Underground (episode)
| This article is about the Armada episode. For the Cloud location, see Underground (Cloud). |
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 Not about the Autobots forming a rock group to stop Dr. Robotnik. | ||||||
| "Underground" (Chika) "Maze: Underground" | ||||||
| Production code | TF: A-10 | |||||
| Production company | TV Tokyo, NAS | |||||
| Airdate | November 1, 2002 (English) 14 March 2003 (Japanese) | |||||
| Writer | Isao Shizuya | |||||
| Director | Satoru Kusuda, Shigeki Hatayama | |||||
| Animation studio | Actas Inc. | |||||
| Continuity | Unicron Trilogy | |||||
The battle for the Mini-Cons leads both forces underground, and another warrior enters the conflict.
Synopsis
Underground, in the ruins of the Mini-Con ship, Red Alert and Hot Shot work to salvage what they can, while the kids take a passive interest. Hot Shot whines that this kind of labor isn't his forte, and Rad offers to take his place. Just then, Optimus sends a message over the PA system, instructing everybody to return to the control room to prepare to go after another activated Mini-Con panel. The computer determines the panel to be in an urban area, and the kids suit up. The Autobots warp to their destination.
Within the ambiguous city, the Autobots determine the Mini-Con panel to be underground, and Alexis finds an entrance into the city's subway system for the Autobots to utilize. But a problem emerges when an active train heads directly for Optimus, who doesn't have enough room to maneuver out of its path. Only at the last second is Optimus able to turn away and avoid killing the astonished train operator. The danger past, the Autobots break up and explore the underground, searching for the Mini-Con.
Hot Shot casually drives by civilians in what appears to be an underground shopping area, confused at why the bystanders find his presence to be irregular. Red Alert drives alongside a train, confusing some children. And Optimus Prime observes that driving around the subway system is like exploring a maze. Elsewhere, the Decepticons have infiltrated the sewer system, to Cyclonus's distaste. When Megatron has trouble maneuvering, he and the Decepticons deploy their Mini-Cons to search for them.
Following a staircase Alexis has found, the kids locate a subway station that is evidently out of commission, and Alexis declares her ambition to become President of the United States. Under her administration, no subway station will fall into disrepair. Indifferent to Alexis's political agenda, the Street Action Team Mini-Cons combine into Perceptor and locate the new Mini-Con within a ceiling panel, but the panel is inches away from Perceptor's grasp. Using a ladder, Carlos is able to get a grip on the Mini-Con panel and pull it out from the ceiling, getting caught by Alexis. Rad decides they should take the panel to the Autobots, when the three come under a sudden attack from a blue hook.
Running away from their new attacker, the kids run into an area where they are trapped by non-functional subway cars. The kids jump into one of the cabs, but find themselves trapped between their assailant and the Decepticons' Mini-Cons. Thinking quickly, the kids jump out a window and ride away, hiding in a cavern. Laserbeak is deployed to find Optimus.
Receiving information pertaining to the Mini-Con from Blackout, Megatron blasts his way into the sewer, while Optimus gets the same information from Laserbeak. Megatron and his cronies are the first to locate the kids, and they quickly surround them. Just then, the children are saved by the mysterious assailant from earlier. After the unknown robot transforms, the Decepticons manage to bury him, the Mini-Con panel, and the kids beneath some rubble.
The Autobots arrive just in time to see Cyclonus pick up the Mini-Con panel and activate it, revealing it to be Drill Bit. Having technically won the battle, the Decepticons retreat. The Autobots quickly prepare to try to unbury the kids to see if they're still alive, when the orange assailant emerges from the dirt, having used his body to protect the children. Hot Shot identifies the bot as Smokescreen. Smokescreen apologizes for not meeting up with the Autobots earlier, and Rad is happy to have made a new friend, who was maybe only briefly trying to kill him.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Mini-Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"I can't even fly in here! What a rip-off!"
- —Cyclonus in the subway
"Once I become President, I'll change all that, you'll see! I'll put an end to the misuse of public property, and THEN I'll work on saving the environment, and I'll end world hunger."
- —Alexis, acting like a complete hippie
"Hello, kids, looks like you picked a "dead end", if you know what I mean!"
- —Cyclonus, trying to be funny but failing miserably
"Combat is not a spectator sport"
- —Says Starscream, except when it is
"Ha ha! Look at those pathetic fools! They've all been buried alive."
"Uh, that's great, sir, but the Mini-Con is buried too!"
"Then why don't you go and dig it out, you numbskull? Why is it I have to spell everything out for you?"
- —Megatron heaps abuse on Cyclonus again.
"Stay where you are, and nobody gets hurt. Once we have the Mini-Con, we'll be on our way. Then you Autobots can dig in the dirt all you like."
- —Demolishor
Notes
Differences with Micron Legend
- The shot of Optimus and Hot Shot before the team leaves the base has a different background. In Micron Legend, it's a part of the Control Room but in Armada, it's the monitor depicting the city.
- Armada has Hot Shot claim to detect a weak signal from the Mini-Con. Then Optimus pinpoints the Mini-Con's location as being underground. Hot Shot makes a sarcastic quip about doing more digging and Red Alert says they risk drawing attention to themselves if they start excavating. Micron Legend has Hot Shot unable to get a signal. Then Red Alert says it's the same on his end before Optimus says likewise and that the Mini-Con should be close. After Hot Shot's quip, Red Alert reiterates that the Mini-Con is certainly close.
- After the close call with the train, Carlos says he's glad Alexis is there to protect him in Armada. Micron Legend has him stating how he was afraid of almost dying instead. Also in Micron Legend, Optimus credits the narrow train dodge to finding the side tunnel instead of a track switch.
- In Micron Legend, Hot Shot doesn't ask himself if people haven't seen a car on a sidewalk before when he drives through the station.
- In Micron Legend, before Alexis points out the entryway to Carlos and Rad, the latter asks her what's got her attention. She simply points it out in Armada.
- During Decepticons' first scene in the tunnel, Starscream's internal monologue isn't about getting the Mini-Con before Cyclonus does but him having a laugh at the expense of Megatron and Demolisher as they barely have room to move in their vehicle modes. Instead of previously telling Cyclonus to be quiet, Starscream seemingly agrees with him that it's a pain they can't fly in the tunnel.
- The scene of the kids and their partner Mini-Cons on the abandoned platform has some differences between the two versions. Most of which is the dialogue.
- In Armada, Alexis guesses the platform was abandoned for either not fitting into the city's plans or to be replaced by a new train line, and after she finishes her diatribe about her presidential goals, she apologizes for getting carried away. However, in Micron Legend, Alexis says the station was deserted due to "poor land zoning" and improperly planned construction routes. Then after her ranting, she reflects on how the abandoned platform was probably beautiful in the past.
- The Transform sound effect isn't heard when the Mini-Cons combine into Perceptor in Micron Legend.
- Carlos suggests finding a ladder to help Perceptor reach the Mini-Con panel before seeing it in Armada. He sees the ladder first and then says he has an idea in Micron Legend.
- In Armada, as Alexis is holding Carlos as he's "falling", her face is animated to show her frustration more clearly. In Micron Legend, she looks fairly stoic and the animation isn't exaggerated like it is in the English version. Meanwhile, Carlos repeats that he was scared of dying in Micron Legend, while in Armada, he thanks Alexis for "saving" him again. In Micron Legend, the animation for Carlos in the scene after he stops screaming is in reverse order. Additionally, the scene is tightly cropped in Micron Legend.
- After recovering the Mini-Con panel, Armada has Rad say he, Alexis, and Carlos will take it to the Autobots. In Micron Legend, he simply says they should regroup with the others. An important detail that Armada completely omits is Smokescreen later revealing that he attacked the kids by mistake. This and the fact that Rad doesn't mention the children's allegiance with the Autobots until they're surrounded by the Decepticons help explain why Smokescreen is mysteriously threatening to the kids at first.
- Instead of noticing Rad holding the Mini-Con in his video message as he does in Armada, Hot Shot praises Rad's ingenuity.
- Megatron says he is sick of the children's games in Armada but simply orders them to be smashed to bits in Micron Legend. This goes on to Cyclonus laughing maniacally in Micron Legend, instead of offering to show the kids "how the big boys play" as he does in Armada.
- In Micron Legend, Starscream draws his wingblade and tells the kids it's the end of their cheerleading instead of combat not being "a spectator's sport".
- After Smokescreen saves the kids from Starscream, Megatron asks the Autobot for his identity and Smokescreen responds with "Who knows?" in a smart-aleck way; in Armada, Megatron doesn't say anything. Unlike Armada, Megatron doesn't say anything to Smokescreen as he runs away with the kids.
- In Armada, Megatron snickers at Smokescreen and the children all being buried alive but doesn't mention the kids in Micron Legend.
- Instead of Optimus demanding the Decepticons to release the children, he asks what happened to them in Micron Legend. Rather than remarking how the children "brought the house down" as he does in Armada, Cyclonus teases that he is digging for them in the rubble but finding the Mini-Con comes first.
- In Armada, Hot Shot demands to know where the kids are and Cyclonus asks if Hot Shot will "blow a circuit" if he doesn't tell. Then after giving warning shots, Demolisher says they'll be on their way and let the Autobots play in the dirt after finding the Mini-Con; in Micron Legend, Hot Shot tells Cyclonus to move and Cyclonus refuses. Demolisher then demands Hot Shot to stay where he is unless he wants anything to happen to the kids.
- Micron Legend has Cyclonus finding Drill Bit in the rubble, activating him, and then demanding him to scan his image once he appears but in Armada, he immediately says this before activating the Mini-Con.
- In Armada, Megatron says the newly acquired Mini-Con is a waste, presumably because it bonds with Cyclonus. In Micron Legend, he says there's no longer a reason to stay now that the Decepticons have the Mini-Con.
- Smokescreen apologizes to the kids instead of asking if he scared them. Instead of Carlos claiming to know Smokescreen was on the Autobots' side all along, he calls him bold for fighting off the Decepticons. Alexis tells Smokescreen how she thought he was a Decepticon and he apologizes again.
- After Rad's ending narration in Micron Legend, Hot Shot and Smokescreen's playful banter can actually be heard. Hot Shot says things could have been easier if Smokescreen had arrived sooner, and the latter says he would have but got sidetracked.
Animation and technical errors
- Optimus' forward-facing transformation is animated rather absurdly, as his trailer parts visible behind his truck cab simply merge into his back as he stands up.
- As Cyclonus prepares to dig out the Mini-Con panel from the rubble, his head is drawn hideously off-model.
- In the shot after Demolishor fires a warning shot at Hot Shot's feet, the Decepticon's forearms are absurdly long.
- In Micron Legend, Carlos's mouth doesn't move when he speaks while Alexis holds him up.
- Just before Rad escapes the train car on High Wire, the rock encasing the Mini-Con panel disappears.
- In one shot in Armada, Rad's hair color changes to match that of Alexis.
Continuity errors
- When deploying their Mini-Cons, instead of Crumplezone, Cyclonus deploys Longarm. When confronting the kids on the subway cart, instead of Longarm or Crumplezone, there's Bonecrusher. Crumplezone finally appears when the Decepticon Mini-Cons are running after the kids.
- In a single shot, Blackout disappears and Wreckage appears in his place.
Trivia
- The kanji 迷路 would normally be pronounced as "meiro", while "chika" is used for the kanji 地下 in this episode's context.
- Hot Shot passes by a mother and child looking into a store window, and on display in the store is a toy car that is identical to his vehicle form.
Foreign localization
German
- Title: "Der Mini-Con in der U-Bahn" ("The Mini-Con inside the Subway Station")
- Original airdate: This episode was never shown on TV but was dubbed in 2003. The dub premiered in 2009 with the German DVD release of the show.
Hungarian
- Title: "A föld alatt" ("Under the Ground")
Polish
- Title: "Metro" ("Underground")
French
- Title: "Dans le métro" ("In the Underground")
Korean
- Title: "새친구 스모키" ("New Friend Smoky")
Home video releases
- DVD
2003 — Transformers: Micron Legend — Volume 3 (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only.
2003 — Transformers: Armada — Vol:04 (Warner Music Video)
2004 — Transformers: Armada — Season One: Part One (Rhino Entertainment)
2005 — Transformers: Armada — Vol:03 (Universal)
2005 — Transformers: Armada — Triple Collection (Universal)
2008 — Transformers: Armada — Volume One (New KSM) — English and German audio.
2014 — Transformers: Armada — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
