#ck17rambles

[ck-17088]

OPINION: Why I think Transformers Earthspark will be remembered as one of the best Transformers shows of all time.

Long story short, Earthspark spoilers. Don't read if you don't want to be spoiled.

I'm delighted to say that Earthspark has again exceeded my expectations. Honestly, when the show was first announced, I expected it to be a TV show meant to pander to young children. It would either be silly or forgettable.

Nope.

The show has blown all expectations out of the water through its bold story-telling and animation. The characters all feel realistic- they have strengths and flaws, which are most apparent when they face difficult situations. Another strength is that this show is not afraid to tackle issues (war, moral issues- "how far are we willing to go for the sake of peace?", discrimination, etc) that have become a part of our society in the present and past several years.

In the new 8 episodes dropped, the central theme appears to be identity. Mainly about finding your identity (ex: finding an alt-mode), making up parts of your identity (ex: finding the right alt-mode that matches each character), and integrating new experiences into your identity (ex: Megatron's decision to gain an Earth-based alt-mode to earn the Autobots' trust)- those sort of topics. These are all important and wonderful topics to discuss and share in a show. However, what surprised me the most was that the writers were not afraid to show the ugly sides of identity-related topics.

The 17th and 18th episodes- "Home Part I" and "Home Part II"- subtly tackle racism and xenophobia. Robbie, Twitch, and Hashtag are visiting Robbie's friend in a skateboard park. While having fun, they stumble upon an anti-transformers graffiti- "Transformers go home". Twitch and Hashtags are shocked and upset over this. Twitch says "This just isn't okay" because they were born on Earth and have lived there for their entire existence. However, Robbie's friend insists that their existence on Earth isn't "okay" since "Invading the Earth wasn't okay either". He's essentially telling them that they exist because of the war, which was unwanted, so therefore, their existence "isn't okay".

That scene honestly emotionally destroyed me. Before I explain why let me say a few things.

I am Korean American. The experiences/feelings I will later talk about are my own and do not fully represent the Korean American and/or East Asian communities. Our community's experiences are varied; thus, one person’s is not enough to sum them all of them.

Throughout my life, especially in the past couple of years- during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have had all of these things happen to me:

- I have been called hateful slurs.

- People have made the slanted eyes gesture to me numerous times.

- A few people have greeted me with "ni hao". (This is offensive because they automatically assume I'm from China because I'm Asian. It supports the idea that AAPI communities are one monolith. Hint: They're not.)

- Many people have asked me if I eat dog meat… (I don't. Never have.)

- Too many times, I have been told to "go back home". (I don't even remember the exact number. That's an indicator of how many times it's happened)

- In college, I have had many academic and career advisors ask if I'm a foreign student. It doesn't appear be an offensive question, but if I were Caucasian, no one would have thought to ask me if I was a foreigner. But no, I am Asian, so there is a huge chance that I might not be American.

The fact that I am Asian, or Korean American, an ethnicity (Korean) not found in the Americas, is enough of an excuse to question my identity and my entire life - who I am, where I'm from, and my own habits. To many, it is an excellent excuse to ensure I feel like an outsider in my own home.

The "Transformers go home" scene destroyed me because it reminds me of the pain that comes from the fact that there will always be people who believe I do not belong in my own country- no matter how many experiences I have had and how ingrained they are in me.

These characters are experiencing that same pain, too, even when they shouldn't be. The insistence from Robbie's friend that their experiences aren't enough to explain their belonging to Earth because they are physically Cybertronian- or transformers- is especially heartbreaking.

However, Robbie stands up for his family and breaks ties with his friend. He refuses to accept the blatant discrimination his siblings are facing and leaves instead. This is significant because while the writers show the ugly side of human society, they also show how to combat it- by refusing to stand by and accept it.

This scene is likely why Earthspark will become and will be remembered as one of the best Transformers shows ever.

It's not just the animation or the stories/plots. It is the show's willingness to tackle issues that are difficult to discuss in real life.

In a world where Anti- Asian, Anti- Latino, Anti- LGBTQIA sentiments and (basically) any hate toward minority groups are on the rise, Earthspark is not afraid to go head-on with these issues. They are willing to show scenes to demonstrate the harm these ideas and beliefs can cause, as well as solutions on how to fight them.

The show embraces the beautiful sides of humanity- friendship, family, love, and hope- but is also not afraid to fight the ugly parts of it too.

Written by: CK17088

[ck-17088]

My mind literally exploded when I saw the new Earthspark trailer and images. They look very awesome!!! I’m very excited that there’s going to be 26 30 minute episodes because that’s a lot of time to tell a complex story. Hopefully the plot is good… 😄😄😄

But on a different note… I also could not help but notice how similar this Megatron (Earthspark) looks with the IDW Lost Light Megatron.

1. Both are red and gray. And yes, I know that G1/classic Megatron colors are grey and red. But with these two, the grey and red are almost in the exact same places. Their armor is mostly grey- especially the chest, arms, and legs. They also have red in similar parts of their body- the elbows and the abdomen area (??? Grill?? Is that it’s called????). The elbows and abdomen shapes are almost exactly the same. Also both of their hands are a darker grey (maybe black?) than their bodies.

2. Wide arms. Sounds weird but let me explain. Both of their upper bodies appear to be really wide due to the arm shape and extra stuff on their arms. IDW Megatron’s arms are very square/rectangle with little things jutting out of them. Earthspark Megatron’s arms are also rectangular but some parts are also sharp and angular.

3. Legs- the leg shapes are VERY similar. Both Megatrons have armor/metal pieces on the hips going down to their legs. A large difference is that IDW Megatron’s are a dark grey while Earthspark Megatron’s is the same color as his body’s.

4. Waist shape. Their waists look VERY similar. I don’t think I need to elaborate much on this.

These are just some fun details I noticed with the two Megatrons. Maybe that’s why I like the Earthspark design- since I also really like the IDW design too.

[ck-17088]

I’m so overwhelmed by the likes and comments from Cole’s hanbok drawing. You guys are really nice and I’m so glad so many people liked it!! It took around 30 hours to draw Cole 😅.

I don’t know if anyone would be interested but I could explain how I designed his hanbok- specifically the research and references I used. It’d be me rambling about Korean fashion and culture,along with how I used some references from Ninjago too.

If this post gets more than 50 likes, I’ll make a post thread on the design process.

Here’s the drawing again, for reference.

[ck-17088]

I don’t know if anyone cares but I have an update on my drawing of Zane’s hanbok. I’m redrawing Zane and his hanbok bc my art style has drastically changed over the last 3 months. Every time I look at my current drawing, I feel mental pain. Honestly, I already have his hanbok design so it shouldn’t take long to draw and color.

[ck-17088]

About my Blog

Hello!

Welcome to my blog!

My name is CK. Just CK.

I have many interests, but my main ones are watching TV shows and drawing.

The TV shows/fandoms I’m part of:

- Ninjago

- Favorite ninja(s): Cole and Zane

- Favorite Seasons: Possession, Skybound, and Secrets of Forbidden Spiniitzu: Ice Chapter

- Monkie Kid

- Owl House

- Transformers

- Transformers Prime (probably the one I’m most interested in/active about rn)

- Transformers Animated

- Transformers Earthspark (love it so far)

- I also plan on reading all of IDW More Than Meets The Eye and Lost Light

Most of my posts/reblogs will be about the fandoms above

I like to draw when I have the time- my goal is to learn how to draw transformers.

Occasionally I’ll talk about thoughts/ideas I have about a fandom -#ck17rambles

I’m interested in story themes, character arcs, and world building so that’s stuff I tend to focus on.

My long term plan is to rewatch TFP and read Exodus, Exiles, and Retribution- maybe just the entire Aligned Continuity material- and write my thoughts/observations on it. But that’s probably not going to happen soon. 😅

I’m looking to interact with more people, especially those from the Transformers fandom, so feel free to DM me!

[ck-17088]

Hello! I just realized that I gained a lot of new followers in the past few weeks. I know that I said that I would make a post explaining my process on ninjago Cole’s hanbok and it’s very present in my mind. I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to post it in the past few weeks- I finished summer classes and just moved across the country to attend university. I promise I’ll post it when I have time.

Also- I’m still working on the design on Zane’s hanbok- my plan is to draw one for every ninja.

Thanks for understanding and following me!!

[ck-17088]

So I was watching a clip of Rescue Bots on YT and something funny occurred to me.

In that clip, Boulder tries to hit Heatwave with a snowball and misses, leading to Heatwave teasing him that he can’t hit Unicron with a lobbing ball even if he tried.

That line suddenly made me remember that TFP and Rescue Bots take place in the same universe (Aligned Continuity). AND UNICRON SHOWS UP IN TFP AND HE’S LITERALLY THE EARTH-

Did Optimus ever tell the Rescue Bots (and the Burns family) about Unicron? You know- the Cybertronian epitome of Chaos? That the planet is a sleeping God?? That THEY ARE LITERALLY LIVING ON THE GOD THAT WANTED TO DESTROY EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE-

Optimus (explaining about Unicron and how he and Megatron fought him together): While you were busy rescuing people on Griffin Rock, Unicron woke up and his awakening meant the destruction of Earth and all life living on it (him?) but my team and I were able to defeat him so it all worked out in the end- Are you guys alright?

Boulder and Chase: Still trying to comprehend everything OP just told them in the last hour

Heatwave: Trying to figure out a way to permanently set the ground on fire without hurting the Burns family and the rest of the humans

Burns Family: Very confused - OP showed up and dropped that Earth isn’t a planet- ITS ACTUALLY AN ANGRY ALIEN GOD

Blades: Seconds from offlining in shock

Here’s my attempt at a screenshot of the line.

[ck-17088]

I just read the new issue (#3) of Transformers: Tread and Circuits- and I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS LOL (I’m only writing this bc I have no one irl to share with lol)

SPOILERS BE WARNED

Ok- so- (prepare for some rambling)

I don’t know if I missed this (if this came from an earlier issue) but Knock Out representing the Ascenticons??

THE ASCENTICONS. Megatron’s party that…. eventually becomes the Deceptions. There are so many implications about this fact. Like- I thought that this party only had power on Cybertron but Knockout being an Ascenticon proves otherwise. It just shows the influence Megatron’s ideas have- that there’s wide spread dissatisfaction across Cybertron and its colonies with the Nominus Effect. Meaning that there are a lot of Cybertronians who feel as if Cybertron is on a social and economic decline and are unhappy with it.

But also- I’m really curious why Knockout is an Ascenticon. Does he believe in Megatron’s ideas? Or is he just going along with the most popular political movement to gain power? Is Breakdown also an Ascenticon? WTF is going on? It’s also VERY important to point out that Knockout winning the race and becoming First Senator with Ascenticon political beliefs means that Megatron has gained some support- at least politically.

Which makes me believe that Knockout winning was planned. Mayhem did show up and kill some racers but during the attack, Knockout was gone. He wasn’t present in this issue’s story, specifically the action, for a while. And the guards showing up and preventing the Wreckers from interrogating the Mayhem member, which allowed him to escape- is very fishy since Breakdown is in charge of security. Maybe Knockout and Breakdown AND Mayhem are working together- Knockout could’ve promised to bring real change to Velocitron if he wins. And I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if the Ascenticons on Cybertron are somehow connected to Mayhem - spreading fear could help the Ascenticon cause? Maybe I’m going too far but it’s a theory.

This story takes place before the events of main storyline- The Transformers- and Knockout is now an Ascenticon senator. I’m curious if Knockout will eventually appear in the main issues as a Decepticon along with Breakdown - bc that would be awesome to see…

Also- Knockout calling Breakdown “Darling” made my day lol

[ck-17088]

Termagax is definitely Megatron's mentor.

Hi!

Wow this is embarrassing- you’re right.

So for context- earlier in a list of questions about IDW2 Transformers characters- I had asked who Megatron’s mentor was.

I got confused- when I read the comic, I misunderstood and thought that Megatron sought Termagax out instead of her being assigned his mentor. I thought that she became his mentor after the war- and that he had another (assigned) one before the war. Turns out I was wrong lol- after some research online, I found that Termagax was his assigned mentor. Thank you for pointing that out.

So that question was already answered in the comic- i guess it just flew over my head.

[ck-17088]

When I saw that concept art of TFP Optimus Prime’s Cybertronian mode, I’d assumed that it came from the ‘Art of Transformers Prime’ or some other media and that everyone had seen it. I just wanted to express my surprise and awe at how awesome (and pretty) it looked. I was also was expecting a few people to laugh and be like- “Yeah CK, everyone in the TF fandom knows this concept art, you’re just overreacting ha”. Now that post has 375 likes/reblogs in 3 days- I guess I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know it existed lol

[ck-17088]

Me after reading Orion Pax: Free Fall for the fifth time: Oh wow I just realized that OP and Megatron represent two different responses to the Three-fold Spark War and their lives (based on the information revealed so far in IDW2) reflect social and political beliefs of their factions. Plus there are motifs of falling and rising in the comic and each of them are associated with one action-

After spending a hour of thinking and rereading the comic again-

Me: Ok let’s write our ideas down to share with tumblr -

Brain: NO

I really want to write my thoughts on OP Free Fall but writer’s block hit me so bad.

But that discussion will be posted at some point…

Can someone yell at me to write please? Thank you.

[ck-17088]

Random Questions about the IDW2 Transformers storyline/characters no one asked for- aka questions about characters and plot lines in the current Transformers comic that popped in my head

Without a further ado

(Not in a specific order of importance- just writing down what comes into my mind first)

1. Bumblebee was kicked out of Security Operations- Why? What happened? Botched mission? Pissed off the wrong person?? What did he do?

2. Bumblebee also mentions that he is in “debt” to Orion Pax (OP) …. meaning that OP saved him… is this tied to what happened to Bumblebee-or what Bumblebee did- that got him kicked out of Special Ops? If so, what kind of trouble did Bumblebee get into for a senator to come and help him out? What did OP do to alleviate his punishment?

3. In IDW1, the 13 Primes are Cybertron’s first leaders that united the planet- in IDW2, they are the equivalent of gods. The Matrix (or the Mediator) mentions that it is looking for 13… are we going Aligned Continuity route- is Optimus Prime the missing Prime??

4. Who was Megatron’s mentor? It’s not Termagax- Megatron met her after the Three Fold Spark War.

5. How did OP and Megatron meet? There’s been many takes on how they met- in the aligned continuity, OP sought out Megatron after reading his works, in IDW1, they met when Megatron was wrongfully arrested and held in a police station, and in G1… Megatron shot OP… so how did they meet in this story? From how OP and Megatron talk and act to each other, it looks like they were pretty close.

6. Froid exists. Does Rung?

7. Does Hot Rod exist? If so, where is he? Also will he become a Prime later on??

8. Will Jazz appear soon? We know he exists bc of his brief cameo in Galaxies. In the Aligned Continuity, he’s OP best friend. Is this the same in this story? Or not?

9. Megatron currently has the last Titan sparks- will he build new Titans? Will Trypticon appear?

10. The Enigma of Combination and the Matrix exist. Termagax also mentioned other artifacts. Which artifact will show up next? Will there be a race between the Autobots and Deceptions to collect them?

[ck-17088]

My original plan was to discuss my thoughts/theories on the last issue (#4) of Tread and Circuits yesterday or today but life is a bit hectic so that post will come later…

Speaking of IDW2 Transformers comics, I also reread Transformers issue #6 - Orion Pax: Free Fall. Even not much happens plot wise in the issue, it reveals SO MUCH about the main characters - Orion Pax and Megatron- and Cybertronian society. Maybe after discussing Tread and Circuits, I’ll make a post about my observations and maybe analysis?? It’s probably going to be a long post filled with rambling so that might take a while…..

I started reading IDW Transformers last year so I missed IDW1, but I’m very excited for what this continuity will bring to the franchise-

[ck-17088]

Just read the last issue of Tread and Circuits- AND A LOT HAPPENED LOL. Last year (A month ago really but it still counts as last year) I made a post talking about the recent issue at the time (#3) and some theories I had. Turns out this issue confirmed my theories and extra chaotic stuff also happened. So when my mind is calmer I’ll talk about the theories I (somehow?) got right and what might happen to other characters in future issues….

But damn I really like this issue and am excited to see what’s going to happen next in the main storyline-

[ck-17088]

Because transformers has taken over my life my goal is to learn how to draw them- pray for my soul please- or damn it if you want to