Transformers: Armada (cartoon): Difference between revisions
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'''''Armada''''' is a ''Transformers'' cartoon series that ran from 2002-2003, in support of the franchise of the same name. The show initiated a total continuity reboot, setting up a brand new ''Transformers'' universe separate from any previous storyline. Together with its two sequels, this continuity family is now known as the [[Unicron Trilogy|Unicron Trilogy]]. | |||
''Armada'''s universe is most distinguished by the presence and importance of [[Mini-Con|Mini-Cons]], a race of human-sized Transformers that, when "[[Powerlinx|powerlinxed]]" to their larger brethren, would unleash a flood of energy. Because of the great potential for their exploitation, the Mini-Cons attempt to abstain from the [[Autobot|Autobot]]/[[Decepticon|Decepticon]] war and flee [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], crashing on [[Earth|Earth]] and its moon. When some Mini-Cons are accidentally reactivated in 2002 by clumsy teenagers, a beacon alerts both the Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron, who track them to Earth and continue their battle here. | ''Armada'''s universe is most distinguished by the presence and importance of [[Mini-Con|Mini-Cons]], a race of human-sized Transformers that, when "[[Powerlinx|powerlinxed]]" to their larger brethren, would unleash a flood of energy. Because of the great potential for their exploitation, the Mini-Cons attempt to abstain from the [[Autobot|Autobot]]/[[Decepticon|Decepticon]] war and flee [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], crashing on [[Earth|Earth]] and its moon. When some Mini-Cons are accidentally reactivated in 2002 by clumsy teenagers, a beacon alerts both the Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron, who track them to Earth and continue their battle here. | ||
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==Characters== | ==Characters== | ||
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000" | |||
! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobots]] | |||
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticons]] | |||
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human]]s | |||
! style="background:#FFEEB8" | Others | |||
|- | |||
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" | | |||
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Garry Chalk|Garry Chalk]]) | * [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Garry Chalk|Garry Chalk]]) | ||
* [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] ([[Brian Drummond|Brian Drummond]]) | * [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] ([[Brian Drummond|Brian Drummond]]) | ||
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* [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen/Hoist]] ([[Dale Wilson|Dale Wilson]]) | * [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen/Hoist]] ([[Dale Wilson|Dale Wilson]]) | ||
| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" | | |||
* [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron/Galvatron]] ([[David Kaye|David Kaye]]) | * [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron/Galvatron]] ([[David Kaye|David Kaye]]) | ||
* [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] ([[Don Brown|Don Brown]]) | * [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] ([[Don Brown|Don Brown]]) | ||
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* [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] ([[Michael Daingerfield|Michael Daingerfield]]) | * [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] ([[Michael Daingerfield|Michael Daingerfield]]) | ||
| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" | '''Regulars''' | |||
* [[Rad White|Rad White]] ([[Kirby Morrow|Kirby Morrow]]) | * [[Rad White|Rad White]] ([[Kirby Morrow|Kirby Morrow]]) | ||
* [[Alexis|Alexis]] ([[Tabitha St. Germain|Tabitha St. Germain]]) | * [[Alexis|Alexis]] ([[Tabitha St. Germain|Tabitha St. Germain]]) | ||
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| style="background:#FFEEB8" valign="top" | | |||
* [[Sideways|Sideways]] ([[Paul Dobson|Paul Dobson]]) | * [[Sideways|Sideways]] ([[Paul Dobson|Paul Dobson]]) | ||
* [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]] (Paul Dobson) | * [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]] (Paul Dobson) | ||
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'''Mini-Cons''' | '''Mini-Cons''' | ||
* [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] | * [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] | ||
* [[Street Action Mini-Con Team|Street Action Mini-Con Team]] | * [[Street Action Mini-Con Team|Street Action Mini-Con Team]] | ||
** [[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] ([[Terry Klassen|Terry Klassen]]) | |||
** [[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] | |||
* [[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] | ** [[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]] | ||
* [[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]] | |||
* [[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Mini-Con Team]]: [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] | * [[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Mini-Con Team]]: [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] | ||
** [[Jetstorm (Armada)|Jetstorm]] | |||
** [[Runway|Runway]] | |||
* [[Runway|Runway]] | ** [[Sonar (Armada)|Sonar]] | ||
* [[Sonar (Armada)|Sonar]] | |||
* [[Race Mini-Con Team|Race Mini-Con Team]]: [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom Shield]] | * [[Race Mini-Con Team|Race Mini-Con Team]]: [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom Shield]] | ||
** [[Downshift (Armada)|Downshift]] | |||
** [[Dirt Boss (Armada)|Dirt Boss]] | |||
* [[Dirt Boss (Armada)|Dirt Boss]] | ** [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]] | ||
* [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]] | |||
* [[Space Mini-Con Team|Space Mini-Con Team]]: [[Requiem Blaster|Requiem Blaster]] | * [[Space Mini-Con Team|Space Mini-Con Team]]: [[Requiem Blaster|Requiem Blaster]] | ||
** [[Astroscope|Astroscope]] | |||
** [[Payload (Armada)|Payload]] | |||
** [[Sky Blast|Sky Blast]] | |||
|} | |||
Narrator: [[Jim Conrad|Jim Conrad]] | Narrator: [[Jim Conrad|Jim Conrad]] | ||
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The show has also taken flack for the repetitive nature of its first half, in which the same small groups of Autobots and Decepticons hunt for Mini-Cons in one episode after another. The threat of Unicron, as well as the gradually expanding cast, eventually led to more wide-ranging stories. | The show has also taken flack for the repetitive nature of its first half, in which the same small groups of Autobots and Decepticons hunt for Mini-Cons in one episode after another. The threat of Unicron, as well as the gradually expanding cast, eventually led to more wide-ranging stories. | ||
==Reception== | ==Reception== | ||
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The success of ''Armada'' led to the more expensive R&D that went into the next two franchises, ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]''. It also prompted the launch of the ''Transformers [[Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' subline, as demand for Transformers product continued to outstrip Hasbro's ability to develop new molds. | The success of ''Armada'' led to the more expensive R&D that went into the next two franchises, ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]''. It also prompted the launch of the ''Transformers [[Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' subline, as demand for Transformers product continued to outstrip Hasbro's ability to develop new molds. | ||
==Episodes== | ==Episodes== | ||
{{main|List of Armada episodes}} | |||
{{collist|4| | |||
*[[First Encounter|First Encounter]] | |||
*[[Metamorphosis|Metamorphosis]] | *[[Metamorphosis|Metamorphosis]] | ||
*[[Base|Base]] | *[[Base|Base]] | ||
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*[[Union|Union]] | *[[Union|Union]] | ||
*[[Origin|Origin]] | *[[Origin|Origin]] | ||
*[[Mortal Combat|Mortal Combat]] | *[[Mortal Combat|Mortal Combat]] | ||
}} | |||
==DVD releases== | ==DVD releases== | ||
{{stub|More information if known}} | |||
===''Micron Legend''=== | ===''Micron Legend''=== | ||
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[[Category:Television series]] | [[Category:Television series]] | ||
[[Category:Armada]] | [[Category:Armada]] | ||
Revision as of 05:23, 23 March 2009
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Armada is a Transformers cartoon series that ran from 2002-2003, in support of the franchise of the same name. The show initiated a total continuity reboot, setting up a brand new Transformers universe separate from any previous storyline. Together with its two sequels, this continuity family is now known as the Unicron Trilogy. Armada's universe is most distinguished by the presence and importance of Mini-Cons, a race of human-sized Transformers that, when "powerlinxed" to their larger brethren, would unleash a flood of energy. Because of the great potential for their exploitation, the Mini-Cons attempt to abstain from the Autobot/Decepticon war and flee Cybertron, crashing on Earth and its moon. When some Mini-Cons are accidentally reactivated in 2002 by clumsy teenagers, a beacon alerts both the Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron, who track them to Earth and continue their battle here.
- Followed by: Energon
Characters
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
Regulars
|
Mini-Cons |
Narrator: Jim Conrad
Major Locations
- Lincoln, Nebraska
- Cybertron Base (Autobot HQ)
- Cosmoscope Research Center
- Lunar Base (Decepticon HQ)
- Cybertron
Production
Armada was the first Transformers cartoon to be co-developed in the United States and Japan. The show was produced in Japan, aired first in the United States, and then aired later in Japan. Dubbing for the US version was done by ADR studio Voicebox.
Criticisms
The US dub of Armada was plagued with errors. Most explicit is the repeated misnaming of characters, particularly the Mini-Cons. More subtle clues point to scripts that were transliterated and never given a proper re-write to adapt them for a Western audience.
The show also featured wildly varying animation quality. This is due in large part to an extremely rushed production schedule; Voicebox often received unfinished animation to work with, and rarely had time to get more than a first-draft translation of the script together in time for recording.
The cause of this rush job is still under speculation, but there appear to be two primary suspects:
- Initial plans called for Dreamwave to supply character models for the series (at least, that was the claim), but that never materialized, possibly throwing off production schedules.
- Cartoon Network, the channel that aired the show, reportedly would not sign off on the series without a certain number of episodes already finished, forcing a rush job to get the cartoon out to coincide with the toy line's release.
Even accounting for the rushed dub, Armada's scripting tends to be of poor quality. Characters give long, rambling, semi-coherent monologues, react strangely to one another's dialog, have very disjointed "conversations", reiterate obvious plot points to one another, and repeatedly use stock phrases such as "Hey, wait up!" Moments of intended silence are filled with babble, especially the dreaded "Uh?" every time a character reacts to anything.
The show has also taken flack for the repetitive nature of its first half, in which the same small groups of Autobots and Decepticons hunt for Mini-Cons in one episode after another. The threat of Unicron, as well as the gradually expanding cast, eventually led to more wide-ranging stories.
Reception
Although fans had a mixed reaction towards the product as a whole (which is typical of any new series), it was incredibly successful with the target audience, children ages 4-9. The toys sold like hotcakes, prompting Hasbro to pad out the tail end of the toyline with a number of Beast Wars redecos.
The success of Armada led to the more expensive R&D that went into the next two franchises, Energon and Cybertron. It also prompted the launch of the Transformers Universe subline, as demand for Transformers product continued to outstrip Hasbro's ability to develop new molds.
Episodes
- First Encounter
- Metamorphosis
- Base
- Comrade
- Soldier
- Jungle
- Carnival
- Palace
- Confrontation
- Underground
- Ruin
- Prehistory
- Swoop
- Overmatch
- Gale
- Credulous
- Conspiracy
- Trust
- Vacation
- Reinforcement
- Decisive Battle
- Vow
- Rebellion
- Chase
- Tactician
- Linkup
- Detection
- Awakening
- Desperate
- Runaway
- Past, Part 1
- Past, Part 2
- Sacrifice
- Regeneration
- Rescue
- Mars
- Crack
- Threaten
- Crisis
- Remorse
- Depart
- Miracle
- Puppet
- Uprising
- Dash
- Drift
- Portent
- Cramp
- Alliance
- Union
- Origin
- Mortal Combat
DVD releases
Micron Legend
The Micron Legend version of Armada was released on DVD by Columbia Music Entertainment in Japan while the series was still on air.
