Transformers Masterpiece MP18+ Bluestreak in Anime Colors in Hand Images

Yeah that's the thing you'll notice since Megs, they nailing the faces.. Everything is so much better than it was when they first started.

Dang, those are some nice looking guns

I think it’s a real testament to these figures, Siege too, when they’re so well made and interesting and fun looking that you are drawn to it whether you’ve read the comic or watched the show the character was featured/expanded in. I’ve never seen an episode of Lio’s show but I know him as an iconic character and it’s just an incredibly cool figure.

Thanks to Youtube and them finally making some English Subtitles, I've been watching Beast Wars II over the weekend and man, what a goofy, but still fun series. It's interesting seeing how Lax and too cool of school Japan "Convoys" are compared to Optimus as characters. IT's also interesting seeing just how on point this MP actually is. I know people at first complained about the lion on the robot mode, but that's literally what it looks like when he becomes a robot. I literally turns more robotic looking.

Stargrave wrote: I’ve never seen an episode of Lio’s show but I know him as an iconic character

Because of the Prime head sculpt?

Much like the G1 Takara series, I had no idea BWII or Neo existed back in the day. Now, I loathe comic relief. In my view, you can be funny with your dialogue without resorting to stupidity and guffaws.
So when I did try to watch the pilot for BWII many years later, it completely rubbed me the wrong way. To be frank, I am completely indifferent to the Japanese BW Shows, to the point I see/acknowledge no link between them and the Mainframe series. As for the toys, the only figures from those lines I like are redecos or retools of existing BW figures. In their original colours, of course. As some of the repaints, such as Spittor and Claw Jaw, look terrible in Second/Neo.

My query however, was that you stated you'd never seen an episode of Second, but know Lio as an "iconic character".
As I said, yes, from a visual standpoint, he is Optimus Prime: The Lion. Aside from that. as he was a field commander of a single season show, he isn't really anymore iconic a character, per say, than other one off characters, such as Car Robot's Fire Truck Optimus or BM Nightscream...

I'd say Lio is iconic, but mileage would vary between perspectives. I also have no problems with how BWII and Neo turned out. Remember they were kids shows and geared as such, and don't forget cultural differences.

Iconic as well as in his design, wearing the lion head like a trophy you'd expect to see on Herakles but that was my point about cultural differences, between how Japan handles kid shows to how the west does it. I'd say that the anime BW series were aimed at a younger audience then say shows like Naruto or the later parts of Dragonball Z

Depends on how the home grown fans feel and let's face it, they know that they will get overseas sales for Lio to boot, this is win win for them.

What's cool about Lio too is that this is falling into something Scotty and the Podcast have been talking about for months now. For the 35th anniversary, they are trying to make updates to all of the Primes/Supreme Commanders in some form or another, and they've been working this over the past few years.

G1 Prime
G1 Rodimus Prime (last year)
Fort Max (TR)
Ginrai (TR)
Star Saber (MP, hopefully something mainline soon)
Dai Atlas (Legends)
Star Convoy (Selects)
G2 Prime (TR)
Optimus Primal (MP,PotP)
Lio convoy (MP)
Big Convoy (Encore rerelease)
Armada Prime (looking like Selects)
Energon Prime (CW maybe?)
Cybertron Prime (Siege)

There aren't that many commanders left to do after the past few years