The Energon Pub

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:As I've always said, I don't think gender should exist among Giant Alien Robots, especially oversexualized designs. Yet whenever I hear people vehemently champion Fembots, this is the type of thing I assume they want. The same people that gave MP Blackarachnia's shockingly mediocre Beast Mode a pass because the Bot Mode Robo Boobs looked good.

Speaking as someone who thinks MP Blackarachnia looks great (though I still need to get her...) I forgave the somewhat questionable spider mode because her show transformation is utterly impossible, and the fact it even resembles a spider at all with a robot mode that accurate, good looking, poseable and kibble free is astonishing. And also because Blackarachnia is one of my favourite Transformers characters ever.

Honestly, I really don't think this Arcee, for all its flaws, is majorly oversexualized. 100% accurate? No, but then that's impossible with a transforming Arcee. Takes a few creative liberties? Yes, but with the exception of the chest I think they're mostly improvements to the show model.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:The new Masterpiece mantra: "Show-accurate no matter what! ...Unless the designer is horny."

I thought that was the whole point of the MP Fembots? Since Blackarachnia at least. They are selling these things to the same fans that buy stuff like this:

They didn't change Blackarachnia's design to make her MP look more sexy than how her cartoon model looked, since her cartoon model was already that sexy.

Arcee, meanwhile, has had her MP design altered to be more "saggy" than how her cartoon model looked, when her Thrilling 30 toy, her upcoming Earthrise toy, and even her upcoming Cyberverse Deluxe toy, all do right by how her chest is supposed to look (when the Thrilling 30 toy and the MP were even designed by the same man!).

Sabrblade wrote:

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:The new Masterpiece mantra: "Show-accurate no matter what! ...Unless the designer is horny."

I thought that was the whole point of the MP Fembots? Since Blackarachnia at least. They are selling these things to the same fans that buy stuff like this:

They didn't change Blackarachnia's design to make her MP look more sexy than how her cartoon model looked, since her cartoon model was already that sexy.

Arcee, meanwhile, has had her MP design altered to be more "saggy" than how her cartoon model looked, when her Thrilling 30 toy, her upcoming Earthrise toy, and even her upcoming Cyberverse Deluxe toy, all do right by how her chest is supposed to look (when the Thrilling 30 toy and the MP were even designed by the same man!).

Why do you think they went for the saggy look? What I also dislike is how they botched her midsection.

william-james88 wrote:Why do you think they went for the saggy look?

Well, we are talking about the same man who wrote and drew Kiss Players.

Sabrblade wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Why do you think they went for the saggy look?

Well, we are talking about the same man who wrote and drew Kiss Players.

I dont get it, what is the sexual appeal with this arcee? I dont see how the design is sexier. I just see it as some sort of design compromise for other stuff we dont know about.

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Why do you think they went for the saggy look?

Well, we are talking about the same man who wrote and drew Kiss Players.

I dont get it, what is the sexual appeal with this arcee? I dont see how the design is sexier. I just see it as some sort of design compromise for other stuff we dont know about.

Her "boob line", so to speak, has been shifted downward to more realistically match the vertical position of where breasts would normally be found on the body of a human woman.

This line was positioned higher than that position on the torso of Arcee's cartoon model (and other toys based on it), but has been shifted southward on the MP, deviating from how her chest is "supposed" to look to, well, put the part of her chest where her breasts would be if she was a human in the position of her torso where breasts would be found on a female human body.

Compare the top pic (the actual MP) with the bottom one (a modified pic showing how her chest ought to be positioned higher):

The bottom one does look better like, the collar seems to be the right size.

Yeah, I think it's more the amount of collar shown plus the angle that the upper part of the chest juts out at that make this look bad, rather than "boobs placed realistically". That plate could be in the same spot if those 2 bits were fixed....or just move the plate up.

EITHER WAY, I would be totally on board with this figure if it were $70, maybe $90. Just like with Hound, I think it generally looks great and I'd be willing to forgive some design.... laziness...if it were sold for a reasonable price. And given the recent QC issues combined with the thinner plastic pieces on this figure, this seems like a losing proposition.

Also, for $145, you're telling me, the same toy line that gave us the disappearing ladder on Inferno can't give us a better looking backpack on Arcee? Oof....

Inferno is a big boxy Transformer though, not a small sports car Transformer with a small torso and humanlike limbs and proportions. There's less room to stash things. Of course, if the designers could get over their idiotic obsession with hiding the tires in robot mode, she could have had the car aft be be made in part from her hips like the Thrilling 30 toy did.

It's a decent-looking figure, I just hate it that the chest piece ruins it. For me it does, anyway.

Rodimus Prime wrote:It's a decent-looking figure, I just hate it that the chest piece ruins it. For me it does, anyway.

You're not alone, it looks off and like she's wearing a box. The cars nice though.

Greetings Seibertronians! Fellow Seibertron user, Cyberpath, has informed us that the snakas blog has gotten ahold of new promotional pictures of the forthcoming Masterpiece Arcee! These pictures show of both the bot and vehicle modes. According to to the blog post these seem to originate from Thailand, as part of promotional images for the toy. We can see her using some of her accessories, like her pistols, blast effects and her wheel shredder that was used in the movie, fending off the junkions.

Check out the pictures below!







Have these pictures changed your mind about this figure? Or have you already made your mind up? Let us know in the Energon Pub and stay tuned to Seibertron for all the latest news and reviews!

Rodimus Prime wrote:It's a decent-looking figure, I just hate it that the chest piece ruins it. For me it does, anyway.

It ruins it for me too.
Its not just the chest but it's relation to everything around it. It just doesn't seem like a cohesive design.

Welp… Arcee is trying her best.

But her best picture is the one below:




Azalea still reign supreme.

Takaras just horny at this point. Giving up an otherwise amazing looking figure for the sake of the Tiddies. I wonder how long it’ll be before they’res a boob upgrade kit.

Nah but seriously this looks really good. There are issues like the backpack going out a little further then the Season 3, 4 and Headmasters model, I’m not seeing her pistol from the end of the movie in the right colours If its there at all, the Wheel stop she used on the Junkion came from her wheel and not from the front like the MP and the chest is Glaring and terrible. But the alt mode is perfect. Other then the chest it’s a spitting image of the Model, She has a great ass and the holster and Rifle are interesting accessories to include. I’ll wait for more pics and the Pre-Order to pop up at EB Games AUS. I may pick it up but I don’t really wanna pick up the Targetmaster Hot Rod, Ultra Magnus or any 3P MP Wreck Gar, Springer, Wheelie or Blurr as companion pieces. I’m just happy with CHUG scale Takara versions of them and any characters they make into Mps should be able to stand by themselves

Prime Target wrote:Takaras just horny at this point. Giving up an otherwise amazing looking figure for the sake of the Tiddies. I wonder how long it’ll be before they’res a boob upgrade kit.

Oh hell naw!
This Arcee look like a 55yo cougar desperate for attention. The opposite of sexy.

For "sexy" let's just drop all pretences and go for Nicee.

The backpack is annoying, but I think I like it better then them just removing half of her car mode and using it as a shield or skateboard like with the earthrise one. But yeah, her chest plate really does look pretty terrible. It doesn't mesh with the rest of the design very well. I mentioned before, he reminds me of someone wearing a cardboard box as a bra.

Man, all I ever wanted for years was a MP Arcee... but not quite like this? The proportions just seem off, the backpack certainly doesn't help. She just seems to lack the weight (her AND her Earthrise counterpart) that made Arcee a formidable warrior and not the secretary that she was in Headmasters. It seems we're either stuck with an Arcee with an oversized backpack, or an Arcee that requires partsforming. I think for now I'll stick with her Thrilling 30 Gen toy, which I think is the best toy representation of Arcee (not including the amazing Animated and Prime toys. And the upcoming Cyberverse toy isn't too bad either).

If anything, it seems like HasTak is testing the waters with futuristic vehicle designs and decided to use Arcee as the experiment for this new design choice for other post-movie characters. It goes hand-in-hand with the Masterpiece line eschewing accurate vehicles for deathly accurate cartoon models, a curse we especially see in the new Bumblebee (I mean... that face). So let's hope that the inevitable upcoming MP Kup, Springer, Blurr, etc don't sacrifice too much in order to look like a poorly drawn 80s cartoon character.

Rodimus Knight wrote:The backpack is annoying, but I think I like it better then them just removing half of her car mode and using it as a shield or skateboard like with the earthrise one. But yeah, her chest plate really does look pretty terrible. It doesn't mesh with the rest of the design very well. I mentioned before, he reminds me of someone wearing a cardboard box as a bra.

This may be a typo, but somehow, it fit. :/

On my end, I can tolerate the "sagging" chest. But that backpack look like a cancerous growth. Ocular Max Azalea dealt with the backpack in the most effective way so far. Even Rouge did it better than the MP. As for Laea, she's disqualified because the whole rear section of her vehicle mode is bafflingly missing.

Incredible! I've waited almost 34 years for a figure like this one. HASBRO/TAKARA-TOMY finally got the hint and make this. I'm saving my pennies to maybe get this release. I am also psyched for the 'Siege: Earthrise' Optimus Prime with trailer and the new Titan Class Scorponok.

well to be honest have we ever had an official more accurate Arcee toy
yes they could have maybe should have put in the extra engineering to make her more visually appealing
but at what cost i think until i see a video review ill reserve judgment

Arcee is further proof that the current head of MP design needs to have "STOP TRYING TO NEEDLESSLY DISAPPEAR WHEELS" stapled to his forehead.

Ultra Markus wrote:well to be honest have we ever had an official more accurate Arcee toy
yes they could have maybe should have put in the extra engineering to make her more visually appealing
but at what cost i think until i see a video review ill reserve judgment

Right there with you. Despite what I said, I just know I'm gonna cave instantly.

I just know one day soon we're going to be able to recreate the 86 Movie cover with all Masterpieces. Not soon enough...