TF Views

Masterpiece MP-20 Clarification & speculation thread.

We have some additional information about the next installment in the Transformers Masterpiece series for you now. 2005 Boards member MACRAPTRON was also present at the Tokyo Toy Show panel yesterday, and can report on what Shogo Hasui said during the presentation:

Hasui: "About the new Masterpiece, I believe many of you want to hear about MP20. We can't show it yet, but MP20 will finally be that character, that car model which the license was very difficult to obtain".

MC: "Why? (can't show now?)"

Hasui: "You'll have to wait/please wait some more"

This does not quite match what we heard yesterday, but this does fit with what we heard previously about the Takara-Tomy team relentlessly pursuing licenses for the car models of the other Generation 1 characters. From Hasui's wording, it sounds like MP-20 might be a character with a licensed car mode which has been very hard to obtain for the line - which narrows the field of candidates quite considerably.

We will share more news and information as it reaches us.

MY 2 CENTS: If I had to speculate who MP-20 is Based off the official Description/hints of MP-20. I'd STRONGLY speculate that it's gonna be Bumblebee using his Volkwagon 1984 alt mode maybe in a newer 2013 VW liscensed alt mode style. I suspose they could get a few recolors out of it like Cliffjumper,Herbie the love bug deco,Goldbug or G-2 Bumblebee,etc...

I will shit a brick if this turns out to be true.

Other recolors: Bugbyte, Glyph...

So, sounds like it'll be either Bumblebee or Jazz. I'm actually gonna speculate against popular opinion and say it'll probably be Jazz, given that they seem to be on a real Autobot Cars kick right now, and Bumblebee would take them down a Minicars detour.

And if getting Jazz means we get a Masterpiece Stepper down the line, I'm all in.

BWprowl wrote:So, sounds like it'll be either Bumblebee or Jazz. I'm actually gonna speculate against popular opinion and say it'll probably be Jazz, given that they seem to be on a real Autobot Cars kick right now, and Bumblebee would take them down a Minicars detour.

And if getting Jazz means we get a Masterpiece Stepper down the line, I'm all in.

If Takara gets the permission from Volkswagon to create newer TF toys using their car models--->THEN BOTH BUMBLEBEE & JAZZ ARE ON THE TABLE not just one or the other. If this deal goes through,my guess it'll be Bumblebee first followed by Jazz.

BWprowl wrote:So, sounds like it'll be either Bumblebee or Jazz. I'm actually gonna speculate against popular opinion and say it'll probably be Jazz, given that they seem to be on a real Autobot Cars kick right now, and Bumblebee would take them down a Minicars detour.

I'd have to agree, I think it's probably going to be Jazz. There was an interview a while back with designer Shogo Hasui where he said Meister is one of his personal favorites that he'd really like to make for the Masterpiece line. And like you say, given the scale of the Autobot cars they've been making as Masterpiece figures lately, Jazz seems like the more likely choice to keep with that scale.

Tigermegatron wrote:If Takara gets the permission from Volkswagon to create newer TF toys using their car models--->THEN BOTH BUMBLEBEE & JAZZ ARE ON THE TABLE not just one or the other.

Just because Volkswagon owns Porsche doesn't mean TakaraTomy would automatically get the licenses for both car brands for both characters to be on the table. After all, Lamborghini is also owned by Volkswagon but having that license didn't give them permission to make any other brands owned by VW.

Jazz would be my preference, more exciting, more likely for Japanese audiences to buy.

Aaaaaaaand turns out it was Bumblebee after all. Mmm, delicious crow.

They also announced Wheeljack, just for shots and goggles, apparently (me continuing to be the only person who thinks Wheeljack is Not A Big Deal).

And G2 Sideswipe, but we'd seen him already a few days ago. Now that one, that one I might get.

MP-20 Is wheeljack,with MP-21 being bumblebee. http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/list.aspx?list=13061

I knew it wasn't Jazz.

BWprowl wrote:Aaaaaaaand turns out it was Bumblebee after all. Mmm, delicious crow.

They also announced Wheeljack, just for shots and goggles, apparently (me continuing to be the only person who thinks Wheeljack is Not A Big Deal).

And G2 Sideswipe, but we'd seen him already a few days ago. Now that one, that one I might get.

It was Wheeljack as #20 actually, with the Lancia license being very difficult to procure! Fiat owns Lancia and Ferrari, as well as the Chrysler group, so I'm not surprised they had been holding out, they hadn't licensed any Ferraris either.

Anyway, I think Wheeljack is an excellent choice, the character is a big ENOUGH deal - as much as Sideswipe or Prowl in my book or even Bumblebee. The Lancia Stratos HF Turbo 539 group 5 racer is a very exciting vehicle, and if Hasbro doesn't commit to these at Botcon or SDCC, I think Wheeljack may end up my first import in the line.

Bumblebee being #21 is less of a surprise only because I thought Takara licensed the VW Beetle for the Disney Label Donald Duck figure, but I could be wrong about that being licensed.

Hrm... Wheeljack is a surprise. It'll be awesome to see his G1 form get updated as a Masterpiece figure. Also a bit surprised Bumblebee will be #21, but I knew he wouldn't be #20.