Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Decals

1. Battroid mode

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Battroid Mode (1/7)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Battroid Mode (2/7)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Battroid Mode (3/7)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Battroid Mode (4/7)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Battroid Mode (5/7)

Battroid Mode

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Detail shots (1/4)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Three different hands are included in total.

The gunpod can be stored in the container unit on the back.

As expected of a transforming mech, the range of motion on each joint is quite wide.

It's a Macross transforming kit, and the waist can still rotate~!

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - The Action Base 1 joint parts used in Battroid Mode. It holds the lower body nice a

The Action Base 1 joint parts used in Battroid Mode.
It holds the lower body nice and securely.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Aerial firing pose. The grip is a bit weak, so the gunpod doesn't stay in place ver

Aerial firing pose.
The grip is a bit weak, so the gunpod doesn't stay in place very well.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Aerial launch pose (1/3)

Aerial launch pose

2. Gerwalk mode

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - To transform, you first need to raise the wing section on the back. When it's lower

To transform, you first need to raise the wing section on the back.
When it's lowered, a pin on the inside of the back slots into a hole behind the cockpit to lock it in place.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Looking at the sides of the torso, the structure is quite different from previous V

Looking at the sides of the torso, the structure is quite different from previous Valkyries.

Lifting the upper body like that
reveals the cockpit sitting horizontally.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - The cockpit cover on the front of the chest is articulated, so it can be folded inw

The cockpit cover on the front of the chest is articulated,
so it can be folded inward when transforming into GERWALK or Fighter mode.
On the VF-25 from Macross Frontier, that part was fixed, which made it quite a hassle during transformation.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Separate the nose underside from the lower body. If you look closely, the pin above

Separate the nose underside from the lower body.
If you look closely, the pin above the waist locks into the landing gear hole under the nose —
this not only provides a solid connection, but also allows the waist to move independently,
by separating the upper and lower body.

Pull the nose forward and lift it up.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Rotate the head 180 degrees, fold down the head antenna, tuck it inward, then grab

Rotate the head 180 degrees, fold down the head antenna, tuck it inward, then grab the frame of the top panel.

Slide the wing section forward to bring it flush against the front top panel.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - To keep the wing section level, GERWALK and Fighter modes use separate support part

To keep the wing section level,
GERWALK and Fighter modes use separate support parts that attach underneath the top panel.
Thanks to these extra parts, the top panel of the body can be set at a proper horizontal angle.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Fold the cover on the back of the hip joint, then swing the entire legs around to t

Fold the cover on the back of the hip joint,
then swing the entire legs around to the rear.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - At this point, insert the large peg on the upper rear of the thigh into the hole on

At this point, insert the large peg on the upper rear of the thigh into the hole on the underside of the body,
which lets the legs and body lock together perfectly at the right angle.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Unfold the double-folded armor at the crotch area to cover the underside of the nos

Unfold the double-folded armor at the crotch area to cover the underside of the nose.

Rotate the nose tip 90 degrees to face forward,
then close the landing gear bay.

Now spread the large wings and lower the legs

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Spread the small wings, then push them inward to set them level and lock them in pl

Spread the small wings, then push them inward to set them level and lock them in place — GERWALK mode complete.
It's a good idea to glue the wing hinge section, otherwise it tends to pop off every time you fold it..
(You'll know exactly what I mean once you try it yourself.)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - The stability is incomparably better than the VF-25 in GERWALK mode. (1/6)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - The stability is incomparably better than the VF-25 in GERWALK mode. (2/6)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - The stability is incomparably better than the VF-25 in GERWALK mode. (3/6)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - The stability is incomparably better than the VF-25 in GERWALK mode. (4/6)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - The stability is incomparably better than the VF-25 in GERWALK mode. (5/6)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - The stability is incomparably better than the VF-25 in GERWALK mode. (6/6)

GERWALK mode
The stability is incomparably better than the VF-25.

Inside the forearm armor, there's a folding Assault Knife stored away.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - It attaches by slotting the groove on the Assault Knife onto a peg inside the hand,

It attaches by slotting the groove on the Assault Knife onto a peg inside the hand,
but the hold isn't all that great. -_-

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - For GERWALK and Fighter modes, you use the special joint parts shown above, slottin

For GERWALK and Fighter modes, you use the special joint parts shown above,
slotting them into the groove on the underside to mount it on the stand.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - GERWALK mode - Assault Knife action. The joints are solid and the gimmick holds its

GERWALK mode - Assault Knife action
The joints are solid and the gimmick holds its position well, so the pose doesn't shift at all even when placed on a stand.

3. Gerwalk mode (folding arm type)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Detach the container unit on the back temporarily, then separate the gunpod into th

Detach the container unit on the back temporarily, then separate the gunpod into three sections.

Remove the middle section of the gunpod and reassemble it.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Slot the shortened gunpod into the container unit, then swap the front of the weapo

Slot the shortened gunpod into the container unit,
then swap the front of the weapon section on the opposite side from the open form to the closed form.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Remove one side of the container unit, shorten its length, then attach it in a stra

Remove one side of the container unit, shorten its length, then attach it in a straight line with the section holding the gunpod.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - The gunpod and container unit combined into one piece after going through that whol

The gunpod and container unit combined into one piece after going through that whole process

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Rotate the container unit that was sitting on top of the back 180 degrees and plug

Rotate the container unit that was sitting on top of the back 180 degrees and plug it into the underside of the body to lock it in place.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Swap the hands to the pointed-finger type, then remove the railgun that was attache

Swap the hands to the pointed-finger type, then remove the railgun that was attached under the forearm.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Rotate the shoulder 180 degrees, extend the arm straight out, then position it so i

Rotate the shoulder 180 degrees, extend the arm straight out, then position it so it tucks neatly under the wing.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Open the cover under the wing to make room for the hand, and temporarily remove the

Open the cover under the wing to make room for the hand, and temporarily remove the front cover.

Align the groove on the forearm with the peg under the wing and slot it in.

Then reattach the hand cover and the shoulder cover part that was removed earlier.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Finally, slot the gunpod into the empty space inside and the underside of the wing

Finally, slot the gunpod into the empty space inside and the underside of the wing gets a clean finish.
The entire arm tucks under the wing with a perfect fit..

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - GERWALK mode with arms stowed (1/4)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - GERWALK mode with arms stowed (2/4)

GERWALK mode with arms stowed

4. Fighter mode

Bring the feet together and shorten the length at the ankles and knees.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Bring the legs close to the body, then insert the peg on the back of the wing into

Bring the legs close to the body, then insert the peg on the back of the wing into the ankle section
to lock the legs in place securely.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Pull the knee armor outward and flip it 180 degrees — it can then be used as a land

Pull the knee armor outward and flip it 180 degrees — it can then be used as a landing gear.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Insert the separate wheel parts into the inside of the knee armor to complete the r

Insert the separate wheel parts into the inside of the knee armor to complete the rear landing gear.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Open the front landing gear bay cover, then attach the separately included landing

Open the front landing gear bay cover, then attach the separately included landing gear.

The underside of Fighter mode with the landing gear attached

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Completed Fighter mode. (1/3)

Completed Fighter mode.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - The cockpit can be assembled as either a single-seat or two-seat configuration. (1/

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - The cockpit can be assembled as either a single-seat or two-seat configuration. (2/

The cockpit can be assembled as either a single-seat or two-seat configuration — your choice.

The panel fit on the upper armor is absolutely insane~

The distinctive reverse-swept wing section.

Bottom view with the landing gear removed.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Underside detail. The panel fit is spot-on here too. (1/3)

Underside detail. The panel fit is spot-on here too.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - You can remove the cover on the back of the leg, reposition it to the front, and op

You can remove the cover on the back of the leg, reposition it to the front, and open up the multi-drone launch ports.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Using the same joint parts as the GERWALK mode, you can attach them to the undersid

Using the same joint parts as the GERWALK mode, you can attach them to the underside of the Fighter mode to mount it on an Action Base 1.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Fighter mode mounted on Action Base 1. The stability in Fighter mode is genuinely j

Fighter mode mounted on Action Base 1.
The stability in Fighter mode is genuinely jaw-dropping~

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Comparison shots of various modes alongside the VF-25S Alto custom. As you'd expect

Comparison shots of various modes alongside the VF-25S Alto custom.
As you'd expect from a new Macross kit that took 8 years to arrive, the VF-31 is an upgrade in every single way.

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] - Straight build shots of the various modes. There's a huge difference between applyi

Straight build shots of the various modes.
There's a huge difference between applying the seals and not applying them.

The VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate], from Macross Delta — the new 2016 Macross anime — has been released as a 1/72 scale transforming kit. It's the first new Macross kit in 8 years since the VF-25 from Macross Frontier. Sure, the original VF-1 did get a new release somewhere in between, but that one went down in history as one of Bandai's biggest disasters and was promptly buried and forgotten.

Maybe it's because this is the new Macross transforming kit coming off the heels of the VF-1's spectacular failure, but the VF-31 really feels like Bandai's development team poured everything they had into it. It's easily the most accomplished transforming aircraft kit ever released.

First off, the transformation into Fighter mode is quite different from traditional Valkyries. The arms, which used to fold inside the legs, now stow underneath the wings instead, and the cockpit section — which used to fold vertically — now stays horizontal and folds in multiple stages. These two changes give it a very different feel from classic Valkyries, and perhaps that's exactly why they dropped the traditional "Valkyrie" name and went with the new name "Siegfried."

The forearms end up extremely thin — almost like microfiber — because of the design requirement to tuck them under the wings, and that might be a love-it-or-hate-it thing. But functionally, I'd give it full marks, since they fit perfectly and completely under the wings. It also frees up the leg placement considerably, and there's a functional improvement in that a more substantial weapon can now be stored in the center underside of the fuselage.

The cockpit section, redesigned to sit horizontally in Battroid mode, has a far more complex transformation mechanism than before, and I really struggled with it the first time. But once you get used to the structure (you end up transforming it multiple times when doing a review...), it actually transforms much more naturally than the VF-25. With the VF-25 in particular, the front center cover of the chest armor was fixed in place, which got in the way quite a bit when rotating the nose — but on the VF-31, that part now folds away, making the transformation noticeably smoother. Also, partway through the multi-stage folding sequence, you can plug the hip joint vertically into the landing gear pin under the nose, which not only gives you solid stability but also recreates the waist horizontal rotation joint gimmick.

The transformation being smoother and more precise is great, but the biggest improvement over the VF-25 by far is the stability. The rigidity in every mode has been upgraded to an incomparable degree — in Battroid mode it stands up straight despite the large backpack, in GERWALK mode the tricky center of gravity holds its pose well, and the solidity of Fighter mode is just breathtaking.

With the VF-25, stability-improving parts kept getting added through successive variations, but the VF-31 feels like it's arrived at something close to the definitive version when it comes to stability in a Macross transforming kit. The hip joints — always the most worrying point on every Valkyrie kit — are made incredibly tight and sturdy this time around. In GERWALK and Fighter modes, a separate part is added to maintain the horizontal level of the upper surface, so you can keep everything perfectly level in any transformation state. Locking pins are also placed exactly where they need to be so there's no confusion about where the limbs go when folding them in — everything clicks into the right position no matter how you arrange it. On top of that, the joint parts for connecting to Action Base 1 have all been improved, so the kit locks in solidly on the stand in any mode — definitely worth mentioning.

That said, achieving this perfect transformation and stability does require swapping out, removing, or adding certain parts depending on the mode, so calling it a "full transformation" feels like a slight stretch. But honestly, the slight part-swapping and add-on approach seems to have produced a much better result than trying to do a pure full transformation would have.

On the downside, the head antenna are way too fragile and break easily (mine snapped and I had to glue it back T_T), the transformation mechanism has gotten even more complex so it's pretty confusing at first, and the transformation joints are generally quite stiff — if you're not careful with how much force you apply, parts keep popping off during transformation. That said, a lot of the parts that keep falling off are ones you can just glue down permanently, so it's not the end of the world. The most notable example is the wing section, which has two hinges — if you don't glue them, the wings will escape every time you fold them and drive you absolutely crazy. (See the review photos.)

There's also an issue with the feet not sitting flat in Battroid mode. When you splay out the foot sections that double as engine nozzles, the front and rear tips should sit flat and level on the ground — but something's a bit off here, and the front and rear ends tend to splay further and further apart. It makes the pose look a bit rough, so you constantly have to readjust the feet to get them looking right, which is a bit of a hassle. The funny thing is, even when the feet aren't sitting perfectly flat, the overall stability is good enough that as long as you're a little careful, it won't actually topple over.

All things considered, in terms of transformation design and post-transformation stability, this kit feels like the ultimate Macross transforming kit to date — and there's something genuinely moving about finally having a robot-to-aircraft transforming plastic model that's this close to perfect. The VF-25 Valkyrie was a decent transforming kit in its own right, but next to the VF-31 Siegfried it instantly feels like yesterday's news. Anyway, if you're curious about the new transformation gimmick, I'd say just go for it — this is a superb transforming model kit that Bandai clearly built with a point to prove. :-)

1/72 VF-31J Siegfried [Hayate] | 2016.6 | ¥5,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.