Posted: 19 August 2008 at 10:02pm | IP Logged

Okay, apologies if this has been posted elsewhere.

Do any of you good folks know why Takara has a predilection for Cybertrons/Autobots?

All of the G1 Micromasters bar five were Cybertrons when released in Japan, and the entire 'Return Of Convoy' had no Destrons at all. the Binaltech line was equally short on Destrons. Why is this?

Is it some morbid dislike of the Destron/Decepticon logo? I'm really curious to know why Japan's TF lines have a relatively low villain count.

Posted: 19 August 2008 at 10:22pm | IP Logged

Nemesis Scourge wrote: I don't know if its cultural or not.  But I do know they adore their heroic characters a lot more than we do.

Ah,that explains all these militaristic style figures going on about honor and loyalty all the time then. Like Star Saber.

I never really thought of the Decepticons as evil per se. Sure they ended up that way, but from reading an old tale in the 1986 Marvel UK Annual it always struck me as an opposing ideological viewpoint. The formation of the Decepticons by Megatron, Soundwave, Shockwave and Starscream seemed to me about getting the Transformers off-world and out into space (albeit using Cybertron as a massive spacecraft). Something the Autobot elders didn't agree with or take seriously.

Bit of an over simplification, but thats how I've always looked at it. Particularly when you have instances like Bludgeon who believed in an ultimate warrior and when met with his 'ultimate warrior' in the form of the last autobot, he finds said mechanoid 'blasphemous'.

Posted: 20 August 2008 at 9:10am | IP Logged

Nemesis Scourge wrote: Yeah, and it's even funnier when you realise all but one of the Destrongers were repaints.

Yeah. That was the only thing I didn't like about CR/RiD. Nice new shiny Autobots but the recycling of G2 and BW molds for the Destrongers. Plus I wasn't took keen on the mis-match of colours used for Ruination (although the western Target urban camo and Universe desert camo repaints are cool!).

Posted: 20 August 2008 at 8:00pm | IP Logged

iceman wrote: Don't forget the excellent Arctic camo repaint! That's just as brilliant.

yeah thats what i meant by urban, sorry that wasn't very clear. I got one cheap off ebay and love it! Just wish they'd recoloured rotor's weapons black or purple - red just looks silly.

Posted: 20 August 2008 at 8:29pm | IP Logged

Skyquake87 wrote: the entire 'Return Of Convoy' had no Destrons at all.

Well, it did have Megatron.

I think it a culture thing. Also just look at Dragonball: Once the villain became too likable (Piccolo, Vegeta, Android 18, Buu) they joined the goodies.

Posted: 20 August 2008 at 9:30pm | IP Logged

This is true. the Dino Force ended up being nicey nicey at the end of Victory. I loved those guys, so it was good nothing bad happened too them.

Given that japan has this 'thing' for heroes and that bad guys are a bit of a no no, I'd be intrigued as to how children play with their toys and so forth. My girlfriend's a playworker, and its really interesting the subtlties she picks up on in child development. I noticed it muyself once when I volunteered and was doing creative writing with a bunch of 8 year olds. They could recite facts and figures (to prepare them for SATs and other nonsense beloved by our glorious leaders), but they really struggled to think for themselves and use their imaginations which I thought was quite worrying...

(it was just one group, but still...are we breeding a society of drones?)

Posted: 21 August 2008 at 2:30pm | IP Logged

Mainframe are a Canadian production outfit. Bob Forward and Larry Ditillo are both American. I think most of the cast were American too.

I was just making the point that the hero switching sides and keeping their allegiance when written well, can avoid the cliche of their former comrades repeatedly coming after them. But it was a bit off topic, I agree :)

I don't watch a lot of Manga (or is it Anime - I always forget which one's print and which ones animation) so this was the nearest comparrison I could find. oh yes.

Posted: 21 August 2008 at 4:36pm | IP Logged

Thunderclash wrote: the most interesting thing I've found was that in victory i found myself more interested in the destrons than cybertron (apart from the exception of galaxy shuttle, he rocks!) the cybertrons were so boring whilst the destrons showed more ambition and drive rather than spouting off about honour and what is right all the time. Masterforce did it better IMO but i put it down tothe japanese not knowing how to write for peaceful unconflicted sentient giant robots properly.

Thats probably why the bad guys are always more appealing - more effort seems to go into giving them distinct personalities. The good guys are all cut from the same cloth. Dull! Dull! Dull! Masterforce is great. My favourite out of the Takara trio.

Now if only we could have DVDs of BWII & Neo...