Y-MSF Figures Discussion Thread

[Legion1979]

Higher than the odds that we'll ever get a Bandai one...

You know, I COULD list all the monsters Bandai HAS done that Y-MSF hasn't put out yet and probably will never put out, just to be fair, but that'd be a pretty long list.

[RedZillaKing]

My main complaint about the Bandai 6 inch figures isn't the aryiculation or the level of detail it's the lack of variety. Sure you've got your Godzillas, your Ghidorahs, your Mothras.... and more than a few Mechagodzillas. But where are the classics like Gabara, Manda, Varan, Showa Rodan, Gorosaurus, Megalon, Kumonga etc? It just seems sooo... Vanilla to me. The Y-msf figures complement the Bandai line more than anything.

[GCrusher]

Higher than the odds that we'll ever get a Bandai one...

You know, I COULD list all the monsters Bandai HAS done that Y-MSF hasn't put out yet and probably will never put out, just to be fair, but that'd be a pretty long list.

What would that prove? That one guy that's making figures can't match a large company with numerous employees? Why is this so important?

[RedZillaKing]

He's a huuuge Bandai fan. Possibly the biggest Bandai fan on the board. He gets very defensive when anything approaching criticism of the Bandai line is uttered.

[Legion1979]

My main complaint about the Bandai 6 inch figures isn't the aryiculation or the level of detail it's the lack of variety. Sure you've got your Godzillas, your Ghidorahs, your Mothras.... and more than a few Mechagodzillas. But where are the classics like Gabara, Manda, Varan, Showa Rodan, Gorosaurus, Megalon, Kumonga etc? It just seems sooo... Vanilla to me.

In the 25+ years I've been collecting the 30 some-odd years worth of Bandai output I've really been okay with the diversity we've gotten, more or less. It never really bothered me. The original 8" line was pretty full for the time and included terrific figures like Gorosaurus, Baragon, Mogera and King Kong while giving us full collections of all the Heisei characters. Then we got the 6" line which ran alongside yearly movie figure releases of all the Millennium films. Not to mention that amazing 50th anniversary box set and incredible figures such as Godzilla 1974, Titanosaurus, Mechagodzilla II, Hedora and Jet Jaguar. That's not even counting all of Bandai's other types of toys that would come out every year from all the other various lines such as the electronic stuff, the High Grades, the SD toys, the Sakai mini statues, the large-size vinyls...

When you factor in everything Bandai has done, you end up with a really freakin' diverse output, one I won't knock for the lack of certain monsters in the 6" series. I understand why it's like this, and why Y-MSF is able to do what they do, and it doesn't bother me. I can understand why someone who just wants a diverse collection 6" figures and 6" figures only would be bothered but sometimes it's best to look at the biggest picture.

The Y-msf figures complement the Bandai line more than anything.

You say that NOW, but a lot of your comparisons seem more like opportunities to SLAM Bandai for not giving you what you want.

He's a huuuge Bandai fan. Possibly the biggest Bandai fan on the board. He gets very defensive when anything approaching criticism of the Bandai line is uttered.

Yes, because that's me in a nutshell. You know me too well.

Seriously, criticism is fine when it makes sense. I can go on for a while talking about the things Bandai has done that I DON'T like. But what's been bothering me lately is the tendency I'm seeing lately of using the Bandai vinyl line as a whipping boy when praising other products. Something that seems to be happening a lot lately. The MonsterArts are a really good line, but when someone says stuff like calling the series the "ultimate toy line" that "eclipses the old one's in popularity" (don't deny it), I just have to raise my eyebrow and think, "WTF?" Are we really comparing 8 months and 4 figures to 30 years and hundreds and products and saying that the MonsterArts are already far more popular than the vinyl line ever was? Or how about those who are calling the vinyls "obsolete". They're not obsolete, just different. The Ultra Acts and the vinyls are coinciding just fine. Nothing is obsolete.

And some people wonder why I get defensive.

[RedZillaKing]

Sigh. See what I mean? I'm not happy with a toy line so I'm "slamming" them. Of course I'll criticize them for not putting the figures that I want out. It's the only stuff I want from them. Would I get any of those figures I mentioned if Bandai made then? Hell yeah I would. Except Gabara. He sucks.

Are we bringing up Monsterarts here? Well it wasn't me, lol. So what if people see SHM as the ultimate Godzilla toy line? Amazingly detailed, highly articulated... A lot of the Bandai sculpts are outdated and very old. I could see them falling out of favor with some fans. The Heisei Godzilla and Spacegodzilla have been rendered obsolete in my eyes. The Moguera and Mechagodzilla still hold up though, IMO.

[GCrusher]

I have a number of Bandai, in 6", 8" and larger. I have Bandai figures I like and others for the reason of collectibility. I am not loyal to any one company, for reasons that may be obvious to many. Best products come when competition exists.

I think many of us are aware of Bandai's contributions, but their accomplishments don't give them a free pass and if fans or apologists want to knock their competition because they feel threatened by them, which unless they own stock in the company seems silly, then IMO they have issues. Don't worry about what others think, collect what you want. Though don't be surprised that you invited a discussion or argument when you make claims like 20 to 1 and such.

[Legion1979]

Though don't be surprised that you invited a discussion or argument when you make claims like 20 to 1 and such.

Yes, I pulled 20-1 out of my ass. Random number. But have you SEEN all the Y-MSF prototypes that have been literally sitting around for YEARS or have been listed FOREVER on the company's web site as "coming soon" that have - for whatever reason - never seen the light of day. Gargantuas, Gigan, Kamakiras, Biollante, Jet Jaguar, Heisei Godzilla, 1960s Rodan, Gorosaurus...I'm sure there's more I'm not thinking of. Yet those sea snakes and rocks sure got produced fast. So did the re-sculpts of monsters that had already been done. I really don't understand it. The un-produced prototypes that have been sitting around (some for at least 5 years, if not more) would probably sell great. But sea snakes? Rocks?

Granted we did get Kumonga. But still...

[RedZillaKing]

Granted we did get Kumonga. But still...

Manda, Varan, Gabara, Megalon... but who's counting?

[Captain Aktion]

A fan of the hobby ? I think he's a fan of money. I'd think that if he were a fan he would have figured out that Varan had a movie before he was a shitty puppet. Yet the toy was based on that deteriorated puppet.
And oh yeah, we the community should thank him. For a freakin' octopus and a rock and a 50 dollar bag of snakes.
Because we need more pink Godzillas.

Dude, never change. I knew you'd show up in this thread and repeat the same lame jokes you've made a hundred times.

This is the least well thought out comment I've seen in some time, especially coming from a dealer/collector.

Perhaps, just PERHAPS, the single-man working to produce these figures that fill a large hole in a small-niche market of collector/fans was only granted a license to produce the Varan figure featured DAM because of...y'know, Toho? Wow. Toho never does things like that, right? Certainly when dealing with a one-man operation that could, theoretically, be infringing on, y'know, the rights owned by Bandai in regards to manufacturing realistic vinyl figures. There's got to be some strict limitations put on the man, right? Frankly, it's a damned miracle that Toho and Bandai even let him produce ONE Varan figure, let alone ANY Godzilla figures. Get off your high-horse about the prices; you don't like it, don't buy it. Easy. Nobody tells you what price tag to put on the figures you're constantly shilling at every turn, so don't act like you are judge and jury on what people should pay for collectors items.

You and I both damn well know that the only price tag you can put on a figure is the price that someone is willing to pay for it. Obviously, there ARE people out there who ARE willing to pay $50 dollars for rock and bag of snakes. Case closed, market open. You're a dealer and collector, this idea cannot be foreign to you.

Just because you aren't making any money off of them is a poor excuse to make up reasons for people to not buy them.

[Legion1979]

Granted we did get Kumonga. But still...

Manda, Varan, Gabara, Megalon... but who's counting?

I was specifically talking about what they've done in the past few years. Megalon and Gabara came out in 2004. Manda and that terrible Varan figure came out in 2005. After that we got a bunch of Godzillas that Bandai already did, nothing for a while and then Kumonga, re-sculpts and that sea snake and rock nonsense.

As far as I'm concerned the only worthwhile NEW character that Y-MSF has really given us in the past 6-7 years has been Kumonga, a figure I DO like.

Perhaps, just PERHAPS, the single-man working to produce these figures that fill a large hole in a small-niche market of collector/fans was only granted a license to produce the Varan figure featured DAM because of...y'know, Toho? Wow. Toho never does things like that, right? Certainly when dealing with a one-man operation that could, theoretically, be infringing on, y'know, the rights owned by Bandai in regards to manufacturing realistic vinyl figures. There's got to be some strict limitations put on the man, right?

Nah.

I think it's far more likely that he did the 1968 Varan because no one had ever done one. The same reason why he also did 1968 versions of Manda and Minya. I doubt Toho ever said "It's okay to do a nice, accurate 1956 Rodan but you can't do the 1958 Varan suit. Do that puppet instead." Not buying that one. Sorry.

[RedZillaKing]

That Varan looks like a turd. The second sculpt isn't much better. Isn't the current Megalon fairly new as well?

[Captain Aktion]

Nah.

I think it's far more likely that he did the 1968 Varan because no one had ever done one. The same reason why he also did 1968 versions of Manda and Minya. I doubt Toho ever said "It's okay to do a nice, accurate 1956 Rodan but you can't do the 1958 Varan suit. Do that puppet instead." Not buying that one. Sorry.

Uh, perhaps he had more funds at the time to pull a bigger license with the Rodan? Perhaps Bandai and Toho don't consider the '56 Rodan to be one of their "premier" figures? Evidenced by them letting Revoltech produce a '56 Rodan as well? Until Toho, Bandai, or Y-MSF jump on here and let us in on their business dealings then I don't think I should "buy" your reasoning any more than you should mine, nes pas?

Here's the real kicker for me though: "I think it's far more likely that he did the 1968 Varan because no one had ever done one."

Oh, well. Obviously the guys a sleaze-bag money-grubber for filling a hole in a market.

[GCrusher]

Reading these post just confirms how passionate many of us are with our Godzilla interest.

I remember years ago collecting Star Wars stuff, and these posts echo those. Many posts created unions while at the same time ruined friendships. One guy that was a co-creator of sorts was eventually was banned and then left and started his own forum, but not before burning bridges. The funny thing was, all he did was act passionately about his love of Star Wars.

I think it's great that there are so many knowledgable people here, as many have answered questions I had and assisted me in collecting.
I agree that there are few in this forum that make quick remarks with no real value and their intent seems only to take a jab at another. And when this is done its real obvious to everyone, it's just that most are too polite to respond. I can name a few too. Though I think we're all capable of puting one's foot in mouth, so can't we all just get along and not let the plastic come between us?

[Kaiju no Mura]

After reading about 3 pages of bickering nonsense here are some answers.

Raymundo and Y-MSF are not the same companies. Raymundo isn't even a Japanese company.

Other companies have done Oodako and made vinyl rocks as accessories with their kaiju figures. Off the top of my head Marmit and Buta no Hana have produced an Oodako. CCP and X-Plus have made vinyl rocks as accessories for their figures.

Fumiaki Kawakami company Y-MSF is not a full time job. He's stated several times in the past in interviews it is a hobby and that he has another business that comes first.

There are many other kaiju makers that are 1 man operations which they do their own designs and sculpting.

If Y-MSF is money grubbing hungry, what does that make other companies like Bandai SH Monsterarts line? X-Plus? Marmit? M1GO? It's a business. Money needs to be made or the company goes under and the kiddies cry that there is no more toys to be made from that company.

This isn't a poke at any one person. This thread was created to appreciate Y-MSF figures. It's fine to objectively criticize the figures. Not shit down on them and it's maker.

[leunames]

nes pas?

dude, if you're going to use french, at least spell it properly

n'est-ce pas

[Jomei]

Kaiju no Mura's post makes a lot of sense. I still maintain that the figures cost too much for what they are and how good they are. That said, I'd still like to own some of them and wish I had taken advantage of certain blowout sales.

[Planetxman]

I think that the Kumonga was the best toy they've done. I don't own one. Out of principal I did not feel like spending $50 plus on it. As good as it looks, it is still a brand new 6" figure.
I think that the Mechanikongs were also pretty good, but for that price you can almost buy The Bandai, which is considerably better.
On a whole, I think that their sculpts are poor. That's my opinion. Flimsy. I do not own one, although I bought a Kong for My Nephew.
If you want to shell out $50 for a bag of snakes, go ahead. I am stating my opinion.

That's all.

[Petezilla]

Thank you, KNM.

[Captain Aktion]

nes pas?

dude, if you're going to use french, at least spell it properly

n'est-ce pas

I knew somebody would get me on this one. Your No-Prize is in the mail, haha!

EDIT: Thank you, KNM. I don't mean to imply that you agree with everything I've said, just that I agree with what you said. Good show.