Transformers - G1 Takara Series

*Cipher* · 04-08-2009, 03:58 PM

I remember there being some Transformers buffs on here. I'm kind of a casual fan. I've seen all of G1, Beast Wars/Machines, and read spots of the old Marvel series. Recently, I've been interested in picking up copies of Headmasters, Supergod Masterforce, and Victory. All other Japanese takes on the series left a bitter taste in my mouth, but these seem genuinely interesting. Questions:

1. Has anyone here seen these series? How are they?

2. Apparently there's been an official Region 0 release, but information about the sets has been hard to find and fairly confusing. Some sites list Metrodrome/Madaman's releases as being Region 0, some list them as being Regions 2 and 4 respectively. Can anyone give me the actual lowdown on this?

*ZariusTwo* · 04-08-2009, 05:02 PM

The Takara trilogy is as good as Japan gets with TF really...they CANNOT do this franchise justice for beans and don't seem willing to.

Headmasters is a dismal failiure right out of the gate, it's bad fanfiction. The opening trilogy has the most replay value purely for ideas like Prime and Rodimus teaming together, but the transistion from established characters to the Takara leads is NOT smooth and the storylines don't go anywhere, leading in several episodes to pointless filler. The Headmasters come off as mary sues right out of the gate, Galvatron hatches the dopiest schemes ever conceived in TF history, more dopey than Meg's schemes in G1, and, in a rarity for a Japan series...it really has no ending.

It's sole redeeming quality is the most insanely humerous dub ever created for anything ever.

Masterforce shouldnt work, yet it does. An incredible amalagamation of Super Sentai trappings and more familiar ideas like the TF Pretender and Headmaster lines. It also featured an ingenious example of marketing the Powermaster Optimus Prime figure without actually bringing back Optimus Prime. Likeable human characters and the drama just meshes well with the Transformer action

Devil Z is a ridiculous idea on paper but with the mythos incorporating things such as maverick sparks, it makes that character look ahead of it's time.

Transformers Victory is another surprisingly great TF series from Japan...more of a science-fiction western take on the concept, but more focused on the Transformers. The character deaths and the occasional rebirths are actually DRAMATIC, and the final battle is amongst the best peice of animation in TF anywhere. Dezarius is the best Takara villain ever created and one of the only instances of a Japan excluse as a primary antagonist

*Cipher* · 04-08-2009, 06:20 PM

Alright. I'm still interested. Can you give me the rundown on the releases and region compatability?

*Brodie* · 04-08-2009, 08:16 PM

There was a website with like Region 0 DVD sets of Headmasters and Masterforce. Don't remember what it was, but it exists.

*Cipher* · 04-08-2009, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brodie

There was a website with like Region 0 DVD sets of Headmasters and Masterforce. Don't remember what it was, but it exists.

I'm sure I could find Region 0 copies immediately if I wanted to search through Chinese bootlegs.

My problem is that some sites list the English/Australian DVD sets (Metrodome and Madman respectively) as being region free, while others say they are not. I can't get a peg on what the real deal is. If those things can indeed play on an American system, I'll progably go for it.

*Wes* · 04-09-2009, 07:12 PM

Yeah, given that R0 DVDs tend to be bootlegs, you might as well just download the episodes if you're looking for those! I remember there being some decent fansubs of Headmasters a while back.

I've only seen a few clips of Headmasters on YouTube, but it looks goofy as all get out. Then again, G1 was pretty goofy too!

*DrSpengler* · 04-09-2009, 10:44 PM

The Japanese G1 Transformers series get better in quality as they move along, but they're never actually that good.

The problem I had with the shows is that the individual plots don't stand out. I'm sure you can vividly recall several distinct episodes of the original American G1 series, even if it's just "The one where Perceptor, Brawn and Bumblebee shrink down and go inside Megatron's body", or "The one where Megatron steals all the special powers of the other Decepticons and challenges Optimus to a duel", or "The one where Megatron invents a ray to trap the Autobots in vehicle mode", etc.

The Japanese shows don't have any really distinct episodes. They follow the standard Japanese cartoon trend of taking 13 episodes-worth of plot and streeeeeeeetching it out to fill 26 or, god help you, 52. Though there are a lot of solid storyarcs, nothing memorable really happens in the course of a single episode and it can be very bland, boring and dull.

On the bright side, the animation gets progressively better and is WAY more consistent than in the American series. By Victory, the show looks pretty impressive. The Zone OVA, the final piece of Japanese G1 Transformers animation, boasts animation quality that rivals that scene in Transformers the Movie and is positively gorgeous.

And yes, even though the shows are pretty dull, they DO have their moments. Hellbat accidentilly killing Deathcobra in Victory and then panicking about it was really funny, I'lll give them that.

Overall, the shows are pretty boring. They don't interconnect well at ALL and actually require you to read a lot of the manga (most of which I've translated over at TFArchive) to get the whole picture some of the time. Also, in regards to "Headmasters", expect a lot of familiar characters to be acting complete OUT of character. For instance, Arcee becomes a secretary and Cyclonus is reduced to a sniveling comic relief lackey.

Oh, and clips shows. Lots and LOTS of clip shows.

Still, they're better than ANY of Japan's recent offerings (the Unicron Trilogy being a stain the franchise may never live down).

*Cipher* · 04-10-2009, 07:10 PM

I've decided to just order the complete Metrodome collection. At approximately 35 USD, it's too good an opportunity to pass up. I'll just fiddle around with changing the region codes on my computer/DVD player after I get it.

That is, if I can ever figure out why Amazon UK won't accept my street address...

04-08-2009, 03:58 PM	#1
Cipher Foot Elite Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 3,454	Transformers - G1 Takara Series I remember there being some Transformers buffs on here. I'm kind of a casual fan. I've seen all of G1, Beast Wars/Machines, and read spots of the old Marvel series. Recently, I've been interested in picking up copies of Headmasters, Supergod Masterforce, and Victory. All other Japanese takes on the series left a bitter taste in my mouth, but these seem genuinely interesting. Questions: 1. Has anyone here seen these series? How are they? 2. Apparently there's been an official Region 0 release, but information about the sets has been hard to find and fairly confusing. Some sites list Metrodrome/Madaman's releases as being Region 0, some list them as being Regions 2 and 4 respectively. Can anyone give me the actual lowdown on this?

04-08-2009, 05:02 PM	#2
ZariusTwo Overlord Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Britain, DINO THUNDER...POWER UP! Posts: 22,494	The Takara trilogy is as good as Japan gets with TF really...they CANNOT do this franchise justice for beans and don't seem willing to. Headmasters is a dismal failiure right out of the gate, it's bad fanfiction. The opening trilogy has the most replay value purely for ideas like Prime and Rodimus teaming together, but the transistion from established characters to the Takara leads is NOT smooth and the storylines don't go anywhere, leading in several episodes to pointless filler. The Headmasters come off as mary sues right out of the gate, Galvatron hatches the dopiest schemes ever conceived in TF history, more dopey than Meg's schemes in G1, and, in a rarity for a Japan series...it really has no ending. It's sole redeeming quality is the most insanely humerous dub ever created for anything ever. Masterforce shouldnt work, yet it does. An incredible amalagamation of Super Sentai trappings and more familiar ideas like the TF Pretender and Headmaster lines. It also featured an ingenious example of marketing the Powermaster Optimus Prime figure without actually bringing back Optimus Prime. Likeable human characters and the drama just meshes well with the Transformer action Devil Z is a ridiculous idea on paper but with the mythos incorporating things such as maverick sparks, it makes that character look ahead of it's time. Transformers Victory is another surprisingly great TF series from Japan...more of a science-fiction western take on the concept, but more focused on the Transformers. The character deaths and the occasional rebirths are actually DRAMATIC, and the final battle is amongst the best peice of animation in TF anywhere. Dezarius is the best Takara villain ever created and one of the only instances of a Japan excluse as a primary antagonist __________________ Spider-Man: The Rescue Spider-Man: The Galloping Cat Spider-Man: Scarlet Mirror Doctor Who: Child of the Daleks Last edited by ZariusTwo; 04-08-2009 at 05:07 PM.

04-08-2009, 08:16 PM	#4
Brodie Certified Teacher Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Bizarro Metropolis Posts: 6,495	There was a website with like Region 0 DVD sets of Headmasters and Masterforce. Don't remember what it was, but it exists. __________________ Stupendous Monster

04-09-2009, 07:12 PM	#6
Wes Mad Scientist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: A very scary place. With crayons! Posts: 1,607	Yeah, given that R0 DVDs tend to be bootlegs, you might as well just download the episodes if you're looking for those! I remember there being some decent fansubs of Headmasters a while back. I've only seen a few clips of Headmasters on YouTube, but it looks goofy as all get out. Then again, G1 was pretty goofy too! __________________ * Scary-Crayon * Wesoteric * Chew your gum properly, ok? Aaand... Technodrome buy/sell/trade thread here!

04-08-2009, 06:20 PM	#3
Cipher Foot Elite Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 3,454	Alright. I'm still interested. Can you give me the rundown on the releases and region compatability?

04-09-2009, 10:44 PM	#7
DrSpengler Foot Elite Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 4,842	The Japanese G1 Transformers series get better in quality as they move along, but they're never actually that good. The problem I had with the shows is that the individual plots don't stand out. I'm sure you can vividly recall several distinct episodes of the original American G1 series, even if it's just "The one where Perceptor, Brawn and Bumblebee shrink down and go inside Megatron's body", or "The one where Megatron steals all the special powers of the other Decepticons and challenges Optimus to a duel", or "The one where Megatron invents a ray to trap the Autobots in vehicle mode", etc. The Japanese shows don't have any really distinct episodes. They follow the standard Japanese cartoon trend of taking 13 episodes-worth of plot and streeeeeeeetching it out to fill 26 or, god help you, 52. Though there are a lot of solid storyarcs, nothing memorable really happens in the course of a single episode and it can be very bland, boring and dull. On the bright side, the animation gets progressively better and is WAY more consistent than in the American series. By Victory, the show looks pretty impressive. The Zone OVA, the final piece of Japanese G1 Transformers animation, boasts animation quality that rivals that scene in Transformers the Movie and is positively gorgeous. And yes, even though the shows are pretty dull, they DO have their moments. Hellbat accidentilly killing Deathcobra in Victory and then panicking about it was really funny, I'lll give them that. Overall, the shows are pretty boring. They don't interconnect well at ALL and actually require you to read a lot of the manga (most of which I've translated over at TFArchive) to get the whole picture some of the time. Also, in regards to "Headmasters", expect a lot of familiar characters to be acting complete OUT of character. For instance, Arcee becomes a secretary and Cyclonus is reduced to a sniveling comic relief lackey. Oh, and clips shows. Lots and LOTS of clip shows. Still, they're better than ANY of Japan's recent offerings (the Unicron Trilogy being a stain the franchise may never live down).

04-10-2009, 07:10 PM	#8
Cipher Foot Elite Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 3,454	I've decided to just order the complete Metrodome collection. At approximately 35 USD, it's too good an opportunity to pass up. I'll just fiddle around with changing the region codes on my computer/DVD player after I get it. That is, if I can ever figure out why Amazon UK won't accept my street address...