[[Image:Kissplayers.gif|right|250px|thumb|I'm Chris Hansen, from "Dateline NBC". Why don't you have a seat?]]
[[Image:Kissplayers.gif|right|250px|thumb|I'm Chris Hansen, from "Dateline NBC". Why don't you have a seat?]]
'''Kiss Players''' (キスぷれ, ''Kisu Pure'') takes place in the year 2006, which in the Japanese continuity is one year after the movie and four years before the third season of the cartoon.
'''''Kiss Players''''' (キスぷれ, ''Kisu Pure'') is a Japanese Transformers franchise which began in 2006. By virtue of being the ''only'' Transformers toyline and fiction released in Japan by Takara between the conclusion of ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' and the [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]], it was also effectively the ''main'' Transformers line in the country for that time. It takes place in the [[Generation 1]] [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|cartoon continuity]], specifically in the five-year mileu between ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and ''[[Generation 1 (cartoon)#Season 3|Transformers 2010]]''.
Its name comes from the controversial gimmick of the show, which involves Transformers getting "power-ups" when they are kissed by [[human]] girls, who fuse with the robots and share their adventures. Although this plotline may seem like a shift in demographics to little girls, it is said that this line was aimed at a much older (and creepier) adult male audience. Indeed, the toys bear an "ages 15 and up" warning, and the subject matter of the accompanying manga is far from child-friendly.
The series derives its name from its (controversial) gimmick, which involves Transformers getting "power-ups" when they are kissed by [[human]] girls - the eponymous "Kiss Players" - who fuse with the robots and share their adventures. Although this plotline may seem like a shift in demographics to little girls, it is said that this line was aimed at a much older (and creepier) adult male audience. Indeed, the toys bear an "ages 15 and up" warning, and the subject matter of the accompanying manga is far from child-friendly.
A short ''Kiss Players'' story drama segment began airing on the Japanese radio show "Lyrian Moe-tchao" on April 3, 2006 in Japan and ended the final week of September. Each week would feature a 1 to 3-minute story narrated by one of the three voice actresses. In a surprise announcement during the final installment, it was stated that the entire 30-minute radio show would become "Transformers Kiss Play: Transformers News Center" the following week, broadcasting at an earlier time and starring the same trio of voice actresses.
The ''Kiss Players'' franchise comprises:
The new radio series started the first week of October, 2006. Highlights included a brief introduction explaining Transformers to new listeners, a "Tell Me Please! Transformers News Center" section during which [[Takaratomy]] employees or related professionals discussed Transformers news with the voice actresses, and a section in which the actresses ad-libbed dialogue based on reader-submitted scenarios. The story drama ended with a cliffhanger (and the first episode ever to feature all three voice actresses) in the third week of December, 2006 and was concluded in the drama CD included with the Autorooper X Atari toy set released to stores the following week.
* [[Kiss Players (toyline)|A toyline]]
* [[Kiss Players (fiction)|A weekly radio drama series and a manga]], which together tell the story of the line
A serialized ''Kiss Players'' manga by [[Yuki Ohshima]] began publication in August 2006 in the monthly ''Dengeki Daioh''[http://www.mediaworks.co.jp/special/daioh/] magazine and ran in three 16-page installments. It is very creepy. Several story installments also appeared in the monthly 1-page ''Teletraan Go! Go!'' comic published in the ''Dengeki Hobby'' magazine.
Following the conclusion of it's first storyline in late 2006, Kiss Players moved into its second (and apparently final) phase, '''Kiss Players Position''', which shifted focus to a distinctly more PG-rated themes.
[[Image:KPP.jpg|right|250px|thumb|This actually isn't the most demeaning thing they have to wear.]] A new ''Kiss Players'' radio story began on December 26, 2006. Starring the same three voice actresses as [[Rosanna]], [[Sundor]] and [[Glit]] as well as their previous characters, it follows on the events of the first year with the six main characters forming a singing group to entertain Humanity (in what currently appears to be a PG-rated way at most).
The second weekly installment of the new radio serial brought back the lead human characters from the first year and introduced three additional Transformers: the [[Sparkbot]]s [[Angela]], [[Stardust]] and [[Zangetsu]].
The second-year radio series acted more as a refresher course on the history of ''Transformers'' fiction than as a serious drama, featuring a storyline that took the human characters and the Sparkbots on a whirlwind tour through time, space and parallel universes in a quest to save the timestream by recovering fragments of the "Allspark" from [[Autobot]] leaders of the past, present and future. Through kissing, naturally.
Along the way, it wove together several previously separate or only loosely connected ''Transformers'' continuities, including [[Generation 1]], [[Robots in Disguise]] and [[Beast Wars Neo]].
==Fiction==
"Kiss Player" is the title given to any one of a number of young female [[human|humans]] who abruptly gained the power to fuse with [[Transformers]] (and [[Autrooper|Transformer-like robots]]) in the [[Earth]] year 2005.
This fusion occurs when the human [[kiss|kisses]] the robot, physically combining (minus most clothing) and bestowing special abilities and enhanced regeneration upon the target mechanoid. The human gains some degree of control or influence over the robot's actions for the duration of the fusion. If the human remains fused for too long, she is involuntarily ejected from her robot partner. This can be a disorienting experience and often leaves the Kiss Player unconscious. And naked. And covered in goo.
Later, "Kiss Players" becomes the name of the singing group that includes Marissa, Atari, Shao-Shao, Rosanna, Sundor and Glit.
==Major characters==
*[[Marissa Faireborn]] ''(voiced by [[Lyrian]])'' with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] ''(v. [[Tesshō Genda]])'' (Dodge Ram SRT 10)
*[[Shaoshao Li]] ''(v. [[Yui Kano]])'' with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] ''(v. [[Ryōtarō Okiayu]])'' (Ford GT)
* [http://www.toyvey.com/kisskiss/ Kiss Players story summaries on Toy Vey]
* [http://www.toyvey.com/kisskiss/ Kiss Players story summaries on Toy Vey]
{{stub}}
[[Category: Generation 1]]
[[Category: Generation 1]]
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[[Category: Kiss Players | Kiss Players ]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>
Revision as of 16:29, 8 October 2007
I'm Chris Hansen, from "Dateline NBC". Why don't you have a seat?
Kiss Players (キスぷれ, Kisu Pure) is a Japanese Transformers franchise which began in 2006. By virtue of being the only Transformers toyline and fiction released in Japan by Takara between the conclusion of Cybertron and the live-action movie, it was also effectively the main Transformers line in the country for that time. It takes place in the Generation 1cartoon continuity, specifically in the five-year mileu between The Transformers: The Movie and Transformers 2010.
The series derives its name from its (controversial) gimmick, which involves Transformers getting "power-ups" when they are kissed by human girls - the eponymous "Kiss Players" - who fuse with the robots and share their adventures. Although this plotline may seem like a shift in demographics to little girls, it is said that this line was aimed at a much older (and creepier) adult male audience. Indeed, the toys bear an "ages 15 and up" warning, and the subject matter of the accompanying manga is far from child-friendly.
Following the conclusion of it's first storyline in late 2006, Kiss Players moved into its second (and apparently final) phase, Kiss Players Position, which shifted focus to a distinctly more PG-rated themes.
Trivia
The official logo for the series says "Kiss Play" in Japanese text and "Kiss Players" beneath it in English. To avoid confusion, the English title is used here.
