Liopalooza in Japan at Fight Super Robot Sonic Transformers Festival Featuring Rare Lio Convoys

Thanks to our fellow Seibertronian special operative Sabrblade we've learned earlier this month there was a Transformers 35th anniversary party hosted by DJ's spinning G1 and Beast Wars II themes while fans were welcome to tour an entire pride's worth of Lio Convoys on display. Website Chohenken was on the scene and snatched tons of pics of the event we're mirroring here to enjoy.

Practically every rare Lio Convoy special edition from the original Beast Wars II line and beyond was on display as shown in the images below. Also on hand was a prototype for the new MP Lio Convoy toy and the creator of Lio Convoy himself Hisashi Yuuki and MP Lio Convoy designer Kenta Wakizawa. Along with the images enjoy a few excerpts from the translated interview done by Chohenken's Mr. Tai. Enjoy the images and share your thoughts in the forum. Click on any of the images below to go to the original Japanese article and as always stay tuned to Seibertron for the ultimate in Transformers news!



Toys 'R' Us Special Edition Black Lio Convoy (also released as a lucky draw version)

"Flash" Lio Convoy released to coincide with the Beast Wars Special film

From creator Yuuki regarding the extremely rare Lucky Draw multi-colored Telemaga and Ksei Lio Convoy seen below: "Have you ever seen a physical thing? I think there are only a few people in the world who don't go up, and i think only the child who really hit them. There was a standard event which was without fail in old times though it decreased now to commercialize the color that children liked in the sweepstakes of the children's magazine, and it was always troubled by the head when the color was passed suddenly and it was asked to make it to the specification. I've also decided on hundreds of colors and transformers, but this color doesn't come out easily. It was a great project for the children's imagination because it was a great project."

"Normal" C-16 Lio Convoy

Galvatron Colors Lio Convoy was a Lucky Draw exclusive limited to only 50 units. This particular version of Lio Convoy represents the Bom Bom manga story wherein Lio Convoy's spark was tainted by Angolmois Energy. From Yuuki: "If I say that, it might be so. When you open the hatch of the chest matrix properly, it is the secret emblem of Deathtron that is attached. I couldn't change the mold, but I'm trying to change that."


The sketch below is the one of the designers first renditions of Lio Convoy.

"Yuki says, "I don't want a lion on my chest for the time being. I'm tired of seeing that, yadayada(laughs) (i got the illustration from my senior) that the lion's head was running away on his back. I don't want to do this anymore. I started working on this based on why i can't see the boy's favorite lion, and that's the only thing that makes a lion the coolest. Then, it is oti that it was able to do almost the same thing.""


Here's a quick conversation with the designer of the MP Lio Convoy and Lio's original designer:

"Mr. Tai: How did you start masterpiece?

Mr. Wakizawa "First of all, I wanted to create a drawing image of the bank scene that transforms the naoconvoy of anime, and what kind of modeling do you make when you come out of anime to the present world? I wonder if the chest is massive and muscular? Or, i feel like i've put that kind of thing into modeling."

Yuki-san: "It really looks like anime. My 20-year-old is ashamed. In fact, I'm sure Hiroyuki Ohkawa re-wrote the design painting that Yuki-san wrote at the time. It's going to get better and it's going to be passed down to masterpieces."

Mr. Tai: The concept was developed as a toy for children at the time, and i think there is a difference between high target s and adults this time, but what i was aware of in that area? 」

Mr. Wakizawa: "The best thing is to expand the range of motion and recreate the scene in the play, and it has to be a mast. I wanted to make a difference from the original, so i was particular about the face of the lion in robot mode and the face of the lion in beast mode, the face of the mecha lion and the living lion, the face is changed."

Mr. Tai "Eh!? What's going on with this?

Mr. Wakizawa:It's a pleasure to be. The mane is different from the mecha lion and the living lion, so I think that's also the point."
Yuki-san: "I don't think this will happen in 20 years. At that time, it is serious when i draw raw hair, so why can I change it to a linear design? I was told by an anime shop that it was ok.

Mr. Tai: "I don't think it's going to be remade after decades. It's a desire to see both."

Mr. Wakizawa "I am particular about the state of beast mode, and i think it is also a point to try to reproduce the skeleton of the four-legged animal"

Credit(s): Sabrblade with Seibertron/Chohenken