Clearer Official Images of Takara Tomy Transformers Masterpiece MP-17 Prowl and MP-18 Bluestreak

Wow, both of those are stunning.

They misspelled patrol on Prowl. It says "Patorol." Hopefully they get that fixed when he's released. Otherwise, he's perfect!

Rhinox23 wrote:They misspelled patrol on Prowl. It says "Patorol." Hopefully they get that fixed when he's released. Otherwise, he's perfect!

Wow! Good catch. Watch, the "Patorol" variant will end up listed on eBay for $500!

Rhinox23 wrote:They misspelled patrol on Prowl. It says "Patorol." Hopefully they get that fixed when he's released. Otherwise, he's perfect!

You can blame the kana. The romanization of "Patrol" would be "Patorol," because Japanese is all symbols.

RAcast wrote:

Rhinox23 wrote:They misspelled patrol on Prowl. It says "Patorol." Hopefully they get that fixed when he's released. Otherwise, he's perfect!

You can blame the kana. The romanization of "Patrol" would be "Patorol," because Japanese is all symbols.

Not quite. Long story short, Japanese speech is syllabic in nature (meaning, no standalone consonants except for "n"), but they do cheat with "u" and "i" kana, with those vowels being nearly silent. However, those vowels distort the "t" sounds into "tsu" and "chi", so "to" is used instead. Otherwise you'd get "Patsurol" or "Pachirol"

But I just wasted my time explaining it, since you guys never read it, and the error could have been avoided altogether.

LOOOL. I really hope they fix that on the final release though.

They both look so good. The one thing I wish they could've done better with the new MP scale is have the weapons integrate better in vehicle mode. While it would be pretty easy to make Prowl's gun fold, I can understand why they couldn't do much with Sideswipe's shoulder launcher. It's just too big.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

RAcast wrote:

Rhinox23 wrote:They misspelled patrol on Prowl. It says "Patorol." Hopefully they get that fixed when he's released. Otherwise, he's perfect!

You can blame the kana. The romanization of "Patrol" would be "Patorol," because Japanese is all symbols.

Not quite. Long story short, Japanese speech is syllabic in nature (meaning, no standalone consonants except for "n"), but they do cheat with "u" and "i" kana, with those vowels being nearly silent. However, those vowels distort the "t" sounds into "tsu" and "chi", so "to" is used instead. Otherwise you'd get "Patsurol" or "Pachirol"

But I just wasted my time explaining it, since you guys never read it, and the error could have been avoided altogether.

I prefer it misspelled =X

Missile Launchers? Check!

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

RAcast wrote:

Rhinox23 wrote:They misspelled patrol on Prowl. It says "Patorol." Hopefully they get that fixed when he's released. Otherwise, he's perfect!

You can blame the kana. The romanization of "Patrol" would be "Patorol," because Japanese is all symbols.

Not quite. Long story short, Japanese speech is syllabic in nature (meaning, no standalone consonants except for "n"), but they do cheat with "u" and "i" kana, with those vowels being nearly silent. However, those vowels distort the "t" sounds into "tsu" and "chi", so "to" is used instead. Otherwise you'd get "Patsurol" or "Pachirol"

But I just wasted my time explaining it, since you guys never read it, and the error could have been avoided altogether.

Dude I read it and it was very informative

QBKiller94 wrote:We're going to see eBay flooded with Generations/Classics Prowl, Bluestreak and Smokescreen listings between now and the summer!

Glad I sold mine last fall!

The big question is how will Hasbro release these and Sideswipe? TRU? HasbroToyShop?

I would prefer a subscription service like MattyCollector has for the MOTU and Voltron lines, that way I am guaranteed.

That said, I have to gues that MP Ratchet and Ironhide are in the works.

I'm pretty sure my last post talking about how takara should release actual pictures of these mps was the same day they released them. I had a feeling they would that day too.

But about the figures. Awesome, great, wonderful, and nice. I can't wait to see how smokescreen is going to look. I'll probably wait until hasbro releases these though considering they do more show accurate decos and obviously due to the price.

I'm more for the show accuracy than the toy accuracy because for the passed couple of months I've watched a majority of G1 (up to the hilarious 3rd season... i dont know why i just find a lot of the episodes comical) and I didn't grow up with those transformers figures.

The only g1 related figure i actually own is the 2003 reissue of Ultra Magnus (with the long missiles due to safety issues) that i got for Christmas that year. It's one of the few figures that i actually have out on one of my shelves considering Ultra Magnus is one of my favorite characters now.

But yeah... figures are sick. Now let's get on with the rest of the G1 cast. I mean EVERYONE.

Definitely have to get Prowl. If only so he can stand behind MP Grimlock and be all sarky.

I am hoping that lots of people do sell their Classics versions though. I still want that Smokescreen!

AutoBorst wrote:SOLD on Prowl. Looks fantastic. I wonder what sort of unique accessory(ies) may be included besides his gun and shoulder rockets?

That's a rather good question. What accessories will these guys and Smokescreen be coming with?

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

RAcast wrote:

Rhinox23 wrote:They misspelled patrol on Prowl. It says "Patorol." Hopefully they get that fixed when he's released. Otherwise, he's perfect!

You can blame the kana. The romanization of "Patrol" would be "Patorol," because Japanese is all symbols.

Not quite. Long story short, Japanese speech is syllabic in nature (meaning, no standalone consonants except for "n"), but they do cheat with "u" and "i" kana, with those vowels being nearly silent. However, those vowels distort the "t" sounds into "tsu" and "chi", so "to" is used instead. Otherwise you'd get "Patsurol" or "Pachirol"

But I just wasted my time explaining it, since you guys never read it, and the error could have been avoided altogether.

Yes, you are correct. It is also the reason why Artfire's true name is "Autofire" (small "u" unpronounced), we simply misread but it also makes a lot more sense - Autofire.

Going back - I am loving these masterpieces. Although folks are thrilled with less hollow looking legs, I am not sure that is exactly the case. We are only seeing the front and inside of the legs (for both figures). Obviously kibble or a big gap is hidden in the back of the calves.

Too bad about the plastic wheels, which are noticeable in Bluestreak robot mode. Rubber should be the standard.

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:

AutoBorst wrote:SOLD on Prowl. Looks fantastic. I wonder what sort of unique accessory(ies) may be included besides his gun and shoulder rockets?

That's a rather good question. What accessories will these guys and Smokescreen be coming with?

I would like to start seeing generators or computer consoles as accessories.

Normally I'd be bitching about how they should have made a Megatron Version 2 or Galvatron, but seeing these images, I'm half-hoping they see domestic distribution, despite the fact I already own the Universe Deluxe toy.

sdn1337 wrote:I'll probably wait until hasbro releases these though considering they do more show accurate decos and obviously due to the price.

I think you're taking a very big risk in assuming there will be a Hasbro release. As of now, there is no word on a Sideswipe/Red Alert release and there will soon be no more of the Takara ones either. TFSource said it was getting in its last shipment of Red Alerts and that will be it. Since there has been no mention about these and there has been about Soundwave, they could very well never be seen stateside.

So, Prowl and co. may not make it here either, and do you really want to miss out on their awesomeness? To me, it's not worth the risk. Besides, they'd probably cost $40-$45 here so they're not that much more expensive. Just something to think about.

We have a trio of new Takara Tomy Transformers Masterpiece MP-17 Prowl and MP-18 images to share. The first was tweeted by Takara Tomy designer Shogo Hasui. The second and third come from ToyHobby Market. Both figures are currently slated for September releases.

Do I chance missing these guys with the hope of a stateside release?

Rhinox23 wrote:

sdn1337 wrote:I'll probably wait until hasbro releases these though considering they do more show accurate decos and obviously due to the price.

I think you're taking a very big risk in assuming there will be a Hasbro release. As of now, there is no word on a Sideswipe/Red Alert release and there will soon be no more of the Takara ones either. TFSource said it was getting in its last shipment of Red Alerts and that will be it. Since there has been no mention about these and there has been about Soundwave, they could very well never be seen stateside.

So, Prowl and co. may not make it here either, and do you really want to miss out on their awesomeness? To me, it's not worth the risk. Besides, they'd probably cost $40-$45 here so they're not that much more expensive. Just something to think about.

Keeping in mind that the retail number on these is between $80-$100, a $40 IS a lot. Reducing the price by half of what Takara is asking would make them a lot more palatable to most people. You could scream at me all day about "maybe we will, maybe we won't," and I'd just sit here and wait. Because after all, we're more likely to than not to, eventually.

These guys look great, but that most recent pic makes it seem like the outside foot might be a bit Alternator-ish looking. I'd like to see a side view...

sdn1337 wrote:I'm pretty sure my last post talking about how takara should release actual pictures of these mps was the same day they released them. I had a feeling they would that day too.

But about the figures. Awesome, great, wonderful, and nice. I can't wait to see how smokescreen is going to look. I'll probably wait until hasbro releases these though considering they do more show accurate decos and obviously due to the price.

I'm more for the show accuracy than the toy accuracy because for the passed couple of months I've watched a majority of G1 (up to the hilarious 3rd season... i dont know why i just find a lot of the episodes comical) and I didn't grow up with those transformers figures.

The only g1 related figure i actually own is the 2003 reissue of Ultra Magnus (with the long missiles due to safety issues) that i got for Christmas that year. It's one of the few figures that i actually have out on one of my shelves considering Ultra Magnus is one of my favorite characters now.

But yeah... figures are sick. Now let's get on with the rest of the G1 cast. I mean EVERYONE.

You may need to adjust your TV if you believe that Hasbro's are more show accurate. With the exception of the eyes, nothing on Hasbro's version of MP-10 was more accurate than Takara's (far less so, actually, especially the tones of red and blue).

The same goes for Soundwave. The toy had yellow eyes (just like Hasbro's) and the show had red (like Takara's).

I understand not wanting to spend that much for the Takara releases, but calling them less show-accurate than Hasbro's is quite an inaccurate statement.

RAcast wrote:

Rhinox23 wrote:

sdn1337 wrote:I'll probably wait until hasbro releases these though considering they do more show accurate decos and obviously due to the price.

I think you're taking a very big risk in assuming there will be a Hasbro release. As of now, there is no word on a Sideswipe/Red Alert release and there will soon be no more of the Takara ones either. TFSource said it was getting in its last shipment of Red Alerts and that will be it. Since there has been no mention about these and there has been about Soundwave, they could very well never be seen stateside.

So, Prowl and co. may not make it here either, and do you really want to miss out on their awesomeness? To me, it's not worth the risk. Besides, they'd probably cost $40-$45 here so they're not that much more expensive. Just something to think about.

Keeping in mind that the retail number on these is between $80-$100, a $40 IS a lot. Reducing the price by half of what Takara is asking would make them a lot more palatable to most people. You could scream at me all day about "maybe we will, maybe we won't," and I'd just sit here and wait. Because after all, we're more likely to than not to, eventually.

Two words: Licensing Fees

Hasbro's already said 'Swipe was done with Lamborghini's approval, and according to their panel (and don't ask me which one, but I read it on here) that wasn't in their plans at this time. Now, I won't say Never, Hasbro's pulled some doozy surprises in the past, but this isn't as easy a Masterpiece to import over as a generic truck Prime or a Dinosaur shaped Grimlock. Or a tape deck

Flashwave wrote:

RAcast wrote:Keeping in mind that the retail number on these is between $80-$100, a $40 IS a lot. Reducing the price by half of what Takara is asking would make them a lot more palatable to most people. You could scream at me all day about "maybe we will, maybe we won't," and I'd just sit here and wait. Because after all, we're more likely to than not to, eventually.

Two words: Licensing Fees

Hasbro's already said 'Swipe was done with Lamborghini's approval, and according to their panel (and don't ask me which one, but I read it on here) that wasn't in their plans at this time. Now, I won't say Never, Hasbro's pulled some doozy surprises in the past, but this isn't as easy a Masterpiece to import over as a generic truck Prime or a Dinosaur shaped Grimlock. Or a tape deck

^ Bolded important text.
That's my point. I'm probably abnormally patient though. Personally, I'm waiting on the G2 redeco, that'll make it harder to be patient.

I'm gushing over these two releases. They're absolutely perfect! But i've never been a fan of either character so i'm not going to pull the trigger and pre order. What i really want is a Smokescreen.
His G1 colours will be the "pop" that i'm looking for in my MP collection and on my shelf. As a personality he's solid and i'm a big fan of Datsuns. A lot.
Prowl is a prick and Bluestreak is a wanker. Don't like em and i;m not paying good money to have em on my shelf.

Killer MP figs though....can't argue that.

I hope their back sides would look somewhat like the cartoon as well.

wewyllenium wrote:I hope their back sides would look somewhat like the cartoon as well.

Better than! Squats have done wonders for their glutes. Im sure you'll be impressed

RAcast wrote:

Flashwave wrote:

RAcast wrote:Keeping in mind that the retail number on these is between $80-$100, a $40 IS a lot. Reducing the price by half of what Takara is asking would make them a lot more palatable to most people. You could scream at me all day about "maybe we will, maybe we won't," and I'd just sit here and wait. Because after all, we're more likely to than not to, eventually.

Two words: Licensing Fees

Hasbro's already said 'Swipe was done with Lamborghini's approval, and according to their panel (and don't ask me which one, but I read it on here) that wasn't in their plans at this time. Now, I won't say Never, Hasbro's pulled some doozy surprises in the past, but this isn't as easy a Masterpiece to import over as a generic truck Prime or a Dinosaur shaped Grimlock. Or a tape deck

^ Bolded important text.
That's my point. I'm probably abnormally patient though. Personally, I'm waiting on the G2 redeco, that'll make it harder to be patient.

I understand what you're saying. I'm just more risk averse than you. And you are more willing to be patient than I am. I realize that from $40 (likely US price) to $80 import price is double. But $40 is not that much money. I don't know if you have MP Sideswipe but he's well worth it in my opinion.

If you are correct, then you will definitely save some money by waiting. However, the risk is that they don't release him stateside. Then, if you want him you'll have to pay ridiculous scalper prices or forego getting him altogether. $120-160?...who knows, but the uncertainty is there. Also, there is no customer service to speak of with scalpers or on ebay. Yes, you could get your money back but they probably won't have nor offer replacements if there is a defect. Again, this is just a risk that I personally am not willing to take. Like I said in my first post, it's just something to think about now while everyone has the option of preordering the Takara version.

Rhinox23 wrote:

sdn1337 wrote:I'll probably wait until hasbro releases these though considering they do more show accurate decos and obviously due to the price.

I think you're taking a very big risk in assuming there will be a Hasbro release. As of now, there is no word on a Sideswipe/Red Alert release and there will soon be no more of the Takara ones either. TFSource said it was getting in its last shipment of Red Alerts and that will be it. Since there has been no mention about these and there has been about Soundwave, they could very well never be seen stateside.

So, Prowl and co. may not make it here either, and do you really want to miss out on their awesomeness? To me, it's not worth the risk. Besides, they'd probably cost $40-$45 here so they're not that much more expensive. Just something to think about.

Pre-orders are up on hlj, they cost about $50, so you should get them now

Rhinox23 wrote:

RAcast wrote:

Flashwave wrote:

RAcast wrote:Keeping in mind that the retail number on these is between $80-$100, a $40 IS a lot. Reducing the price by half of what Takara is asking would make them a lot more palatable to most people. You could scream at me all day about "maybe we will, maybe we won't," and I'd just sit here and wait. Because after all, we're more likely to than not to, eventually.

Two words: Licensing Fees

Hasbro's already said 'Swipe was done with Lamborghini's approval, and according to their panel (and don't ask me which one, but I read it on here) that wasn't in their plans at this time. Now, I won't say Never, Hasbro's pulled some doozy surprises in the past, but this isn't as easy a Masterpiece to import over as a generic truck Prime or a Dinosaur shaped Grimlock. Or a tape deck

^ Bolded important text.
That's my point. I'm probably abnormally patient though. Personally, I'm waiting on the G2 redeco, that'll make it harder to be patient.

I understand what you're saying. I'm just more risk averse than you. And you are more willing to be patient than I am. I realize that from $40 (likely US price) to $80 import price is double. But $40 is not that much money. I don't know if you have MP Sideswipe but he's well worth it in my opinion.

If you are correct, then you will definitely save some money by waiting. However, the risk is that they don't release him stateside. Then, if you want him you'll have to pay ridiculous scalper prices or forego getting him altogether. $120-160?...who knows, but the uncertainty is there. Also, there is no customer service to speak of with scalpers or on ebay. Yes, you could get your money back but they probably won't have nor offer replacements if there is a defect. Again, this is just a risk that I personally am not willing to take. Like I said in my first post, it's just something to think about now while everyone has the option of preordering the Takara version.

Worse comes worse, I can always give it a pass. I do have a nostalgic soft spot for Sideswipe, but I'm very tight with what I let myself spend. There's nothing that won't either come along again at some point or there will be another better version at some point.

I never heard of them before, are they good?

And is there a way to predict the shipping cost for pre-orders? It appears not.

Cyberpath wrote:I never heard of them before, are they good?

And is there a way to predict the shipping cost for pre-orders? It appears not.

It depends on the weight of the item, which isn't known yet. I would suggest buying from them, even with shipping added you will not get it cheaper anywhere else.

They don't charge for pre-order, so you can still cancel if you change your mind.

Deruji wrote:It depends on the weight of the item, which isn't known yet. I would suggest buying from them, even with shipping added you will not get it cheaper anywhere else.

They don't charge for pre-order, so you can still cancel if you change your mind.

Thanks! Just ordered! Very exciting. Hope everything goes smoothly with the shipping.

I'm glad I slept on this, and didn't order from a shop that charges for per-orders. That’s quite a difference, most stores sell Prowl and Bluestreak for $80 each; and HLJ for $50 each. For that price you could also get Smokescreen and still save $10. Why doesn’t everyone use them?

If I had known about this earlier maybe I would have actually ordered the Takara MP-13.

Link to site please.

i like how they keep choosing to make the characters who can be repainted over and over. or who have 20 cosset tape robots that can each be a MP figure then repaint them

i might get prowl and bluestreak. maybe.

Why are they using animated-style shoulder rockets? I know it's more show-accurate, but it also just looks lazy. I guess it wouldn't be too long after release that some 3rd party makes detailed, toy accurate launchers to replace these.

Transformers Hoarder wrote:Link to site please.

Damn phone. Sorry, cant get the link up
Hlj.com
Type in prowl in the search bar and order away. Theres a link under the listing for transformers masterpiece

Thanks, I'm preordered on both.

Courtesy of Cybergundam Blog, we have higher resolution versions of official Masterpiece Datsun images we have seen prior.. First up is Masterpiece MP-17 Prowl, with images showing his scale compared to previous Masterpiece releases. Next up to the plate is MP-18 Bluestreak, and in turn we get a nice group shot of a handful of the latest Autobot Masterpiece releases. Both figures are set for a release on August 31st at a price of ¥5,800, and are available for pre-order from any of our site sponsors.

Daaaaaaamn these look good standing in a group! The more I see of Prowl the more I want him. Honestly not too sure about Bluestreak. I've never really liked Bluestreak for some reason.

Blurrz wrote:Courtesy of Cybergundam Blog, we have higher resolution versions of official Masterpiece Datsun images we have seen prior...

These look great!

*ping*

These guys look amazing as a group.

But why does Red Alert get no love? His paint job actually came out nice.

Prowl is pre-ordered. Bluestreak, Im not that bothered by. Looking forward to seeing Smokescreen though.

I'm loving this mould. I can't wait to add all three to my collection. Seeing them next to Optimus Prime just sells it. Its nice to see the shoulder cannons are part of the figure so you can have Prowl animation or toy accurate. I'm guessing that is why we haven't seen Smokescreen yet since his shoulder cannons were quite different in the show.

Wah! I want Prowl, but it's not happening D;

This is far from an actual complaint, so it should be taken as a silly comment...

...But I hope before too long we can get an Autobot that isn't red/black/white/blue like a Hound, Bumblebee or Sunstreaker, just to offset the Autobots a tad colorwise. As much as I want Jazz, Ratchet and Ironhide, they're all the same colors as the ones we've gotten already! Haha.

Smokescreen should help a lot (at least helping to dilute the black/white with some more blue), and I guess Rodimus counts with his yellows/oranges, (but I don't display him with the rest of the G1 cast... He'll go with the eventual Galvatron) but my girlfriend pointed it out the other day. "So are the good guys all the same colors? Is that how you tell them apart? Is it like a team thing?"

And from that point on, all I saw was the same colors on all the MP Autobots.

Prowl is definitely a must-have for me. Bluestreak is a solid want-if-I-have-the-money.

Soooo sexy. I'm really glad they gave Bluestreak the black hood, it really makes him stand out. These figures look so amazing. I just noticed their legs look kind of skinny in comparison to the Sideswipe mold, but it works, considering the original figures. I also like all the detailing on the legs that matches the originals. Really looking forward to these figures! I hope they do stagger the releases though, I don't want to have to wait until September and then buy them both at the same time.

One of these images needs to be my desktop background... and my cellphone wallpaper... and printed and framed and displayed proudly on my wall. Okay, maybe not the last one, but you know what I mean.

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:

AutoBorst wrote:SOLD on Prowl. Looks fantastic. I wonder what sort of unique accessory(ies) may be included besides his gun and shoulder rockets?

That's a rather good question. What accessories will these guys and Smokescreen be coming with?

Incidentally, watched Attack of the Autobots yesterday and there was this thing...