Video Review of Takara Tomy Transformers Masterpiece MP-46 Blackwidow Blackarachnia

I don't like Blackarachnia. The character, the Sex-Bot design and of course, the execution of the MP Beast Mode. That said, I've had her pre-ordered since she was announced.

I intended from day one to fully support the Beast Wars MP line, regardless of those I don't care for. When the Season One line is complete, she will no doubt be at the back of my display, alongside Airazor (and potentially Scorponok). Out of sight, out of mind.

Roll on MP Tarantulas, the superior Spider-Bot.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:I don't like Blackarachnia. The character, the Sex-Bot design and of course, the execution of the MP Beast Mode. That said, I've had her pre-ordered since she was announced.

I intended from day one to fully support the Beast Wars MP line, regardless of those I don't care for. When the Season One line is complete, she will no doubt be at the back of my display, alongside Airazor (and potentially Scorponok). Out of sight, out of mind.

Roll on MP Tarantulas, the superior Spider-Bot.

I like this... all except the bit about Airazor.. I would LOVE an updated Airazor.. Doesn't even have to be a masterpiece one. We got a nicely updated Optimal Optimus, why not Airazor?

Kind of thought the crossbow/grapple part was going to have a bigger feature/grapple line and some how fit in her back. Still not keen on the pricing when compared to cheetor but think her chest and form looks great in robot mode, the legs dont seem to be able to support a raised body position in spider mode but I'll have to wait and admire other posters photos.
A Hexadecimal would look really nice next to blackarachnia but the chance of new reboot figures must be slim to none.

I like this... all except the bit about Airazor.. I would LOVE an updated Airazor.. Doesn't even have to be a masterpiece one. We got a nicely updated Optimal Optimus, why not Airazor?

What's you guys' problem with Airazor? Is it because of her genger? If it's because of her design then I would respectfully disagree as I thought hers and Blackarachnia's were good. The problem I had was her transmetal 2 form. Yuck

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:Weird how they got so much right with Primal, straight out of the gate.

william-james88 wrote:Not so sure about that. I still really dislike Cheetor's execution. Unlike Blackarachnia, Cheetor actually has extraneous kibble sticking out that look like tumours coming out f his legs. Blackarachnia at least tries to make it work with the overal shape.



Just my opinion of course.

william-james88 wrote:

Original image of Spider mode



Spider mode properly transformed in the back

You say that but Blackarachnia has:

(A) a backpack "flap" to barely disguise her bot mode legs

(B) a similar tumour situation to Cheetor, wherein her Bot Mode hands are literally hanging out the back. Her hands became her chelicerae/fangs in Beast Mode. The original toy did it, The Show did it. Why they couldn't (with some clever panel shifting) have done the same here, is just down to laziness and the current HasTak ethos: No matter the price of the figure, it only needs to look decent from the front. No need to make an all round design at all, like they used to...

Except that Blackarachnia’s show model looked almost nothing like the toy, and the transformation sequence inflated and mass shifted like a motherfucker, so no, it’s absolutely NOT laziness.

Ignore the haters Blackarachnia, you are looking better as we go!

I really respect both her and Dinobot's commitment to placing the beast mode kibble in the right spots, even if it is covered up to match the robot mode design.

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:Ignore the haters Blackarachnia, you are looking better as we go!

I really respect both her and Dinobot's commitment to placing the beast mode kibble in the right spots, even if it is covered up to match the robot mode design.

Right there with you, D-Max. I’m pretty excited for her to arrive from Amazon JP.

While I don’t think that anybody is ever going to say that her beast mode is perfect, I had never expected it to be. Especially not when considering how screen accurate her bot mode is. It’s pretty amazing they were able to engineer a half decent spiderbot out of her figure in the first place. From a few angles, it actually looks good. I’ve learned over the years that there are a lot of characters and designs that rely heavily on give and take. Sometimes little sacrifices have to be made here or there. Like with any Triple Changer that I can think of, something was sacrificed somewhere. Whether it’s a small one in each mode, or if one of the three really takes one for the team. At the end of the day, as much as I love displaying BW figures in Beast Mode a lot of times, I’d rather the sacrifice come from her Beast Mode. Especially when it comes to an MP figure.

Price point wise, I’m meh. Maybe it’s because I got her for cheaper on Amazon, and won’t have to pay shipping. Sure she costs more than Cheetor, but Cheetor was a couple years ago, and HasTak was able to get an easy repaint out of him. I’m not sure the same could be said for BA. Unless they do her silver deco from the floating island episodes, which I would absolutely buy. She also comes with some larger accessories, to justify the price. If you stop and think about it she doesn’t really cost that much more than Cheetor did when he was released.

I think you’d be hard pressed to find a figure or character that pleases everybody all of the time. But that’s what’s great about Transformers. There’s been so many figures, and there are still so many to come, that it doesn’t really matter in the long run. Maybe only if BA was somebody’s end all, beat all, and they were expecting some kind of plastic perfection. So far I haven’t seen that that’s the case for anyone.

Also, I cannot wait for an Airazor, as she’s probably my favorite BW character. I adore both her Season one figure, and her TM figure.

Got charged today for my Blackarchnia! she is on her way!

Amiami requested for payment!!! Yeah!

Images owner: kcmanhk

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?siteid=0&pub=5574891718&campid=5336631220&customid=&toolid=10001&mkevt=1&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FTakara-Tomy-Transformers-Masterpiece-MP-46-Blackwidow-Beast-Wars-Action-Figure%2F153734315070%3F

Images Owned by Webo's JakeToys

https://imageshack.com/i/plDYppZoj

Pictures Owned by 考研怪 de Baidu

http://tieba.baidu.com/p/6340502489?see_lz=1

Pictures Owned by phelpzer866 de Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4yj4Sqg6qT/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4yWFmcgyea/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4yWrIIgrBE/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4yYw2kgKii/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4yevqFgKZy/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4yj3sBgqjd/

...What is that show-accurate TM Tarantulas head? That is not the head of the original toy or its Japanese release.

The Japanese version is slightly different, replacing the "TARANTULAS" tampograph with "DESTRON" and the Predacon sigil, plus his robot mode eyes are painted as a single visor to match the show look better.
More information on Transmetal Tarantulas at TFU.info

https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Tarantulas_(BW)#Beast_Wars

Blackalekthor wrote:The Japanese version is slightly different, replacing the "TARANTULAS" tampograph with "DESTRON" and the Predacon sigil, plus his robot mode eyes are painted as a single visor to match the show look better.
More information on Transmetal Tarantulas at TFU.info

I know all that (especially since your post is just a word-for-word, case-for-case, copy-and-paste from TFWiki). That head seen in the pic above is the not the head that was on the Japanese toy. This is:

That's true, you'r right! looking at It closely... then do you think is a repaint or something? Maybe... And sorry for my source-lacking.

Blackalekthor wrote:That's true, you'r right! looking at It closely... then do you think is a repaint or something? Maybe...

Whatever it is, it's a completely different sculpt, like a custom-made head or something.

Just got a shipment notice from Amazon Japan! Soon baby, SOON!!!

My Spider Lady has been shipped by AmiAmi minutes ago!!!!

amazon Japan says arriving Wednesday!

Mine says Friday. If I see it before Monday I’ll be pleasantly surprised. *shudder* DHL sucks in my area.

There are many Blackarachnia's trapped at Cincinnati's DHL base, due to technical problems and weather conditions.

Dammit, that is where my shipping info stopped too. Guess she ain't gonna make it before I leave tomorrow for Thanksgiving weekend

Mine still hasnt shipped. WTF!!!!???!!!

Anyways while there are a few in hand pics on line, none are all that great and I would much rather news stuff from out community. So please, whoever reading this that gets it, what I am looking for are images with other Beast Wars MPs to get a sense of scale as well as shots of the beast mode transformed as the instructions state along with your suggestion on a better looking beast mode posture/transformation if you find one.

It seems YT reviewer and fellow Seibertronian Actar has a concise but comprehensive video on transforming her back into spider mode.



Having seen this (and how refreshingly simple the transformation looks all things considered) I think I'm convinced. She looks gorgeous.

Mine hasn't shipped yet either...

Pleasantly surprised to report that both MP-46 and MPM-9 were delivered this afternoon! Can’t wait to crack open these bad muthas!

So Masterpiece Blackarachnia is out, what do you all think? I personally think she is exactly as expected from the images. The robot mode is excellent, the paint work is probably the best I have ever seen in my life on a Transformer, but the whole abdomen area for the spider is indeed as it looked on the best pictures. The frustrating part is that not everything tabs in securely in that area. Also, the gold coming out under the abdomen when viewed from the front is the underside of her chest piece. The underside could have been painted black for a neater effect.

This is also the kind of toy that is much easier to transform into robot mode than alt mode. Everything in robot mode tabs in securely and you have a real good idea of where parts are meant to be while in spider mode, it's much looser. So Actar made a video to help us get the best spider mode possible.



A good thing about this release is that after a week out, there haven't been breakage reports or major issues.

The chinese release of the figure comes with a pin, you can find an image of that below (you can only get it through Robotkingdom.com).

Below you will also find many in hand images of the toy in both modes. The one showing the scale compared to other Beast Wars MPs is impressive. The images come to us from D-Max as well as Sponge and Qabiri who posted them on the TFW2005 boards.
































And for good measure, we also have another video review for you below from Primal Sabbath.

What's up with the scale? I don't remember Dinobot towering over Primal in the cartoon and I just recently re-watched the first two seasons.

aronjlove wrote:What's up with the scale? I don't remember Dinobot towering over Primal in the cartoon and I just recently re-watched the first two seasons.

He did, I am rewatching it now. The reason they seem the same height in some shots (like the first episode) is because Dinobot in alt mode is as tall as Primal (in either mode).

But in robot mode...

william-james88 wrote:

aronjlove wrote:What's up with the scale? I don't remember Dinobot towering over Primal in the cartoon and I just recently re-watched the first two seasons.

He did, I am rewatching it now. The reason they seem the same height in some shots (like the first episode) is because Dinobot in alt mode is as tall as Primal (in either mode).

But in robot mode...

Huh, you're right. I was completely oblivious to it but now that I know to look for it I can't not see it. In my defense, Dinobot does seem to spend more time in beast mode than not.

Dispatched...

aronjlove wrote:Huh, you're right. I was completely oblivious to it but now that I know to look for it I can't not see it. In my defense, Dinobot does seem to spend more time in beast mode than not.

Yeah, he certainly does, to the extent that his clone was only the beast version.

My copy of blackarachnia had a minor QA issue, that I was easily able to fix. her hips were very loose. theres a single piece that holds her hip joints in place. its held in by a pin on one end, and pegged into place on the other. the peged in side wasnt pushed in all the way. I put a dab of glue and forced it down into place, and hips were good and snug

the spider mode looks good in hand at most natural viewing angles, its when you look at it from the side that the illusion falls apart. took me forever to figure out her best looking spider on my own, by fiddling with her and ham-fisting things. so to her credit, shes a lot sturdier of a figure then the initially feels. in fact, her spider legs seem really loose at first, but then upon shaking her violently, her spider legs didn't budge an inch.

I'm not one who ever needs to look at instructions, but in this case I did because nothing was locking into place, except for her spider thorax into her abdomen. The instructions are useless, except for the one shot that shows how to snap on her anchor in spider mode. Seeing how the arms are positioned in that shot made things work perfectly for her spider legs. I do kinda like how the little tabs on the anchor form a stand so her entire arm section inst directly on the ground

honestly I love the figure, but putting her in spider mode is not the experience I have come to expect from masterpiece figures. It isnt just the not tabbing well together,, its that moving parts are being used to hold moving parts in place with nothing to keep them from moving, and some joints are tight enough that when you try to put them in place, you end up sliding all the other pieces back out.

so what would I change to improve this figure? honestly that's a really hard one. some locking tabs in her thighs or knees to help that whole area stay in place for one would be nice. but other then that, she needs more panels to cover the gaping holes in her sides, and cover her legs just a little bit more. but I don't know how you could do that without making her spider mode much bigger then it is supposed to be. maybe you could use the divot in the front of her abdomen (just below the gold of her chest that sticks out, and yes, the back side of that needed to be painted black) to snap in a separate panel piece. maybe said panels can unfold and make one of the 3 screen computer terminals you would see in the show. maybe have a fold out clip so you can clip it onto the web?

I've been messing around with Blackarachnia since Wednesday, and she is incredible. Really really good. The transformation is nice and simple in comparison to the other MPs, and i figured out her thorax, which has helped make her more fun.

The robot mode is perfect, I have nothing to complaint about. She is 110% perfect. Spider mode is pretty good, the thorax is a bit big but I like it, it I have no complaints.

The stand is really nice too, I'm really glad they included it

All are pretty impressive but just seem pretty pricey

Hmmm

This has the distinction of being the first MP figure I didn't need the instructions to transform. I'm unsure if the simplicity of it is a good or bad thing, given it is more expensive/overpriced than the more complex contemporaries within the BW MP line.

I barely took anything out of the box, to be fair. The instructions and "stand" remain taped in place and I can guarantee they won't be coming out of the packaging. I was pleased she was so tiny when in Beast Mode. The earlier promo pictures did little to reassure that the scale system this line began with would continue with the smallest Predacon of Season One. I'd have to see Inferno, Rattrap and Airazor to see if she truly scales properly, but so far it looks ok.

Bot Mode, other than the clean paint work, reminds me of Hot-Rodimus. Viewing from the side there is a hole going straight through the torso. Surely some concertina type hinge, just like with Hot-Rod's backpack, would have tidied the figure up and streamlined the final execution. An extra click 'in' with the backpack for example, would have made her a practically perfect show model. Her limbs, on the other hand, are as good as it gets. The articulation of her claws is quite impressive visually and her feet are a lot more stable than they appear.


HasTak's current ethos that Transformers generally only need to look good from the front is really becoming a worrying trend, when it reaches MP too. Alas some still throw money at anything they do, so it isn't likely to change.


As expected, Beast Mode isn't great. Those that defended the half-assed design of the abdomen prior, fail to appreciate the difference between the Masterpiece Line and the rest of HasTak's output. When other lines give you MP-5, the MP line should be giving you MP-36. To expect less, to lower your own expectations, is to turn a blind eye to what this entire collection is supposed to be. Essentially settling for an overpriced CHUG line shouldn't be the ideal of Masterpiece.

Ultimately, particularly for a character I didn't like, she is a decent figure. Certainly not the best Predacon of the three to date and if she wasn't mired by some very disappointing design conceits, I think I would have thought more of this release. Normally I keep New purchases on my desk for a while, to look at. MP Blackarachnia is already on my MP shelf, at the back, as predicted. I really hope lessons are learned for MP Tarantulas. 6/10

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:This has the distinction of being the first MP figure I didn't need the instructions to transform. I'm unsure if the simplicity of it is a good or bad thing, given it is more expensive/overpriced than the more complex contemporaries within the BW MP line.

I think it's a good thing. For a smaller figure, making it as complex as MP 36 might have lead to frustration. Simplicity can be as hard to engineer as complexity. You have to get to the mode with fewer steps so you have to figure out a way as a designer to make the most of the parts. there is a certain elegance to it, which is fitting for this character.

An extra click 'in' with the backpack for example, would have made her a practically perfect show model. Her limbs, on the other hand, are as good as it gets. The articulation of her claws is quite impressive visually and her feet are a lot more stable than they appear.

I am also happy with how stable the figure is, especially when you'd think she'd be super top heavy with those extra 8 limbs. That's where the real engineering comes in. Fans tend to use engineering and design interchangeably, but in truth anything linked to transformation is from a designer. The toy engineer is more about the composition of the toy, what plastics are used, for it to come together as a designer intended. And when looking at it from that aspect, the engineering is really impressive. The toy's composition backs up the great articulation so that many fun poses can be achieved.
And we do get an extra click on the back, at least I felt we did. The back piece with the hourglass symbol does clip adjacent to the hole at the base of the back of the neck. It hooks there and you can feel a "click". I find her super solid in robot mode.

HasTak's current ethos that Transformers generally only need to look good from the front is really becoming a worrying trend, when it reaches MP too. Alas some still throw money at anything they do, so it isn't likely to change.

She looks good form the back though. And unlike Hot Rodimus, there isn't some huge backpack and her silhouette isn't compromised. As I wrote above, I had fun posing her in many different ways and I never felt she looked off in the different angles I saw. Definitely not the same level as Rodimus to me, which only looks ok from the front.

Dunno what figure you are holding man, Blackarachnia tabs like a boss. Everything snuggles on in together and holds nicely for me. She is solid, and the simplicity is very refreshing after half hour conversions for the past several MPs I've gotten.

william-james88 wrote:

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:This has the distinction of being the first MP figure I didn't need the instructions to transform. I'm unsure if the simplicity of it is a good or bad thing, given it is more expensive/overpriced than the more complex contemporaries within the BW MP line.

I think it's a good thing. For a smaller figure, making it as complex as MP 36 might have lead to frustration. Simplicity can be as hard to engineer as complexity. You have to get to the mode with fewer steps so you have to figure out a way as a designer to make the most of the parts. there is a certain elegance to it, which is fitting for this character.

As I said before this is Masterpiece, not CHUG. Complexity is The Standard, because all of the best engineering and design techniques should be at play to make Both Forms as close to flawless as possible.

As an example, look to Universe Cyclonus (2008). An 11 y/o CHUG figure. Find the altmode or alternately, find the Bot Mode when Transformed. As opposed to MP Blackarachnia, look to the seams. The visibly hollow torso that doesn't exist in a far cheaper figure from over a decade ago.

An extra click 'in' with the backpack for example, would have made her a practically perfect show model. Her limbs, on the other hand, are as good as it gets. The articulation of her claws is quite impressive visually and her feet are a lot more stable than they appear.

william-james88 wrote:I am also happy with how stable the figure is, especially when you'd think she'd be super top heavy with those extra 8 limbs. That's where the real engineering comes in. Fans tend to use engineering and design interchangeably, but in truth anything linked to transformation is from a designer. The toy engineer is more about the composition of the toy, what plastics are used, for it to come together as a designer intended. And when looking at it from that aspect, the engineering is really impressive. The toy's composition backs up the great articulation so that many fun poses can be achieved.
And we do get an extra click on the back, at least I felt we did. The back piece with the hourglass symbol does clip adjacent to the hole at the base of the back of the neck. It hooks there and you can feel a "click". I find her super solid in robot mode.

The extra click I'm referring to would apply to the lower back hinge and could potentially have tidied up the hollow torso and streamlined her overall. As it stands she has a vague Quasimodo hump, due to her backpack, which didn't need to exist.

If she had ever been top heavy from the spider legs that would have been extremely bad design. The original figure wasn't compromised, so why should the MP figure?. Not even TM Rampage had weight issues assigned to his crab legs. So it isn't really anything noteworthy here.

Objectively, I do find her the weakest of the Beast Wars Masterpiece collection to date. They took some puzzling and unnecessary shortcuts. Subjective opinions may vary, but I think the deco is the only strong point to this figure.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:This has the distinction of being the first MP figure I didn't need the instructions to transform. I'm unsure if the simplicity of it is a good or bad thing, given it is more expensive/overpriced than the more complex contemporaries within the BW MP line.

I think it's a good thing. For a smaller figure, making it as complex as MP 36 might have lead to frustration. Simplicity can be as hard to engineer as complexity. You have to get to the mode with fewer steps so you have to figure out a way as a designer to make the most of the parts. there is a certain elegance to it, which is fitting for this character.

As I said before this is Masterpiece, not CHUG. Complexity is The Standard, because all of the best engineering and design techniques should be at play to make Both Forms as close to flawless as possible.

This was never established. Never. It's just a fan assumption, your opinion of what the line should be. MP 10, for instance is not a complex figure, definitely not as complex as ROTF Leader prime which was half the price and a wide release figure at standard retail. There are more MPs like that. Soundwave isn't complex either, neither is the first BB mold and Wheeljack is rather simple too. The difference between MP and Chug is budget alloted to the figure, and getting the best version out there. This is the best blackarachnia out there and it is of very high quality when you look at the paint and sculpt work. And Hasui himself (my favourite MP designer) talks as much about the intricacies and merit of a simple transformation as something with more steps. She is the weakest BW MP, I am not denying that. But saying that she sucks because she is simpler to transform than the others sounds like a load of croc to me. You compare her to a CHUG figure, but we have an actual CHUG Blackarachnia released by Takara. And the MP is vastly superior in both modes for show accuracy. This does not feel to me like a CHUG figure at all.

So definitely disagreeing with you on that point.

MP 10, for instance is not a complex figure, definitely not as complex as ROTF Leader prime which was half the price and a wide release figure at standard retail. There are more MPs like that. Soundwave isn't complex either, neither is the first BB mold and Wheeljack is rather simple too.

Not to mention the Datsuns, MP-12 and his mold-mates, Shockwave, and the v2 Seekers. Hell, I’d go as far as to say that the “complexity scale” is roughly 50/50 in the MP line.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:

MP 10, for instance is not a complex figure, definitely not as complex as ROTF Leader prime which was half the price and a wide release figure at standard retail. There are more MPs like that. Soundwave isn't complex either, neither is the first BB mold and Wheeljack is rather simple too.

Not to mention the Datsuns, MP-12 and his mold-mates, Shockwave, and the v2 Seekers. Hell, I’d go as far as to say that the “complexity scale” is roughly 50/50 in the MP line.

Oh man, Shockwave, can't believe I forgot that one. He even has partsforming.

I truly appreciate how simple she is. She is complex enough, but not over complicated. Sometimes, overcomplicated is bad, see a lot of 3P figures. And her sculpting and paint work is fantastic. She is wonderfully done, and i think she looks good from all angles in robot mode. Spider mode is ok, but again, robot mode is wonderful.

She earned the MP rank

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:I truly appreciate how simple she is. She is complex enough, but not over complicated. Sometimes, overcomplicated is bad, see a lot of 3P figures.

I mean jeezopeets just look at MP-44’s legs. As someone who loves MP-44, I hate transforming his legs.

Or even ROTF Leader Optimus.

Sass-Master

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:I truly appreciate how simple she is. She is complex enough, but not over complicated. Sometimes, overcomplicated is bad, see a lot of 3P figures. And her sculpting and paint work is fantastic. She is wonderfully done, and i think she looks good from all angles in robot mode. Spider mode is ok, but again, robot mode is wonderful.

She earned the MP rank

Complexity isn't just about engineering but design too. Not every Transformer needs to be MP Dinobot ala A "flower" that eventually folds in on itself to become the figure. But to call something part of the MASTERPIECE line, there should be enough little tricks and shifting panel innovations EG Cheetor's shins, that this figure couldn't be part of another line. That the standard should be a noticeable degree higher.

Your description of what is good about her could just as easily be talking about a Flame Toys model. To be a Masterpiece Transformer is more than that. Which BA simply isn't and in that respect, I don't think this figure has earned the MP rank. An MP figure shouldn't have overt hollow spaces, when fully transformed.

As I said before, I found her the weakest of the BW MP line to date, a 6/10. I wouldn't say she "sucks" because even though she is a character and a design I don't like, that is a bit too childish to me. I mean I dislike the Season One design of Megatron, but I wouldn't mark down the figure because of that. If anything, the quality of That figure did warm me to that design. Of which I am sure if Blackarachnia had been done to an equally high standard, that would have been the case again.

But as a just above average MP figure, I think this could easily have been sold as a well painted CHUG and no one would have taken issue with that.

I'm just gonna have to agree to disagree with you. She is no Generations figure, she is the step above needed for a MP. And I really don't understand what overt hollow spaces you are talking about. Mine is solid and there are no gaps or hollow spaces. She is tight.

to me, she ranks right up there with my MP-12 Sideswipe, equally as complex, equally as filled out, equally as fun. they are both MPs and good ones.