SCI-FI SALE IN JAPAN - ONLY A FEW DAYS TO GO

David Jefferis reports

The excellent HobbyLink Japan webstore is offering good deals on kits and ready-builts featuring the Ma.K (Maschinen Krieger) sci-fi universe, first created back in the 1980s by Japanese artist Kow Yokoyama.

Fully configured fighting suit

The main star is undoubtedly the 1:6 scale fully finished, articulated, and lighted Maschinen Krieger SAFS (Super Armoured Fighting Suit), complete with an extremely well sculpted female pilot figure. The 400 mm (15.75 in) tall suit - with multimedia parts in plastic, metal and vinyl - is highly limited, with just a 600-item run, so there are not many to go around. 

Lighting up the SAFS

All the various parts that should move, do move, and there’s cockpit lighting that includes a green-lit information panel, a blue inner cushion light, plus indicator lamps. What’s also a good feature is that the curvaceous pilot can slip neatly inside the SAFS, when the order goes out for her to get ready for battle.

Popular sci-fi series

In recent years, and especially since Hasegawa started producing injection kits, Ma.K has become something of a growth industry, a ‘more serious’ Star Wars if you will - it’s certainly grittier in flavour, with huge appeal to anyone who’s into militaria and AFVs. The pictures here show a selection of Ma.K stuff, including a cover splash on Daytona BROS magazine, a well regarded Japanese fashion publication, showing that the sci-fi combat-gear look is a definite style icon for sections of the design community.

HLJ sale ends soon

Our friends at HobbyLink Japan have the SAFS suit and other Ma.K subjects at good discounts, but you’ll have to order quickly if you want to lay some in, as the HLJ sale on these items ends on June 1. Stay awhile there while you’re at it, as there are many other discounts available.

Visit the fascinating HLJ site here.

See more on Maschinen Krieger here.

Visit Daytona BROS here.

Pix courtesy Hasegawa, HLJ, SMN Studio. 

Cordmaster Prince pictures were supplied to us without a link - if you have one we'd be pleased to add it here, as the models look terrific.

64002 1/20 Ma.K Figure Set A Mercenary Troops

SCI-FI FANS GET READY - MORE MASCHINEN KRIEGER INCOMING!

Hasegawa’s new take on the Ma. K (Maschinen Krieger) sci-fi universe, first created back in the 1980s by Japanese artist Kow Yokoyama, continues to expand, with a new combat craft soon to be available to 1:35 scale.

The Lunadiver Stingray from the Ma. K Mercenary Army looks to be a neatly crafted addition to the Hasegawa range, and a delight for all sci-fi buffs. It’ll fit neatly on a sheet of A4 paper, at 303 mm (11.9 in) long by 163 mm (6.4 in) across the bulging side pods. There are two well-sculpted figures included - and as it’s to the popular military 1:35 scale, you’ve got a wealth of choice for any extra figures you might care to add. A set of modern military figures, equipped with high-tech combat gear would complement the Lunadiver Stingray well, and of course they can be reconfigured in any way you like to ‘science-fictionalize’ them.

Incidentally, the Ma.K universe is set in the 2800s, and concerns the repopulation of the Earth as our planet cleans up after a nuclear war. The story concentrates on the fighting that happens between various factions trying to control gain control of this future world. So Ma. K’s creator isn’t looking for anything much to change in the human condition then...

The Hasegawa 1:25 scale Lunadiver Stingray should be available before Christmas.

Visit Hasegawa here.

Visit Kow Yokoyama here.

There’s a nice dirtied-up Lunadiver here.

1:20 SCALE Ma.K SCI-FI FIGURES FROM HASEGAWA

Hasegawa’s new take on the Ma. K (Maschinen Krieger) sci-fi universe, first created back in the 1980s by Japanese artist Kow Yokoyama, is steadily growing, with new figure sets now available to 1:20 scale.

The power suits (top picture) are a beautifully sculpted quintet that should make any sci-fi enthusiast itch to get going on the model bench. They are joined by an equally well sculpted set of Mercenary Troops Maintenance Soldiers (bottom), and there’s no sexism in the choice of figures - three men and a girl are featured. The figures come with a set of tools and other bits and pieces, including fuel cans, screwdrivers, spanners and even a pair of coffee mugs.

A small point here from SMN - if Ma.K is supposed to be set centuries in the future, then why do these items look like they’ve come from a World War II movie? Still, maybe it doesn’t matter too much; it’s all fantasy anyway, so we guess the Ma.K creators can do pretty much what they like, just so long as the story and plot maintain their internal consistency.

Visit Hasegawa here.

COMING LATER THIS YEAR - HASEGAWA LUNADIVER TO 1:35 SCALE

The excellent Ma. K (Maschinen Krieger) sci-fi universe was created in the 1980s by Japanese artist Kow Yokoyama. And now things are getting interesting, as Hasegawa is working hard on new Ma. K products, including this 1:35 military-scale Lunadiver Stingray. The future combat machine should join the recently-released Falke Armoured Raider after the summer.

Sci-fi combat enthusiasts can start saving now. Suppliers will likely include our friends at HobbyLink Japan. You can visit HLJ here.

HASEGAWA SPACE RAIDER BLOWS IN

Hasegawa’s futuristic 1:20 scale Falke Anti-Gravity Armored Raider is now generally available, and it’s getting some good reviews. The Falke is part of the Ma. K (Maschinen Krieger) sci-fi universe, originally created back in the 1980s by Japanese artist Kow Yokoyama. Hasegawa is now developing the series, and the Falke is the first of what we hope will be many more to follow.

Interestingly, the Falke’s canopy is opaque, as is the pilot’s helmet. The series is set some eight centuries in the future, so it looks like heads-up displays have seen some development in the meantime! In fact, hi-def surround video is no pipedream - Google has an amazing hi-def video room on demo. Inside the room, screens seem just like a window on the world - in the Falke’s case, a window on the universe.

The Hasegawa Ma. K series is bound to be a success - let’s hope future versions in standard scales - 1:35, 1:48, and 1:72 – will be released. As built, the 1:20 scale Falke measures some 286 mm (11.3 in) long, and is available from various outlets, including Amazon, Frontier Models, and Hobbylink Japan.