Episode 004 - Trasnsport to Oblivion

Cliffjumper proves how awesome he is (and how stupid)

Synopsis 
Presumed to be defeated, the Decepticons have returned! After receiving a message from Shockwave on Cybertron, Megatron comes out of hiding and orders the construction of a "Space Bridge" to transport Earth's energy to Cybertron. When Bumblebee and Spike uncover his plan, they are captured, and Bumblebee is "reprogrammed" to lead the Autobots straight into a trap!

Review
Cliffjumper begins this episode by being an idiot by thinking a rock was Starscream. Also, Ironhide is being optimistic, so Megatron turns out to be alive. This is also the first time we see Shockwave since the first episode. We also get to see the creation of the Space Bridge which will later be used to bring kids into space. Jazz shows his love for very simple music. The city is low on power because Megatron attacks the solar power plant. Bumblebee is late for the roll call (why is that important? I don't know...). Starscream must be sick because is voice is off in this episode. Ironhide gets shot in the shoulder but is perfectly fine.

Too bad Brawn didn't have Ironhide's strong shoulder

This episode transitions scenes in a Star Wars fashion instead of symbol swapping tword the end. Alot of things that are present in seasons 1 and 2 are established in this episode. Brainwashing Bumblebee was a great plan, and it almost worked for the Decepticons. Unfortunately, because the Decepticons are bad guys, they can never win. When Bumblebee escapes the Space Bridge transport by transforming, he doesn't grab Spike and expects him to catch up on foot. It's almost like Bumblebee is saying "Goodbye Spike! If you die now, Daniel will never be born! You're helping the human race with your sacrifice today!" (unfortunately, Daniel is born 15 years later and will be the most annoying human in this franchise). Laserbeak also has a bad habit in this episode where he just starts spewing out Star Wars sound effects. Physics decided to leave this episode, because Jazz took a rock and was able to hit a null ray blast back at Starscream. This episode is certainly better than the last but not that great. 

5 out of 10 Energon Cubes

(images from tfwiki.net with review written by Soundout)

Episode 003 - More Than Meets The Eye Part 3

The Final Episode of The Transformers! Nah, just kidding.

Synopsis
The battle for Earth's resources rages on! The Decepticon's ship is complete, and the odds are stacked against Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Jazz and the others in their battle to stop them. When an Autobot trap is foiled by the cunning Megatron, all seems lost - but will the evil Starscream's hunger for power give the Autobots the edge they need to finally defeat the Decepticons? This is the thrilling conclusion to the original miniseries that started it all!

Review
I love how optimistic the Autobots are in this episode. Every time they are though, the Decepticons succeed where the Autobots thought they were going to fail. The Autobots still can fly in this episode to my displeasure. Skywarp is shown to be able to teleport. I don't know what it is but most of the Soundtrack for G1 is very sleep inducing. Spike keeps a journal where he writes down his true thoughts about what is going on. Unfortunately we don't get to here exactly what his writing down. The rocket fuel trap was really stupid and I loved how it back fired on the Autobots.

 The Autobots believe lab coats are the best disguise

Animation errors are more common know than before. There are odd proportions everywhere and some look like the inspirations for the Revoltechs. I also think it is odd that the Decepticons made junk piles look like themselves and make them move tword the Autobots without Megatron using some kind of remote control. Something plagued by all 80's cartoons is that humans have laser guns. Even the U.S. military uses them and they have no effect on the Decepticons.

G.I. Joe should be the military force in this show, humans could be important if they were.

Also of note, Optimus's battle station is used for the first and I believe only time (and it causes animation errors when it fires). Spike also has super strength as he is able to throw a rock hard enough to knock Starscream's null ray off, though in later episodes he can't even pick up an Autobot gun. Sideswipe also has a jetpack that Optimus borrows and then wrecks, and Sideswipe is perfectly okay with it. Overall, this episode is okay but is probably the weakest of the three-parter. 

 

So what did we learn today? 

• Spike keeps a journal with his personal thoughts
• When the Autobots are optimistic, the Decepticons cause hell
• The military is useless and GI Joe needs to replace them
• and that Lab Coats are apparently a great disguise

5 out of 10 Energon Cubes

(Images from tfwiki.net, review written by Soundout)

Episode 002 - More Than Meets the Eye Part 2

The Battle of Weapons That Will Never Be Used Again!

Synopsis
Using their robotic powers to transform, the Autobots and Decepticons disguise themselves as Earth vehicle, and a new chapter begins in their war between good and evil. Megatron and the Decepticons plan to capture Earth's energy by force to build a ship to take their new found power back to Cybertron. It's up to the Autobots and their new human allies, Sparkplug and Spike, to defeat the Decepticons and save both worlds!
Review
This Episode is fairly well done. It is far from perfect. First off, Why Do All The Transformers Fly In This Episode?! In later episodes it is said that the Decepticons are the only ones who can fly but everyone does so in this episode. The second thing is that Optimus Prime and Megatron use an axe and a mace respectively in a fight on top of Sherman Dam. They are never used again after this episode but are accessories on the Masterpiece versions of the characters. Spike also creates Stupid Human Tricks for David Letterman to use on his show. What is the worst part about it is the fact the next time he does it, he doesn't even think that it might be Soundwave. I love how Sparkplug says "This is better than working at the oil rig". Well at least the oil rig payed you money so you could buy food to live on (I guess that's why Sparkplug disappeared later on). I also like the fact that the workers at the dam have the most random voices ever. Also, Huffer complains a lot. This is also the first time that we see that Cybertonians can change there hands out for different weapons. I wish the writers would have explained why the Ruby Crystals of Burma were such a rare energy source (maybe they are made from the Chaos Emeralds). This episode is certainly not bad but I think it could have been a lot better.

6.5 out of 10 Energon Cubes

(Images from tfwiki.net, Review written by Soundout)

Episode 001 - More Than Meets the Eye Part 1

The First Ever Episode of The Transformers

Synopsis
A Civil War rages on the planet Cybertron between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. With the planet's resources depleted, the Autobots - guided by there leader, Optimus Prime - set out on a mission to scout for new energy sources. But a surprise attack from Megatron and the Decepticons will leave both sides marooned and deactivated on the distant planet Earth for 4 million years! When they finally reawaken, the battle between good and evil continues on present-day Earth.

Review
This episode has probably been seen by every Transformers fan in existence. We are introduced to the most memorable characters (and Trailbreaker). The animation is decent for 1984 but there are some mistakes. This episode is far from perfect. However, it is better than what shows up in later seasons. The voice acting is better than most Kid's shows at the time (IE: Voltron). The best actor of the whole bunch has to be Peter Cullen. He seemed like the only one who was taking his dialogue seriously in this first episode. Peter Cullen was great from the start, while the other actors improved over time. To this day I still find it odd that on Cybertron the Autobots and Decepticons have their Earth Mode bodies. I guess it is because they were using animation models. So, for the first five minutes they didn't want to make completely different robot designs. I do give them credit for making new alt modes for the characters who do transform (though Soundwave being a Lampost was stupid). Also, apparently Teletran 1 got damaged in the crash because it couldn't tell the difference between an Autobot and a Decepticon, while in later episodes it automatically knows when a Decepticon is in the base. Also of note, there is a crane named Hauler who will never be seen or heard of again or at least until E-Hobby made Road Hauler (E-Hobby doesn't exist in the Transformers universe).
Despite being a giant metal robot, Optimus Prime can't lift a steel bar that is probably the weight of his arm. Also, how can the Autobots even float in the water? They are solid metal and probably would sink..... Wait, I'm trying to make logical sense about a series that revolves around giant transforming robots (maybe they are just standing considering their size). There isn't much character development in this episode aside from Hound liking Earth, Cliffjumper being a hot head and the fact that the writers knew from the beginning that Starscream wants to be leader of the Decepticons. Overall, this is a great start to a freakin' awesome franchise. It appears the humans have the same thinking as Michael Bay which is that humans are able to kill giant robots with lead pipes.

7 out of 10 Energon Cubes
 
(Images from the Transformers Wiki, Review written by Soundout)

Introduction

I will be watching each and every episode of Transformers including the Japan exclusive ones. Though if there is an official English version I won't review the Japanese version. There may be a time where I won't update for a while because I am busy and won't have time to watch episodes and review them. There may be multiple posts in one day based on how many episodes I watch.

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Coming Soon: More Than Meets the Eye Part 1!