The Energon Pub

That's the first time I've heard the Superlinks intro. Great Idea for a thread, it lets me hear intros I haven't heard before.

13. "GET MY FUTURE"
From: Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (Beast Wars Second: Chō Seimeitai Transformer)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4PkkDz5iRk



The first of two openings for Beast Wars II. While the last one was very cool, in all seriousness this one is better. The whole thing reminds me of the first opening theme to Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (another anime I enjoy), which is a plus for me.

The seemingly quiet beginning gradually gets louder to a point where it bursts all out at the audience. A similar feeling occurs as the calm vocals gradually increase in their intensity, becoming more epic one baby step at a time.

The fact that it feels so calm at first, only to get more and more energized, gives this song an ominous impression, as though something big and powerful were approaching. This extra dose of suspense further adds on to the song’s greatness, giving an additional layer of depth and magic feel to its emotion.

The visuals for this opening really draw in its viewers. The title screen comes into view in a very unique fashion with the shadowed backdrop of Planet Gaea set up behind it. The shadowed view of Lio Convoy turning around to face the audience is simply a work of art on its own. Same goes for the all the initial shots of battle and destruction, as well as the close up of Lio Convoy’s insignia.

The footage of the Yukikaze releasing its crew onto the planet in individual ships as it crashes is evocative of the release of the Maximal Stasis Pods in the U.S. Beast Wars series, only with these ships being the main cast members instead of newcomers whose purposes were to fill in the “Sixth Ranger” role.

Following this, we are treated to a very regal shot of Lio Convoy in Beast Mode, as the Galvaburg II floats in the moonlit outer space. Later, the Maxmals all transform in accordance to the song, which is always cool to see. But not nearly as cool as Starscream transforming and riding into battle on BB in Tank Mode.

Let me rephrase that. A jet robot is riding on a tank! MAJOR. EPIC. WIN!!!

It’s all brought to finality with the Maximals all attacking, and the showing of two epically drawn images of each faction.

1) TFA Evo
2) Super Link
3) Galixyforce
4) Victory
5) Masterforce
6) Headmasters
7) Car Robots
Armada

can't think off 20

Rodimus Minor wrote:1) TFA Evo
2) Super Link
3) Galixyforce
4) Victory
5) Masterforce
6) Headmasters
7) Car Robots
Armada

can't think off 20

Not even close.

See, as much as I love the Superlink intro song, my true love of the series lies in the ending theme. Used to have an mp3 of it, but it and that intro theme, were sadly lost with an old hard drive. I miss those songs. Get My Future, I actually still have and listen to it at work sometimes. Great choices so far, can't wait for the next one!

12. "IGNITION - Ignition!"
From: Transformers: Galaxy Force

The second opening theme song of Galaxy Force. This song rocks! It’s fast-paced, loud, and hardcore; yet mellow, warm, and relaxing all at once. Paradox for the win!

It’s starts out intense right away, not wasting any time to get going. It then calms down for a bit, as though to catch its breath. Then, when all’s said and done, it kicks everything back up a notch to the level of *EXTREME!!!*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90AIiO-VwE4



While being the second song of the series, this is actually the fifth sequence overall, first appearing in episode 28 (27 in TF: Cybertron). All five main planets come into view as the title comes on. Lots of existing footage from the show is used, but a lot of what is chosen is pretty epic on its own; particularly all the scenes of the Decepticon mass invasion, and those of the Omega Lock being activated.

The scene of the three kids looking upset as the Earth appears in the background is beautifully animated. As is the shot of Coby and Lori standing in the mountains as Bud drops in doing a ninja-style smoke effect.

More invasion scenes are shown, along with the births of the Cybertron Defense Team members. And pretty much everything else in this opening looks amazing all the way to the very end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_5ALqRwmuA



This opening debuted in episode 38 (37 in TF: Cybertron). Nearly everything in this opening is new footage. Override outraces the other Autobots. The kids watch in awe as the Autobots fly downward then soar back into the sky. A wide pan of every Autobot is shown, as is a shot of the four planets with their leaders (Metroplex is cast in shadow) and Planet X with Sideways and Soundwave. And Starsceam stands ominously in all his demonic glory.

The humans all look on solemnly at various scenery, as the four Cyber Planet Keys fly to Primus. Four epic fight scenes are shown, leading up to everyone assembling on the Moon. Sonic Wing Mode and Dark Claw Mode duke it out as the final shot is shown with the kids, Optimus, Override, Evac, and a shadowed Metroplex.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L7cFJlEQVU



This one appeared in episode 41 (40 in TF: Cybertron). Metroplex is now visible and… that’s pretty much it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZUlaAu-4b4



This one debuted in episode 42 (41 in TF: Cybertron). That’s right, the previous one was used in only one episode! Here, Megatron is now Galvatron and the footage of him attacking in Dark Claw Mode has been replaced with Galvatron attacking with his normal Cyber Key powered arm claws.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHwAysDpd-I



This last and final version debuted in episode 50. Scourge is added to the final shot to signify his new alliance with the Autobots.

Whew! Five different openings for this one song! And this is only one of two theme songs for Galaxy Force!

11. "TRANSFORMER"
From: Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (Tatakae! Chō Robotto Seimeitai Transformer)

This is the one that started it all. The very first of a long line of Japanese Transformers theme songs to ever be produced. To not include this song somewhere on this list would not only be a sin, but an outright crime in and of itself!

Like the theme to 2010, this one has a nice groove to it. The robotic "Transform…" at the beginning catches you off guard, followed by a sweeping rush that brings you and the song together. The words of “WAKE UP!” are practically ordering you to pay attention, as though you were about to miss out on something cool if you didn’t.

The verses are an oxymoronic blend of tranquility and exhilaration. The whispering lines of “MYSTERIOUS MIND” add a touch of mystical and enchanting elements, which then switch to alertness with a cry of “Susanda Planet!”

The song calms down again, but picks back up after the next “TRANSFORM!” The rest of the chorus is very upbeat, catchy and just… well, listen to it!:

YOU CAN FIGHT... TRANSFORMER
Mabataku uchū no Destiny somete
YOU CAN FIGHT... TRANSFORMER
Katachi wo kaeta himitsu no hitomi
Moeagare
WE HOPE THE ONLY WORLD


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_G-8qZrMaA



Admittedly, I’m not too fond with how all the footage in the openings of this song (save for the title screens) is nothing but recycled footage from the U.S. opening and the episodes themselves. But, considering what they had to work with at the time, I’ll cut them some slack this time.

Like the U.S. opening, it starts with the two faction symbols flying forward into view, which does well to match with the initial vocals of the song. The new title screen fades into view over where the U.S. one would be. The rest of it plays like the U.S. opening until after the Autobots aim their guns to the sky. We cut to footage from early season one episodes like the “MTMTE” three-parter and “Transport to Oblivion”.

I especially like how they were able to include the Prime vs. Megs fight atop Sherman Dam, which featured their one-time energy weapons deployed from their wrists.

There's also footage from the American ending theme (which itself consisted of episode footage as well) used in this opening right before the final shot. What’s weird about this is that the footage of the three generic Seeke—er, I mean Jetrons taking off is used in this opening, when there were neither toys made for these three, nor did they really ever appear again outside of the first three episodes. Yet, since they’re shown in this opening, audiences saw these three strangers again and again, without a clue as to who they were (that is, until the Internet fandom was born, mind you ).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_clwBr24rso



The second opening, like the first, uses more footage from the U.S. openings and endings, only this time them being of season two. The beginning starts with the two insignia flying toward Cybertron, fades into the title screen. More U.S. opening footage is used up until the Insecticons show up on the lava. But, strangely enough, the footage this cuts to is footage from the U.S. season one opening.

After that bizarre repeat, the scene cuts to footage of the U.S. season two ending (which, like the first, is made of up episode clips on its own), beginning with Long Haul transforming till we see Sunstreaker and co. transform. Then, it cuts to random clips from both of the U.S. season one and two endings, until it finally gets back on track with showing the finishing shots of the U.S. season two opening and the entrance of new title screen.

Confused yet? Good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8l-f65RDQg



This is the version used in the Scramble City OVA, and it differs a bit from the previous two. It even keeps the American series logo, as though this episode were a Western creation.

It mostly plays the season two opening footage, until it switches to various clips of “MTMTE, Part 1” footage after the Insections appear down in the lava. Though, I gotta LOL at Floro Dery’s name being ‘Engrishly’ misspelled as “Frolo Dery”.

It keeps playing episode 1 footage until near the end, when it cuts back to the last scenes of the season two opening and once again keeps the U.S. logo.












But to be honest, this song as it is isn’t really as good as I’ve placed it here on the list. No, there is a very specific reason for why this song made it so high up compared to most of the other Japanese G1 songs.

Allow me to introduce to you all the real reason this song landed the number 11 spot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug_xleUP2Zs



Behold! This is "~TRANSFORMER~ Kiss Play Version"!

Who would have thought that Kiss Players, of all series, could produce something this awesome!

…What?

Whoa, hold on a sec! I am not one of those kinds of people. Just… here me out.

This version of the song has been pumped up in extremity and intensity. The robotic “Transform” at the beginning has become even more so, as though the voice speaking it was no longer that of a human being. Not to mention that the singers’ voices are more distinctive in this version, enabling us to better identify who is singing at which points in the song.

It’s not as though this song has been taking estrogen pills, but rather more like it thought it was taking estrogen and in actuality was taking steroids! The normal version of the song was already kinda ‘girly’ on its own; so to say that this version is more girly wouldn’t be as correct as to say that everything in this song has been enhanced. It’s louder, faster, more upbeat, and a lot more intense than the normal version. And because of this, it was enough to kick this song up to the number 11 spot on the list.

#11: Transformer is a very awesome song. It's got that great 80's vibe to it, and I really like it.

Also, Rosanna's version is pretty cool too. Thanks for putting it up.

I apologize for the prolonged delay. I do not intend give up on this and am determined to complete this countdown.

After all, we are now entering the Top 10 portion of this list! And to start off this section is something that could be considered an unexpected choice:



10. "SPACE DREAMER ~Haruka naru Beast Wars~"
From: Beast Wars Special: Super Lifeform Transformers – Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger! (Beast Wars Special: Chō Seimeitai Transformer – Lio Convoy Kiki Ippatsu!)

NOTE: Before you click the following link to view this opening, you should know that, unlike all the other entries, this clip is NOT of the song by itself. It is the actual beginning of the movie and the song does not start playing until 3 minutes and 5 seconds (or at 3:05) into the clip. Plus, it ends at 4:33, with the rest of the clip being more of the movie. So, feel free to skip three minutes ahead to jump right into the song and avoid any unnecessary material.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DqIwUO4bFU&feature=player_detailpage#t=185s



Okay, this song is lively and just energetic! You can easily tell that the singers were psyched up when performing this epic piece of music.

The initial techno-sounding “3, 2, 1, Ready go!” followed by the intense cries of “Get up! Wake up! Let's go! Space Dreamer! Never… give up! Believe it! Beast Wars!” really draw you into the excitement of all this.

The whole first verse really builds up the intensity and enthusiasm of the movie, as it goes from kinda calm to really heated up with awesomeness! And the chorus just makes you wanna get up and start moving to its epicness, especially coupled with the cries of “Beast World!” and “Beast Power!”

And the ending—Oh, man! That techno mix paired with the chanting and battle cries is just… it’s too incredible to put into words!

As for the visuals… unfortunately, they aren’t as cool as the song itself is. It’s mostly just random shots of Majin Zarak’s inner workings. But what we do see is kinda cool.

The title screen flashes into view all seizure-like and then cuts to the metallic-yet-still-kinda-bland-looking subtitle screen. Lio Convoy and Magnaboss pose as Apache, Diver, and Bighorn all henshin for us.

Majin Zarak’s steering wheel spins in front of all the scenes showing off his interior design. We are first shown a view of his rear thrusters, which then cuts to… a different view of Majin Zarak (it’s hard to tell exactly what this is a view of, given the quality of the video). It then cuts to another view of MZ’s interior, which here looks kinda… organic?

The next view appears to be of MZ’s right arm. This is interesting to see as we don’t often see what all happens to the Robot Mode body parts of a Transformer when they’re being stored in their altmode. At least, not visually in animated form.

We then see another shot which is even more difficult to identify in this clip as a blinding light obstructs our view of it. After this, we see one more unidentifiable view as we cut to a rather eerie-looking shot of Majin Zarak’s head. It’s interesting to see that the lower half of his face is missing from the rest of his head in this shot, so it would appear to disconnect from it when he’s in his altmode.

Finally, the wheel ceases spinning as it lowers itself down into the piloting chamber of the vessel and attaches itself to the main pedestal by the time the song ends.

9. "Chōjin Masterforce no Theme"
From: Transformers: Chōjin Masterforce (Super-God Masterforce)

Bet you were wondering what I thought about this one, seeing as how every other Japanese G1 theme made it onto this list much earlier. Well, here it is: the grandest of them all!

Now admittedly, it may be some of my biased love for the Chōjin Masterforce series in general that’s kinda influencing my decision to put this song so high up. But, when I did an honest comparison of this song to the others, I honestly still found it to be this enjoyable.

The whole song is sung in a deep, ominous tone, making it sound like a warning that some unforeseeable force of unstoppable might is approaching. The lyrics aid in this by describing the scenario in which a certain group of individuals must stand up to fight for the protection of Earth.

As it continues, it doesn’t get much faster paced, but the seriousness grows exponentially as the chorus eagerly cries out “MASTERFORCE!” several times. The severity of this part is contrasted nicely with the concluding lines of “GET ON, GOD ON, HEAD ON! Chōjin… Masterforce,” sung in a peaceful tone. This final change signifies that, while the seriousness of the current circumstance is evident, it doesn’t alienate the factor of openness or fun, but embraces them into the gravitas of the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhfLeZtQ5Hk



Frankly, the beginning of this opening is kinda slow, as we just see Shūta and Minerva typing on a computer at a drive-in with the title screen appearing set atop a pedestal cast in spotlights. Hawk just runs in slow-mo smiling all creepy-like, as he’s suddenly replaced by a shot of his Suit Mode and those of the other Autobot Pretenders, which then changes into all their robot modes.

After that, we see Ginrai’s trailer’s Base Mode… um... floating in space… with… the Trainbots? What kind of logic is that? That Base Mode doesn’t appear until near the end of the series, and Trainbots make zero appearances in Masterforce at all.

Buster and Hydra fly by an eerie-looking castle as they engage Metalhawk and Phoenix in Jet Mode, much to the horror of Shūta and Minerva. The brothers then unite to form Darkwings.

The Autobot Godmasters (particularly Lightfoot) encounter the Decepticon Pretenders inside a tunnel. Lightfoot transforms and retaliates to their attack. Tentakil terrorizes a city as King Poseidon is formed nearby. Ginrai drives up, transforms, and delivers an epic kick to the titan, sending him crashing to the ground.

The final shot has Ginrai and the Pretenders step out of the movie screen and stand proudly at the audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOYbU6F162U



Okay, this footage is a 1000 times better than the first! Ginrai and Autobot Headmaster Juniors run towards the audience as the title screen blazes into view. Ginrai dons his Suit Mode armor as King Poseidon bursts out of a bed of ice and fires on the poor sod. Ginrai reacts with a “Double On!” into his Super Ginrai form.

Giga and Mega glow with Chōkon Power as they combine with their Transtectors into Overlord. Lightfoot, Ranger, and Road King appear, drive down a waterfall, and transform all in style.

King Poseidon tries to punch Super Ginrai, but the fishy fool is sent plummeting down to the ice below, causing a massive explosion as he is seemingly destroyed. Yep, Ginrai is the toy you want to buy, kids.

All of a sudden, Super Ginrai blasts Overlord in a city, and what may be quite possibly one of the most epic fight sequences of the whole series commences! This fight is a beautiful illustration of what this series is all about: two opposing combatants duking it all out till the last one stands. Why can’t we ever get this kind of good, violent stuff anymore?

The Autobot Headmaster Juniors drive up in Godbomber, who splits into pieces and unites with Super Ginrai to become God Ginrai. This final shot is simply amazing, as the four humans evict themselves from the robot giant.

Back when I was watching Masterforce a few years ago, the intro really did make me want to buy Ginrai...
SO I did.

8. "SUPER VOYAGER"
From: Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (Beast Wars Second: Chō Seimeitai Transformer)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRZ0HcYaShU



Like the theme song to Transformers: Victory, I hear that this one’s a pretty popular theme song. However, unlike Victory, this is even better than it’s made out to be, which is why it gets ranked this high up on the list.

This song’s got a rockin’ good beat! It’s fast, loud, and encompasses all that is cool with the Beast Era and anime in general. The initial techno-style synthesizer beats truly capture the oncoming intensity of the rest of the song, and is further complemented by the overall jiving rhythm played all throughout this music.

As the verses become mellow in places, it gives off an aura of mystery, wonder, and excitement. And, as we all know, kids dig excitement.

Though, what really surprises me is that none other than God Himself gets mentioned in this song. Towards the end of the first verse is a line that is sung “God Knows unmei no Key of Life”, which translates out to “God knows the Key of Life’s destiny.” This is a rather interesting line in that it seems to add an extra layer of divinity to this song’s already current awesomeness.

The visuals for this opening are like poetry in moving art form. The title screen dissolves into view with the backdrop of a nebula. The components of Magnaboss henshin in a galaxy background, and are then fired from the Yukikaze as beams of energy. A translucent Galvatron is shown against a backdrop of the Nemesis. Lio Junior swings his weapon around and—

Okay, this is too much! I love everything shown in this opening! To describe each and every piece of imagery in justifiable words would be an overwhelming task. So, I’ll just point out the stuff that looks like it went “above and beyond” epic.

The still-shot of Galvatron in Drill Tank Mode, which pans up to reveal Gigastorm and the Galvaburg II, look simply amazing. The scene with all the Maximals running (or in Skywarp’s case, flying) in Beast Mode (LOL at Tasmania Kid running on two legs in the background ).

The shadowed image of the Cyborg Beasts looks brutal! And the shot of every Maximal at the end is pure epic goldness!

7. "Tamashī no Evolution"
From: Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (Chō Seimeitai Transformer: Beast Wars Metals)

Aw, YEAH! This is what I’m talking about! Who couldn’t find this song to be awesome?!

*ahem* But seriously folks, this song’s an all around very good one. It starts off calm with a nice piano piece, almost as if this were something out a magical dream or a fairy tale (the *good* kind, that is). But then it immediately cuts to a rockin’ good time as it breaks out the electric guitar and kicks everything into overdrive!

The main verse is serious. Serious and dramatic. Like others, it builds its way up to the chorus as it spikes up the intensity of it all, which is very fitting for a Beast Wars theme song. Once the chorus starts up, everything goes ballistic with a cry of “SHININ’ YOUR SOUL!”

And it all becomes topped off with an excellectly-screamed “Tatakae! BEAST WAAAAAAAAAAAAARS! BEAST WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARS!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIqKsbr7xk4



Like the last Beast Wars opening, this one consists of random clips from the U.S. show. However, the execution of using these images has significantly improved. It starts with a pan from outer space onto Earth, as it zooms in and cuts to the Maximal inside Ravage’s Transwarp Cruiser. The Maximals all transform an arm themselves—as seen in “Other Visits (Part 1)”—while the Predacons stand before the horizon cast in shadow—taken from “Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)”.

The rest appear to be various clips of many epic poses and battle moves taken from a variety of season two episodes, many coming from the “Other Visits” two-parter and “The Agenda” three-parter. A few of the others are noticeably taken from the U.S. season two opening, but they are spread out in ways that make this opening look more original instead of being simply a copy/paste job.

This trend of random clips continues up till the end when clips from “Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)” play in beautiful unison with the “Tatakae!” lyric. After one more inserted clip of Optimus, the title screen appears before us in all its brightness and majesty. To finish it off, the Maximals race off together in “Code of Hero” footage, and the camera pans away from Earth to outer space, where a single star twinkles at the audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cM8rG_Jr3E



*dies laughing*

This is a special sing-along version of the song sung by all the Maximals during a specific episode. I wanna say that it was the first special remix episode “Where Is the Banana?”, but I can't be certain.

Hearing everyone all try to sing this, with one guy (I *think* it’s Cheetor) shouting random stuff, makes this out to be just downright hilarious. I mean, this is a hoot and a riot to hear. I cannot stop laughing as I hear this bizarre, display of chaotic vocals.

Imagine this being performed live in an opera or a musical.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOc1A4xHXWc



Now here’s something that probably no one saw coming. This song was also included in the Japanese version the Beast Wars: Transmetals video game. And from the looks over it, it seems to fit the opening a whole lot better than the U.S. version (which just played some random rock music).

Like the TV opening, the game opening starts off in space and then pans to a view of Earth, zooming in on the going down of the surface. Optimus Primal and Megatron transform and show off their weapons. All of the TV show Transmetal and Fuzor Maximals and Predacons transform, followed by the Max/Pred logos spinning around.

“Convoy,” “Rhinox,” “Cheetus,” “Rattle,” “Silverbolt,” “Megatron,” “Waspeeter,” “Tarans,” “Rampage,” and “Quickstrike” are all named on screen (many of these names were obviously changed in the game’s Western release). Optimsu and Megatron duke it out as their energy blasts explode into a multitude of sparks.

Then a whole bunch of crazy images and words appear on screen as the word “BATTLE” appears on screen and its letters flash to the “Tatakae!” of the vocals.

With the Earth in the background, Silverbolt and Quickstrike fight equally, Rattrap humorously struggles to fight Rampage ( ), Cheetor and Taratulas just slap at each other, and Optimus and Megatron just stare at each other for a moment until Megs swings is tail weapon at Primal, who replies with a punch which Megatron blocks.

The sequence ends with an image of the eight combatants glaring at each other, just aching to kick each other’s skidplates!

Wow, didn't even know about that one. I mean I knew about the Metals Series, but since I never really followed the japanese adaptation of Beast Wars, I never knew the theme songs... That one, however, friggin rocks. I do believe I mentioned earlier in the thread how I love Hironobu Kageyama's music... now I need to find a good mp3 of that one.

I think its cause this part of the forum gets less trafic than the geenral or toys.

First off, I wanna say that I really appreciate any and all responses that this thread has been receiving. The last thing I want is for this thread to die out from a lack of interest before the list is completed. And since we're so close to the end, I really wanna keep going with this. Though, I can't keep posting here if no one else does, as there are rules on this forum about multiple posting. That said, thanks for all the comments and I hope for more to keep coming.

And now, we have come to another exciting moment...

6. "Honō no Overdrive ~Car Robot Cybertron~"
From: Transformers: Car Robots

"ZOMG, DIS IZ TEH GR8EST SONG EVAR!!!"

*ahem*…is what I would say if I were Chester A. Bum.

But, seriously folks, in a nutshell, this song is an adrenaline rush. It’s like a furious tsunami of burning, raging, pure emotion and passion! You can tell that J-rock artist Kōji Wada ( ) is giving it his all here. Nothing screams “energetic” more than this song right here (or at least, not much does, when it comes to the Transformers).

The initial drumming and siren waining are just thrown at the listeners right at the start, capturing them into a trance as though nothing else matter in this world. The electric guitar session builds up to the vocals in the most intense way possible.

The repetition of lyrics may seem kinda like padding, but for Wada, it works. He’s one of those guys, like Stan Bush, who make anything sound good in music. Besides, it can only get better, as the chorus becomes a weird mix of wacky and awesome:

Go Boy! Convoy!
Honō no Overdrive!
Fire Convoy!
Akai senkō… Fire Flash!
Daremo ga kagayaku inochi hitotsu
Car Robot! Car Robot! Car Robot! Cybertron!” er, no wait, I mean

And I gotta say that the final line of “FIRE!!!” is waaay more hot-blooded in the TV edited version than the full version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUPeMCo3RN0



As good as the song is, the visuals are the icing on the cake. Sirens light up with Optimus, X-Brawn, Prowl, and Side Burn cast in shadow. Prime drives forward through the streets of… Foreign-Unnamed-Nightsville—er, let’s just say Tokyo. The title screen makes a rather gradual and appearance onto a very slow sideways pan of a view of the city ("slow" and this song do not mix).

Optimus keeps driving as a CGI dragon mode Megatron appears blocking his path. Optimus has also suddenly changed to a (rather ugly) CGI form. Thankfully, we cut to all three of the Autobot Brothers violating traffic laws and endangering anyone who could be around them. Side Burn’s driving drunk, Prowl (a slaggin’ police car!) is drag racing, and X-Brawn’s jumping from off road onto the pavement without any warning! The Global Spacebridge forms and the three pull a Sonic the Hedgehog to enter it.

Optimus turns into a CGI clay doll that would make the Transformers: Energon bots look like James Cameron’s Avatar, and engages the CGI marionette of Megatron. After some brief shooting, Optimus is suddenly back in his normal 2D form, glaring at the oncoming Predacons led by Sky-Byte. Not wasting any time. Prime promptly blasts the fish to Kingdom Come and proceeds to form his Battle Mode… while holding on to Koji and T-AI?

The Autobot Brothers all become CG and transform in ridiculously toy accurate styles. But then suddenly ditch the ILM-reject look for them normal looks as they pile on top of each other, with Optimus set at the top. That can’t be healthy.

Showing up nowhere in this opening until now, the members of Team Bullet Train randomly appear and the CGI Megatron finally transforms to Robot Mode. He pulls out his weapons ready for battle, but the way he holds them up looks more like he’s going, "Look at ME! I haz weponz! See!"

The final shot has all the Autobots seen in this sequence stand proudly until the shouting of “FIRE!!” where Prime and the brothers all lunge forward, while the trains all strike poses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfDP8SvUpAI



Beginning with episode 7, the cel-shaded animation of the Bullet Trains was replaced with CGI animation. Well, at least they’re still shiny.

Sabrblade wrote:First off, I wanna say that I really appreciate any and all responses that this thread has been receiving. The last hing I want is for this thread to die out from a lack of interest before the list is completed. An since we're so close to the end, I really wanna keep going with this. Though, I can't keep posting here if no one else does, as there are rules on this forum about multiple posting. That said, thanks for all the comments and I hope for more to keep coming.

Not to worry, I've been keeping up with this thread. But there really is only one so much can say about each entry, because it's all personal choice.

Still though, I LOVE Car Robots opening. I didn't know about the CG trains though. Why they did that is beyond me. But I guess computer generated stuff was still pretty novel at the time, or maybe they really liked Iron Man Season 1......

But hey, I have a guess on an intro that didn't make it! One would have to be Beast Wars Returns, because according to the Wiki entry, they didn't change anything. Plus, I can't find it on youtube...

Anyway, I'm awaiting entry #5!

Got this friend named Ben, mentioning car robots gets that song stuck in his head for like three days. Friggin' Brilliant!

It's the final countdown.

The time has come for us to enter the final Top 5 of the Greatest Japanese Transformers Opening Themes.

5. "Sen'nen no Soldier"
From: Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (Chō Seimeitai Transformer: Beast Wars Metals)

Here’s another case like numbers 12 and 13. Again, while the last one was awesome, this one seems like it had more thought put into it.

Though, as a side note, I forgot to mention that previous Beast Wars Metals opening, number 7, is the first opening. So, judging by all the season three footage in this one, it’s easy to tell that this one is the second opening.

But getting back the song itself, if there were ever a definitive Japanese song for Beast Wars, it’d be this one. It wastes no time building up to the good stuff and starts off immediately crying out, “BEAST WARS!” three times to its audience. While some would consider a lack of build up to this kind of excitement to be abrupt and somewhat disorderly, it doesn’t really seem that bothersome and kinda gives the song a bit of uniqueness. Though, if you’re still not digging this feel, the electric guitar moments after these cries could be considered as build up to the first verse.

Speaking of the first verse, forget what I said about first Beast Wars Metals opening, cuz this one wipes out all the seriousness of that song absorbs it into itself. This song is not only serious, but dark; dark and serious all around.

But that isn’t to say that it lacks any light moments. Towards the end of the first verse, the tone shifts from sounding ominous and menacing to sounding wondrous and majestic. The moments before the chorus sound kinda like something out of worship hymn or a song of praise, but in a good way.

You really feel the regality and power of the chorus, as though something finite and decisive is about to happen that will turn the tide for good. And the cries of “LONELY SOLDIER” and “NEVER GIVIN’ UP” really add to this.

The last part of the chorus gets serious again, but instead of intimidation, excitement accompanies it this time, as another electric guitar moment closes the song with one more cry of “BEAST WARS!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8i4iqvwQCM



Like the second opening to Beast Wars II, number 8, there’s too much to love in this opening.

Unlike the previous openings to the Japanese dub of the U.S. Beast Wars series, this one does not simply copy the American opening footage and then add its own clips. But rather, the majority of footage in this opening is new stuff not used in the English opening.

A lot of what was added into this one comes from “Optimal Situation,” the “Feral Scream” two-parter, “Other Victories,” the “Nemesis” two-parter, and other episodes (actually, I think all 13 episodes got at least one moment of screen time in this sequence). And all of it is gloriously used in the most creative and unique ways possible.

Again, the only original material put into this opening is the title screen, but it’s placed near the beginning of the sequence instead of the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1GvvYKKlGs





*gasps for air* Oh, slag! *breathes deeply* That was… That was… Oh, slag!

Okay… okay… *tries to catch his breath* So…

Like… like the first opening, this one also had a sing-along version done with all the Maximals singing it. I think this one was in the second clip show, “Remix: I lost the Banana!”

I take back what I said about the first one being funny, cuz this one is epitome of hilarious! It’s ten times funnier than the first one because of the simple fact that this song is so serious and yet these guys are singing so badly that it’s to die for!

It’s especially funny how Cheetor sounds like he isn’t even trying to sing it right, about midway through Rattrap just gives up trying to sing and babbles random stuff for a moment, and near the end its sounds like Cheetor and Silverbolt have started up an argument while everyone else is still trying (and failing miserably) to sing. And then all chaos breaks loose after the chorus ends!

DARN IT!!! Not another delay! I’m so close to the end too! I am determined to get this done before 2010 ends! I deeply apologize for this prolonged delay, and have returned to bring you all entry number 4:

4. "CALL YOU... Kimi to Boku no Mirai"
From: Transformers: Galaxy Force

At this point, it’s hard to put the awesomeness of this song into words that I haven’t already used for previous songs. I could call it “epic,” “intense,” “fast-paced,” “burning with emotion,” “extreme,” “fueled with power,” and/or “passionate,” but I’ve already used those words. They’re all true, but I’d be repeating myself.

Let’s see how I can describe this song.

The beginning starts off with a weird mix of calm and tense that explodes with a cry of “Yeah!” and then a louder and longer “YEAH!”

The first verse begins in an excited manner as it, like many others, builds up in the intensity of the song (see, I keep using these words over and over again ). As the song comes nearer to the chorus, the grandeur and majesty of this song shines out with sudden change in power at the yell of “Boku mo kimi mo ikiteiru akashi! Dakara!”

The chorus switches into a fast-paced ( ) mode and ignites a feeling of magnificence and supremacy. And all of it feels so epic as the ending shouts out “We just call you TORANSUFŌMĀ!!!”

“TORANSU-FŌ-MĀ!!!!!”

“Whoa… RIDE ON!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcvVuXmS3h8



The very first opening to Galaxy Force is a doozy. The Autobot insignia swirls around whatever’s on screen behind it for the first bunch of episodes (in this case, it’s Optimus giving us his best evil Uncle Sam “I Want YOU…” face) and burst into all the planets and the title screen.

After we see some images of the three kids we se- WHOA, WAIT A SECOND! Did Vector Prime just plug his key into his CROTCH?!! What… what would possess him to do such a thing?

Er, I take that back. After seeing… that, I don’t wanna know what he was thinking.

Megatron and Starscream stand in the Fire Dimension as the Mini-Cons appear before Vector Prime (gah, can’t get him out of my head now! )

Lots of Autobot faces are shown before we cut to a view of the Grand Black Hole, which is then followed by the stock footage of Optimus transforming form vehicle to Robot. After this comes an awesome fight scene between Optimus and… another Decepticon (the picture moves so fast it’s hard to tell who it is, but it’s still an amazing fight).

Vector Prime lunges with his sword (Ack! The connotations of that sentence!), as Overhaul dukes it out with Starscream, and Prime and Megs exchange blows.

Megatron’s Car-to-Robot stock footage plays, followed by Optimus’ Super Mode stock footage, and ending with a work of art showing everybody.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcUdcRuZgR0



Starting with episode 14 (Cybertron episode 13), the opening changed significantly. The background behind the spinning Autobot logo is now black, and will remain so for the remainder of this song’s use.

Vector Prime’s “Cyber Crotch Power!” scene is different and longer (because, you know, that’s what we needed to see more of).

A view of Earth with the three kids looking upset over something appears, Vector Prime nods, and more views of the kids are shown.

Where we saw the black hole we know see Override racing down a Velocitronian race track trying to catch up to a Burning Justice-enhanced Hot Shot. Optimus’ Super Mode stock footage happens early, and is followed by shots of several Speed Planet natives, Hot Shot transforming, and Scourge roaring.

Sideays transforms, Jetfire attacks, Landmine attacks, Overhaul attacks, and Ransack does his best attempt at a “RIDER KICK!!!”

Crumplezone, Starscream, and Scourge attack, Prime and Megs “Falcon Punch” each other, then cue the end artwork.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHq6G9Y6Qcc



Episode 20 (Cybertron episode 19) greatly changed the opening again. This time, the kids are in a field at the beginning with an eagle flying overhead. Lori dances down a street… for some reason or whatever. Coby works on his bike as Bud falls onto his back, prompting Coby to start chasing him.

Optimus attacks in Super Mode, as we cut back to the view of Earth with the forlorn kids. Coby and Lori stand back-to-back, holding hands in the mountains, as Bud drops in doing a ninja-style smoke effect, turning everything chibi.

Override races down the track again as a lot of Autobot heads turn, followed by Hot Shot transforming and Leobreaker running.

Optimus Prime Savage Claw Mode forms up and Vector Prime charges up his power to attack. More Autobots look around, as Scourge roars and Sideways shows off his blades. Ransack, Crumplezone, Starscream, and Megatron all attack, and he and Prime punch again.

The last shot of everyone is different too, incorporating all of the Autobots on Optimus’ team up to this point in the series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd3u0Vei6M8



Okay, this is ridiculous. This opening debuted in episode 21 (Cybertron episode 20), meaning the last one was only used for one episode.

And what, you might ask, was changed in this fourth opening to make it differ from the other? Just the scene with the kids looking sad with Earth behind them. That’s it. They’re poses and order of fading is all that was changed. Instead of it being:
1 - Sad Coby faces left
2 - Sad Lori faces down-right
3 - Sad Bud faces downward
It went:
1 - Sad Coby faces left and moves up-left
2 - Sad Bud faces right and moves up-right
3 - Sad Lori prays in the center

That’s all that was changed. Oh, and the Earth is bigger and zooms out, instead of being smaller and zooming in.

Though, now that I think about it, it’s kinda appropriate for Entry #4 to have four versions.







But, seriously, “Cyber Crotch Power”? Wha-

Not very familiar with Galaxy Force's opener, a bit slow for my taste, but hey it's a pretty good one.

But watching the second one and seeing Dirt Boss, Clocker, and Brakedown reminded me of just how little they did during the series. Yeah they did provide some useful "local" information, but overall, not really important characters.

So many good memories of Galaxy Force, most of which are set to that song in my mind.

And now, we have reached a high climax of the countdown: the final Top 3 of the greatest Japanese TF opening themes

3. "Transformers ~Kōtetsu no Yūki~"
From: Chō Robotto Seimeitai Transformers: Micron Densetsu (Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Micron Legend)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4oQFTosAoU



Like Energon/Super Link, the Armada/Micron Densetsu cartoon is a hard nut to crack. Considered to be one of the more overall “average” series, it’s amazing that it had a theme song as epic as this! The second Japanese opening to Micron Densetsu, which began with episode 27, is a great song that stands out among many of the others as one of the few that truly feels like a Transformers song.

The beginning is cold, deep, and powerful, keeping the vocals almost completely silent until they call out “Transform!” in a majestic choral yell.

In a stark contrast to other songs, the chorus precedes the verses, playing at the beginning of the song before all else. This is actually a cool idea, as it jumps right into what the song is about without delay and gets ya all excited and pumped up for what’s coming in the rest of it.

The first stanza comes off as slow, but also friendly and easygoing. It effectively relaxes the listener for a bit after the high energy of the chorus, and also serves as clever façade for the more serious portions to come after it.

The second stanza of the verse increases in passion as it changes from friendly and fun to focused and determined, as though it were to say that it’s time for us to go forth and confront the challenges that await us in life, without any hesitations.

The chorus kicks in a second time with all its high-octane adrenaline flowing into us through our ears. It’s a great piece of music and lyrics that gleams with majesty and splendor, in a Transformers sense, that is.

To finish off the song is a coda version of the chorus, sung in a completely higher pitch that sounds grander than before and simply epic. It’s all fits together nicely with the emphasized use of the word “Transformers” at the end of each chorus stanza.

The visuals are a work of art, plain and simple. I love how it’s a Japanese Transformers theme song, yet it starts out with the English-language logo. To me, this is visual proof that the Transformers brand is recognized in Japan as an international name and not just as a domestic one to each country. This logo shoots out into the Micron Densetsu logo, which is then obscured by an initially illuminated Optimus Prime, who is then joined by silhouettes of his comrades that become colored in as their real selves.

Eight beams of light shoot forward into a galaxy, as the Autobots all run in space ("Of course! Don’t you know anything about SCIENCE?") with their insignia approaching from behind them. And surprisingly, the title logo reappears after this. But, it disappears one piece at a time, in perfect sync with the song’s beat. As it vanishes, it reveals Unicron in planet mode behind it.

Sideways transforms in space, while Tidal Wave combines with Megatron. Blurr, Side Swipe, and Scavenger all transform in fashions matched to the flow of the theme song, as do the three Mini-Con weapons. The five humans stand atop some kind of Cybertronian structure as several green energized Mini-Cons fly around both them and their protector: Perceptor.

Optimus is caught in an explosive battle on Unicron’s side. He seemingly slams Megatron to the ground (thought we don’t actually see the two make contact or even appear in the same frame together), then combines with Jetfire. We are then treated to a gorgeous view of a nine-square split screen of many characters performing various attacks, transformations, and poses.

The Matrix zooms out into the depths of space as Jet Optimus/Jet Convoy/Jet Prime/Jet Hawk/Jet Condor/Jet Swallow/Jet Owl/Jet Swan/Jet Icarus/Jet Garuda (whoops! Got carried away wit the wrong series! ) flies out and poses for battle. Megatron+Tidal Wave flies up to engage him, and the two proceed to stare at each other... wait, what?

A great fire emits in space, as it takes the form of Unicron’s robot mode looming over Cybertron. As the song concludes, every cast member—Autobot, Decepticon, human, Sideways—come into view for a beautiful final shot.

But notice that this final shot is the only time in the sequence that we actually see Galvatron. All other scenes in this show him as Megatron instead. Still, ‘tis epic, nonetheless.

Another theme that has long been on my playlists, good call. Can't wait to see the top two, hoping Transformers EVO gets in there somewhere.

Samsonator wrote:Can't wait to see the top two, hoping Transformers EVO gets in there somewhere.

We shall see, Samsonator. We shall se- Ah, slag it.

Ask and thou shalt receive.

2. " TRANSFORMERS EVO."
From: Transformers Animated

Amazing isn’t it; when a song so recent can top so many past ones that have had years and years to build up their legacies. Yet, this song toppled nearly all of the them (save for one, which we’ll get to eventually).

In actuality though, it was rather difficult for me to choose between this song and the previous one as to which was the superior song. Whereas that one was splendid beyond all reason, this one ultimately won out for it being just a smidge higher on the epic scale.

If there are two words that can be used to refer to this song, they would be “epic” and “glorious” (no Lugnut pun intended). This song is just ripe with epicness and glory! The chanting choir at the beginning starts off the song in a most elegant and majestic tone, with it immediately switching to a serious and powerful feel by the first lines of the first verse. It then kicks it up even further by adding in the other instruments in with the piano piece from before, which then remain in place for the remainder of the song.

All throughout the song is the beautiful sound of a high-pitched orchestral instrument (I wanna say that it’s of the string family) that gives the impression that this song is like a mix between a worship hymn and wild metal frenzy. Such oppositional blending in this case works, giving the song an extra level of ambitious splendor.

About midway through the first verse, the pacing increases and the intensity bottles up, ready to burst out with the chorus.

And that’s exactly what it does! With a cry of “Tatakae!” the chorus just blasts out at us, incorporating such Engrishy phrases as “Saa All I can do,” “And all you can do,” and the concluding “Touch and go!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYQxl4qFGp4



I don’t think there’s ever been a more wonderfully animated opening than these ones. I’m sure I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again. This. Opening. Is. GORGEOUS!!! Pure eye candy at its finest!

Though, there is one other this to be said about this opening. It is astronomically insane! So much stuff happens in this sequence that completely beats the show’s main storyline into a pulp!

It starts in outer space, zooming past planet after planet. When we get to Earth, we meet the secret love child of Space Ghost and the Joker, as the title sequence (that totally *doesn’t* rip off the look of the live action movie logos) appears.

Blitzwing and Lugnut chase Starscream over an ocean. Tank Mode Purple Shockwave (Eeee! Purple Shockwave!) blasts himself out from underground with Lockdown driving ahead of him. Blackarachnia jumps down, transforms, flashes an image of Elita-1 over herself, and commands the Dinobots to charge forward.

Ratchet, BB, and Prowl transform and drive onward in New York. Bulkhead, Arcee, and Ironhi—(*spits drink*) WAIT A MINUTE!!! Arcee and Ironhide?! What are they doing there?!! Oh, right, this song defies logic and common sense. It’s all good now.

Jazz, Blurr, and Jerk Convoy appear in stunning art designs. Optimus stands his ground, as the other Autobots all pose triumphantly. He then transforms, drives forward, and Ultra Magnus stands in the shadows with the Orion ship flying into view overhead.

Next up, it’s the AllSpark fragment-infused Screamer vs. BB in Paris, Prowl vs. Lockdown in Osaka, Bulkhead vs. Lugnut (Yay!) on the Great Wall of China (though, the Moscow Kremlin is strangely there too), and Blitzwing in Egypt vs. Ironhide in Sydney (yep, complete and utter defiance of logic ).

Arcee and Blackarachnia duke it out underwater (so, would that make it a wet cat fight? ) at what looks to be Atlantis, as do Ratchet and Longarm Prime (SPOILERS! Longarm is Shockwave ).

The Starscream clones fly in the Batman: TAS-esque red sky with a ‘Con symbol in it, as Cybertron Mode Megatron appears with them and fires eye beams down at the Autobot Elite Guard in Washington D.C. But Optimus stops the blast with his fist and, with Ultra Magnus pounding his hammer into the ground to power him up, uses Burning Justice to fly up to Megatron (now in his Earth Mode and looking all spectral like) to pummel him.

At the end comes the most awesome family reunion portrait ever! Though, they must have shrunk Omega Supreme in the wash or something to get him to fit in work his ‘Bot buddies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8GDArLUf2E



In episode 13, the opening was modified just a bit to include many new sound effects accompanying the visuals of the sequence (as if it wasn’t awesome already ). Though, since there’s so many sounds added into this, I’ll just say that wherever there’s some form of action going on, there’s most likely been a sound added to it.

In other words, they’re everywhere!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRF045O98gM



Before I comment on this opening, note the message from Bumblebee, kids. We don’t want another Pokémon episode, er, “episode”.

Now to talk about the opening itself, starting with episode 17 (U.S. episode 18), the visuals in this opening were changed, but so were the lyrics! The main verse in this song is actually just the second verse of the full version, with the chorus being the second version as well. The only difference from the full version and this version here (aside from the running time) is the “Touch and go!” line used here instead of the “Get and Go!” line heard in its place within the full song.

As for the visual changes, after the underwater fight, instead of seeing the Screamer clones and Cybertron Mode Megs, we see Earth Mode Megs in his altmode hovering in the red sky. Soundwave transforms and jumps in front of him, followed by his Electrostatic avatar, who grabs and twirls Laserbeak around in his guitar mode. Swindle transforms and jumps forward with them, and after a close up of Swindle’s mug, Megatron is in his Robot Mode with a Blackout set at each of his sides. The two Blackouts transform as Megatron’s face zooms in and blasts the Elite Guard down at Washington.


ADDENDUM:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueQA3QUO-eY



This time, Optimus reminds to not get seizures while watching the TV. I guess we’ll never get over what that Pokémon episode did to the Japanese. Anyway…



This version of the opening played in the final episode of the Japanese dub of Animated, and it is both hilarious and awesome! Like the singalong versions of the two Beast wars Metals openings, this one is sung by the cast of the Animated’s dub. It isn’t as funny as those two other singalongs, but the sheer fact that they’re singing []this[/i] song makes it awesome!

Though, aside from the added singers, there are some unique differences between this version and the previous ones. This song uses the lyrics of the first version (the first verses), but the visuals of the third version (Earth Mode Megatron, the Soundwaves, the Blackouts, and Swindle).

All in all, this is a great way to finish off the Animated series in its finest.