The toys of the Transformers Part2

Hello everyone.  Last week, I wrote about the evolutions of the toys. So this week, I'll extend the subject to the variety of the Transformers.

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The toys I introduced last week just transform to a car. But as stated above, their transforming patterns are almost countless. Though there are more exceptions, I’ll classify them roughly.

1. Vehicles (and airplanes, tanks...)
 Vehicles are the most general form to transform.

 Bulkhead (in the Prime series)

 The Prime series are the toys and movies published quite recently. So the quality of toys are very high. Please look at the chest. The doors and other parts are folded densely. This shape expresses powerful masculinity.
 The maker tried to reduce the extra parts when it transforms. Can you imagine the process of transforming?

Arcee (in the Prime series)

 The women Transformer tend to scan motorcycle. The characteristic points are the breast and the division of the tire. The front part of the vehicle are divided and folded to form the breast, the feature of the women. And one of the tire is also divided to two parts and folded in legs. The setting of tires is one of the difficult point of making Transformer's toys.
There are picture of back view. And surprisingly, the tire rolls again when them are  put together!





























2. Animals (and all of organic lives...)
 As the series of toys, animals are also famous form to transform. Because of the hit of the "Beastwars" series, this category has been developed. The organic shapes are very difficult to transform. But there are lots of animal forms includes birds, fishes, insects...

Optimus Primal (in the Beastwars series)

This is the most famous toy of Beastwars series.  Though this toy in the picture is the renewal version, this series started in 1990s. But the density of gimmick is beyond our expectations.  In its arms and back, put many weapons.















Megatron (in the Beastwars series)

 The bold transforming attracts attention.
In fact, the face of it can be used as water pistol.
This toy is also most famous one.

3. Not Scanned

 Needless to say, before the scanning, the Transformers had the original form. This type of toys means the form of the Transformers when they lived in the planet Cybertron. Depending on the kinds of media, some stories are often set in their country, Cybertron. Even the original forms, the form resembles to vehicles. I suppose this is one of the reason they scan vehicles quite often.

 Optimus Prime (Universe series)
 I introduced same caracter last week. On the Earth, it scanned a trailer. Face, Coloring and other characteristics are retained even they scanned some form.

4. Daily Necessities

 For mimetic reason, this type of form are very effective. These toys doesn't work actually.

Spyshot (in the movie cries)

 Highscore (in the movie series)

 The transformed grip is very effective for the shape like a gorilla.


















5. Collaborations

 The Transformers often collaborates with other makers. Because of its nature, the Transformers are very easy to collaborate with something. But there are too many examples to put them here, so at next week I'll introduce them.

The toys of the Transformers Part1

 Hello everyone! My influenza was cured. Please be careful of your health condition continuously.
Then today's blogging theme is the "Toys" of the Transformers. toys are well-known and sold in lots of countries, so this is the very important element of the Transformers' media.
I'll introduce the toys' origin, history, variety and some secret stories for two weeks.
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 Last week, I talked about the beginning of the toys of Transformers.
 Even the toys of first generation surprised people in those days, the technology of toys has been improving now. Then let's trace the evolution of technology of toys using only the same character "Optimus Prime", the leader of the Autobots. Please compare these three generations of toys.

Optimus Prime (Generation 1)

[1] Optimus Prime (Generation 1)

 This is the first series of the toys.(This toy on picture is the reproduced edition.) This series started to be sold at 1986. The robot mode has fewer movable joints than recent toys, so the posing variation is limited and awkward a little. The arms, legs, knees move to one direction.
And because of simple transforming gimmick, even the robot mode remains the shape of vehicle mode especially the front part.
But the image of animation is reproduced  faithfully. The part of container also transforms to repair base.

One of the features of Transformers' toy is "Every characters can be the leading." In the animation, in fact, not only the leader but every character used to be main character. So this factor make the viewers want to collect many kinds of toys.

                                                                                   




                                                                             






[2] Optimus Prime (Masterpiece)

 This series is an attempt to remake the old toys by resent technology, called the "Masterpiece".    
Compared with Generation 1, we can see the    
joints are suppler than former one. The proportion got better.

 [3] Optimus Prime (movie series)
This series started in 2007, the year the Hollywood movie started showing. And this design is same as the character in the movie.
The modeling became more detailed.
The "ball joint" made the very smooth and free movement . The ball joints are a ball and a concave parts like this;
↑↓−●)−↑↓ 　＝ (−●　＋　)−)
The ball joints are used most of toys now.

And there are more gimmicks and devices in it.
We can't image the another mode easily because the gimmicks became more complex. Therefore the difficulty of transforming got higher.

From 2000, the American company of toys "HASBRO" which tied up with TAKARATOMY (≒TAKARA) has taken the initiative of planning and promotion. And the Japanese company has taken the part of design of toys.

Today's blogging is over. 

Thank you for reading!

Introduction -The Transformers as works

 Hello everyone. I've caught the influenza from few days ago. Please be attentive to your physical condition. But I have to upload new post.
 From this week 5 to week 10, I'll introduce the Transformers as some kind of works; movies, toys, comics, and games.
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 Today, I'll talk about the growth of the media of the Transformers. I suppose most of you knew it by the recent movie in 2007, but the work "Transformers" has long history from 1980s.
 -------------Then what was the beginning of the "Transformers"?

 From 1970s, there were big boom in the animation and the toys of transforming and uniting robots in  Japan. For example, the Getter Robo. In 1984, a toy maker "TAKARA" was making two transforming toys too; the Diaclone and the Microman. But they were not very famous, so the sales were so small. The maker was in trouble. And the TAKARA exported the transforming toys to the U.S. where the technique in toy making was lower than Japan. The toys were selling like hotcakes! Furthermore, the TAKARA tied up with the big company of toys in America. And integrated those two series the Diaclone and the Microman ---------as the "Transformers".

 So that was the very beginning of the great toy series. With the success in toys, the animation of the Transformers was broadcasted in Japan and the U.S., and it was great hit too.
 Now, the toys are sold about 500 million toys in more than 130 countries.

 Based on today's summary, from next week, I'll start to explain the transformers' development in various media.
 Thank you for reading and see you next week!

the Microman

the Diaclone

My ORIGINAL Transformer

 Hello everyone. The theme for today's blogging is "My ORIGINAL Transformer".
I loved Transformers to hope to create my original transformers. ;^)
Today, I'll show you my works.
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 But, creating the Transformers is not easy.  If we'll try to create it perfectly, we have to consider the complex parts moving, and have to express their originality. I think creating transformers is good training of my brain, especially the understanding 3D space. Why don't you try?

 I suppose almost of you know Miyazaki Hayao's films "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" and "Houl's Moving Castle".  Therefore I'm going to use the two famous objects in those works.

 First, let's guess how the transformer transform if it scanned the gunship of the valley of the wind in "Nausicca". From the first, I like the design of this gunship (especially the looks like insect and the two big cannons) and have wanted to try transform it. The difficulties were in folding the wings and in the usage of the big cannons as the characteristic of this transformer.
 And what I want you to notice is its head. I got the idea for this head design from the mask which people in "Nausicca" wear in daily life.

 Next, let's guess this transforming pattern,  if a transformer scanned the Howl's moving castle...,
This transformer's size may be too big because if it just stood up, at least it will be one and half times or two times as tall as the castle. So, it makes no sense of mimicry. ^^; But it must have strongest power in the transformers who don't unite.

 The cute point is its tail. this tail ball is made with two extra battery. And please look at its abdomen. There're the most detailed design, the folded legs of castle. (Oh sorry, we cannot see clearly...)
 From dynamics point of view, to disperse weight of itself, I took the parts apart small. And in the feet, I made mechanism of weight dispersion.
 Then the last difficulty is the chimneys. I put some of them on its arm. Moreover they will transform to weapons (maybe... big cannons?), I think.

Thank you for reading and getting along my hobby. ^^;

The world of the transformers

 Hello everyone. today's blogging theme is "The world of the transformers".
Where they were bone and live, why they make war,... I'll answer these questions.
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 First of all, I'll introduce about their country. This picture shows their home planet "Cybertron", which made of metal. On this planet, the two big camp "Autobots" and "Decepticons" have been at war for  about 10 million years. The main cause of this war is the transformer's main source of energy "Energon" buried on Cybertron. For their life, even for the progress of their civilization, the energy source is essential. So now, the Energon was almost drained and the Cybertron is very close to the crisis of the fall. However, the Decepticons even want to use huge Energon to develop their power. The Cybertron wanted to stop their ambition, so these two parties have stood in opposition for long time. 

 I'll talk about the secret of their birth.
Though there are various theories about their birth, this is the most well-known theory;
 -----Once upon a time, there were a kind of alien "Quintesson". The Quintessons had built the Cybertron to produce robots for selling. There were two kind of rodots produced; one is for civilian, the other one is for military. As time passed, the robots developed their reason and emotion.
But the ill-treatment by Quintessons to the robots  just went on and on. Then the robots put up resistance, around the reader A3 (Alpha Trion). And 11 million years ago, they start a revolution against the Quintesson.
 Finally, Quintessons were banished out of Cybertron by the robots. And once, peace returned to the Cybertron .
 But, 10 million years ago, the military robots (Decepticons) declare war against civilian robots (Autobots), and this war is been till even now.

 Autobot's symbol

  Decepticon's symbol

Variety of the Transformers

 Hello everyone! I'm sorry to be late to upload my post.

 This week, I'll talk about the variety of the Transformers.
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 The Transformers has many races and many transforming pattern. One transforms to vehicle, one transforms to animal, one transforms to plant. There are many reasons to transform. But in any case, the common reason they transform is to adapt themselves to various circumstances. In short, their transforming form depends on environments around them. For instance, if there were lots of vehicles in the planet they went,  they will often scan ordinary vehicles. And if the planet was the kingdom of animals, they will  often transform to some form of animal.
 But, their transforming forms also reveal their personalities. But each transforming form also reveals their personality. For example, the transformer "Jazz" likes stylish things chose a compact sports car to transform, and the transformer "Megatron" who want to be the strongest warrior chose Tyrannosaurus to transform. And "Cheetor" who transformed to cheetah is very impatient.

"Jazz" (in the movie)

"Megatron" (in the beastwars)

"Cheetor" (in the beastwars)

"Botanica" (in the beastwars)
a woman transformer who transforms to a plant.

 Depended on survey, some of you chose car, airplane and bird. On the Earth, I think, these form wasn't wrong to transform. I want to transform to a bird too.

 And others, there are some transformers unite together. Some transformers whose form is construction vehicles unites to "Devastator". It has amazing power and size.

"Devastator" (in the movie)

a power shovel
+
a bulldozer
+
a concrete mixer
+
a wheel roader
+
a dump truck
+
a crane truck

Ecology of the Transformers

 A happy new year!
 How was your winter vacation?
 This week, I'll introduce the Transformer as a kind of life.
 Transformers has complicated tissue. And they have  real reasons for transforming.
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 At first, what do you think are the Transformers' body made of? Almost of you will say "metal". Exactly, metal is metal. But the metal isn't on the Earth. Though there are various views, the metal is called "Cybertronium". The Transformer have complicated body made of this. And there is most important constituent for them. It is the "Spark". This is what is called the "soul" of the Transformers. They can't be alive without the Spark.  This is a valuable movie when the Transformer dies. This movie tells us what's the Spark for them.

  Next is the mecanism of transforming. The reasons for transforming are for mimicry or for efficient movement. First, they scan an object what they're going to transform. And second, change their body to new one suitable for transforming. This is the basic pattern of scanning. From beginning they has original form to transform, but they can't transform other vehicles and animals in other planet without scanning. The next movie (especially ~0:30) shows scanning process. And from this movie, we can see, when the Transformers come to the other planet, they depends on the situation, also can even transform to meteorites.

 And lastly, what is their source of energy ? It is the "Energon". The form is mineral or liquid. I'll talk about this later, this valuable Energon is the main factor of war in their planet.