Credulous
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 Hi ho Sideways! | ||||||
| "Credulous" (Ogori) "Pride: Arrogance" | ||||||
| Production code | TF: A-16 | |||||
| Production company | TV Tokyo, NAS | |||||
| Airdate | December 27, 2002 (English) 25 April 2003 (Japanese) | |||||
| Writer | Shōji Tonoike | |||||
| Director | Shigeki Hatayama, Satoru Kusuda | |||||
| Animation studio | Actas Inc. | |||||
| Continuity | Unicron Trilogy | |||||
During a battle over a new Mini-Con, Hot Shot and Sideways are accidentally teleported to the Decepticon moonbase. Will they be able to survive by depending on each other?
Synopsis
At another battle for a precious Mini-Con, the Autobots and the Decepticons face each other, with Scavenger suspiciously absent. When Sideways and Hot Shot press forward, Starscream retreats, while Cyclonus and Demolishor also unenthusiastic about the notion of going against the Star Saber. With all the Decepticons literally running away (having apparently forgotten their alt modes), Prime and Smokescreen look for the Mini-Con.
At the battlefield, Sideways announces finding the Mini-Con, causing him to be rushed by Megatron, who sits on the bike. Megatron grasps the Mini-Con, but Sideways, in turn, holds onto Megatron. And Hot Shot uses his hyperdrive to grab on to Sideways. Together, the three are all caught in Megatron's teleportation back to the Decepticon base. Scavenger, who was passively monitoring the fight from a distance, considers the teleportation "An interesting turn of events." Prime and Smokescreen are left to look for their partner.
On the Moon, Megatron is unable to awaken the Mini-Con; finding the panel to be a fake, he crushes it into dust. Then Sideways reveals (via a retroactive foreshadowing flashback) to Hot Shot that this was all part of his plan to get Hot Shot inside of the Decepticon base so that he might eliminate the Decepticons. Cyclonus and Demolishor arrive, and Megatron orders the battle to begin again.
Scavenger returns to the damaged Decepticon base. Sideways and Hot Shot take cover in a hallway, and the Decepticons lead the two Autobots outside, revealing that the Decepticon base is on the Moon. The duo follows the Decepticons, knowing that they might be heading into a trap. Megatron's disembodied voice taunts Hot Shot. Soon, shadowy figures surround them, and when Hot Shot tries plowing through one of them to get clear, he sees that one of the shadows is Optimus Prime. Or is it?
After attempting to converse with a suspiciously hostile Optimus, Sideways points out the Optimus that Hot Shot is talking to isn't Optimus at all but a clever ruse. The two take cover in a Moon hole, and the two agree to split up to defeat the holographic doppelgangers.
Megatron meanwhile announces that whoever can claim the Star Saber from Hot Shot is allowed to keep it. Hot Shot and Sideways finish off the holograms, and Hot Shot briefly hops on Sideways' bike mode as the Decepticons begin their attack. Hot Shot leaps off Sideways, cutting off Cyclonus's rotor and knocking over Demolishor as he lands, ready to duel Starscream.
Starscream gains the upper hand against the exhausted Hot Shot, but Megatron reveals that he's taken Sideways prisoner and is ransoming him for the Star Saber. Hot Shot is conflicted but concedes that he must save Sideways and gives up the sword. Megatron releases Sideways, but before he can claim the Star Saber, Hot Shot verbally commands the three Mini-Cons to separate and return.
At that moment, Sideways changes sides, knocking the Star Saber away from Hot Shot to Starscream. Sideways changes his head and logo, and Hot Shot emotionally laments how he was easily deceived. Cyclonus and Demolishor literally kick Hot Shot while he's down. Starscream is about to kill Hot Shot to earn the Star Saber, but Scavenger arrives and suggests that Hot Shot has had enough.
Back at the Autobot base, the Autobots and kids have been anxiously waiting. While Carlos, Billy, and Fred believed that Hot Shot would easily defeat the Decepticons, the rest of the Autobots weren't so optimistic. However, they were forced into a passive position as they were unaware of the Decepticon base's location. When Hot Shot arrives in brutal shape and falls offline, Red Alert rushes to provide aid.
Starscream celebrates his new sword, boasting that he is undeniably the most powerful warrior in the universe, causing an enraged Megatron to destroy the monitor he watched Starscream upon, eliciting a laugh from Sideways.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Mini-Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"I love that 'save the universe' stuff. Uh, I mean—way cool!"
- —Fred
"Meddling Matrix!"
- —Megatron, as he delivers a kick to Hot Shot's face
"Come on, Star Saber, it's time to shut down this user's past-due account!"
- —Lame computer metaphor courtesy of Hot Shot
"The sword's stayin' with me, pal. Now get your microprocessors out here!"
(laughs) "Want to play the hard way, do you? Well, suits me just fine. I'd love the chance to initialize your disc."
- —Hot Shot and Megatron compete with bad computer metaphors.
"Hyperdrive! Coming through! Drop or be dropped, scuzzy breath! [Charges at a hologram, which turns out to be Optimus. Laughs weakly.] Uh, Optimus! Heh heh, hope you didn't take it personally..."
- —Hot Shot
Demolishor: "Still reeling from the shock of it all, are you, now? Why don't I help bring you back to reality!" [begins stomping and kicking Hot Shot]
Cyclonus: "I'd be glad to lend a hand!"
Megatron: "[laughs evilly] Give the Autobot some special Decepticon attention."
- —The Decepticons, after taking Hot Shot's sword away
Megatron: "...Do me a little favor: I need you to put that punk out of his misery!"
Starscream: "Yes, sir."
Scavenger: "Stop right there. There's no need to finish him off."
- —Scavenger hints at his true nature.
Notes
Differences with Legends of the Microns
- Alexis's opening narration is that, at the time, everyone thought Hot Shot and Sideways warping away with the Decepticons was a disquieting accident. Armada turns it into Alexis comparing the warp to "an old sci-fi flick" and her saying the kids and Autobots couldn't do anything about it.
- In Armada, Hot Shot wonders to himself why Sideways is shooting at the other Autobots before realizing the hologram trick. In contrast, in the Japanese version, he stands still silently for few seconds.
- When Megatron angrily boasts to Sideways after being tackled by him, Sideways responds mockingly before revealing his darker side to him in Armada. Sideways stays silent during this scene in Legends of the Microns.
- In Legends of the Microns, as Hot Shot is yelling in frustration after Sideways's betrayal, he desperately tries to call the Star Saber Mini-Cons back to him. This action is a more direct link to the next shot where Starscream holds the shaking sword from separating.
- Alexis's closing narration is fairly identical between both versions, but in the Japanese dub, she elaborates that Hot Shot later told everyone what happened with Sideways and how he lost the Star Saber.
- Sideways is silent while staring at Megatron in the final scene.
Animation and technical errors
- The animation quality at the beginning of the episode is poor but suddenly improves after the Autobot base scene.
- As Cyclonus fires his yellow arm projectiles, they turn red as soon as they eject. When they fly past Hot Shot and Sideways in the next shot, they're represented as glowing purple energy projectiles.
- At one point, Sideways is missing his handlebars. Hot Shot, who is riding him, is posed as if he is holding onto them.
- In the shot where Megatron fires a warning shot to the ground to keep Starscream from interfering with his negotiation with Hot Shot, Starscream doesn't have a right hand.
Continuity notes
- Some time seems to have passed since the last episode, since Hot Shot and Sideways have become pretty close allies.
- The Decepticons keep referring to Sideways as a "virus." Boy, they don't know the half of it.
- It seems like Fred still hasn't learned anything because he calls the Decepticons "Destructicons."
- When Sideways reveals himself to Megatron, partially hidden by a cloud of dust, his dialogue is rather baffling. After Megatron claims that no one humiliates him, Sideways says in his normal voice, "That's not what I've been hearing!" Immediately after, however, he repeats this line, in a higher-pitched, unintelligent-sounding voice, as if he was mockingly repeating the sentence (which would mean he was... mocking himself?). Immediately after that, Crosswise appears from off-screen and becomes his Decepticon head. Any significance this may have between Sideways and his Mini-Cons is unclear. The line isn't present in the Japanese version. In another scene, Sideways in vehicle mode speaks usually even though his rider is absent.
- Gadgets and powers:
- This is a rare instance where Cyclonus uses his arm cannons as missiles, a gimmick used on his toy.
- Sideways fires lasers from his tailpipes on his forearms.
- Hot Shot uses his "Hyperdrive" ability for the first time; this is where his foot chainsaws act as skates and allow him to move across the ground super fast.
- His foot chainsaws are used again to stop Starscream's sword.
- Sideways is seemingly large enough for a car-sized bot to ride.
- Megatron uses Leader-1 in his pistol configuration. He later has Leader-1 in this configuration Powerlinxed to his upper-right shoulder.
- Sideways Powerlinx with Crosswise for the first time.
- However, the animation makes this transition somewhat odd, as Mirror changes from one head to the other; however, the last episode specifically depicted Mirror splitting in two before placing Rook on his head.
- Starscream Powerlinx with the Star Saber for the first time.
Continuity errors
- In the episode's opening, the Decepticons diss Scavenger for not being in the battle, which is odd, given that he has been at the forefront of their fights in the past two episodes.
- Shortly after, the rock Megatron is standing behind is shot by three separate lasers. The camera cuts to Sideways, shooting only two lasers and no other gunners in sight. Then we see the Decepticons being attacked by four different lasers. Then comes another shot of Sideways, still with two lasers, but this time both Optimus and Smokescreen can be seen, just staring.
- Later, as the Decepticons retreat, they are shot at by four lasers. Once again, it's only Sideways.
- Hot Shot reacts with surprise when finding that the Decepticon base is on the Moon, but the Autobots already worked that out back in "Metamorphosis". However, this isn't a continuity error in Legends of the Microns since the Autobots never figured out the Decepticon base location in that episode.
- Despite his several references to getting the Star Saber "back," Starscream has never actually possessed it before this episode. In Legends of the Microns, Starscream makes no such references and exclaims finally getting the Star Saber near the end.
- After Hot Shot slices off Cyclonus's propeller, Cyclonus either reattaches it, grows a new one, or lucks into a continuity error.
Trivia
- The kanji 慢心 would be pronounced as "manshin", while "ogori" is used for the kanji 驕り in this context.
- Amazingly, the entire scene where Megatron and Sideways fight over the fake Mini-Con panel is animated with both characters in compromising positions. Both voice actors, David Kaye and Paul Dobson, also mostly make grunting sounds; a dream come true to both characters' and actors' fangirls.
- If all the holograms are of the Autobots at the time, why isn't there a Sideways one?
- For some reason, among the Autobot holograms, there is a Demolishor one.
- This episode showcases narration from Alexis rather than the typical narration from Rad.
- Credulous is a big word for a children's show. It's good to see the English language pushed along with selling toys.
- Cyclonus uses his rotors to fly while on the Moon. HELICOPTERS DON'T WORK THAT WAY.
- During the duel with Starscream, Hot Shot is shown panting. Even if a Transformer would need to do that for some reason, still, it's THE MOON.
- Hilariously, Optimus tells Red Alert that Hot Shot needs "tech support" when Hot Shot returns to the Autobot base injured.
Foreign localization
Hungarian
- Title: "Árulás" ("Treachery")
Polish
- Title: "Podstęp" ("Deceit")
French
- Title: "La trahison" ("The Treason")
Korean
- Title: "두얼굴의 더블페이스" ("Two-faced Doubleface")
Portuguese
- Title: "Crédulo" ("Credulous")
Home video releases
- DVD
2003 — Transformers: Legends of the Microns — Volume 4 (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only.
2004 — Transformers: Armada — Season One: Part One (Rhino Entertainment)
2007 — Transformers: Armada — Le combat recommence... (TFou Vidéo) — French audio only.
2008 — Transformers: Armada — Volume One (New KSM) — English and German audio.
2014 — Transformers: Armada — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
