Sunday 14 September 2008

Transformers: Japan TV



Prowling around online shops trying to decide whether or not to waste good money buying Michael Bay's Transformers anti-effort on blu-ray (God help me, I did), I finally came across Metrodome's complete Japanese exclusive Generation 1 Transformers cartoons at an absurdly low price. £20 for 110+ 20 minute episodes of robot smack downs, anime stylings and cultural oddities! How could I resist?



The deciding factor was the inclusion of OVA one-off Transformers: Zone; an orphaned installment of a supernaturally tinged non-series. Zone sees a mystical space ghost resurrect several big hitter Decepticons to fly round the universe and blow planets up. Standing in their way are an avalanche of Galoob-esque teeny tiny Micromaster playsets and two mysterious command annexing Mega-Autobots. Zone failed to make the cut as an extra on any of the individual releases of the three core series that make up this collection: The Headmasters, Super-God Masterforce and Victory, a crushing disappointment for completist strop nerds like myself. Seems Metrodome had an economically minded change-of-heart and re-authored the last dvd in the Victory set to include Zone. Hooray for disinterested waiting! Bought them sets separately? Fuck you! Johnny ComeLately Boxset gets more than you! Why not buy everything again? Eh?

Continuity wise, these series' take place after the conclusion of Rodimus Prime and Galvatron's post-Movie head-to-header season 3; junking season (ish) 4 / The Rebirth in the process. I've made a start on The Headmasters, and hope to bring you some reviews very soon.

I say reviews, more like petty slander.

No comments: