RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:gothweaver wrote:RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:God, he was an
animation error!
Thank you for bringing up that point! I think most of us could stand around and beat this horse dead all day!
Yes, we bring it up! Because it's so moronic that this guy get so much when
actual characters don't even get Deluxe-class Classics figures. Where the hell's our Trailbreaker, or Hoist, or Gears or Brawn?
So seeing how this is a Japanese toyline, designed by Japanese designers who personally choose what characters they want to work on, and since its debut in 2003... He is the eighth (of eight) variant in this line of 14 (24 including the variants and movie figures) characters... Which has 3 being Convoy and 2 being Starscream? Why not condone them for making an Ultra Magnus that appears out of his armor as well?
But I digress. Because if you want to bicker about an obscure fact that gave way to e-HOBBY getting permission to turn him into an actual character (by Takara) in 2003, then be my guest. But what stop there? There are so many facts that you can bicker about!
Such as...
...Prior to their U.S. cartoon debut, Frenzy and Rumble were listed as blue and red by Hasbro. However, it was rumored that the swap made in said series was due to the writers assuming that kids would get confused if Frenzy was doing all the rumbling.
...On the 1985 artwork for toyline, they show Tracks being red. However, as you may recall, only the Milton Bradly European Tracks was red. Tracks in the U.S. and Japanese lines ended up being blue. It was not until 2002 that e-HOBBY issued the red corvette version as Road Rage (ID #94), a female Cybertron who is the bodyguard of Crosscut (ID #95).
...The 1986 movie shows that two Cyclonus were created, yet only one was seen in the third season. Ironhide was killed off in the movie, but was briefly seen in The Headmasters (1987). And Wheeljack was also killed in that movie, but had a more defined role in Victory (1989).
...The mold used to create Jetfire was based on the Macross/Robotech VF-1 Valkyrie/Veritech fighter. It was a mold available to both Hasbro and Milton Bradly in the 1984/1985 line, but could not be used by Takara, due to licensing issues (which still exist). The same went for Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx until their debuts in the Encore line!
...PLUS the toy version of Slag, primarily outside of Canada, was not created to be cartoon accurate. The cartoon version has him sporting a red face and white legs. However, the toy version has him be black face and black legs. However, the Canadian version of this toy is not 100% cartoon accurate, as he was given red hands while the cartoon version was given black.
...And finally, in the Milton Bradly line, Jetfire was used as Optimus Prime. Not only in thie European toyline, but also the comic published in that region.
The point is simple - Sunstorm was turned into an official G1 character by e-Hobby when they issued an official figure in 2003. His official Japanese ID number is 89, which makes him part of the e-HOBBY portion of the 1985 Takara Tomy Generation 1 toyline. And seeing how he was
one of many e-HOBBY characters, it is fitting that he was turned into a variant figure.
Because while Hasbro had pretty much moved onto other things... e-HOBBY went back to the Generation 1 line and continued making characters that were based on series-based errors, Diaclone color variants that were never used, and more. Takara allowed it and they made him become an official JG1 canon in the process. One that would appear in American-based fiction since then.
In other words... You can use the knowledge you have used. That would make great trivia to point out all the changes and errors that were made within the animated series. But why take it out on a company that owns the rights to the series, and can do pretty much anything that they want? They own the rights and can do whatever the hell they want, right? Right. So if they want obscure errors to become G1 facts, then they can. And so far, nothing bad has happened to the Japanese Generation 1 continuity due to these add-on characters? Has it harmed your fandom in any way? Has it stopped you from collecting anything tied to the Takara/Takara Tomy lines?
All I can say, regardless of the idea you buy their stuff or not, he has been part of the official Japanese G1 canon for the last nine years, and both you and that continuity both seem to be okay.
Oh... And FYI, what is keeping me from getting this piece is the hefty price tag, the fact I am iffy about buying an exclusive Asian market version of said Amazon.com exclusive, and the fact that I want MP-8 Grimlock a bit more... Even though this character is becoming more and more appealing to both me and my collection as we speak.