The Energon Pub

Shizuoka Hobby Show 2019 is taking place in Japan and Takara is there with some gorgeous toys on display. there is of course the already mentioned MP 46 Blackarachnia who we finally see in colour but there is much more than that. They brought out their latest Diaclone toys, a series which has developed quite the fan following, and there are also the latest Studio Series and Siege toys. For Siege they have Barricade, Thundercracker and Springer. For Studio Series they have Leader Dark of the Moon Optimus Prime (with a lackluster trailer deco), Helicopter Drift, Car Dropkick, Hightower and Longhaul. You can check out all the images below coming from Dengeki Hobby.

william-james88 wrote:For Siege they have Barricade, Thundercracker and Drift.

I think this is supposed to mention Red Alert instead of Drift. I believe this is also the first time that the Sports Car and Off Road Patrols have been physically shown, plus Smashdown is present.

Oof! I am really not liking the way Thundercracker's blue looks in the final product. It's a very light sky blue as opposed to the darker shade shown in the renders. It doesn't even look like the same character.

Lore Keeper wrote:Oof! I am really not liking the way Thundercracker's blue looks in the final product. It's a very light sky blue as opposed to the darker shade shown in the renders. It doesn't even look like the same character.

Yeah you’re right it looks more like Thundercracker.

Never go off the colors of a computer render -cough six-gun cough-

What's with Barricade's wheels looking the way they do? Is this a lens issue we're looking at or is there some purple-ish color going on with the front wheels?

Nemesis Destron wrote:What's with Barricade's wheels looking the way they do? Is this a lens issue we're looking at or is there some purple-ish color going on with the front wheels?

They’re transparent purple with black painted rims. Like prowl who has transparent grey wheels with painted rims

Barricade has purple pants now.

nice

Good lord that Prime Trailer just looks worse every time we see it. Hopefully reprolabels is already working on something.

Randomhero wrote:

Lore Keeper wrote:Oof! I am really not liking the way Thundercracker's blue looks in the final product. It's a very light sky blue as opposed to the darker shade shown in the renders. It doesn't even look like the same character.

Yeah you’re right it looks more like Thundercracker.

Never go off the colors of a computer render -cough six-gun cough-

Honestly, I can't find a single image of TC, cartoon or otherwise, where he is such a light shade of blue. The tender comes much closer to his cartoon colors.

Lore Keeper wrote:Oof! I am really not liking the way Thundercracker's blue looks in the final product. It's a very light sky blue as opposed to the darker shade shown in the renders. It doesn't even look like the same character.

Yeah, what is that Teal instead of Ultra Blue? It's rather disappointing since I had plans on using Classic TC's shoulder cannons (Same as I'm doing with Starscream) instead of those cheap little plastic riffles.


(Sigh...) But whatever! I'll still use Classic TC's guns regardless and just paint them if I have to.

Lore Keeper wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

Lore Keeper wrote:Oof! I am really not liking the way Thundercracker's blue looks in the final product. It's a very light sky blue as opposed to the darker shade shown in the renders. It doesn't even look like the same character.

Yeah you’re right it looks more like Thundercracker.

Never go off the colors of a computer render -cough six-gun cough-

Honestly, I can't find a single image of TC, cartoon or otherwise, where he is such a light shade of blue. The tender comes much closer to his cartoon colors.

Than you’re not looking enough.

Henkai Henkai thundercracker
Botcon classics thundercracker
Dreamwave thundercracker
IDW thundercracker from All Hail Megatron to 2012-2016 RID/TF/OP
The Takara three seeker three pack
The takara masterpiece thundercracker
I can name more too if you want or you can just go to the tfwiki and goes his page and see it for yourself

All used a very light shade of Blue for him

Look at the screenshot of him from the first episode of the cartoon when he’s a tetra jet. He’s very light blue

This Thundercracker seems to be a bit more azure or cyan, like the BotCon Bitstream toy (not the same color, but pushed towards it). While he was about as light/bright in the G1 cartoon, he didn’t have the hint of teal I see here. He does have the teal color on his primary picture on the wiki, which I believe is from Dreamwave. He seems to have been depicted in just about every shade of blue in some form or another.

Take that all with a grain of salt, as I am a bit colorblind.

Randomhero wrote:

Lore Keeper wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

Lore Keeper wrote:Oof! I am really not liking the way Thundercracker's blue looks in the final product. It's a very light sky blue as opposed to the darker shade shown in the renders. It doesn't even look like the same character.

Yeah you’re right it looks more like Thundercracker.

Never go off the colors of a computer render -cough six-gun cough-

Honestly, I can't find a single image of TC, cartoon or otherwise, where he is such a light shade of blue. The tender comes much closer to his cartoon colors.

Than you’re not looking enough.

Henkai Henkai thundercracker
Botcon classics thundercracker
Dreamwave thundercracker
IDW thundercracker from All Hail Megatron to 2012-2016 RID/TF/OP
The Takara three seeker three pack
The takara masterpiece thundercracker
I can name more too if you want or you can just go to the tfwiki and goes his page and see it for yourself

All used a very light shade of Blue for him

Look at the screenshot of him from the first episode of the cartoon when he’s a tetra jet. He’s very light blue

Maybe my color vision isn't what it used to be, but the only one of that list that's very close is Masterpiece, and even that's darker.

What also must be said is that blues along with purples are very tricky to get right, and that photos don't always reflect the exact colors we're personally able to see. Lighting from certain angles and digital color settings can distort the color of any given thing.

That said, Siege Thundercracker is definitely lighter compared to G1 and Generations.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:That said, Siege Thundercracker is definitely lighter compared to G1 and Generations.

Yep, it's the cartoon-ish blue used on the Henkei and MP-11T versions. For a figure using a cartoon episode's model as inspiration for its alt mode I don't know why anything else would be expected, at least for the first release. Then again they're not exactly consistent with this stuff.

Can't tell if his eyes aren't painted or if it's just a trick of the lighting, but gaze into Hightower's SOULLESS STARE.

Dare I say it, Barricade looks somewhat better here. I think the Prowl mold greatly benefits from being photographed at an angle so the chest looks less huge. He appears to be missing some black on his arms now, and I hope that isn't permanent, but his purple and red lightbar looks pretty sick, and I'm betting that extra text on his doors is a sneaky Punish and Enslave. Things are looking up for him... also shout out to the mismatched weapons on his alt mode display.

That shade of blue and smirk make me see that Thundercracker as just a figure of the IDW guy. I am in agreement with those who have said he needs more red though, and my other two main Seekers are Deluxes, so I probably won't be snagging this one. Now when Redwing comes out, and/or if they keep going and make guys like Acid Storm....

WHAT ABOUT BLITZWING???
I WANT STUDIO SERIES BLITZWING

For reference:


Keep in mind that the toy might look different in person.

i thought dropkick was an AMC Javelin and not a Challenger

Ultra Markus wrote:i thought dropkick was an AMC Javelin and not a Challenger

The Studio Series figure is an officially licensed AMC Javelin according to listings, while the Energon Igniters one (retooled from Hot Rod and Shatter) is a genericised make.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Ultra Markus wrote:i thought dropkick was an AMC Javelin and not a Challenger

The Studio Series figure is an officially licensed AMC Javelin according to listings, while the Energon Igniters one (retooled from Hot Rod and Shatter) is a genericised make.

my bad i took a closer look at it

Ultra Markus wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Ultra Markus wrote:i thought dropkick was an AMC Javelin and not a Challenger

The Studio Series figure is an officially licensed AMC Javelin according to listings, while the Energon Igniters one (retooled from Hot Rod and Shatter) is a genericised make.

my bad i took a closer look at it

I actually admire, and am envious of, the ability to identifity cars on the spot. To me they all look the same