I knew it'd be a long wait for Macross Plus toys. In the toy-desert of the mid-90's, it looked probable that I'd never see anything at all.

Four years later, shimmering on the horizon like a mirage, was Toycom's declaration that they would launch a series of ultra-detailed diecast renditions of the Macross Plus Valkyries.

An AMERICAN company pulling off quality toys based on Japanese designs? Unbelievable. But the prototype shots dispelled any doubts, and it looked like US toy-design might take a turn for the better. Nationalism, thy name is diecast.

Then the "Great American Valkyrie Holocaust of 2000." Toycom's legal legs were swept out by Harmony Gold, quashing any hopes for direct-US sales anytime soon.

Nevertheless, Yamato continued to give us hope. Thanks to them, Edition 2 popped out of the oven several weeks ago, with additional puppies scheduled like clockwork for the first half of 2001. A thriving community of Japanese fans has formed on Yamato's website, directly discussing -- and receiving -- revisions to the toys based on their questions and concerns.

I love the precision of Soul of Chogokin Grandizer, the weight of the Miracle Shin Getta One, and the cross-cultural charm of the M-1 / Daikaiju Reptilicus. But in a nutshell, the Yamato Macross Plus Valkyries are robot-geek design done right: equal parts detail, accuracy, and toy-lust injected directly into the brainstem of all Macross fans.

Not caring WHO is actually responsible for the production of the toys, I'm selecting the most likely culprit, and that's why, for me, Yamato Toys wins the "Toy of the Year" contest hands down. I'm dying to see what these guys have in store for us next.

I'm an old-school late-Seventies Gundam fan all the way; modern re-interpretations and reincarnations that look more like shiny superheroes than war machines don't really do much for me. I don't like "Gundam Wing." I don't particularly even like the design of the title character. But I'm almost embarrassed to say that something about the Deluxe Transforming Wing Gundam toy resonates with me. Perhaps it's that I enjoy the idea of being able to go to any American Toys "R" Us and pick up an even remotely satisfying Japanese toy for under $30. Or maybe it's just that fact that, taken on its own inherent merits, this is an undeniably cool giant robot design.

Sure, it's got some problems. In keeping with recent tradition, Bandai decided to only ship two-thirds of a toy, letting the buyer put together the remaining ten sprues of parts needed to bring Gundam Wing up to snuff themselves. It'll take you half an hour of clipper-work, easy. But once you're done, you've got something that's unmistakably Japanese. It's got that bulky, heavy "gangsta lean" that only Japanese mecha-toy designers seem to be able to master, and it's huge, comparatively speaking: a full foot. I've paid a lot MORE for toys crappier than this, that's for sure.