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-   -   Transformers TV shows, not sure what is what. Help! (http://www.tvpast.org/forum/toons-superheroes/10875-transformers-tv-shows.html)

lordsmurf 09-28-2010 02:50 PM

Transformers TV shows, not sure what is what. Help!
 
continued from email...

Quote:

i'm not sure what is what as far as transformers is concerned.
i've seen:
transformers 25th ann matrix of leadership
transformers G1
transformers robots in disguise
transformers TAS
transformers energon
transformers beast wars
transformers cybertron
transformers headmasters
transformers armada
transformers megatron
(and others!)

so, set me straight. which is the original series? what follows what? or are they all independent? and which of those are not worth bothering with?
thanks.
GREAT QUESTION! :D

Transformers G1 - original series, American voices (made in America, not Japanese)

Transformers the Movie 25th Anniversary edition - one version of movie, which takes place middle of TF G1, TF movie was edited a bunch when released to VHS and DVD, I think this is the truly "uncut" version

Transformers Headmasters + TF Masterforce + TF Victory - Japanese continued where G1 stopped, further evolved storylines, only English version dubbed by StarTV, not the best voice work, still worth watching

Transformers Beast Wars + TF Beast Machines - one version of far, far, far future TFs. BW ties into G1 nicely (I won't spoil it for you!) at the end of S1 and into S2. BM gets all stupid at the end to me (not a very good story plot). I don't like the CG, I like cel animation. American series. BW is worth watching, BM could be skipped if you really want to.

Transformers Beast Wars II - cel anim Japanese series, alternate BW storyline, some different characters (alt reality?) from BW CG show,

Transformers Robots in Disguise (aka TF 2000) - new Japanese series in 2000, alternate world to previous shows, good standalone series with great toys and homage to G1 designs

Transformers Armada + Energon + Cybertron - trio of series that are really just the same continuous storyline, renamed every few dozen episodes. Another alternate world, unrelated to previous shows. Revolves around mini-cons, silly idea to me. It does have some decent characters, and it re-uses G1 characters like Unicron. I don't much care for this one either.

Transformers Animated - I'd consider this one a "re-imagining" of the original G1 series, as they redo a lot of characters from that era. They also get away from some of the crappy plots that plagued the shows from getting young audiences during Armada/etc trio series. I liked this one a lot, and was sad to see it canceled after just 26 or so eps.

I'm posting this here so other TF fans can add their comments and opinions.
Or set me straight if I made a mistake or forgot something. :p

Thanks.

battle7 09-28-2010 03:11 PM

You forgot Scramble City which came around, (not sure if it was before or after, I haven't seen it in a while, but apparently autobot city had already been built by the time of the the animated movie) but served as a bridge from season 1 to season 2.

Beast Wars Neo came after Beast Wars II, but no commercial series is available, was also a Beast Wars Neo Movie.

As well as the one shot animated OVA Zone, which came after Victory, and the later adventures were picked up in a Japanese Magazine in manga form.

If you really want to get technical, there was also a Transformers manga called Transformers: Battlestars, which had Star Convoy and a revived Megatron, this came out around the time of the Transformers: Action Masters toyline in America where the popularity of Transformers had somewhat declined in America probably due to the fact that the toys no longer transformed, thus killing the toyline for several years until Beast Machines and Beast Wars revived the franchise.

markatisu 09-28-2010 04:02 PM

It all depends on what you are into TF wise, there is vast differences between English TF and Japanese TF

Pretty much everything after Beast Machines is a reimagining or a alternate reality (or both). Armada/Energon/Cybertron are a trilogy, if you have to suffer through those finding the subbed JP versions is much better. The American version skirts the issue of death and is much lighter in tone than its JP counterpart.

And LS Transformers Animated went 3 seasons and had 42 episodes, you only watched about half the series lol

I agree though next to G1 I actually enjoyed TF Animated the most. The toys were spot on compared to the show and I really am glad Toys R Us is getting the releases that Hasbro originally killed and made JP only (Arcee, Hot Rod, Ironhide)

battle7 09-28-2010 04:34 PM

OMG, He's ALIVE!!!, LOL

manthing 09-29-2010 02:42 AM

further info regarding the different sets out there.

this one is in regards to the "complete 1st season 25th anniversary edition" by shout! factory. i am assuming the very same discs are present in the shout! factory's other boxsets.

here is what one reviewer wrote:

"First off Shout! Factory was formed from Rhino, so the same people are behind this... you can read about it from their website. However they did attempt to fix many of the errors that were present on the original disc.

1. A lot of the ending credits text is actually misalined, though you can't notice unless you compare it to the broadcast versions. The first few eopisodes have the wrong (more then meets the eye) ending credits.

2.The last 4 epoisodes sound effects are turned down much to low. The remix was doing well up until Ultimate Doom 3 and the rest have loud dialog and low sound effects.

-The Ultimate Doom: Part 3
-Countdown to Extinction
-A Plague of Insecticons
-Heavy Metal War

3. Some scenes they fixed like with Ironhide transformering in reverse were done w/ cheap digital software and look out of place. But it's rather minor issues."


ok, i suppose all that is very minor.
but it is worth knowing.

anyone else have further to add?

manthing 09-29-2010 02:46 AM

here's a bit from the 16 disc 25th Anniversary Matrix Of Leadership Edition boxset:

"Among the things that are still uncorrected:
-Incorrect transitions in the second and third parts of the "More Than Meets the Eye" three parter
-Rampant amounts of incorrect footage in the recaps and previews for many of the multipart episodes
-Numerous shots of missing snowfall in the opening scene of "Fire in the Sky"
-A handful of mis-framed shots in "Divide and Conquer" and "SOS Dinobots" (the former episode as the Autobots transform to meet Prime at the weapons factory, and during the battle with the mindless Dinobots in the latter episode)
-Starscream colored as Thundercracker at 15:33 of "Fire on the Mountain" and 2:15 of The Ultimate Doom Part 2
-The missing background as the Energon Cubes explode at the climax of The Ultimate Doom Part 3
-Rhino's digital tinkering to fix the 35mm footage of Wheeljack and his Shock Blast Cannon in "Heavy Metal War"
-Lava which moves *up* Megatron's face (and gets in his eye) in the last shot of "Heavy Metal War"
-The mis-titled title card for "The Master Builders" (titled "The Master Builder" on the DVD)
-The *correct* spelling of the word "Decepticon" in the title card of "A Deceptacon Raider in King Arthur's Court"
-Missing freeze-frames at the end of two episodes: "Auto Berserk" and "Revenge of Bruticus"
-Incorrect openings for all five parts of Season 3's "Five Face of Darkness": Only parts 3 and 5 have the correct video, and unlike the prior Rhino DVDs, the audio is from the normal opening in both parts.
-"Dark Awakening", which was altered so as to precede "The Return of Optimus Prime", features only the audio from the original airing (which did not feature Victor Caroli's famous narration). In this era of DVD branching, it seems a bit silly that both versions were not able to appear on the same disc (what with the historical significance of the alternate version)."

manthing 09-29-2010 02:48 AM

bit more:

"Also, due to Hasbro's orders, the running order for Season 3 does not match the running order on the packaging of the version of this set offered directly by Shout! Factory as of this writing. However, it is the continued insistence on using the flawed 35mm masters (and not the broadcast masters) that causes the greatest concern with this set, especially when broadcast masters are used on 5 episodes (Season 1's "Countdown to Extinction", Season 3's "The Burden Hardest to Bear", and all three parts of "The Rebirth"), just as they were on the Rhino DVDs, and they look pretty good for their age (and the inconsistency of Sunbow's telecine transfers)."

manthing 09-29-2010 02:50 AM

double check with LS:

there is a TF The Movie 20th Anniversary Special Edition dvd.

is that the one you meant?
and not "25th Anniverary Edition".

lordsmurf 09-29-2010 06:21 AM

Yes, that's what I meant, 20th anniv for the movie.
I bought that one in 2006, and original movie was in 1986.

I still have my movie theatre cardboard standout. :)

rockman666 10-03-2010 05:43 PM

There was also a TF The Movie reconstructed which is a unique attempt to bring the so-called widescreen version of the movie to life. Interesting to have as a keepsake but sucks otherwise.

There was also a nice attempt at bringing G1 and Beast Wars together in a show called Robot Masters which has I believe 3 volumes on DVD.

Overall, I would recommend the 25th anniversary Matrix Of Leadership edition of the G1 series. Not only does it have all 98 episodes of the series but the box itself opens up like the matrix does and there's some other inserts and artwork included. Pretty cool effect. A bit pricy (it was about $140) but well worth it.


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