The Energon Pub

News Credits: 462 · Tue Mar 19, 2019 11:09 am

News Credits: 11 · Tue Mar 19, 2019 11:53 am

I think, for me, this will be an easy pass. Just like the BW MP line, just like MP Megatron, and (sadly, as I'd kind of like to have him) Grapple. And all the repaints. I've had / have most of the MP molds, but my budget isn't what it used to be, and I've had to be pretty discerning with my purchases. Sadly, this isn't something that I need. I ENJOY everything about the first MP Bee - the colors, the transformation, the poseability, the accessories (everything except the face it came with, which I feel is a little too pudgy. The Battlemask is a permanent face on mine), and I wholly enjoy it all. This new Bee doesn't look like it would be a whole lot of fun to have. Sure the chibi aspect of the vehicle is cool, as is the poseablity, but overall? Sorry Takara. No matter how you paint this, I won't be jumping for it.

Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:10 pm

carytheone wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:Going by the very badly English-translated auto-generated closed captions, one of things that the designer aimed to do with this figure was to enable it to hold the gun with both hands together.
Mission accomplished, but at what cost?

Worse and worse. The original MP Bumblebee looks so much better in comparison.

News Credits: 65 · Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:06 pm

carytheone wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:Going by the very badly English-translated auto-generated closed captions, one of things that the designer aimed to do with this figure was to enable it to hold the gun with both hands together.
Mission accomplished, but at what cost?

"Masterpiece Bumblebee must be able to double grip his laser gun, no matter the cost!"

In all seriousness, I want to like Masterpiece Bumblebee 2.0, and when you look at it the right way, it's an amazing cartoon likeness in both modes. I don't even really mind the backpack on robot mode at all (I almost never mind big backpacks on my Transformers), but those feet are horrendous! They just kill it for me. The kibble on the heels is noticeable no matter the angle you view it from, and the folded up bits laid bare on the insides of the feet are extremely distracting. I feel like I could forgive the feet if at least ONE of the problems, either the heels or the inner sides of the feet, were fixed, but both being so problematic is just too much.

News Credits: 131 · Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:10 pm

Wolfman Jake wrote:In all seriousness, I want to like Masterpiece Bumblebee 2.0, and when you look at it the right way, it's an amazing cartoon likeness in both modes. I don't even really mind the backpack on robot mode at all (I almost never mind big backpacks on my Transformers), but those feet are horrendous! They just kill it for me. The kibble on the heels is noticeable no matter the angle you view it from, and the folded up bits laid bare on the insides of the feet are extremely distracting. I feel like I could forgive the feet if at least ONE of the problems, either the heels or the inner sides of the feet, were fixed, but both being so problematic is just too much.

I also want to like MP45 because I really like the alt mode, but it's just too many little cons that add up to a big no thank you.

News Credits: 41 · Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:17 pm

carytheone wrote:... it's just too many little cons that add up to a big no thank you.

CONS! They ruin everything!

News Credits: 11 · Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:33 pm

Cobotron wrote:
carytheone wrote:... it's just too many little cons that add up to a big no thank you.
CONS! They ruin everything!

Especially little ones, as Perceptor would tell ya.

News Credits: 10 · Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:43 pm

Together, MP-45 looks much more cartoon-accurate. If you're into that sort of thing.

News Credits: 174 · Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:43 pm

Nexus Knight wrote:I have to say... I kinda feel bad for the creators of MP-45. It feels like they tried to make something that would work with a G1 aesthetic, given the limitations they no doubt had. Then, with the final product seen, it gets a lot of (understandably valid) backlash, which no doubt has to hurt given the MP's line general success when it comes to design and engineering.

I totally get wanting to feel bad for them I want to too, it is a well designed toy, just not a very good rendition of bb; at the end of the day, I can't feel bad for them, because someone chose to make all these sacrifices for a specific pose, and you have to take any criticism that comes along with it;

Now we wait for the inevitable $300 hotrod with an actual car taped to his back :lol:

News Credits: 101 · Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:55 pm

I don't mind his head. The backpack is a mess and is disappointing for a MP figure. The feet that are just layers of scraps is insulting. And finally, that 120$US price seal the deal in the NOPE category.

News Credits: 25 · Tue Mar 19, 2019 6:21 pm

You know, if his price was reasonable, and more in line with the original MP Bee and MPM figures, I'd be a bit more forgiving of his flaws.

That premium price it has demands perfection, and this figure falls far, far short of that.

News Credits: 101 · Tue Mar 19, 2019 6:51 pm

Ironhidensh wrote:That premium price it has demands perfection, and this figure falls far, far short of that.

Definitely the main issue here.

News Credits: 4 · Tue Mar 19, 2019 8:23 pm

Its like going from a teenager face to a pre-teen

It's actually kind of creepy! Pass for me!

Tue Mar 19, 2019 8:59 pm

I can overlook a lot about MP-45, but it's the face that destroys it for me. The cartoon accuracy is a step backwards for me aesthetically. After all the updated comic artwork from Dreamwave and IDW, I can't pretend that the old face isn't silly looking.

When Classics/Henkei BB came out in 2006, I felt like HasTak nailed what a modern updated look to his face should be. Sure the "goatee" is a little cheeky, but it works. He has that "Yeah, I'm small, but I'm confident" look that I really like. MP-21's face has a similar feel in kind of a weirdly shaped head. But MP-45 doesn't even really take itself seriously. It has more of a "golly gee whiz, isn't Earth amazing?" quality that I can't look at and feel like that's a product I want. Not when you put him next to MP Sideswipe or MP Prowl, and they look like they'd kick him out of the room, saying, "not now B, the big boys are talking."

I dunno... to each his own, but for me personally, this slavish devotion to cartoon accuracy is really killing the line. I would much rather have the ultimate representation of the toy than the ultimate representation of the cartoon. That's why I still prefer MP-10 over MP-44.

Edit: Found this link, and found it super interesting. Kind of confirms my bias: http://www.tfarchive.com/toys/reference ... _heads.php

MyFigureCollection.net collection · Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:55 pm

See, for me the head is my favorite part, just wish they hadn't cut grooves into his face and made it more polygonal.

Emerje

News Credits: 131 · Wed Mar 20, 2019 6:57 am

procyon wrote:Found this link, and found it super interesting. Kind of confirms my bias: http://www.tfarchive.com/toys/reference ... _heads.php

Wow that is a lot of head.

After the price, the head is the thing dislike the most. Seems too big for his body, throws off the proportions and just looks doofy.

The rest of MP45 doesn't look MP quality but I can accept it, just not for $120. Reminds me of those 3P figures that just can't quite get it right, the ones that can eventually be picked up for under $30.

News Credits: 1350 · Wed Mar 20, 2019 7:01 am

This is what happens when you stick to the rigid cartoon ascetic. What might look right in 2D might not work in 3D. The proportions are pretty spot on so would work well in a group shot of all the mps in this style (G1 toon accuracy in all modes)

Wed Mar 20, 2019 10:44 am

carytheone wrote:After the price, the head is the thing dislike the most. Seems too big for his body, throws off the proportions and just looks doofy.

All six of the original Mini Autobots were designed to look like children in the cartoon. They all have tiny bodies and large heads. Gears and Brawn are each around six and a half heads tall, which are roughly the body proportions of a five-year-old boy. Bumblebee is closer to seven heads tall, which is closer to the body proportions of a ten-year-old child.

Optimus Prime is more like ten heads tall, which is closer to the classic "heroic" proportions for illustrated characters.

News Credits: 332 · Wed Mar 20, 2019 4:16 pm

Does anybody know how the fans in Japan or reacting to this figure, are they giving Takara any grief directly?

News Credits: 3642 · Wed Mar 20, 2019 4:35 pm

chuckdawg1999 wrote:Does anybody know how the fans in Japan or reacting to this figure, are they giving Takara any grief directly?

I'd be interested to know this as well. MP-45 Bumblebee just doesn't do it for me. But I've been complaining about Takara Tomy's path toward Masterpiece Transformers having a more "animated" look for quite some time. This is not what I want. I'd like to go back to the toy/cartoon/real world hybrid that we had for the longest time with this line.

News Credits: 241 · Wed Mar 20, 2019 5:25 pm

carytheone wrote:
procyon wrote:Found this link, and found it super interesting. Kind of confirms my bias: http://www.tfarchive.com/toys/reference ... _heads.php
Wow that is a lot of head.

Worth noting is that even tho the Classic Pretender is supposed to be Bumblebee, the head sculpt is clearly based on Cliffjumper

Would be pretty funny if TakaraTomy sneaked that one in somewhere.

News Credits: 3642 · Wed Mar 20, 2019 5:47 pm

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
carytheone wrote:
procyon wrote:Found this link, and found it super interesting. Kind of confirms my bias: http://www.tfarchive.com/toys/reference ... _heads.php
Wow that is a lot of head.

Worth noting is that even tho the Classic Pretender is supposed to be Bumblebee, the head sculpt is clearly based on Cliffjumper Would be pretty funny if TakaraTomy sneaked that one in somewhere.

Pretender Bumblebee as Cliffjumper would have been an amazing BotCon exclusive back in the day. Toss in Pretender Skywarp and Pretender Thundercracker along with Pretender Ricochet and that would have made for a cool set.

News Credits: 332 · Wed Mar 20, 2019 5:52 pm

Seibertron wrote:
chuckdawg1999 wrote:Does anybody know how the fans in Japan or reacting to this figure, are they giving Takara any grief directly?

I'd be interested to know this as well. MP-45 Bumblebee just doesn't do it for me. But I've been complaining about Takara Tomy's path toward Masterpiece Transformers having a more "animated" look for quite some time. This is not what I want. I'd like to go back to the toy/cartoon/real world hybrid that we had for the longest time with this line.

I'll be honest, I'm getting this figure anyway because I still have hope that it'll be so much better in hand but I'm really starting to have a hard time with it, and it's squarely due to the feet.

MyFigureCollection.net collection · Wed Mar 20, 2019 9:46 pm

Seibertron wrote:
JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
carytheone wrote:
procyon wrote:Found this link, and found it super interesting. Kind of confirms my bias: http://www.tfarchive.com/toys/reference ... _heads.php
Wow that is a lot of head.

Worth noting is that even tho the Classic Pretender is supposed to be Bumblebee, the head sculpt is clearly based on Cliffjumper Would be pretty funny if TakaraTomy sneaked that one in somewhere.

Pretender Bumblebee as Cliffjumper would have been an amazing BotCon exclusive back in the day. Toss in Pretender Skywarp and Pretender Thundercracker along with Pretender Ricochet and that would have made for a cool set.

I bought one of these KOs at a dollar store many years ago.

If I had thought about it at the time I should have also bought the yellow version with the red head and done some swapping and painting to get proper colors. Oh well.

Emerje

News Credits: 65 · Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:26 pm

chuckdawg1999 wrote:
Seibertron wrote:
chuckdawg1999 wrote:Does anybody know how the fans in Japan or reacting to this figure, are they giving Takara any grief directly?

I'd be interested to know this as well. MP-45 Bumblebee just doesn't do it for me. But I've been complaining about Takara Tomy's path toward Masterpiece Transformers having a more "animated" look for quite some time. This is not what I want. I'd like to go back to the toy/cartoon/real world hybrid that we had for the longest time with this line.

I'll be honest, I'm getting this figure anyway because I still have hope that it'll be so much better in hand but I'm really starting to have a hard time with it, and it's squarely due to the feet.

Exactly. The proportions are understandable looking at the animation model, and the backpack is forgivable since it's a conceit of so many other Transformers toys, but those feet are just awful eyesores all the way around.