Transformers Animated Series

[thegayhare]

Cartoon network has recently begun airing a new animated transformers show.

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/transformersa/index.html

here are the first 8 minutes of the series

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3Z8U5Ch0Pk

So what do you folks think?

I'm not sure I like the new char designs
and the autobots seem a tad underpowered

[techmaster-glitch]

I'm not sure I like this 'new' series, either

[Valynth]

I don't like this new series.  While I want the transformers to continue on, I'd rather see it continued with at least decent art-work.  I mean, the animation looks like it came from SRMTHFG (Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go!), which is know for bad drawing/shading and FPS that make Speed Racer look smooth.  Seriously, I've seen online flash movies that tried harder and did better at being an entertaining series.

In short, I predict this new series will be a crapfest that actually makes the other Transformers restarts look good by comparison.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch the most touching robot death sequence ever drawn.  *grabs his Transformers the Movie and wanders off*

[superluser]

Here's what I said on another forum:

What the hell was that?

Was that supposed to be Optimus?

I can understand drawing him a little different, but that was just--weird. Plus, I get that they weren't able to get Peter Cullen, and honestly no one was expecting that they would, but Optimus should not sound like Captain Amazing (either Kurtz's or Mystery Men's).

Also, I'd like to see them be at least a little more valorous, instead of being a bunch of schlemiels.

[Kenji]

All the characters look like boxes that have patterns painted on them.
That is all.

[LionHeart]

I don't like it much, and it's not just the animation style. Optimus Prime is supposed to be an experienced leader, and he sounds like he's about fourteen years old...

The whole thing gives the feel of being a 'dumbed down' version of the originals.

[rabid_fox]

It's a new something of an old something so I hate the new something and shall wax lyrical about the old something.

Wait, are we talking about Alvin and the Chipmunks here?

[thegayhare]

I'll probably watch it

The char designs though,  I don't know seem off.

and like I said the autobots seem really underpowered
they mostly have melee weapons hell Optimus also has a water gun built in.  I guess it makes sense in there backstory since they were a repair crew not a combat unit but still.  It took all of them to take down Starscream and then just barely.

The show does have it's moments though.  I particularly liked the scenes where the autobots were trying to fit in.  Ratchet getting parking tickets while napping, Bulkhead in a traffic jam, and my favorite has to be Optimus's reaction when Sarri explains where babies come from.

Though the bes line had to come when Bumblebee saved Sarri

"I'm Bumblee"
"I'm Sarri (pronounced sorry)"
"Don't be, I like my name"

[Alondro]

It's a new something of an old something so I hate the new something and shall wax lyrical about the old something.

Wait, are we talking about Alvin and the Chipmunks here?

Nope, Star Wars! 

Oh wait, the new ones DID suck.   

[Ryudo Lee]

It looks to me like it's Transformers Teens!  Seriously, this is a flop.

[Alondro]

They should just remake the Popples.

At least there's no way they can make that more lame than the original.

Or maybe... My Little Pony 2050!  Where they're all part ROBOT and have MEGA POWERS OF DOOM!!!

That wood B teh Awsum.   

[Sid]

(Disclaimer: I have watched at least parts of pretty much every generation, from G1 to Beast Wars to Cybertron)

Wow, am I actually the first one here who likes the new series? *frowns*

People have "predicted" that Beast Wars would fail harder than anything, and it ran for what, three seasons before going into two seasons of Beast Machines? And I bet that people also "predicted" the failure of the Japanese CGI-ish series, and those ran through various incarnations, too. In the end, any series will piss off a lot of fans. It's just not possible to reach the mark set by whatever generation was the One True Generation. But I think it will get its own fanbase, and I think it will live.

Sure. they're not G1, there is a human girl basically acting as a sidekick, the animation style is different... but I still like it for what it is. The animation style seems to work within the series, the girl isn't as annoying as I feared (even though she apparently carries a Powerful Plot Device - I pray that she doesn't turn into a Mary Sue), I like the characters (especially Prowl so far), I want to see what they make with the "presence of Transformers is known to the city they're in" concept, and Starscream is just as lovably backstabbing as ever.

Give it a chance, you might like it. The original series isn't going to make an epic return (even though I would pay good money to hear Soundwave's classic "As you command, Megatron..." or "Ravage, Laserbeak, eject. Operation: ..." lines again in a new-old series), so let's see what this generation makes out of it.

[LionHeart]

It looks to me like it's Transformers Teens!

Yeah, that was my impression of it, too.

[Kenji]

(Disclaimer: I have watched at least parts of pretty much every generation, from G1 to Beast Wars to Cybertron)

Wow, am I actually the first one here who likes the new series? *frowns*

People have "predicted" that Beast Wars would fail harder than anything, and it ran for what, three seasons before going into two seasons of Beast Machines? And I bet that people also "predicted" the failure of the Japanese CGI-ish series, and those ran through various incarnations, too. In the end, any series will piss off a lot of fans. It's just not possible to reach the mark set by whatever generation was the One True Generation. But I think it will get its own fanbase, and I think it will live.

Sure. they're not G1, there is a human girl basically acting as a sidekick, the animation style is different... but I still like it for what it is. The animation style seems to work within the series, the girl isn't as annoying as I feared (even though she apparently carries a Powerful Plot Device - I pray that she doesn't turn into a Mary Sue), I like the characters (especially Prowl so far), I want to see what they make with the "presence of Transformers is known to the city they're in" concept, and Starscream is just as lovably backstabbing as ever.

Give it a chance, you might like it. The original series isn't going to make an epic return (even though I would pay good money to hear Soundwave's classic "As you command, Megatron..." or "Ravage, Laserbeak, eject. Operation: ..." lines again in a new-old series), so let's see what this generation makes out of it.

Given that all I've ever liked of Transformers was Bumblebee, Best Wars, and Beast Machines, I'm not missing out on anything by disliking the T movie or this series.
If I wanted o see a badly drawn robot act like a dorky lil kid I'll watch Astroboy. If I wanted to see a popular hot roddin sports car, I'll... well look everywhere.
Cheetor forever, yo.

[Sid]

Given that all I've ever liked of Transformers was Bumblebee, Best Wars, and Beast Machines, I'm not missing out on anything by disliking the T movie or this series.
If I wanted o see a badly drawn robot act like a dorky lil kid I'll watch Astroboy. If I wanted to see a popular hot roddin sports car, I'll... well look everywhere.
Cheetor forever, yo.

I was always more of a Rattrap fan, myself (gotta love the snarky comments).
And I live in freaking Germany. We have tons of cars by BMW and Mercedes, but no real "hot roddin sports car" I'm aware of, so excuse me while I compensate

[Kenji]

Given that all I've ever liked of Transformers was Bumblebee, Best Wars, and Beast Machines, I'm not missing out on anything by disliking the T movie or this series.
If I wanted o see a badly drawn robot act like a dorky lil kid I'll watch Astroboy. If I wanted to see a popular hot roddin sports car, I'll... well look everywhere.
Cheetor forever, yo.

I was always more of a Rattrap fan, myself (gotta love the snarky comments).
And I live in freaking Germany. We have tons of cars by BMW and Mercedes, but no real "hot roddin sports car" I'm aware of, so excuse me while I compensate

Well I like him too. But I had said "Cheetor and Rattrap forever", some people probably would have taken it the wrong way. ;P

[GabrielsThoughts]

beast wars and beast machines rocked, and then they decided to take a step backwards... we need another MEGAS series  to wash out the fail, or at the very least make the suck less obvious.

[Alondro]

beast wars and beast machines rocked, and then they decided to take a step backwards... we need another MEGAS series  to wash out the fail, or at the very least make the suck less obvious.

Yes!  Bring back MEGAS!!  That show was awesomely hilarious! 

And Jersey City does actually look like that... after they destroy it in each episode.   

[thegayhare]

I miss Megas

*pouts*

oh well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqMWr2EDHgM

[Goatmon]

The new series is fine, people need to quit ragging on it for low quailty animation.  Very few series start out looking fantastic.  Generally, most shows have basic designs to start with, and if the show takes off the creators get a bigger animation budget to work with.  The characters look fine in action, it's just when they're idle that the design flaws are showing. 

The voice acting is pretty damn good, especially Tom Kenny as Starscream; He nailed that role 100%.  The fight sequences are also pretty cool, and well choreographed; The entire battle with Starscream at the end of the recent showing was pretty intense and very well-drawn. 

I also don';t mind that they're trying something new with the old cast.  You can't do something new without risking disappointing people who only want to see more of the same.  In this story Optimus is obviously not the leader of the Autobots.  Rather, he seems to have fallen from grace, which we will likely learn about later on in the series.  I look very much forward to seeing more, and hope that the animation quality picks up later. 

[GabrielsThoughts]

my complaint is that it looks like they went from making detailed 3d, to mixing vectorized Anime with barely tolerable plotlines and out of place 3 dimensional robots, and that reeeeeeeealy felt kinda like "looking at the Mona Lisa while someone is jabbing a fork in your eye"

[Azlan]

I used this art style in the 6th grade...

[Goatmon]

The thing about this new show is it has the potential to be awesome, It's just got a very unusual look that a lot of people aren't going to like at first glance. 

The writing is solid, and the voice acting is really good, and those are the most important parts.  All you really need now is to be wiling to give the newer style a chance. They're trying to take Transformers in a new direction while still paying proper homage to the classic G1 series, and not run it into the ground.  I'm sure it will look better if/when the series gains popularity, which is it's only big flaw right now. 

[thegayhare]

I watched the first ep (well the first after they released the 3 ep intro)

It seems pretty good story wise
It also seems the first season's plot will revolve around Megatron getting a body

I did like how the kept the original theme song and soundtrack.

Prowl's personality in this ep was also quite interesting,  His fascination with life and nature is very refreshing

[Alondro]

I watched the first ep (well the first after they released the 3 ep intro)

It seems pretty good story wise
It also seems the first season's plot will revolve around Megatron getting a body

Is it like how the first season of TMNT revolved aroung Krang getting a body?