Million Publishing 2014 Exclusive - Shouki with Targetmaster Daniel

[SuspectimusPrime]

Million Publishing has really outdone themselves this year!

http://hero-x.net/tfg2014/s01s.jpg

Product page: http://hero-x.net/tfg2014/shouki.html

[CBratron]

Have they always done these licensed toys? I only remember them publishing the Generations books.

[Paulbot]

Most of their books in their current Generations 20XX series have had a mail away toy with them (one didn't).

I preordered the book as soon as I found out as I really like the books, but getting the toys is a hassle (or expensive) if you don't live in Japan.

Sadly most interest in the books tends to be about the toy, rather than the resource the book is.

[griffin]

It took me a moment to figure it out, but it is from the Japanese Headmasters series... as one of the Autobot Raiden Trains (which actually works for the 1% of current fans familiar with that Gen1 toy, which obviously didn't include me, as it ends up looking very similar to the original Train model... and if you think about it, the jet mode also makes a little sense, as the Raiden trains in the cartoon were the space transport for the Autobot... yeah, flying trains, try and rationalise that one).
Having it released with a "Daniel" (a recoloured PowerCore Combiner weapon) is a bit odd though. He may have been a significant member of the cartoon cast (like he was in the Hasbro post-movie cartoon, but more annoying ), but not paired to Raiden... he was paired to Wheelie. And the colours don't make sense either. There might be a reason for having him included, and in those colours, but it doesn't seem obvious to me yet.

[kurdt_the_goat]

The spaceship is supposed to resemble Thunder Arrow and Daniel is in disguise as the pilot according to the text, just like the Victory toy. Pretty damn obscure! http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Thunder_Arrow_pilot

[griffin]

Well that is obscure.
And a dual homage, as the Jet mode and colours of this Shouki does look a little like the Thunder Arrow.
So I guess that means that Shouki and Daniel are disguised as the Micromaster Thunder Arrow and Pilot... which allows for a toy to homage two different Gen1 toys.

I was trying to find out what the Thunder Arrow Pilot was in relation to Daniel, so it is no surprise I didn't find anything.

[Sinnertwin]

The spaceship is supposed to resemble Thunder Arrow and Daniel is in disguise as the pilot according to the text, just like the Victory toy. Pretty damn obscure! http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Thunder_Arrow_pilot

Yep & considering the pilot has a different colour scheme...