Editing Transformers Animated (franchise)

[[Image:Transformersanimated franchise logo.png|center]]
[[Image:TransformersAnimatedPoster.jpg|right|thumb|250px|"When there's trouble you know who to call..."]]

'''Transformers Animated''' is the next television-supported ''Transformers'' franchise, due to start in the January of 2008 with a 3-episode mini-movie and continue on to a full 13 episode season.The premiere movie will air on Cartoon Network at 8:00 on December 26th.

The cartoon is produced by [[Cartoon Network]], scripted in the United States, with character and background designs by the crews behind shows like ''[[wikipedia:Teen Titans (TV series)|Teen Titans]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:Ben 10|Ben 10]]'', while animation is being provided by Japanese studios [[Mook]], [[The Answer Studio]]{{fact}} (the Japanese studio who animated ''[[wikipedia:Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go!|Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go!]]''), and [[Studio 4C]] {{fact}}. 

''Animated'' is notable for the fact it sees several G1 voice actors reprise their old roles ([[Susan Blu]], [[Corey Burton]], [[John Moschitta]], etc.), and for the fact this is the first Transformers show featuring [[David Kaye]] where he won't be voicing [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. (They made it up to him by having him voice almost everyone else.)


==Series details==
[[Image:Ani_crew.JPG|left|thumb|200px|"Mr. Bulkhead, engage!"]]
The series will eschew the ever-continuing space opera storylines of the past few anime to return to the episodic approach of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''; each episode will be a standalone story, but with an overall story arc that stretches through the whole season. The focus is being put firmly on characterization, dynamic action, and humor. 

The episodes will center not only on the war between the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Decepticon]]s, but also on the Autobots' interactions with many of [[Detroit]]'s [[human]] supervillain denizens, including a [[Angry Archer|maladjusted marksman]], a guy who can spit acid, and a guy who [[Prometheus|looks good in a pimp suit]].  The idea is to present the Decepticons as more of an ongoing background threat instead of having them be repeatedly defeated each episode and look like bumbling fools. Rather, the arrival of a Decepticon in battle is supposed to be a big deal, requiring multiple Autobots working together to stop even a single one.  The human villains will give the Autobots "everyday" threats--and no doubt their schemes will turn out to be the result of Decepticon treachery.  Note that [[Doctor Arkeville|human]] [[Lord Chumley|adversaries]] [[Circuit Breaker|are]] [[Cobra Commander|not]] [[Abdul Fakkadi|new]] [[Lazarus|in]] ''Transformers'' continuity. However, humans as [[Hydra and Buster|major]] [[Overlord|threats]] is very uncommon.

Season 2 is already in the works, and seasons 3 and 4 are quite possible.

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==Cast==
===Autobots===
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] ([[David Kaye]])
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] ([[Bumper Robinson]])
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] ([[Corey Burton]])
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] ([[Bill Fagerbakke]])
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] ([[Jeff Bennett]])
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Jeff Bennett]])
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] ([[Phil LaMarr]])
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] ([[Susan Blu]])
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] ([[John Moschitta]])
*[[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]] ([["Weird Al" Yankovic]])
*[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] ([[David Kaye]])
*[[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]] 
*[[Slag (Animated)|Slag]]
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] ([[Townsend Coleman]])

===Decepticons===
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] ([[Corey Burton]])
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] ([[Cree Summer]])
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] ([[Bumper Robinson]])
*[[Lugnut]] ([[David Kaye]])
*[[Lockdown]] ([[Lance Henriksen]])
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] ([[Corey Burton]])
*[[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] ([[Jeff Bennett]])
*[[Laserbeak (Animated)|Laserbeak]]

===Humans===
*[[Sari Sumdac]] ([[Tara Strong]])
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
*[[Angry Archer]]  ([[Jeff Bennett]])
*[[Captain Fanzone]] ([[Jeff Bennett]])
*[[Nanosec]] ([[Brian Posehn]])
*[[Prometheus Black]] ([[Peter Stormare]])

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==Criticism==
Released images of the robots has been criticized by fans for the simple two-dimensional designs instead of using the classic anime mecha style used since [[Generation One]]. It's also been criticzed for having human characters as the villians for the series which robs the Decepticons of their screen time.

==Toyline==
First previewed July 1, 2007, in [[Hasbro]]'s Future Products panel at [[BotCon 2007|BotCon]].

The ''Transformers Animated'' toy line merges the more fluid, expressive design style of the cartoon with extremely poseable robot forms (to a degree which seemed pleasantly surprising even to Hasbro). Unlike the franchises immediately before it, there is no overarcing, line-wide gimmick such as [[Mini-Con]]s or [[Cyber Planet Key]]s; rather, transforming ''is'' the gimmick, and toys will have other special features that are unique and appropriate to the characters they depict. While the designs originated with Hasbro and the Cartoon Network team, [[TakaraTomy]] is once again stepping up to the plate to engineer the toys.

The toy line is currently scheduled to debut in March 2008 with a special "battle pack" featuring multiple figures. The full line will presumably bow sometime a few months later.

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==External links==
* [http://enewsi.com/news.php?catid=194&itemid=11280 Transformers animated press release]

* [http://tv.ign.com/articles/801/801348p1.html Exclusive Transformers Animated Producer Interview]


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