Animated Popularity

[GoktimusPrime]

IMO, the best thing about this show is the actual Transformers and their character treatments with the Decepticons being the shining stars of the show;

Except for those episodes where the stupid human villains were the antagonists. I can understand the desire to give the Autobots story complications that don't always revolve around the Deceps, but I don't think that the Headmaster, Angry Archer or Professor Princess <shudder> are necessarily the right way to go about it.

While the Decepticons were fun characters, I felt most of them lacked character depth and development. Ditto the Autobots. That's one of my biggest dislikes with Animated... a lack of sufficient character drive and development. Seasons 2 and 3 did improve on it in some parts (but not in other parts).

the line has/had potential if it had just moved away from the Kindy type art-style as well as the human characters & their stories.

"Kindy type art" <---I like that.

I'm also not a fan of the art style, but if the story is good I can overlook it. It's why I enjoy Star Wars Clone Wars... don't like their Kindy art either, but I like the stories. The recurring human villains just suck, and I'm glad they ditched them in Season 3.

It's a show that is well worth giving a go though and has much potential for a comic book continuation from where the Cartoon left off

It's already happening! "The Stunti-Con Job" is available now at all good comic book stores! (I picked up my copy just last Sunday ) -- I like how FP are releasing mass-retail reprints of their BotCon comics; makes the stories much more accessible to the public.

(I far prefer TF: Prime, that's for sure )

+1

You could tell it was a series done by fans, for fans, while still being accessible to newcomers to the franchise.

Yeah, but the fan-stuff was pretty superficial. It's not like Beast Wars where the story inter-connected with G1 and G2 and actually became part of that continuity family (and not just making a series of superficial references/homages).

As kup has often said - and I wholeheartedly agree - Beast Wars actually enhances your appreciation for G1 and G2 (because it actually expands on that universe). Animated has lots of G1 "Easter Eggs" -- which are very nice, but that's all they really are. They don't improve or worsen the way I look at G1.

It managed to make the HUman character cool (in the end...),

...who ultimately wasn't human.

Animated ended up being the first line for me to want to complete, which I have done, aside from "roadbuster Ultra Magnus" (no cartoon justification y'see).

Also just a repaint of an existing mould. And it wasn't even sold here IIRC. I'd still get a nice toy even if it didn't appear in the film; like Oilslick (he did eventually appear in the cartoon, but that was well after the toy had come out).

Lockdown, awesome Monster car mode and a really tall robot mode for mingling with the Decepticons.

The forearms and legs that pop off way too easily spoil it for me. I do like the character concept though... haven't seen a recurring bounty hunter character in Transformers since G1!

Earth Megatron, 2 swords, big cannon, massive.

Leader Class Animated Megatron is - IMO - one of the best Leaders made. Even with the restriction of an electronic sound gimmick it's pretty well designed.

And the goodies just kept coming, from a Grimlock that was more or less G1 grimmy

I was disappointed by the poorly concealed robot head in dino mode... and lack of decent weapon stowage in alt mode too. Otherwise I agree it's a pretty nice toy.