The Great Cassette Operation
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 "Nobody move! This is a raid!" | ||||||
| "The Great Cassette Operation" (Cassette Daisakusen) | ||||||
| Production company | Takara, Toei | |||||
| Airdate | July 24, 1987 | |||||
| Writer | Toyohiro Ando | |||||
| Director | Jōhei Matsūra | |||||
| Animation studio | Toei | |||||
| Continuity | Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity | |||||
When Soundwave is resurrected as Soundblaster and Cybertron is attacked by the Madmachine, the Autobots respond by recreating Blaster as Twincast.
Synopsis
Using the advanced technology of planet Master, the Decepticons rebuild Soundwave as Soundblaster. His resurrection is timed to coincide with the creation of their latest weapon, the Madmachine, which emits electronic-disrupting rays. In order to field test the Madmachine, Sixshot and Trypticon attack an oilfield, in order to draw out Metroplex, who is crippled by the Madmachine. Reports of this deadly new device soon reach Rodimus Prime, who instructs the Autobot cassettes to investigate, but the loss of Blaster has left them dejected and unable to perform the task. The typically brash Autobot Headmasters don't look too kindly upon this dereliction of duty, and an argument ensues, but Rodimus calms everyone by revealing that Fortress Maximus is preparing to use Master technology to recreate Blaster. The Autobots gather to watch Blaster's rebirth as Twincast.
Alive again and reunited with his cassettes, Twincast is immediately charged with investigating the Madmachine, and heads to Earth, where he sneaks into the Decepticons' headquarters under cover of a firefight between the Aerialbots, Combaticons and Triple Changers. Even as he discovers that the Madmachine is being sonically controlled by Soundblaster from Chaar, the Madmachine and the Decepticon Headmasters are beamed to Cybertron, where they meet resistance from the Autobot Headmasters and Throttlebots. Blasting his way through the Constructicons, Twincast uses the Decepticons' space bridge to transport himself to Chaar. While his cassettes deal with their counterparts, Twincast destroys Soundblaster's sonic control and the Madmachine goes haywire, allowing it to be easily destroyed by the Autobots
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"Galvatron has reused some of Soundwave's parts, along with some other new parts, and has reconstructed another Soundwave, and renamed him New Soundwave."
- —The Narrator
Notes
Animation and technical errors
- For much of this episode, Rodimus has black rings around his eyes. They appeared briefly in "Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime", too. They seem to have been added by the Japanese animators as a way of further distinguishing Rodimus from Hot Rod.
- When Arcee and the Headmasters are trying to stop the Cassettes from leaving, she is missing her Autobot insignia. When it comes back in the next shot, it's a Decepticon insignia instead.
- Following the appearance of Arcee's Decepticon insignia, as the shot moves to Rodimus Prime, his insignia has turned traitor as well.
- When the Aerialbots fly in, Slingshot is colored like Fireflight, and Fireflight is colored like Air Raid. Air Raid, however, is colored correctly.
- When the Combaticons form Bruticus, Bruticus is colored entirely like Onslaught.
- While attacking Mindwipe, Rollbar and Goldbug's colors are swapped.
- While Hook is trying to stop Twincast from boarding the Space Bridge, his helmet alternates between being completely white and completely green. In both instances, it should be black.
- During the fight with Mindwipe, Goldbug's helmet briefly turns gold before returning to its normal blue color.
Continuity errors
- Daniel's sudden concern appears to be random — the previous episode had him happily playing video games with Wheelie and never mentioning Blaster's demise at all, and now he's suddenly so depressed that all he can do is mope. The capriciousness of youth, perhaps?
Transformers references
- Blaster and Soundwave died in "The Mystery of Planet Master".
- After speaking in tape mode in "Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime", Ratbat now speaks in robot mode.
Foreign localization
English
- Title: "The Resurrected Billy Against the Decepticons" (Omni Productions dub)
- Original airdate: ?
- Title: "Operation: Autobot Deployers" (Shout! Factory sub), "The Autobot Cassette Operation" (Shout! Factory menu)
- As title indicates, the Mini-Cassettes are referred to as "Deployers" within the episode.
- Slang names, such as "Deceptocreep" and "Autojerk" are used.
Russian
- Title: "Reshayuschaya Bitva Cassetnykh Robotov" (Решающая битва кассетных роботов, "The Ultimate Battle of the Cassette Robots")
- Original airdate: ?
Home video releases
- Laserdisc
1996 — Transformers: The Headmasters Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.
- DVD
2002 — Transformers: Takara (Sony Wonder) — Omni dub only.
2002 — Transformers: The Headmasters — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2005 — The Takara Collection Vol 1 — Transformers: Headmasters (Metrodome)
2007 — Transformers — The Complete Takara Collection (Metrodome)
2007 — The Transformers: Headmasters (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers: Japan Generation 1 — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
