A pair o' links as we begin to bid farewell to '08 ...

First off, in case you were unaware, the Masterpiece Veritech Beta Fighter is out, and Shogundan at CollectionDX.com has an extremely positive, image-heavy review up, complete with video. If I had the money and the room, I'd have one by now.


Dear, dear pal James "Tolarin" Pickens shot me a news item from AnimeNewsNetwork.com; apparently in February there will be a "Super Dimension Launch Ceremony," commemorating the fictional launch date of the SDF-1 Macross, in Tokyo's Akihabara shopping district. Details, such as they are at this point, here. Tolarin believes he can make it and promises me pictures. Can't wait! And if he can score me some freebies while he's at it ... hmm? Maybe? Maybe? ^_-

Well, now it just looks like you're deliberately avoiding me ...

Robotech.com has their big list of conventions they're hitting in '09 up here, so you can know where to go to pester Tommy, Kevin, and Steve about Shadow Rising and the Warners movie and get brilliantly-worded dodges and non-answers to all those burning questions. Noteworthy in my warped little mind is the fact that they're hitting Naka-Con in Kansas City, MO ... a convention they've never done before ... and which is two hours north of where I used to live.

Never ever in that neck of the woods in years past. Nope, wouldn't be caught dead there. But now that *I* don't live there anymore? ZOOOOOOOOM, off to KC.

*sniff*

Not that anyone cares, but ...

I think the second version of "We Will Win" on Lonely Soldier Boy II is my favorite version of that song ever. A little downbeat, a little hopeful -- much like the feeling you get as each of the Robotech Wars zeros in on its climax. But certainly the feelings evoked go beyond the confines of ROBOTECH; it transcends the song's origins, disconnects from the images of Minmei sashaying on that stage aboard the SDF-1. In that context, the song always seemed a little cheesy; stripped of its pop princess and full-sized band, it grows more earnest. Listening to it performed by a man with a single guitar, the struggle of the song's lyrics takes on a sense of urgency even as the singer sounds so at ease. The music seems to have a melancholic storm swirling about it, but the lyrics retain their optimistic fire. There's real power there. I love it.

Fer reviews LSB II; HG screws up Masterpiece price.

See, I'm not the only one who likes Lonely Soldier Boy II -- good ol' Fer Goodnough praises it as possibly the best ROBOTECH music album ever. I'm inclined to agree with him.

Robotech.com has opened up pre-orders for the Masterpiece Collection Maia Sterling's Shadow Fighter. Last night the pre-order price was $59.99, the same reduced price that the remaining three original Toynami New Gen Masterpiece Alpha Fighters (red, green, Shadow) sell for there. Whoops! It was (and is) supposed to be $79.99, so all those pre-orders got canceled ... *sigh*

(Props to Roger Harkavy for alerting me to the change. And to think, that $59.99 price had me all excited last night. Phoo.)

Adrian Lozano @ OverDrive provides more photos of the Beagle Mospeada, which will in slightly rejiggered form come out Stateside as the Masterpiece Cyclone; Yaco @ Yacolog has his own to share, too.

More on this later, but for now ...

Listening to my copy of Lonely Soldier Boy II -- which I got in the mail today -- right now. Just passed the first version of "Look Up! The Sky Is Falling," which was pretty freakin' cool. Surprisingly, I think the strongest track so far was "Flower of Life," which elicited a verbal "WOW" from Evan. It's an extremely impressive acoustic take on what is typically a very, very synth-heavy song ... and it STILL sounds so very, very otherworldly. Nice!

Seriously, every ROBOTECH fan who enjoys the New Gen and Untold Story songs should probably pick this up right now. I am enjoying the hell out of this disc! ^_^