A journey through the JP Gen1 cartoon.

[GoktimusPrime]

I think the Beehive ep is interesting in that it has casualties - and not just that, but then Chromedome had to find that deceased Beehive dude's son to inform him that his father had been killed in action and we see his son grieving for his father. Yeah I know the fact that the way Chromedome found Buzz-Off's son was an incredible fluke, but putting that aside I thought it was a very powerfully emotional moment. It delivers the message that this is a war and that people sadly do die and leave loved ones behind to mourn for them.

[griffin]

Ep 20 - Battle for the Defence of the False Planet

Galvatron's plundering of the Universe for energy continues. This time they head towards a pair of planets called Twin Star, and attack the inhabited planet, but fail to find any energy because it was being stored on the uninhabited planet. The Autobots help fight off the Decepticons while the planet's people evacuate to the uninhabited planet.

The wacky element of this episode - the four Autobot Headmasters keep swapping heads to allow Arcana/Brainstorm to get a message personally to Fortress/Cerebros, when a simple radio transmission would have been easier and quicker.

Physics just keeps getting crazier on this cartoon - we have two planets being joined by a walkway/conduit, for the people of one planet to evacuate to the other. And then when they detach, the planet drifts away like a lifeboat.

Another race that doesn't trust either side, until they are convinced by one of the Autobots.

Arcee is babysitting again. Not to mention, why take Daniel and Wheelie on this this dangerous mission in the first place, if they keep getting in the way and have to be rushed off to somewhere safe and protected?

Quite a few Autobots and Decepticons suddenly show up for the battle for dramatic effect. The impression was that just the Headmasters were travelling around the Universe inside Scorponok and Maximus, so I'm not sure where all the combiner teams suddenly came from.

And how stupid are the Decepticons for not checking out the other planet, or even using their 'technologically advanced' scanning systems to locate the energy stockpile.


Ep 21 - Find Scorponok's Weak Spot

While continuing their pursuit of the Decepticons, the Autobots arrive at a prison (possibly a prison-planet). The prisoners are lower class peasants that say they were sent there after a failed revolution. The Decepticons take the energy from the ruling class (Who don't seem to care), while the Autobots fight off the Decepticons and over-throw the ruling class for the peasants.


This is an episode that shows quite horrific human slaughter by the Decepticons. I was actually quite shocked to see them shooting the men in the backs while they were running away. This would not be allowed in a G-rated cartoon, and I don't think we've ever had that sort of brutality included in any US Transformers cartoon. We had some 'organics' deaths in the previous couple of episodes, but this was wholesale slaughter... it kinda darkens the mood of the cartoon, taking it in a disturbing direction.

The Autobots easily take the word of prisoners that they are being oppressed, despite them resorting to criminal acts within Battleship Maximus. And after being easily convinced that this is true, the Autobots then overthrow a ruling government of an alien world, based only on the testimony of hardened criminals.

We see another Battle Beast/Beastformer, who some how escaped the Decepticons' Planet Zarak.

Mid-way through the episode, the Autobots learn that the weak spot of Scorponok is the Decepticon Symbol (I guess on his chest), but then in the last quarter of the episode, the Autobots are desperately seeking the information from the Beastformer. Maybe it was a mis-translation that they knew already, or the sub-titler was just wanting to spoil the episode for the viewers. If I could understand Japanese, I'd know what really happened.

Two of the Autobot Headmasters run out of power, so the four join hands, sing a song, roast some marshmallows (okay, maybe not), and they're all fully recharged and ready to defeat the Decepticons.

[liegeprime]

It delivers the message that this is a war and that people sadly do die and leave loved ones behind to mourn for them.

Better get life insurance..... wouldnt wanna leave your love ones with the bills now

As Griffin mentioned why carry around stupid Daniel and annoying wheelie if they just get in the way anyhow.. they wanna be in the thick of it let em get a few bullets in their chassis (preferably in their heads though) and be done with it.Hmph Turns out Spike and Carly are such irresponsible parents really... no wonder Sparkplug up and at em or mebbe they dumped the old guy in some nursing home ( if you have Daniel as a grandson why wouldnt you agree)

[GoktimusPrime]

As Griffin mentioned why carry around stupid Daniel and annoying wheelie if they just get in the way

"He can stay and guard the base!" - The Rude Awakening of Optimus Prime

Every time Wheelie and Daniel do something annoying in this show (which would be any time they appear on screen), just go read the BotCon comic detailing their incredibly unpleasant death. Arcee may have wept, but fans were cheering with joy. Too bad it was a heroic death though... poor Roadbuster and Nightbeat suffered horrific undignified deaths, but freakin' Wheelie and Daniel get to die as heroes. PAH!

[liegeprime]

It's only heroic if the ones left behind acknowledges it is..... Arcee does - (but I think she's just looney coz of the Headmaster process which clouds her proper judgement) while the rest of the Tf fandom doesnt = it isnt heroic then, majority rules!!!!

[griffin]

Ep 22 - Head Formation of Friendship

Planet Paradise is the next target of the Decepticons. Same thing happens though - they arrive, set a trap, fight, and are chased off by the Autobots, while the natives, Daniel, Wheelie and Arcee pad out the plot and cast.


This is yet another episode of the Decepticons out in the universe looking for energy, with the Autobots pursuing them. When they first left Earth in episode 17 it just seemed like a single episode plot device, but now that it is a multi-episode story arc, I kinda feel that it should have been mentioned or emphasised that they were leaving Earth for an extended period of time, especially since Earth has been the focal point of the Transformers since the beginning.

Chromedome and Hardhead are outside the battleship while in space, and Chromedome is worried about slipping and *falling* off. And then he does, but Hardhead grabs him. I can believe they are able to magnetise their feet to prevent themselves floating away into the zero gravity of space, but to fall off and *down* off a spaceship made me laugh.

The Monsterbots show up as being part of the Autobot crew, but were supposed to be on Planet Beast, and weren't recalled.

Doublecross is actually quite funny, with his two heads in beast mode, arguing with each other. I want to see more of him.

A big deal is made of the four Autobot Headmasters combining their energies to recharge Highbrow, as the title suggests, but this wasn't the first time they did it.

[GoktimusPrime]

Take note that in this episode Gorter (and later Papika as well) are able to ride inside the Trainbots establishing that the Trainbots are scaled for human-sized passengers. IIRC this will be contradicted later when full-sized Transformers are able to ride inside -- IIRC in "I Risk My Life For Earth" Chromedome rides inside

Doublecross is actually quite funny, with his two heads in beast mode, arguing with each other. I want to see more of him.

Yeah, he's pretty fun. Reminds me of Doubleheader in Anglophone G1 who I also find to be a fun character.

[griffin]

I'm pretty sure the Trainbots were carrying full size TFs in the early episodes.