Q-Transformers (cartoon)
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 is set to begin on July 6.
| Q-Transformers episodes: | |||
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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 centres 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.
Cast
| Autobots | Decepticons |
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Main Cast Others
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Main Cast Others |
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.
Home video release
The first 13 episodes of Mystery of Convoy Returns was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on May 22, 2015, with certain stores offering exclusive bonuses with its purchase. If purchased through Amazon, Tower Records, HMV or Yodobashi Camera, it comes with little figures of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Lockdown, while at Animate it includes rubber straps of their human designs shown in episode 1.
