It's Official - MP-36 is a new Megatron

[Deonasis]

I do not care about the hollow back or arms. For a very good robot and gun likeness with a (hopefully) good transformation some trade-offs need to be made.

[GoktimusPrime]

Inferno and Grapple's show models are relatively more toy-accurate and they transform from bulky Mitsubishi Fuso trucks into bulky robots. They're able to focus their disappearing act on the ladder/crane because there's relatively less other parts that they have to make disappear. When I first got Inferno my initial thoughts were that it feels like a nicer toy than Ironhide/Ratchet, but then I immediately became mindful of the fact that Ironhide/Ratchet are basically trying to recreate show models which completely defied reality. Also, one advantage of translating Diacloneformers into MPs is that they have these lovely cavities which were pilot compartments in the G1 toys that can instead be used to house vehicle mode kibble. I still think that Inferno's ladder trick is freaking amazing, but at least Inferno has the option of using what is otherwise unused space in the toy. Ironhide/Ratchet also tuck away a lot of their alt mode panels into that space as well (much of which disappears in the cartoon). As a Microman based toy with no cockpit, Megatron doesn't have this luxury.

Megatron is another tricky reality-defying show model that makes it jolly hard to translate as an action figure. In the cartoon Megatron transforms from being a thin pistol to being a bulky robot. Where does all that additional mass come from and go between modes? And don't forget that almost* every MP toy has exposed kibble somewhere, but with vehicles it's on the underside where you normally don't see it. Where are they going to reveal kibble on MP Megatron? Options are either in robot or gun mode. They've chosen robot mode, and they've opted for the back rather than the front. It may not be visually perfect, but the bulk's gotta go somewhere.

And I think that the back is the best place to put leftover kibble because this is what we're missing out on...

Depending on the artist we're missing out on seeing either a blank panel or two black lines. Nothing I'm gonna lose sleep over. And believe it or not, Megatron rarely showed his back for long in the G1 cartoon. Getting these screen shots were tricky, each one of them only lasted for barely a second each.

The whole figure looks like a jigsaw puzzle. It looks horrid.

The price you pay for having an MP Megatron toy that's trying to be slavishly accurate to the G1 cartoon. I think that the robot mode looks fine. The gun mode does seam to suffer though.

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*Except for MPs with non-realistic alt modes; Grimlock, Shockwave & Star Sabre. None of these characters really change proportions much between alt and robot mode either; they go from bulky alt modes to bulky robots.

[Bladestorm]

My son was "reading" the Japanese Transformers magazine last night as I found it in a store here the other day and when he came across those pages of MP Megatron was all but begging me to get it for him and couldn't stop looking at the article. The magazine images really are amazing and his birthday is coming up in a couple of months... and there are no restrictions where we live currently, BUT looking to the future... how on earth would I get his Megs back to NSW when we eventually move back there given the licensing required (and he'll probably be underage for firearms)... sigh...
True first world transformer collector problems.

[GoktimusPrime]

You may need to get the permit under your name and just say that the toy is yours from a legal POV. It may be your son's in practical reality. Kinda like how Hong Kong belongs to China on paper, but... The real tricky thing will be the safe storage requirements. Are you and your son planning on having your TFs kept in the same room? If so, then I guess it'd be okay to have a lock installed on that room. But many parents would - understandably - object to having locks on their children's bedroom doors, which would be legally required if the toy were kept in his room. Might be best to have all your family's TFs in the same room, perhaps in separate shelving units. That way MP36 can be placed on your son's unit with the lockable display unit, then lock on the door and windows (although I've never come across a window that didn't already have a lock installed). If the room is on the ground floor then any windows will need to have security grills installed on the windows.

[drifand]

You may need to get the permit under your name and just say that the toy is yours from a legal POV. It may be your son's in practical reality. Kinda like how Hong Kong belongs to China on paper, but... The real tricky thing will be the safe storage requirements. Are you and your son planning on having your TFs kept in the same room? If so, then I guess it'd be okay to have a lock installed on that room. But many parents would - understandably - object to having locks on their children's bedroom doors, which would be legally required if the toy were kept in his room. Might be best to have all your family's TFs in the same room, perhaps in separate shelving units. That way MP36 can be placed on your son's unit with the lockable display unit, then lock on the door and windows (although I've never come across a window that didn't already have a lock installed). If the room is on the ground floor then any windows will need to have security grills installed on the windows.

She is living in Hong Kong

[Ralph Wiggum]

Yeah but she's talking about coming back to Oz in the future.

I say chuck him in robot form with a box of other toys that you're bringing back.*

*disclaimer: not responsible if you get busted by the law

Not sure what to do with my Apollyon once this Megs comes in. I might display him on my desk at work.

[Bladestorm]

You may need to get the permit under your name and just say that the toy is yours from a legal POV. It may be your son's in practical reality. Kinda like how Hong Kong belongs to China on paper, but... The real tricky thing will be the safe storage requirements. Are you and your son planning on having your TFs kept in the same room? If so, then I guess it'd be okay to have a lock installed on that room. But many parents would - understandably - object to having locks on their children's bedroom doors, which would be legally required if the toy were kept in his room. Might be best to have all your family's TFs in the same room, perhaps in separate shelving units. That way MP36 can be placed on your son's unit with the lockable display unit, then lock on the door and windows (although I've never come across a window that didn't already have a lock installed). If the room is on the ground floor then any windows will need to have security grills installed on the windows.

I hadn't even thought that far ahead in terms of locked storage/display... we have a single story house back in Oz so I guess I need to really think about the logistics of the house when we are planning to move back not just the implications of getting Megs through customs.
Throwing it in with his other Transformers is appealing, but not something I'd be comfortable with.

Thanks for giving me something to think about while I consider whether to get this MP or not. My son opens the mag every day to eyeball this guy making the decision a hard one as I know it's a figure he really REALLY wants.

[ampoldj]

Looks like MP Megatron is gonna start April with a "bang" with an April 1st release

https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/aw/d/B01...12525;ン

Although he is expected early April did not expect it first day

[laproblematique]

Do we know what the Hasbro Asia bonus accessory for Megatron will be yet?

[GoktimusPrime]

Although he is expected early April did not expect it first day

April Fool's isn't a thing in Japan. Probably because the Japanese never observed the old Pagan New Year.