Transformers Victory (& Zone) #Spoilers Ahead#

[griffin]

At least you've watched some of your JP Gen1 DVDs. Mine are still untouched in their cases from when I bought them at their release (at least 2 years ago as well).
I just don't have the time to sit and 'read' the episodes - I'd prefer to have episodes playing while on the computer. Something I can't do when there are subtitles.

[kurdt_the_goat]

I know what you mean Griffin. I personally ended up watching all of them in bed, 1 or sometimes 2 episodes a night before sleeping. They're only 20 mins each, give it a go!

[Paulbot]

I just don't have the time to sit and 'read' the episodes

Yeah me either, so being home sick helps.

[kup]

I spent today at home fighting a cold and so finally had time to watch the end (last four eps) of Masterforce. Problem was that for the final two episodes I couldn't get my DVD player to change away from the English Dub track. Kind of ruined it as I'm used to the Japanese voices, the dub is poor and the US toy names are wrong for these characters. I ended up leaving the subtitles up and paying them more attention.

Then I watched the first episode of Victory. I've been very slow to get around to this as it's taken me a long time to watch Masterforce. The receipt was in the case to show me I bought the Madman box set back in 2008! (Which fits with the age of this thread.)

Anyway I thought the first episode was pretty bad. I liked how Masterforce introduced the concepts and characters slowly. This episode was lots of battles with no real explanation of what the gimmicks are (Brainmasters do what exactly? Why does the Destron leader have animals on his chest?) or who the characters are. Most of the Cybertrons are instantly forgettable except the badass leader the western with the sword. And why exactly is there a token kid hanging with the Cybertrons in outer space?

These are rhetorical questions by the way. I know some of the answers from existing knowledge and the ever helpful TFwiki. But if you were totally new to the series I think it's a failure of a first episode. I turned it off with no inclination to watch the next one. I feel like watching the rest of the series out of obligation and no first episode should inspire that feeling. I can only assume it gets better.

It did work as a toy commercial though, as it had me wishing we'd got the Dinoforce shells instead of the Pretender Monster shells.

I hated Victory too when I begun to watch it but then it begun to grow on me as it went. The first episode is utterly ridiculous.

[Tabias Prime]

There are some real s_l_o_w_c_o_a_c_h_e_s out there who haven't even finished Masterforce yet (They whinge that we spoil it for them )

Hey I resemble that remark

Not that it bothers me about spoilers,I'm on holidays at the moment so I might be able to sit down and finish watching HeadMasters and Masterforce.

Just a question But where do you find the Victory and Zone series?

[kaiden]

I've tried to watch mine but its hard when you're used to the original american dubs since they were the best.

the english dubs now are terrible and i don't like the japanese words like 'destron' it just doesnt feel right at all.

[GoktimusPrime]

The first ep of Victory is goofy - but the series does get better at the end with a pretty exciting climactic battle (arguably rivals Optimus Prime vs. Megatron in TFTM).

I've tried to watch mine but its hard when you're used to the original american dubs since they were the best.

the english dubs now are terrible and i don't like the japanese words like 'destron' it just doesnt feel right at all.

Yeah but remember that these cartoons were made for Japanese audiences. I'm not a fan of the word "Astroboy" (because the character was originally called "Atom" in Japan), but I accept that Astroboy is his Anglophone name. And when speaking to people about Mighty Atom in English I call him Astroboy.

Destron is effectively the Japanese equivalent for Decepticon... not a big deal. What bugs me more is that it can also mean "Predacon" in a Beast Wars context. That can get confoozling. (-_-)

[kaiden]

Destron is effectively the Japanese equivalent for Decepticon... not a big deal. What bugs me more is that it can also mean "Predacon" in a Beast Wars context. That can get confoozling. (-_-)

Yeah I realise it is, it sounds weird to hear it or say it. Decepticons has a much better sound to it. Correct me if im wrong but wasn't the original series(comic or cartoon) written in english?

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah I realise it is, it sounds weird to hear it or say it. Decepticons has a much better sound to it. Correct me if im wrong but wasn't the original series(comic or cartoon) written in english?

Yes, but again - they're adapting for the Japanese audience. As I said, Astroboy's original name is "Atom" but the people who exported the Mighty Atom franchise outside of Japan decided that "Astroboy" sounded cooler. "Destron" may not sound cool to your Anglophone ears, but the terms were never intended for an Anglophone market.

RiD Optimus Prime's original name is "(Super) Fire Convoy". But I would agree that it's not a name that would appeal to an Anglophone market, so understandably Hasbro changed it to "Optimus Prime" for their market. Likewise Gildo was changed to "Darkscream" for Hasbro's markets... and just as well! (bad enough that RiD had a character called "Slapper" and a voice actor named "Wankus"! ) Both Hasbro and Takara(TOMY) decide (or approve) names/terminology for their toys based on how well they think it will appeal to their respective markets.

Do the subtitles translate "Destron" as 'Destron' or as 'Decepticon'? Cos I would translate it as "Decepticon." I'd translate all the names to their Anglophone equivalents where applicable, although you gotta be careful to avoid doing so if there could be a continuity conflict (e.g. translating Minerva as "Nightbeat" because they're two entirely different characters).