Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise) - Revision history

MCRG: /* Japanese release */ Citation, minor clarification.

2025-04-02T06:53:36Z

Japanese release: Citation, minor clarification.

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:53, 2 April 2025
Line 20:		Line 20:
	==Japanese release==		==Japanese release==
	{{nav-cr}}		{{nav-cr}}
	The series's original incarnation, '''''Transformers: Car Robots''''' (トランスフォーマーカーロボット), was created in response to the ~~continually-~~declining sales of [[TakaraTomy\|Takara's]] ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)\|Beast Wars]]'' ~~toyline. As [[~~Hasbro~~]] moved into~~ the high concept ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]'' in [[~~2000~~]], Takara opted instead to tap into nostalgia by bringing back the traditional modern Earth vehicle heroes with the classic red face [[insignia\|Autobot symbol]]. The villains of the series did not follow suit as Takara ~~opted instead~~ to more or less stay the course charted by the likes of ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers#Beast Wars II\|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers#Beast Wars Neo\|Neo]]'' with a show-stopping new flagship mold for series villain "[[Megatron (RID)\|Gigatron]]" while his lackeys were composed of an eclectic mix of [[redeco]]es culled from prior ''Beast Wars'', ''Generation 2,'' and even ''Generation 1'' toylines.		The series's original incarnation, '''''Transformers: Car Robots''''' (トランスフォーマーカーロボット), was created in response to the declining sales of [[TakaraTomy\|Takara's]] ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)\|Beast Wars]]'' toylines and their displeasure with Hasbro's unorthodox design methods for the high concept ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Machines]]''<ref>''[[Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Generations]]'', p. 121</ref>. Takara opted instead to tap into nostalgia by bringing back the traditional modern Earth vehicle heroes with the classic red face [[insignia\|Autobot symbol]]. The villains of the series did not follow suit as Takara decided to more or less stay the course charted by the likes of ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers#Beast Wars II\|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers#Beast Wars Neo\|Neo]]'' with a show-stopping new flagship mold for series villain "[[Megatron (RID)\|Gigatron]]" while his lackeys were composed of an eclectic mix of [[redeco]]es culled from prior ''Beast Wars'', ''Generation 2,'' and even ''Generation 1'' toylines.

	Set on [[Earth]] at the turn of the century, ''Car Robots'' follows a "[[Dimensional Patrol\|Dimensional Patrol unit]]" led by [[Optimus Prime (RID)\|Fire Convoy]] protecting the planet and its long-lost Cybertronian artifacts from the ambitions of the evil Gigatron and his new "[[Predacon (BW)#Japanese Generation 1 continuity\|Destronger]]" faction.		Set on [[Earth]] at the turn of the century, ''Car Robots'' follows a "[[Dimensional Patrol\|Dimensional Patrol unit]]" led by [[Optimus Prime (RID)\|Fire Convoy]] protecting the planet and its long-lost Cybertronian artifacts from the ambitions of the evil Gigatron and his new "[[Predacon (BW)#Japanese Generation 1 continuity\|Destronger]]" faction.

OptimusComboy: /* Notes */ fixed Japanese typo of “Car Robots”

2024-05-25T00:30:09Z

Notes: fixed Japanese typo of “Car Robots”

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:30, 25 May 2024
Line 98:		Line 98:
	[[File:Diaclone Car Robots logo.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.4\|Both versions of ''Diaclone''{{'}}s ''Car Robots'' logo.]]		[[File:Diaclone Car Robots logo.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.4\|Both versions of ''Diaclone''{{'}}s ''Car Robots'' logo.]]
	[[File:Car Robots G1 OP Cross-sell.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.1\|How do you do, fellow new toys?]]		[[File:Car Robots G1 OP Cross-sell.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.1\|How do you do, fellow new toys?]]
	* That retro gimmick we mentioned goes more than skin deep. ''Car Robots'' is so named for the original ''Car Robots'' (~~カーロボト~~) [[subline imprint]] of the [[pre-Transformer\|pre-''Transformers'']] ''[[Diaclone]]'' franchise from which we receive the original [[1984]]-[[1985]] assortment of [[Autobot Cars]], along with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Ultra Magnus]].		* That retro gimmick we mentioned goes more than skin deep. ''Car Robots'' is so named for the original ''Car Robots'' (カーロボット) [[subline imprint]] of the [[pre-Transformer\|pre-''Transformers'']] ''[[Diaclone]]'' franchise from which we receive the original [[1984]]-[[1985]] assortment of [[Autobot Cars]], along with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Ultra Magnus]].
	* When asked about the ''Diaclone'' angle, TakaraTomy designer [[Hironori Kobayashi]] explained that their driving philosophy for the line was to recreate the original Car Robots from first principles with then-modern (read: ''Beast Wars'') technology.<ref>Interview with Kobayashi in ''[[Transformers Generations 2015]]''</ref>		* When asked about the ''Diaclone'' angle, TakaraTomy designer [[Hironori Kobayashi]] explained that their driving philosophy for the line was to recreate the original Car Robots from first principles with then-modern (read: ''Beast Wars'') technology.<ref>Interview with Kobayashi in ''[[Transformers Generations 2015]]''</ref>
	* The ''[[Car Robots Encyclopedia]]'' equated the two directly, telling the kids of [[2000]] that the Car Robots had been defending the Earth for a ''loooong'' time before Fire Convoy's crew came along, and gave them a brief out-of-universe rundown of vintage ''Diaclone'' in an elaborate cross-sell for the contemporaneous [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease\|Generation 1 Optimus Prime reissue]].		* The ''[[Car Robots Encyclopedia]]'' equated the two directly, telling the kids of [[2000]] that the Car Robots had been defending the Earth for a ''loooong'' time before Fire Convoy's crew came along, and gave them a brief out-of-universe rundown of vintage ''Diaclone'' in an elaborate cross-sell for the contemporaneous [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease\|Generation 1 Optimus Prime reissue]].

Sabrblade: /* Takara builds the Japanese G1 timeline */

2024-04-23T20:44:00Z

Takara builds the Japanese G1 timeline

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:44, 23 April 2024
Line 78:		Line 78:

	[[File:Japaneseflowchart.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.8\|This has only gotten MORE complicated since its publication.]]		[[File:Japaneseflowchart.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.8\|This has only gotten MORE complicated since its publication.]]
	By [[2006]]–[[2007]], Takara surprised the Western fandom by directly clarifying ''Car Robots''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s place in continuity. The ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)\|Kiss Players]]'' series featured a storyline in which the series' protagonists traveled through time aboard Brave Maximus, the very same one from ''Car Robots''. One of their jumps even took them to the first episode of ''Car Robots'' without any dimension-hopping, only time-hopping. The story later ~~sees~~ Brave Maximus get thrown far back in time to crash-land on [[Master (planet)\|Planet Master]], at a point set before the planet's refugee inhabitants had developed the [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmaster technology]]; Brave Maximus's wreckage ~~ends~~ up providing the catalyst for not just the technology but also the construction of the physically ~~identical~~ [[Fortress Maximus (G1)\|Fortress Maximus]]. The story's conclusion even ~~presents~~ Brave Maximus~~'s creation~~ on Earth in the distant past, finally explaining how and why he was first seen hidden deep within the Earth back in ''Car Robots''. Other print media released at the time even produced a long, [[Source:Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)\|highly detailed timeline]] that mapped out just how the hell this all worked.		By [[2006]]–[[2007]], Takara surprised the Western fandom by directly clarifying ''Car Robots''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s place in continuity. The ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)\|Kiss Players]]'' series featured a storyline in which the series' protagonists traveled through time aboard Brave Maximus, the very same one from ''Car Robots''. One of their jumps even took them to the first episode of ''Car Robots'' without any dimension-hopping, only time-hopping. The story later saw Brave Maximus get thrown far back in time to crash-land on [[Master (planet)\|Planet Master]], at a point set before the planet's refugee inhabitants had developed the [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmaster technology]]; Brave Maximus's wreckage ended up providing the catalyst for not just the technology but also the construction of the physically similar [[Fortress Maximus (G1)\|Fortress Maximus]]. The story's conclusion even featured the creation of Brave Maximus on Earth in the distant past, finally explaining how and why he was first seen hidden deep within the Earth back in ''Car Robots''. Other [[Autorooper#AutorooperXAtari\|print]] [[Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!\|media]] released at the time even produced a long, [[Source:Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)\|highly detailed timeline]] that mapped out just how the hell this all worked.

	Essentially, Takara had stuck to the original claims of the series' preliminary info by officially declaring ''Car Robots'' to have been part of the massive, sprawling [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] all along, hand-waving the cartoon's lack of previous-series Transformers appearing on Earth by utilizing the ending of a short-lived, ~~rather~~ obscure Generation 1~~-based~~ manga mini-series first published in [[2003]] (~~albeit, one~~ written and drawn by ~~the very~~ [[Naoto Tsushima\|same man]] who~~, notably, would later write~~ and ~~draw~~ the aforementioned ''Robotmasters'' series the following year, and illustrated the [[Asterisk Story\|''Binaltech Asterisk'' manga]] in 2006). Titled ''[[Transformers: The Battle of the Star Gate]]'', this mini-series took place in the latter 1990s and ended, ~~almost~~ ''~~too~~'' ~~conveniently~~, with virtually the entire Generation 1 cast ~~getting swept away~~ from Earth after a cataclysmic battle in space.		Essentially, Takara had stuck to the original claims of the series' preliminary info by officially declaring ''Car Robots'' to have been part of the massive, sprawling [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] all along, hand-waving the cartoon's lack of previous-series Transformers appearing on Earth by utilizing the ending of a short-lived, somewhat obscure Generation 1 [[manga]] mini-series first published in [[2003]] (but notably written and drawn by [[Naoto Tsushima]], the very same man who wrote and drew the aforementioned ''Robotmasters'' series the following year, ''and'' illustrated the [[Asterisk Story\|''Binaltech Asterisk'' manga]] in 2006). Titled ''[[Transformers: The Battle of the Star Gate]]'', this mini-series took place in the latter 1990s and ended, practically ''on purpose'', with virtually the entire Generation 1 cast completely disappearing from Earth after a cataclysmic battle in space, and not returning until a few years later, allowing ''Car Robots'' to ''conveniently'' slot right into the year 2000 while the Generation 1 characters were gone.

	With much of the fandom having already grown used to the idea of ''Car Robots'' being as much of a reboot as ''Robots in Disguise'', this revelation was initially met with quite the startled reaction; many even wrote it off as a nonsensical [[retcon]].<ref group="note">A [[2015]] ''[[Ask Vector Prime]]'' [[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#July 19, 2015\|Facebook entry]] even attempted to provide a "quantum-babble" explanation for how the events of ''Car Robots'' came to take place in the Japanese G1 universe, which leaned into the idea of it having indeed been a retcon instead of the original intention for ''Car Robots'' all along.</ref> Regardless, [[Transformers Legends (comic)\|subsequent]] [[Transformers Unite Warriors\|Japanese media]] would adhere to this decision, leaning ''into'' the once-quelled idea of the ''Car Robots'' cast originally hailing from a future set at some time near that of ''Beast Wars Neo''. The aforementioned ''Robotmasters'' Wrecker Hook and ''Binaltech Asterisk'' Junko would even be confirmed to be the same characters as their ''Car Robots'' counterparts in [[2013]]'s "[[Metrowars]]" and [[2016]]'s ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'', respectively.		With much of the fandom having already grown used to the idea of ''Car Robots'' being as much of a reboot as ''Robots in Disguise'' by that point in time, this revelation was initially met with quite the startled reaction; many even wrote it off as a nonsensical [[retcon]].<ref group="note">A [[2015]] ''[[Ask Vector Prime]]'' [[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#July 19, 2015\|Facebook entry]] even attempted to provide a "quantum-babble" explanation for how the events of ''Car Robots'' came to take place in the Japanese G1 universe, which leaned into the idea of it having indeed been a retcon instead of the original intention for ''Car Robots'' all along.</ref> Regardless, [[Transformers Legends (comic)\|subsequent]] [[Transformers Unite Warriors\|Japanese media]] would adhere to this decision, leaning ''into'' the once-quelled idea of the ''Car Robots'' cast originally hailing from a future set at some time near that of ''Beast Wars Neo''. The aforementioned ''Robotmasters'' Wrecker Hook and ''Binaltech Asterisk'' Junko would even be confirmed to be the same characters as their ''Car Robots'' counterparts in [[2013]]'s "[[Metrowars]]" and [[2016]]'s ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'', respectively.

	In the end, it appears that, from Takara's perspective, ''Car Robots'' really was always meant to be part of this larger Japanese G1 universe. It's just that the cartoon itself did such a ''really'' lackadaisical job of actually making that clear; most likely because Takara felt that it simply went without saying and weren't aware that the fandom felt otherwise. And because it wasn't as obvious as Takara thought ~~it was~~, it took all these extra efforts made after the fact to help ''Car Robots'' feel more like a part of Japanese G1, but to ''very'' mixed results.		In the end, it appears that, from Takara's perspective, ''Car Robots'' really was always meant to be part of this larger Japanese G1 universe. It's just that the cartoon itself did such a ''really'' lackadaisical job of actually making that clear; most likely because Takara felt that it simply went without saying, and weren't aware that the fandom felt otherwise. And because it wasn't as obvious as Takara thought, it took all these extra efforts made after the fact to help ''Car Robots'' feel more inclusively like a part of Japanese G1, but to ''very'' mixed results.

	'''''BUT''''', even with all of '''''THAT''''' said and sorted out...		'''''BUT''''', even with all of '''''THAT''''' said and sorted out...

Sabrblade: /* Takara builds the Japanese G1 timeline */

2024-04-23T20:14:40Z

Takara builds the Japanese G1 timeline

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:14, 23 April 2024
Line 68:		Line 68:

	===Takara builds the Japanese G1 timeline===		===Takara builds the Japanese G1 timeline===
	In [[2003]]—three years after ''Car Robots'' ha run its course in Japan—Takara released a new set of [[redeco]]s for the ''Car Robots'' [[Spychanger]] toys in a small toyline called ''[[The Transformers: Super Spychanger Lottery]]''. While [[pack-in material]] for this line indicated these toys represented the same Spychangers from the cartoon at a point set after the [[The Final Battle (RID)\|final episode]], the line was branded not with Takara's ''Car Robots'' logo but instead with Hasbro's original [[The Transformers (franchise)\|Generation 1]] logo from [[1984]]–[[1988]]. Though many fans found this quite puzzling at the time, the contemporaneous Japanese lines of [[Generation 1 reissues]]—''[[The Transformers: Collector's Edition]]'', ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'', and ''[[The Transformers: Micromaster]]''—all likewise made use of this Hasbro G1 logo. A year later, [[2004]]'s ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)\|Robotmasters]]'' series provided further hints regarding the placement of ''Car Robots'' in Japanese continuity. In celebration of the [[Transformers brand\|brand's]] 20th anniversary, this series featured a big crossover event between Generation 1, ''Beast Wars'', and more, with characters time-traveling to the year 2004 through a set of dimensional rifts known as the [[Blastizone]].		In [[2003]]—three years after ''Car Robots'' had run its course in Japan—Takara released a new set of [[redeco]]s for the ''Car Robots'' [[Spychanger]] toys in a small toyline called ''[[The Transformers: Super Spychanger Lottery]]''. While [[pack-in material]] for this line indicated these toys represented the same Spychangers from the cartoon at a point set after the [[The Final Battle (RID)\|final episode]], the line was branded not with Takara's ''Car Robots'' logo but instead with Hasbro's original [[The Transformers (franchise)\|Generation 1]] logo from [[1984]]–[[1988]]. Though many fans found this quite puzzling at the time, the contemporaneous Japanese lines of [[Generation 1 reissues]]—''[[The Transformers: Collector's Edition]]'', ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'', and ''[[The Transformers: Micromaster]]''—all likewise made use of this Hasbro G1 logo. A year later, [[2004]]'s ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)\|Robotmasters]]'' series provided further hints regarding the placement of ''Car Robots'' in Japanese continuity. In celebration of the [[Transformers brand\|brand's]] 20th anniversary, this series featured a big crossover event between Generation 1, ''Beast Wars'', and more, with characters time-traveling to the year 2004 through a set of dimensional rifts known as the [[Blastizone]].

	[[File:RobotMasters relation chart.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=1.35\|''Robotmasters'' [[Tow-Line (RID)\|Wrecker Hook]] did not come through the [[Blastizone]].]]		[[File:RobotMasters relation chart.jpg\|thumb\|left\|upright=1.35\|''Robotmasters'' [[Tow-Line (RID)\|Wrecker Hook]] did not come through the [[Blastizone]].]]

M Sipher: /* Japanese release */

2024-02-09T10:02:17Z

Japanese release

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:02, 9 February 2024
Line 26:		Line 26:
	What exactly that means was the subject of [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)#The continuity kerfuffle\|no small amount of confusion]], but to skip to the end, ''Car Robots'' is the final Japan-exclusive season of the behemoth [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]], with a cast composed of all new characters, having time-traveled from the distant future some time after the events of ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)\|Beast Wars Neo]]''.		What exactly that means was the subject of [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)#The continuity kerfuffle\|no small amount of confusion]], but to skip to the end, ''Car Robots'' is the final Japan-exclusive season of the behemoth [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]], with a cast composed of all new characters, having time-traveled from the distant future some time after the events of ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)\|Beast Wars Neo]]''.

	As it turns out, nostalgia marketing for fifteen-year-old cartoons does not work on nine-year-olds, and the Transformers brand closed the decade on a whimper in Japan, lying fallow with the core demographic until 2003's radical reimagining with ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)\|~~Transformers:~~ Armada]]''.		As it turns out, nostalgia marketing for fifteen-year-old cartoons does not work on nine-year-olds, and the Transformers brand closed the decade on a whimper in Japan, lying fallow with the core demographic until 2003's radical reimagining with ''Legends of the Microns'', Takara's version of ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)\|Armada]]''.

	==Development==		==Development==

M Sipher: /* Japanese release */

2024-02-09T10:00:46Z

Japanese release

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:00, 9 February 2024
Line 26:		Line 26:
	What exactly that means was the subject of [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)#The continuity kerfuffle\|no small amount of confusion]], but to skip to the end, ''Car Robots'' is the final Japan-exclusive season of the behemoth [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]], with a cast composed of all new characters, having time-traveled from the distant future some time after the events of ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)\|Beast Wars Neo]]''.		What exactly that means was the subject of [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)#The continuity kerfuffle\|no small amount of confusion]], but to skip to the end, ''Car Robots'' is the final Japan-exclusive season of the behemoth [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]], with a cast composed of all new characters, having time-traveled from the distant future some time after the events of ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)\|Beast Wars Neo]]''.

	As it turns out, nostalgia marketing for fifteen-year-old cartoons does not work on nine-year-olds, and the Transformers brand closed the decade on a whimper in Japan, lying fallow with the core demographic until ~~2002~~'s radical reimagining with ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)\|Transformers: Armada]]''.		As it turns out, nostalgia marketing for fifteen-year-old cartoons does not work on nine-year-olds, and the Transformers brand closed the decade on a whimper in Japan, lying fallow with the core demographic until 2003's radical reimagining with ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)\|Transformers: Armada]]''.

	==Development==		==Development==

Sabrblade at 01:23, 18 January 2024

2024-01-18T01:23:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:23, 18 January 2024
Line 56:		Line 56:
	Muddying the waters further was the English dub's tendency to namedrop numerous references to concepts and characters from Generation 1, ''Beast Wars'', and ''Beast Machines'' (which typically made things even ''less'' compatible), as well as the expanded Hasbro toyline featuring toys of [[Axer (G1)#Robots in Disguise (2001)\|Axer]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2001)\|Optimus Primal]] (whose toy bios strongly insinuated that they were the very ''same'' [[Axer (G1)\|Axer]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] as those originally from Generation 1 and ''Beast Wars''/''Beast Machines'', respectively). This caused no end of confusion among most of the Western fandom since, at the time, the idea of a total continuity reboot in ''Transformers'' was still very new and took some time to settle in.		Muddying the waters further was the English dub's tendency to namedrop numerous references to concepts and characters from Generation 1, ''Beast Wars'', and ''Beast Machines'' (which typically made things even ''less'' compatible), as well as the expanded Hasbro toyline featuring toys of [[Axer (G1)#Robots in Disguise (2001)\|Axer]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2001)\|Optimus Primal]] (whose toy bios strongly insinuated that they were the very ''same'' [[Axer (G1)\|Axer]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] as those originally from Generation 1 and ''Beast Wars''/''Beast Machines'', respectively). This caused no end of confusion among most of the Western fandom since, at the time, the idea of a total continuity reboot in ''Transformers'' was still very new and took some time to settle in.

	[[File:Universe 3 Oracle Omega Prime.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.45\|In [[Homecoming (Universe)\|''Universe'' #3]], [[Omega Prime]] is summoned to the [[Beast ~~Era~~ timeline (3H)\|G1/Beast Era reality]] from the alternate universe of ''Robots in Disguise''.]]		[[File:Universe 3 Oracle Omega Prime.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.45\|In [[Homecoming (Universe)\|''Universe'' #3]], [[Omega Prime]] is summoned to the [[Beast Wars timeline (3H)\|G1/Beast Era reality]] from the alternate universe of ''Robots in Disguise''.]]
	Some fans even attempted to theorize how ''Robots in Disguise'' could fit into a combined timeline of the English-language Generation 1, ''Beast Wars'', and ''Beast Machines'' cartoons, jumping through hoops to explain how most of the characters with Generation 1-based names could be the same people as their namesakes via body-changes (like [[Ultra Magnus (RID)\|Ultra Magnus]] becoming [[Ultra Magnus (G1)\|Ultra Magnus]]), or how those with new names could later become familiar G1 characters via body- ''and'' name-changes (like [[Side Burn (RID)\|Side Burn]] becoming [[Hot Rod (G1)\|Hot Rod]]). Other fans even theorized if ''Robots in Disguise'' could have been the result of ''Beast Wars'' having changed the timeline of Generation 1's history. Of course, these fan theories were going off the English dub due to its easier accessibility in the West, ignoring the fact that the characters in the Japanese ''Car Robots'' version were all originally brand new characters with mostly brand new names and no inherent ties to any prior series' characters (which, interestingly, ''would'' allow the ''Car Robots'' version to "fit in" better than the English version).		Some fans even attempted to theorize how ''Robots in Disguise'' could fit into a combined timeline of the English-language Generation 1, ''Beast Wars'', and ''Beast Machines'' cartoons, jumping through hoops to explain how most of the characters with Generation 1-based names could be the same people as their namesakes via body-changes (like [[Ultra Magnus (RID)\|Ultra Magnus]] becoming [[Ultra Magnus (G1)\|Ultra Magnus]]), or how those with new names could later become familiar G1 characters via body- ''and'' name-changes (like [[Side Burn (RID)\|Side Burn]] becoming [[Hot Rod (G1)\|Hot Rod]]). Other fans even theorized if ''Robots in Disguise'' could have been the result of ''Beast Wars'' having changed the timeline of Generation 1's history. Of course, these fan theories were going off the English dub due to its easier accessibility in the West, ignoring the fact that the characters in the Japanese ''Car Robots'' version were all originally brand new characters with mostly brand new names and no inherent ties to any prior series' characters (which, interestingly, ''would'' allow the ''Car Robots'' version to "fit in" better than the English version).

MahXyme: /* The continuity kerfuffle */

2024-01-07T20:04:39Z

The continuity kerfuffle

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:04, 7 January 2024
Line 36:		Line 36:

	==The continuity kerfuffle==		==The continuity kerfuffle==
	[[File:Convoy and Fire Convoy.jpg\|right\|thumb\|upright=1.4\|~~Oh no,~~ [[:File:PrimalLioConvoyCatalog01.jpg\|~~not again~~]].]]		[[File:Convoy and Fire Convoy.jpg\|right\|thumb\|upright=1.4\|[[:File:PrimalLioConvoyCatalog01.jpg\|History repeats itself]].]]
	To put it bluntly, the continuity placement of the original Japanese ''Car Robots'' version of the series has been a point of contention within the fandom, particularly in the West.		To put it bluntly, the continuity placement of the original Japanese ''Car Robots'' version of the series has been a point of contention within the fandom, particularly in the West.

Cyberlink420 at 14:22, 3 October 2023

2023-10-03T14:22:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:22, 3 October 2023
Line 42:		Line 42:
	In its original broadcast on Japanese television, ''Car Robots'' was the final installment in a series of five ''Transformers'' cartoons that aired consecutively on [[TV Tokyo]] from [[1997]] to [[2000]]. Beginning with the first season of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers\|Beast Wars]]'', this five-series run aired undisrupted on a weekly basis,<ref group="note">Barring two delays from December holidays in 1997 and 1998 that, respectively, pushed back [[The Trigger, Part 1\|one episode]] of ''Beast Wars'' to air a week later back-to-back with the [[The Trigger, Part 2\|next episode]], and shifted the last four episodes of ''Beast Wars II'' (and thus every episode of the next three series) back one week.</ref> continuing directly into ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars II]]'', ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)\|Beast Wars Neo]]'', ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals\|Beast Wars Metals]]'', and finally ''Car Robots''. The first four series' final episodes each ended with a short promo that previewed the next series in the line, as if each show was one part of a larger ongoing series of interconnected shows. The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeCFOaGt2q0 promo] for ''Car Robots'' aired immediately after the [[Remix: I Forgot the Banana!\|final episode]] of ''Beast Wars Metals'', and featured [[Optimus Prime (RID)\|Fire Convoy]] thanking the [[Maximal]] Beast Warriors for preserving [[Earth]]'s history and promising to keep the modern day safe from the Destrongers.<ref group="note">This information was largely lost on larger English-speaking world due to a lack of widespread knowledge that this obscure promo had even existed, let alone what was said in its Japanese dialogue.</ref>		In its original broadcast on Japanese television, ''Car Robots'' was the final installment in a series of five ''Transformers'' cartoons that aired consecutively on [[TV Tokyo]] from [[1997]] to [[2000]]. Beginning with the first season of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers\|Beast Wars]]'', this five-series run aired undisrupted on a weekly basis,<ref group="note">Barring two delays from December holidays in 1997 and 1998 that, respectively, pushed back [[The Trigger, Part 1\|one episode]] of ''Beast Wars'' to air a week later back-to-back with the [[The Trigger, Part 2\|next episode]], and shifted the last four episodes of ''Beast Wars II'' (and thus every episode of the next three series) back one week.</ref> continuing directly into ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars II]]'', ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)\|Beast Wars Neo]]'', ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals\|Beast Wars Metals]]'', and finally ''Car Robots''. The first four series' final episodes each ended with a short promo that previewed the next series in the line, as if each show was one part of a larger ongoing series of interconnected shows. The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeCFOaGt2q0 promo] for ''Car Robots'' aired immediately after the [[Remix: I Forgot the Banana!\|final episode]] of ''Beast Wars Metals'', and featured [[Optimus Prime (RID)\|Fire Convoy]] thanking the [[Maximal]] Beast Warriors for preserving [[Earth]]'s history and promising to keep the modern day safe from the Destrongers.<ref group="note">This information was largely lost on larger English-speaking world due to a lack of widespread knowledge that this obscure promo had even existed, let alone what was said in its Japanese dialogue.</ref>

	The series' synopsis found on [https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/carobot/index.html TV Tokyo's website] described ''Car Robots'' as "A new entry in the popular ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers\|Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars]]'' series" and even mentioned by name the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] of old. Said site and the [http://web.archive.org/web/20200526192751/https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/150486-car-robots-robots-in-disguise-2001-general-discussion/page-3#entry3747453 first toy catalog] also claimed the Destrongers had come to the 21st century through a dimensional rift, with the catalog calling them "an extremist group of the Destron race" ("Destron" referring to the [[Predacon (BW)\|Predacons]] of the [[Beast Era]]). The catalog also referred to Fire Convoy's team as a "[[Dimensional Patrol\|Dimensional Patrol unit]]" sent to stop the Destrongers, and even described the series premise as "[[Autobot Cars\|Car Robots]] versus [[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]". Plus, while not known at the time, early concept art for Fire Convoy (released publicly in [[2015]]) depicted him with a [[Maximal]] symbol instead of an Autobot one.<ref>[https://twitter.com/walruslaw/status/1488875871847043072 ~~Walruslaw on~~ Twitter~~] reveals Fire Convoy concept art from ''[[Transformers Generations 2015]]''.~~</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/20thDan/status/1488930036539281410 20thDan on Twitter], with higher-quality versions of the artwork, originally posted by [[Hisashi Yuki]] in a since-deleted [https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/early-sketch-of-fire-convoy-from-designer-hisashi-yuki/32617/ Tweet].</ref> Coupled with the [[Battle Protocol!\|first episode]] featuring a celebration for the new millennium (setting it in the year [[2000]]), all this led to initial speculation that the series would be set within the [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|preexisting Japanese ''Transformers'' continuity]], during the at-the-time unexplored gap between the second season of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] and [[The Transformers: The Movie\|its movie]], with the ''Car Robots'' cast having time-traveled from the future à la ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]''.		The series' synopsis found on [https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/carobot/index.html TV Tokyo's website] described ''Car Robots'' as "A new entry in the popular ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers\|Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars]]'' series" and even mentioned by name the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] of old. Said site and the [http://web.archive.org/web/20200526192751/https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/150486-car-robots-robots-in-disguise-2001-general-discussion/page-3#entry3747453 first toy catalog] also claimed the Destrongers had come to the 21st century through a dimensional rift, with the catalog calling them "an extremist group of the Destron race" ("Destron" referring to the [[Predacon (BW)\|Predacons]] of the [[Beast Era]]). The catalog also referred to Fire Convoy's team as a "[[Dimensional Patrol\|Dimensional Patrol unit]]" sent to stop the Destrongers, and even described the series premise as "[[Autobot Cars\|Car Robots]] versus [[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]". Plus, while not known at the time, early concept art for Fire Convoy (released publicly via ''[[Transformers Generations 2015]]'') depicted him with a [[Maximal]] symbol instead of an Autobot one.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=So i was looking up the contents of a book i've got on the way when i stumbled onto this interesting piece of concept art included in the 2015 Generations book that appears to show a closer link between Beast Wars with Fire Convoy having a Maximal symbol. https://t.co/wyzrkAX0vS\|link=https://twitter.com/walruslaw/status/1488875871847043072\|name=walruslaw\|site=Twitter\|year=2022\|month=02\|day=02\|(defunct=)}}</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/20thDan/status/1488930036539281410 20thDan on Twitter], with higher-quality versions of the artwork, originally posted by [[Hisashi Yuki]] in a since-deleted [https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/early-sketch-of-fire-convoy-from-designer-hisashi-yuki/32617/ Tweet].</ref> Coupled with the [[Battle Protocol!\|first episode]] featuring a celebration for the new millennium (setting it in the year [[2000]]), all this led to initial speculation that the series would be set within the [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|preexisting Japanese ''Transformers'' continuity]], during the at-the-time unexplored gap between the second season of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] and [[The Transformers: The Movie\|its movie]], with the ''Car Robots'' cast having time-traveled from the future à la ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]''.

	As the series continued, however, it began to feel less like a part of the preexisting continuity and more like a fresh start, presenting itself as a self-contained story isolated from everything that had come before it,<ref group="note">The [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Wars II'' cartoon]] was similarly isolated and self-contained, but the appearance of [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] in both its first toy catalog and [[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!\|its movie]] made it easier for fans to accept it as part of the preexisting continuity.</ref> with no obvious ties or references to the Generation 1 cartoon whose second and third seasons ''Car Robots'' was, ostensibly, supposed to be set between.<ref group="note">Although, the [[Cybertron Base (RID)\|Autobots' base]] and [[Global Space Bridge\|underground transit system]] were strikingly similar to ones first introduced in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4\|Issue #4]] of the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)\|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga]]; a series that not many Westerners were familiar with at the time.</ref> There were no guest appearances from any Generation 1 characters (who, logically, ought to have noticed the globally Earth-based conflict of Fire Convoy and Gigatron's forces),<ref group="note">Even the similarly self-contained [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)\|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]] at least had a brief guest cameo appearance from [[Chromedome (G1)\|Chromedome]] in its [[Birth! Headmaster Jrs\|third episode]].</ref> and Fire Convoy's team took a more covert role in their relationship with humanity, using their vehicle modes to keep themselves incognito when not in battle, unlike the Generation 1 Autobots who regularly interacted with humans in their robot modes both on and off duty.<ref group="note">Though, Fire Convoy's team had no qualms whatsoever with showing their robot modes to humanity whenever their battles took place in cities or other populated areas.</ref> In fact, none of the early information about the characters being time travelers was ever brought up in the show, with almost no indication of the cast being anything but native to the year 2000 (save for one extremely brief moment in [[The Ultimate Robot Warrior\|Episode 12]] that many fans did not catch, wherein Fire Convoy vaguely hinted at having originally come from another time).<ref group="note">Upon finding the first [[O-Part]] of the series, Fire Convoy recognized what it was and questioned how it could possibly "exist during this time," as if both he and the O-Part were not native to the series' present time.</ref> The Destrongers being a radical group of rogue Destrons was never mentioned either. Thus, fans began to reconsider the series' original continuity placement and wondered if it might instead be an alternate universe—a sort of continuity reboot—dismissing the early time-traveling info as mere rumors or dropped concepts (or simply never knowing about it in the first place).		As the series continued, however, it began to feel less like a part of the preexisting continuity and more like a fresh start, presenting itself as a self-contained story isolated from everything that had come before it,<ref group="note">The [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Wars II'' cartoon]] was similarly isolated and self-contained, but the appearance of [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] in both its first toy catalog and [[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!\|its movie]] made it easier for fans to accept it as part of the preexisting continuity.</ref> with no obvious ties or references to the Generation 1 cartoon whose second and third seasons ''Car Robots'' was, ostensibly, supposed to be set between.<ref group="note">Although, the [[Cybertron Base (RID)\|Autobots' base]] and [[Global Space Bridge\|underground transit system]] were strikingly similar to ones first introduced in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4\|Issue #4]] of the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)\|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga]]; a series that not many Westerners were familiar with at the time.</ref> There were no guest appearances from any Generation 1 characters (who, logically, ought to have noticed the globally Earth-based conflict of Fire Convoy and Gigatron's forces),<ref group="note">Even the similarly self-contained [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)\|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]] at least had a brief guest cameo appearance from [[Chromedome (G1)\|Chromedome]] in its [[Birth! Headmaster Jrs\|third episode]].</ref> and Fire Convoy's team took a more covert role in their relationship with humanity, using their vehicle modes to keep themselves incognito when not in battle, unlike the Generation 1 Autobots who regularly interacted with humans in their robot modes both on and off duty.<ref group="note">Though, Fire Convoy's team had no qualms whatsoever with showing their robot modes to humanity whenever their battles took place in cities or other populated areas.</ref> In fact, none of the early information about the characters being time travelers was ever brought up in the show, with almost no indication of the cast being anything but native to the year 2000 (save for one extremely brief moment in [[The Ultimate Robot Warrior\|Episode 12]] that many fans did not catch, wherein Fire Convoy vaguely hinted at having originally come from another time).<ref group="note">Upon finding the first [[O-Part]] of the series, Fire Convoy recognized what it was and questioned how it could possibly "exist during this time," as if both he and the O-Part were not native to the series' present time.</ref> The Destrongers being a radical group of rogue Destrons was never mentioned either. Thus, fans began to reconsider the series' original continuity placement and wondered if it might instead be an alternate universe—a sort of continuity reboot—dismissing the early time-traveling info as mere rumors or dropped concepts (or simply never knowing about it in the first place).

Fanofcoolstuff27: /* Notes */

2023-08-11T12:42:36Z

Notes

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:42, 11 August 2023
Line 96:		Line 96:

	==Notes==		==Notes==
	[[File:Diaclone Car Robots logo.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.4\|Both versions of ''Diaclone'''s "Car Robots" logo.]]		[[File:Diaclone Car Robots logo.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.4\|Both versions of ''Diaclone''{{'}}s ''Car Robots'' logo.]]
	[[File:Car Robots G1 OP Cross-sell.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.1\|How do you do, fellow new toys?]]		[[File:Car Robots G1 OP Cross-sell.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.1\|How do you do, fellow new toys?]]
	*That retro gimmick we mentioned goes more than skin deep. ''Car Robots'' is so named for the original "Car Robots" (カーロボト) [[subline imprint]] of the [[pre-Transformer]] ''[[Diaclone]]'' franchise from which we receive the original 1984-1985 assortment of [[Autobot Cars]], along with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#~~Toys~~\|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#~~Toys~~\|Ultra Magnus]].		* That retro gimmick we mentioned goes more than skin deep. ''Car Robots'' is so named for the original ''Car Robots'' (カーロボト) [[subline imprint]] of the [[pre-Transformer\|pre-''Transformers'']] ''[[Diaclone]]'' franchise from which we receive the original [[1984]]-[[1985]] assortment of [[Autobot Cars]], along with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Ultra Magnus]].
	*When asked about the ''Diaclone'' angle, TakaraTomy designer [[Hironori Kobayashi]] explained that their driving philosophy for the line was to recreate the original Car Robots from first principles with then-modern (read: ''Beast Wars'') technology.<ref>Interview with Kobayashi in ''[[Transformers Generations 2015]]''</ref>		* When asked about the ''Diaclone'' angle, TakaraTomy designer [[Hironori Kobayashi]] explained that their driving philosophy for the line was to recreate the original Car Robots from first principles with then-modern (read: ''Beast Wars'') technology.<ref>Interview with Kobayashi in ''[[Transformers Generations 2015]]''</ref>
	*The ''[[Car Robots Encyclopedia]]'' equated the two directly, telling the kids of 2000 that the Car Robots had been defending the Earth for a loooong time before Fire Convoy's crew came along and ~~giving~~ them a brief out-of-universe rundown of vintage ''Diaclone'' in an elaborate cross-sell for the contemporaneous [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease\|Generation 1 Optimus Prime reissue]].		* The ''[[Car Robots Encyclopedia]]'' equated the two directly, telling the kids of [[2000]] that the Car Robots had been defending the Earth for a ''loooong'' time before Fire Convoy's crew came along, and gave them a brief out-of-universe rundown of vintage ''Diaclone'' in an elaborate cross-sell for the contemporaneous [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease\|Generation 1 Optimus Prime reissue]].
	*If this seems like a lot of fuss for the [[Autobot Brothers]] specifically, it bears mentioning Car Robots' wider orbit in the ''Diaclone'' line accounts for the remaining new-mold Autobots in the form of the heroic train and construction vehicle combiners that became 1987's [[Trainbot]]s and 1984's [[Constructicon (G1)\|~~Constructicon~~]]s respectively.		* If this seems like a lot of fuss for the [[Autobot Brothers]] specifically, it bears mentioning ''Car Robots''{{'}} wider orbit in the ''Diaclone'' line accounts for the remaining new-mold Autobots in the form of the heroic train and construction vehicle combiners that became [[1987]]'s [[Trainbot#Toys\|Trainbots]] and 1984's [[Constructicon (G1)#Toys\|Constructicons]] respectively.

	==References==		==References==
	{{reflist\|2}}		{{reflist\|2}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:30, 25 May 2024
Line 98:		Line 98:
	[[File:Diaclone Car Robots logo.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.4\|Both versions of ''Diaclone''{{'}}s ''Car Robots'' logo.]]		[[File:Diaclone Car Robots logo.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.4\|Both versions of ''Diaclone''{{'}}s ''Car Robots'' logo.]]
	[[File:Car Robots G1 OP Cross-sell.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.1\|How do you do, fellow new toys?]]		[[File:Car Robots G1 OP Cross-sell.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.1\|How do you do, fellow new toys?]]
	* That retro gimmick we mentioned goes more than skin deep. ''Car Robots'' is so named for the original ''Car Robots'' (~~カーロボト~~) [[subline imprint]] of the [[pre-Transformer\|pre-''Transformers'']] ''[[Diaclone]]'' franchise from which we receive the original [[1984]]-[[1985]] assortment of [[Autobot Cars]], along with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Ultra Magnus]].		* That retro gimmick we mentioned goes more than skin deep. ''Car Robots'' is so named for the original ''Car Robots'' (カーロボット) [[subline imprint]] of the [[pre-Transformer\|pre-''Transformers'']] ''[[Diaclone]]'' franchise from which we receive the original [[1984]]-[[1985]] assortment of [[Autobot Cars]], along with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Ultra Magnus]].
	* When asked about the ''Diaclone'' angle, TakaraTomy designer [[Hironori Kobayashi]] explained that their driving philosophy for the line was to recreate the original Car Robots from first principles with then-modern (read: ''Beast Wars'') technology.<ref>Interview with Kobayashi in ''[[Transformers Generations 2015]]''</ref>		* When asked about the ''Diaclone'' angle, TakaraTomy designer [[Hironori Kobayashi]] explained that their driving philosophy for the line was to recreate the original Car Robots from first principles with then-modern (read: ''Beast Wars'') technology.<ref>Interview with Kobayashi in ''[[Transformers Generations 2015]]''</ref>
	* The ''[[Car Robots Encyclopedia]]'' equated the two directly, telling the kids of [[2000]] that the Car Robots had been defending the Earth for a ''loooong'' time before Fire Convoy's crew came along, and gave them a brief out-of-universe rundown of vintage ''Diaclone'' in an elaborate cross-sell for the contemporaneous [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease\|Generation 1 Optimus Prime reissue]].		* The ''[[Car Robots Encyclopedia]]'' equated the two directly, telling the kids of [[2000]] that the Car Robots had been defending the Earth for a ''loooong'' time before Fire Convoy's crew came along, and gave them a brief out-of-universe rundown of vintage ''Diaclone'' in an elaborate cross-sell for the contemporaneous [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease\|Generation 1 Optimus Prime reissue]].

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:23, 18 January 2024
Line 56:		Line 56:
	Muddying the waters further was the English dub's tendency to namedrop numerous references to concepts and characters from Generation 1, ''Beast Wars'', and ''Beast Machines'' (which typically made things even ''less'' compatible), as well as the expanded Hasbro toyline featuring toys of [[Axer (G1)#Robots in Disguise (2001)\|Axer]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2001)\|Optimus Primal]] (whose toy bios strongly insinuated that they were the very ''same'' [[Axer (G1)\|Axer]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] as those originally from Generation 1 and ''Beast Wars''/''Beast Machines'', respectively). This caused no end of confusion among most of the Western fandom since, at the time, the idea of a total continuity reboot in ''Transformers'' was still very new and took some time to settle in.		Muddying the waters further was the English dub's tendency to namedrop numerous references to concepts and characters from Generation 1, ''Beast Wars'', and ''Beast Machines'' (which typically made things even ''less'' compatible), as well as the expanded Hasbro toyline featuring toys of [[Axer (G1)#Robots in Disguise (2001)\|Axer]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2001)\|Optimus Primal]] (whose toy bios strongly insinuated that they were the very ''same'' [[Axer (G1)\|Axer]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] as those originally from Generation 1 and ''Beast Wars''/''Beast Machines'', respectively). This caused no end of confusion among most of the Western fandom since, at the time, the idea of a total continuity reboot in ''Transformers'' was still very new and took some time to settle in.

	[[File:Universe 3 Oracle Omega Prime.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.45\|In [[Homecoming (Universe)\|''Universe'' #3]], [[Omega Prime]] is summoned to the [[Beast ~~Era~~ timeline (3H)\|G1/Beast Era reality]] from the alternate universe of ''Robots in Disguise''.]]		[[File:Universe 3 Oracle Omega Prime.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.45\|In [[Homecoming (Universe)\|''Universe'' #3]], [[Omega Prime]] is summoned to the [[Beast Wars timeline (3H)\|G1/Beast Era reality]] from the alternate universe of ''Robots in Disguise''.]]
	Some fans even attempted to theorize how ''Robots in Disguise'' could fit into a combined timeline of the English-language Generation 1, ''Beast Wars'', and ''Beast Machines'' cartoons, jumping through hoops to explain how most of the characters with Generation 1-based names could be the same people as their namesakes via body-changes (like [[Ultra Magnus (RID)\|Ultra Magnus]] becoming [[Ultra Magnus (G1)\|Ultra Magnus]]), or how those with new names could later become familiar G1 characters via body- ''and'' name-changes (like [[Side Burn (RID)\|Side Burn]] becoming [[Hot Rod (G1)\|Hot Rod]]). Other fans even theorized if ''Robots in Disguise'' could have been the result of ''Beast Wars'' having changed the timeline of Generation 1's history. Of course, these fan theories were going off the English dub due to its easier accessibility in the West, ignoring the fact that the characters in the Japanese ''Car Robots'' version were all originally brand new characters with mostly brand new names and no inherent ties to any prior series' characters (which, interestingly, ''would'' allow the ''Car Robots'' version to "fit in" better than the English version).		Some fans even attempted to theorize how ''Robots in Disguise'' could fit into a combined timeline of the English-language Generation 1, ''Beast Wars'', and ''Beast Machines'' cartoons, jumping through hoops to explain how most of the characters with Generation 1-based names could be the same people as their namesakes via body-changes (like [[Ultra Magnus (RID)\|Ultra Magnus]] becoming [[Ultra Magnus (G1)\|Ultra Magnus]]), or how those with new names could later become familiar G1 characters via body- ''and'' name-changes (like [[Side Burn (RID)\|Side Burn]] becoming [[Hot Rod (G1)\|Hot Rod]]). Other fans even theorized if ''Robots in Disguise'' could have been the result of ''Beast Wars'' having changed the timeline of Generation 1's history. Of course, these fan theories were going off the English dub due to its easier accessibility in the West, ignoring the fact that the characters in the Japanese ''Car Robots'' version were all originally brand new characters with mostly brand new names and no inherent ties to any prior series' characters (which, interestingly, ''would'' allow the ''Car Robots'' version to "fit in" better than the English version).

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:22, 3 October 2023
Line 42:		Line 42:
	In its original broadcast on Japanese television, ''Car Robots'' was the final installment in a series of five ''Transformers'' cartoons that aired consecutively on [[TV Tokyo]] from [[1997]] to [[2000]]. Beginning with the first season of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers\|Beast Wars]]'', this five-series run aired undisrupted on a weekly basis,<ref group="note">Barring two delays from December holidays in 1997 and 1998 that, respectively, pushed back [[The Trigger, Part 1\|one episode]] of ''Beast Wars'' to air a week later back-to-back with the [[The Trigger, Part 2\|next episode]], and shifted the last four episodes of ''Beast Wars II'' (and thus every episode of the next three series) back one week.</ref> continuing directly into ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars II]]'', ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)\|Beast Wars Neo]]'', ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals\|Beast Wars Metals]]'', and finally ''Car Robots''. The first four series' final episodes each ended with a short promo that previewed the next series in the line, as if each show was one part of a larger ongoing series of interconnected shows. The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeCFOaGt2q0 promo] for ''Car Robots'' aired immediately after the [[Remix: I Forgot the Banana!\|final episode]] of ''Beast Wars Metals'', and featured [[Optimus Prime (RID)\|Fire Convoy]] thanking the [[Maximal]] Beast Warriors for preserving [[Earth]]'s history and promising to keep the modern day safe from the Destrongers.<ref group="note">This information was largely lost on larger English-speaking world due to a lack of widespread knowledge that this obscure promo had even existed, let alone what was said in its Japanese dialogue.</ref>		In its original broadcast on Japanese television, ''Car Robots'' was the final installment in a series of five ''Transformers'' cartoons that aired consecutively on [[TV Tokyo]] from [[1997]] to [[2000]]. Beginning with the first season of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers\|Beast Wars]]'', this five-series run aired undisrupted on a weekly basis,<ref group="note">Barring two delays from December holidays in 1997 and 1998 that, respectively, pushed back [[The Trigger, Part 1\|one episode]] of ''Beast Wars'' to air a week later back-to-back with the [[The Trigger, Part 2\|next episode]], and shifted the last four episodes of ''Beast Wars II'' (and thus every episode of the next three series) back one week.</ref> continuing directly into ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars II]]'', ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)\|Beast Wars Neo]]'', ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals\|Beast Wars Metals]]'', and finally ''Car Robots''. The first four series' final episodes each ended with a short promo that previewed the next series in the line, as if each show was one part of a larger ongoing series of interconnected shows. The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeCFOaGt2q0 promo] for ''Car Robots'' aired immediately after the [[Remix: I Forgot the Banana!\|final episode]] of ''Beast Wars Metals'', and featured [[Optimus Prime (RID)\|Fire Convoy]] thanking the [[Maximal]] Beast Warriors for preserving [[Earth]]'s history and promising to keep the modern day safe from the Destrongers.<ref group="note">This information was largely lost on larger English-speaking world due to a lack of widespread knowledge that this obscure promo had even existed, let alone what was said in its Japanese dialogue.</ref>

	The series' synopsis found on [https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/carobot/index.html TV Tokyo's website] described ''Car Robots'' as "A new entry in the popular ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers\|Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars]]'' series" and even mentioned by name the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] of old. Said site and the [http://web.archive.org/web/20200526192751/https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/150486-car-robots-robots-in-disguise-2001-general-discussion/page-3#entry3747453 first toy catalog] also claimed the Destrongers had come to the 21st century through a dimensional rift, with the catalog calling them "an extremist group of the Destron race" ("Destron" referring to the [[Predacon (BW)\|Predacons]] of the [[Beast Era]]). The catalog also referred to Fire Convoy's team as a "[[Dimensional Patrol\|Dimensional Patrol unit]]" sent to stop the Destrongers, and even described the series premise as "[[Autobot Cars\|Car Robots]] versus [[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]". Plus, while not known at the time, early concept art for Fire Convoy (released publicly in [[2015]]) depicted him with a [[Maximal]] symbol instead of an Autobot one.<ref>[https://twitter.com/walruslaw/status/1488875871847043072 ~~Walruslaw on~~ Twitter~~] reveals Fire Convoy concept art from ''[[Transformers Generations 2015]]''.~~</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/20thDan/status/1488930036539281410 20thDan on Twitter], with higher-quality versions of the artwork, originally posted by [[Hisashi Yuki]] in a since-deleted [https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/early-sketch-of-fire-convoy-from-designer-hisashi-yuki/32617/ Tweet].</ref> Coupled with the [[Battle Protocol!\|first episode]] featuring a celebration for the new millennium (setting it in the year [[2000]]), all this led to initial speculation that the series would be set within the [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|preexisting Japanese ''Transformers'' continuity]], during the at-the-time unexplored gap between the second season of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] and [[The Transformers: The Movie\|its movie]], with the ''Car Robots'' cast having time-traveled from the future à la ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]''.		The series' synopsis found on [https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/carobot/index.html TV Tokyo's website] described ''Car Robots'' as "A new entry in the popular ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers\|Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars]]'' series" and even mentioned by name the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] of old. Said site and the [http://web.archive.org/web/20200526192751/https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/150486-car-robots-robots-in-disguise-2001-general-discussion/page-3#entry3747453 first toy catalog] also claimed the Destrongers had come to the 21st century through a dimensional rift, with the catalog calling them "an extremist group of the Destron race" ("Destron" referring to the [[Predacon (BW)\|Predacons]] of the [[Beast Era]]). The catalog also referred to Fire Convoy's team as a "[[Dimensional Patrol\|Dimensional Patrol unit]]" sent to stop the Destrongers, and even described the series premise as "[[Autobot Cars\|Car Robots]] versus [[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]". Plus, while not known at the time, early concept art for Fire Convoy (released publicly via ''[[Transformers Generations 2015]]'') depicted him with a [[Maximal]] symbol instead of an Autobot one.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=So i was looking up the contents of a book i've got on the way when i stumbled onto this interesting piece of concept art included in the 2015 Generations book that appears to show a closer link between Beast Wars with Fire Convoy having a Maximal symbol. https://t.co/wyzrkAX0vS\|link=https://twitter.com/walruslaw/status/1488875871847043072\|name=walruslaw\|site=Twitter\|year=2022\|month=02\|day=02\|(defunct=)}}</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/20thDan/status/1488930036539281410 20thDan on Twitter], with higher-quality versions of the artwork, originally posted by [[Hisashi Yuki]] in a since-deleted [https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/early-sketch-of-fire-convoy-from-designer-hisashi-yuki/32617/ Tweet].</ref> Coupled with the [[Battle Protocol!\|first episode]] featuring a celebration for the new millennium (setting it in the year [[2000]]), all this led to initial speculation that the series would be set within the [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity\|preexisting Japanese ''Transformers'' continuity]], during the at-the-time unexplored gap between the second season of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1 cartoon]] and [[The Transformers: The Movie\|its movie]], with the ''Car Robots'' cast having time-traveled from the future à la ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]''.

	As the series continued, however, it began to feel less like a part of the preexisting continuity and more like a fresh start, presenting itself as a self-contained story isolated from everything that had come before it,<ref group="note">The [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Wars II'' cartoon]] was similarly isolated and self-contained, but the appearance of [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] in both its first toy catalog and [[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!\|its movie]] made it easier for fans to accept it as part of the preexisting continuity.</ref> with no obvious ties or references to the Generation 1 cartoon whose second and third seasons ''Car Robots'' was, ostensibly, supposed to be set between.<ref group="note">Although, the [[Cybertron Base (RID)\|Autobots' base]] and [[Global Space Bridge\|underground transit system]] were strikingly similar to ones first introduced in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4\|Issue #4]] of the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)\|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga]]; a series that not many Westerners were familiar with at the time.</ref> There were no guest appearances from any Generation 1 characters (who, logically, ought to have noticed the globally Earth-based conflict of Fire Convoy and Gigatron's forces),<ref group="note">Even the similarly self-contained [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)\|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]] at least had a brief guest cameo appearance from [[Chromedome (G1)\|Chromedome]] in its [[Birth! Headmaster Jrs\|third episode]].</ref> and Fire Convoy's team took a more covert role in their relationship with humanity, using their vehicle modes to keep themselves incognito when not in battle, unlike the Generation 1 Autobots who regularly interacted with humans in their robot modes both on and off duty.<ref group="note">Though, Fire Convoy's team had no qualms whatsoever with showing their robot modes to humanity whenever their battles took place in cities or other populated areas.</ref> In fact, none of the early information about the characters being time travelers was ever brought up in the show, with almost no indication of the cast being anything but native to the year 2000 (save for one extremely brief moment in [[The Ultimate Robot Warrior\|Episode 12]] that many fans did not catch, wherein Fire Convoy vaguely hinted at having originally come from another time).<ref group="note">Upon finding the first [[O-Part]] of the series, Fire Convoy recognized what it was and questioned how it could possibly "exist during this time," as if both he and the O-Part were not native to the series' present time.</ref> The Destrongers being a radical group of rogue Destrons was never mentioned either. Thus, fans began to reconsider the series' original continuity placement and wondered if it might instead be an alternate universe—a sort of continuity reboot—dismissing the early time-traveling info as mere rumors or dropped concepts (or simply never knowing about it in the first place).		As the series continued, however, it began to feel less like a part of the preexisting continuity and more like a fresh start, presenting itself as a self-contained story isolated from everything that had come before it,<ref group="note">The [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Wars II'' cartoon]] was similarly isolated and self-contained, but the appearance of [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] in both its first toy catalog and [[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!\|its movie]] made it easier for fans to accept it as part of the preexisting continuity.</ref> with no obvious ties or references to the Generation 1 cartoon whose second and third seasons ''Car Robots'' was, ostensibly, supposed to be set between.<ref group="note">Although, the [[Cybertron Base (RID)\|Autobots' base]] and [[Global Space Bridge\|underground transit system]] were strikingly similar to ones first introduced in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4\|Issue #4]] of the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)\|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga]]; a series that not many Westerners were familiar with at the time.</ref> There were no guest appearances from any Generation 1 characters (who, logically, ought to have noticed the globally Earth-based conflict of Fire Convoy and Gigatron's forces),<ref group="note">Even the similarly self-contained [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)\|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]] at least had a brief guest cameo appearance from [[Chromedome (G1)\|Chromedome]] in its [[Birth! Headmaster Jrs\|third episode]].</ref> and Fire Convoy's team took a more covert role in their relationship with humanity, using their vehicle modes to keep themselves incognito when not in battle, unlike the Generation 1 Autobots who regularly interacted with humans in their robot modes both on and off duty.<ref group="note">Though, Fire Convoy's team had no qualms whatsoever with showing their robot modes to humanity whenever their battles took place in cities or other populated areas.</ref> In fact, none of the early information about the characters being time travelers was ever brought up in the show, with almost no indication of the cast being anything but native to the year 2000 (save for one extremely brief moment in [[The Ultimate Robot Warrior\|Episode 12]] that many fans did not catch, wherein Fire Convoy vaguely hinted at having originally come from another time).<ref group="note">Upon finding the first [[O-Part]] of the series, Fire Convoy recognized what it was and questioned how it could possibly "exist during this time," as if both he and the O-Part were not native to the series' present time.</ref> The Destrongers being a radical group of rogue Destrons was never mentioned either. Thus, fans began to reconsider the series' original continuity placement and wondered if it might instead be an alternate universe—a sort of continuity reboot—dismissing the early time-traveling info as mere rumors or dropped concepts (or simply never knowing about it in the first place).

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:42, 11 August 2023
Line 96:		Line 96:

	==Notes==		==Notes==
	[[File:Diaclone Car Robots logo.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.4\|Both versions of ''Diaclone'''s "Car Robots" logo.]]		[[File:Diaclone Car Robots logo.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.4\|Both versions of ''Diaclone''{{'}}s ''Car Robots'' logo.]]
	[[File:Car Robots G1 OP Cross-sell.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.1\|How do you do, fellow new toys?]]		[[File:Car Robots G1 OP Cross-sell.jpg\|thumb\|right\|upright=1.1\|How do you do, fellow new toys?]]
	*That retro gimmick we mentioned goes more than skin deep. ''Car Robots'' is so named for the original "Car Robots" (カーロボト) [[subline imprint]] of the [[pre-Transformer]] ''[[Diaclone]]'' franchise from which we receive the original 1984-1985 assortment of [[Autobot Cars]], along with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#~~Toys~~\|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#~~Toys~~\|Ultra Magnus]].		* That retro gimmick we mentioned goes more than skin deep. ''Car Robots'' is so named for the original ''Car Robots'' (カーロボト) [[subline imprint]] of the [[pre-Transformer\|pre-''Transformers'']] ''[[Diaclone]]'' franchise from which we receive the original [[1984]]-[[1985]] assortment of [[Autobot Cars]], along with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Ultra Magnus]].
	*When asked about the ''Diaclone'' angle, TakaraTomy designer [[Hironori Kobayashi]] explained that their driving philosophy for the line was to recreate the original Car Robots from first principles with then-modern (read: ''Beast Wars'') technology.<ref>Interview with Kobayashi in ''[[Transformers Generations 2015]]''</ref>		* When asked about the ''Diaclone'' angle, TakaraTomy designer [[Hironori Kobayashi]] explained that their driving philosophy for the line was to recreate the original Car Robots from first principles with then-modern (read: ''Beast Wars'') technology.<ref>Interview with Kobayashi in ''[[Transformers Generations 2015]]''</ref>
	*The ''[[Car Robots Encyclopedia]]'' equated the two directly, telling the kids of 2000 that the Car Robots had been defending the Earth for a loooong time before Fire Convoy's crew came along and ~~giving~~ them a brief out-of-universe rundown of vintage ''Diaclone'' in an elaborate cross-sell for the contemporaneous [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease\|Generation 1 Optimus Prime reissue]].		* The ''[[Car Robots Encyclopedia]]'' equated the two directly, telling the kids of [[2000]] that the Car Robots had been defending the Earth for a ''loooong'' time before Fire Convoy's crew came along, and gave them a brief out-of-universe rundown of vintage ''Diaclone'' in an elaborate cross-sell for the contemporaneous [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease\|Generation 1 Optimus Prime reissue]].
	*If this seems like a lot of fuss for the [[Autobot Brothers]] specifically, it bears mentioning Car Robots' wider orbit in the ''Diaclone'' line accounts for the remaining new-mold Autobots in the form of the heroic train and construction vehicle combiners that became 1987's [[Trainbot]]s and 1984's [[Constructicon (G1)\|~~Constructicon~~]]s respectively.		* If this seems like a lot of fuss for the [[Autobot Brothers]] specifically, it bears mentioning ''Car Robots''{{'}} wider orbit in the ''Diaclone'' line accounts for the remaining new-mold Autobots in the form of the heroic train and construction vehicle combiners that became [[1987]]'s [[Trainbot#Toys\|Trainbots]] and 1984's [[Constructicon (G1)#Toys\|Constructicons]] respectively.

	==References==		==References==
	{{reflist\|2}}		{{reflist\|2}}