openning the packaging was a mixture of awe and disappointment. The contents are housed in a combination of stacked styrofoam for the main die-cast body and everything else in a series of plastic trays. It's amazing just how much stuff there is at first glance. My second reaction was “wow, my first reaction was a bit pre-mature.”

The fact is, after leafing through the manual, the toy is actually rather simple. There are only a few additional parts to snap on to the ball-joints (thankfully Bandai harnessed their experience as master kit-designers and gave us easily swappable parts as necessary): the head, the classic “Macross booms,” a comm antennae, and a couple of hands. The other bits are the “battleships” docked onto Macross Quarter like on the classic SDF-1.

In fact, the overall design of Macross Quarter is so simple it made me post on Robot Japan the following comment:

I never noticed while watching the show how amazingly gobot-like this Macross was. [It] is pretty much a humanoid in a "Superman-pose." Given it's design, no wonder it's floppy - there's not actually anything for the arms to "lock" into.

The toy is everything I expected: the cruiser mode is simply so long that it's unrelistic to expect to hold its shape under any sort of gravity. It's existence as a ship floating in space is the only way this thing could support itself. I guess that's why Bandai saw fit to supply an immense number of optional parts for building a display stand.

Since there are abundant photo-reviews of Macross Quarter already online, I will take a moment to point out some observations of my own.

Firstly, the whole gravity issue is address by the extra stand bits included. It can be set to a variety of heights depending on the configuration (yes, it can be positioned in the traditional Macross “GERWALK” mode).Bandai uses a neat trick to open and close the bow ports. These ports lift open by pushing back that little module at the front. It take a good hard push the first time but no worries, the thing comes off and pops back on easily and the lever itself is pretty tough and will stand up to the movement.The figure originally comes packed in a “shrunken” position. Here's a look at the aft sections. Those "knees" are double-jointed and while both are bent, the one bend more should be the lower one closer to engine.The shoulders ironically do hold the “battleships” up when the shoulders are not positioned properly. The shoulder joint does indeed rotate so there is a minimum range of motion for the upper arms while turned up. Doesn't quite look right, but it does keep the arms horizontal. The easiest way to turn these insanely tight joints is to bring the shoulders back down the U-joint and turn from there (while still in cruiser-mode).
Lastly, the show cheats the toy designers a bit by using a bit of “anime magic.” This annoys me because it's no secret a lot of mecha designs are done with selling toys in mind, so why is it from time to time an “impossible” design choice is thrown in? In the show, the Macross Quarter appears to stow the port-side carrier on its back to free its left hand to brace the main cannon. The problem is that there is nowhere for this carrier to attach on the back of the Macross Quarter. Bandai works around this by including this attachment. It's functional, but generously ugly when set up.