A quarter-century ago, it was Takatoku's great ol' VF-1 transformable Valkyrie that got me (HLJ President Scott Hards) interested in Japanese toys to begin with, so it's not all that much of a stretch to say that Macross Valkyries had a hand in creating HLJ! But taking a look at what Yamato's got in store for us, I cannot help but marvel at how much better things can get in 25 years.

Five years after the release of the 1/72-scale YF-19, Yamato has now graced us with a 1/60-scale YF-19 that's not only bigger than the previous release but perfected, too! Thanks to its larger size, Yamato was able to add more detail, gimmicks and moveable features that weren't available or even possible in the previous 1/72 version. Made of ABS, PVC, and die-cast materials, the YF-19 can transform between Fighter, Gerwalk, and Battroid modes, and stands 34cm tall (a little over 13 inches) in Battroid mode! A Gunpod, pilot figure, and decal sheet are also included. Yamato also provided two types of holders that can be attached to Yamato's Valkyrie display stand (sold separately) to show off the YF-19 in any of its three modes. A tremendous addition to any Macross collection!