The next Transformers Cartoon REVEALED!

[mr3urious]

Whatever CN does right (cancelling the live-action shows and giving us critically acclaimed animated series), they do something horribly wrong along with it (screwing over the shows you just mentioned).

 

[Drtooth]

CN's in a good place, as long as you consider their current cartoon line up. Johnny Test isn't even on the network anymore, so that's something. But their programming is far from diverse, they don't air any outside programs except maybe Total Drama Island after way too early in the morning. Something tells me giving AS the 8 hour so they can just show KOTH reruns kinda has something to do with not being able to find any suitable places on the network for anything else. Heck, they can't even have all their hit shows running at once, even though they're made in 11 minute half show time slots. I'm pretty sure then new Tom and Jerry episodes are gone, yet rerun. And I've seen promos and previews for every Sonic Boom thing there is from toy line to comic book to video game...except the TV show. Even Boomarang only has 5 shows on a loop now.

I'm glad they found a nice stride that doesn't feature live action shows no one watches and outdated web animations as TV shows, but they haven't had an action line up since they torpedoed DC Nation (meanwhile, Disney XD's Marvel shows thrive). Unless they plan a network overhaul that gives more variety as far as programming is concerned, the future of the show is bleak.

Not to mention that even when CN ran more than 6 shows, they didn't exactly treat Transformers with a lick of respect. Bad as it was, Armada was shoved to the early morning death slot. And while TFA actually rose their action ratings up, they helped torpedo the fourth season (along with "Give us ONLY the movie Toys" Wal*Mart, who have killed a few shows because of their terrible toy selection).

 

[mr3urious]

CN's in a good place, as long as you consider their current cartoon line up. Johnny Test isn't even on the network anymore, so that's something. But their programming is far from diverse, they don't air any outside programs except maybe Total Drama Island after way too early in the morning.

They banished the 2nd and final season of Grojband to their website, as well.

Not to mention that even when CN ran more than 6 shows, they didn't exactly treat Transformers with a lick of respect. Bad as it was, Armada was shoved to the early morning death slot. And while TFA actually rose their action ratings up, they helped torpedo the fourth season (along with "Give us ONLY the movie Toys" Wal*Mart, who have killed a few shows because of their terrible toy selection).

At least Hub gave Prime some good closure.

 

[Drtooth]

That's because the writers knew that they'd only be allowed 3 seasons, and made sure to wrap everything up. Something they never could do with the American G1 series or TFA.

Anyway, happier news...

the product line has been released... and it's been confirmed that Grimlock will be the Dinobot in the series. So we finally get Grimlock in the Prime continuity outside the tie in comics. Strangely played by Cyborg of Teen Titans' voice actor.

 

[Drtooth]

Holy Crap! I can't believe it. The cartoon isn't expected until sometime in the spring, and already some of the toys managed to pop up. I actually found a couple at a TRU before Christmas. Essentially just the One Step Changers that they had with the last movie and one of the smaller sized traditional transforming ones. Target's probably due to get them in soon, since they already have the pegs labeled, even with some of the movie line still there.

 

[Drtooth]

Apparently, there are two new Transformer cartoons. A Japanese series that's a tie in to a toy line based on a mobile game App based on the garbage Famicom Mystery of Convoy game from the 80's. You know, the one that Angry Video Game Nerd tore apart.

And because it has to be that meta, the entire episode is basically just Bumblebee, Lockdown, and Optimus talking about 30th anniversary toys. Rough translation is - hey! How about Chinese Zodiac characters? We might as well bring back Beast Wars. How about making an anime to appeal to girls?

Something like that. But the show reminds me of the premise to Muppets Cheapest Movie. It's like they blew the budget on the opening, and it's barely animated in Flash with them just making Meta jokes instead of doing something. Kinda disappointing, but those mini-Transformers look sweet!

 

[mr3urious]

At first I was skeptical about Robots in Disguise's look, but actually getting a good look of it in motion for myself, I can tell you that it looks a lot better than I thought. The whole style is done cel-shaded CGI with hand-painted backgrounds and extra effects like motion blurs, 2D particle effects, and even a lower framerate as if it were "animated on twos" to make it look like a hand-drawn production -- in short, it's what happens when you throw Animated and Prime's styles in a blender. I can't even tell that this show's done in CG sometimes.

 

[Drtooth]

I had the feeling looking at the animation that it just screams "Prime cost too much money, so let's pass off cost cutting as a gimmick. " Seems that there is cost cutting to the mix, but they're trying for a different, unique look for the show, and It looks like it might just pay off. I've seen instances of this sort of animation in Storm Hawks, Freedom (semi-obscure anime from a few years back), and clips of the new Mysterious Cities of Gold series. I'd say they're trying even harder to blend CGI with animation, and the end result looks pretty good. Sort of like a lower budget, TV series version of Feast. The humans look a might off, though. And there's no use saying they pawned this series off on a different animation studio. It's the same guys as Prime.

From the clips I've seen content wise, it looks like a lot of fun. Seems it might just go for the TFA route and look like it's a lighter show, but gets heavy as the series goes on. I'm loving how much of a tool Sideswipe is, and I've instantly stopped caring about Grimlock's lack of Hulkspeak in this series after seeing how much of a giant goof he is.

That said, I couldn't be more disappointed by DLE's web series just being limited animation (VERY limited... one episode wasn't even animated and just a still frame) of the Transformers making fun of Mystery of Convoy, especially since the animated opening is epic. It's funny, but it seems that after all the hype of another secret Japanese Transformers series, a bunch of comedians rattling off how stupid the game was seems like a waste.

 

[mr3urious]

I had the feeling looking at the animation that it just screams "Prime cost too much money, so let's pass off cost cutting as a gimmick. " Seems that there is cost cutting to the mix, but they're trying for a different, unique look for the show, and It looks like it might just pay off. I've seen instances of this sort of animation in Storm Hawks, Freedom (semi-obscure anime from a few years back), and clips of the new Mysterious Cities of Gold series. I'd say they're trying even harder to blend CGI with animation, and the end result looks pretty good. Sort of like a lower budget, TV series version of Feast. The humans look a might off, though. And there's no use saying they pawned this series off on a different animation studio. It's the same guys as Prime.

It's that overall hand-drawnified CGI trend in the industry, which I like. And if it leads to an eventual 2nd renaissance in traditional animation, then I'm all for it.

From the clips I've seen content wise, it looks like a lot of fun. Seems it might just go for the TFA route and look like it's a lighter show, but gets heavy as the series goes on. I'm loving how much of a tool Sideswipe is, and I've instantly stopped caring about Grimlock's lack of Hulkspeak in this series after seeing how much of a giant goof he is.

And it's still a big step above Grimmy having his personality sucked away by not talking at all in the 4th Transformers movie.

 

[Drtooth]

From the short clips I've seen, I really am liking what Khary Peyton's doing with Grimlock and Bisk. I think he's a woefully underused voice actor that's just stuck as Cyborg's voice actor, even in Lego form. Not that I don't love his Cyborg. Other than that, I'm loving the character design and the Black and Green color scheme.

I can't say I was hugely disappointed by Grimlock being more Dino-y in the movie. Mainly because Hound stole the entire film (as far as the Autobots go). Plus, I kinda expected as much as he wouldn't talk. Hopefully Wheeljack fixes his primitive brain in the fifth installment.

As for this series, I really hope that we get some version of Wreck-Gar this time around. His presence was missed in Prime. Supposedly, he existed in some novel tie in. Rumor has it Windblade may be in the series at some point, as there's an announcement of a unique Windblade RID toy somewhere. I'm glad to see more female Transformers recently, and getting toys to boot. Blackarachnia really helped turn that corner.