Every long-running toyline changes as time goes on. Even if you trace the modern "Generations" retail line all the way back to "Classics" in 2006, you'll find the design team and philosophy has changed many times over. We went from "modern" updates of G1 characters to a celebration of the entire Transformers franchise, to just Deluxe figures, to a downsizing of all size classes, to another tribute to all things Transformers (focusing primarily on IDW comics designs), and then back to G1 redux, keeping closer to the G1 designs than Classics but providing updated toy engineering and sensibilities. The Masterpiece line has changed hands a few times now too, with different directors and designers taking the lead. Of course the vision and mission statement is going to change. The Masterpiece line has been going on since around the Classics era of Generations.
Black Hat wrote:I get that, but I for one really don't think that's a good thing, nor a thing to be supported. The MP line, even accounting for the improvements in technology, was never supposed to be "the cartoon models in 3D"- it was always "The essence of the character distilled into a modern, good-looking toy" as I believe Hasui put it.
That hasn't really been true since MP-10, though. That was a very concerted effort to make the figures look a lot more screen accurate. No one likes the way the Seekers turned out before (MP-3, etc.). MP-1 Optimus was too big and had wonky proportions too. Megatron was far from what anyone wanted in terms of looks and quality. With MP-10 forward, the idea was to make G1 characters with their original licensed alt modes (or use characters that don't need licensing) and robot modes that looked mostly like the on-screen models. They weren't trying to make toy accurate robot modes or detailing by any stretch of the imagination. Although a lot of character choices were originally constrained by what licenses Takara could get, most of the characters they did didn't need a lot of fudging or compromise to get a reasonably good looking robot mode out of a real car or whatever. Now they're onto the harder stuff like Sunstreaker, Megatron, and the Beast Wars cast, and more "cheats" are needed. They've always preferred the cartoon look of characters since MP-10, and now they have to work harder to do so, though they also have learned new techniques to make such possible. Everything about how the Masterpiece line has changed over the years makes perfect sense. It would never have been this popular and long-lived if they had stayed with the original design vision from MP-1 through 8 or 9.
Ironhidensh wrote:I've learned not to criticize an MP until I have it in hand.
Wise words, my friend.
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