A journey through the JP Gen1 cartoon.

[gekisou]

I have to agree that Headmasters was the weakest of the 3 series of G1 that Japan released.
And while it does have some fantastic stories from time to time, overall the series was pretty meh.

[kaiden]

i have the dvds, but i've avoided watching them for a long time now, mainly because of the poor script and voice acting.

maybe i'll try watching them like everyone else is.

[liegeprime]

i have the dvds, but i've avoided watching them for a long time now, mainly because of the poor script and voice acting.

maybe i'll try watching them like everyone else is.

well, from what Ive heard there could be only like 3-4 people voice acting (poorly) which accounts for a lot of the "doesnt he souund like that other guy" kinda feeling when you watch it...Still it was fun watching it when I was a kid on Star TV but now it kinda peeves me off.

[griffin]

Ep 4 - The Autobot Cassette Operation

Soundwave and Blaster are both reborn/rebuilt into Soundblaster and Twincast, while Sixshot and Soundblaster attacks the Autobots with a Madmachine bug. Only Blaster can save the Autobots, as Soundblaster has the device that controls the bug.

Again, why did the Autobots resurrect Blaster and not Optimus? Maybe Rodimus didn't want to hand back the Matrix...

I liked seeing all six of Soundwave's first six cassettes in the one shot, which is the only time I think that ever happens.

It's no wonder some fans used to think that the cassettes were like Soundwave's children, with the way this episode portrays Blaster and Soundwave like Parents to their own cassettes.


Ep 5 - Rebellion on Planet Beast

This was just an episode to advertise the Battle Beasts (or whatever their JP name was). For such an extensive range of figures, I was surprised they were only in one episode.

The Autobot Headmasters are called to Planet Beast to free the 'good' beasts that are slaves to the Decepticons and the 'evil' beasts.
Monsterbots are also featured, and for some reason, Daniel doesn't recognise them, and they are ordered to stay behind on the planet. (translation subtitle says 'two', but there are 3 of them)
Battleship Fortress (Fortress Maximus) is able to suck up all the water in a large swamp... but where does it go?
The Decepticons kept their construction plans on a piece of paper on the wall... huh?

Since Fortress (Cerebros) transforms into a giant head in this episode, I'm hoping that when he eventually combines with the Battleship, it isn't built up as a big surprise.

[GoktimusPrime]

Again, why did the Autobots resurrect Blaster and not Optimus? Maybe Rodimus didn't want to hand back the Matrix...

Cos Optimus didn't have a new toy that year, and they needed to plug Twincast.

Ep 5 - Rebellion on Planet Beast

This was just an episode to advertise the Battle Beasts (or whatever their JP name was). For such an extensive range of figures, I was surprised they were only in one episode.

They're called "Beastformers" in Japan. And they'll appear again in later eps, though not with such prominence.

Battleship Fortress (Fortress Maximus) is able to suck up all the water in a large swamp... but where does it go?

Daniel's room.

IMO The Headmaster starts off pretty weak, but it gets better later and ends off quite well.

[griffin]

Ep 6 - Approach of the Demon Meteorite

The Decepticons build a Meteorite that emits metal-bending radiation, and launch it towards Athenia, and only an organic being can stop it.


Just like the US story Rebirth, it's a plot device that requires a non-Transformer to overcome. On this occasion, Daniel is the one who saves the day, but only because his parents and every other human in the universe is unable to help. Yes, that's right,

Daniel is talked into doing it, because his mother is a token female and isn't even considered as a candidate, while his father is injured (but we aren't told how or when he was injured).

So we have a whole episode of whiny little Daniel, crying about how scared he is. Which is fair, since he's only supposed to be about 10... and even his mother didn't want to do it.

And what happened to all those Autobots who were warped and twisted? I guess they didn't die, but they weren't shown to be recovered and rebuilt.


Ep 7 - The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery

The Decepticon Headmasters set a trap for the Autobot Headmasters, but since it is the same as one millions of years ago, the Autobots find a way to escape by swapping heads and combining their abilities. (somehow Cerebros is also suddenly able to escape on his own without help or transforming)


Zarak is finally introduced in this episode, albeit briefly and in shadow.

The planet where the trap is set, is called 'Praun'. Makes me think of 'Prawn' and seafood, but it's a desert planet.
It is said to be a planet northeast of Athenia... How can celestial bodies (planets) be given compass directions to each other?

We get to see more of the Planet Master backstory, but different to the flashbacks in Episode 1 which had a flourishing civilisation and they intended to go there. This time they are saying they had to make an emergency landing on Planet Master, and it was such a hostile environment that many didn't survive. Okay, both scenarios are possible, but the impression in Episode 1 was a lot different to this one, if you only ever saw one or the other.

The flashbacks also show them building their larger Headmaster bodies, and learning how to use them and transform them.

[GoktimusPrime]

Daniel is talked into doing it, because his mother is a token female and isn't even considered as a candidate, while his father is injured (but we aren't told how or when he was injured).

Oh yeah... this series abounds with sexism. First we have Arcee being delegated as a non-combatant "bridge bunny" - or what's called an "OL" (Office Lady) in Japanese corporate culture. Then you have this moment where we have a choice between two humans who can save the day:
A: An adult (who's also experienced at taking on Decepticons)
B: A child
...so logically they go with Option B! (-_-)

Reminds me of this...
"Okay, so here were my options. A: quickly duck left, dodge the claw and take him out with a spinning back kick, or B: take the claw in the face, roll on the ground and die."
*SMACK*
"Hmm, should have gone with A."
- Master Tang (Kung Pow: Enter The Fist)

[griffin]

It's not just demeaning, but also a waste of characters. Carly and Arcee add nothing to the series, and if they didn't exist, the series/storyline wouldn't be impacted at all.
Such a shame, especially with Arcee.

I loved Rebirth... more happened, and made more sense (and respected existing characters), so this JP alternative is disappointing.


Ep 8 - Terror of the Six Shadows

Six countries are terrorised by Sixshot - using one of his six modes on each country. The Trainbots and Autobot Headmasters then fight over who has the right to take on Sixshot, and then they all have to show up to the battle anyway.


We get to see another flashback of Planet Master, which had Sixshot there before the Headmaster process was done.

Okay, now how can someone who has been around since the first episode, somehow manage to not be recognised by anyone, including his fellow Decepticons?
I also think that the translation was a little off when Galvatron says Dinobase (Trypticon) was destroyed. Disabled was more likely.

And can Daniel be any more of a whiny b*tch? A whole scene of him crying over buying presents for his parents... to the point that the Autobot Headmasters take time from their duties to console him.



Ep 9 - Planet Cybertron is in Grave Danger part one
Ep 10 - Planet Cybertron is in Grave Danger part two

Everyone believes Vector Sigma, the super computer, has come up with a formula for a super-strong metal, and both sides decide that they either have to capture it for themselves or prevent it falling in the hands of the enemy. In the process, Zarak manages to destroy Vector Sigma, which in turn destroys Cybertron.


This was another drawn out story, that could have been contained in one episode, with people running around the centre of Cybertron - and like with the first story, some took seconds to get to Vector Sigma, while others took what seemed hours.

I'm not sure if Megatron or Galvatron ever wanted to destroy Cybertron as willingly as Zarak did in this story. The Decepticon leader had always wanted to capture Cybertron, and in this story Galvatron even tries to stop Zarak's bombs. (but isn't quick enough)
And how impossible is it to remove or disable 3 bombs (that aren't described as anything special)? Even if they were magically stuck to the support structures of Vector Sigma, why didn't they just cut around them and get rid of them?

With all the Autobots now on the roster, why do they need to draw in so many generic Autobot guards?

An animation error that made me laugh - when the Protectobots and Aerialbot first arrive to fight off Galvatron, Superion is drawn instead of Silverbolt, so we have a small sized Superion running alongside his four 'limbs'.

Just how indestructible is Galvatron, as he's already survived an explosion that killed Optimus... can he survive an explosion powerful enough to destroy a whole planet?

So Rodimus just up and leaves, with the Matrix... with new-comer Fortress in command instead of Ultra Magnus, who was Optimus Prime's prefered replacement (in the movie).

And can Arcee be potrayed as being any more useless because she's a female? Actually, Blurr and Kup weren't much use either while Rodimus was fighting Galvatron. But when those other three depart to look for a new world (they already live on Earth and Athenia, so why look for a new planet), they don't want Arcee to come along because she is only good for babysitting Daniel.
In the Movie, she seemed to have a 'bigger pair' than Hot Rod, and was hardened warrior all the way through to Rebirth in the US series... so this just seems like a real waste of a character.

The concept of Autobots being able to fly is so inconsistent in this story. Throughout Gen1 (after the first episode which had them flying), it was made into a plot device that they can't fly (except jets and Dinobots). In this series, we've seen that the Headmasters can fly, but when Chromedome falls through a walkway near Vector Sigma, he doesn't save himself by flying. And at the end when Rodimus, Kup and Blurr leave, they fly away.

While on the topic of inconsistencies - Chromedome wants to warn the others about what the Decepticons are up to... so instead of using an internal or external communicator (which has been standard practice since the beginning of Gen1), he feels the need to psychically contact his fellow Headmasters... and somehow succeeds!

One thing positive (I don't want to be negative about everything), I do like seeing all the combiner groups get so much screen time in this series. Perhaps it should have been called 'Combiners' rather than 'Headmasters'.

[Bartrim]

I kliked seeing the combiners in Headmasters too. The only thing that annoyed me was most of the time they just stay in combined mode. Like they have to be combined to be anyway effective. I also find it kind of ironic that they do this as in most other G1 fiction they aren't as effective combined because the five personalities usually clash.

Damn it Arcee I said I wanted an onion bagel with this coffee not a cheese bagel! and someone shut that whingy little bitch up!

[griffin]

That bugs me too, about the combiner groups needing to be combined most of the time. We just don't end up getting any character development from the individual members like we did with the US Gen1 cartoon.

Most of the existing combiner members I could describe their different character traits from the US cartoon... but the Trainbots and Predacons are like generic robots - they travel in a pack and don't portray any specific differences to each other. All they seem to do in this show is show up, fight, combine, and fight some more.