My thoughts on Headmasters

[primatives]

I've bought this a while ago and have failed to actually sit down and watch it properly because I thought the English was crap. Anyways manage to get my hands on some Headmasters so I wanted to see them in the cartoon. So I watched it with jap language and english subtitles.

Its not bad at all has a lot of Transformers u dont get to see much from american g1 like terrorcons, predacons which is really good. There are also some other characters a well which is really nice

There is a lot of action which I like ONLY problem I have is I wish there was some way u could remove the cheesy music and added the same shooting noisees. The Autobots had their own sound from their guns and same with the decepticons. Also I dont know about you guys but all the voice actors sound the same to me apart from galvatron, soundwave, zarak. I guess becaues I'm not Japanese so I can't distinguish them but yeah maybe i need to watch it more to get use to it.

Also I think the story line isn't that well written compared to the American series but maybe it
ll get better I'm only up to disc 2.

I also watched Rebirth and that was awesome with english voice actors and good music and sound effects. One thing that does annoy me with Japanese cartoons is when they transform they always have to say it instead of just doing it and when they use a weapon they have to say the name of the weapon or move they are doing.

I think they also have very similar names for the planets, I do believe their planets Athenia or some ship is the same name from Gundam not 100% sure could be from Masterforce or something.

If only there was somehow we can edit the sound then it would be fantastic to watch and tweek the subtitle here and there would be good :)

Anyone care to add their opinion???

[mightyant]

Cyclonus and Scourge! They're like comic relief now! Pretty funny though.
Yes the english is crapola, and some of it doesn't match what was in the jap version. I'm on the 3rd disc atm and enjoying it. It's a heap more lighthearted than the original g1 stuff.

[canofwhoopass_87]

I tried watching the jap g1 animated series as soon as I found out about it on the boards, but man... can't stand it. Personally, you pretty much summed up the crappy points about it already, so no need to reiterate. US G1 for me man.

[snaketales]

I found it interesting to see previously unanimated Transformers in action, but didn't find the series itself to be particularly good.
My kids lapped it up though.

I've started watching Super God Masterforce - seen only one episode so far (the first one) and it does not bode well.

I love the TV commercials and toy galleries in the extras, though.

[dirge]

Headmasters is more substantial than Rebirth, and while you enjoyed that, it's too short since it's little more than a toy ad. I like that Headmasters gives more time to some of the characters which Rebirth only briefly showed.

My main gripe with Headmasters is how peripheral the Trainbots are - they barely even talk, let alone contribute anything ):

I agree that the callouts get annoying - but at least Headmasters doesn't have the long Transformation sequences like Armada onwards.

Masterforce is probably the best written of the Japanese G1 cartoons (and possibly all the G1 cartoons, so if you can through Headmasters, I'd recommend going for another series (:

[heroic_decepticon]

One thing that does annoy me with Japanese cartoons is when they transform they always have to say it instead of just doing it and when they use a weapon they have to say the name of the weapon or move they are doing.

You said it. This is one of my pet hates for the Jap G1 series. Them saying Transform only gets more frequent as you watch the series towards Victory.

While calling out actions and names of weapons are common in anime and in many asian films, it just doesnt sit well in Transformers. Like I said, one of my pet hates of the G1 Jap series.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

I liked it, though how much of that comes down to a distaste for Rebirth is debatable...Either way the Odieverse has drawn a surprising amount of influence from Headmasters.

[Gutsman Heavy]

Hate it sooo much. Rebirth was crappy, but at least it only was 3 eps and didn't kill prime again. Plus Hun-Gurr going NOM-NOM on Daniel, awesome!

[mightyant]

Some of the later episodes are very random with the storytelling. They tend to skip alot of bits, and sometimes you just have to take it for granted that Fortress guns were repaired before heading to the planet. But I don't care I'm loving it! The advertising works, it's making me crave headmasters now. And the clonebots!

Does Masterforce follow on directly?

[Sky Shadow]

Does Masterforce follow on directly?

Chronologically it does, but - with the exception of Chromedome having a webcam chat with the Masterforce Autobots along the lines of "sry GTG fighting Decepticons BRB" and then sending them some stuff for their acquisitions thread, and then Scorponok getting a new body - Masterforce is pretty much its own self-contained story. Which is part of its brilliance - it takes Transformers in a totally new direction and creates its own mythos.

[Vector Sigma 13]

I enjoyed Headmasters when viewed with japanese language and English subs. The English language as mentioned previously sucks eggs and really ruins it- my kids wont even watch it with the crapola english. Id love for the US G1 voice cast to re voice it and perhaps refine some of the storyline. I found Masterforce hard to accept initially but it really grew on me- so much that i bought a Powermaster Prime while i was watching it! If i had the cash id have bought a Ginrai and God Bomber!

I havent ventured into victory yet and i dont think ill be rushing into it- from what ive seen so far it doesnt really " float my boat". LOL

[GoktimusPrime]

As others have said, The ☆ Headmasters isn't the perfect series, but it's a _lot_ better than The Rebirth! One of the main problems with The Rebirth was that David Wise had initially written it as a 5-part episode, as was initially intended, but then Hasbro decided to axe the G1 cartoon and the 5-part pilot was reduced to only three episodes at short notice. This meant that Wise had to very quickly chop and change things and shrink his five parter into a 3 parter... and of course, Hasbro wanted the first episode to showcase a lot of the 1987 toys, which left even less time for telling a story. So to give Wise some credit, he was working under pretty crap conditions. But as a result, it is a pretty crap story. :/

[lcz128]

Ultimately, I'm kind of biased towards this and the rest of the G1 Japanese series' - why? Because I didn't grow up watching the US G1 series. Rather, I grew up watching the Japanese G1- yup - born and raised in Malaysia meant that i grew up watching that StarTV dub you have on those DVDs. That said, listening to the dub now gives me chills down my spine, and I much prefer the Japanese dub with Eng Subs.

I also love the Japanese theme songs (both the headmaster ones, and the opening of Victory are my faves) so no complains from me there either - Also, calling out their actions before doing it isn't as jarring for me because (as aforementioned) I grew up with it.

So, while there are episodes here and there that seem kind of out of left field, I loved how the built it up - with the mysterious Zarak - then him getting the Scorponok transtector - then the shield etc. good times, good times. And Six Shot gets to be more than just this dude who rocks up, shows his six forms then buggers off ;) They gave him honourable characteristics and made him a character you'd really support.

And as much as I loved Masterforce as well, I really, really loved how it lead straight into Victory (personal favourite as this was the series I watched most growing up) - the continuity and what happens to some characters down the track - :D Luff it!

[canofwhoopass_87]

No way man. Rebirth was awesome. It gave us fortress maximus.


As others have said, The ☆ Headmasters isn't the perfect series, but it's a _lot_ better than The Rebirth! One of the main problems with The Rebirth was that David Wise had initially written it as a 5-part episode, as was initially intended, but then Hasbro decided to axe the G1 cartoon and the 5-part pilot was reduced to only three episodes at short notice. This meant that Wise had to very quickly chop and change things and shrink his five parter into a 3 parter... and of course, Hasbro wanted the first episode to showcase a lot of the 1987 toys, which left even less time for telling a story. So to give Wise some credit, he was working under pretty crap conditions. But as a result, it is a pretty crap story. :/

[GoktimusPrime]

...my least favourite incarnation of Fortress Maximus. :( He was way cooler in the G1 comics (he once tore at Galvatron's wound with his bare teeth! Phwoar!) and I much prefer his Headmasters counterpart over his appearance in The Rebirth. Blecch.

The announcement of moves (abilities, attacks, transformations) is really lame, but it's a regular part of Japanese animé; and certainly not as bad as in post-G1 Japanese TF series. It can be cool at times; like with big transformations; e.g. Fortress Maximus, gestalts... very Voltron-esque. But logically it makes no sense to make a song and dance; _announcing_ moves is utter stupidity. The art of war is all about surprise and deception, which is completely lost when you tell everyone what your next move is going to be by screaming, "CROSS HEAD ON!" :p Imagine a sniper yelling out "HEADS UP!" before shooting. :D

And sadly enough this kind of craziness _does_ happen IRL; I've seen it so many times in martial arts demonstrations where someone will say out loud what kind of attack they're going to do, like "straight punch to head!" and then deliver a straight punch to the head, only to have the defender execute a perfect counter and the audience is amazed and clapping at the defender's skill. Of _course_ it was a perfect counter, he _knew_ what was coming!! Sometimes they'll yell it in Japanese so most members of the audience doesn't know what the attacker is saying, but it's usually the _name_ of the move (e.g.: they might yell "Maegeri!" (前蹴り) which means "front kick"). :/
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/avatars/th_facepalm.jpg
I'd love to see a demo where the attacker yells "roundhouse punch to the head!" and then proceeds to kick the defender in the groin. :D

I suspect that this practice originated from the 1930s/40s during WWII in Japan where Japanese Imperial Forces made some _weird_ reforms to Japanese martial arts as part of their propaganda and conditioning of troops. Either way, it's a fairly ingrained and staple part of Japanese "fighting" culture and yeah, it's frequently seen in manga, animé, games etc. HADOUKEN!

[snaketales]

Nightbeat what have they done to you!?!! You're a GIRL!!!11!!1! :eek:

And where's Optimus Prime? He keeps showing up in the opening titles and ad breaks but he hasn't appeared yet!!!!

(yes I know the reasons... but these are the questions my kids are going to ask when they watch it)

[liegeprime]

Good for you, I think I fast forwarded a lot of the episodes in Headmasters, especially when there's Danny and wheelie on the scene. I grew up watching it on StarTV in Phils but they didnt really show it so chronologically at times, and the actually stopped it and went straight to airing Victory which confused the heck outta me. It still amuses me hearing only what, say 4 people doing the dubbing and just trying poorly to change their voices for each character hehehehe.

[heroic_decepticon]

I grew up watching it on StarTV in Phils but they didnt really show it so chronologically at times, and the actually stopped it and went straight to airing Victory which confused the heck outta me. It still amuses me hearing only what, say 4 people doing the dubbing and just trying poorly to change their voices for each character hehehehe.

at that time, i probably watched the same StarTV dubs like you but from Singapore. Man, the dubbing was and still is atrocious. But at least we still got to watch them back then.... :D

[GoktimusPrime]

StarTV dubs... hard to believe that any dub could be actually _worse_ than Macross Clash of the Bionoids!! <extreme.shudder>

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/avatars/jaam_pain.gif

[mightyant]

I watched an episode dubbed just for a giggle... it reminded me of the old Golden Harvest kung fu movies... with my eyes closed it was bruce lee shouting "transform"

[ITZTRU]

I'd love to see a demo where the attacker yells "roundhouse punch to the head!" and then proceeds to kick the defender in the groin. :D

Oh man, that just made my day.

I was in your boat. I bought the Jap G1 box set...I just couldn't get round to finishing it. I was desperate to watch something else, so i posted up on here for advice and got overwhelming support for beast wars, so off i went to buy it. Still in the middle of watching...so far so good.

But Headmasters. God. Dunno if i can get myself to watch anymore. I might try to get back into it once i'm done with beast wars as im assured that victory is a good story...but yeah...