The Energon Pub

News Credits: 1350 · by **ZeroWolf** » Wed Oct 14, 2020 5:59 am

Greetings Seibertronians! An interesting new item has been found on the Japanese Amazon site that may get the attention of Beast Wars fans! A listing has been found for a Transformers Beast Wars Beast Generations mook (a magazine designed to have a longer shelf life then other magazines, mook is a portmanteau of magazine and book). So far there isn't any cover pictures and only the description to go on.

Here is a machine translation of the product description:

Amazon wrote:Transformer Beast Wars Beast Generation (Hobby Japan MOOK1043)

The world's first mook that summarizes the "Beast Wars" series, which recorded a big hit with a novel gimmick that animals "transform" into robots instead of cars and airplanes from the deformed toy series "Transformers" which is still popular worldwide Appeared.
Introducing successive domestic and foreign items developed from "Beast Wars: Transformers of Super Life" in 1997 to "Beast Wars: Transformers of Super Life" in 2004 with new shooting.
In addition, we will also record valuable existing materials and developer interviews.

The title is due to be released on December 3rd, 2020.

Will you be getting this? Do you think there may be further Kingdom teases within it? Or even a glimpse at the rumored MP Rattrap? Let us know in the Energon Pub and stay tuned to Seibertron for all the latest news and reviews!

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Wed Oct 14, 2020 9:49 am

The 2004 bit is in regards to Beast Wars Returns (Beast Machines) since Japan didn't get that series until that year.

News Credits: 1350 · by **ZeroWolf** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 8:02 am

Greetings Seibertronians! Following from the reveal of the Transformers Beast Wars Beast Generations Mook, a user by the name of Liumeiwang from the Chinese social media site, Weibo has posted 16 pages from the mook and breakdown of the content featured. Be advised though this their post has been machine translated and thus, is not reliable.

Liumeiwang wrote:The
Japanese version of " Beast Generations" "Monthly Hobby Japan" is a column serialized between January and August of 2020. It describes all aspects of the Beast Wars series from 8 topics.
The first round: the initiation of the Beast War; the
second round: the Convoy; the
third round: the poisonous spider; the
fourth round: the difficult metamorphosis; the
fifth round: the Japanese beast; the
sixth round : The Return of the Beast War; Chapter
Seven: Questionnaire for TF Group Staff of TT;
Final Chapter : Mecha Sergeant.
In the final time, it was announced that there was a plan to release an increased volume of "Beast Generation" (refer to "Transformers Generation" (commonly known as Transformers Encyclopedia) series).

From the images it looks like it'll be covering Car Robots as well as the various Beast Wars series.

What do you think of these? Will you be preordering? Let us know in the Energon Pub and stay tuned to Seibertron for all the latest news and reviews!

News Credits: 18 · by **Immortal Starscream** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 8:41 am

I spy a random animorph in there =P

by **angtre** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 8:57 am

I was just wondering who the intruder was, thank you!

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 9:55 am

Oh man, this mook is covering way more than I was expecting. I know it's not likely to happen, but it's enough to really make me wish that this would get an English version, even one that still focused on the Japanese side of things.

News Credits: 1350 · by **ZeroWolf** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 10:17 am

Sabrblade wrote:Oh man, this mook is covering way more than I was expecting. I know it's not likely to happen, but it's enough to really make me wish that this would get an English version, even one that still focused on the Japanese side of things.

I'm the same, though at least the pictures will look good :lol:

News Credits: 56 · by **o.supreme** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 10:27 am

Immortal Starscream wrote:I spy a random animorph in there =P

Is that was that nightmarish thing is to the left of the Diver/Niagra set? I asked on another forum yesterday, but I guess it got buried. I only remember the few kids/animals Animorph toys, nothing like that. My kids actually watched the show when it was on Netflix a few years back. I fully admit it was desperate on Hasbro's part to slap the TF brand on Animorphs. In the end it didn't really help, but I guess it probably didn't hurt either. Were they actually released in Japan? Or is this book just trying to cover everything from that time period?

News Credits: 18 · by **Immortal Starscream** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 10:39 am

o.supreme wrote:
Immortal Starscream wrote:I spy a random animorph in there =P

Is that was that nightmarish thing is to the left of the Diver/Niagra set? I asked on another forum yesterday, but I guess it got buried. I only remember the few kids/animals Animorph toys, nothing like that. My kids actually watched the show when it was on Netflix a few years back. I fully admit it was desperate on Hasbro's part to slap the TF brand on Animorphs. In the end it didn't really help, but I guess it probably didn't hurt either. Were they actually released in Japan? Or is this book just trying to cover everything from that time period?

ya, that is the main villain, whos name I had to google to remember (visser three). thats the Mega version, which had 3 modes.* edit: looking closer that is not the mega, that is the smaller figure. I forgot that the mega version was skittles colored. Technically, one of the few decent toys from the line. Though they did set the bar pretty low. I liked the trex trio, and the mega scale tobias is easily one of the best bird transformers ever made imho, except for his floppy falls off hands.

as for them in Japan, idk. I know according to the afore mentioned google search, there are 2 toys that are listed as non U.S. only.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 10:43 am

o.supreme wrote:
Immortal Starscream wrote:I spy a random animorph in there =P

Is that was that nightmarish thing is to the left of the Diver/Niagra set? I asked on another forum yesterday, but I guess it got buried. I only remember the few kids/animals Animorph toys, nothing like that. My kids actually watched the show when it was on Netflix a few years back. I fully admit it was desperate on Hasbro's part to slap the TF brand on Animorphs. In the end it didn't really help, but I guess it probably didn't hurt either. Were they actually released in Japan? Or is this book just trying to cover everything from that time period?

I think it's covering everything. There's a lot of Hasbro-only stuff in the above pics as well as Takara stuff.

As for the Animorphs line, the human toys were bad. Very bad. Which is why I only got the four non-human toys that changed from aliens into monsters:

Mega class Ax/Scorpion
Mega class Visser Three/Inferno Creature
Ultra class triple changer Visser Three/Inferno Beast/Hork-Bajir
And even the uber-rare European-only Deluxe class Taxxon/Alien

Their construction, engineering, molded details, and gradient coloring make them feel like lost Transmetal 2 toys.

News Credits: 18 · by **Immortal Starscream** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 10:47 am

Sabrblade wrote:
o.supreme wrote:
Immortal Starscream wrote:I spy a random animorph in there =P

Is that was that nightmarish thing is to the left of the Diver/Niagra set? I asked on another forum yesterday, but I guess it got buried. I only remember the few kids/animals Animorph toys, nothing like that. My kids actually watched the show when it was on Netflix a few years back. I fully admit it was desperate on Hasbro's part to slap the TF brand on Animorphs. In the end it didn't really help, but I guess it probably didn't hurt either. Were they actually released in Japan? Or is this book just trying to cover everything from that time period?
I think it's covering everything. There's a lot of Hasbro-only stuff in the above pics as well as Takara stuff.

As for the Animorphs line, the human toys were bad. Very bad. Which is why I only got the four non-human toys that changed from aliens into monsters:
Mega class Ax/Scorpion
Mega class Visser Three/Inferno Creature
Ultra class triple changer Visser Three/Inferno Beast/Hork-Bajir
And even the uber-rare European-only Deluxe class Taxxon/Alien

Their construction, engineering, molded details, and gradient coloring make them feel like lost Transmetal 2 toys.

I still say retool this guy to have decent hands, a cool robot face, chest and crotch and you would have had an awesome beastwars figure. sadly, mine eventually broke, but he may still get a kitbash/repair job

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 10:52 am

Immortal Starscream wrote:I still say retool this guy to have decent hands, a cool robot face, chest and crotch and you would have had an awesome beastwars figure. sadly, mine eventually broke, but he may still get a kitbash/repair job

Errgh, retool Tobias's chest and waist to lose the school clothes too.

News Credits: 18 · by **Immortal Starscream** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 10:58 am

Sabrblade wrote:
Immortal Starscream wrote:I still say retool this guy to have decent hands, a cool robot face, chest and crotch and you would have had an awesome beastwars figure. sadly, mine eventually broke, but he may still get a kitbash/repair job
Errgh, retool Tobias's chest and waist to lose the school clothes too.

thats what I said =P make him into a completely new cybertronian character and just forget animorphs were ever a thing =P

News Credits: 12 · by **Razorbeast88** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 1:56 pm

Those animorphs kinda remind me of beast machines noble/savage lol

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 1:09 pm

Sabrblade wrote:

Their construction, engineering, molded details, and gradient coloring make them feel like lost Transmetal 2 toys.

Curious. To my eye, this guy seems to share some more overt engineering, tying it in with TM2 (and beyond?).

If this mook ever gets an English language release, I'd have the pre-order same day.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 1:23 pm

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:

Their construction, engineering, molded details, and gradient coloring make them feel like lost Transmetal 2 toys.

Curious. To my eye, this guy seems to share some more overt engineering, tying it in with TM2 (and beyond?).

The Taxxon definitely has the same walking legs gimmick as the Megatron Megabolt mold, yes.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 1:25 pm

Plus, the bipedal mode definitely has TM2 Scourge's legs.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 1:29 pm

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:Plus, the bipedal mode definitely has TM2 Scourge's legs.

Sort of. The double knees can actually straighten out, unlike Scourge's legs.

The Taxxon's legs just look better bent like that since straightening them out looks more silly, what with how tiny and thin they are compared the rest of its much larger and bulky upper body, which would thus make it look like it's walking on sticks for legs.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 1:40 pm

Oh I see, they straighten?? Silliness aside, it looks like the figure would be far too top heavy if that were the default.

by **Grahf_** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:49 pm

Razorbeast88 wrote:Those animorphs kinda remind me of beast machines noble/savage lol

The Beast Wars Mutants were cancelled Animorphs figures. Similar concept to Savage/Noble.

News Credits: 12 · by **Razorbeast88** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:59 pm

Grahf_ wrote:
Razorbeast88 wrote:Those animorphs kinda remind me of beast machines noble/savage lol
The Beast Wars Mutants were cancelled Animorphs figures. Similar concept to Savage/Noble.

Makes sense! I appreciate the info!

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 10:22 am

Cover art - https://twitter.com/HobbyJapan_MAG/status/1329059785501622282

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 10:37 am

RID is part of beast wars?

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 10:44 am

william-james88 wrote:RID is part of beast wars?

Car Robots, the Japanese version, is part of the Beast Era, yes.

The English version, Robots in Disguise, however, is its own unique standalone thing because it made enough changes to stand on its own.

To quote Chris McFeely:

I mean it's not lumping, for all intents and purposes, Car Robots IS part of the Beast Era. In Hasbro markets we tend to think of it as more of a transitional series between the Beast Era and the Unicron Trilogy - moving from North American production to Japanese, from CG to cel-animated anime, switching to the logo that would be used across all brands for the next five years - but in Japan, they'd already done two cel-animated Beast series, so it wasn't unusual and after Car Robots, they took two years off, with no new TF cartoons on TV until Armada started the Unicron Trilogy in 2003. As you say, it uses BW toys, and the new toy engineering - particularly on figures like the Autobot Brothers - is pure Japanese Beast Era shellforming, and even the re-use of molds from previous lines had already been done by BWII, so it wasn't unusual either. In a Japanese book, it'd be weird to exclude it.