<![CDATA[A-to-J Connections

<![CDATA[A-to-J Connections - A-to-J Hobby]]>Wed, 08 May 2024 01:33:41 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Fanhome Details Summer 2023 Launch of Transformers Optimus Prime Build-Up Kit]]>Tue, 07 Mar 2023 08:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/a-to-j-hobby/fanhome-details-summer-2023-launch-of-transformers-optimus-prime-build-up-kit

Fanhome, the leader in subscription-based collections and models, under license from global branded entertainment leader Hasbro, brings the action-packed world of Transformers home to fans across North America this summer with the launch of the Transformers Optimus Prime subscription. This is the ultimate screen accurate replica of the iconic Autobot leader as he appeared in the 2007’s Transformers that kicked off the live action film franchise.

About Fanhome’s Optimus Prime
Standing nearly 2 feet tall and composed of meticulously detailed metal and ABS plastic parts, Optimus Prime will be the centerpiece of a collection with features such as light-up effects and full articulation for maximum posability. A fresh shipment from Fanhome brings the Optimus Prime figure to life each month with components for a specific part of the build, along with step-by-step instructions and all the necessary tools for assembly. (**Note: This Autobot figure does not transform.)

Builders will get to know Optimus Prime and the Transformers universe throughout the subscription with a special full-color monthly magazine. Learn about his origins, his home planet, Cybertron, and the interstellar struggle between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Dive into Transformers lore and explore how the franchise of convertible toy robots was born in the 80s and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. Become an expert on Autobot and Decepticon characters such as Bumblebee and Megatron with insightful articles and informative “Fact Files,” and go behind the scenes to discover little known facts and images about the Transformers movies and how they continue to bring this epic story to life for new generations of fans.

Fanhome Optimus Prime subscribers also will receive exclusive gifts at various stages, such as a pair of large (10x16 inches) full-color posters of Optimus Prime, an exclusive Optimus Prime ceramic mug, and T-shirt.

More Information & Pre-order Notifications:
https://www.fanhome.com/us/movie-series/optimus-prime-transformers/

About Transformers
The Transformers brand is a global powerhouse franchise with millions of fans around the world. Since 1984, the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons has come to life in movies, TV shows, comic books, innovative toys, and digital media, bringing incredible “MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE” experiences to fans of all ages. The brand’s enduring connection is made possible by its rich storytelling and characters: the heroic Autobots who seek to protect all life, and the evil Decepticons who seek to conquer the universe. The Transformers brand is a Hasbro franchise.

About Fanhome
At Fanhome we are passionate fans of pop culture, from sci-fi and movies to video games and comics. Our international team of more than 100 people consists of expert creators, editors and writers, product engineers, model makers, communication and marketing gurus, logistic masters and a friendly customer service team. Our combined efforts create original collections, magnificent models, and an outstanding experience for you to enjoy. More information is available at: https://www.fanhome.com.

]]><![CDATA[Iron-Blooded Orphans Urðr Hunt: HG Gundam Asmoday Review]]>Sun, 27 Nov 2022 08:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/a-to-j-hobby/iron-blooded-orphans-urr-hunt-hg-gundam-asmoday-reviewBy Rose

It's Suletta Sunday once again, which arbitrarily means it's time to take another peek into Rose's Robot Room. It's been a while! Pretend it hasn't! I've decided to take a dive into the Iron-Blooded Orphans spinoff line, Urðr Hunt, starting with the HG Gundam Asmoday. The IBO line has been a mixed bag so far, some incredible designs marred by loose joints and an over-reliance on stickers. The Asmoday, unfortunately, is no different. Let's take a look.

The first thing you'll note out of the box is that the Asmoday has a somewhat unique color scheme, mostly a simple gray but the accents are where the real fun is. That green really pops. As an HG build, it's pretty simple to get started, and the head and torso come together pretty easily with some really neat details. The head in particular is impressively (and deceptively) complex, with a pretty unique design. The eye stickers are - as usual - a pain, but the shiny vent stickers for the torso go on without much issue.

The arms are also no problem, and they've got these huge tonfa-like attachments on the back which add to the Asmoday's silhouette and give it some of IBO's trademark bulk. The massive clown shoes are next, and I love these things. Like the Lupus Rex before it, the Asmoday has some BOOTS. The feet actually have a really neat gimmick with fold-out claws, lending to Asmoday's catlike appearance.

My main problems with this build came in the legs and waist area. The legs have some horrendous stickers, much like the Lupus Rex, and for me were a bit of a struggle to put together. The real travesty, though, is the loose ball joint in the waist. This thing cannot hold itself up to save its life. In the end I coated the ball joint in a clear nail polish which seems to have tightened it up enough, but be warned if you like to keep these things as-is straight out of the box. Aside from the stickers, though, the legs do have these really cool green vents which do a lot for the overall look and feel of the kit

As for weapons, the Asmoday comes with an extender for the tonfas, a pretty standard rifle, and a blade. The rifle can latch onto the back of the waist pretty cleanly.

The finished kit out of the box...

And with a little bit of panel lining to make the details pop a little:

Overall I do like the HG Gundam Asmoday. It's got a really cool design, and I love the little gimmicks like the cat claws, the (unmovable) grenades on the waist, those sick green vents, and the snap-holster for the rifle on the back. I just wish this kit (and every other IBO kit) had tighter joints and less stickers. If you like to keep things vanilla and want a perfect kit right out of the box, this one isn't for you unless you really love the design. But if you're willing to do a few minor tweaks then I think the HG Gundam Asmoday could be a great addition to your collection!

]]><![CDATA[Expo 2020 Dubai RX-78-2 (Granddaddy) Gundam Review]]>Tue, 17 May 2022 03:42:21 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/a-to-j-hobby/expo-2020-dubai-rx-78-2-granddaddy-gundam-reviewBy Rose

The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise was granted the honor of representing Japan as one of their pavilion ambassadors for Expo 2020 Dubai (an event which began in 2021, you know why). And, as is customary for Gundam, you just can’t have that franchise show up for a major event without a bespoke Gunpla figure to match. Sold under the limited edition Premium Bandai line, this pre-order exclusive model kit is a recolor of the High Grade Granddaddy Gundam itself: Amuro Ray’s RX-78-2, the titular Mobile Suit from the 1979 series that started it all.

As a High Grade kit, this was a fairly simple build, only a few hours (or quicker if you rush) with minimal features. The biggest draw of this limited edition run is the unique color scheme seen above and the event-specific sticker set.

I had a few minor issues with the build: the crest on the forehead refused to snap in place, and needed to be secured with a small dab of Mr. Cement (glue would have worked too, but I didn’t have any glue, hence the slight damage seen above). There was also an issue snapping together a piece of the torso, but all in all it was a fairly straightforward build.

Some people don’t like excessive stickers on their Gunpla; I know I don’t. Those people will be absolutely livid at the sheer volume of color-correcting stickers on this kit. They add a nice accent, but are incredibly frustrating to apply.

Still, the full kit came together quite nicely and carries its own weight pretty well. The articulation is a bit questionable around the legs, though the center waist flap can be cut in half to allow each side to move individually with its respective leg. The kit comes with pretty standard accessories as well: two beam sabers, a rifle, and that iconic shield.

This isn’t a kit you can buy from official sources anymore, but if you love the Granddaddy Gundam (or the color scheme and unique decals, which is what drew me to it in the first place) you can certainly find it on resale websites like with most Premium Bandai drops. If you’re familiar with the HG RX-78-2, however, this kit won’t surprise you.

]]><![CDATA[New Details Revealed about Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury]]>Wed, 30 Mar 2022 00:11:01 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/a-to-j-hobby/new-details-revealed-about-mobile-suit-gundam-the-witch-from-mercuryBy Rose

After a long wait, Bandai Namco and Sunrise Animation have finally dropped a wealth of information regarding the newest upcoming mainline entry in the Gundam franchise — Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. Announced in September of 2021, The Witch From Mercury is the first mainline entry in the series since 2015’s Iron Blooded Orphans.

So far, what we know about The Witch From Mercury anime series is that it will air in October 2022 with a prologue in the summer, and that it will focus on a female Gundam pilot (a first in franchise history, and something that was speculated as early as the announcement of the series title). A teaser for the series can be seen below. It is currently unknown if the series will take place in an existing Gundam timeline or a new one as was the case with IBO.

On the merchandise side of things, Bandai has revealed the first set of Gunpla model tie-ins for the series. The line will launch with three HG 1/144 models: the main series’ as-yet-unnamed protagonist’s Gundam Aerial, and the Gundam Lfrith and Mobile Suit Beguir-Beu from The Witch From Mercury PROLOGUE. The specific price points and release dates for these models have not yet been announced but are expected to come very soon.

]]><![CDATA[1/4 Scale USAGS Apex Model Kit Review]]>Mon, 07 Feb 2022 08:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/a-to-j-hobby/14-scale-usags-apex-model-kit-reviewBy Rose

Almost everybody building gunpla in the US has heard of the USA Gundam Store. The Florida-based company is known for their personal touch, usually including stickers and signed postcards with every order they receive. Omnipresent across the USAGS website and merchandise is their cute robot mascot Apex, seen below:

While Apex has emblazoned much of USAGS’ merchandise (including shirts, stickers, and keychains), the distributor wanted to try their hand at designing their own mecha model kits, and what better place to start than Apex himself?

This kit has very few parts and as such is a relatively quick build, only a couple hours or so (faster if you rush). Despite Apex’s simplicity, however, there’s a remarkable amount of color separation to be seen. There’s not a single sticker included in the box, nor is there any need for paint unless you want the white pupils in the otherwise transparent blue eyes. The only tool you’ll need is a pair of hobby nippers (and a small screwdriver for the included action base, though your nippers can replace this in a pinch).

The build is pretty straightforward, though I wish the instruction sheet was a bit more detailed in a couple sections (though I’ve heard that later runs of this kit will include an improved instruction sheet, so this may not be an issue to future buyers). These vents on the back of the body (above) gave me some trouble, with one of them so loose that it needed to be glued in place. I had the exact opposite problem with the arm sockets (below). I had to sand down the ball joints with a sanding stick just to get them in place (though they’re incredibly sturdy once snapped in).

Aside from those minor issues, the build is of pretty high quality for the price (which is comparable to a Bandai high grade gunpla kit). There’s little to no articulation but it’s not a big deal in my opinion, due to the simplicity of the design. The only other complaint I have is that the action base has a tiny bit of trouble holding up the surprisingly heavy model. Admittedly, though, the base seems to be a third party design not rated for helpful mascots with much larger heads than your average gundam, and with some fidgeting it works just fine.

Something unique for a model kit at this size and price is the included LED lights. There’s one light in the base of Apex’s body, one for his transparent blue chest piece, and one more behind his interchangeable face plate. Unfortunately, the required battery is not included, and I wasn’t able to get one in time for this review.

Overall the Apex ¼ scale kit from USA Gundam Store is a pretty good deal. Apex is a super cute design, the plastic is thick and sturdy, it’s an easy build, and is comparable to high grade gunpla in both size and price.

The finished kit with an HG Zaku II for scale.

USA GUNDAM STORE APEX ¼ SCALE MODEL KIT

]]>