Headmasters is appalling, though, isn't it?

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:50 pm

Having ended up with the DVD set of this through a slightly dim Amazon seller, I've been watching it all day, and it's sort-of making me want to kill Japan. Let's not be boring and lazy and roll out all those Singapore dub lines, because this is a genuinely atrocious series - the dub at least is funny. The Japanese is just outright shit.

Particularly moronic stuff: -

- The Autobot Headmasters all have exactly the same personality. They're all brave and... well, that's it. Seriously, what's the difference between Highbrow and Brainstorm? I learnt more about these guys in Rebirth than I have in what feels like 65 hours of Headmasters.
- The Throttlebots seem to commit suicide for absolutely no reason, and everyone just watches going "Huh".
- Sixshot in shadow still looks exactly like Sixshot, morons.
- Daniel is, what, six months old. And retarded. If anyone can name a worse scene in anything Transformers than Fortress pulling faces to stop him from crying I'd love to hear it. It makes 'bee pissing on people look like Last Stand of the Wreckers.
- Bee people, beast people, giant ****ing plant. Even Season 2 wasn't this stupid.
- Soundwave and Blaster have the most awful 'fight' ever, and then are both brought back an episode later in slightly different colours, but with exactly the same plot function, sorry, personality.
- Fortress turns into Fortress Maximus' head. Okay, fair enough. Fortress Maximus is then treated as "OMG shock". What was this, aimed at four year olds?
- Arcee makes her US counterpart look like ****ing Cleopatra Jones.
- Sixshot is nowhere near as awesomely cool and epic as whichever moron is making this stuff seems to think. He's basically Drift.
- The fight scenes are hilariously bad. If it's combiners, it's typically two of them wrestling badly and killing time. If it's smaller robots, both lots pile behind convenient rows of rocks or other debris situated about 20 yards apart and fire ineffectively. Sooner or later, one bunch just wanders off.
- The head-swapping thing is the most stupid random robot anime power I've ever seen, and I've watched all of Revenge of Cronos.

Ulcrain · Post by **Ulcrain** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 9:21 pm

What, no mentions of Ultra Magnes and Galvatrons deaths?

Tetsuro · Post by **Tetsuro** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:20 pm

I'd still rather watch Headmasters than Victory.

Post by **Hound** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 4:35 am

Meh, it's about par with the US cartoon as far as I'm concerned. So far Masterforce has been the one I like best.

I have watched Victory, but it was years ago and it was the dub. I don't really remember much of it but I'm getting the Victory set soon and I'm at least hoping it's watchable.

Cunning Ravage · Post by **Cunning Ravage** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 5:10 am

Tetsuro wrote:I'd still rather watch Headmasters than Victory.

Heh, in recent years Victory seems to have actually picked up a small following. Primely centered around it's goofiness.

Heinrad · Post by **Heinrad** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:11 am

And now you know why I love the badly dubbed versions. I can blame the bad dialogue on the fact that whoever translated it into English didn't have English as a first language.

Or possibly even a second.

Of the three series, I think Headmasters is an attempt to do a Japanese version of season 3, Masterforce was more of an experiment in dabbling with both American and Japanese styles, and Victory they were just having fun.

Tetsuro · Post by **Tetsuro** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 5:22 pm

I think Cliffjumper is exaggerating on some parts, particularily the characterizations of the Headmasters themselves. They actually DO portray some degree of character, particularily Chromedome, whereas Fortress' personality pretty much boils down to "the leader".

This is why I think Victory is far worse, because the Autobots really ARE completely bland and interchangeable with no personality whatsoever, and because the episodes seem to concentrate on the Decepticons plotting rather than the Autobots' antics in their own HQ, it makes the bad guys appear more the protagonists than the so called "good guys", especially since the said bad guys are the only ones getting any kind of characterization! Star Saber makes Optimus Prime look like Rodimus Prime in terms of level of characterization, not to mention he's stupidly overpowered and his constant preaching about burning justice and not forgiving grow tiresome real fast.

This is actually another reason I prefer Headmasters, because the Autobots spend almost the entire series one step behind the Decepticons, which helps both Galvatron to gain back some of his menace and Scorponok to not suffer from villain decay.

Cunning Ravage wrote:Heh, in recent years Victory seems to have actually picked up a small following. Primely centered around it's goofiness.

When it comes to "goofy", the anime is nothing compared to the manga.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 5:35 pm

In the cartoons, Rodimus has waaaay more personality than Optimus. Optimus' personality is basically that he's unflappable. Rodimus is much more complex (and thus about as inspiring as a dead mouse). You do know what characterisation is, right?

You're right, though, Chromedome does have a personality. Sadly, it's Hot Rod's.

Post by **Hound** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:11 pm

Really none of them are all that great but for a G1 junkie like me they're fun. Masterforce is still the best though.

Skyquake87 · Post by **Skyquake87** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:21 pm

Following on from the force ten guffstorm of US Season 3, I was quite accepting of Headmasters and found it more enjoyable, piss poor dubbing and all. I enjoyed it being more focussed on the Transformers themselves and their culture - even though concepts like 'learning to Transform' and Transtectors were all rather odd concepts, to say nothing of Galvatron's decision to blow Cybertron up for um, something. Or was that Zarak derailing Galvatron's plan? i forget... I liked the Battle Beasts too! The only things i didn't like were the bizarre exits for some of the cast - Rodimus in particular, he just takes Kup and Blurr and er, floats off into space to look for a new home planet and is never heard of again. Arcee sucumbs to the role of secretary, which isn't terribly emancipated, but then few female characters in boys action cartoony things were - hell, things hadn't progressed on that front even in the 1990s, as Marvel's Fantastic Four cartoon will atest. Not that thats an excuse. The bargain basement animation doesn't help either.

Overall, i find Headmasters the acceptable first album of Japanese Transformers cartoons. I find it more tolerable than Victory, with its endless 'cops and robbers' b*ll*cks with only Dinoforce to carry the entire show. Masterforce remains the most watchable , well thought out and structured of the three. But I suppose that's damning with faint praise...

Cunning Ravage · Post by **Cunning Ravage** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 12:18 am

Tetsuro wrote: This is why I think Victory is far worse, because the Autobots really ARE completely bland and interchangeable with no personality whatsoever, and because the episodes seem to concentrate on the Decepticons plotting rather than the Autobots' antics in their own HQ, it makes the bad guys appear more the protagonists than the so called "good guys", especially since the said bad guys are the only ones getting any kind of characterization! Star Saber makes Optimus Prime look like Rodimus Prime in terms of level of characterization, not to mention he's stupidly overpowered and his constant preaching about burning justice and not forgiving grow tiresome real fast.

All true but all that means is the Victory fandom, tends to really like the Cons. Especially Hellbat.

A similar thing, thought to a much lesser extent is happing with Prime. Well the Bots do have personality they have kinda gotten lost in the shadow of the soap opera that is the Cons amongst segment of the fandom.

Tetsuro · Post by **Tetsuro** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 5:37 pm

Cliffjumper wrote:In the cartoons, Rodimus has waaaay more personality than Optimus. Optimus' personality is basically that he's unflappable. Rodimus is much more complex (and thus about as inspiring as a dead mouse). You do know what characterisation is, right?

Yes, I do. I can't remember what episode it was, I'm thinking of the one where apparently suicidal Spike is playing basketball with the Dinobots, and Optimus Prime is playing too; later in the same episode, Prime is still playing around with the ball while chatting with Teletraan-1.

It's little things like that make Optimus Prime a far more approachable character than the stiff military leader that is Star Saber. Sure, he has an adopted kid, but their relationship is reduced to basically just an excuse to have an obligatory human child character on the team.

Post by **Sades** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:12 am

Hound put Headmasters in the DVD player just now; I heard the menu sounds and thought he had put in TF:TM. They're the exact same sounds as the Lithone scene at the beginning of the movie. Lolwut.

I kinda wanna watch TF:TM now.

Post by **Hound** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:20 am

Sades wrote:I kinda wanna watch TF:TM now.

*Goes and puts TF: The Movie on* Sigh...

Post by **Sades** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:21 am

\o/

STOP PLAYING REVERSI AND PUT THE MOVIE ONNNNNNN

Post by **Hound** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:23 am

Ok, so get over here and watch it...

Post by **Sades** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:25 am

MOVIEEEEEE

edit: Ninja'd! Fine, fine...

Post by **Hound** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:28 am

Still not over here...

We are so going to get scolded for this.

Post by **Sades** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:29 am

Then stop posting at me. I'M IN THE SAME ROOM FFS

Post by **Hound** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:29 am

yes dear.