Masterpiece MP -51 Arcee

[Tober]

https://www.facebook.com/DaimChocReports/photos/pcb.1118380118512414/1118378871845872/?type=3&theater

[Raider]

Ok I'm gonna say it, the chest just looks weird to me. It also looks really top heavy. Some better pics are needed but can't wait for a good comparison with the 3P offerings.

[Tober]

Ok I'm gonna say it, the chest just looks weird to me. It also looks really top heavy. Some better pics are needed but can't wait for a good comparison with the 3P offerings.

https://www.facebook.com/DaimChocReports/photos/pcb.1118347855182307/1118366181847141/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/DaimChocReports/photos/pcb.1118347855182307/1118366235180469/?type=3&theater

I think the Takara has the best alt mode hands-down, but yeah, that bot mode is hopefully mis-transformed. :eek:

[GoktimusPrime]

I love how her alt mode is described as フューチャーカー (future car)... from 15 years ago. :D ;)

Can't wait to get this toy and take pics of it next to Binaltech Arcee.
i.e. what the 80s thought Arcee would look like in the mid 2000s vs what she actually did look like :p

[Ralph Wiggum]

Ok I'm gonna say it, the chest just looks weird to me. It also looks really top heavy. Some better pics are needed but can't wait for a good comparison with the 3P offerings.

The chest seems to be the biggest complaint. It sits too low, like, saggy :/ It should be higher.

Not my first choice of character to get (what about Galvatron for crying out loud) but I'll probably pick this one up.

[Sinnertwin]

Fans Toys putting TT to shame in the bot aesthetics dept. Again.
She looks more like Transmutate than a sleek warrior.

[Raider]

https://www.facebook.com/DaimChocReports/photos/pcb.1118347855182307/1118366181847141/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/DaimChocReports/photos/pcb.1118347855182307/1118366235180469/?type=3&theater

I think the Takara has the best alt mode hands-down, but yeah, that bot mode is hopefully mis-transformed. :eek:

Thanks Tober. I saw those but I really want a better shot of TT Arcee for the comparison and as you point out, hopefully transformed properly. I thought it might be mistransformed then I noticed the white paint around the waist lines up.

[gamblor916]

Well this came out of nowhere. I'm happy with my Ocular Max version so I'm on the fence with the TT effort.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Glad they're doing it, but I'm good with my Takara CHUG Arcee and Animated versions.

[reillyd]

The chest seems to be the biggest complaint. It sits too low, like, saggy :/ It should be higher.

Are we reduced to body-shaming poor old Arcee now for not being.... perky enough, lol?
I'm sure Ratchet could do some elective-surgery body-modification on her to be more appealing to young males, but maybe Arcee is happy just as she is, and doesn't want THAT type of attention :)


I think she looks just beautiful, especially when you compare the vehicle modes. She looks like a futuristic car should look like

[danny-boy]

I love it. It makes the FansToys version look like a boy. Absolutely annihilates it in car mode too.

My only gripe like others have mentioned is the low chest. I?m ok with it but hoping there?s different chest plates.

[gamblor916]

This shot (https://www.facebook.com/DaimChocReports/photos/pcb.1118880071795752/1118879888462437/?type=3&theater) makes it look a lot better. It seems that the chest is mistransformed and swings up to sit higher. The tiny arm hinges look scary given the qc issues with Hound.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

~$145 US apparently.

[Ralph Wiggum]

~$145 US apparently.

The display shows 16,000 Yen. Direct exchange puts it at $AUD 218.

Ouch.

[drifand]

I love it. It makes the FansToys version look like a boy. Absolutely annihilates it in car mode too.

My only gripe like others have mentioned is the low chest. I?m ok with it but hoping there?s different chest plates.

I would disagree in my opinion, and this in nothing to even do with TT version. But Fanstoys one does't look like a boy, nor the MMC verion or this one from TT.

[Raider]

I would disagree in my opinion, and this in nothing to even do with TT version. But Fanstoys one does't look like a boy, nor the MMC verion or this one from TT.

Yeah at this stage I am preferring Fanstoys to this in bot mode. In alt mode, the TT version looks amazing. I wonder if they are going to reuse the mold for a few repaints to get some bang for their buck.

[DELTAprime]

Is Trev ok? He hasn't posted about MP Arcee yet. I hope he didn't have a heart attack when he saw how awesome this is. :p

[Sinnertwin]

Is Trev ok? He hasn't posted about MP Arcee yet. I hope he didn't have a heart attack when he saw how awesome this is. :p

He's probably enjoying some alone time
Between this and the MLP crossover, I'll be surprised if he can bend his wrists on Monday

[optimus1]

Oooooooh wow!
Just saw the pics, totally love Arcee!

[Raider]

He's probably enjoying some alone time
Between this and the MLP crossover, I'll be surprised if he can bend his wrists on Monday

There needs to be a new category in the awards each year - comment of the year. This gets my nomination!

[Nevac]

The chest seems to be the biggest complaint. It sits too low, like, saggy :/ It should be higher.

Not my first choice of character to get (what about Galvatron for crying out loud) but I'll probably pick this one up.

Some people have speculated that it's mis transformed and it does look like it can move up. As it is, it does look off where it is right now so we'll have to wait for official promo pics to know for sure.

The back pack is much too big but all that alt mode kibble has to go somewhere, but still looks off for me. I don't mind the backpack on MP44 as it's not as bad since Prime has a much larger frame and he's not lithe and skinny like Arcee so it's ok for me. She also looks very top heavy and her feet very small with no heel spurs so I wonder if she can stand on her own.

Looks like I'm going to save a lot of money on Transformers this year maybe next too as this is an easy pass for me as I've never been interested in the female transformers and I've little interest in Beast Wars or Raiden.

[reillyd]

My only gripe like others have mentioned is the low chest. I?m ok with it but hoping there?s different chest plates.

I'm sure there will be a third-party offering, just like for FanToys Rouge with her 'super-deformable chestplate'. But again, Arcee might not want to be a plaything!

[BigTransformerTrev]

Is Trev ok? He hasn't posted about MP Arcee yet. I hope he didn't have a heart attack when he saw how awesome this is. :p

Sorry, I've spent the weekend watching the rain with a happy glow on my face, and writing a blog thanking the RFS (http://www.bigangrytrev.com/the-rfs-saved-our-farm-from-bushfires-and-friends-family-saved-our-sanity/) for the fact we still have a farm for the rain to fall upon :)

Yeah, this looks like a good figure. The chest seems to sit too low in the robot mode and it would be nice if there were some break ups of those big slabs of pink colour in vehicle mode. Otherwise she looks really good, especially the head and face sculpt. Will make a very easy repaint into Lifeline as well.


He's probably enjoying some alone time
Between this and the MLP crossover, I'll be surprised if he can bend his wrists on Monday

Er.... I'm starting to wonder what kind of public perception I've caused of myself on this site over the years :eek:

[Tha_Phantom]

He's probably enjoying some alone time
Between this and the MLP crossover, I'll be surprised if he can bend his wrists on Monday

I died. ;)

As for the figure, I think she looks pretty good. Vehicle mode is 100% spot on and blows 3p out of the water. The bot mode looks mostly good aside from the chest, which as others have mentioned may be mistransformed.

Given my experience with Hound, I will NOT be preordering this, but I may buy it after in hand reviews can speak to the quality of it.

[DaptoDog]

Lmao that backpack is ridiculous!

https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachments/1c9c00bc-7a15-478c-a887-4de0fb486c11-jpeg.28531050/
https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachments/9ad0141c-c1f5-4e0b-9094-65e59bede554-jpeg.28531037/

Credit to Gamerlingual of TFW2005

[dirge]

Lmao that backpack is ridiculous!


That's because she's carrying a car mode on her back.

[Jellico]

That back pack is disappointing. Makes me think of the Generations one. At least Rouge made an effort to transform her legs into the vehicle. Heck, Generations Arcee' s legs and chest transformed into the car. I am only seeing chest here. I hope that I am wrong.

That said her car mode is awesome, though needs some painted lights or something. Things are getting really toony now.

[griffin]

Being a character that had an animation model that didn't appear to be based on a toy design or expect to have a toy, it has to sacrifice something to convert from a vehicle of flat panels, into a biped with mostly curved, feminine panels. Either it has a backpack of kibble (like the 2021 Unicron), or one (or both) modes ends up having to not look exactly like it does on the cartoon (like the last two GEN Arcee toys).

I think it looks great for the "magic" that the designers had to do for this toy to look as good as it does.

My question is if it is a Headmaster... but I think if it was, it would have been noted or shown.

It is listed as being 16,000yen (about AU$220), but is about the same size as MP Hotrod, so should come with extra things... but then again, the massive price-rise of JP Masterpiece toys in the last 2 years, would suggest not.

From here (https://news.tfw2005.com/2020/02/08/wonder-festival-2020-mp-tigatron-g1-arcee-studio-series-devastator-404806)...

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2020/020902.jpg

[DaptoDog]

It is listed as being 16,000yen (about AU$220), but is about the same size as MP Hotrod, so should come with extra things... but then again, the massive price-rise of JP Masterpiece toys in the last 2 years, would suggest not.

With the usual pre-order discount it should come down to about A$160 plus shipping. So cheaper than Hound.

[Tha_Phantom]

My question is if it is a Headmaster... but I think if it was, it would have been noted or shown.

I would love for a headmaster Daniel to be an accessory, but Gok pointed out to me earlier today that Japan didn't have the rebirth, so that kind of accessory would be meaningless to Japanese audiences. Then again, they did do targetmaster Hot Rod (which was easy due to already having the targetmaster mould from Hasbro MP9) so who knows. *shrugs*

[drifand]

I actually don?t know what to think of it. I don?t think is mistransformed. Yes chest looks weird or sitting low but is you look at the cartoon, it is actually quite the same.

It?s not toon accurate either so to speak but it is actually quite there.
16,000jpy is quite expensive but I think we should be expecting these type of prices since bumble bee v2

No comment, I don?t think is bad but it also doesn?t feel right in some ways. I believe we just want a sexy robot but is not but it is following the cartoon.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Lmao that backpack is ridiculous!

https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachments/9ad0141c-c1f5-4e0b-9094-65e59bede554-jpeg.28531037/

Credit to Gamerlingual of TFW2005

This picture makes me think it isn?t mistransformed, as the colours line up on the side chest, so if the chest was to be moved up it would cause the colours to be misaligned.

[Raider]

This picture makes me think it isn?t mistransformed, as the colours line up on the side chest, so if the chest was to be moved up it would cause the colours to be misaligned.

I tend to agree, not just because of the oaint but also because there is a bend in the joint where it seems to slip in. If you raised the front part it would not longer be flush.

[Paulbot]

This is good value - you get a sexy female action figure and a car that turns into a backpack. I only partly say that in jest; as far as I can see the only part of the robot that is part of the car mode is the lower part of the chest. Even the top part of the chest isn't visible in car mode.

[ChlorHex]

It looks beautiful.
I'm not bothered about the chest bit... in fact, i quite like it.
Trust some 3rd party opportunist to fix the chest piece for those who don't like it and come up with a headmaster Daniel.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I?m not too fussed on the backpack, at this point it seems to be expected with TT attempts at cartoon accuracy from the front angle. The character was probably designed with little regard to how a toy would work out so I can live with it.

[Jellico]

But we know that they can do better. Generations Arcee managed to work her legs into the sides of the car with a similar sized back pack.

FT Rouge, at the exception of a more squared off car mode and some questionable bending of plastic managed to squeeze a whole car into a pair of pods on her back.

That is the bit that annoys me. A 3rd party company gave them a template of what could be done roughly at MP scale. I expect TT to do it better. A better, more curvy car mode might mean more creativity in folding up the pods, but the principle is proven. At the moment she looks like an enlarged Generations Arcee right down to the tab holes on her thighs. They can do better.

[GoktimusPrime]

Eh, the backpack reminds me of what they did with toys like MP Bumblebee (1.0) and MP Hot Rod. Granted that those toys did the backpacks better, but bear in mind that those toys were easier to render as MPs as the Bumblebee cartoon model was based an existing toy that could transform, and the cartoon model for Hot Rod was also better designed to be more easily "translatable" as a toy. If you look at the original 1986 Hot Rod toy, given the fact that it was an 80s toy and its price point, it actually did a fairly impressive job of being screen accurate. The major glaring inaccuracies are the car kibble on the legs, the window on the back, and the engine on the back of the head. But on the whole it managed to be a reasonably screen-accurate looking toy with a solid robot and car mode.
https://i.ibb.co/23C3fvp/temp.jpg
↑As you can see, Hot Rod's screen design is reasonably doable to "translate" as a toy. The main things that the MP toys did was find ways to conceal the kibble, with ver 2.0 being more complex as it achieves a higher degree of slavish screen accuracy that MP9 didn't do (although that toy was also designed to transform to Rodimus Prime, but I digress).

Arcee's screen model on the other hand just isn't as 'translatable' to being a functional transformable action figure. Especially after Toei further modified Dery's design, making essentially just a generic scifi robot with no real vehicle kibble on her. I distinctly remember first watching TFTM in the cinema and, until the scene with the Junkion fight, I sat there wondering what the hell Arcee transforms into - if her alt mode would be visible at all.

https://i.ibb.co/c1198ck/temp.jpg
Lost in Translation

And that's the core problem with designs like Arcee. Now sure, TakaraTOMY did also face similar challenges with MP Ratchethide, but at least their chests can still form the front section of their van modes. While MPs like Sunstreaker do employ false chest kibble, bear in mind that they still have other body parts that form the car. Plus Sunstreaker also carries a backpack. :) But again, his cartoon model was based off a functional toy to begin with, so there's a foundation there to make an MP work better as a toy, even with the big challenge of making it slavishly cartoon accurate. Arcee's show design is just so bad as a Transformer design. It's fine as a science fiction robot design, but it just sucks as a Transformer. She's really designed to be a sexy looking femme-bot rather than as a Transformer. If we compare Arcee with other female Transformers, especially those that were actually based on or inspired by toys, we can see a big difference in design aesthetics. Characters like Minerva and Clipper look like working Transformers. Even though Toei modified Minerva and Clipper to accentuate their feminine features, the core elements of their toys are still there. Airazor would have some mild feminisation added to her model, and Blackarachnia was extremely feminised like Arcee, but without removing any of her alt mode kibble. While her transformation involved some mass shifting here and there, she basically transformed as the toy did (and part of the reason for doing so would've been do further differentiate her from Tarantulas). With each of these characters we can see things like wheels, doors, legs, eyes, wings, claws etc. There is no obvious alt mode kibble on Arcee. I mean, her shoulder pylons morph into the front side sections but on their own they don't look like car parts. Similarly her chest becomes the bonnet, but on its own it doesn't look like a bonnet. Arcee reminds me of Bo and Boo (https://charlesdshell.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Mighty-Orbots-02.jpg) from Mighty Orbots. Two curvaceous looking femme bots who did not translate well as toys at all (https://www.well-of-souls.com/orbots/archive/MattelToyFair1985_Orbots1.jpg). And they only needed to become arms!

https://i.ibb.co/bd0BVm6/temp.jpg

And on top of that the designers do work under a tight budget. While the budget for MPs may have increased, it does still exist. Fans are demanding ever greater slavish screen accuracy while simultaneously complaining about rising prices. Uh... okay. :/ TakaraTOMY have just recently confirmed that the reason for the increasing price is because of the increasing parts count due to increasing screen accuracy. No faecal excrement, Sherlock! :rolleyes: :p An increasing number of MPs these days are becoming backpack-formers because quite frankly, you have to conceal the alt mode parts somewhere. Even MP44 has a backpack.

[DELTAprime]

My question is if it is a Headmaster... but I think if it was, it would have been noted or shown.


Why release this as a Headmaster when you can release a Headmaster remould a year later for even more profit?

[Paulbot]

https://i.ibb.co/bd0BVm6/temp.jpg

There must be Beast Wars MP designers looking at Airrazor and wondering how on Earth they are going to make his design work as an MP toy. With Blackwidow they could hide things in the rear of her spidermode but on Airrazor? Is his falcon mode going to be good from absolutely one angle only due to kibble.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Honestly, I really liked the MP Datsuns/Lancia design ethos. Nice realistic alt-modes, solid robot modes and transformations, and just enough toy-design features for that little bit of extra nostalgia. Not as delicate as some of the more recent ones either.

Not that you could really do that for Arcee, for all the reasons Goki laid out above.

[GoktimusPrime]

Honestly, I really liked the MP Datsuns/Lancia design ethos. Nice realistic alt-modes, solid robot modes and transformations, and just enough toy-design features for that little bit of extra nostalgia. Not as delicate as some of the more recent ones either.
I agree. I actually prefer MP Lambor over Sunstreaker. Yeah, Sunstreaker is pretty and all that, but Lambor is just a more fun toy to play with. And playability is the core business of any toy.


Not that you could really do that for Arcee, for all the reasons Goki laid out above.
You sort of could. She wouldn't be nearly as screen-accurate, but you might get away with making a cheaper and less fiddly (and fragile) toy. It would involve reducing the backpack and incorporating vehicle kibble elsewhere, and yeah, the robot shape just generally wouldn't be so... voluptuous. Compare say Generations and Titans Return Arcee; the latter isn't nearly as screen accurate but she is a much more solid figure that is, quite frankly, a more better Transformer action figure.
https://i.ibb.co/7km771r/TR-arcee16.jpg
Looks vs functionality

[griffin]

Copied from here (https://news.tfw2005.com/2020/05/08/transforrmers-masterpiece-mp-51-arcee-new-stock-images-411126), which were taken from a fan-group's facebook page, are some new images of MP Arcee that look to be official images for its product listing... which shouldn't be too much longer.

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2020/050801.jpg

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2020/050802.jpg

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2020/050803.jpg

[loophole]

Why the "sexy" poses? and the chest just looks horrible

[Jellico]

and the chest just looks horrible
Personally I am blaming the shoulder articulation. Which is a curious indictment on modern MPs.

OTOH the car is superb. But that is kind of expected seeing it is all folded up on her back rather then integrated into her torso.

[Jetfire in the sky]

And playability is the core business of any toy.


Insert dramatic picture of person feinting.


They're not toys, they are collectables. :D

[Ralph Wiggum]

Preordered at Oh My Primus ($172). I can?t believe Zing is charging $300 for it.

[jazzcomp]

Preordered at Oh My Primus ($172). I can?t believe Zing is charging $300 for it.
How does deposit work?

[DaptoDog]

How does deposit work?

You just put S$20 down plus shipping. Then pay balance just before release.

[griffin]

More official images from Japan (https://news.tfw2005.com/2020/05/14/takara-tomy-masterpiece-mp-51-arcee-additional-stock-images-411318), which include the ones recently posted up on an Asian facebook page (in a recent post here).

[jazzcomp]

You just put S$20 down plus shipping. Then pay balance just before release.
Thanks! Sometimes if I click on paypal, it lets me pay just the deposit. So I had the option to pay without shipping. But I guess it's best to pay now so they don't charge me higher later on.

[griffin]

Entertainment Earth in America have listed Arcee (https://www.entertainmentearth.com/product/HSE8927), for US$150, for January next year.
Now that it is listed in America, EB Games might put their listing back up again here.
The listing has a lot of full-sized official images.

[jazzcomp]

Has anyone received their MP Arcee yet? It seems to be instock in OMP but I haven't paid the balance yet. How do I do that?

[Sinnertwin]

Has anyone received their MP Arcee yet? It seems to be instock in OMP but I haven't paid the balance yet. How do I do that?

Normally you would get an email request for the balance.

[High_Q]

Has anyone received their MP Arcee yet?

I have a preorder for MP-51 at TFSource. February 2021 is still listed as the in stock date.

[jazzcomp]

Normally you would get an email request for the balance.
Thanks K, I checked and haven't received the email yet.

[GoktimusPrime]

Got billed for this toy by AmiAmi (and gladly paid) - DHL worked out cheaper than EMS. :) Now to play the waiting game...

[Ralph Wiggum]

Has anyone received their MP Arcee yet? It seems to be instock in OMP but I haven't paid the balance yet. How do I do that?

It?s not in stock at OMP. Only the pre-order is still available which is what the ?in-stock? wording refers to.