The Energon Pub

So I'm almost done watching G1 for the first time. My first G1 experience was Transformers:the movie, which i really liked. So skip ahead 10 years or so and i finally start watching the series. In my own opinion this show is god awful. Some episodes were just plan old WTF. I have no idea about which transformers were which and couldn't identify with any of them. I do like the Mythos it created and some of the story lines were pretty good. Overall So bad it's good, not that's a bad thing at all. Now time to see about watching Beastwars, i grew up watching that one and liked it. So for anyone who grew up watching Transfomers or Beastwars how does the sow age to you?

My 1st experience with animated G1 was also the 86 movie, and I love it to this day. The show, however, never really impressed me. Of course, take into consideration that it was a 22-minute toy commercial, and combine that with the animation errors and politics behind it (how fast episodes needed to be made, written in America, animated in Japan) and you get the glorious fail that is G1. Yes, I said fail. For back then, it was great watching it on Saturdays, but now? I never have any inclination to watch any episodes other than MTMTE, the Ultimate Doom, and Rebirth. I do like Headmasters, Masterforce, and Victory, though they were Japanese G1 only, available now on DVD. I just wish Zone had been continued.

As for Beast Wars, it's leaps and bound ahead of G1 in every imaginable way. Graphics, story, presentation. It's considered part of G1, but it's so much more fun to watch.

Perhaps nostalgia really is the driving force behind the longevity of the G1 cartoon...
Of course, many things age. They age badly. Look at He-Man! But back then, he was the most powerful man in the universe and we all thought he was badass.

Transformers is no different, a product of its time. Disregarding errors, and looking past the cheap animation, there is some joy to be found. A little. I'm occasionally surprised that some episodes are watchable.
The ones I enjoy watching most are the ones I had on VHS as a kid. The memories associated with the cartoon are probably better than the cartoon itself - and that's why DVDs sell. ^_^

Beast Wars is a totally different story. It was made in a different decade, with a different philosophy. Sure, it was supposed to support the toy line, but it didn't really do a very good job... Besides the cast of five each side, they maybe introduced four new characters a year? That leaves about a hundred "non-show" toys on the pegs. ^_^
Clearly, they paid more attention to character development and story than G1 did.

The action, story and humour all elevate Beast Wars above just about any children's show ever, and I don't think I've ever met a single person who doesn't still watch it.

TheBossII wrote:So I'm almost done watching G1 for the first time. My first G1 experience was Transformers:the movie, which i really liked. So skip ahead 10 years or so and i finally start watching the series. In my own opinion this show is god awful. Some episodes were just plan old WTF. I have no idea about which transformers were which and couldn't identify with any of them. I do like the Mythos it created and some of the story lines were pretty good. Overall So bad it's good, not that's a bad thing at all. Now time to see about watching Beastwars, i grew up watching that one and liked it. So for anyone who grew up watching Transfomers or Beastwars how does the sow age to you?

I guess it's your opinion. But that was an 80's show, it's fun to go on tfwiki and see all the animation mistakes you never have noticed! I also enjoyed Beast Wars, It was very advanced animation for its time.

Justanormalguy wrote:

TheBossII wrote:So I'm almost done watching G1 for the first time. My first G1 experience was Transformers:the movie, which i really liked. So skip ahead 10 years or so and i finally start watching the series. In my own opinion this show is god awful. Some episodes were just plan old WTF. I have no idea about which transformers were which and couldn't identify with any of them. I do like the Mythos it created and some of the story lines were pretty good. Overall So bad it's good, not that's a bad thing at all. Now time to see about watching Beastwars, i grew up watching that one and liked it. So for anyone who grew up watching Transfomers or Beastwars how does the sow age to you?

I guess it's your opinion. But that was an 80's show, it's fun to go on tfwiki and see all the animation mistakes you never have noticed! I also enjoyed Beast Wars, It was very advanced animation for its time.

And then it's fun going back and seeing them in-episode.

PrymeStriker wrote:

Justanormalguy wrote:

TheBossII wrote:So I'm almost done watching G1 for the first time. My first G1 experience was Transformers:the movie, which i really liked. So skip ahead 10 years or so and i finally start watching the series. In my own opinion this show is god awful. Some episodes were just plan old WTF. I have no idea about which transformers were which and couldn't identify with any of them. I do like the Mythos it created and some of the story lines were pretty good. Overall So bad it's good, not that's a bad thing at all. Now time to see about watching Beastwars, i grew up watching that one and liked it. So for anyone who grew up watching Transfomers or Beastwars how does the sow age to you?

I guess it's your opinion. But that was an 80's show, it's fun to go on tfwiki and see all the animation mistakes you never have noticed! I also enjoyed Beast Wars, It was very advanced animation for its time.

And then it's fun going back and seeing them in-episode.

*inserts mouthplateless Optimus prime episode*

Hmm, I found it be rather good, and at times brilliant. Yes, there were animation errors aplenty and some episodes were paper-thin, but when it clicked, it clicked. And I vastly prefer how the Autobots interacted with humans to almost any other version of the franchise.

Also, gimme the G1 humans over... 99% of any other human characters any day of the week. At the very least they were useful!

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:Hmm, I found it be rather good, and at times brilliant. Yes, there were animation errors aplenty and some episodes were paper-thin, but when it clicked, it clicked. And I vastly prefer how the Autobots interacted with humans to almost any other version of the franchise.

Also, gimme the G1 humans over... 99% of any other human characters any day of the week. At the very least they were useful!

Exactly!

I discovered Transformers in my mid-teens. Something 'clicked' in my head. These were so many good things in one package: robots, vehicles, machines, aliens, weapons, people, shiny colourful toys. In the UK, we had very limited exposure to the G1 cartoons. They were only shown once on one channel. There was no set time of broadcast. I felt lucky to see any episodes. The 1986 movie blew my mind.

Although I see the flaws in the G1 cartoons, they opened the door for all that came after, so I'm still grateful for them.