The Energon Pub

I was thinking the other night about the MP line and it so far being totally comprised of G1 Season 1-4 characters (minus a few exceptions), and the fact that the line is main audience (or market rather) is Japan. Isn't that kinda messed up? How do they feel about us getting all the characters we love, and having the Japanese G1 community largely ignored?

And that's just the MP line. The reissues are in a far sadder state. At least they've gotten Starsaber and SoundBlaster out of it, but what Japanese only character has been reissued over the years? Very few....

So I wonder, do they feel like they're getting the short end of the stick?

shajaki wrote:I was thinking the other night about the MP line and it so far being totally comprised of G1 Season 1-4 characters (minus a few exceptions), and the fact that the line is main audience (or market rather) is Japan. Isn't that kinda messed up? How do they feel about us getting all the characters we love, and having the Japanese G1 community largely ignored?

And that's just the MP line. The reissues are in a far sadder state. At least they've gotten Starsaber and SoundBlaster out of it, but what Japanese only character has been reissued over the years? Very few....

So I wonder, do they feel like they're getting the short end of the stick?

Kinda confused with this piece. The G1 JP audience is ignored yet the main audience of MP is the JP market?

Nearly 90% of the MP is G1. Most of which the mold choices were probably based on pre market demographic screening prior to getting the green light (Starsaber for instance..overwhelming JP). I don't think their (the Japanese voices) were ignored.In fact, a lot of gaijins were against MP Starsaber which was an overwhelming success based on those JP top 10 toys released.

As for Encore, I agree that after Fortmax and the so called rumors of G1 Starsaber turned out to be a red herring, everything has been downhill. Starconvoy and 6 liner were released years apart then no Grandus? So cruel

Especially after the Tomy merger, seems like Takara has been more "cautious" with their releases.

shajaki wrote:I was thinking the other night about the MP line and it so far being totally comprised of G1 Season 1-4 characters (minus a few exceptions), and the fact that the line is main audience (or market rather) is Japan. Isn't that kinda messed up? How do they feel about us getting all the characters we love, and having the Japanese G1 community largely ignored?

And that's just the MP line. The reissues are in a far sadder state. At least they've gotten Starsaber and SoundBlaster out of it, but what Japanese only character has been reissued over the years? Very few....

So I wonder, do they feel like they're getting the short end of the stick?

I hear you. But they are huge fans there and they are fond of the outings even if they arent japan specific. Plus there is all the diaclone stuff they did which is very integral to the japanese identity of these toys (their origin), so they get recognition there too.

And they are also conscious that not only japanese people will buy these. I truly believe that the people at Takara are targetting fans in general and not just the japanese ones. And more popular characters taht everyone know can sell well and finance the more niche characters/decos.

But for reissues, I find that one odd. I have no clue why characters like Liokaiser, Raiden and Overlord havent been reissued when they would sell super well (at least I am assuming). I am pretty sad that for 2 years now Takara hasnt reissued any G1 molds throgh a line of their own.

What worries me about Takara Tomy is that they are doing nothing to bring in younger fans into the transformer franchise. 99% of their transformer toys are from the 1989 characters. Hasbro is the only side of the pacific ocean that is doing all the heavy lifting with trying to get younger generations into the transformers franchise.

Towline wrote:What worries me about Takara Tomy is that they are doing nothing to bring in younger fans into the transformer franchise. 99% of their transformer toys are from the 1989 characters. Hasbro is the only side of the pacific ocean that is doing all the heavy lifting with trying to get younger generations into the transformers franchise.

Takara's Arms Micron line was only targetted at young kids, to the point where they made extra holes on the toys to work with their exclusive micron model kits powered by gems.

In an interview in Dengeki Hobby magazine, TakaraTomy designers Takashi Nakase and Hironori Kobayashi explained the reasons Microns played so heavily into the Japanese Prime line when it wasn't designed that way from the start:
Takashi Nakase: The biggest reason is that we wanted to raise the target age group. In past series, the target ages were small children and their fathers, but the age group which is actually able to enjoy transforming toys is 7 ~ 9 years old. We went back to the beginning and considered appropriate products for that age group, and came up with the concept of "customising". That is why Arms Microns need to be assembled from parts, and stickers are included to be put on the main figure - to give the feeling of "completing" the toy as one's own.
Hironori Kobayashi: We conducted a play session with children where they played freely with Movie series Transformers, mixed with various items such as Minicons, and found that they mostly enjoyed combining Minicons to make larger weapons or to customise the Transformers. We thought it might have some potential.
Model-making is huge in Japan for the 7-and-up crowd. Mega-huge.

It would be interesting to see some attention paid to the "Japanese-only" TF characters. It's not like the rest of the world is cut off from that material these days (y'know, information superhighway, digital age, global community and all that). I'd like to see some Dai Atlases, Road Caesars, and Dinoforces sometime soon (also an American version of Star Saber that isn't a homicidal religious zealot).

Maybe CW Liokaizer will open the gates a little.

Glarryg

Glarryg wrote:(also an American version of Star Saber that isn't a homicidal religious zealot).

I like that take on him. Got enough super heroes in the brand. I really like Victory's Star Saber characterization as well, for the record. About as American as you can get there Besides, it's probably just one of Tyrest's suits like the Magnus armor anyhow.

Towline wrote:What worries me about Takara Tomy is that they are doing nothing to bring in younger fans into the transformer franchise. 99% of their transformer toys are from the 1989 characters. Hasbro is the only side of the pacific ocean that is doing all the heavy lifting with trying to get younger generations into the transformers franchise.

This doesn't make any sense. Transformers Adventure, GO!, Q-Transformers, the Kabaya gum kits, trading/capsule toys, and even the Unicron Trilogy consisting of (essentially) three anime series are all Takara/Takara Tomy going after their younger market. Sure, there's no equivalent of Rescue Bots, but I think it remains to be seen whether or not that translates into new, older children and teenagers as fans. Heck, Transformers GO! took over for them after the second season of Prime and it is aimed at a far younger audience then Prime ever was, and as Will pointed out there was the inclusion of kits in the AM line.

This part isn't a reply to anyone's post, but just a general statement. It's good to remember as well that while Transformers is the biggest franchise brand with big 'ol robots doing things here in North America, there are a litany of Giant/Super Robot and Real Robot series to contend with in Asia, including Gundam. To ignore Gundam when thinking critically about Japanese Transformers lines is foolish. You know how HLJ carries a wide variety of Japanese hobby products? You know what franchise is the only one to have it's own very obvious section? Gundam. (btw, anyone else watch Thunderbolt yet? Holy crap, SO GOOD!)