Transformers Animation And CG Series
Transformers first debuted in 1984 after a joint venture deal between Hasbro and Diaclone Toys.
From just toys merchanise with no back story behind to a full-fledged animation and CG series and one movie.
The first 3 episodes of Season 1 is a trilogy of the war between Autobots and Decepticons from Cybertron to Earth and their continuing battle for Energon which are perceived to be in abundance through our planet’s natural resources.
Being mostly in vehicles form and starting out as Cybertronian civilians, the Autobots were constantly at a major disadvantage and outsmarted and outarmed by their Decepticon foes.
The only reason that galvanised them into a united fighting force is their leader Optimus Prime which plays a prominent role along with his sidekick – by most fans’ popular choice – small but valiant Bumblebee.
The Decepticons are much larger, each about 2-3 times the average size of Autobots given their ability to transform into real fighter jets despite them being outnumbered 11 to 18 by Autobots.
Besides fighter jets, they have their capability to convert into weaponry and gadgets such as their leader Megatron into a gun and his second-in-command into cassette player with his sidekicks turning from cassettes into small but mean warriors and beasts.
But as the seasons progressed from Season 2 to 3, new Transformers emerged in the form of subgroups, combiner subgroups, Head and Targetmasters in which humans and robots co-ordinated together as a unified fighting forces.
In between Season 2 and 3, there was a featured movie in 1986 called Transformers – The Movie in which Optimus Prime dies fighting Megatron and his new successor emerging in the form of Rodimus Prime though his perceived handover was to Ultra Magnus.
After Season 3 trilogy of Head-And-Targetmasters in 1987, the US producers decided not to continue their TV animated series due to financial issues and their Japanese counterparts took over throughout late 1980s and mid 1990s with the new Headmasters, V-Victory and Transformers Zone.
But in 1995, the US decided to get involved again in the first CG series called Transformers Beast Wars and 12 years later, the first live action movie directed by Michael Bay.
