Henkei returns?

[SilverDragon]

Red leader over at TFW2005 reports that he got a notification for a new line of Henkei except now it's called Transformers United. It will comprise the Generations toys.

He runs the Kapow! Toys site, so we can take this info as legit unless something official contradicts it. But really, it was inevitable that Generations would get a Henkei-esque release over in Japan.

[SharkyMcShark]

I wouldn't be surprised if the first few releases were unchanged, or just had chrome added.

Drift looks like Drift does in the comics, so really all that could be done in pursuit of greater accuracy is chroming the swords (and I'm not even sure you can chrome that kind of plastic). Thrust won't get a release. WFC OP and Bee are already accurate to source, so maybe they'll just get some chrome. Same for Megs and Soundwave, and Red Alert won't get a release over there.

It'll be intersting to see what they do with Darkmount, and later releases like Blurr, Skulgrin and the like.

[FFN]

I don't know why that one guy hopes they'll do a "more accurate" colour scheme for Straxus considering he had two different colour schemes and Japan never got the Marvel comic anyway (much less of an expectation by your fanbase for fiction accuracy when most of them don't know who that is). What we got on the Generations toy is an amalgamation of Straxus' two colour schemes.

I suppose they can either make the blue darker, or make it black, but that would be depending upon one's interpretation on if Straxus was supposed to be blue or was just a victim of the olden day "blue to represent black" comic colouring limitations. Hasbro's colour scheme followed the cover of a fan book coloured by Straxus' biggest fan, David Willis.

[kup]

The Generations toys have been pretty good overall, specially by Hasbro standards. I am satisfied with the ones I have just as I was satisfied with the original Classics run (except Starscream and Megatron).

However like always, I will go with whichever provides me with the better toy if I am yet to get said release.

[gdmetro]

Oooo.. if this is true I'm excited!!

Red Leader mentions:

Transformers United set for release in December 2010 brings us the following figures

1) UN01 - Optimus Prime Cybertron Mode
2) UN02 - Bumblebee Cybertron Mode
3) UN03 - Cliffjumper Cybertron Mode
4) UN04 - Megatron Cybertron Mode
5) UN05 - Soundwave Cybertron Mode
6) UN06 - Optimus Prime
7) UN07 - Bumblebee
8) UN08 - Autobot Drift
9) UN09 - Megatron
10) UN10 - United Straxus

Im loving and hating this news at the same time.

I have yet to get any of the generations (WFC) except thrust and Drift- whom ill pick up again via henkei 2. So these will be all buys for me if and when they come out.

However, it seems from this info generic "bumblebee and optimus" are being released- it seems logical to assume these are classics/henkei molds?

If this is true, I'm slightly peeved- only slightly- as I got henkei prime and bee at aftermakret prices- but only like 10 bucks max difference so still ok.

Henkei megs I have yet to get, so if that is re-released - *Fist pump!!

Under this assumption, the further question is whether they will release the other previous henkei figs- that are not gentei or rare during initial run, but now pricey. i.e. mirage, red alert, smokescreen. I would be slightly bummed again.

But it works both ways- I cant even imagine if they re-release henkei rodimus or even a henkei take on ultra magnus?? wow... people would be pissed.

Although Id still love it- damn I need to save up now and get dupes of each- one for misb, one for display.

[kup]

The Japanese unusually don't do repaints or re-releases in such short amounts of time after the last. I am guessing that it's possible that they are referring to new molds, perhaps those Legends (scouts?) toys they had on display at Botcon and Comic Con.

[gdmetro]

The Japanese unusually don't do repaints or re-releases in such short amounts of time after the last. I am guessing that it's possible that they are referring to new molds, perhaps those Legends (scouts?) toys they had on display at Botcon and Comic Con.

Hmm I guess that is also a very likely possibility, and the more I think about it the more it makes sense. Although we can only speculate now, I guess the 2 factors that I am holding out hope for (wishful thinking):

-Bumblebee- would be equivalent to that goldbug? repaint by hasbro- which was already released in Henkei as cliffjumper.

-They would be releasing individual legends figures- (I don't know if this is even a point) but in Henkei they released them in packs of 3- i.e. the minibot spy and attack teams.


Still happy of this news regardless!

[FFN]

I'm wondering what's with the names.

Since the movies, only the G1-based toylines have used the Japanese names (Henkei, Alternity) while the others have more or less followed Hasbro's names where possible.

All the names here, assuming they're anywhere near final, use presumably Japanese trademarkable versions of the American names, even Straxus, which Hasbro was unable to trademark.

I wonder if this means Takara is following Hasbro's lead in not considering WFC to be a version of G1 (hence "Optimus Prime Cybertron Mode" instead of "Convoy Cybertron Mode"), or it's the beginning of Takara naming everything based on the American names.

[Tallestblue]

Oooh, I hope that Megs is the 2006 Megs and he's unchromed so he fits in with Classics better. Probably not, but. I can dream!

[kup]

I'm wondering what's with the names.

Since the movies, only the G1-based toylines have used the Japanese names (Henkei, Alternity) while the others have more or less followed Hasbro's names where possible.

All the names here, assuming they're anywhere near final, use presumably Japanese trademarkable versions of the American names, even Straxus, which Hasbro was unable to trademark.

I wonder if this means Takara is following Hasbro's lead in not considering WFC to be a version of G1 (hence "Optimus Prime Cybertron Mode" instead of "Convoy Cybertron Mode"), or it's the beginning of Takara naming everything based on the American names.

I have a feeling that they are moving towards westernizing all the names in all contemporary franchises. Animated was also called Optimus Prime and he isn't exactly movie.

In regards to Starxus, I think that the Japanese just tried a little harder in naming him. Hasbro equivalent would have been 'Decepticon Straxus' or even 'Darkmound Straxus'.