The Energon Pub

[Stormrider]

With much anticipation the first images of TakaraTomy’s Masterpiece Starscream USA Edition have surfaced on <a href="http://www.hlj.com/index.html?utm_source=seibertron.com&=&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=news%20post"" target="_blank">Hobby Link Japan</a>. This version is similar to the U.S. release except it lacks most of the weathering. As previously reported, the release date has been postponed until February.


Check out the images below:

<a href="http://www.hlj.com/images/tkt/tkt78874_1.jpg?utm_source=seibertron.com&=&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=news%20post"" target="_blank">Jet mode - front</a>

<a href="http://www.hlj.com/images/tkt/tkt78874_2.jpg?utm_source=seibertron.com&=&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=news%20post"" target="_blank">Jet mode - side</a>

<a href="http://www.hlj.com/images/tkt/tkt78874.jpg?utm_source=seibertron.com&=&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=news%20post"" target="_blank">Robot mode</a>

[Bonger]

Your links take me to "This image has been stolen from HLJ.com

I really think those pics are of a slightly cleaned up WM SS. The dark missile tips, nose and stickers applied to the wings seems suspicious to me.

[Dead Metal]

Oh you bad boy, you shouldn't steel from HLJ!

He looks better then Hasbros version and will be cheaper to get for me, cool.

[mattyc1007]

brillant picture really high quality

[mattyc1007]

what is this on their site

1/350 Space Battleship Yamato

well i mean what was it used for? i think it would make a good home for my minicons hehe

[Scatterlung]

Because the links don't work

[Dead Metal]

Because the links don't work

Nanan, you should not steal from HLJ!

[First-Aid]

I know this is probably blasphemy but...that's the oddest colored jet I've ever seen. I'm actually glad that Takara did their version now...much more realistic. It's definitely the Starscream we all knew and loved, but the colors are just dopey.

[Creature SH]

I know this is probably blasphemy but...that's the oddest colored jet I've ever seen. I'm actually glad that Takara did their version now...much more realistic. It's definitely the Starscream we all knew and loved, but the colors are just dopey.

You think so ?

[Leonardo]

Are they fighters or show planes?

[skywarp-2]

Sooooo the only difference that we get is that the nose cone is black, the scoring marks on the back of the jet are gone... but everything else is pretty much the same...

and you have to pay double for it??

I'm sticking to the Wal-Mart version, which with a little patience I know will soon show up...

[Zeds]

Sooooo the only difference that we get is that the nose cone is black, the scoring marks on the back of the jet are gone... but everything else is pretty much the same...

and you have to pay double for it??

I'm sticking to the Wal-Mart version, which with a little patience I know will soon show up...

I agree. I may try to get it cheaper from my friend in HK. Double the price for so few differences is not worth it IMHO.

[Liege Evilmus]

Who dares steal from Hobby Link Japan!?!

For them there shall be great burning of flesh and gnashing of teeth in a land that light hath abandoned.

[Leonardo]

For them there shall be great burning of flesh and gnashing of teeth in a land that light hath abandoned.

The South East of England?

[metalformer]

Call me a purist (I rather not use the "F" word typically attached to and that rhymes with TransFans:P ) but I just LOVE this version. For the price they're asking for it, I expect a detailed, show accurate and mega-sophisticated figure!

[Flabface]

This the link?:

http://www.hlj.com/product/TKT78874

That one has some shots of the MP Starscream.

[Sam's Happy Time]

This isn't the "clean" version a lot of people were expecting, there is still some 'scoring' and i'm not sure the dark nosecone is the way to go (blue baby, blue).

I can see a lot of collectors (who might have been waiting for the Takara version) jumping on the wal-mart version now, considering the price and marginal color difference.

The one thing i wanted them to fix was the black wing-flap joints - wasn't. poo.

[Sonray]

Looks exactly the same as my Hasbro version. The only difference is that the nose cone is black. (which the Hasbro version is actually blue under all that weathering)

I was hoping to see a new gallery of this here on seibs...

[Klozminded-G1]

User stole image crap eh?

Looks like HLJ doesn't like FREE ADVERTISING....

[Starscream]

looks like the only difference is the black nose cone :^T

[areaseven]

Because the links don't work

Nanan, you should not steal from HLJ!

+1 on that

[Autobot032]

That's incredibly hilarious.

All these people complaining about the US version and scrambling to get the Japanese version...ridiculous.

Other than the nosecone, the Decepticon symbol on the nose, and the body weathering removed...there's no reason to spend that kind of dough on something that's sitting at your local Wal-Mart (or soon will be) for $48.88 compared to $99.99+

I'm sorry, but that's friggin' ridiculous and a bad joke.

1.) You can remove the weathering with rubbing alcohol and a paper towel.

2.) You can paint the nosecone black, if you must.

3.) You can put a Decepticon symbol on the nosecone via Reprolabels.

So, let's add that up for a second...

Rubbing Alcohol: $.75 (max)
Black Paint: $1.75 (Wal-Mart, might even be less)
Reprolabels: $5-7.00 shipped
Masterpiece Starscream: $48.88
Total: $58.38

Or...you can pay Takara to do all of it and they'll charge you a cool $99.99

Yeah...that makes a lot, lot, lot of sense.

[i_amtrunks]

Hasbro's love of weathering and battle damage makes this figure look worse.

This version looks much much better.

[Collector Maximus]

I know this is probably blasphemy but...that's the oddest colored jet I've ever seen. I'm actually glad that Takara did their version now...much more realistic. It's definitely the Starscream we all knew and loved, but the colors are just dopey.

Well, It IS Starscream. And the colors are just fine with me.
It is a robot that turns into an F-15, it is allowed to be oddly colored.

[PrimeFan]

These look like the same pics from F2F.