The Energon Pub

I wouldn't call these Samurai combiner Autobots a "must have" but there is definitely a sweet "King of Braves" vibe I'm getting off them that I won't deny liking.

BeastProwl wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

El Duque wrote:

griftimus prime wrote:i really want these. but they are really expensive. hasbro wont be releasing them will they?

No word yet, but I'm sure the question will be asked at next month's BotCon.

I'm anticipating a simialr answer given about Voyager Breakdown.

Something like, "It's a cool figure and we'd love to release it, and we'll do what we can to see if we can find a way to release it, but we can't say anything for certain at this time, so... stay tuned."

Stay tuned to what exactly? Answers like this are just un acceptable, I mean, how hard can it be just to say "No, sorry, you'll have to import that particular figure/case of figures since were not japan and thus have limitations that they don't which makes absolutely no sense since we work together to design the figures and could probably have them made here in the US as well but don't just because."

You ever get the impression that Japanese TF's are aimed at adults? I kind of figure that would explain much: I wouldn't expect kids to have to fork $30 for deluxe figures, so it must be adults buying these... no?

Well, if the toys are for adults, the price limitations aren't there...

Seems like Hasbro gets stuck with severely limited price points that they HAVE TO sell their TF's at, and when a toy doesn't fit that model, they just dump it and leave it as Japan-only (if Prime Breakdown is any indication).

Of course, Japan has a huuuuuuge model-building industry that adults can participate in without shame. America tends to lump all of that into the "children" category, with the subsequent pricing repercussions.

I guess I'm saying that we might see more Japan-only toys if Hasbro would consider TF's to be more than a "children's toy".

MetroSUplex wrote:You ever get the impression that Japanese TF's are aimed at adults? I kind of figure that would explain much: I wouldn't expect kids to have to fork $30 for deluxe figures, so it must be adults buying these... no?

You're forgetting that a good chunk of the higher prices of Japanese figures for Western consumers is due to the4 cost of importing.

There's also the fact that TakaraTomy has a large amount of competition with other companies in the robot toy business over in Japan, and so have to give it their all with their toys to stand toe-to-toe with their rivals, and that includes when marketing their products to children.

Funny thing is that the Japanese audience for the Transformers brand is a much younger demographic than its Western audience. Toys like Transformers (i.e. - "living robots") are viewed as childish and kiddie concepts geared towards very young kids, while non-living piloted robots are viewed as mature and for older audiences in Japan. This is why many Japanese dubs of several North American Transformers cartoons were dumbed down and had more comedy bits and gags added into them, to make them more appealing to the wee ones over in Japan.

BeastProwl wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

El Duque wrote:

griftimus prime wrote:i really want these. but they are really expensive. hasbro wont be releasing them will they?

No word yet, but I'm sure the question will be asked at next month's BotCon.

I'm anticipating a simialr answer given about Voyager Breakdown.

Something like, "It's a cool figure and we'd love to release it, and we'll do what we can to see if we can find a way to release it, but we can't say anything for certain at this time, so... stay tuned."

Stay tuned to what exactly?

Seibertron of course! Its where ALL the best TF Announcements are! Or do you get your TF news from some *other* website?




You do... don't you! I knew it! TRAITOR!
[/sarcasm]

Sabrblade wrote:Frankly, I'm fine with the name "Gaidōra". It works well for it being a robot that turns into a Japanese monster (an Oni), as it reflects the cultural aspects of the folklore from which the monster originates.

That makes sense. Were I to have this as a stand-alone figure (or the Go! Predacons as a separate collective) I'd probably let him keep his name, but it just doesn't really fit in as a typical Transformers name.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:You're asking the wrong persons for making names Gaidōra is probably derived from "armor dragon", if you're looking for inspiration for a repurposing. Steelsaur maybe?

Armour dragon, eh? That's got potential. Steelsaur? Maybe you were right about asking the wrong persons.

Seriously though, thanks for the inspiration from both of you. I suppose at the end of the day you can't get a more appropriate name for this mold than Lazerback. I may give G04 that name, and then (hopefully) get a handful of Hasbro Lazerbacks and give them the collective name Gaidora. I suppose that'd make sense with what you said Sabrblade and Jack's comment in the show that they're creatures of myth.

Takara Tomy have provided a new image of their upcoming Transformers Go! campaign microns for the Autobot Samurai team. The figures are translucent redecos of Arms Microns from the previous line: Zan (blue L.P.) for Kenzan, Jin (yellow S.2) for Jinbu, and Gan (red Sou) for Ganou. These will be given away with the purchase of their respective Transformers Go! figures at select Japanese retailers. The trio is pictured below in their combined weapon from.

That combined mode still looks ugly as sin.

The microns look good though, hope they're not too expensive.

SWEET!

What is the name of this combined sword weapon?

Also, this is a slightly different configuration from the original release of these molds' Super Combo Weapon, the Leonid Tonfa.

Sabrblade wrote:SWEET!

What is the name of this combined sword weapon?

Also, this is a slightly different configuration from the original release of these molds' Super Combo Weapon, the Leonid Tonfa.

Sou and S.2 have just switched places, and the result looks more like a sword now. The name's a mouthfull though:

SanjouHaouKen

Thankfully I actually know those Kanji, and... you're not gonna like the translation. Accurately, it's "Sword of the Lord of the Third Power". Have fun trying to make it less clunky

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:SWEET!

What is the name of this combined sword weapon?

Also, this is a slightly different configuration from the original release of these molds' Super Combo Weapon, the Leonid Tonfa.

Sou and S.2 have just switched places, and the result looks more like a sword now. The name's a mouthfull though:

SanjouHaouKen

Thankfully I actually know those Kanji, and... you're not gonna like the translation. Accurately, it's "Sword of the Lord of the Third Power". Have fun trying to make it less clunky

Couldn't the 覇王 ("Haō") also be translated as something like "Supreme King, "High King", "Overlord", etc.?

I.E. - "Cubed Overlord Sword"?

Sabrblade wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:SWEET!

What is the name of this combined sword weapon?

Also, this is a slightly different configuration from the original release of these molds' Super Combo Weapon, the Leonid Tonfa.

Sou and S.2 have just switched places, and the result looks more like a sword now. The name's a mouthfull though:

SanjouHaouKen

Thankfully I actually know those Kanji, and... you're not gonna like the translation. Accurately, it's "Sword of the Lord of the Third Power". Have fun trying to make it less clunky

Couldn't the 覇王 ("Haō") also be translated as something like "Supreme King, "High King", "Overlord", etc.?

I.E. - "Cubed Overlord Sword"?

One could do that, however if I know my cultural history well enough, the 覇王 points to the Samurai's overall superior, aka his "Lord", given the Samurai theme of the first three guys. We should ask someone who's a Samurai specialist, Hydra maybe?

btw think we'll see another set for the Shinobi? Maybe one of the animal ones?

Personally, I would hold the sword the other way around to that the blade is facing outward.


I know the top micron is a repaint of Moon who came with Leo Prime, but just so I'm clear who are the other 2?

Edit: Nevermind, just realized they're Smokescreen and Swerves partners.

UltraPrimal wrote:Personally, I would hold the sword the other way around to that the blade is facing outward.


I know the top micron is a repaint of Moon who came with Leo Prime, but just so I'm clear who are the other 2?

Edit: Nevermind, just realized they're Smokescreen and Swerves partners.

You can call the Smokescreen one "Devcon", as he's modeled after him. I don't know about the third tho.

Reminds me of Albegas (Voltron II)...cool!

Personally I don't care for this but one has to admit as a combiner its a hell of a lot better than that POS FOC Bruticus HasTak dumped on us.

Nemesis Destron wrote:Personally I don't care for this but one has to admit as a combiner its a hell of a lot better than that POS FOC Devastator HasTak dumped on us.

Devastator? You mean Bruticus?

I kinda like Bruticus, actually. Granted it's got its flaws, but considering how they even took the time to enable Scramble City-style combining, it's decent.

Midnight_Fox wrote:That combined mode still looks ugly as sin.

The microns look good though, hope they're not too expensive.

I don't think the combined mode would be too bad if you could leave out the middle bot. It just seems to throw off the proportions.

Clear microns don't interest me though.

Mindmaster wrote:

Nemesis Destron wrote:Personally I don't care for this but one has to admit as a combiner its a hell of a lot better than that POS FOC Devastator HasTak dumped on us.

Devastator? You mean Bruticus?

I kinda like Bruticus, actually. Granted it's got its flaws, but considering how they even took the time to enable Scramble City-style combining, it's decent.

Whoa thanks for that check!

I'm getting a Rail Racer vibe from this combiner.

This is a good thing.

For those curious, the combiner's name is Go-Kenzan.

Sabrblade wrote:...the combiner's name is Go-Kenzan.

He keeps asking "Where?" though, what do I tell him?

rpetras wrote:Clear microns don't interest me though.

They do interest me! I wonder if they'll come as a kit, or already assembled?