Wrong on so many levels, but yet we are compelled to watch.

First up is a set of trading figures named "Petit Chara-Land Macross Frontier We are Open! Nyan-Nyan Restaurant". Cute SD style versions of Macross F characters in soup bowls and such. 609 yen each, ships in a box of 10, due october 2009.

weirder (or creepier) yet are the Macross F Characters Half Age Girls:

5 different figures, 2 colors of each figure, you get 2 Ranka, 2 Sheryl and one Klan. 500 yen each, due in December 09.

Wouldn't a half-age Ranka be like a toddler or something?

Ranka lee dressed in her Nyan Nyan Outfit

Due out in october for 6,300 yen is this 1/8 scale PVC of Ranka Lee in her Nyan Nyan waitress outfit from Macross F.

Sheryl Nome aka "The Galactic Fairy" is my Otaku crush...

I got the whole prize set from Angolz.

Sheryl Nome (Final Concert Dress) here is from the Banpresto produced prize items for Macross Frontier. Ichiban KUJI Premium Macross Frontier is/was sold in convenience stores across Japan as a lottery. Customers buy a 800 YEN ticket you pull from a blind box with a letter on it telling you which item you have won. It's completely random on what your end up with for your hard earned YEN. Available in the set of Premium goods are...

• A. Klan Klang (Melatrandi Pilot) 25cm tall
• B. Sheryl Nome (Finale Concert Dress) 22cm tall
• C. Ranka Lee (Kira Pose) 20cm tall
• D. Nyan Nyan Bowl
• E. Sport Towel Set (Monster Girl, VF-25, Kabuki Alto)
• F. Super Deformed Character Figure Set (Ranka, Sheryl, Klan, Alto)
• G. Super Deformed Mecha Set (VF-25F Alto Battroid, VF-25S Ozma Armored Gerwalk, VF-27 Brera Battroid, Klan Queadluun-Ray, Raramia Queadluun Ray)

This is prize item B and along with Klan and Ranka is the most popular and difficult to get of all the prize items...

Sheryl Nome is Macross Frontier's Lynn Minmay mixed with a a bit of Sharon Apple for good measure. She's the pop-star made Superstar in the series; confident, beautiful, sensual and talented she is also the “third wheel” in the classic love triangle that the Macross franchise is known for (it's a theme they repeat thru all of the Macross spin-offs). You see she and Ranka both are after the affections and attention of our main character, Alto Saotome.

Sheryl's concert scenes are pretty spectacular and with laser holography she changes her costumes in the blink of an eye. So Sheryl is the perfect character for the fixed pose statue category as theres at least a dozen outfits to do her up in before defaulting to maid and swimsuit costumes.

Well in true Macross fashion; the big, final battle revolves around the songs of both Ranka and Sheryl and this is Sheryl in her final concert dress.

Banpresto choose wisely though and went for a great outfit and capturing a pivotal moment in the Macross Frontier. I bought her thinking about my collection in a year and how good this will look next to my Alto Messiah and the upcoming Macross Quarter. I'm glad I did as she is most certainly an Otaku favorite and already difficult to get your hands on.

The package for this prize item is a Shadowbox with windows on the front and sides. Photos of the statue decorate the back while Triangles decorate the inside behind the figure in the box.

The box sports a hefty die-cut handle so you can carry your newly obtained Sheryl on the train during rush hour with ease. That's just sooo Japanese.

Assembly is straightforward. Sheryl does come in three pieces; her top half, her skirt and her bottom half are all wrapped in cellophane. Remove the cellophane reattach the parts and attach her to the supplied base (an S for the S.M.S. logo) and your done.

Like I've said with the other two gals from this lineup - Technically you could have pulled a 800 YEN ticket with the letter B on your first try. Which means you could go home with this piece for the equivalent of $8.00 to $10.00 US which, in my opinion, is a steal.

Paint and sculpt detail is top-notch, easily on par with an $80 to $100 release. Everything is flawless on this release with painted detail for Sheryl's bodice, skin and hair are done in all flat colors and the microphone and skirt in glossy. The skirt and microphone also have gold sparkles mixed into the top coat giving the “Galactic Fairy” her signature shine and sparkle.

Unlike other releases you can “cast-off” Sheryl's skirt.

I don't know if the "cast-off" was intentional or not but at least she has pretty panties. You dirty pervs (wait... I took that picture... !)

So each of the ladies in this trio have a base that makes up 1/3 of the S.M.S. logo.

So when you arrange them correctly they not only make the S.M.S. logo they look beautifully arranged.` A very nicely thought out touch.

So the reality that your getting this for $8.00 to $10.00 is pretty slim, especially considering how popular the Galactic Fairy is. But keep in mind you could of...

Average after-market price on this piece is $100 and even at that price is a steal so grab one while you can my fellow Macross Frontier fans. Well sculpted, beautifully detailed and solid contribute to an item that feels far more expensive than it was. Because this was an extraordinarily limited run prices are bound to triple as time goes on and you will kick yourself later for not scooping one up while you could.

I got Sheryl as part of the full set thru Angolz but sadly she sold out almost as soon as she arrived in their store... I told you the Otaku love her. :)

Yak! Deculture! It's Ranka Lee!

I got the whole prize set from Angolz.

Ranka here is from the Banpresto produced prize items for Macross Frontier. Ichiban KUJI Premium Macross Frontier is sold in convenience stores across Japan as a lottery. Customers buy a 800 YEN ticket you pull from a blind box with a letter on it telling you which item you have won. It's completely random on what your end up with for your hard earned YEN. Available in the set of Premium goods are...

• A. Klan Klang (Melatrandi Pilot) 25cm tall
• B. Sheryl Nome (Finale Concert Dress) 22cm tall
• C. Ranka Lee (Kira Pose) 20cm tall
• D. Nyan Nyan Bowl
• E. Sport Towel Set (Monster Girl, VF-25, Kabuki Alto)
• F. Super Deformed Character Figure Set (Ranka, Sheryl, Klan, Alto)
• G. Super Deformed Mecha Set (VF-25F Alto Battroid, VF-25S Ozma Armored Gerwalk, VF-27 Brera Battroid, Klan Queadluun-Ray, Raramia Queadluun Ray)

This is prize item C and apparently in Japan is the most sought after and difficult to get of the Ladies of Macross Frontier...

Ranka Lee is Macross Frontier's Lynn Minmay. A young lady with dreams of singing her songs for people leads her down the road of rising Pop-star. Much like Minmay's songs took away the Zentradi will to fight; Ranka's seem to passify the newest alien menace, the Vajra.

In Episode 12 (“Fastest Delivery) Sheryl arrives on Galia 4 to give a concert to the 33rd Navel/Marine Zentradi Fleet (which features Zentradi that are the spitting image of classic characters from the original series.) but falls ill. This leads some of the rowdier Zentradi to start a revolt and take Sheryl's entourage hostage, which includes Ranka's crush and our main character Alto Saotome.

So what's a young lady to do? Why, she puts on her best dress and puts on a show! The S.M.S. Slap funky disco speakers to a VF-25 and fly Ranka in to save the day with an impromptu concert! And it works like a charm.

And this is the moment Banpresto choose to capture for there statue of Ranka in their fantastic line of prize items and I think it was a good choice. Let me just say this up front, I am more a Sheryl kind of guy myself. I don't mind having a nice statue of Ranka for the Macross display but I won't be buying and reviewing multiple versions of Ranka in different swimsuits, waitress or maid outfits. Sheryl on the other hand... but I digress.

With that said this is a stunningly beautiful piece and a great embodiment of the characters signature cuteness.

The package for this prize item is a Shadowbox with windows on the front and sides. Photos of the statue decorate the back while hand drawn stars and her signature decorates the yellow background behind the figure on display in the box.

The box sports a hefty die-cut handle so you can carry your newly obtained Ranka on the train during rush hour with ease. Now that's classy.

Assembly is easy. Just attach Ranka and her pet Vajra – Ai-Kun to the supplied base (an S for the S.M.S. logo) and your done.

Like I've said with the other two gals from this lineup - Technically you could have pulled a 800 YEN ticket with the letter C on your first try. Which means you could go home with this piece for the equivalent of $8.00 to $10.00 US which, in my opinion, is a steal.

Paint and sculpt detail is top-notch, easily on par with an $80 to $100 release. Everything is flawless on this release with painted detail for Ranka's dress and skin done in all flat colors and the microphone in glossy.

Like the other releases there are no cast off parts (and if your looking for that in a Ranka figure you need some help... .)

So each of the ladies in this trio have a base that makes up 1/3 of the S.M.S. logo.

So when you arrange them correctly they not only make the S.M.S. logo they look beautifully arranged.` A very nicely thought out touch.

So the reality that your getting this for $8.00 to $10.00 is pretty slim, especially considering how Ranka has an almost cult like status in good ol' Japan.

Average after-market price on this piece is $100 and even at that price is a steal so grab one while you can my fellow Macross Frontier fans. Because this was an extraordinarily limited run prices are bound to triple as time goes on and you will kick yourself later for not scooping one up while you could.

I got Ranka as part of the full set thru Angolz but as of this article she was still available individually.

It's the Klan Klang statue the fans really want.

I got the whole prize set from Angolz.

Klan Klang is from the Banpresto produced prize items for Macross Frontier. Ichiban KUJI Premium Macross Frontier is sold in convenience stores across Japan as a lottery. Customers buy a 800 YEN ticket you pull from a blind box with a letter on it telling you which item you have won. It's completely random on what your end up with for your hard earned YEN. Available in the set of Premium goods are...

• A. Klan Klang (Melatrandi Pilot) 25cm tall
• B. Sheryl Nome (Finale Concert Dress) 22cm tall
• C. Ranka Lee (Kira Pose) 20cm tall
• D. Nyan Nyan Bowl
• E. Sport Towel Set (Monster Girl, VF-25, Kabuki Alto)
• F. Super Deformed Character Figure Set (Ranka, Sheryl, Klan, Alto)
• G. Super Deformed Mecha Set (VF-25F Alto Battroid, VF-25S Ozma Armored Gerwalk, VF-27 Brera Battroid, Klan Queadluun-Ray, Raramia Queadluun Ray)

This is prize item A and definitely one of the more sought after pieces in the set and the first toy incarnation of Klan in her full Maltrandi size...

... and I gotta say, she is a looker.

Klan Klang is from the latest incarnation in the Macross franchise, Macross Frontier. She is a Meltrandi and Captain of the S.M.S. (Strategic Military Services) Queadluun-Rea Battalion, Pixie Squad.

Klan is an interesting character in the series. She has a problem with her genetics, in her full grown Meltrandi state she looks like a full grown woman (a really full grown woman if you get my meaning... .) When she miclones herself to a smaller human scale size she looks like a wee little lass, certainly a problem when trying to date human sized guys her own age.

She represents the extremes of female characters in anime without actually "behaving" as such. From mini, lolicon cutie to full grown and shapely woman. Her story is one of unrequited love and the path not taken. It's very touching actually.

It's the usual packaging for a fixed pose figure, a shadow box with windows on the front and sides to see the figure on display. On the back of the package are photos of the figure. On the top of the box is a handle (to make it easier to carry your prize item home on the train.)

Klan is pretty much assembled right out of the box. You just add her feet to the base and put the helmet in her hand (sadly the helmet will not fit on her head...) and your good to go.

So as for the figure itself, all I can say is Wow! This is a stunning piece. It's a dead-on likeness of Klan from the show and the detail is just fantastic.

Again, keep in mind that technically you could have pulled a 800 YEN ticket with the letter A on your first try. Which means you could go home with this piece for the equivalent of $8.00 to $10.00 US which, in my opinion, is a steal.

She definitely has the curvy shape that has made her an Otaku favorite early on. I am personally not a fan of Triple Z boobs myself (As a matter of fact I very much dislike the G-taste style of character design that is popular in the anime figure market) but I do very much like the character and they have captured her anime look here.

Sculpted detail is excellent and very generous. Lines of the flight suit are sculpted with precision, giving the suit a great level detail. Her flight suit is painted in a glossy shine with her skin and hair being done in flat paint/materials. Again the color choices and material used really add to a piece that looks and feels far more expensive than the 800 YEN it could go for.

This figure features no cast off pieces (you dirty perverts, she's practically nude with a flight suit painted on her. Isn't that enough?)

Klan is a heavy, solid piece and in no way feels like a cheap “prize item” but a high end collectible.

When you collect all three of the ladies offered in this Macross lineup, there designed to be placed together.

Creating a dynamic display and forming the S.M.S. logo for a base.

So for 800 YEN, yes you should be tripping all over your self to get this piece if your a Macross Frontier fan... Now is this worth the average after market price of $100.00? If your a fan of Macross Frontier or a fan of fixed pose girls this is an absolutely top notch release and given it's relative low production run well worth the after market prices. I got mine in a set with all of the other Prize items from Angolz.

Alto Saotome (Super Deformed) dreams of flying in a real sky. It's another adorable, super cute SD figure.

Alto Saotome is from the Banpresto produced prize items for Macross Frontier. Ichiban KUJI Premium Macross Frontier is sold in convenience stores across Japan as a lottery. Customers buy a 800 YEN ticket you pull from a blind box with a letter on it telling you which item you have won. It's completely random on what your end up with for your hard earned YEN. Available in the set of Premium goods are...

• A. Klan Klang (Melatrandi Pilot) 25cm tall
• B. Sheryl Nome (Finale Concert Dress) 22cm tall
• C. Ranka Lee (Kira Pose) 20cm tall
• D. Nyan Nyan Bowl
• E. Sport Towel Set (Monster Girl, VF-25, Kabuki Alto)
• F. Super Deformed Character Figure Set (Ranka, Sheryl, Klan, Alto)
• G. Super Deformed Mecha Set (VF-25F Alto Battroid, VF-25S Ozma Armored Gerwalk, VF-27 Brera Battroid, Klan Queadluun-Ray, Raramia Queadluun Ray)

I got a complete set thanks to Angolz. They do also offer smaller sets and individual pieces as well for those on a more discerning budget.

This review we take a look at the Super Deformed/Chibi style Alto Saotome. Alto is done up in the large head/small body style of fixed pose figure and stands about 3 ½ inches tall on the included base.

Alto is Macross Frontier's central character. Born in space on a galactic convoy he dreams of flying in a real sky. He comes dressed in his school uniform holding his paper airplane and sporting a truly goofy smile.

Paint detail is neat and clean and I must say for a “prize item” I am impressed.

The figure comes attached to a small base (decorated with the silhouette of him in his Kabuki outfit) and includes a thin brace to attach to the base to provide additional support. I did not find that the braces where really needed but the figures are so top heavy I suspect they would warp and possibly fall over, over time. I suggest using them.

Alto is suitably cute and adorable (though his grin is a bit goofy) and while I normally don't collect the chibi/super deformed/nederoid style of figures I got the entire Banpresto Prize set as a package (I was after the bigger, fixed pose ladies – to be reviewed soon) so I am happy to add him to the growing display of Macross in my collection. Fans of the cute/super deformed style who like Macross F are sure to enjoy it as it is a top quality collectible.

Macross Frontier Ichiban KUJI Premium goods can be gotten at Angolz.

Next up from the Macross Frontier Ichiban KUJI Premium set is the super adorable version of my favorite fictitious pop-star, Sheryl Nome.

Sheryl is from the Banpresto produced prize items for Macross Frontier. Ichiban KUJI Premium Macross Frontier is sold in convenience stores across Japan as a lottery. Customers buy a 800 YEN ticket you pull from a blind box with a letter on it telling you which item you have won. It's completely random on what your end up with for your hard earned YEN. Available in the set of Premium goods are...

• A. Klan Klang (Melatrandi Pilot) 25cm tall
• B. Sheryl Nome (Finale Concert Dress) 22cm tall
• C. Ranka Lee (Kira Pose) 20cm tall
• D. Nyan Nyan Bowl
• E. Sport Towel Set (Monster Girl, VF-25, Kabuki Alto)
• F. Super Deformed Character Figure Set (Ranka, Sheryl, Klan, Alto)
• G. Super Deformed Mecha Set (VF-25F Alto Battroid, VF-25S Ozma Armored Gerwalk, VF-27 Brera Battroid, Klan Queadluun-Ray, Raramia Queadluun Ray)

I got a complete set thanks to Angolz. They do also offer smaller sets and individual pieces as well for those on a more discerning budget.

This review we take a look at the Super Deformed/Chibi style Sheryl Nome. Sheryl is done up in the large head/small body style of fixed pose figure and stands about 3 ½ inches tall on the included base.

The larger than life pop star comes dressed in her signature Captain's outfit from her performance of “Sagitarius 9PM, Don't be late.”

The hat is removable.

Paint detail is neat and clean and I must say for a “prize item” I am impressed. The figure feels like a nice solid, well made piece not a cheaper lottery/prize item.

The figure comes attached to a small base (decorated with the Sheryl's Fold Quartz earring) and includes a thin brace to attach to the base to provide additional support. I did not find that the braces where really needed but the figures are so top heavy I suspect they would warp and possibly fall over, over time. I suggest using them.

Sheryl is suitably cute and adorable and while I normally don't collect the chibi/super deformed/nederoid style of figures I got the entire Banpresto Prize set as a package (I was after the bigger, fixed pose ladies – to be reviewed soon) so I am happy to add her to the growing display of Macross in my collection. Fans of the cute/super deformed style who like Macross F are sure to enjoy it as it is a top quality collectible.

Macross Frontier Ichiban KUJI Premium goods can be gotten at Angolz.

I take a look at the cute and adorable Ranka Lee(Super Deformed) from Banpresto's prize goods line, Ichiban KUJI Premium Macross Frontier.

Ranka is from the Banpresto produced prize items for Macross Frontier. Ichiban KUJI Premium Macross Frontier is sold in convenience stores across Japan as a lottery. Customers buy a 800 YEN ticket you pull from a blind box with a letter on it telling you which item you have won. It's completely random on what your end up with for your hard earned YEN. Available in the set of Premium goods are...

• A. Klan Klang (Melatrandi Pilot) 25cm tall
• B. Sheryl Nome (Finale Concert Dress) 22cm tall
• C. Ranka Lee (Kira Pose) 20cm tall
• D. Nyan Nyan Bowl
• E. Sport Towel Set (Monster Girl, VF-25, Kabuki Alto)
• F. Super Deformed Character Figure Set (Ranka, Sheryl, Klan, Alto)
• G. Super Deformed Mecha Set (VF-25F Alto Battroid, VF-25S Ozma Armored Gerwalk, VF-27 Brera Battroid, Klan Queadluun-Ray, Raramia Queadluun Ray)

I got a complete set thanks to Angolz. They do also offer smaller sets and individual pieces as well for those on a more discerning budget.

This review we take a look at the Super Deformed/Chibi style Ranka Lee. Ranka is done up in the large head/small body style of fixed pose figure and stands about 3 ½ inches tall on the included base. The diminutive, aspiring singer with larger than life dreams comes in her Nyan Nyan waitress outfit holding a serving dish.

The lid comes off of the serving dish to reveal a boob!... er, I mean a steamed bun (Baozi).

Paint detail is neat and clean and I find the eyes are a dead on likeness. I must say for a “prize item” I am impressed.

The figure comes attached to a small base (decorated with the Nyan Nyan mascot) and includes a thin brace to attach to the base to provide additional support. I did not find that the braces where really needed but the figures are so top heavy I suspect they would warp and possibly fall over, over time. I suggest using them.

Ranka is suitably cute and adorable and while I normally don't collect the chibi/super deformed/nederoid style of figures I got the entire Banpresto Prize set as a package (I was after the bigger, fixed pose ladies – to be reviewed soon) so I am happy to add her to the growing display of Macross in my collection. Fans of the cute/super deformed style who like Macross F are sure to enjoy it as it is a top quality collectible.

Macross Frontier Ichiban KUJI Premium goods can be gotten at Angolz.

It's a good time to be a Macross fan. Several companies are turning out fantastic toy versions of mecha and characters from all variations of the franchise. Which means lot's to buy. Oh my aching wallet! Yep it's another set of gashapons from Macross Frontier.

Bandai currently has the license for Macross Frontier and has been turning out gashapons and trading figures from the series. Well I got my hands on the latest set in the HGIF series of Macross Frontier characters. This wave included Mikhail Blanc, Alto Saotome, and (what a surprise) Ranka Lee and Sheryl Nome.

The first thing unpacking everything I did notice was the "stands" are now flesh colored making them stand out on the shelf even more... Ugh. Luckily Mikhail and Alto don't need them to be displayed.

While there seems to be no discernible difference in fit, quality or finish between Bandai's HGIF “trading figure” releases and their general “Gashapon” releases. This set is sold in vending machines across Japan in random assortments. Luckily our advertiser, Angolz make these available in sets including the variant color versions for the affordable price of $22.00. For the set of 6 figures that 's $3.60 a figure. Not a bad price really for a figure that stands about as tall as a Star Wars figure. Granted there fixed pose but I think it's still an excellent price for the chance to get some Macross characters for your display.

Alto Saotome comes in his school uniform (...again.) Sculpt and paint detail is fine for a figure of this scale, but do we really need another Alto in the line up, this makes the third release of the character and the second in his school uniform. Granted he is sitting this time... whoppie! Bandai please do his flight suit. Two Alto's in school uniform is more than enough, seriously.

Mikhail Blanc is new to the lineup and also comes in his school uniform. I would have preferred him in his flight suit...

Sheryl Nome comes in what appears to be a school girl outfit in a nice and classy looking beige and white.

Ranka Lee is attired similar to Sheryl in beige and white school outfit. While Sheryl looks the part of a naughty role player, Ranka is appropriately cute and innocent.

Ranka comes packed with extra parts to swap on Sheryl and Ranka as well as a stand that is designed to hold them together. Swapping these parts displays the girls as they appeared on a recent cd single in Japan. It's a cute touch and a nice display.

Sheryl in her alternate color scheme is the school uniform in darker colors giving her an even more “naughty” vibe.

I really dig this variant.

Ranka is done in a matching color scheme to the alternate Sheryl and includes the alternate pieces needed to combine the girls for display.

Honestly I really don't think this color scheme suits Ranka and she honestly is already packed back up never to see the light of day again...

Like I said earlier there's just been a bit to much of the same characters being redone here so early in the line but the Sheryl and Ranka clones are getting a bit ridiculous...

Seriously Bandai, time to move on to some new characters now...

Overall it's another great set for the price and any fan of Macross Frontier should look into getting a set. If not this variation then another. I'm sure Bandai will be bestowing more and more waves on us as time goes on. Gashapon and “trading figure” releases tend to be limited and short runs so if you miss them when they first hit you risk paying much higher collector market prices for individual figures. So don't say I didn't give you all the heads up. You can get a full set like I did at Angolz.

Early prototypes from Bandai Collector of Sheryl Nome and Ranka Lee.

Early prototypes from Bandai Collector of Sheryl Nome and Ranka Lee.

No price or release date yet.