New Stock Photos of Japanese Classics figures

Alas the other market gets the better paint schemes.

Oh, yes! That Starscream looks so much better than the one I'm currently using as a corpse.

I'm very glad I ordered him, and the others too.

Is Japan honor bound to the Botcon repaint code?

The Chrome on Mirage kicks ass, and Megs is growing on me.

Otherwise, I don't see them worth the import prices, or do I

I immediately regret my decision to import the Classics line. I bought the first wave when I was in the US in 2006. If I'd have known that we were getting far superior versions, I wouldn't have bothered.

Isn't "Far Superior" a bit of a stretch?

I must have that Megatron! Why didnt hasbro do that? How much are these things anyway?

Meh. The more I see these, the less I like them. I don't like how they have a little bit of chrome here or there, but then just gray. Either do it all chrome or all grey.

I don't think I'll be getting any of them. Not even Megatron, unless I see him for cheap at a convention. Though if they do release a Sunstorm or Nemesis Prime, a character that hasn't been done over here, I'll pick it up.

As for the BotCon question, I don't think we'll see a Japanese Classics Thundercracker, or the other Seeker exclusives. A lot of fans(and scalpers) would be really upset if they did that.

Why shouldn't we get the Botcon exclusives? It's quite a hike from Japan to botcon, you know?

Well, I bought almost all of classics the first time around and they put out something better. Will be getting Starscream and Megatron.

All I want is a Skywarp that doesn't show up as pink in the light. The nice shade of purple on the Robot Heroes Skywarp would be nice.

I'm really digging the paint job on Prime, Megs, Mirage and Starscream. Bumblebee doesn't look quite as striking to me sans silver highlights and the red just seems out of place on Grimlock.

Hopefully, my local hobby shop guy will follow his current trend of getting Japanese TFs so I can get a couple of these guys.

Professor Smooth wrote:I immediately regret my decision to import the Classics line. I bought the first wave when I was in the US in 2006. If I'd have known that we were getting far superior versions, I wouldn't have bothered.

Matter of opinion. I'm probably going to get this (better) version of Megatron when it's available on action-hq; beyond that I'm happy with my collection.

trent hughes wrote:Is Japan honor bound to the Botcon repaint code?

Sadly, I would think that Botcon exclusives would be the same for Japan as the G1-deco Movie Arcee is for us... I'd love to get my hands on Thrust though.

Megatron_Wolf wrote:I must have that Megatron! Why didnt hasbro do that? How much are these things anyway?

The following list is what action-hq.com has posted for their pre-order listings.

Classics C-01 Convoy
US$29.95

Classics C-02 Megatron
US$29.95

Classics C-03 Bumblebee
US$22.95

Classics C-04 Starscream
US$24.95

Classics C-05 Grimlock
US$24.95

Classics C-06 Rijie ( Mirage )
US$19.95

Diem wrote:Why shouldn't we get the Botcon exclusives? It's quite a hike from Japan to botcon, you know?

Cybertron Excellion......it was Hasbro's answer to fans who saw an exclusive version of Galaxy Force Excellion that was repainted to look like Hot Rod. Was not identical to the GF exclusive of Excellion, so therefore did not breach any rights, & we still got a Hot Rod colored Excellion figure...of sorts(a bit too much gray in robot mode for my taste).

That being said, I don't see why they couldn't so long as they weren't identical to the Botcon ones. Only problem then is since the Botcon figures were meant to be more designed to look identical to their G1 counterparts, deviating from that to avoid legal problems would make the other seekers look off next to the others, since Takara is doing the same as Botcon & painting their classics too look more like their G1 counterparts.

So say Takara rounds off the seeker set, how bad do you think we'd get shafted paying for that online!?!

Glad I got a buddy in Taiwan if they do!!!!

I can't wait. It'll be nice to get any Classics other than Ramjet, which has become an import shelfwarmer here...

crap...these are really nice, especially Starscream, Megsy, and Mirage. But I am so broke...my MP Megatron took a dive and broke Had to order a new one to replace him. so I have no more money...in addition to new hockey gear...

I really like that Megatron, the little bits of chrome work well - I've got him pre-ordered.

The Grimlock and Mirage look better but I've go the originals so I'll pass.

I wouldn't be surprised if Japan gets a Yellow Seeker repaint, they're as gay for Sunstorm as the rest of us. The BotCon Seeker's as much as I'd love'em I don't think they're likely, figures crossed though

Starscream looks sweet. I am glad they changed his wing stripes.

Argh. I hate that I have most of these already because I want most of them. The only one that doesn't look better IMO is Grimlock. I missed the chrome on Mirage but I can do better. Prime looks great but the differences are minimal so I guess it's just Megs, BB, and Starscream for me.

Can't wait to see how they've dicked around with Hot Rod...

I don't know why... but Mirage looks a lot cooler!

Maybe it's the way it's posed?

The coloring is pretty cool. I love the coloring of Mirage's gun. Grimlock doesn't impress me too much. I am glad to be in Japan to pick these babies up.

Megatron looks much better than the previous images from a few months ago.
I like Mirage quite alot.
I really like Starscream. kinda grey but I still like it more than the US version.
not a fan of Grimlocks mold.
Bumblebee looks sorta lazy. but still like it. I hope they can at least put something on his chest.
Prime looks way better than US version.

Lets see more detailed pics of Astrotrain and Rodimus now.

All of these look better than the Hasbro versions.

They look incredible, alas I already own most of them in one form or another (All Seekers (including BotCon, yay BotCon!), Ultra Magnus (awesome toy, even though it is just white, but the toy is awesome), BotCon "invisible" Mirage (which I was going to sell, but never got around to, so he's MIB) and Bugbite (BotCon, yay!)) and, as for Grimlock (who looks sexy in TakaraTomy deco) and Megatron (likewise), I'm dsaving my cash for the Animated toys.

Can't wait to see Astrotrain.

$30 not to bad. Only problem right now is i just put the rest of my money towards the Devil May Cry 4 Collectors Edition so im broke right now. Hopefully Megatron wont be as hard to find as his USA counterpart.

EDIT: any one have a link to the Megatron on action-hq.com?

EDIT#2: Found a pic of Megatrons gun mode on bigbadtoystore.com

NuclearConvoy wrote:They look incredible, alas I already own most of them in one form or another (All Seekers (including BotCon, yay BotCon!), Ultra Magnus (awesome toy, even though it is just white, but the toy is awesome), BotCon "invisible" Mirage (which I was going to sell, but never got around to, so he's MIB) and Bugbite (BotCon, yay!)) and, as for Grimlock (who looks sexy in TakaraTomy deco) and Megatron (likewise), I'm dsaving my cash for the Animated toys.

Same here. I'm thinking Megs and SS are the only ones worth picking up again. Megs is a definate since the Classics coloring is an eyesore for me, and SS, because he will not match the Botcon set. Hasbro SS will now get repainted as SS so that my Classics will mirror my G1 seekers. Now I just need this year's Botcon exclusive to be a clear SS.

seeing as i'm only missing Cliffjumper (of all deluxes! d'oh! ) and another bot for my Classics deluxe/voyager collection, there's absolutely no way in heck am i gonna pick any of these and waste my money...

..oookay. so that Megs looks a little spiffy. so him, and maybe a few others...


D'OH!

I just noticed the purple decepticon logos on starscream's wings...

seeker fans will be pleased...

I like how clean mirage looks without all the sponsor designs and what not. and his chrome weapon ain't half bad either

SS does look awesome. However, I prefer the decals on hasbro's Mirage. I think Witwicky's Sparkplugs is hella funny.

Megatron looks just silly with real gun colours. Prime looks like red and grey plastic with blue thighs. Bumblebee has a harsh grey to his softer yellow colour, so while reaslistic to the Dery model, it's more of a "eyesore" than Megatron was (Apperently some of you don't understand US gun laws, I'm sure they would have done a partially realistic mould for Megatron had it not been for that. Making Megatron with such stark colours was a nessacery sacrifice.) Starscream looks ridiculous with that off red and white to the fray is detined to be neon Infact, the only one I don't find lax is Mirage, but chrome on his feet is an unwise choice. No doubt it will chip off. In addition to that, the lack of sponsers makes him look bland.

The US versions are better in my eyes. How can Japan do show accurate decos for these bodies if they were never included in animated fiction? Awnser that.

Wow, these are awesome, why couldn't we get these designs when we got the classics?

Liege Evilmus wrote:Isn't "Far Superior" a bit of a stretch?

I agree. I don't really see them as being even close to superior then what we got from Hasbro. Funny thing is I always thought Bumblebee looked odd with the grey "stripe", now thanks to Takara I know I was wrong. Same goes for Prime with the addition of all the yellow. Thanks again Takara for proving me wrong.

The chrome on most of these seems out of place to me. As if they just put it on for the sake of putting it on. Had they gone more so with the chrome it may have made a difference but then it probably would have been too much chrome.

Mirage is probably the worst. I liked Mirage better with the sponsors, you know like a real racecar would have.

Grimlock's dino-mode has the most promise but I'm not liking his robot mode colors all that much.

I really don't see me wasting money on these, thankfully, unless they can do something more like fix Skywarp's "pinkness" or put out some repaints we haven't gotten from Hasbro.

UltraPrimal wrote:As for the BotCon question, I don't think we'll see a Japanese Classics Thundercracker, or the other Seeker exclusives. A lot of fans(and scalpers) would be really upset if they did that.

When has the feelings of fans/scalpers ever been an issue with what these companies produce?


-Aerrow

"YAY!", is just about all I got in response to those photos. I wants em all. Yup.

They look nice, and if I had unlimited TF funds I'd jump all over them, but I don't, so I'll have to pass, as i have all of the U.S. versions.

Much better than the crap that we got on this side of the pond

I must be the only person who just isn't impressed by these color schemes. Megatron looks better, but not leaps and bounds. Bumblebee looks worse, actually. The chrome on Grimlock and Mirage looks terrible, absolutely terrible. Starscream looks nice, I like the thicker red they used.

They certainly aren't worth import prices though.

I might just get Bumblebee since I missed his U.S. release and I like this pain job more.

Crosscheck wrote:I must be the only person who just isn't impressed by these color schemes.

Nope, you are not the only one.


-Aerrow

Aerrow wrote:

Crosscheck wrote:I must be the only person who just isn't impressed by these color schemes.

Nope, you are not the only one.


-Aerrow

me three. although that Megs still looks mighty spiffy, mind you.

zemper wrote:

Aerrow wrote:

Crosscheck wrote:I must be the only person who just isn't impressed by these color schemes.

Nope, you are not the only one.


-Aerrow

me three. although that Megs still looks mighty spiffy, mind you.

Same, Megs and SS for me only.

I like these but I just don't know if I like the Classics line enough to buy any of them, especially with Animated on the horizon.

Hard Hacker wrote:Megatron looks just silly with real gun colours. Prime looks like red and grey plastic with blue thighs. Bumblebee has a harsh grey to his softer yellow colour, so while reaslistic to the Dery model, it's more of a "eyesore" than Megatron was (Apperently some of you don't understand US gun laws, I'm sure they would have done a partially realistic mould for Megatron had it not been for that. Making Megatron with such stark colours was a nessacery sacrifice.) Starscream looks ridiculous with that off red and white to the fray is detined to be neon Infact, the only one I don't find lax is Mirage, but chrome on his feet is an unwise choice. No doubt it will chip off. In addition to that, the lack of sponsers makes him look bland.

You are in a minority if you liked Hasbro's version of Megatron. Most people are aware of the reasons why Hasbro could not give Megatron realistic gun colors. But it was not a reason for them to choose neon nerf colors.

The US versions are better in my eyes. How can Japan do show accurate decos for these bodies if they were never included in animated fiction? Awnser that

Not sure what you are talking about.

mirage looks sweet! so does grimlock and bimblebee

Stormrider wrote:You are in a minority if you liked Hasbro's version of Megatron. Most people are aware of the reasons why Hasbro could not give Megatron realistic gun colors. But it was not a reason for them to choose neon nerf colors.

Seeing as the gun is Nerfesque, the colours were logical.

The US versions are better in my eyes. How can Japan do show accurate decos for these bodies if they were never included in animated fiction? Awnser that.

Not sure what you are talking about.[/quote]

Some people might have shown disain for the lack of show realism, when in truth, these updated forms tie in more in the Marvel comics (Grimlocks' profile is a prime example of this).

the Takara colors are fine I guess if you don't have them already but I don't see myself picking them up again.

Only one I like is Megatron. I do hope Takara does decide to release the others, I'd be curious to see how they'd color Astrotrain.

I can't really see either coloring to be superior, just different. I happen to like the Hasbro colors in all honesty, even Megatron's. At least the bot shape resembles something we knew as Megatron rather than the lot of garbage we've gotten lately. Animated is a whole other story but I'm liking those as well.

Megatron, Mirage and Starscream are the only three I wouldn't mind importing.

While I likje Megs, I'm not to sure about the orange highlights.

Grimlock is a marked improvement on Hasbro's version. With a lot more detailing.

Starscream does indeed benefit form extra details as well.

I'd like to see their take on Ultra Magnus though.