Well I've seen a bunch of reviews of the Takara version and decided to skip it due to all the problems I heard about it, especially the shin pieces. I did, however, get the Hasbro version and really liked it aside from the backpack not locking into place securely.
Thankfully, MP-09B fixed MOST of the problems that I had with the Hasbro version as well as the ones I read about concerning the Takara version. The shin swivels have been fixed (just like the ones for the Hasbro version). Also, the backpack locks securely into place. The joints are tighter than my hasbro version and the chest piece isn't nearly as floppy. Transformation is still a pain in the ass though, but I suppose that couldn't be helped. I remember many reviewers saying that the Takara Rodimus' spoiler would get scraped something awful if when inserted into the trailer for the Rodimus Prime vehicle mode. Well, I after putting the figure very gently into that mode, I did notice a few hairline scratches on the spoiler. However, it didn't look nearly as bad as what I'd seen on the original Takara version.
The colors are also VERY nice. I was worried that the teal would be close to a neon blue color, but it really is a bit more subdued than what many pictures make it out to be. The color scheme works well in all 4 modes (Hotrod, Rodimus, sports car, and space Winnebago). I actually prefer these colors to those of the Hasbro and Takara figures.
Overall, I really recommend the figure. Yea, it's a bit pricey, but I'm a sucker for black repaints. It seems like Takara fixed nearly all of the issues that plagued the previous releases of this mold. The only problem I have is the hairline scratches on the spoiler due to inserting the figure into the trailer for space Winnebago mode. However, I plan to keep him in bot mode anyway and the scratches aren't really noticeable anyway. As long as you handle this figure with care (like any MP figure should be handled anyway) then it'll look awesome on display. I'll post some pictures that I took of it. I'd take more, but my camera is broken (my computer doesn't recognize it when I plug it in via USB cord) so I used my phone.
If you have any requests for pictures, I'll do my best to provide them tomorrow. It's night here, and unless there's a source of natural sunlight, my phone takes REALLY crappy pictures. Also, don't bother asking for vehicle mode pictures because I absolutely SUCK at transforming MP Rodimus!
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