It's great that Takara aren't wasting too much time releasing the original core three Seekers in this new MP-52 mold. It took them years to eventually release Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp in the old MP-11 mold, but thankfully all three will be released this year.
Thundercracker is second in the MP-52 mold, and the beautiful baby blue paint app in this new style does not disappoint! Click through below to see my review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel, and scroll further down for more pics and thoughts! Don't forget to give the video a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel for more review soon!
Box art is the typically Masterpiece style, and the accessories are similar to those provided with Starscream. Thundercracker doesn't come with any cartoon episode or '86 movie type accessories though, which is a real shame. I would have loved a small Reflector in camera mode for Thundercracker to hold, but Takara seem to ignore Reflector.
As with Starscream, I think the jet mode looks fantastic, and I actually prefer it to the MP-11 mold. Yes, the underside is perhaps not as sleek, but I actually think it looks much nicer from every other direction. I love the properly coloured blue nose cone, the cluster bomb styled underwing weapons, and the panel lining accentuated by the awesome blue paint app.
The unpainted blue plastic of the MP-11 repaint looks rather dull in comparison, with a very slight green tinge and translucency that cheapen its appearance. The silver air intakes and chest area look pretty nice, but even the MP-52+ matt grey painted finish looks great too in keeping with the cartoon aesthetic.
The transformation into bot mode was every bit the pain-in-the-arse I remembered from Starscream. It was slightly easier this time around, and I feel the joints are a little tighter and stronger on Thundercracker. But areas of the transformation, such as the collapsing of the chest area and the pegging in of the air intakes, are still fiddly and annoying.
But at least the end result is worth the struggle, with a gorgeous bot mode in this iconic colourway. I love the cartoon touches such as the lighter blue knee caps and the correct upside down insignias on the wings. As I mentioned in the original Starscream review, the MP-52 mold is a massive upgrade from the MP-11 mold.
That old mold really does look dated now, especially in bot mode. The body proportions and style of the new MP-52 mold are so much more refined and organic. Some people really dislike the less busy and matte finish of the newer figure, but I personally think it's a huge improvement over MP-11, as there should be for almost a 10 year difference in engineering.
It's a shame that Hasbro Asia no longer provide the free collector coin or pin with the figures anymore. I think the last one they did was for MP Arcee. It's disappointing that they didn't do one for Starscream or Thundercracker, but it will be interesting to see if they randomly do it for the upcoming figures in the series.
In the end, for collectors like me that love the original cartoon, this new Seeker mold is perfection. I think the overall QC is better on Thundercracker than it was on Starscream. I had no cracks in mine, although there are still the few obligatory minor paint blemishes. I think every one of my MP figures has some sort of minor paint defect. Considering even my Bandai SoC Voltrons have some tiny blemishes too, I'm just used to these Japanese robots not being perfect in every possible way.
Looking at this pair in my shelf though, along with other Decepticons like MP-36 Megatron and MP-29+ Shockwave, these MP Decepticons really are as perfect as an old 80s G1 fan could possibly hope for. I cannot wait Skywarp to come at the end of the year, and just hope that 2022 brings more iconic G1 Decepticons into the MP series.
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