Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09)
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What I am going to share out today is none other than the recently released Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09). This is my 1st ever Transformers Masterpiece as well as the most expensive collection i have, yet. I don’t particularly fancy G1 Transformers except Rodimus and this piece definitely will be a must have for me. Moreover, this will be the most gimmicks a Transformer has among all my collections indeed. Read on!
This is going to be the BIGGEST, most images intensive (cautions for low bandwidth users) and the longest review up to date. I have spent roughly 2 hours of photo shooting, 5 hours of photo editing, 3 hours of writing up and another 30 min of proof reading/editing. Guess this is a record for me and this will be posted as Bilibala Exclusive review 🙂
I was having a difficult time deciding whether to buy this Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09) after it was being released. It is really quite a pricey collection and there is A LOT of QC complaints which i found out from the forum and Transformers fan around the globe. But anyhow, i gave it a try and luckily i got the piece with lesser QC problems. It is just like a lucky draw when getting your piece and here’s an honest piece of advise: Do check your Rodimus thoroughly before buying them, especially some colors and joints.
Despite being a Takara Tomy, this Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09) is being reported to have a lot of frauds and QC issues which you really take precautions on examining and transforming him. The problem is worsen with the 1st batch but subsequent batches (such as mine which is the 2nd batch) will be better and less prone to problem.
Anyhow, let’s put all these problems aside for the time being and check out what this Masterpiece got to offer.
(A) The Packaging + Exclusive Gifts
I have to admit it, this is the biggest packaging and the most gifts i get from buying a Transformer toy. The extra gifts are only exclusively for Asian Edition and definitely on limited amount being released. For US version, i guess only the toy is being sold without any exclusive gifts. Wonder why.
Here’s what comes with the Masterpiece: A display case, the Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09), a collector gold coin and a BIG Rodimus themed paper bag to pack up all the stuff (they all fit in nicely).
The main box for the Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09). It is quite standard size as compared to previous Masterpiece collection.
The back with descriptions in Japanese. You can have a bit of sneak peak on the gimmicks for the Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09) here.
Here’s the BIG Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09) themed paper bag where you can put in all the goodies into it nicely. Speaking of this, this really is an eye catcher when you are holding it especially after you bought it from the shop and walking back to your car. Passersby will gaze at your haul with utmost curiosity of the content inside. That’s what actually happened to me when i was walking with this big bag after buying it from 1Toys at Amcorp Mall.
This display box is quite big which you can put your Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09) inside to display. Despite the size, it is quite light in weight.
The 3rd goody which is the Limited Edition Rodimus Collector coin which only available for the Asian Edition Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09). Not really sure about the value of it, but i did see people selling at ebay at the price of US100!
A close up on the coin. I didn’t open the package to get a feel on the coin though. I doubted it is pure gold :p
A brief description on the history of Hot Rod of how he changed to Rodimus Prime and become the new leader of the Autobot.
Reading through it, you might find out that the rebirth of Galvatron in 2010… hm.. another teaser for new Masterpiece coming out?
(B) What’s inside the box?
Here what’s inside the box: The robot in Hot Rod mode, the trailer, accessories (2 cannon blasters, matrix, wielder and disc blade), the instruction book and the character profile card.
A more detailed accessories shot here:
Here’s the Character profile card with the Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime stats. Again, too bad is in Japanese which i don’t really understand what is the description about.
An interesting piece of information from the instruction manual which i like to highlight here. This actually shows the different Rodimus design throughout the years. Cool. See how the Rodimus evolved through time.
The MAIN selling point of the Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09) is the 4 different modes it has for you to play with: Robot mode, alternate mode, alternate mode + convoy and the battle station mode.
(C) Mode 1: The Hot Sport Car
I like the alternate mode very much. The amount of details are very cartoon accurate. And you can see additional details such as the “turbo” engine in chrome; the front headlights are of transparent plastics (No lightings or LED being used here); the blue transparent driver windows.
I couldn’t get the gap to close up nicely for the alternate mode. I wonder is it because i didn’t do properly for the transformation or there is fraud on the figure itself.
I just find that the spoiler is a bit slanted and i can’t really make it horizontally straight.
I have a problem of pegging in the right exhaust pipe to the leg (in this picture, it should be the top one) as you can see here.
Gimmicks for the alternate mode. Not as much as the robot mode though.
(D) Mode 2: Hot Rod / Rodimus Prime
The robot mode is very G1 accurate. The overall material of the robot is of matte colored plastic and not those glossy type of plastic. It does come with some chrome parts like the exhaust pipes and the sport rims.
A QC point to note here, notice that the small gap at the right legs from the rear view.
A close up on the face of Hot Rod. The eyes are not light piped nor LED lighted. Currently he is still in Hot Rod mode and he can be converted into Rodimus Prime’s face. Will touch more on this in the gimmick section below.
Plentiful to play with, here’s all the gimmicks for the Robot mode:
(E) Transformation: Robot Mode to Alternate Mode
To be frank, the transformation isn’t very difficult if it not with the “precise angle issue” as in the step 5 . Once you are familiar and know the angles well, you can transform him in a breeze.
For first time transforming him, i would recommend you go thru this YouTube Video review by OptimusSG (here) and it does really help out in transforming him smoothly (especially on getting the angle right). I don’t even bother following the instruction manual for the 1st time transforming as it is quite confusing and most of all, it is in Japanese which you can’t really understand the certain details that need to take into consideration when transforming him.
You might be asking, how do you judge whether you have get the right transformation? If you have done the correct transformation (with the correct angle as well), 4 wheels will be touching the ground. If you find that you vehicle mode is like a “U” shape or having either the wheels not touching the surface, meaning you have not tweak to the correct position. This is the 1st obvious point of it. The 2nd one would be, you might see gaps in between parts or even some of the parts can’t be pegged in properly. Get the angle and position right and you will have the perfect transformation 🙂
(F) Mode 3: Trailer Mode
The Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09) comes with the trailer which is the alternate mode for the Rodimus Prime in the G1 Transformers. Just have to slot in the vehicle into the trailer and volia, you will have the 3rd mode for the Rodimus Convoy. Anyhow, the first time combining the vehicle with the trailer does take some efforts of adjusting the alignment and slotting in properly to the tight spoiler gap of the trailer.
You can notice the middle part is where the spoiler of the car slot into the gap of the trailer.
You can see that the chrome part of the exhaust pipe and the sport rim for the trailer as well. The trailer does have a decent painting and coloring especially the fiery vinyl at the side. It blends in seamlessly with the vehicle!
The top part of the trailer is a bit plain though. Not much details you can see here beside the button that opens the trailer.
The rear part for the trailer also looks a bit plain in my opinion. Notice that there is nothing special with the rear car lights. It is only a plastic panel embedded on the rear door of the trailer. If they can put some transparent plastic (like what they did to the headlights), it will be much more nicer.
A point to note here, when you are removing the vehicle from the trailer, do make sure you do it gently and use your fingers in pushing out the spoiler first (as highlighted below). I have heard of reported case that someone actually broke their spoiler by removing the vehicle straight out without pushing the spoiler out first. It isn’t a surprise as the gap between the spoiler with the trailer is exceptionally tight and it somehow “sticks” the spoiler inside. This eventually spoils the paint on the trailer as well as the spoiler when inserting and removing due to friction. I have compiled this point under the “Precautions! ” section below and highlight how the paint is spoiled due to the friction.
(G) The Trailer
This trailer is really more than meets your eye. Other being a normal trailer, it is also a battle station and weapon + accessories storage for the Rodimus Prime.
In order to access the content of the trailer, just simply push the button located on top of the trailer and the trailer will pop open in split halves.
Once pop opened, you can see the BIG cannons there along with other accessories being kept inside.
There are 2 sides of the compartment to hold the accessories and cannon blaster. Here in the left side you will hold the disc blade and either 1 of the cannon blaster.
On the other side of the compartment, you can slot in your wielder and with another cannon blaster in place.
Now for the fun part, the BIG cannon for the trailer which you can pull it out and extend it to become the final mode of Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09): The Battle Station! Read on!
(H) Mode 4: Rodimus Battle Station
Here’s how it looks like when the big cannon is being extended to become the battle station. In addition, you can slot in your 2 blaster cannons to the side of the station to make it a complete battle station.
You can then pose your Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime on the station with his hands gripping on the handle of the big cannon.
Well, that’s all the 4 modes of the Rodimus Convoy. There’s really A LOT to play with this transformer and it does cost every cents in it. 🙂
(I) Precautions!
As mentioned before, there are certain parts of the Rodimus Convoy which really need extra cautions while transforming it and some of the QC issues as well. So i did a compilation on some of the problems which i encountered while playing this toys.
(J) Extras!
Beside having the standard gift with the Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09), i got extra exclusive gift from the boss at the toyshop (as a token of appreciation for being a loyal and BIG spending customer over the months) .
It is actually an exclusive (and limited apparently) Transformers: Hunt for the Decepticons merchandise which comes in a pocket file.
What’s inside? There are actually 5 items inside: an unassembled paper Optimus Prime, the instruction for the paper Optimus Prime, a Transformers lanyard with card holder, a Transformer Hunt for the Decepticons catalog and a Transformers: Cyber Missions Webisodes DVD.
You might be curious about the Transformers: Cyber Missions Webisodes DVD. It is actually a 3D animated series released on the internet to promote the Transformers NEST toy line and this DVD actually is a compilation of all the episode inside. You can actually search for all these episodes in YouTube (here’s Episode 1 of it) or the official Hasbro site hosting them: here.
(K) Conclusion
Despite having a lot of QC complaints and the infamous “precise angle” transformation, it is still a very valuable piece to own considering it having a lot of accessories, gimmicks and the 4 modes of “transformations” he has. And what’s more, with the extra gifts that come with the toys, i guess it is quite worth it. But a piece of advice here (again): Please check for the plastics and coloring as well as the QC before making the purchase of that piece in order to make the purchase even more worth it. Well, my personal rating for this collection of mine would be: 8.5/10!
If you are interested in getting one, i recommend grabbing yours at 1Toys at Amcorp Mall, Malaysia as they are having the cheapest and most competitive price (RM4xx.xx) among all other toys shop which i have surveyed! Definitely a good buy from them.
Whew…. okay i think that wraps up the review on the Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (MP09). Is 2.5k+ words here which i guess that’s the most i have churned out so far. 🙂 Thanks for reading this long review of mine.
Of course, it is really lucky for me to spot there’s actually few more Roddies at TRU Gurney Plaza. They changed for me, albeit with upset face, well, what can you expect, as long as I got a better replacement, who cares?
Ok, regarding the broken leg panel of the 1st issue, there’s a way to repair it, but requires some handiwork skills. Apply minute amount of 3-min glue INTO the screw hole of the broken leg plate, make sure none flow of out the hole, then, reattach the leg plate by holding and pushing the screw to the max into the hole. note that only minute amount of the glue applies, if not it will flow out and make the whole leg plate forever attached to the leg, and that will make you cry out loud.
Yes, I’m currently writing this reply with the better TRU exclusive Roddie Prime.
The leg plates have been ‘fixed’ btw, and also the alignment of both the feet have been fixed as well(I’m not sure about yours, but my Mp09 1st issue’s left foot is slightly higher, which makes the figure lean towards right side slightly). however, they
1) screwed the elbow joints, by creating 2 separate pieces: once you bent the arm, the piece of the elbow kinda come out and stucked onto the upper arm, i hope i could upload a video to show that.
2) the spoiler is slanted too like yours, but not on my MP09. i think Hasbro reengineered the spoiler to be loose so that it can slot much easier into the trailer.
3) the front hood, which act as the matrix compartment, is kinda looser and will not able to shut in line. i’ve checked with other models, they’re the same, duh…
Thanks for the update on hasbro version of Roddie 🙂 Did you manage to get the replacement?
Yup, the feet plate, is misplaced, I wondered whether can I do 1 to 1 exchange warranty at TRU but different branch? I bought from Queensbay Mall but that was the last unit, I went to TRU Gurney Plaza just now and I saw a bunch of Roddies(at least 5-6).
Anyway, please, whoever read this, skip Skip SKIP TRU Roddie!
yes, you can actually claim ur TRU faulty product in different branch. I have bought a faulty toy from TRU from 1U KL before but i have it exchanged in KLCC branch. As long as you have the receipt, you can claim from any branch (which i have called and asked their customer service before for this exchange).
Just an update: Don’t buy Hasbro Masterpiece Rodimus, truly unbearable QC defects!
Really? anyhow, i dont like the black faced Rodimus 🙂 so i skipped it.
Sorry bro, I mean at least my DA28 got paintjob issue, the paint flowed out from 1 of the front tyre, will share it in the future. I will buy the blackie roddie, but i will still buy 2nd issue roddie for collection purposes(not even taking it out, consider i’m silly but this is how i show my love for roddie). This is just merely my preferences, as i don’t quite fond of TF outside of G1, Bayformers, and Prime. so i can focus my fund to get Masterpieces. I think i’ll get MP11 first before another 2 roddies 🙂
I never seen MP11 with my own eyes, so i cant really comment or speculate anything about it, as of now i’m kinda impressed with MP11, a little bit.
When the news came out that next MP is Sideswipe, the scene of Sideswipe(from RotF) comes swooping in after Maj. Lennox yelled “Bring in Sideswipe!”, haha, don’t laugh, G1 cartoon is in my childhood memories, cant really recall that on 1st impression.
A lot of people wondering why Lambor?
*Hey Frank, sorry if i make your comment post a discussion board, but let me finish this ok?
Ahem, i personally think, Sideswipe have the jetpack, which Optimus once borrowed when Megatron escaped after gathered enough energon.
OP: “SS, I need to borrow your jetpack”
SS: “But sir …”
OP: “NOW!!!”
these dialogues are extracted from my long memories, i thought it was ironhide, but actually SS, because both are red 🙂
MP09 can perform handshake with MP10, and uses MP10 Matrix of Leadership, I’m pretty sure MP12 can use MP12 jetpack, i think this is how Takara Tomy is tried to link all those MP figures to increase their gimmicks.
However, this is just my speculations.
wow.. you seriously is a hardcore Roddie fan. Kudos for you. I never had the urge to collect 2 same mold with different repaints. Personally, not much fancy of repainted collection. 🙂 Collection is subjective.
This make me wonder what kind of gimmicks will be featured in MP Sideswipe and about the size too… can’t imagine MP Sideswipe the size of Optimus Prime or Rodimus.. Pretty much looking forward for it.
Bro, I can’t agreed more than you do, paint chips is always a pain, I have a DA28 which has bad painting QC. ALthough MP09 has many QC problem, still lesser and more tolerant than MP10. the only thing i dont like about MP09 is the Sandwichman design 🙂 but I’m content with them nevertheless. I owned MP08, Masterpiece Grimlock, MP09 1st issue, and some leaderclass figures from DOTM. I’m still yet to own MP10 as I’m preordering it, I’m still looking into MP11 reviews and feedbacks before making my mind.
Either I go get MP11 or MP09 2nd Issue next month, still sitting on the fence, hahaha…
What I heard so far regarding MP11, is no QC problem detected(so far…), either robot mode, alternate mode, or during transformation, no “cosmic-rust”. However, bear in mind that the materials used is of a lower quality plastic, and no stand will be featured, no face-changing gimmicks will be featured…
DA28 also has paint chip problem? I didn’t buy that set. I guess it has something to do with Takara changing their manufacturing factory. What i understand is MP09 & MP10 is made in Vietnam. Correct me if i am wrong. Just my mere speculation. lol. I like the MP09 nonetheless but the QC issues do turn me off, so I just leave him in his robot mode standing there. I didnt really transform him much.
Grab the MP11 since you already have the MP09 🙂 If you really wanna grab the 2nd issue, i would think getting the black-face Hasbro ver of the Rodimus is much worth the price :p
Yea.. and i personally DONT like the MP11 colors…. If comparing to the original MP03 or hasbro version of MP starscream, i like that one more and of coz, the gimmicks itself from the previous is an attraction too. Kinda sad to see lower quality + QC for newer MPs. sigh. I hope the MP12 will yield back my confident but i doubted since they are all moving towards this kind of plastic already. I just hope the QC is giving lesser headache.
Oh ya, MP12 seem interesting.. hmm… i might consider in getting one..IF i got the budget lol.
I did do some homework on comparing the 2nd issue with the 1st issue, they indeed fixed the leg plates by making it detachable, makes it fall off if excessive force or wears applied, talk about rectification, lol.
However, paint chipping issues still plaguing the figure line, and the spoiler still painted, instead of yellow plastic.
But overall, I’m very satisfied with this figure despite the QC, because I’m a fan of Rodimus, and the transformation exhibits the pinnacle of toy technology.
p.s: I did ordered a set of MP10, indeed it got a lot of QC defects, but overall, the quality is almost the same as yours, thanks to your review. Still I’m really fond of Masterpiece line due to the awesome toy engineering.
I guess when there’s chrome/painting, there’s always risk of paint chips… it’s unavoidable. However, if compare to the MP10, i guess MP9 has lesser paint chips 🙂
I am a fan of Rodimus too. I almost has every mold of Rodimus. lol.
I am not much into masterpiece actually.. i just bought those which i fancied, like the Hasbro Masterpiece Grimlock, MP01 Optimus Prime, MP09 Rodimus and the new MP10. They are quite pricey in my opinion. With that much of budget i can actually buy more deluxes and leaderclass. lol.
I wonder did you buy the MP11?
Hi, I too owned a 1st issue MP09 Rodimus Convoy. Most of the QC problems I have is the paint chips on the chrome pipes, and the diecast connector that connects the front and center part of the car. The legs are indeed very, very tight. I was glad that my leg plates didn’t come off, haha. The buttons that shifts down the binocular visor, either they’re extremely tight, or another QC problem, doesn’t comes down when I hold and turn them down:(
I guess the 2nd reissue will have them fixed up. Anyhow, MP10 is another one with all the bad QCs and even with higher price tag 🙁 Speaking of “value” of our purchase.
such a detailed review as usual from Sir Bilibala. HAHA! The vehicle mode of rodimus kinda remind me of some old school lamborghinis and luv that retro style. It stays really true to the original G1 as u’ve mentioned and very slick in robot mode. Ouch at the scratched paintjob bro..I have only one masterpiece for now which is OP, and the only QC issue i faced is the windows dont align properly.
hahaha.. Sir sounded so old :p Thanks for the support.
This MP is quite G1 accurate i must say despite the bad QC here and there. Anyhow, they are coming out with Hasbro version (Hot Rod only, without Rodimus Prime face changing gimmick and no trailer) with all the QC fixed. And of course, cheaper price :p
very informative and comprehensive review.
the “wielder” is better known as soldering gun, yes/no?
appreciate ur effort.
looking forward to more reviews.
Hi there. Thanks Edmund for dropping by and the support. 🙂 yup, the wielding tool is actually a soldering gun. :p
Lucky you! Me and a TF friend skipped MP09 due to the many QC issues, most notably the leg-breaking part. DX
Nice review and keep it up!
Thanks Nick! Yea. Considered me lucky but i guess the subsequent batches will be lesser QC problem. So far mine is 2nd batch and seem that the QC issues is not that prominent in my batch. Just hope the future batches will be better so that you will not be skipping this cool Masterpiece!