#superlink shockfleet

[firebirdtransam68]

2019: “Both Sonic X And Transformers: Superlink Have A Lot In Common; They Share Similar Themes, And Even Have Some Of The Same Seiyuu!” 2020: “I Am Suspecting That Transformers: Superlink Have A Lot More In Common With Brave Police J-Decker...”

(Exactly this.)

When I first saw Transformers: Superlink (the original version of Transformers: Energon), I did see some similarities with Transformers: Micron Legend, since it IS a sequel.  

In 2019, when I saw it along with Sonic X, I noticed many similarities with the Sonic The Hedgehog anime and Superlink.  Some of the similarities include the Japanese voice actors (seiyuu); so far, there are three seiyuu who did voice work for both Sonic X and Transformers: Superlink:

- Nobutoshi Canna: Inferno, Lazerwave (Shockblast), Sixshot, and Unicron for Superlink; Knuckles The Echidna for Sonic X

- Koji Yusa: Ironhide/Irontread (Demolishor) and Wing Dagger/Wing Saber for Superlink; Shadow The Hedgehog for Sonic X

- Kenta Miyake: Landmine and Omega Supreme for Superlink; Vector The Crocodile for Sonic X

Superlink even had similar themes where it took place in space, much like the Metarex Saga of Sonic X did.  The scene when Knuckles and Shadow fought each other reminded me of when Lazerwave and Wing Saber fought (both Shadow (kind of) and Wing Saber won, and even their voices sound very similar if you pay close attention).  Another thing these two shows have in common is the main human character, who are both despised by English-speaking fans of the dubbed shows (Kicker Jones for Superlink (Energon) and Chris Thorndyke for Sonic X), because the dubs butchered their characters.

Many of these similarities (and many others that I will not list in this post, because there is so many) are why I really like these two shows even more, and why I will watch them again and again (as well as Micron Legend, which also shares many similarities with Sonic X).

And then came 2020.

That was when I finally decided to watch another giant robot anime show that I had not seen before (and am glad I did).  This show is Brave Police J-Decker, which is part of the Brave Saga.

Starting with the first episode, I was expecting a plot where Yuuta Tomonaga and BP-110 (Deckerd) meet for the first time; but when Yuuta mentioned to his sisters that he was about to see Deckerd, it gave me an impression that they ALREADY met before the show even began!  The episode then showed flashbacks of how they met.  Similarly, in the first episode of Superlink, I was given an impression that between Micron Legend and the beginning of the first episode, Kicker Jones already met the Transformers, and the episode showed flashbacks of how he and the Cybertronians met.

Also, the sound effect for when the Brave Police robots shut off their optics is the same sound effect for when the Transformers turn on their optics.  To cap it all off are some of the poses that the Transformers and the Brave robots performed after their transformations in their robots modes or when combined, and many of them are exactly the same!  What crossed my mind after seeing Brave Police J-Decker is that since this anime is a parody show, I wonder if Transformers: Superlink is a parody show, as well (making many references to the Brave Saga, including Brave Police J-Decker, among other Mecha anime shows).  There are also many similar themes of bravery, courage, determination, and declarations of protection in both anime shows, which I find awesomely appealing.

And speaking of seiyuu, I noticed that both Superlink and Brave Police J-Decker have at least three of the same seiyuu, as well; the most prominent example is Rodimus’ and McCrane’s seiyuu, Ryotaro Okiayu.  What is even more mindblowing is that Rodimus and McCrane almost look alike (minus their coloration and alt-modes, of course)!  (And SPEAKING of lookalikes (yes, I am still going on because I was suprised and slightly overwhelmed by these similarities), even Micron Legend Starscream (and, to a lesser extent, Superlink Nightscream) looks almost like Deckerd at many angles (yes, I know...); also, Ironhide looks a little bit like Dumpson at certain angles.  Hell, many Transformers look like the Brave Police if I pay close attention!)  Two other voice actors who shared the same works include Nobuo Tobita (who did Nightscream, Signal Flare, Springer, and Buildron in Superlink; and Nueva Fahrzeug in Brave Police J-Decker) and Jin Yamanoi (who did Shockwave/Shockfleet, Airglide, and Professor Jones in Superlink; and additional voices in Brave Police J-Decker).

I could go on and on, but even this post would be overwhelmed by so much information, many of which are lesser-known or overlooked.  Although, I believe it would be useful for fans of Transformers, Sonic The Hedgehog, and the Brave Saga; or even seiyuu fans who are here for, well, you know...

To summarize, one time I though Sonic X and Transformers: Superlink (and Micron Legend) are very similar (even though I still do, but not as much as I used to, anymore), and then I noticed Transformers: Superlink (and Micron Legend, as well) and Brave Police J-Decker have a lot more in common with each other.

My overall reaction to having noticed these similarities:

Had I not saw Brave Police J-Decker, I would not have realized that Transformers: Superlink and Transformers: Micron Legend have many references with the Brave anime show I now really like a lot; and I would still think Superlink has a lot more in common with Sonic X.

Anyways, I am planning to rewatch Brave Police J-Decker at some point in the future, and watching it side-by-side with Transformers: Superlink, just to verify that they are similar and to catch if I have missed other similarities.  But for now, I will continue browsing for more content that I like.

This is FirebirdTransAm68 signing out.

[baebeyza]

Mmmm what do you think would be the most popular of the animes if the western fandom watched the animes as often as they watched something like tfa or tfp?

As it is now, I am sure the most popular anime is Armada, which I don't agree with because I hate that show with a passion-

But I assume that is because Armada was a gateway tf show for many.

But if all animes were as mainstream as TFA or TFP, I'd say Cybertron/Galaxy Force would be the most popular.

The show is good! Good writing, great characters, fantastic and unique world and worldbuilding.

It has unique and fantastic character designs, very good banter and character interactions and really hard hitting moments.

Fans always remember Dinobot's death in Beast Wars, but Cybertron has one death that is equally great and heartbreaking.

I'd honestly recommend it to people who have never watched any TF show and want to get into it.

And just talking about the animes in general:

- Headmasters is nice, but I don't think it would so popular, for the same complaints I have - It is a clear continuation of G1, but does so much completely different.

I love the show, I do, but I will never forgive how they threw Cyclonus' entire personality out of the window. And sure, you can watch Headmasters without having watched G1 first, but like, most people already have watched G1 anyway.

- Masterforce would prolly not be popular because it's about humans, not robots. And apart from that, it has such a slow and boring start. Ginrai takes 10 episodes to show up and even then it takes a while to really get going.

- Victory might be very popular tbh, because it is more fun and has lots of G1-style episodes. The animation is rather neat and the voice acting is superb! Character designs are pretty and badass as well :)

- Beast Wars II is boring mate, it's a toddler show with such weird way of telling its story x'D Wouldn't be popular, but I'd love the memes about Lio Convoy having a son-

- Beast Wars Neo is actually real nice - It is also a toddler show, but far better than BWII, because the episodic storytelling is more interesting than whatever the fuck BWII had going on. This might be popular too, and I would assume that Big Convoy would be popular as well because he's so awkward at times. He also has lots in common with TFA Prime - Not the leader of the Autobots, has a strained relationship with his superiors, and needs to learn to trust his team.

- Not gonna talk about Armada/Micron Densetsu

- Energon/Superlink would have the same reputation as it has now. There is no point in me even trying to defend it despite having loved it, nothing can redeem the horrible animation x'D But if more people actually watched it, I would hope that they at least appreciated Megatron/Galvatron, because he is the BEST this show has to offer!

I would also like it if Mirage/Shockfleet got the recognition as (prolly) the first proper gay robot he deserves.

[baebeyza]

Pros and Cons of all the TF shows I watched [updated: Unicron Trilogy and BW Neo]

Update info: Whyever the hell I wrote this and why people care about my opinion is beyond my current understanding, but @chaoticgirl23 asked for the Unicron Trilogy I hadn't watched back then, so- Also decided to write down if I actually like the show or not xD

(also I removed wfc, because I cant really judge after all with the show not being finished) My personal opinions + stuff that can be dubbed controversial and problematic, so beware for racism and sexism! But also beware of my idiotic attempts at humour

G1 (loved the show with all my heart)

Pros:

- The original show

- big cast of loveable characters

- Really awesome human side characters

- Very clever and witty dialogue

- fucking batshit insane

- Rodimus Prime is babe

Cons:

- apart from Arcee, female autobots being treated like a subspecies and only appearing in like one episode (3 if you are generous)

- Motherfucking country called “Carbombya”

- Some human characters are actually shit (those boys from B.O.T)

- Rodimus fucks as a human and not as a robot

- Everything animated by AKOM

- Galvatron’s portrayal as a person with brain-damage reads as ableistic (Personally I still love his G1 version more than the others I’ve seen)

- The “You’re only truly disabled if you lose your courage” line from Chip, it was explained to me that it’s ableistic as well

Headmasters (loved the show)

Pros:

- exciting plot

- characters die, fuck yeah

- Planets get destroyed, fuck yeah

- <3 ~ Power of Friendship ~ <3

- Sixshot is babe

Cons:

- Everything about Cyclonus and Wheelie

- Rodimus fucks off after episode 10 and never comes back

- Arcee going from warrior to secretary

- If you come from IDW I have to break it to you that Chromedome is straight

SuperGod  Masterforce (loved the show with all my heart)

Pros:

- A darker and more serious storyline if you’re into that

- Lots of character arcs and well-written characters in general

- Decepticons having a more family like dynamic

- Decepticons with a level of depth to them

- Redemption much

- Ginrai is babe

Cons:

- This show’s focus is on the humans so if you don’t like human TF characters, this aint for you

- The character Cab has a level of racist stereotyping - he comes from a fictional country in Oceania called Karin and the depiction of that country is everyone living in wood homes and having no electricity. (The show plays in the future so that makes it worse) Cab himself gets introduced as a Tarzan kinda dude who can talk with animals.

While I found Cab himself not bad as a character, the problem with how his background is written sure is stupid and insulting. There isn’t a lot of focus on his country in the show however, but it’s still there

- There is a scene in which the boys Shuta and Cab spy on girls during swim class (they get called out and apologize for it though and the “fanservice” scene itself is really damn modest and tame)

Victory (loved the show)

Pros:

- Similiar fun tone as G1

- lovable cast of idiots

- Exciting episode plots

- Leozack is babe

Cons:

- The only two prominent female characters are love interests and nothing else (which is drop in quality when compared to Masterforce, which had Minerva as a fleshed out autobot with agency and Mega as an interesting female villain)

- Leozack never punches Deszaras in the face

- Fucking retcons the destruction of Mars in Headmasters

Beast Wars (loved with all my heart)

Pros:

- Really compelling story and characters!!!

- Well written dialogue

- Wonderful character animation

- Dinobot is HONOUR and babe. Also I’m crying

- Megatron and his bullshit

Cons:

- Megatron and his bullshit

- That stupid love triangle subplot in season 3

- Some major plotline not being fully developed (the Vok plotline)

Beast Wars II (liked the show)

Pros:

- The Predacons in general

- Lio Convoy (the Optimus of the show) having a son

- Galvatron is babe and so is Starscream

Cons:

- Maximals are lame apart from Lio Convoy and the arc with his son Lio Junior

- A lot of uninteresting characters an episodes

- The Jointrons as racist mexican stereotypes

- Only female robot is part of a love triangle (even more annoying than the love triangle in Beast Wars)

Beast Wars Neo (liked the show)

Pros:

- Big Convoy being a lone wolf turned teacher was a really sweet story to follow <3 How he and his team learnt to trust each other over the course of the show was really nice!

- Unicron in this show was a delight

- D-Navi was always fun

- Magmatron was a rather nice Decepticon leader

- Heinrad is babe

Cons:

- No girls (Boo!)

Beast Machines (very conflicted, tend to dislike)

Pros:

- Plays entirely on Cybertron

- Explores themes of technology and organic life forms and really tries to be something different and deep

- The last episode is really nice

- Jetstorm is babe

Cons:

- No fun allowed - the maximals are really frustrating because we only ever see them being angry and fighting and a lot of them only show us their worst sides

- The maximal character models are HIDEOUS

- You may not actually like the philosophical aspect of the show, especially when you think too long about it and realise it’s kinda shit

Robots in Disguise 2001/ Car Robots (liked the show)

Pros:

- New continuity! New story, new take!

- Funny and lighthearted

- Cute characters

- Sky-Byte/Gel-Shark is babe

- Ultra Magnus/God Magnus is a fucking jerk and I love it 

Cons:

- Sideburn/Speedbreaker’s gag about loving red sport cars and chasing after them - it’s played as a joke all the time but I can see that stuff making people uncomfortable when they see the female driver trying to get away from him and his catcalling (Apart from that I do like him a lot though)

Armada/Micron Densetsu (disliked the show)

Pros:

- Lots of feels between Megatron and Optimus

- Starscream's arc

- The ending arc

- Jetfire was babe

Cons:

- The pacing was unbearable

- Half the time the characters didn't act like people and I was confused about almost every conflict, action and point they made. It's not a great story when I watch episode and need an hour to figure what the hell the story even was

- The parts I liked in concept are not helped by how unnatural and weird the characters acted at times. I liked the ending, but how they got there was so weird that I just can't enjoy it

Energon/Superlink (loved the show)

Pros:

- Megatron/Galvatron - Everything about him

- The japanese voice acting was fantastic!

- Really nice death scenes (I love death scenes btw)

- Mirage/Shockfleet being in love with Megatron

- Bringing back old names apart from Megatron and Optimus

- Rodimus being an equal to Optimus was a nice touch

- The few scenes it was 2D animated

- Jetfire/Skyfire is babe

Cons:

- Animation

- The "for the toys" thing kinda ruined some characters, where instead of getting the toys as completely new characters, they killed old ones and brought them back with a new model. It did suck story-telling wise (and me, loving death scenes, get annoyed when a death scene gets ruined by bringing the character back). So you got all these character arcs that feel like the just stopped

Cybertron/Galaxy Force (loved the show with all my heart)

Pros:

- Love the setting and world with all the different colonies and how they were explored ~

- Optimus Prime, this one is my favourite version of him!

- Vector Prime, they should bring him back

- All the different leaders

- The friendship between the characters- this show has my favourite set of Autobots from all TF media

- This also has my favourite Mega&Star dynamic

- Starscream himself is so well done here!

- Jetfire/Dreadlock was babe

Cons:

- Megatron was lacklustre. When it came to him and his dynamics with other characters (apart from Starscream), he was hardly written as a person with feelings. He never reacts to anything happening within the ranks of Decepticons and it is really disappointing, because there was a lot of potential! (with Flame Convoy and Chromia specifically)

Animated (loved the show)

Pros:

- Character writing, plot and themes!

- Lighthearted tone but enough scenes that dig a little deeper

- Really nice and smooth animation

- Optimus is baby

Cons:

- The chins

- No 4th season

Prime (loved the show)

Pros:

- Best friggin fight scenes and animation in general

- Really exciting plot 

- Ratchet is babe

Cons:

- Predacon Rising exists

- Characters dying for budget reasons (Just don’t hire celebrities when you cannot pay them for more?)

Robots in Disguise 2015 (it's okay)

Pros:

- ...the Stunticons are babe

Cons:

- characters never developing and learning the same shit over and over again

- almost no interesting villains

- even the interesting ones being shoved aside a lot 

- no real built-up for the climax

- lots of filler and not enough time spent on the actual plot of a corrupt Cybertron goverment

Prime Wars Trilogy (loved the show with all my heart)

Pros:

- Megatron, everything about him, he’s babe

- I really like the soundtrack

Cons:

- Bad storytelling, both narrative and visual

- Horrible or mediocre voice acting

- Static and bad facial expressions

- Static and bad character animation

- Feels like no one involved in the production had any idea how to tell a story

Cyberverse (meh)

Pros:

- Really cute as fuck

- Big cast 

- Astrotrain is babe

Cons:

- No time for character arcs, they just jump from set up to conclusion with nothing in-between

- Unfocused plot that jumps from one idea to another

- Megatron broke my heart and I hate him

[firebirdtransam68]

Do I Really Like Giant Sentient Mecha Robots That Much?

Before I got into Mecha anime, I got into Transformers in the form of a live-action 2007 film; later, I got into G1 Transformers, and much later, I discovered Voltron: Defender Of The Universe (and especially Beast King Golion), and then ever since, I got into what I call Mecha robots, especially Super Robots, in which most Transformers works contain.

I discovered the anime show Transformers: Micron Legend (or the original subtitled version of Transformers: Armada) and Transformers: Superlink (or the original subtitled (and cleaner) version of Transformers: Energon), and I got completely hooked.  The two shows were very similar to The Transformers (1984-1987) and The Transformers: The Movie (1986), as well as Voltron (especially in Superlink); however, I may like these shows even more than G1, which I like even more than the first Bayformers film.  One reason may be because the Unicron Trilogy Transformers are a lot more human than the G1 characters.  Another reason may be that the shows have darker and edgier moments that make G1 look like a typical Disney show, but also have very heartwarming and heart-wrenching moments suitable for different ages (adults, included).  Another reason may be that I just find Mecha robots quite attractive.  (There are many other reasons, but I can only list a few that stood out more to me.)

In fact, I really like G1 and the original Unicron Trilogy to the point that other anime shows I like do not get as much attention from me.  For instance, I started delving into Sonic X (which is a really good anime show if viewed in its original language with English subtitles), and there are moments where I would obsess a little over it; however, the Transformers franchise dominated my interests, and I obsess over it even more than the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise.  2019 was the time where Transformers (especially the original Unicron Trilogy and G1, as well as Bumblebee (2018), on occasion) was my most favorite fandom of all time that I could remember; the fandom that emotionally and intellectually impacted me the most; even the original Sonic X and the earlier games involving Shadow The Hedgehog did not give me what most fans call “the feels” as much as Transformers did.

And then came 2020.

That was when I started getting into another work involving giant sentient Mecha robots much like Transformers (and yes, it is an anime show much like the two Transformers Unicron Trilogy shows), and the robots are just as human (if not more) as the Transformers in Micron Legend and Superlink.  The anime show is called Brave Police J-Decker.

The show is so much like Transformers, despite many differences (including the fact that the Brave Robots are from Earth, and that it is not recognized by mainstream robot fans as is the Transformers franchise), and it really impacted me emotionally, even more so than the original Unicron Trilogy (for instance, seeing Micron Legend Ironhide die in Superlink was very devastating since Ironhide is one of my favorite characters; but seeing Deckerd die in Brave Police J-Decker was profoundly devastating since he, too, is one of my favorite characters, but is much more loveable).

Ever since, I almost forgot that I was a Trans-fan.  Now I obsess over Brave Police J-Decker; and even more so, since I was severely impacted emotionally and intellectually (my IQ dropped when I saw the titular robot and a few other robots just like how many individuals’ IQs drop whenever they see puppies, cats/kittens, bunnies, young birds, and infants (which do not affect me as much), and I actually went “AWWWWW!” at one point, which is very surprising, since I rarely find anything to be cute!), and it is a miracle how (figuratively speaking, of course) my teeth did not rot from so much sweetness; and the characters are much sweeter than 100 kittens, 90 puppies, 50 young rabbits, 60 young birds, 10 infants, 20 young children, and literal rainbows and flowers (even that much would not affect me as much, since I am immune to such stuff, and my IQ would not even drop one bit).  Perhaps the reason why I rarely find anything or anyone to be cute is because many of the animals, characters, and offspring that are supposed to be adorable (especially on pictures and videos) is that they are one-dimensional, and that their looks (especially displayed in a caricaturized manner) is their only trait (which I do not find impressive, at all).  Perhaps I found a few sentient Mecha robots very appealing because of how complex their characters are, besides a few youthful features.

For instance, in Micron Legend (Armada), Ironhide (Demolishor) appears to be a teenager or an early twenty-something year old in many angles, and has a voice to match his apparent age, even though he is thousands of years old; he is quite naïve, kind-hearted, and is quite sensitive (he cried at least three times); however, he is a Decepticon (which is an Autobot’s enemy), can be really mean, is aggressive, stubborn, and is probably the most dangerous Transformer one would ever come across; he is also an anti-villain/anti-hero, much like Starscream is (whom I like as well, but not as much as the other Decepticon who happened to have an Autobot’s name).  In Superlink, he was allied with the Autobots, and cares about them just as much as he cared about his Decepticon comrades; however, he is very loyal to Megatron/Galvatron, so loyal that he had no choice but to betray the Autobots, despite his seemingly free-will; he never got angry at the Decepticon leader even once.  When he died in Episode 16, my heart nearly shattered, since I had high hopes that he would still be allied with the Autobots (and I even wished he had more screen time like he did in Micron Legend); when Irontread came along, I really wanted Ironhide back so badly that I almost stopped watching Superlink (yet kept going, because there are new characters that are quite likeable (including Shockfleet, Wing Saber, Springer, and the combiners), and when I found out Ironhide and Wing Saber shared the same seiyuu, I kept going until I saw the last episode).

Also in Brave Police J-Decker, I started really liking Deckerd since Episode One for similar reasons.  He is extremely sweet and kind, is very good friends with the human child Yuuta Tomonaga to the point where they are like brothers (as Seia put it in Episode 25), has wise moments, is diligent, dedicated, devoted, determined, tough, brave (of course), a great leader to the Brave Police, and an ideal law enforcement officer many of us wished we had.  However, he does have flaws; he is really naïve at times (which I believe is a minor flaw, but a flaw, nonetheless), does NOT take being neglected very well (as shown in Episodes 13 and 40), is not a perfect robot (having a 98.91% accuracy in shooting because the rest of the percentage is his human side (which makes sense, since having 100% accuracy would make him a calculating, soulless robot), or being inexperienced compared to most AI robots in most fiction), is very emotional and can act on impulse in such turmoil (looking at Episode 5 where he almost demolished the whole army when they were about to kill Gawn, whom has a still-alive Yuuta and Seia’s brother, for instance), is very dangerous (especially if you hurt those he really cares about), and has shown vulnerability many times (he does get hurt, and in the most severe cases, he is incapacitated to the point where he needed protection from the other Brave Police and the humans).  And yes, he does have youthful features (like most, if not all, Brave Police robots).

The only prominent difference between the two characters I mentioned are that one is on the villain’s side (but is an anti-hero/anti-villain), and the other is purely on the hero’s side.

That set aside, hopefully when I settle down a little more, I will get back to finding more Transformers content (the advantage of having a new fandom to obsess over is that I do not have to wait for more content for the Unicron Trilogy and certain G1 material to be posted), and incorporating a new fandom to find more content about, in the future.

No matter what happens, I will still be a Trans-fan, even if I find a new interest temporarily, for a long period of time.

[firebirdtransam68]

Transformers: Energon Has Also Given Some Of The Best Original Names G1 Did Not Have

In my previous post, I mentioned how Transformers: Armada, while not perfect, has some of the best original names that G1 did not consider much sooner.  Today, I will be focusing on the sequel to Armada (originally called Micron Legend) called Energon (originally called Superlink), and list some of the names not originally from G1.

Like Armada, Energon has been dubbed in English for the mainstream fans, and it was not executed very well due to really bad editing (even worse than Armada), confusing dialogue, misplaced soundtrack in certain areas, and an incoherent plot and several plot holes; like Micron Legend, the original anime show, Superlink, is much better, but it is still not as good as Micron Legend, but it is certainly not terrible, either; I like it.  Despite these flaws, there are still advantages for the second show of the Unicron Trilogy; one of them includes original names that I believe would be great for expanding the G1 show.

Here is a list of Energon names that I believe will be great for G1:

- Wing Saber (the very first incarnation with similar coloration as G1 Starscream and many features with Star Saber from Transformers: Victory and Predaking; the other incarnation most Transformers fans are familiar with is a reference to Sonic Bomber from Transformers: Zone and is called Sonic Bomber in Galaxy Force; I would imagine the G1 version with much longer wings)

- Snow Cat (I really doubt G1 thought about this name or this Decepticon much sooner; I would imagine him appearing in another snow episode and trying and failing to defeat the Autobots)

- Padlock (the minor Autobot that was killed in Episode 21; I do not know any other characters with that name in G1)

- The Prime Force: Fire-1, Copter-2 (or Gyro-2 in Superlink), Digger-3, and Submarine-4 (imagine G1 Optimus Prime with his own combiner team, where he forms the torso and head and the drones the arms and legs...)

- Bulkhead (maybe not as a helicopter, since there was already a green helicopter in G1, Springer, but with a similar mold like Animated, Prime, or the IDW version; perhaps the alt-mode would be some type of construction vehicle or even an armored vehicle)

- Dauntless Maximus (Dauntless would be a great G1 name for another Autobot combiner; but would he look similar to Superion or would he look very different?)

- Cruellock (perhaps an evil Decepticon counterpart to Grimlock?)

Again, like Micron Legend for Armada, even Superlink has original names not found in G1 but would be excellent for G1, as well; some of these names include Snowstorm (original name for Snow Cat), Irontread (original name for a reformatted Demolishor), Shockfleet (original name for Mirage; I actually like the mold, though), Airglide (originally called Skyblast), and Blastarm (original name for Strongarm), among many others.

Like I said before, while Armada and Energon have had many flaws and even a few hatedoms from people who despise dubbed anime shows (Energon even more so due to its heavy flaws), there are many advantages like introducing names not originally from G1, but would be great for G1.  While I do like Micron Legend and Superlink a lot, I can still give Armada and Energon credit for creating a different universe of the same transforming giant sentient Mecha robot franchise many of us know and love.

I may not make a similar post for Cybertron (Galaxy Force), because I have not seen any of these two shows, but I can list at least one original name from Cybertron that would work for G1, as well; Thunderblast, in particular.

My next post may be more about Micron Legend/Armada and/or Superlink/Energon, or even the similarities with Superlink and the Brave Saga (Brave Police J-Decker, in particular, because I am very familiar with it).  Either way, another post will be coming soon; stay tuned.

[firebirdtransam68]

I Talk More About Micron Legend Than Armada

I have noticed many times how fans of English-dubbed anime insist that a character’s dub name is their real name (which irks me a bit).  And then there are fans who see two different names as the same character.

Personally, I think both have a point; however, if I view a work of a different language, I see a completely different work.  Take Transformers: Micron Legend and Transformers: Armada, for instance.  Not only do these two similar shows have different languages, but also different names for characters and objects, and even their titles are different.  To put it this way, if I view the original anime, and then I view the dub, I only see two different shows since there are obvious differences such as editing, name changes, intentions, and even personality changes.

So, if I mention the following names, you would know I am talking about Micron Legend, and not Armada:

- Convoy (but he will always be Optimus Prime)

- Hot Rod

- Ratchet

- Sandstorm

- Ironhide

- Cyberhawk

- Grap

- Devastator (Devastor)

- Doubleface

- Silverbolt

- Shockwave

- Rampage

- Stepper

- Scourge

- Megatron (Super Mode)

- Alexa

- Jim

- Wheelie

- Bank

- Arcee

- Bumble (I am thinking maybe Bumblebee...)

- Prime

- Hook

- Lift

- Dirt

- Turbo

- Barrel (“call him Barrel-sama!”)

- Grid

- Search

- Cannon

- Thunder

- Crush

- Bomb

- Ultra Magnus

- Cosmotector

- Astro Blaster

- Cybertron (always an Autobot)

- Destron (always a Decepticon)

- Seibertron (always Cybertron)

- Micron (known as a Mini-con, but I prefer Micron)

- Evolution!/Super Mode

The same goes for Superlink and Energon, as well:

- Grand Convoy (always will be Optimus Prime)

- Inferno V (Volt)

- Roadbuster

- Skyfire

- Rodimus Convoy

- Red Alert

- Springer (Sprung)

- Overdrive

- Wheeljack

- Galvatron

- Nightscream

- Snowstorm

- Irontread (the English version should have named him Long Haul, instead...)

- Shockfleet

- Lazerwave (the real Shockwave)

- Mega Zarak (always will be Scorponok)

- Ariel

- Airglide

- Blastarm

- Buildron (would have been called Devastator, but...)

- Bruticus

- Superion

- Grand Force (Gyro-2 is the only Transformer with a dubbed name)

- Cybertron (always an Autobot)

- Destron (always a Decepticon)

- Seibertron (always Cybertron)

- Super Link

The next time someone insists I go by the dub name regarding the original anime, I would say something along the lines of “I am not talking about Armada; I am talking about Micron Legend” (and of course be respectful about it).

Anyway, I hope I made this a little clear to those who saw the English dubs first/only so they would not judge me as harshly as most rabid fans do to others.

[firebirdtransam68]

Scene Comparisons From Transformers: Superlink/Energon (Episode 50)

I found two clips of the same scene, but with different languages (and graphics).  The scene in Episode 50 where Galvatron becomes enormous as well as Optimus Prime, and how the media went from CGI to hand drawn may be one of the best moments in Transformers: Superlink (Japanese with English subtitles) and Energon (English dub).  Although, personally, I have no problems with the CGI (it is not perfect, but I don’t think it is awful like many fans say it is), and I find it really interesting how a work has a mix of both 3D and 2D animation (mixed media).

I will start with the Superlink version, first.  Here is the clip:

In this scene, we see the behemoth Galvatron admiring his new super form, and declared himself “the Transcendent Emperor of Destruction, Galvatron-sama.”  Optimus Prime (hell, I will call him Grand Convoy in this version), while still big enough, declared he can do the same; so he became enormous like Galvatron, combined with the Grand Force, and declared himself “the [Autobot] Supreme Commander, Grand Convoy” while beginning the fight.  Note that both characters became hand drawn (probably because CGI couldn’t be THAT consistent with the animation).  Galvatron was actually really gleeful to fight Grand Convoy (he would get infuriated when anyone interferes with the fight, because he wanted to fight his rival one-on-one without anyone else joining the fight; he mentioned earlier that he wanted a fair fight, and he GOT a fair fight... maybe), and clashed with his old enemy.  Once their fists were together, they created a blueish lightning impact that crushed some of the rocks below (probably to show how forceful such impact is).

Snowstorm and Irontread were pleased that Galvatron was no longer possessed by Unicron, and he was acting like his old self, again (“although bigger,” said Irontread); by old self, meaning an agressive, impulsive, and stubborn Decepticon (or Destron) leader.  Rodimus Convoy was surprised that Grand Convoy and Galvatron were not only fighting each other directly, but also fighting off their possession from Unicron, who corrupted them with an ominous power; Hot Shot was also surprised.  Omega Supreme caught a sight on Grand Convoy and Galvatron fighting, also surprised.

Grand Convoy performed a “Grand Force Impact,” which shot off lightning bolts and another forceful phenomenon that caused an explosion; but it did not affect Galvatron, as he charged at the Autobot (or Cybertron) leader without a single scratch, and drew a blade at Grand Convoy, who was trying to block it with his arm.

One of the Autobots (I think it is Overdrive; there is also Wing Saber, and another Autobot in which I cannot decipher who because of the flames) was surprised that Grand Convoy was more aggressive, more powerful, and more determined than ever before; he really didn’t expect that.  Nightscream was surprised and nearly lost for words, while Shockfleet was just swooning over Galvatron (he has a crush on the Decepticon leader).

Grand Convoy and Galvatron were still fighting in their gigantic modes.  Galvatron diverted Grand Convoy’s attention, transformed, and kicked him, but Grand Convoy caught his balance, and kicked the Decepticon back, but it did not affect Galvatron as much (besides stumbling a little bit); suddenly, Galvatron stabbed Grand Convoy with his blade, and claimed victory, until Grand Convoy electrocuted him, and did the unthinkable: Combining their corrupted sparks (as well as his Combination Spark), sealing them into his body, and disappearing into the atmosphere along with Galvatron.  

I was stunned by not only the graphics and soundtrack, but by the fight scenes, the leaders’ determination, seeing Galvatron back to normal without being possessed by Unicron, and Optimus Prime trying to stop the corruption by sealing it into his own body (unless that was Primus, but it sounded like Optimus was declaring the fate).  Of course, there are still many awesome scenes and moments in Superlink, as well; not just this scene.

Now, let’s see the Energon version of the scene:

(The first time I saw this clip in sound, it was so horrible, I paused it before I saw the great battle; to me, that was even worse than some 4Kids dubs (individuals are different; sometimes we can tolerate certain works, but other times, it is far too much to bear); I wish I was brave enough to at least watch the clip with sound, but too bad I wasn’t; I am glad I saw the original version, first, though.  The good news is, there are subtitles, but I don’t guarantee they will be accurate, but I will try my best to decipher them.)

In this scene, Galvatron calls himself “the new-and-improved emperor of the dark side” (Star Wars reference, here), which did not sound as menacing as “the Emperor of Destruction,” rather, it was somewhat amusing.  Optimus Prime seems unconvinced, but then proceeds to battle Galvatron.  First, he combined with the Prime Force, said “let me introduce myself” (as if Galvatron does not know who you are), and called himself “supreme leader of the Autobots,” which sounds a little more boastful than the original version (Superlink sounded more determined, in my opinion).  Galvatron thought that was funny (as did I).  The fight began.  And, seeing how this version seemed choppy and less detailed, Energon, like Armada (originally Micron Legend), is rushed and not very smooth (the visuals are bad enough, already; don’t worsen the moment with the voice acting).

The reactions from Snow Cat and Demolishor are nearly the same (just with different wording), although Demolishor said Galvatron gained a few tons (as if to say Galvatron is overweight), which is lame, because Galvatron grew many yards or miles tall, NOT gained more mass or weight by a thousand pounds times 100 heavy; not even 4Kids would have made the pun slide if Energon were to be redubbed.  Rodimus Prime said, “since Galvatron was holding back on the power he stole from Unicron,” and Hot Shot responded with “yeah, and that’s what worries me;” which would have made sense had not the show been rushed (what do you mean by “holding back on the power he stole from Unicron?”  I don’t recall Galvatron “stealing” Unicron’s power, although he did use too much power, so that would be understandable; but the wording threw me off).

We see more choppiness when Optimus Prime was preparing the final blow, and the explosion was just a black puffball (how weak of an explosion!); and then Galvatron charged at Optimus in stills (one picture, then another, without any real motion).  There was no real force when Optimus blocked the blade (besides the expressions from Optimus and Galvatron).

One of the Autobots (presumably Cliffjumper) commented how pumped-up the Autobot leader is; he doesn’t seem too surprised like Overdrive was in Superlink.  Starscream didn’t say anything (but his mouth was moving; really bad lip synching, there); Mirage was cheering for Galvatron to win (in this version, Mirage doesn’t have an obvious crush on Galvatron, but there have been really subtle hints).

While Superlink went to black and then cut to the next scene with Galvatron and Optimus still fighting (probably indicating that time had passed), Energon cut immediately to the fight scene.  When Galvatron kicked Optimus Prime, you can see the blurr effects in stationary, and the motion was choppy, YET again.  When a flash appeared, the cut freeze-framed before we get to see Galvatron’s reaction to being kicked back.  Galvatron stabbed Optimus, claimed victory, and got electrocuted with Optimus saying the following line:

“It seems we’re both filled with the power of Unicron.  Well, it’s time I take it and put it in the maze” (didn’t make any sense, whatsoever; I don’t think even the subtitles thought it made sense, either).

We see Galvatron’s mouth move, but he didn’t say anything (more lip synching failure).  While Optimus and Galvatron were disappearing (or shrinking), we just see them dissipating into the atmosphere with no other surrounding light other than the yellow beam.

Yeah, the Energon version was (I will say this) awful.  No wonder this Transformers work was hated by many fans (especially those who saw the English dub first/only).  Since I saw Superlink first (which I thought could be better, even though it was still an awesome Transformers anime; I liken it to The Transformers: The Movie (1986), since they killed off my favorite characters, and there wasn’t enough character development for some of the newer characters (like Springer, Wreck-Gar, and Kranix), even though I wanted to see/know more about them; the film and the anime are very similar to each other), I wasn’t affected by the monstrosity in Energon.  Although, when I tried to watch Energon, it was too much to bear (some of the animation was bad enough, but the voice acting was worse); I starting watching other works (mostly movies and TV shows, as well as listened to music, and compared Sonic X sub vs. dub for humor (as well as hypothesizing what if 4Kids got the Unicron Trilogy and made it better, but not great)) to get the rushed dub out of my head, and I started to rewatch some clips from Micron Legend as well as Superlink (to me, the originals are more tolerable, and are usually the best). 

I have a recommendation: if you want to see a certain work, don’t look for the dubbed version, first; try out the original version, and maybe see the dub next.  You may like one better than the other, and some parts may be better than others, as well.  You may like the original, or you may like the dub; individuals are different, after all.

Looks like that is all I will be saying for now.  I plan to rewatch the two Transformers anime shows as well as watch Bumblebee (2018) again, and also Sonic X (original version with subtitles) during my spare time.  My next classes are coming up soon, so I may not post as much; but that doesn’t mean I won’t be back.  I have mentioned earlier that I am an on-and-off Tumblr user; having other things to do is one of the reasons.

Everyone else, have fun exploring more content you like, and please be cordial and respectful to one another.

Stay tuned for future posts.

This is FirebirdTransAm68 signing out.

[firebirdtransam68]

My second favorite Transformers anime; Transformers: Superlink.  I found this show to be extremely appealing despite some flaws, and how they killed off original characters from Micron Legend, even though new characters were introduced (that said, The Transformers: The Movie (1986) did the same thing, yet I still like the film).

Probably one of the most appealing parts of the anime was the Eyecatches with different characters, and said characters have speaking moments (including introducing themselves, or making funny statements).  You will notice during each eyecatch, there are two parts with two different characters.  Most of them will say the title of the anime and/or say their name.  Sometimes they don’t use their names (or say the title).  The Eyecatches in Micron Legend were good, too, but Superlink has more diversity, since we are shown different characters with their own unique quotes; I don’t know if other anime shows (besides Pokémon) ever did something like that...

The Eyecatches in the show are similar to the eyecatches in Sonic X, where there are two cards that introduce a character, and give us their background (in Japanese, of course).  Maybe that is another reason why I like both Sonic and Transformers so much; they have many similarities from each other.

So far, my favorite Eyecatches in Superlink are Optimus Prime (called Grand Convoy), Galvatron (Megatron), Kicker and Roadbuster (Ironhide), Rodimus, Ironhide (Demolishor; first body), Shockwave (Tidal Wave), Sandstorm (Cyclonus), Airglide and Blastarm (Skyblast and Strongarm), Nightscream (Starscream), Lazerwave (Shockblast; the real Shockwave), Shockfleet (Mirage), Wing Saber, Wheeljack (Downshift), Springer (Bulkhead), Omega Supreme, and Inferno.

Reblog or comment for what your favorite eyecatch is.  Like if you have seen Superlink, before (reminder, Superlink is the original Japanese version for Energon).  If you don’t particularly like this anime, that is fine, too.