Topic: Transformers Animated - Intro Preview

[TerraEsperZ]

Well, I can already guess what JonLeung's opinion of this will be, but just in case, here are a few links to give you an idea of the upcoming series, Transformers Animated. Personally, while I'm not a big fan of the animation, everything else seems so much better than anything the japanese did over the last three series



Intro Preview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gqhN7-yBSQ



Intro Preview (with Ratchet replacing Megatron):

http://www.hasbro.com/monkeybartv/default.cfm?page=Entertainment/Videos/VideoSelect&aid=3136

Scroll down the Transformers Video list and select Transformers Animated Intro - Part 1



3 Minutes preview of the first episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8sq80XmS6s&eurl=http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=159464



All I can say is I've very impressed and looking foward to this. Sure, it's still a cartoon intended for children, but it's the first time since Beast Wars/Machines that we've had competent people in charge of the fiction, and if we have to suffer through "Teen Titans" style animation as a result, I'll gladly take it.



And from the preview, everyone shows more personality in a few sentences than most bots and cons did over three years of stiff japanimation. Starscream is even more of a power-hungry manipulator than ever before, but what's so great is that he barely hides it with obviously fake flattery and boot-licking. As to Megatron, here it really feels like he's a true menace. Cold, contained, but ultimately ruthless, instead of vain manipulator or drooling, crazy maniac. The rest are adequate, but I really like this new Prime. Instead of a great leader, he's a commander who washed out of the Autobot Academy, someone with good intentions but maybe a bit impulsive. Anyway, I'm looking foward to more of this



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Current projects: Mega Man Zero (GBA), Battletoads (NES), Sonic CD (Sega CD)

[JonLeung]

No, really.  What DO you think my opinion of this is?

[TerraEsperZ]

Oh come on, you know I just like to jokingly demonize you into this big "everything not G1 sucks BLARG with drool everywhere and OMG Hasblow has raped my childhood!". Okay, I guess it's not really funny when I always say the same thing, right? It's kinda like always calling your bnest bud a wimp, and eventually said bud starts thinking you're really serious and think he's a wimp, even though that wasn't his intention, but just a joke that overstayed its welcome... And to make it clear, I really don't think that would be your opinion so I apologize for the unfunny joke, and I promise to not do it again.



As for this, well my desire is always that a fellow Transfan will like the new stuff as much as I do, as I much prefer to share likes with people than dislikes.



So come on, don't keep me waiting. What DID you think of it?



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



Current projects: Mega Man Zero (GBA), Battletoads (NES), Sonic CD (Sega CD)

[JonLeung]

I don't think I ever said "everything not G1 sucks", especially when I'm pretty sure I never hated Beast Wars...



As for this, I like the opening's music, well, maybe because it's a decent remix of the original.  I don't like that the opening only shows transformation sequences.  I do like that this isn't written by the Japanese (don't get me wrong, usually most Japanese cartoons are better than American cartoons, except it seems to be the opposite with Transformers) - however, this may change quickly depending on how the writing actually is.



The animation is different.  I don't like how certain things look, like Optimus's unmasked face, but overall, it is a nice change.  Angular is better than stiff CG like the last two Japanese Transformers series.



I'm sure I will have more to say about it once I see it.



But for now, I can say that I am honestly looking forward to it.

[TerraEsperZ]

The thing is (in case you haven't been following the news on a Transformers news site), it's really not going to be like any previous series. It's not going to be a constant war between the 'Bots and the 'Cons; instead, the Autobots will mostly act as a kind of superhero team saving humans from (I guess) accidents and human supervillains, with the Decepticon threat lurking in the background for a while. Heck, Megatron isn't suppose to fully appear until the middle of the first season.



And get ready for it: a human girl, Sari, will be bestowed various powers by the Allspark, and thus will undeniably be involved with the 'Bots a lot. And yeah, I don't like that, but it's really being aimed at children, so it was inevitable. I at least trust (read: hope) that the writers will handle that aspect better than the Japanese.



And just to spoil things a bit more, you can expect a dino Grimlock and a Soundwave with a giant frigging guitar that turns into Laserbeak (I kid you not) somewhere down the line. I'm actually looking foward to that last part



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



Current projects: Mega Man Zero (GBA), Battletoads (NES), Sonic CD (Sega CD)

[TerraEsperZ]

Here's another preview, specifically a podcast with a presumably more finalized intro and about two minutes from the beginning of episode 2 (I guess, based on what I've read about it):



http://ht.cdn.turner.com/toon/big/podcast/m4v/pod_052.m4v



I gotta say it yet again: I love Corey Burton's Megatron, and I'm really developping a soft spot for the resident comic relief, Bulkhead (but not so much because of the fat jokes, but because I like his voice and his toy will soooo be mine).



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



Current projects: Mega Man Zero (GBA), Battletoads (NES), Sonic CD (Sega CD)

[JonLeung]

I forgot to mention that I saw the premiere the day after Boxing Day.  I could've seen it yesterday on YTV, I suppose, but I was interested enough to download it the day after its Boxing Day premiere on Cartoon Network.  (Bell ExpressVu doesn't have CN on their line-up!)



Unfortunately, I can't say I love it.  But it is definitely better than the stiff-yet-sloppy CG of the last two series.



As far as Transformers cartoon series go, each later series is worse (IMO!) than the previous one (though since I gave up on Armada, I can't tell the difference between Transformers: Energon and Transformers: Cybertron, and what little I have seen I know is pretty bad).  Therefore:

G1 > Beast Wars > Beast Machines > Robots In Disguise > Armada > Energon & Cybertron



If I had to fit Animated in there somewhere, it would be directly before or directly after Robots In Disguise.  I'm not sure which yet.



I think the problem I have is with things like the giant bug that absorbs electronics in the premiere.  Maybe if the Decepticons can keep being the main antagonists, I'll put it above RiD.  Otherwise, if they spend too much time with the Angry Archer and Nanosec and these other non-Decepticon villains I'm hearing about, then I'll have to say Robots In Disguise actually one-ups it.



I realise this show is designed for kids that are new Transformers fans, but like they eventually did with Beast Wars, it would've been nice if there was at least a storyline that older fans could enjoy too, G1 homages or not.  I noticed they used G1 footage at the start of this series, but I didn't feel that to have any real point.



I don't know if it was just me, but I also found a few points to be slow and dragging on longer than they should have.  As I don't know where the episodes break up (since the premiere was the first three episodes combined), it almost felt like, if I had to guess, that the first episode they'd be wasting time aboard the Ark (or whatever ship they have is) and the last episode they'd just be playing catch with the Allspark with Starscream for almost the whole time.  Seriously.  The middle part/second act/second episode was where stuff actually happened, and if it didn't have that stupid bug, would've been the best part.

[StarFighters76]

I think the series isn't that bad actually. I watched every episode so far, and it is rather entertaining. What I read on Wiki, most of the other characters (outside of the main group) will be making one time appearances. That is the problem I will have. We need them to make more appearances. I'm sure things will definitely get more interesting. Much potential can come from this series, whether the creators let that potential shine through, who knows.

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Creator of over 620 maps on GameFAQs. ^_^

[JonLeung]

I seemed to somehow get through all of Robots In Disguise, and there was a big chunk of the first season there where they introduced a new character and the "one-shot" episode was about them.  Though many of them stuck around, they didn't actually do anything after their own episode.  I don't like that formula for every episode, even if the purpose of a show is to sell toys.  At least be more subtle about it!



I only caught the premiere of Animated so far...not sure yet if I'm going to really follow this one.

[TerraEsperZ]

This is the first time since Beast Wars that Transformers are actually *fun* and characters are all likable, which is helped by great voice acting. I can't wait to get my hands on Bulkhead and Prowl



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



Current projects: Mega Man V (GB), Mega Man Zero (GBA), Battletoads (NES), Sonic CD (Sega CD)

[JonLeung]

While I don't mind the art style in the cartoon, I don't know if I like them when applied to the toys - yet I can still appreciate that they somehow managed to pull it off.  From what I've seen, they really do look they should.  Not like some of the G1 toys (*coughIronhidecoughRatchetcoughandcharacterssuchasUltraMagnuscough*)...