Masterpiece Optimus Primal

[Zommael]

This is still early stage of the CGI and it looks like to mainly work out the engineering and transformation (to test if it will physically work as a toy, like what you have in Solidworks). Details are too be added and aesthetic tweaks can still be made. And that glossy surface render doesn't do the design any good because this is not meant to look good anyway.

I think if you're complaining about this being not much of an update from the original toy, you're missing the whole point of this being a Masterpiece altogether. Like some people would even say, MP Star Saber wasn't much of the update to the G1 toy either. If you've owned G1 Star Saber you know they're right. But does it stop the Japanese fans from loving this Masterpiece figure to death?

Just my 2 cents.

At what point did that become what the MP line us, though? MP1 was revolutionary in its synthesis of a classic design with updated engineering and gimmicks. MP3 was an update of a classic character with a modern design and choices. When did it become about just boring remakes with a bit more articulation? When did Generations become the place for innovation and Masterpiece stagnation?

I say afain, if these are the limits of the CG model they shouldn't be promoting the toy with it. On the other hand, I wait to be pleasantly surprised by the prototype.

[Verno]

I get all my MPs from HLJ. If you want the collector coin go Robotkingdom. If you want a local supplier I think many are going with Premium Collectibles.

Cheers mate.

[GoktimusPrime]

Like some people would even say, MP Star Saber wasn't much of the update to the G1 toy either. If you've owned G1 Star Saber you know they're right. But does it stop the Japanese fans from loving this Masterpiece figure to death?

I personally strongly dislike the G1 Star Sabre toy. I think that it's really rubbish, even by 1989 standards. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear it was just some try hard Chinese or Korean "wannabe" brand.

MP Optimus Primal does look a lot slicker and less chunky/cumbersome than the original toy. I guess as far as G1 to MP 'conversions' are concerned, it's arguably more on par with MP Grimlock and Star Sabre; the two existing MPs which are the most similar to their G1 toys. MP Grimlock was a toy that I was initially hesitant on getting -- I skipped the Takara version and got the Hasbro one locally a year later. And my MP Star Sabre was a freebie. So yeah, I'm still undecided about Primal at this stage.

[doublespy]

At what point did that become what the MP line us, though? MP1 was revolutionary in its synthesis of a classic design with updated engineering and gimmicks. MP3 was an update of a classic character with a modern design and choices. When did it become about just boring remakes with a bit more articulation? When did Generations become the place for innovation and Masterpiece stagnation?

Since MP 2.0 when show accuracy became the no.1 priority for Masterpiece I guess, and to produce the definitive figure for that certain character. So the degree of "update" varies greatly from one another.

Better proportions and a show accurate/biologically correct gorilla face (which no toy so far has done right), and the surefire better articulation are update enough for me personally to buy this.

[Trent]

Since MP 2.0 when show accuracy became the no.1 priority for Masterpiece I guess, and to produce the definitive figure for that certain character. So the degree of "update" varies greatly from one another.

Better proportions and a show accurate/biologically correct gorilla face (which no toy so far has done right), and the surefire better articulation are update enough for me personally to buy this.

The definitive version of a character isn't 100% toon accurate. It is a blend of toon, toy and logical reasoning to give us the ultimate version of a character that we love. The perfect example of this is Devastator. If you want a perfect toon representation of Devi, a third party company made one:



Ugly, ain't it. No one wants that in the MP line.

[doublespy]

The definitive version of a character isn't 100% toon accurate. It is a blend of toon, toy and logical reasoning to give us the ultimate version of a character that we love. The perfect example of this is Devastator. If you want a perfect toon representation of Devi, a third party company made one:



Ugly, ain't it. No one wants that in the MP line.

Agreed. That's why I said no.1 priority. Not 100% show accurate.

With the great balance of everything he put in his design, Hasui has always put show accuracy first and foremost in his time with Masterpiece, at least that's what I get from playing with his stuff, and why he went back and watched all those G1 episodes every time he was handed a project.

[drifand]

Agreed. That's why I said no.1 priority. Not 100% show accurate.

With the great balance of everything he put in his design, Hasui has always put show accuracy first and foremost in his time with Masterpiece, at least that's what I get from playing with his stuff, and why he went back and watched all those G1 episodes every time he was handed a project.

Shogo Hasui gets my thumbs up over Hironori Kobayashi. He doesn't over complicate things.

[Trent]

Do we know who is designing this? Is it part of the normal MP line up or is it a side project like Star Saber was with its own design staff?

[doublespy]

Do we know who is designing this? Is it part of the normal MP line up or is it a side project like Star Saber was with its own design staff?

My guess would be a side project, to be handled by Hisashi Yuki. But who knows

If they showed some sketches we can probably figure out who it is.

[Lord_Zed]

Are we still going on about this? I don't get this whole idea of an MP being nothing more than an update thing, to me an MP is a collector aimed toy that commemorates a particular toy or character. The original Primal toy was awesome and still holds it own today (though sadly this may also be due to declining quality in some modern toys) but he's no MP, and he was released 18 years ago, assuming he comes out next year that's the same amount of time as we had between G1 Optimus and MP 01, so isn't it time to get some collectors grade Beast Wars toys for all the kids who grew up with that, and weren't able to buy an original Optimus Primal in the 90's?

That said the render is less than inspiring, but it's early days and I still think it's awesome they are making this.