The Energon Pub

News Credits: 4877 · Sat Feb 08, 2020 9:34 pm

Wonder Festival 2020 is now underway in Japan with the displays finalized and image coming in from various twitter accounts and websites, like Dengeki Hobby. Below you can see Takara Tomy's Transformers Masterpiece MP-50 Arcee in her full mistransformed glory. You thought Hasbro was bad at this, well Takara aged her up to an old lady with her chest hanging far too low. It is not propped up properly, which also hides detail from her robot's abdominal area. The price is revealed on a tag next to her and it is 16000 yen, so around $145 USD. Since this does not appear to be an exclusive item, it will most probably be available at a 20-30% discount from Japanese retailers.

Let us know what you think of her and if you will be preordering her or not when the time comes.

Sat Feb 08, 2020 9:59 pm

Arcee looks great. I wonder if Blurr won't be too far along. I imagine it's easier to create the G1 season 3-4 bots/cons as part of the MP line since many of them had futuristic alt modes that don't require licensing.

News Credits: 1 · Sun Feb 09, 2020 12:27 am

Wow! These MP prices are getting insane. Easy pass.

Sun Feb 09, 2020 3:01 am

This is a tough one... my last 3 mps all had pieces break (tiny pieces that don’t make much of a diff). They’re so complicated I’m scared to ever transform them. The prices have sky rocketed. Might try and stretch for this.... but justifying an mp acquisition is getting harder.

Funny how they used two Tr figures and older springer in the display. Still would prefer them finish off the ark crew....

News Credits: 372 · Sun Feb 09, 2020 4:43 am

DigiBash / PhotoShop by @ikkilo --

News Credits: 25 · Sun Feb 09, 2020 7:13 am

Considering all the 3rd party figures have handled the backpack much better (though this one does fall into the current cartoon accuracy aesthetic much better), and are all about 40 to 50 bucks cheaper, this is an extremely easy pass.

Sun Feb 09, 2020 9:07 am

I can't help but feel that they've got the robot mode mistransformed. The chest plate looks like it should be sitting higher up, covering more of that white "collar." Sliding that panel upwards might also help to flatten out & lift those overly pointy, somewhat low-sitting robo-boobs (assuming there's a joint there - I can't see clearly enough to say one way or another).

Aside from that, the only other thing that really stands out for me is that backpack. Since it's one of Arcee's defining characteristics, it makes obvious sense to include it here. However, it does make me wonder just how top-heavy this will make her. I guess we'll have to wait for in-hand reports to see whether or not this will cause any robot mode stability issues...?

News Credits: 372 · Sun Feb 09, 2020 10:00 am

BumbleDouche wrote:I can't help but feel that they've got the robot mode mistransformed. The chest plate looks like it should be sitting higher up, covering more of that white "collar." Sliding that panel upwards might also help to flatten out & lift those overly pointy, somewhat low-sitting robo-boobs (assuming there's a joint there - I can't see clearly enough to say one way or another).

Aside from that, the only other thing that really stands out for me is that backpack. Since it's one of Arcee's defining characteristics, it makes obvious sense to include it here. However, it does make me wonder just how top-heavy this will make her. I guess we'll have to wait for in-hand reports to see whether or not this will cause any robot mode stability issues...?

Side profile:

Arcee didn't actually have a backpack, just those shoulder pieces. But it's understandable why the toy would considering she didn't really have visible car parts either, I guess.
It's curious that she's posed with a stand though.

I don't think the chest is mistransformed, see how the white stripe lines up with the rib-cage area in this picture.

For now it's a no from me. I'm done pre-ordering MPs for the foreseeable future.

News Credits: 3 · Sun Feb 09, 2020 12:25 pm

Meh. Having Legends Deluxe Arcee makes this MP an easy pass.

Sun Feb 09, 2020 1:31 pm

Hmmm, I'm afraid you may be right. As you pointed out, the continuity of that white stripe (especially when viewed from the side) suggests that Arcee might be on display exactly as Takara intended. If that turns out to be the case, this figure will be an easy pass for me. The weird, angular & pointy Lara Croft-esque boobs coupled with the granny-like low position of those boobs are seriously unappealing, to say the least.

News Credits: 6 · Sun Feb 09, 2020 1:53 pm

My cynicism tells me MP Arcee is only here because it is an easy mold for Redecos* and because Fembots haven't been as popular as they are right now.

*None of the other Movie characters really have all that much potential for mold reuse/retooling:

Arcee - Elita-1, Nightbird, Chromia, Nautica, Lancer
Galvatron - Grey or Purple
Kup - Electro/n
Blurr - N/A
Wheelie - Dion
Cyclonus - Strafe, Ferak
Scourge - Sweeps
Wreck-Gar - Scrapheap

News Credits: 241 · Sun Feb 09, 2020 2:08 pm

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:My cynicism tells me MP Arcee is only here because it is an easy mold for Redecos* and because Fembots haven't been as popular as they are right now.

*None of the other Movie characters really have all that much potential for mold reuse/retooling:

Arcee - Elita-1, Nightbird, Chromia, Nautica, Lancer
Galvatron - Grey or Purple
Kup - Electro/n
Blurr - N/A
Wheelie - Dion
Cyclonus - Strafe, Ferak
Scourge - Sweeps
Wreck-Gar - Scrapheap

Masterpiece is not Generations quite yet when it comes to "cheapening out" on redeco characters. Hell, outside of MP-10 they've been quite conservative, with normally only 1 pretool and a possible later + release each.

News Credits: 6 · Sun Feb 09, 2020 2:11 pm

True. But Arcee is the first one to potentially open that gate. As I said, Fembots are 'in' right now, HasTak wouldn't want to pass up any opportunity to capitalise on that.

Also forgot Springer on my list of Movie characters #-o

News Credits: 20 · Sun Feb 09, 2020 3:13 pm

From the looks of it, there is no way this figure can stand upright. Virtually all of Arcee's vehicle mode ends up on her back, and her tiny feet have no heel spurs. The fact that the display figure needed support isn't encouraging. I don't collect MPs, but for those who do, I hope Arcee comes with a stand.

News Credits: 22 · Mon Feb 10, 2020 2:57 am

Yeah, my impression also is that she's way too top-heavy, hence not being displayed standing freely. I do like how she looks color-wise, it's more accurate than the T30 version, but I also think the chest section should have been done better. At that price, it's an easy pass for me as well, I wouldn't put more than $60-$70 up for her.

MyFigureCollection.net collection · Mon Feb 10, 2020 3:30 am

I don't think it's fair to judge just yet, she's a long ways from being a finished product. She isn't even at the gray model stage yet, this is more like something they 3D printed and hand painted. There's a lot of imperfections in the plastic and parts just barely clinging on. There's still room for improvements.

I look at her and my only real thought is, "well, her backpack certainly is better than Hot Rod's."

That and I really need to get around to buying Ultra Magnus.

Emerje

News Credits: 656 · Mon Feb 10, 2020 3:45 pm

Emerje wrote:I don't think it's fair to judge just yet, she's a long ways from being a finished product. She isn't even at the gray model stage yet, this is more like something they 3D printed and hand painted. There's a lot of imperfections in the plastic and parts just barely clinging on. There's still room for improvements.

I hope so but have been burned before on that hope. She doesn't look great in a few key areas right now. Outside of the car mode this doesn't look any better than the MMC one I picked up last year.

News Credits: 174 · Mon Feb 10, 2020 4:12 pm

ScottyP wrote:
Emerje wrote:I don't think it's fair to judge just yet, she's a long ways from being a finished product. She isn't even at the gray model stage yet, this is more like something they 3D printed and hand painted. There's a lot of imperfections in the plastic and parts just barely clinging on. There's still room for improvements.
I hope so but have been burned before on that hope. She doesn't look great in a few key areas right now. Outside of the car mode this doesn't look any better than the MMC one I picked up last year.

To be fair, it was pointed out that her chest is mistransformed, beyond that, I got nothin'

News Credits: 20 · Mon Feb 10, 2020 5:17 pm

Hellscream9999 wrote:
ScottyP wrote:
Emerje wrote:I don't think it's fair to judge just yet, she's a long ways from being a finished product. She isn't even at the gray model stage yet, this is more like something they 3D printed and hand painted. There's a lot of imperfections in the plastic and parts just barely clinging on. There's still room for improvements.
I hope so but have been burned before on that hope. She doesn't look great in a few key areas right now. Outside of the car mode this doesn't look any better than the MMC one I picked up last year.

To be fair, it was pointed out that her chest is mistransformed, beyond that, I got nothin'

I agree that her plastic looks sub-par and will surely be better on the actual release, but is the figure's design likely to really change between now and production? I would doubt it, as Takara probably wouldn't make such a big reveal for a figure who's design isn't pretty much finalized (barring tweaks that would come with further testing, etc.). Building off your observation though, since this looks like a rough plastic prototype, could the eventual addition of some die-cast parts help to balance her a bit?

I'm also pretty sure she's transformed correctly. Otherwise, the white stripe on her chestplate and ribcage wouldn't line up, and molded detailing on her collar would get covered up.

This said, I don't want to sound like I'm hating on the figure, I think it look pretty good overall. I'm just concerned about her stability.

Another observation, she seems to have a pin for a hinge on the back of her head. Can the top of her head open to flip out a visor, perhaps? Or could this just be for face-swapping?

News Credits: 25 · Mon Feb 10, 2020 5:27 pm

Hellscream9999 wrote:
ScottyP wrote:
Emerje wrote:I don't think it's fair to judge just yet, she's a long ways from being a finished product. She isn't even at the gray model stage yet, this is more like something they 3D printed and hand painted. There's a lot of imperfections in the plastic and parts just barely clinging on. There's still room for improvements.
I hope so but have been burned before on that hope. She doesn't look great in a few key areas right now. Outside of the car mode this doesn't look any better than the MMC one I picked up last year.

To be fair, it was pointed out that her chest is mistransformed, beyond that, I got nothin'

Actually, that has been fairly well debunked. Her sides line up too perfectly for that to be a mistransformation.

News Credits: 6 · Mon Feb 10, 2020 5:30 pm

Well, given it isn't the finished production piece, it is all just wild speculation at this point anyway. Plenty of time in the design process for minor issues to be ironed out.

News Credits: 1350 · Mon Feb 10, 2020 5:33 pm

Seems strange that Takara would make a mistake like that, regarding the chest being lower on the figure then the model sheet they likely used when designing her. A first glance would have said that there was too much collar and neck showing. Unless of course the whole chest assembly (front and sides) is supposed to sit higher :-?

Then again, on the other hand, look at mp 45...

News Credits: 174 · Mon Feb 10, 2020 6:00 pm

Ironhidensh wrote:
Hellscream9999 wrote:
ScottyP wrote:
Emerje wrote:I don't think it's fair to judge just yet, she's a long ways from being a finished product. She isn't even at the gray model stage yet, this is more like something they 3D printed and hand painted. There's a lot of imperfections in the plastic and parts just barely clinging on. There's still room for improvements.
I hope so but have been burned before on that hope. She doesn't look great in a few key areas right now. Outside of the car mode this doesn't look any better than the MMC one I picked up last year.

To be fair, it was pointed out that her chest is mistransformed, beyond that, I got nothin'

Actually, that has been fairly well debunked. Her sides line up too perfectly for that to be a mistransformation.

Oh. Well that's a shame; I'd have considered getting her if she looked a bit better put together - I have a soft spot for really well designed fembots - but if this is how she's supposed to look, then I'll pass >:oP

News Credits: 4877 · Mon Feb 10, 2020 6:25 pm

Ironhidensh wrote:
Hellscream9999 wrote:
ScottyP wrote:
Emerje wrote:I don't think it's fair to judge just yet, she's a long ways from being a finished product. She isn't even at the gray model stage yet, this is more like something they 3D printed and hand painted. There's a lot of imperfections in the plastic and parts just barely clinging on. There's still room for improvements.
I hope so but have been burned before on that hope. She doesn't look great in a few key areas right now. Outside of the car mode this doesn't look any better than the MMC one I picked up last year.

To be fair, it was pointed out that her chest is mistransformed, beyond that, I got nothin'

Actually, that has been fairly well debunked. Her sides line up too perfectly for that to be a mistransformation.

But then her abdomen is no longer show accurate.

News Credits: 129 · Mon Feb 10, 2020 10:20 pm

I want to be on record stating that I think she is mistransformed. That chest piece will move up.

There should be a band of white between the two gray portions of her lower torso.

She will still look worse than other offerings of the character, but I don't think that torso issue will be the lingering mark.