Editing Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)

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[[File:TFG1.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Cybertrons vs. Destrons]]
'''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''' (戦え! 超ロボット生命体 トランスフォーマー ''Tatakae! Chō Robot Seimeitai Transformer'') is the ostentatious title given to the [[The Transformers (franchise)|''Generation 1'' franchise]] in [[Japan]]. Unique amongst international Generation 1 franchises, this line was overseen by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] directly. As such it received yearly branding refreshes and with them various exclusive products and fiction well into the 1990s.

The franchise comprises:

*A [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|toyline]], consisting of ''most'' of the toys released by Hasbro as well as quite a few that weren't once the Japanese line outlived the western one. The omissions are, unsurprisingly, largely the toys not sourced from Takara.

*Various [[List of Japanese Generation 1 cartoons|cartoons]].

*Various [[List of Japanese Generation 1 comics|comics]], primarily run in ''[[TV Magazine]]''.

*A series of [[List of Generation 1 story pages|story pages]], which ran alongside the comic and provided prose adventures with two page magazine spreads.


==''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''==
[[File:Transformers JG1 Logo.png|right|250px]]
The subtitle-less first year of the of the Japanese franchise was released in 1985, one year after its launch in [[Hasbro]] markets. The various aspects of ''F!SRLTF'' combined Hasbro's 1984 and 1985 products into one large line.
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==''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010''==
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'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010''''' (戦え!超ロボット生命体 トランスフォーマー 2010 ''Tatakae! Chō Robotto Seimeitai Transformers Ni-Zero-Ichi-Zero'') is the title given to the 1986 Transformers media in Japan, including the third season of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|American cartoon]]. It was the first instance of what would become Takara's standard method of operation—the annual rebranding of the franchise with a new subtitle. It accompanied the fictional shift of the animated series from the present day to the 21st century, but while the original American version of the series took place over 2005/06, the Japanese version advanced the setting to 2010, hence the new name.
This rebranding was not entirely followed by the toyline, which only used the 2010 branding sporadically, while toys like Metroplex or the Combatrons would be branded as part of the "Scramble City" subline with an accompanying all new [[Scramble City: Mobilization|straight-to-home-video special]]. 
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==''Transformers: The Headmasters''==
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'''''Transformers: The Headmasters''''' (トランスフォーマー ザ★ヘッドマスターズ) was the first Japanese-exclusive ''Transformers'' sub-franchise, released in 1987. Following on from ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010'' in 1986, ''The Headmasters'' began the period of distinction between American and Japanese products that would continue throughout the rest of ''Generation 1''.

''The Headmasters<nowiki>'</nowiki>'' story greatly expounded upon the toys and characters solely supported by the cartoon's concluding special ''[[The Rebirth]]'' in the west, featuring fairly dramatic deviations in characterization and dropping the [[Nebulos]] angle entirely. Most idiosyncratically, the franchise contained the {{w|backdoor pilot}} for [[Beastformers (franchise)|''Beastformers'']], Takara's version of the toyline launched as ''Battle Beasts'' in Hasbro markets the previous year.
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==''Transformers: Super-God Masterforce''==
{{disambig2|the franchise|the in-fiction technology used by its human cast|Masterforce (technology)}}
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'''''Transformers: Super-God Masterforce''''' (トランスフォーマー 超神マスターフォース ''Toransufōmā: Chōjin Masutāfōsu'') is the ''Transformers'' sub-franchise in Japan for 1988. Breaking radically from previous series, ''Super-God Masterforce'' featured all-new characters and locations, dropping many of the futuristic elements and focusing on human characters that bonded with robot bodies.
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==''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory''==
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'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory''''' (戦え!超ロボット生命体 トランスフォーマー{{ruby|V|ビクトリー}} ''Tatakae! Chō Robot Seimeitai Transformers Victory'') is the sub-franchise that ran in 1989. It starred [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] and the other [[Brainmaster]]s, along with [[Victory Leo]] as they fought [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]] and his [[Breastforce]] and [[Dinoforce]]. The last year of the Generation 1 franchise to recieve full-throated support from Takara, ''Victory'' is notable for establishing the bulk of the format that would spin out into the ''Transformers''-adjacent [[Brave (franchise)|''Brave'']] franchise the following year.
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==''Transformers: Zone''==
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'''''Transformers: Zone''''' (トランスフォーマー{{ruby|Z|ゾーン}}), sometimes '''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone''''' (戦え!超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー{{ruby|Z|ゾーン}}), is the Japanese ''Transformers'' sub-franchise for 1990. The waning popularity of ''Transformers'' became evident with ''Zone'', which received very little in the way of the traditional media support with its cartoon being truncated to a single [[Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!|direct-to-home-video special]] mid-production.

''Zone's'' brief story saw [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] and his [[Powered Master|Powered Masters]] do battle with the ghostly [[Violengiguar]] as he commanded [[Nine Great Demon Generals|pretty much every big ticket item from the past five years]] in a desperate all-out attempt to sell kids on the new heroes in twenty minutes and change.
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==''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Return of Convoy''==
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'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Return of Convoy''''' (戦え!超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマーリターン・オブ・コンボイ) was the fifth Japanese-exclusive ''Transformers'' sub-franchise, released in 1991. It received even less media support than its predecessor, eschewing animation completely. ''Return of Convoy'' continued the storyline of the animated continuity, picking up where ''Zone'' left off. The story was told through a single comic issue and a series of story pages.

The ''Return of Convoy'' storyline went back to basics, revolving around the resurrection of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] as Star Convoy by the [[Battlestars]] and their battle against [[Dark Nova]] and the similarly revived [[Megatron (G1)|Super Megatron]].

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==''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination ''==
{{disambig2|the franchise|the ''Shattered Glass'' tactical initiative named after it|Operation: Combination (SG)}}
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'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination''''' (戦え! 超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー 合体大作戦 ''Tatakae! Chō Robot Seimei Tai Transformers Gattai Dai Sakusen'') was the sub-franchise that ran throughout 1992. It marks the final vintage ''Generation 1'' series released in Japan, as the line was cancelled following ''Operation Combination'', not to be revived until 1995 and ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)#Transformers: G-2|G-2]]''. ''Operation Combination'' lacked even comic support, continuing the story of the animated series exclusively through story pages.

''Operation Combination''{{'}}s plot saw Decepticon High Regent [[Scrash (G1)|Scrash]] send [[Battle Gaia]] and the [[Jet Corps]] to plunder [[Earth]]'s energy. A new team of Autobots composed of [[Guard City|the]] [[Sixbuilder|eponymous]] [[Sixwing|quintet]] [[Sixtrain|of]] [[Sixturbo|combiners]] and the [[Road Corps]] are deployed by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Star Convoy]] to defend the planet.


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==Legacy==
{{main|Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}
The precedent of the latter installments of the Japanese Generation 1 franchise, that entire waves of product could be supported via the continuation of the cartoon's story through a comic or a couple story pages, had a peculiar effect on Japanese ''Transformers'' media going forward. The story pages of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)#Transformers: G-2|Japan's ''Generation 2'' franchise]] picked up right where ''Operation Combination'' left off in 1995, and the storyline of the Japanese Generation 1 cartoon never really stopped from there. The resulting sprawling exquisite corpse attached to TakaraTomy's Generation 1 and ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' flavored products continues to this very day, and has become [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|the largest continuous setting in the entire Transformers brand]].

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[[Category: Generation 1 franchises]]
[[Category:Japanese franchises]]
[[Category:Operation Combination| ]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy| ]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce| ]]
[[Category:The Headmasters| ]]
[[Category:Victory| ]]
[[Category:Zone| ]]