Takara Tomy Transformers Masterpiece MP-21 Bumblebee Prototype Revealed - Includes Spike's Exosuit!

Wow this is going to be one tiny Masterpiece!
Going by the persons thumb, Id guess this works out about 6 thumbs high, head to toe, making this smaller than most of our Classics deluxe figures!
A Deluxe Masterpiece?

Looks good from what I can make out.

I wonder why the face comes off -- perhaps an interchangeable toy-accurate face; or another cartoon one with a cheerful expression?

'Bee will add even more variety to the colour scheme and heights of the Autobot MP lineup.

So how did Takara manage to license the Beetle from Volkswagen? I thought the car manufacturer didn't want to be associated with war machines.

BATTLEMASTER IIC wrote:So how did Takara manage to license the Beetle from Volkswagen? I thought the car manufacturer didn't want to be associated with war machines.

Honestly, I don't know. I'd imagine it was one pricey deal, though.

BATTLEMASTER IIC wrote:
So how did Takara manage to license the Beetle from Volkswagen? I thought the car manufacturer didn't want to be associated with war machines.

Maybe Volkswagen watched the TF movies and realised that the Autobots and Bumblebee are are force of good that only want to bring peace and harmony to Earth, or maybe Takara gave them a briefcase stuffed with cash. I don't know, it's a tough one.

i need this.

Looking alright from the pics, let's hope we don't have to wait too long for something more high res and coloured.
(Though we have a few good guys on this site who can digitally colour alright)

BATTLEMASTER IIC wrote:So how did Takara manage to license the Beetle from Volkswagen? I thought the car manufacturer didn't want to be associated with war machines.

Maybe they just ... changed their stance?

The exosuit looks better than the 3rd party version - at least it's properly in scale.

BATTLEMASTER IIC wrote:So how did Takara manage to license the Beetle from Volkswagen? I thought the car manufacturer didn't want to be associated with war machines.

Maybe there's a new guy in charge of that.

BATTLEMASTER IIC wrote:So how did Takara manage to license the Beetle from Volkswagen? I thought the car manufacturer didn't want to be associated with war machines.

Autobot032 wrote:Honestly, I don't know. I'd imagine it was one pricey deal, though.

Venoose1 wrote:Maybe Volkswagen watched the TF movies and realised that the Autobots and Bumblebee are are force of good that only want to bring peace and harmony to Earth, or maybe Takara gave them a briefcase stuffed with cash. I don't know, it's a tough one.

Actually it's none of those things, it has to do with the merger of TOMY with Takara. Here is a quote from the last interview with the MP Designer S. Hasui.

- Any hardship to obtain vehicle licence?
H: Actually, thanks to Tomica brand, we can negotiate with many car manufacturers such as Fiat. This is a great result of merger (of Takara and Tomy). I had a Lancia Stratos Tomica when I was little. The style and colour scheme is very unique and hard to forget. It was my favourite but as I was young, I don't think I remembered the name.

BATTLEMASTER IIC wrote:So how did Takara manage to license the Beetle from Volkswagen? I thought the car manufacturer didn't want to be associated with war machines.

That's just a myth that's circulated through the fandom for years. It's always been about the money. It the past they parties just couldn't arrive at the right numbers to satisfy both parties. And as Trailbreaker77 mentioned the Tomica deal has apparently opened new doors.

hopefully it'll still be priced around the fairlady ones in spite of the additional exo suit and also that the exo suit isn't some special exclusive...

Okay, I'm gonna say it, I was hoping for Chibified Bee, but I like this, and I understand for various reasons it could have gone either way.

I like how the they got the tire on the back, similar to the animation model, not sure why it sits so high up on the back though?


If they are adding stuff to justify the price point I hope we get more than 2 replaceable faces, I hope we get a couple facial expressions besides a G1 toy face.


I don't think I will buy a MP Cliffjumper now though. To me CJ's Chibi model hardly resembled the vehicle at all, it will be unrecognizable.

Trailbreaker77 wrote:Actually it's none of those things, it has to do with the merger of TOMY with Takara. Here is a quote from the last interview with the MP Designer S. Hasui.

- Any hardship to obtain vehicle licence?
H: Actually, thanks to Tomica brand, we can negotiate with many car manufacturers such as Fiat. This is a great result of merger (of Takara and Tomy). I had a Lancia Stratos Tomica when I was little. The style and colour scheme is very unique and hard to forget. It was my favourite but as I was young, I don't think I remembered the name.

This right here.

It's all thanks to Tomica that Takara is able to get all these car licenses more swimmingly than Hasbro, and Volkswagon was an admittedly tough one for them to get, but they got it and that's awesome!


Though, not sure why this news needed its own thread instead of continuing on from the existing one.

Obviously we have to wait until we have finished version pics but right now I really don't like it. Bee is one of those guys you will never get cartoon accurate in both modes due to the way he was animated. (Somehow the hood and front fenders folded into feet with no lights or hood kibble on the cartoon) He also had a rounded and plump car mode but slimmed down considerably in robot mode. Due to all this the use of this version of the Bug just makes the figure look old and bland. Though it wouldn't be accurate I would much rather have the alt mode made from one of the newer Bug models.






Just a comparison with the newer model to show what I mean

looks awesome

As a counter argument, I really like this bee precisely because it is an original old model VW but has a toonish bot mode. Growing up in the 80's, I remember getting him for $3 at the local toy store. Nothing about that toy looks like what he was in the show, but I didn't care at all since in my mind he was the same. These masterpieces are the toys I imagined I was playing with when I was a kid. Tomy is banking on this nostalgia heavily. Realistically, they are luxury, collector toys aimed at my generation who has disposable income.

Judging by the interview, this line is selling very well since they don't have to repurpose molds. I suspect this line will go on for a long time since guys like me will consistently buy them all. Unfortunately, this also means they will gradually crank the prices up since we are captive addicts.

his face looks kind of fat... also is that a wheel on his back?

any chance this actually comes with spike? that would be awesome!

Doc bot wrote:As a counter argument, I really like this bee precisely because it is an original old model VW but has a toonish bot mode. Growing up in the 80's, I remember getting him for $3 at the local toy store. Nothing about that toy looks like what he was in the show, but I didn't care at all since in my mind he was the same. These masterpieces are the toys I imagined I was playing with when I was a kid. Tomy is banking on this nostalgia heavily. Realistically, they are luxury, collector toys aimed at my generation who has disposable income.

Judging by the interview, this line is selling very well since they don't have to repurpose molds. I suspect this line will go on for a long time since guys like me will consistently buy them all. Unfortunately, this also means they will gradually crank the prices up since we are captive addicts.

Don't get me wrong....I love the Masterpiece line. It's just that to me they were always going for cartoon accuracy and not toy accuracy (Wheeljack for example looks exactly like his cartoon appearance but not so much like the actual toy). I just feel that if Bumblebee was never accurate to that version of the Volkswagon Beetle in the cartoon why use that version now? This to me more reminds me of a Gobot I had as kid in vehichle mode. (Can't remember his name....think it was BugBite)

Darkman20xx wrote:Obviously we have to wait until we have finished version pics but right now I really don't like it. Bee is one of those guys you will never get cartoon accurate in both modes due to the way he was animated. (Somehow the hood and front fenders folded into feet with no lights or hood kibble on the cartoon) He also had a rounded and plump car mode but slimmed down considerably in robot mode. Due to all this the use of this version of the Bug just makes the figure look old and bland. Though it wouldn't be accurate I would much rather have the alt mode made from one of the newer Bug models.

The 3P guys seem to have hit the cartoon look pretty well in both modes:

mooncake623 wrote:his face looks kind of fat... also is that a wheel on his back?

Yep, just like in the cartoon.