The Energon Pub

News Credits: 972 · Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:12 pm

It's March 13th, and so the Transformers Henkai figures have been released across Japan. The Henkai figures are re-releases of the "Classics" toys released in North America in 2006/07, with modified paint schemes and chromed parts.

The first wave of figures consist of:
C01-Convoy (Optimus Prime)
C02-Bumble (Bumblebee)
C03-Grimlock
C04-Rijie (Mirage)
D01-Megatron
D02-Starscream

Check out the TakaraTomy website for more details and images.

News Credits: 3 · Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:17 pm

Does this mean Action HQ's going to be shipping my Megatron soon? Cause I thought he wouldn't be turning up in my post office till some time in April...

News Credits: 8 · Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:39 pm

Wonder if Takara will elaborate the line with more figures than the US release?

Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:10 pm

Liege Evilmus wrote:Wonder if Takara will elaborate the line with more figures than the US release?

they'll probably continue by releasing universe/classics 2.0 if anything. it'd be sweet, some japan exclusive classics (only if i could get my hands on them)

News Credits: 387 · Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:11 pm

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think its Henkei not Henkai.

News Credits: 4 · Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:43 pm

Nekoman wrote:Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think its Henkei not Henkai.

Maybe he was thinking on Hentai, you know, he he

News Credits: 5 · Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:10 pm

capellamusic wrote:
Nekoman wrote:Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think its Henkei not Henkai.

Maybe he was thinking on Hentai, you know, he he

Transformers Hentai? Been there, done that. *coughkissplaycough*

Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:27 pm

i'm just gonna act like i didn't read the last few posts.

does anyone know where i could get like comparison pics? or if not a list of differences between the japanese and us releases?

BBTS gives very vague descriptions regarding the differences, and i missed out on most of the good classics.

thanks!!!!

News Credits: 3 · Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:49 pm

JustinRODimus wrote:does anyone know where i could get like comparison pics? or if not a list of differences between the japanese and us releases?

BBTS gives very vague descriptions regarding the differences, and i missed out on most of the good classics.

thanks!!!!

Except for Megatron and Astrotrain (whose deco are more along the lines of the G1 show versions), I don't think there's much difference between Henkai and Classics versions. TakaraTomy's versions have some chrome deco added in, but beyond that...Missing "most of the good classics" or wanting the Japanese variant decos of Megatron and Astrotrain are the only reason to be bothered with Henkai IMO. Worth buying if you missed Classics to begin with, but not if you didn't.

News Credits: 409 · Thu Mar 13, 2008 2:00 am

Here are some in package shots that I took today. I didn't purchase Grimlock, which is why I don't have pictures.

C01-Convoy (Optimus Prime)

C02-Bumble (Bumblebee)

C04-Rijie (Mirage)

D01-Megatron

D02-Starscream

Thu Mar 13, 2008 2:03 am

I like these all have symbols painted on and not some crappy half assed rub signs. I want that Megatron so bad, Astrotrain will be the only one I get probably.

Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:43 pm

I'm not even going to bother restating how much I hate the looks of these tacky looking redecos.

News Credits: 1 · Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:42 pm

This might be going off topic slightly but bear with me......

One of the things I like about collecting is that my collection is unique (probably - I've never seen a collection which features every figure I own), when someone posts pictures of their collection it's interesting to see the figures they've got and you haven't and vice versa.

The thing about Classics is that there's almost no variety in peoples collections - the main distinction is whether they have the Botcon exclusives or not. I hope between the Japanese versions, the Cliffjumper/Magnus upgrades, this years Botcon figures and the upcoming Classics 2.0/Universe we get a bit more variation in collections.

News Credits: 1 · Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:54 am

These look nice, although I prefer Hasbro's Optimus and Mirage. TakaraTomy's Megatron is a great improvement, though.

Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:34 am

Very happy to know that I have Henkai megatron and the exclusive minicon skyglide on the way to me!!! :grin:

Ive got wedgeshape torquegain and noise effect so he will be in good company.

Shame it doesnt seem the minicons have been picked up in any of the continueing lines - no new molds announced for universe or animated :sad:

Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:13 am

It may be off topic, but why is Mirage always transcribed to Rijie from the Japanese りじぇ? His Japanese name comes from Ligier (another possible transcription of りじぇ).
And Ligier was/is a company producing racing cars. Rijie is nothing.

Nobody calls Optimus Prime Konboi afterall, which would be a possible (and more similar to the way Mirage is transcribed) transcription of the Japanese characters.

News Credits: 3 · Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:51 pm

Got my shipping notice for Henkei Megatron from BBTS today. Can't wait fo him to arrive and I am glad that I never bit on the US Nerf colors version. Sure I may have to pay more but it looks like it'll be worth it, plus that Japanese packaging will make a nice little rare (different) piece in my collection. Megs and Astrotrain were the only US classics I never picked up and I should have Astrotrain in the next couple of months and my Classics collection will be complete...until Universe comes out in August

Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:49 pm

They do not look half-bad. I am not too keen on the Megatron alt mode though...Looks too much like a Nerf rocket launcher to me! Starscream looks decent, though....I might consider this line...I would like to hear peoples' imput once they get these in their possession all the same!

News Credits: 409 · Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:24 pm

The one nice thing about the Henkei packaging is that you can remove the figures without destroying the package. Even the deluxe sized figures that are carded. Takara packaged them in a way so that the entire package remains intact.

It's a nice feature for the people who like to save the boxes or put the figures back in the boxes for storage.

News Credits: 7 · Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:33 pm

I just got Megatron, Starscream, and Bumblebee. All that I have to say is "wow." Pictures do not do these figures justice. The colors look so good in person, and that's just from seeing them while still in their packages, now I have to go open them!