Author Topic: Next TF series: Transformers Animated!  (Read 26545 times)

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Offline TerraEsperZ

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Next TF series: Transformers Animated!
« on: June 25, 2007, 01:22:22 pm »
Fans of Teen Titans and other recent superheroes cartoons, behold! In the new upcoming Transformers cartoon series (finally produced in the U.S. after  several years of pure crap), the Autobots will be battling both Decepticons and evil humans as a sort of superhero team in a near future Detroit where robots are common place.



As for the rest, to paraphrase Rainier Wolfcastle: "My eyes! The goggles do nothing!"



User posted image



Read about it here



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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



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Offline JonLeung

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RE: Next TF series: Transformers Animated!
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2007, 05:44:05 pm »
I was about to mention this a second before seeing this topic.  I had loaded up the forums page as was wondering if this was worth mentioning.



After the initial shot, I was like, "ugh!"  I'm still "ugh", but I understand the art style a little more now, it's akin to, like you said, Teen Titans, etc.



I can see how this might get more younger fans, but I know most people who remember G1 isn't likely to appreciate this on anywhere near the same level.  Still, we'll see how the writing is.



Supposedly they transform in a whirlwind, all Tazmanian Devil-like.  If that's true...ick.  But at the same time, they can quickly keep the action up instead of wasting time with stock footage when they transform with flashy generic backgrounds like the last few Japanese series.  But at the same time, they ARE Transformers, who, you know, transform...



The Japanese tend to have better cartoons on the whole, except for Transformers.  Why is that?  But then again it's hard to compare when most American fare is Nickolodeon half-episode stuff and Japanese stuff tends to have story arcs, which is probably why I like Japanese cartoons.  But in the case of Transformers, it's one of the few shows with both Japanese and American series...  I think I answered my own question...

Offline TerraEsperZ

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RE: Next TF series: Transformers Animated!
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2007, 06:12:48 pm »
This isn't the first time Hasbro is taking inspiration elsewhere for a new Transformers line. Remember the Micromasters (Micro Machines), Armada (Pokemon) and Energon (Power Rangers)?



At least this time, it will be a series written in in the U.S., since the Japanese have proven times and times again that they can't write Transformers   at all. Oh, they can write great shows, but cartoons aimed at kids to sell toys are not among those. You just have to look at Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh or Sonic X to realize that.



On the other hand, thanks to Hasbro we got G1 (which was pretty good for the times), Beast Wars and Beast Machines, and those two could be enjoyed both by kids and older fans. While I'm not particularily attracted to this, it at least means that we might get the same kind of intelligent writing and voice acting that the recent DC animated series enjoyed.



The last three japanese TF cartoons oscillated between barely average and completely stupid. Between bad dubbing, annoying kid sidekicks, Transformers with no facial expressions and wooden movement, characters/plot points that start being developped before being killed/ignored completely, series-long story arc where nothing much happen, robots inflating to planet proportions to fight, I'm glad Hasbro is taking care of the writing for once.



---

"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



B*tch, meet reality. Reality, meet b*tch. - Me
Current project:
Mega Man: Powered Up (PSP)

Offline JonLeung

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RE: Next TF series: Transformers Animated!
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2007, 06:33:11 pm »
Will they get HiHi Puffy AmiYumi to write the theme song?  :P

Offline TerraEsperZ

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RE: Next TF series: Transformers Animated!
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2007, 06:46:58 pm »
Okay, so the theme songs for the japanese shows rock hard, while our themes suck big time. We can't write theme songs for shit ^-^.



Seriously, some of their series had great opening. Granted, it's J-pop music, and it doesn't really feel like Transformers, but it still rocks. I remember Beast Ward Second having two different yet equally great openings, Car Robots having the amazing "Marionette" ending theme, and the openings to Micron Legend, Super Link and Galaxy Force being between good and great. Too bad I don't have any of them in MP3 to share.



---

"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



B*tch, meet reality. Reality, meet b*tch. - Me
Current project:
Mega Man: Powered Up (PSP)

Offline JonLeung

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RE: Next TF series: Transformers Animated!
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2007, 07:56:06 pm »
As I said in the Transformers movie topic, you can find all of the Japanese opening/closing themes here.

Offline TerraEsperZ

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RE: Next TF series: Transformers Animated!
« Reply #6 on: June 25, 2007, 08:26:05 pm »
JonLeung Said:
As I said in the Transformers movie topic, you can find all of the Japanese opening/closing themes here.

What the...? How the hell did I miss that!? Oh, I am so downloading that... Thanks!



Too bad there doesn't seem to be any good quality recordings of the US openings. The themes from the second and third seasons were really good, and the French versions even had their own closing song, with extremely cheesy lyrics and all. I'll see if I can find it.



I won't even mention Beast Wars which had a forgettable  opening with people constantly shouting "Beast Wars", and while Beast Machines had Leftfield's "Phat Planet", it's not a song you tend to remember.



---

"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



B*tch, meet reality. Reality, meet b*tch. - Me
Current project:
Mega Man: Powered Up (PSP)

Offline StarFighters76

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RE: Next TF series: Transformers Animated!
« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2007, 09:19:51 pm »
I've read about this from other sites, and I must say that the person behind this series has totally destroyed our childhood.

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Offline TerraEsperZ

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RE: Next TF series: Transformers Animated!
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2007, 11:20:22 pm »
*Ahem* Please, I hear enough claims of "Bay/Hasbro/Takara has raped my childhood" on Transformers boards as it is. Let's at least pretend that the few members here are mature enough not to resort to such insulting remarls.



For one, it trivializes the horror behind the word and concept of "rape".



Second, your childhood memories are still alive and well in your mind, as well as in numerous old comics (and reprints) as well as DVDs.



Third, this is not the first time that a major change happens in the franchise followed by immediate overreaction.



Remember Beast Wars? Fans screamed in outraged at the thought of TF turning into animals with flesh. A decade later though, it is remembered fondly as the series that revived Transformers after the death of G1/G2 as well as one of the best written and animated series.



Remember Beast Machines? It too was reviled, this time because TF didn't turn into robots covered in flesh, but because they became a fusion of both machine and organic tissues and morphed instead of transforming. Death threats were even made toward the series' story editor Bob Skir, which convinced him not to show up at Botcon one year. Nowadays, while some fans still carry a bit of hate, it is considered to be the most serious and most daring of the cartoons, and although many consider it a poor TF series, they still see it as a good series by itself.



In short:



-Fan likes property

-Change happens

-Fan's world turns upside down, crys "rape!"

-Fan matures and gets used to it (hopefully)

-Lather, rinse, repeat



And I get to watch it from both the inside and outside and laugh at the mayhem. I have this priviledge because I too used to be ranting TF & Star Trek fanboy but thankfully I wisened up over the years :)



But please, go ahead and provide me with further entertainment by denouncing the utter trashiness of the upcoming cartoon which will most likely do pretty well with its target audience, that is boys under 12. Just don't take it personally if I laugh while you rant, because like Revned I have a hard time standing stupidity and/or immaturity.



And don't worry, I'm no hypocrite and will gladly grant license to anyone here to mock me if I act this way myself.



---

"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



B*tch, meet reality. Reality, meet b*tch. - Me
Current project:
Mega Man: Powered Up (PSP)

Offline TerraEsperZ

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RE: Next TF series: Transformers Animated!
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2007, 07:46:10 pm »
This was revealed almost a week ago, but I wanted to see if JonLeung would beat me to a TF exclusive again. Since he didn't, I'll assume he was just too busy ;)



Anyway, here's a video of the official revelation of the new series as unveiled at Comic-Con '07:







And personally? I already love it! Tons of hommage, really fluid animation and lots of personality, both on screen and in the upcoming toys! What more could a fan not blinded by nostalgia want?



---

"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



B*tch, meet reality. Reality, meet b*tch. - Me
Current project:
Mega Man: Powered Up (PSP)

Offline StarFighters76

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RE: Next TF series: Transformers Animated!
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2007, 09:17:49 pm »
I am without words on this one O_O

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Offline JonLeung

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RE: Next TF series: Transformers Animated!
« Reply #11 on: August 07, 2007, 08:06:32 am »
At first I was doubtful.  But I'll check this out if I can, I think the somewhat angular look (which I'm used to by now, just channel-surfing takes me past several WB/DC cartoons like Justice League Unlimited or Teen Titans, etc.) and hyper action seems more appealing than cheap blocky CGI and reused transformation scenes like in the recent Japanese series.  Though to be fair, I haven't watched much of those, but this fresh start may be what the series needs.  It may still be trying to sell toys, but it actually looks like more fun.