Q-Transformers (cartoon)
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Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (キュートランスフォーマー 帰ってきたコンボイの謎 Kyūtoransufōmā Kaettekita Konboi no Nazo) is a cartoon released in support of the Q-Transformers toyline and mobile game. Episodes were broadcast on Tokyo MX, and released by animation company DLE on their YouTube and Nicovideo accounts. When each new episode was released, the previous episodes were set to "private", so that the whole series was never available all at once until its DVD/Blu-ray release.
The first season spanned 13 episodes and ran from January 6 to March 23, 2015. A second season titled Q-Transformers: The Road to Additional Popularity (キュートランスフォーマーさらなる人気者への道 Kyūtoransufōmā Saranaru Ninkimono e no Michi) followed shortly afterwards, running from July 6 to September 28.
Overview
The short episodes feature a dramatic CGI-rendered title sequence, which proves rather discordant with the actual content of the show: simple, Flash animation of several of the characters—usually Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Lockdown, joined by guest characters in later episodes—standing around a service area on one of Japan's many expressways. The show has no regard for the fourth wall, as the characters are all aware that they are a line of toys made to tie-in with the 30th anniversary of the Transformers brand. The cast is likewise a mash-up of characters from across Transformers history with no concern for such wiki-able concepts as "continuity families" or "universal streams"—the guest characters are all from Generation 1, while the three main cast members are live-action movie characters (the Age of Extinction incarnations, specifically), though Optimus and Bumblebee sometimes switch bodies (with no explanation) to designs based on their Generation 1 and Transformers GT selves.
The show is broken into the two segments. The first is a fast-talking scripted segment that centers on the Mystery of Convoy Returns mobile game, and the original Mystery of Convoy game; the show does not shy away from the fact the game was famously terrible, and most of the conversation in these first segments is based around the history of kusoge, a Japanese portanteau that essentially means "crappy game". Then, the sound of a Japanese kotsuzumi drum transitions the show into the second segment, in which the voice actors—staying in-character—ad-lib more humorous discussion topics based on what they were talking about in the first half. For example, the first episode starts with a discussion on the Q-Transformers toyline and its purpose, which then segues into the characters ad-libbing ideas for other types of reboot, such as plush toy Transformers, or a Transformers "Boys Love" romance.
The second season retains the general format, but drops the Mystery of Convoy theme in regards to both the Famicom and mobile games and instead has the characters talk about the peculiarities of Transformers and ways to make the brand more popular. A second cast, made up of Decepticons Megatron, Starscream, Shockwave and Soundwave, is also introduced and star in their own episodes where they discuss the same subject. Other changes include the setting now being in front of various Æon malls in Japan, the replacement of the title sequence with an ending credits sequence, and crossover episodes featuring guests from other franchises.
Cast
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
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Episodes
- For further information, see: List of Q-Transformers episodes
Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (Season 1)
- Mystery of the 30th Anniversary Merchandise
- Mystery of Reliably Crappy Games
- Mystery of Smearing Salt in the Open Wound
- Mystery of the Stage Bosses
- Mystery of the Wittily Similar Circumstances
- Mystery of the Gap of Unpopular Men
- Mystery of a Certain Explorer
- Mystery of a Certain Psychic
- Mystery of Game Balance
- Mystery of the Lowest Possible Standards
- Mystery of Convoy
- Mystery of Mystery of Convoy
- Mystery of Return of Convoy
Q-Transformers: The Road to Additional Popularity (Season 2)
- The Road to Winning a New Fanbase
- The Road to Easy Identification
- The Road to More Popularity than Autobots
- The Road to Borrowing Popularity from Sengoku Basara
- The Road to Smoothly Conveying the Mysteries of the Movie
- The Road to Newer Transformers
- The Road to Transformers for Adults
- The Road to Borrowing Popularity from Cooking Papa
- The Road to Dark and Comical Transformers
- The Road to These Definitely Failed Sequels
- The Road to Small and Cute Transformers
- The Road to Q-Transformers Land Which Won't Lose to Puroland
- The Road to Q-Transformers: The Movie
Production
The episodes are written and directed by Kotaro Ishidate and animated by DLE, with Mame Suzuki directing the animation and Sanae Fujioka on backgrounds. Music is provided by JPop band LiLi members Hajime and Jiro. The CGI title sequence was animated by 6 Dimensional Animation, and features the theme song "Physical" performed by OLDCODEX, Tatsuhisa Suzuki's band. The second season features two ending theme songs written by Eri Ishikawa and composed by Cher Watanabe: "DESTINY ~I've Loved You For 4 Million Years~" for the Autobot episodes, performed by Yoshimasa Hosoya, and "SHOCK ~This Feeling is Like Light~" for the Decepticon episodes, performed by Kaito Ishikawa.
Home video release
Mystery of Convoy Returns was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Happinet Pictures, the first 13 episodes being released on May 22, 2015. Both versions feature a creditless opening sequence, a live-action promo video, an interview with the main cast and footage previously only screened during an event, while the Blu-ray version adds additional ad-libbed material and a video of a perfect run of the Mystery of Convoy Returns game with commentary from Optimus. Certain stores offered exclusive bonuses with either version: if purchased through Amazon, Tower Records, HMV or Yodobashi Camera, they came with little figures of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Lockdown, while at Animate they included rubber straps of the human designs shown in episode 1.
The second season was released on December 2, 2015, and came with the Q-Transformers Original Soundtrack CD. Additional features on both versions include creditless ending sequences, a long version of a live-action promo video featuring the main cast and their respective toys, and a recap of an event held in Odaiba, while Blu-ray owners again get additional ad-libbed material. If purchased at Amazon, Tower Records, Rakuten, HMV, Yodobashi Camera or Animega stores, it comes with buildable papercraft figures of Optimus, Bumblebee, and Lockdown. Animate customers get an exclusive bonus again, this time a rubber strap depicting human versions of Starscream, Soundwave and Shockwave.
