Transformers: The Animated Series thread

[The Big Al]

The new Transformers series has finally premiered. Seeing as this is the first real episode I'll review everything.

-The opening is the original G1 opening, non-remix like the Cybertron opening.

-The Angry Archer better become this series' version of Dr. Light. He screams whipping boy. And Prime holding him like a dangling fish was hilarious.

-Prowl a and Bumblebee make a very good combo (as good as Dinobot/Rattrap in Beast Wars). I was waiting for Prowl to pounce Bumblebee. Hopefully their interactions will remain prevalent throughout the series.

-The girl is annoying. Not only is her design terrible but she rubs me the wrong way. Not enough to make me stop watching considering how most everything else is so good but I hope once the other Decepticons make their way to Motown she takes a lesser role.

-Of course the Autobots' new home is an abandoned auto factory.

-Wait hooked me is Megatron. I want to see what he's planning to do next week and after. His road to resurrection will no doubt dominate the early part of the series and I want to see what he does to Starscream after he's mobile again.

That's it for my series review for now. We'll have to see what happens next week.

 

[Habunake]

Is she Indian or what? I think she's kinda cute though.

 

[Zeta]

Her father is a ridicuously stereotypical Indian scientist, so I'd say yes. Imagine if Apu went into robotics instead of the Kwik-E-Mart.

 

[Trainer-c]

Yeah. The Sumdac's are pretty two-dimensional. Though, I am glad they don't overshadow the cybertronians. I like how it appears the human villains will go more along the lines of comic relief. I was really worried they were going to try to pose them (unaided by Decepticons) as a serious threat.

I am also really interested in what Megatron has planned for reconstructing his body. I really hope he will not be in this state for too long.

 

[ImJessieTR]

Although the humans seem to be 2D so far (really, aren't they ALL 2D ;D), since Sari's dad is the one who ripped off Megs, I could see some definite development there. I mean, just Sari's reaction alone to the knowledge her father could've started the possible extinction of the human race should be interesting.

I thought the slumber party was hilarious, but it also bugged me. I could see BB maybe going along with it, but the others? I guess Prime just wants to share in their world's new culture, but ... I dunno ... it just screams "huh?" to me.

I can see that the auto factory stuff could take them off guard -- but where were these guys' fighting techniques? The first thing I would have done was destroy all the arms. Prowl can't fire off some shuriken at the computer? Huh? I realize Sari was there and all, but it just seemed like their talents were wasted just so Prowl could have his "teaching moment".

 

[The Big Al]

You're forgetting they were repair workers, not warriors. Prowl is the only one who seems to have any fighting talent.

Besides
"Bumblebee be still? We're doomed." Got a chuckle out of me.

 

[Trainer-c]

You're forgetting they were repair workers, not warriors. Prowl is the only one who seems to have any fighting talent.

Prime too, he is an academy washout after all. Ratchet is a veteran, but he was a medic, so his combat skills are limited.

 

[Silverwynde]

Besides
"Bumblebee be still? We're doomed." Got a chuckle out of me.

I couldn't help but laugh at that one too. But I had faith in him.
And BB freaking out during Sari's ghost story had me falling over laughing. That was classic. :lol:

Angry Archer! Whooo! I hope Hasbro makes an Angry Archer figure. I will totally buy one.

 

[The Big Al]

Another entertaining episode featuring the Dinobots. Sari was kept at a bare minimum leaving more time for the Autobots and the Dinobots. And the ending was interesting and perhaps foreshadowing. Grimlock appeared to have the Autobot symbol in the Autobots on his chest after he transformed.

The interactions between Sumdac and Megatron will apparently dominate the early part of the series. Of course Megatron has taken advantage of Sumdac's lack of knowledge. But that's one of Megatron's qualities as a villain.

 

[Cferra]

I saw the Dinobots ep. Couldn't help but flashback to when Wheeljack and Ratchet made the Dinobots in the old toon. Now, a different Ratchet has a hand in making these Dinobots. Someone should seriously lock up all Ratchets.

Seems Grimlock has the same mannerisms as the old Grimlock, too. Still, it's a good ep.

LX

 

[ImJessieTR]

Now THAT'S what Jurassic Park: The Ride should've been! Instead of pretty but cheesy robots, the robots should have "lost control" and attacked the riders. LOL. That would have made it AWESOME.

 

[Silverwynde]

I finally saw the ending to the Dinobot ep (Stupid work schedule!) and have this to say:
* Poor Fanzone! What happened to his car was freaking brutal!
* Bulkhead would make a better sumo than a ninja. I can't blame him for trying the ninja thing though.
* I loved how Grimlock got his name.
* Prowl struck me as extremely uptight at first, but I respect the heck out of him for what he did at the end.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

Keep forgetting to post. Missed the first post-pilot ep, but I saw the Dinobot ep and loved it. Nice to see the Dinobots being VERY reminiscent of their G1 selves. And it's always nice to see a scheming, manipulating Megatron.

 

[ImJessieTR]

Megs just can't get ahead in life ... lol ...

 

[GrnMarvl14]

Nice to see Arcee. And Lockdown was a nice Tarantulas-type character. Maybe we can get the other Fembots in the future. And maybe they'll keep their memories.

 

[Doctor Oak]

I watched the first feature-length episode on Youtube the other day... and really rather wish I hadn't. It was such a mess. It took checking on Wikipedia to ensure that it WAS actually a reboot and once that mentality could be firmer established it was untangled a bit more - but the show itself doesn't give you even a single idea that it is. Hell, between showing actual clips of G1 at the beginning and having Ratchet there (as Kup) it was as if they were trying to say this was a weird sequel affair. And when you try and attack it from that frame of mind, it just becomes a tangled mess of confusion (If Ratchet was there with the original Prime, why doesn't it ever get mentioned - hell, why wouldn't this Prime know about the original Optimus if he was studying Cybertron history? How come everyone else has the same name as most of the other original Autobots but only Ratchet is the same as the originals? etc, etc...).

This was also more confusing in the Decepticons, where you were left wondering if they were meant to be the originals... and then they wheel in Blackarachnia from Beast Wars... . wtf...

Aside from that, the designs are fucking awful - especially for the humans (the robots seem to get away slightly better than they do, but they don't really look like robots half the time...), the story itself was a bit bleh and by far the best thing in the entire epsiode was StarScream going completely and utterly fucking nuts.

I never bothered to watch the last two Transformers cartoons (Armada and Energon if I remember correctly), but something tells me they were probably a damned side better than what this was.

Oh, and I was actually crapping myself halfway through when Megatron crash landed and then we had the "Fifty Years later" thing - I was certain we were going to get a retelling of the Movie after that >_>.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

With the exception of Beast Wars, EVERY cartoon has, essentially, been an attempt to reboot G1. And, if you look closely, all but RID (or does RID take place there too?) are meant to take place in the same universe (different Primes for different times).

and having Ratchet there (as Kup)

Kup was truly just a latter-day Ironhide.

(If Ratchet was there with the original Prime, why doesn't it ever get mentioned - hell, why wouldn't this Prime know about the original Optimus if he was studying Cybertron history? How come everyone else has the same name as most of the other original Autobots but only Ratchet is the same as the originals? etc, etc...).

Ratchet's most likely not the original Ratchet (wasn't he killed in the old animated movie?), just like the others aren't the G1 counterparts. You've likely just got new beings with similar personalities/identities (CERTAINLY the Dinobots aren't the same ones, and you'd think Megatron would remember how much trouble they gave him, and therefore wouldn't go through the trouble of creating more).

As for why Optimus doesn't know about the other Optimus? Could be a hole in the records. Or maybe he was recorded as Orion Pax instead of Optimus Prime.

Aside from that, the designs are fucking awful - especially for the humans (the robots seem to get away slightly better than they do, but they don't really look like robots half the time...), the story itself was a bit bleh and by far the best thing in the entire epsiode was StarScream going completely and utterly fucking nuts.

Blame animation designs on the team behind Teen Titans.

I never bothered to watch the last two Transformers cartoons (Armada and Energon if I remember correctly), but something tells me they were probably a damned side better than what this was.

Don't forget Cybertron. And...eh, it's debatable. Different tone. Different animation style. Armada was REALLY shitty in parts, and the animation style had a big problem being consistent (plus...Wheeljack as a Decepticon, and Starscream helping the Autobots).

Oh, and I was actually crapping myself halfway through when Megatron crash landed and then we had the "Fifty Years later" thing - I was certain we were going to get a retelling of the Movie after that >_>.

Well, the movie WAS a success, and so they're hoping to latch onto any fans of the movie (hence Megatron's face).

 

[bigdonkey1]

With the exception of Beast Wars, EVERY cartoon has, essentially, been an attempt to reboot G1. And, if you look closely, all but RID (or does RID take place there too?) are meant to take place in the same universe (different Primes for different times).

well RID in japan was included in g1. but in the US the unicron trilogy have there own universe and so does RiD, but in japan galaxy force (cybertron) was a completely new series.

so under hasbro:

G1(inc beast wars/machines/trasntech)
RiD
unicron

takara:
G1 (beast wars/machines/trasntech and RiD)
micron legend/superlink
galaxy force

let's not mention the whole mess of alternate universes in japan(binaltech/kiss players)

Kup was truly just a latter-day Ironhide.

yeah but EVEN OLDER

Ratchet's most likely not the original Ratchet (wasn't he killed in the old animated movie?), just like the others aren't the G1 counterparts. You've likely just got new beings with similar personalities/identities (CERTAINLY the Dinobots aren't the same ones, and you'd think Megatron would remember how much trouble they gave him, and therefore wouldn't go through the trouble of creating more).

it's not the same ratchet or megatron but ultra magnus may be seeing as he looks extremely similar and is old now so he could logically be if hasbro are just doing the it by the US G1, in takara sixshot killed him

As for why Optimus doesn't know about the other Optimus? Could be a hole in the records. Or maybe he was recorded as Orion Pax instead of Optimus Prime.

theres nothing to say that optimus doesn't know about prime, seeing as he was watching an extract clip of the war from war dawn era it would by orion pax he sees but then there must be other tapes of prime and rodimus being in comand so he should know about other primes. and seeing as so many characters go through changes through the years of the war then by the end of the war then all the originals may be completely different, E.G goldbug

Blame animation designs on the team behind Teen Titans.

well i think we can all rest assured that if the designer ever turns up at a botcon or something then there will be some kind of lynching

Don't forget Cybertron. And...eh, it's debatable. Different tone. Different animation style. Armada was REALLY shitty in parts, and the animation style had a big problem being consistent (plus...Wheeljack as a Decepticon, and Starscream helping the Autobots).

armada's first 20 episodes, like cybertron, where just filler episodes but after tose they get quite good (the starscream omega lock thing was excelent). energon was very good through out apart from a few dodgey ones near the end (the whole team iron hide thing was ridiculous). also seeing as the guy hasn't seen armada those are two very big spoilers, but i must say, armada starscream/wheeljack: both very different characters (wheeljack's name is the only thing that links him to G1)

Well, the movie WAS a success, and so they're hoping to latch onto any fans of the movie (hence Megatron's face).

yes but they take what the movie had and just kept the stupid parts: allspark=no matrix, flappy paddle face megatron, bumblebee.


overall i have changed my mind about the series on all but three points:

CHINS. (there way too big)
SARI. (most irritating and insuferable human EVER(even worse than takara danielle))
SOUNDWAVE=CHAV WAGON (if he's going to be a car at least make it a good one or better yet make him look like this:

 

[ImJessieTR]

I just wonder how "Leonard H. McCoy" they are going to make Ratchet. The ep with Lockdown almost shoved Bones down our throats. Funny, though.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

well RID in japan was included in g1. but in the US the unicron trilogy have there own universe and so does RiD, but in japan galaxy force (cybertron) was a completely new series.

So did they not show the Cybertron ep with the four "old leaders" that, essentially, is the very basis for tying the series to G1?

well i think we can all rest assured that if the designer ever turns up at a botcon or something then there will be some kind of lynching

I doubt it. Seems like the fans are as split over this as the movie.

yes but they take what the movie had and just kept the stupid parts: allspark=no matrix, flappy paddle face megatron, bumblebee.

I actually like this Bumblebee. He's a lot like the G1 version, just younger.

OUNDWAVE=CHAV WAGON (if he's going to be a car at least make it a good one or better yet make him look like this

But that doesn't go with the style. And, personally, I find the idea of him being a touring van with his little buddies as guitars to be quite clever.

I just wonder how "Leonard H. McCoy" they are going to make Ratchet. The ep with Lockdown almost shoved Bones down our throats. Funny, though.

Isn't Bones the basis for MOST of the sci-fi doctors, animated or otherwise?