The Energon Pub

<double post>

Bowspearer wrote:On the contrary, I've already answered your question as to which group of characters we'll get next (considering that figures made from the same mould are released within a month or so of one another, who exactly comes first is splitting hairs). If you can't see what the answer is, then the fault lies with you (as it should be obvious just who we'd get if it's the Fuso and who we'd get if it's the Onebox).

You don't say? I'd never have guessed it would be Ironhide or Inferno. You don't need to be Einstein to work out Takara's business direction involving repaints.You want to know what else is obvious? The fact that you've got nothing and can't definitively give me the name of the next MP. I want you to commit and say "the next figure is going to be xxxxx ". Not if we get this mold first it's this, but if we get this it's that. And you know what that means, don't you?

Hi Guys,

My first post, so hopefully I'm making sense here

Takara have historically built some Masterpiece figures that can be "re-tooled" (I hope I used that word correctly), into other characters, with the first of which usually an anchor character i.e.:

1. Optimus Prime / Ultra Magnus
2. Starscream/ Skywarp / Thundercracker etc.
3. Lambor (aka Sideswipe) / Red Alert
4. Prowl / Bluestreak / Smokescreen(?)
5. Rumble / Frenzy & Laserbeak / Buzzsaw (to lesser degrees)

albeit it with slight modifications to achieve G1 cartoon accuracy.

In between there have been "one-off" figures like Grimlock, Rodimus Prime, Soundwave, Megatron that are unique in form.

Takara seem to be focusing on the rank and file "soldier" characters in the Autobot team with similar alt forms for now, and I'm hazarding a guess that unless we are due for a post 1986 Movie character, I'm guessing that the next Masterpiece with a new mould may either be:

1. Ironhide / Ratchet (Nissan Vanettes)
2. Inferno / Grapple (Mitsubishi Fuso Trucks)
3. Trailbreaker / Hoist (Toyota Hilux Trucks)

If they are "one-off" characters, I'd love a Galvatron, Cyclonus Wheeljack, Shockwave, or Hound.

From what's been presented so far, releasing a design that can spawn multiple figures usually means that Takara are working on some complex character that needs time? Well, we can hope?

Due to the shenanigans around Porsche and VW not wanting to release licenses for "war-toys", its hard to see a G1 accurate Jazz, Cliffjumper or Bumblebee coming up anytime soon. Has that been resolved?

Anyhows, just waiting for MP-17, MP-18 and MP-19 for now Still many more characters to come before the list runs out!

Back to work

In a recent interview Shogo Hasui stated that they "hope to release 2 larger and 2 smaller MPs this year as well." He also talks about wanting to make Ultra Magnus, Jazz, and Bruticus.

That's exciting news! Happy days ahead for G1 collectors.

• A new Megatron that is as good as the MP-10. Something that looks like Toei's Megatron.

• A charachter as likeable and iconic as Bumblebee deserves a Masterpiece.

• Wheeljack & Ironhide, great characters, lousy toys. They also deserve a Masterpiece.

I can't really choose, I'd like a Masterpiece representation of all the Transformers from the American cartoon! But that's not realistic. :)

Q: Did Takara ever do another production run of a sold-out Masterpiece figure in the past?

I saw that article...the designer said he wants to do as many as he can, which is cool....

I definitely think Jazz will be coming up in the next year sometime.


I know there is lots of fan debate over the licensing issues with the MP line. I am just really curious who Takara contacted and which ones are definitely NOT on the table for MP due to legality??? Period. End of Story. No Chance that it will happen.

I mean, I'm holding out for a Takara MP Shockwave...do the 3rd parties know something we don't that they went ahead with creating him?

No way they do 4 brand new designs before the year is out though...I think Soundwave gets repainted with 2 new cassettes. That would knock out 3 of them right there....

I vote for Jazz, cliffjumper, and shockwave.

And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I also want a Bumblebee

Sinnertwin wrote:

Bowspearer wrote:On the contrary, I've already answered your question as to which group of characters we'll get next (considering that figures made from the same mould are released within a month or so of one another, who exactly comes first is splitting hairs). If you can't see what the answer is, then the fault lies with you (as it should be obvious just who we'd get if it's the Fuso and who we'd get if it's the Onebox).

You don't say? I'd never have guessed it would be Ironhide or Inferno. You don't need to be Einstein to work out Takara's business direction involving repaints.You want to know what else is obvious? The fact that you've got nothing and can't definitively give me the name of the next MP. I want you to commit and say "the next figure is going to be xxxxx ". Not if we get this mold first it's this, but if we get this it's that. And you know what that means, don't you?

Really, I've got nothing yet by your own admission my reasoning is entirely in line with the business model Takara is using? The reason you are so quick to say "you've got nothing is because I wont play your little game and it's devastating to your prima facie blanket conflation of blind speculation with carefully considered predictions.

The fact is you were given 2 scenarios of which way it could go which you've chosen to disregard (I will however say that if it's based on mould reuses and past reissues/AECHenkei then Inferno is likely to hit before Grapple; Ironhide and Ratchet aren't so clear cut though). You can cry out "you've got nothing all you like" however it does not change the difference between there being a vast difference between blind speculation and carefully considered predictions.

Cyberpath wrote:
• A new Megatron that is as good as the MP-10. Something that looks like Toei's Megatron.

• A charachter as likeable and iconic as Bumblebee deserves a Masterpiece.

• Wheeljack & Ironhide, great characters, lousy toys. They also deserve a Masterpiece.

Wishlist: completed.

Need more Decepticons that are not jets

skywarp408 wrote:Need more Decepticons that are not jets

I completely agree! My shortlist for Decepticons would be Blitzwing and Astrotrain.

Overall my top list would be:
Jazz
Blitzwing
Astrotrain
Sunstreaker (no clue why they haven't done this guy yet)
Brawn

I'd like to see some non-G1 MPs. Armada, some of the original G2 molds (Laser Prime and Tank Megatron especially), RID2001...

I remember back when Bludgeon and Finback came out back in circa '89, and thought - WTF TFs?

But then I realized how awesome this concept would be for MPs - perhaps the articulation and detail would elevate them to the level of awesomeness they always deserved.

But these days, I totally want the originals I so casually dissed!

Black Hat wrote:I'd like to see some non-G1 MPs. Armada, some of the original G2 molds (Laser Prime and Tank Megatron especially), RID2001...

What, like Beast Wars? That'll never happ... oh, wait. Nevermind.

I'm still waiting to see more results from that MP Autobot leader poll. We got first place Star Saber and sixth place Optimus Primal (but only because of the Beast Wars anniversary), so what about the rest of the top five, or even top three? Armada Optimus Prime received nearly a quarter of the votes (24.3%), that should have sent a message to Takara Tomy. I sure hope they aren't waiting for the 20th anniversary in 2022. Then there's Super Ginrai with 18.6%, too bad they seem content with with the Legends retool instead. Maybe when they decide to do more Masterforce stuff? I think they need to do another poll once they've done more modern versions of the characters to see where Masterpiece interests still lay, mainly because I really want MP Super Ginrai and Super Fire Convoy someday.

Emerje