Headmasters discussion

[Onslaught Six]

Spoiler

The destruction of Cybertron is what eventually leads Rodimus and co to go looking for a new planet to live on--presumably Planet Master becomes the new Cybertron, and this might carry all the way to BW.

So maybe Cybertron in BM always had organics.

Hi-Q wouldn't bother me as long as it's clear that he's a seperate character and NOT Optimus Prime. In fact, given that's what they called that component of him over here it would kinda make sense as they seem to be using US names whenever possible.

Except when they reissued PM Prime (with Godbomber as "Apex Armour" and kept his fists intact), they called him Ginrai. Although this was probably more due to trademark stuff than anything else.

[Gomess]

Dude, that spoiler chunk is seething with fanon, don't confuse Anderson any further! =p

[Onslaught Six]

Yeah, I know. I'm just messing.

[Shockwave]

Dude, that spoiler chunk is seething with fanon, don't confuse Anderson any further! =p

And you used the word "fanon" which is one of his pet peeves! Man, this must be turning out to be a very irritating thread for poor ol' Anderson

[andersonh1]

Dude, that spoiler chunk is seething with fanon, don't confuse Anderson any further! =p

And you used the word "fanon" which is one of his pet peeves! Man, this must be turning out to be a very irritating thread for poor ol' Anderson

I'm just going to have to stop reading before my head explodes!

[andersonh1]

Okay, we get two different titles for episode 3.
Menu - Behold the Birth of Double Prime
The episode - The Rebirth of Rodimus Prime

In any case, it looks like Prime wasted his time returning from the dead, since he dies at the end of this episode in a completely anticlimactic and unneccesary way. So he gets essentially one full episode of being alive (ROOP part 2), and then three episode of Headmasters, two of which he spends wandering around deep beneath Cybertron. And one has to wonder why, since everyone else takes minutes to get to Vector Sigma, or gets there before Prime (Cyclonus and Scourge) despite leaving for Vector Sigma well after Prime did. There's not a lot of logic to the plot this time around, as elapsed time and distances mean nothing.

And Prime sacrifices himself, why? Why not use the Matrix to stabilize Vector Sigma, which was supposedly the plan? I'm sure Rodimus would be happy to go back to being Hot Rod.

One amusing thing I noted in the subtitles, which I'll bet isn't an exact translation. When Defensor is fighting Bruticus, he says something about sending him "Straight to the Pit!" and Bruticus replies that Defensor will be going "to the Inferno". Anyone want to bet they originally said something about going to hell, or something along those lines? Hasbro or Shout Factory probably translated it in a more child-friendly way and referenced Transformers terms as well.

[Gomess]

Okay, we get two different titles for episode 3.
Menu - Behold the Birth of Double Prime
The episode - The Rebirth of Rodimus Prime

The first is more accurate, since the Japanese is something like "Double Convoy no Tanjou", if memory serves. Man, it's been too long since I watched Headmasters.

When Defensor is fighting Bruticus, he says something about sending him "Straight to the Pit!" and Bruticus replies that Defensor will be going "to the Inferno". Anyone want to bet they originally said something about going to hell, or something along those lines?

90% probability it was the classic anime "I'll be your guide to hell" - "You'll be the one needing a guide to hell!" exchange. The Omni dub is great here, as Defensor says, "Decepticons, we'll blow you off the face of the Earth!" to which Bruticus replies, "You'llbetheonestobeblownoffthefaceoftheEarth!" REALLY fast to squeeze it in before the cut.

...So, isn't it funny that they kill Optimus off so quickly? That's one area I'll definitely give The Rebirth points over Headmasters; they actually bothered to do things with Op, Hot Rod AND Ultra Magnus, rather than just shifting them all off to the side in a variety of ways. Not to mention Galvatron! Poor guy gets the shaft in Headmasters, but I do enjoy his portrayal at least.

That's the opening arc out the way now I think, Anderson. The rest of the show is almost totally episodic, with the odd bit of reincorporation- but nothing you won't have seen in the US show.

[andersonh1]

...So, isn't it funny that they kill Optimus off so quickly? That's one area I'll definitely give The Rebirth points over Headmasters; they actually bothered to do things with Op, Hot Rod AND Ultra Magnus, rather than just shifting them all off to the side in a variety of ways. Not to mention Galvatron! Poor guy gets the shaft in Headmasters, but I do enjoy his portrayal at least.

Prime in "The Rebirth" reminds me of Primal in Beast Machines, with Vector Sigma/The Oracle sending both messages that have to do with changing Cybertron, and both use the villain to help accomplish that goal. I'd never noticed the parallels until recently.

But yeah, Optimus Prime is wasted in Headmasters.

[Gomess]

Speaking of Headmasters taking a few old US favourites and swerving them, had you noticed yet how the Four Fearless Warr-- I mean the Headmasters are almost *nothing* like their western depictions? So much so that it renders some of their names ridiculous? Chromedome's a typical hotheaded doofus, Hardhead's a harmless jock, Brainstorm's an arrogant pacifist and Highbrow's a reticent engineering expert!

The Decepticon Headmasters aren't quite as bad, though Weirdwolf does stand out as decidedly... not weird. I like how he's occasionally insecure about his position, but otherwise, meh!

[Onslaught Six]

When Defensor is fighting Bruticus, he says something about sending him "Straight to the Pit!" and Bruticus replies that Defensor will be going "to the Inferno". Anyone want to bet they originally said something about going to hell, or something along those lines?

90% probability it was the classic anime "I'll be your guide to hell" - "You'll be the one needing a guide to hell!"

This is, yeah, probably Shout Factory's doing. I'm mostly okay with things like this.

Although, to me--that's what you do in a dub. Subtitles should be the most direct translation possible. But a dub isn't an option here, so.