The History Of Masterpiece 03 Starscream

[@gnrl1628]

Owning an MP 03 Starscream, I personally think it is a very solid figure, if not one of the best interpretations of the character in plastic

[@MarkVersion1]

it's the best alt mode f15. Mine is staying in alt mode

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

MP-3’s colors would work weirdly well as a palette for a hypothetical Ghost Starscream figure that doesn’t disintegrate the second you try to transform him. Add some molded battle damage and a gnarly evil grin head, and you’d have a day one buy from me.

[@Fuzzy_Barbarian]

I'm more interested in the behind-the-scenes of Masterpiece than the figures themselves. They're just too expensive for me to justify, and I'm not a fan of how complex their transformation are. But the design changes, iterations on characters and QC kerfuffles are always interesting to me.

[@Klarque_Clint]

Have you watched the toy armada with Aaron Archer? He's the guy that designed MP01 and his most recent podcast episode breaks down how he made it.

[@KazuyaMithra]

Shoji Kawamori was brought on because of his Macross credentials (G1 Jetfire or the 1/55 Valkyrie) and his perfectionism over aircraft designs and a kibble free jet mode lead to extra kibble in robot mode.

[@EungsuLee]

Not only that, he was also responsible for the G1 Starscream toy design if my memory serves me correctly.

[@sadfalcon9623]

Exactly. Take a look at any Valkyrie, every part of the fighter mode has a place on the Gerwalk and Battroid modes respectively. The side kibble reminds me of the YF-21’s side panels in Battroid mode. This was also around the time when Shoji Kawamori started to make his Valkyrie designs more complex and intricate thanks to advances in technology. The difference between the VF-1 & YF-19 to the VF-25 & VF-30 in complexity is night and day

[@KazuyaMithra]

@@EungsuLeeHe didn't make G1 Starscream, that would be Takara's Kojin Ono. Kawamori and Kazutaka Miyatake's design studio Studio Nue designed some other Diaclone toys though, like Il Grande, Fortress X, Battle Convoy, etc.

[@EungsuLee]

@@KazuyaMithra Oh. Turns out that my memories suck ass.

[@youwayo]

I like how you made an entire video dedicated to mp3 starscream. Great job

[@thunderstudent]

Am I the only one who prefers the old hybrid ascetic of the Masterpiece line? The one where they blended irl details with the animation models?

[@banobobot]

I happen to agree. I love the old style. It has a premium quality, from the vehicle licenses to highly detailed sculpts.

[@camhedmr_5593]

It was also less of a plastic origami when they weren't afraid of a little inaccuracies in Robot mode.

[@Andyjoe522]

The side skirts on the MP-03 mold kinda look like sword scabbards, at least from the angles you're showing it at. Now I'm just imagining ol' Screamer dual-wielding katanas like Leonardo. Maybe in some alternate timeline, Armada Starscream's swordsmanship carried over to other versions of the character?

[@secretasianman108]

The Macross Valks being in scale with MP03 is kinda amusing, considering G1 cartoon Starscream's relationship to Jetfire.

[@ManOfSdeel]

super handsome mold, will always have its own style!

[@Deceptiwolf]

i got the skywarp version from walmart when it was on clearance. The size makes more sense, knowing it's 1/60 scale.

[@itsme-notyou]

Mp03 is a work of art.

[@Evaunit98]

I still have the Sunstorm, I love that figure, the Red doesn't bug me, he still looks awesome

[@greengald6252]

That acid storm is honestly my favorite design for him period. Obly needs the blue thighs of the classics version.

[@chuckdawg1999]

You forgot the funniest part of MP-03s reveal, the first look at the figure came from a card that was packaged with Hybrid Series Convoy. The reveal caused a rush on the figure and it was sold out briefly from the importers of the day.

[@musicfighter282]

I wish the MP-03 color scheme could get canonized as a unique character. It’s a fantastic deco

The detail to be a real F-15 color is amazing. I love this figure. But, original Starscream color is based on real F-15 color as well with different position for the stripes.

[@lynngreen7978]

You mentioned favorites, and it got me thinking (you might guess my age/how long I've been involved with the franchise): G1 (84) Trailbreaker, Wheeljack, Soundwave, Skyfire Favorite Subteam: Dinobots (85) Tracks (I finally own a electric blue corvette. It is sitting on my shelf.) (86) Hot Rod, Blurr, Arcee Beast Era: Silverbolt, Black Arachnia, Dinobot, Inferno, Megatron (ye-e-e-sss) Prime: Ratchet, Smokescreen, Knockout RID15: Grimlock, Strongarm Cyberverse: Grimlock Bayverse: The Grey One - No. not that one, the *Grey One* - NO! The GREY One.

[@megagrey]

I have one of the later Takara reissues, and yeah I kinda like the more 'realistic' touches in robot mode over the later cartoon-accurate one. It's also the only genuine Masterpiece I own. For Megatron and Soundwave, I cheated and got their Leader-class Combiner Wars and Titans Returns versions, respectively.

[@shawnmartens9711]

Hahahha, I own most of these. plus others. I really like the alt mode for the first mold.

[@EagleBot13]

I've always liked the overall idea of the original MP Starscream. The sleek, almost ninja/samurai esc silhouette; the giant hip binders that should have held swords. I'd love to see this idea reimagined in legacy.

[@allenusison3124]

Ah, MP-03... The very version of Starscream featured in Kiss Players of all things. Lots of story to talk about. Side Note: The later Seeker molds have opening hatches, but no pilot figure. Even the seat on MP-52 can fold! My stupid head imagined they will create the dead body Starscream with colors that replicate the MP-03 colors, and add an Atari-Scream figure. Pistol in hand for the ghost-possessed EDC member.

[@mikeyfourbarrel8473]

I loved this exploration of a very interesting and important moment in the Transformers fandom. Excellent work. 😎

[@iodaspark]

Nice historical overview! Got the original MP-03 'fresh off the assembly line' (so to speak) back in its heyday. And it was initially missing an index finger right out of box! 😅 Luckily, the collector shop owner was sporting enough to allow me to (literally) 'pluck off' the index finger from her display unit. 😅 Not being slavish to G1, the jet-centric colouration made sense to me, especially when applied in the War Within comics series (where the Seeker Clones were mass-produced); and if memory serves, was further augmented by both TFC Upgrade Kits ~ one for the Coronation Gear that merges for storage; and the other being extra weaponry (including a Shockwave in Laser Pistol mode). I also really like the included sticker set that has deep references, for instance, the 'Starscream's Brigade' insignia labels. I still have this set packed up securely today as a piece of real Transformers history. It remains the only MP Seeker figure/vehicle I have ever collected to this very day...and that's saying a lot. Thanks for tackling a truly significant topic today, man! Stay awesome! 😊

[@AimeeRose1997]

What's super odd about the Hasbro MP Sunstorm is that his packaging photos and the instructions showed him using the original MP-3 mold.

[@brentsimard977]

Weird, but I remember my Starscream being army green

[@BigBoPete]

Any one having a problem with how this "doesn't" look like the cartoon Starscream didn't have "ANY" gen 1 transformers while "LIVING" in the 80s. On balance, this is superior to all versions to date!

[@MrDoctorVK]

Though I think decos on MP Acid Storm and Hasbro release of MP Sunstorm are quite radical, heck could buy ER Seeker mold on those decos.

[@5192ig88]

The biggest mistake they made with MP-03 was the brittle plastic. First Transformer I ever broke and I broke it on the first day, folding his wing up to his back during transformation. I was so angry! I was glad to get the Walmart version later.

[@badasschile01]

Nice video. Thanks 🙌

[@jasonschneider7224]

Ah - Shoji Kawamori. What a sad confluence of legitimate genius and an absolute disconnect from the fandom! When I discovered Transformers in the 1980's I had Japanese friends who had seen Diaclone, and as a result I viewed not only strangely enticing advertisements in Japanese, but bad subs of Macross and Mugen Calibur Dorvack. So when Transformers introduced Jetfire, Roadbuster, and Whirl, I recognized the designer with enthusiasm. When they told me the guy responsible for these designs also helped design Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, and the Seekers, as you might imagine, I developed a probably unhealthy adoration of what that man has done. Heh, the fact I draw and design all the Transformers and mecha I do are from that influence: the man has probably unintentionally caused me brain damage. Still. Let's face it, some of the designs in both Macross, Macross Plus, and later are legitimate masterworks - I would include lesser-known anime like Escaflowne and Eureka 7, but there is a reason he has the reputation he does. Nonetheless you can *also* see how he devolves into repetition and the sad attempt to replicate the designs that made him a single-handed counterstroke to the monolith that is Gundam. Part of what made Macross HUGE in Japan was its realistic vehicles (not only was Kawamori a legitimate aeronautical engineer whose fans have made his designs actually fly, but his co-worker, Miyatake, was also an engineer who inspired the designs of both characters and mecha for decades to come). You can easily see how coming off of the high that is Macross, and having both Yamato and Bandai basically begging him to give them new designs (or just simply licenses to do modern interpretations of his old ones) when, almost inevitably, one of his former employers (primarily interested in an overseas interest he knows almost nothing about) comes to him to look at modern updates to previous design work he had probably forgotten about, his instinct would be to do exactly what everyone was praising him for: being an aeronautical engineer who loved jets and somehow found a way to make insanely cool robots out of them without sacrificing a single aerodynamic curve. But Starscream wasn't a Macross Valkyrie that was piloted and lived in a universe where competing companies and military necessity influenced the design, it was a CHARACTER, and the very technique that made Kawamori a monster in the mecha community was actually a hindrance to what he was being asked to do. As a result, we have a fascinating failure. Heh, and then the second time when they asked him to revisit his work on Optimus Prime and he did the *opposite* on the Hybrid Style Convoy (since his Starscream was so heavily criticized) - the man took the criticism and responded, and still managed to screw it up by going too far to the other extreme: what a blow to the ego! It's kind of a shame - there's a lot in Kawamori's design philosophy both Hasbro and Takara could learn from (let's face it, the robot bricks underneath a winged jet top would probably drive that man mad). If they could get him to understand that his technical skill was being applied to a character and not a vehicle, I have no doubt he's got enough inspiration left in him to create some of the franchise's best works - but I think by now he's too set in his ways. Still, I encourage everyone to explore the man's portfolio in the context of its time. For those of you who stumble into the mecha craze of the 80's and end up overwhelmed by the sheer immensity of it, I have almost no doubt you'll be equally astounded by how much of it came from one dude. That success led him to his failures, but that success would not have happened if there wasn't a LOT that could be learned from the man. And he's still producing new stuff. It gives a guy closing in on 50 hope!

[@camhedmr_5593]

I really want one of this fight cause It's gonna look great with hot wheels and other 1/64 models

[@lynngreen7978]

I'd have thought that the #2 (safe) choice would have been Soundwave.

[@TJOmega]

This was back in the days when Hasbro didn't think they could get away with selling a toy tape player, and really before they were aware of having a collector's audience that would want Soundwave.

[@lynngreen7978]

@@TJOmega If I had known about the MP version, that could hold multiple cassettes, and the cassettes were engineered to have all the weapons built in, i would have sought that out. Much like the Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime (and maybe Orion Pax/Optimus Prime).

[@tidepoolclipper8657]

Ironically, fans really hate the newest Masterpiece Starscream due to the severe lack of waist swivel. If Takara ever did one more update to the mold, they may have to make it less cartoon accurate just to address that compliant. Either way, Siege Starscream is the superior mold and even Earthrise Starscream is better.

[@masterds64]

But all mp seekers lacked the waist swivel, the engineering just never allowed for it among all from the original 1.5 and current 2.0

[@leGUIGUI]

Would you believe me if I said the MP03 version of Starscream is still my favorite one. I got the Hasbro colors, but imported the figure from Japan where it was sold there. the one thing that frustrate me is how often I saw video of the transformation of this figure where they make the fingers visible in jet mode. if you make the top of the hands visible instead it make the underside of the Jet completely visible and make it look like the top of the hands are part of the jet mode. Love this figure, too bad the transformers joint of the right wing of my figure has broken.

[@Aries4924]

Can I get the website to order all of these from?

[@bronsonneill2944]

They should bring back the 03 starscream color scheem as an new character. How dose the name "Masterclass" sound?

[@Andyjoe522]

I could actually imagine Megatron adding a new seeker to the ranks who looks close enough to Starscream but outdoes him at just about everything, just to piss Starscream off. It would probably end up with "Masterclass" also being better at overthrowing Megatron than Starscream is, and the two have to call a truce to put the new guy in his place. lol

[@AerialConvoy]

Something I feel kinda conflicted about, being someone who exists within both the Transformers and the general mecha anime fandoms is how differently both groups of people view Shoji Kawamori. Both groups agree that as an artist and art director he's really good. However on one hand when Shoji Kawamori worked on designs such as the Macross Valkyrie fighters or get credited for designing the Gundam GP01 and GP02A in the Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory OVA, the mecha anime community praises his work on those endless and see him as a highly talented artist and designer unlike any other... But when he was involved with anything Transformers such as the old MP-03 Starscream (Which this video discussed) or Hybrid Style Convoy however, everyone in the Transformers fanbase has nothing but disdain for his involvement in those designs and sees him as nothing but an out-of-touch, talentless hack who ruins everything Transformers that he touches, and thus view him in a more distasteful light. Who among them is right? If I'm both a mecha anime and Transformers fan, should I admire Kawamori because he created some of the coolest anime mecha designs (With the Gundam GP01 that he worked on being one of my favorite Gundam designs around) around, or should I hate him because his track records with anything Transformers were controversial at best?

[@mr.timusproductions116]

I'd say, however you feel about him currently, is the one you should go with. Frankly, if you like, oh well, if you don't, who cares- You can appreciate his good work, and criticize his work that may warrant it, they aren't mutually exclusive after all

[@qtarokujo5246]

How about: "Good mecha designer, bad MP Transformers designer"?

[@KazuyaMithra]

Kawamori is a talented individual, who created many iconic Diaclone designs, one of which literally became Optimus Prime. His "scorn" is mostly from the TFWiki and its cronies, which *notoriously* and scathingly mocks most anything Japanese from the franchise to the point of bordering on racism. Which is ironic for a franchise that's 100% an extension of Japanese mecha culture of the 70s and 80s. A lot of those "fans" are ungrateful and disrespectful. It's a thing that exists in other Western-Japanese franchises, like Power Ranger or Sonic who dislike any media from their franchise that's Japanese. However, many Macross fans aren't happy with Kawamori either, since Macross entries gradually focused less on robots and sci-fi and more on pop idols under his direction. He also made made changes to Do You Remember Love, and if you know how the Star Wars Special Editions went over with fans, you'll know how some Macross fans reacted to those changes.

[@KazuyaMithra]

@@qtarokujo5246MP 03 was a great toy for its era, and was really ambitious. It filled a space which didn't exist at the time, maybe only rivaled by Soul of Chogokin. To say he's a bad designer is doing a massive disservice to his work, especially with the current state of Masterpiece toys.

[@qtarokujo5246]

@KazuyaMithra Sure, but man that OG prototype (and that V2) looked so much better, as you saw from the video. Sure, his rendition was accurate to the real-world jet, but a bit cartoon/toy accuracy would've been nice for an MP.

[@Dresden_Nova]

How has Hasbro never reused this colorscheme as a new Seeker "Starstrike" or something

[@yellowscarf8812]

I actually like this design can we make this into the g2 starscream design in a comic

[@blue18404]

It was chosen because a Megatron was too complicated

[@Phantoon]

The US release of this is fantastic. Looks gorgeous in both modes. I really don't like the recent version; as I'm more of a fan of the toys than the cartoon MP03 scratches that itch far more for me.

[@RialVestro]

I actually have the MP Skywarp version of that mold. I only spent $10 on that figure. I believe it was originally $50 but they were shelf warming at my Wal Mart for so long and I had a gift card so I only ended up paying $10 for him. I probably wouldn't have gotten him at full price but being my favorite seeker and with the massive discount price I couldn't pass that up. Anyway... I actually PREFER the realistic jet mode. That's what makes it a Masterpiece in my opinion. I don't like that they changed directions and started making them more animation accurate because I feel like Generations was already taking care of that. Masterpiece has just felt like over priced Generations toys ever since they started going for animation accurate designs. Masterpiece also suffered more than another other toy life from the make them smaller but more expensive trend. Most other toy lines it doesn't really bother me as much because the differences are negligible. Masterpiece however going from MP01 Where it's a Leader size for $50 to MP08 who is Deluxe size and costs $60. How does it got up $10 but get two whole size classes smaller? Oh and that $60 was a DISCOUNTED price, I don't know how much he was originally but they gave me a discount because the packaging had been damaged, was already opened, and I because that box doesn't have a window I freaking looked inside the box to make sure all the parts he was suppose to come with were actually in there before I bought it. He also technically included a legends class figure as well but still that one hurt. The way I justify spending so much on MP Bumblebee is A. It's Bumblebee, I have a childhood connection to that character. B. I saved so much money on Skywarp who really should be worth more. I still feel like I came out ahead. I know they recently redid MP Bumblebee but I honestly don't feel the need to get that one because I have the first one with the realistic vehicle mode details and if I wanted a fully cartoon accurate version I think there are cheaper options available that could fill that void. Masterpiece just doesn't feel like a high end line that it use to be anymore. BTW I got Nightshade today! I also found Legacy Prowl and a Shark Squishmallow we've been looking for so my head mates can stop yelling at me every time we walk by the Squishmallows. I was comparing Nightshade to the other Terrans I have in both robot and alt mode... Oddly enough Jawbreaker is the shortest in robot mode but in alt mode, Nightshade is TINY. I don't think pictures really show off how much they compact into their owl mode. Jawbreaker feels the biggest in alt mode. They are all roughly the same size over all, I can tell how the distribution of parts works as I'm transforming them but it's still a little weird how Nightshade compacts down in beast mode, especially if you have them in a perched position and don't have the full wing span out, they fit in the palm of my hand. I could mistake them for a legends class figure if I didn't know they transform into this tall lanky robot. There's some QC issues, and I've noticed this in other people's reviews, I had the same problem with mine, one of the wings did not want to peg in properly and I had to shave some extra plastic off the peg to make it fit. Every review I've seen of the figure seems to have that same issue but I still like this figure and I'll probably get it again if Hasbro ever does a remold based on the masked version. That's kind of my preferred look for the character but I'll take their standard head design for now. I was a little concerned about the fact that the wings are that soft rubber plastic but these actually feel a bit more sturdy than the soft rubber they've used in the past so I actually don't know if I need to worry about their wings not existing in 10 years. And now I just need Hashtag to get some kind of comparable Deluxe or Warrior Class figure. I'm not getting that Flip changer figure and she's the only Terran I'm missing at this point.

[@BainesMkII]

While at the time I wanted show-accurate, the real issue with the original MP-3 Starscream was the conflicting idea of the Masterpiece line itself. If Masterpiece had been about producing an ultra-realistic alt mode and the changes that would entail for the robot mode, then the original MP-3 Starscream was darn near perfect. Perhaps more so with the benefit of decades of character redesigns and reimaginings, it is very much an identifiable G1 Starscream, just a more "realistic" one. (And today I kind of wish Masterpiece had been that idea.) But MP-3 Starscream followed an MP-1 Prime that instead followed more of an idealized show or toy concept accuracy, not real world accuracy; original MP-3 Starscream was a failure in that light.

[@mattr75]

I own the Universe release of MP Skywarp.

[@apostlenik809]

For some reason I find it extremely funny how Shoji Kawamori of all people, not just some guy, but one of THE mech designers, was the one who kind of ruined the first Masterpiece Starscream.

[@inazumanfrash]

I broke the Walmart mp starscream as soon as I got it. The hinges suck.

[@Cole-g2m]

Hey TJ can you make a video about every decepticon leaders frou out the transforms franchise please

[@Majinhero]

i got my mp 03 us edition....imported from japan. it was weird.

[@blue18404]

Anyone have an MP 03 to sell?

[@dankmemes4744]

Greenscream