>
shop.seibertron.com amazon.seibertron.com Facebook Twitter X YouTube Pinterest Instagram Myspace LinkedIn Patreon Podcast RSS
This page runs on affiliate links — your clicks may earn us a few Shanix. Want the full transmission? Roll out to our Affiliate Disclosure.

Were Megatron and Galvatron 2 separate characters in Japan?

Sunday, September 14th, 2003 11:21PM CDT

Category: Site Articles
Posted by: Seibertron   Views: 57,982

Written by DrSpengler


"So Megatron was Galvatron in Japan?"


Yeah, it’s true. From an American perspective the Japanese continuity is all sorts of crazy. And the internet hasn’t done much to help. With all kinds of whacky rumors or just completely fabricated BS, newcomers to the Japanese universe of the Transformers are more confused than anything else. Me? I have seen every episode of the Transformers (US or Japanese) and read every issue of the manga. There’s a lot of wild rumors and crap out there that needs to be set straight, so I’ll start with one of the biggest misconceptions American Transfans have about the Japanese continuity.


So Megatron and Galvatron are two completely different characters, right? Wrong.


Yeah, the Japanese continuity on this subject is REALLY confusing because…well, they WERE two completely different characters at first. Let’s start with Scramble City Toys (called Scramble City 2 by some). This was a stop-motion OVA released by Takara. It was a remake of the original animated Scramble City OVA and featured voice-overs from the original Japanese cast. Were Megatron and Galvatron 2 separate characters in Japan? Basically it was just a half-hour commercial promoting the toys. So what made it different from its animated counterpart? This one featured Galvatron. Actually, it featured Megatron ordering Galvatron around as if he were a subordinate. This is where the misconception begins. When Scramble City Toys was made the backgrounds of the newer characters had yet to be fully developed. Takara wasn’t sure how the Galvatron character was going to turn out but they wanted to market him as early as possible. While the original Scramble City takes place in Japanese continuity Scramble City Toys DOES NOT. It is merely a commercial. A really long commercial, but a commercial none-the-less.


And now you ask "But I’ve seen scans from the manga that shows Galvatron and Megatron side by side!". Calm down, Francine. Yeah, Comics Bon Bon did a lot of promo art for the toys. One shows Ultra Magnus and Galvatron duking it out on the shoulder of Metroflex (Metroplex in America) while Megatron watches in the back. Well, there’s an explanation for that too. Comics Bon Bon wasn’t given info on the characters when they did the art. They were just given the toys and told to make them look cool. How were they supposed to know? Even worse, when they began work on the 2010 manga for Terebi Magazine (TV Magazine) they were not told that Megatron and Galvatron were separate. As a result Megatron and Galvatron show up together. The artists and writers were quickly set straight afterward and, for lack of a better term, "pretended" that error never happened.


Yeah, it’s confusing. But if the Japanese can get over it so can we Americans


Now for the Movie. Yes, it takes place in exactly the same time as it does in the American continuity. Then why was it released in 1989 in Japan, you ask? Well, that’s a tough one. There is no definite answer as to why. Some say it was the fact that it financially BOMBED in the US, others say that the killing off of major characters would have negatively effected Japanese toy sales. But don’t think for a second that Japanese Transfans back in 1986 were left in the dark. Recaps of the movie’s events were in just about every shoujo magazine including Terebi Magazine (the official magazine for Transformers over in Japan). And don’t think that bootlegs never showed up there either. On top of that in the first episode of Transformers 2010 (season 3) there is a narrated recap explaining the events from the movie for the audience’s benefit.


And now comes the kicker, that stupid rumor that in the Transformers: the Battlestars manga Super Megatron is sent to kill Galvatron. I don’t know who dreamed that up but IT NEVER HAPPENED! Dark Nova resurrected Galvatron from the North Pole (where he got buried in Headmasters) and upgraded him into Super Megatron on the spot.


So there you have it. In Japanese continuity Megatron IS Galvatron. This is about as simplified as it gets. If you’re still confused ... well, I’m sorry.

News Search

Got Transformers News? Let us know here!


[ Incoming message. Source unknown. ] No Signal - Please Stand By [ Click to attempt signal recovery... ]


Transformers and More @ The Seibertron Store

Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "WFC-S16 PTERAXADON Transformers War for Cybertron Siege Battle Master 2019 New"
WFC-S16 PTERAXADON ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "WFC-E1 SOUNDBARRIER Transformers War Cybertron Earthrise Battle Master 2020 New"
WFC-E1 SOUNDBARRIE ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "Decepticon MIRAGE Transformers War Cybertron Trilogy Earthrise Netflix 250317"
Decepticon MIRAGE ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "WFC-K7 PALEOTREX Transformers War Cybertron Kingdom Deluxe Hasbro 2020 New"
WFC-K7 PALEOTREX T ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "GALVATRON Transformers Studio Series 86-31 Movie Leader Class Hasbro 2025 New"
GALVATRON Transfor ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "WFC-E18 AIRWAVE Transformers War for Cybertron Earthrise Deluxe Hasbro 2020 New"
WFC-E18 AIRWAVE Tr ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "WFC-S2 LIONIZER Transformers War for Cybertron Siege Battle Master 2019 250317"
WFC-S2 LIONIZER Tr ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "WFC-K21 SOUNDWAVE Transformers War for Cybertron Kingdom Core 2021 250303A"
WFC-K21 SOUNDWAVE ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "WFC-S18 RAVAGE Transformers War for Cybertron Siege Micromaster 2019 250330"
WFC-S18 RAVAGE Tra ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "WFC-S35 RED ALERT Transformers War for Cybertron Siege Deluxe Class 2019 250303A"
WFC-S35 RED ALERT ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "KUP Transformers Studio Series 86-02 Animated Movie Deluxe Hasbro 2021 250303A"
KUP Transformers S ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "Transformers Studio Series 86-29 Bumblebee Animated Movie Deluxe Hasbro 2024 New"
Transformers Studi ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "Sharkticon GNAW Transformers Studio Series 86-08 Animated Movie Deluxe 2021 New"
Sharkticon GNAW Tr ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "WFC-S1 FIREDRIVE Transformers War for Cybertron Siege Battle Master 2019 250317"
WFC-S1 FIREDRIVE T ...
These are affiliate links. We may earn a commission.
Details subject to change. See listing for latest price and availability.

Featured Products on Amazon.com

Buy "Transformers Deluxe 20 Mercenary Action Figure" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Studio Series Number 14 Voyager Class Autobot Ironhide" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers: Generations Power of The Primes Deluxe Class Dinobot Sludge" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers: Generations Power of the Primes Voyager Class Starscream" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Combiner Wars Blast Off Megatronus Prime Master" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Toys, Power Charge Bumblebee Action Figure - Spinning Core, Lights and Sounds - Toys for Kids 6 and Up, 10.5-inch" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Studio Series 09 Voyager Class Movie 2 Thundercracker" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Power of The Primes Deluxe Terrorcon Cutthroat" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Titans Return Deluxe Autobot Topspin and Freezeout" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Deluxe Class Brawl" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers: Bumblebee -- Energon Igniters Speed Series Optimus Prime" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Attacker 20 Costanza Action Figure" on AMAZON
These are affiliate links. We may earn a commission.
Details subject to change. See listing for latest price and availability.