1/72 Multiverse

I've been waiting 10 years for a 1/72 scale model of Klan Klang, so it was with great excitement that I received the news that a Klan Klang Variable Fighter Girl figure was in the works by Aoshima last summer.


There is some controversy over what Klan's actual height should be, but my personal belief is that she should be about 11m tall, which makes the 6 inch height of the figures in the VFG line just about right.

The VFG line is part of the Aoshima Character Kit Series, which includes plastic models of various robots, kaiju, and mecha musume.

A comparison of the VFG figure with the putatively 1/72 MegaHouse figure can be seen at the プロピReNGu YouTube channel.

ReNGu-san often gets distracted by Klan, so the video might be considered slightly NSFW, but his video shows that there is a considerable difference in size between the two figures.


In any event, I'm glad I never bought the MegaHouse figure because it is entirely too big, and if Klan were that size, she wouldn't fit her Queadluun-Rhea.

The video also shows a comparison of the VF25G that comes in this kit with a 1/72 VF25, and seems to indicate that the model is probably 1/100 scale.

Anyway, after a 3½ month journey by sea, I finally received the kit in March.


The box is huge, and packed with an assortment of multicolored plastic runners.


The kit comes with 5 face plates so that the figure can be displayed with different expressions. Klan's face does not look as mature as depicted in the anime, but I think the kit designers mention that this was intentional.


Two of the face plates are blank, but the decal sheet has markings for a total of 8 faces. An assortment of hands are also provided.


The GU-17A gun pod from the kit is only slightly larger than a 1/72 scale GU-11 gun pod which is about right if it is 1/100 scale.


I feel the kit is representative of many modern Japanese robot and character kits in that it is designed so that the model can be built and displayed without the need for painting. It is also articulated so that it can be played with like an action figure.

I assembled Klan in about an hour. Her outfit is only loosely based on the flight suit she wears in the show, since it is obviously more of a swimsuit.


The figure is difficult to balance in a standing position because of the weight of her twin tails (which also limit her ability to look downward to some degree).


Her feet are also kind of undersized, which doesn't help her ability to stand, but I think it's because they would otherwise not fit inside the leg/engine nacelles when she's in VFG mode.


The fit on some parts is too loose, which is annoying when trying to pose the figure since the pieces keep falling off. I also wasn't sure which pieces need to be removable for adding the VFG parts, so I didn't use any glue during assembly.

As far as height goes, she towers over the Yamato Miria.


She is also slightly taller than the Matchbox Khyron, though without her high heels, she would be slightly shorter. Khyron is 1/100 scale according to CollectionDX, but I consider him 1/72 scale because there is no way he would fit inside his Glaug battle pod if he was bigger.


Will this be the start of a slide into the bishoujo plastic model genre? I doubt it, but as long as there is the possibility of 10m tall women in fiction, I wouldn't rule it out either.

The VF-1 Valkyrie is the iconic variable fighter from the anime series Macross.


The mechanical design was inspired by the lines of the F-14 Tomcat, which appeared in the film The Final Countdown that was in theaters during the time Shoji Kawamori and Studio Nue began their concept art for the series.


There have been a number of diecast Valkyrie models created over the years, but I believe that the Calibre Wings version is the only one in 1/72 scale (KitzConcept produced an earlier model that is purportedly 1/72 scale, but I think it may be closer to 1/65 scale).

This particular model is a non-transformable display piece of the Valkyrie in fighter mode. I believe it is limited to 1500 pieces, with an additional 300 convention exclusive pieces depicting the battle damaged version from episode 18 of the series.


Despite being a fan of Calibre Wings, I made the decision to buy the model second hand because of the whole Harmony Gold/Tatsunoko/Studio Nue controversy that has effectively stifled the international release of any new Macross related media for over two decades (but that's just me being salty about HG).

Of course this also meant that my model was slightly damaged and missing some pieces, but I don't think there is anything that can't be fixed with a little effort.

This is probably old news to Macross fans, but MegaHouse is releasing a PVC Klan Klang figure in what is purportedly 1/72 scale. I say purportedly because when I originally saw the announcement for this release, it was listed as a non-scale figure. However, several sources are now calling the figure 1/72 scale (notably HLJ). I'm guessing that this is based in part on the size of the Super Pack equipment included with the figure, and in part on the dimensions of the figure, which would have Klan scale out to 13 meters in height. For some, this is accurate for 1/72, but I'm not one of the people who subscribe to Klan being the size of a VF-25 in battroid mode.

Anyway, this post not really a review, since I don't actually have one of these figures on hand to make any real judgements. The pose is based on Episode 21 of Macross Frontier. The pictures that I've seen on other sites show that the figure looks very nice. MegaHouse did a nice job on the face, which I thought captured the look of the character better than the Banpresto figure. There are seven Super Pack elements that are fully removable, and one GU-17A Gun Pod. The figure is in a mid-flight pose, with a support under each foot, and one support that plugs into the back.

I'll keep an eye peeled for any comparisons between this figure and 1/72 VF-25s to see if the Super Packs match up in size, but I don't plan on buying one myself for a number of reasons - first and foremost being the size issue, and second being the price of the figure. As much as I like Klan Klang, she loses out to the Hobby Boss 80cm K(E) railway gun that's also supposed to be coming out next month.

For more information on the Zentradi height controversy, refer to the Macross Mecha Manual.

I've always liked anime figures, but I never really became a figure moe zoku because the figures are not my scale. If I were though, the introduction to the Figure Fetish blog would encapsulate my view on female figure collecting to a tee.


The only anime figure that I have is Miria Fallyna, because as an 8.55m tall Meltran, she does not violate my 1/72 rule. The figure is from the 1/60 Macross Miria 639 3 piece set from Yamato. The figure scales out to 1/72 rather than 1/60 though.



Now if only someone would make a 1/72 Klan Klein...

I received this package on Friday, and had been looking forward to getting it. These Imai Destroid kits in 1/72 have been offered at close to US$100 on eBay so I have been trying to hold out for a Bandai re-release for quite a while. I saw one for sale at a price that I considered reasonable, so went ahead an bought it.


Upon opening the kit, I was filled with a sense of nostalgia. I purchased my first Imai Macross kits back in high school. I think they were only US$8 or US$9 then, but it seemed like quite a bit of money. I wonder if the glue still works?


After stroking the plastic a little, and scanning the sprues, I started to build some of the parts. First were the hands.


Then the shoulders. Unfortunately, the doors to the missle pods are molded shut.


The locator pins for parts 49-50 and 51-52 will have to be cut off for this to be aligned correctly.


The crossbars at the rear of the shoulders should be glued only after dry-fitting the inserts. If you cut off the pins to glue these parts, they will be a little off, and the inserts will not sit properly in their positions. Some filing and will be necessary as well.

This kit has moved to the front of the queue for me, and everything else will have to wait for a while.

I have accomplished absolutely nothing on the modeling front for about a month now. I did however get to go to Los Angeles for Anime Expo over the 4th of July Weekend, and was able to pick up a few items of interest.

Using knowledge dearly paid for from the previous Anime Expo, I was able to get a second vanship from the Last Exile FA4 GrandStream gashapon set.


Cominica Ushiabu keychains were on clearance, so I bought them all.


Finally, I was able to find a Hasegawa VE-1 Elintseeker at a good price.