Let's see:

Headmasters: If someone compiled a list of what happens, it would sound like a great series. In execution, it's so dull that there were times I'd rather watch paint dry.

Masterforce: Inconsistent. It doesn't connect to the rest of the franchise, or itself at times. However, every few episodes, they change focus, so at least the show stays fresh, if still problematic.

Victory: Fun. The clip shows are a big problem, but they're also very easily skipped. The characters are fresh and entertaining, and the back half of the series has great animation.

Zone. Zone is so bad it hates itself. Or it should if it could. The only positive is that it was only a single episode.

BWII. Not my cup of tea. The movie wasn't bad, but the series was dull for me.

BWNeo. Loved it. Great characters, great storyline, and the tone shift in the last 1/3 of the series was fresh and changed everything.

Car Robots. Fun, if at times inane.

 

That's a great analogy for it.

That was exactly my experience with it. I'd heard about all the events that take place in the series for years before I actually got a chance to watch it myself. And as a list of events, it sounded like the best Transformers series possible. But then, actually watching it... ehhhhhhh... what happened?!

 

Headmasters was terrible, I haven't seen the rest.

 

Headmasters increased my appreciation of 'The Rebirth.'

 

Masterforce: gravitated towards more anime-super robot/ super powers theme.

Victory: could be at times silly, and the theme of 'saving the earth from the evil forces of the Destrons' might have been repetitive, but overall it has alot of heart, imo.

Headmasters: sigh*

 

Likewise

 

I preferred the headmasters origin in Japan vs USA... stupid humies are supposedly going to improve millions year old veteran warriors? not to mention it seemed that in most cases the organic personality took almost complete dominance. I just prefer the idea of (effctively) Micromasters/mincons deciding they needed larger forms to interact.
that said the only series I have managed to complete so far is Masterforce (to be fair I started watching all series off and on when they were being fansubbed but lost track of it. bought all three from shout factory recently but haven't gotten around to watching)

 

I like the Japanese origin of the Headmasters the best. I also like how each episode builds on an overarching story, not just one off episodes. The animation is really good as well.

I think the only thing that I can't connect with is the weird aspect that exists in all 3 of the Japan cartoons ... This "I'm the commander, you should know your place" idea that both Autobots and Decepticons pull on their subordinates. I'm guessing this is a cultural thing? They do it all the time in each episode, and it becomes boring.

If Headmasters had some more US styled fun banter like Season 1-3, I'd say Headmasters is easily better than Seasons 3, and rebirth.

 

well there is that one scene where hardhead gets drunk and sings karaoke....

 

I just hate both of them.  

1987 wasn't that good year when it came to Transformers animation on both sides of the Pacific.

 

I prefer how Japan did the Headmasters as they were basically just Micromasters that had a suit the size of an average Transformer.

That said I also enjoyed their Masterforce even though it used Humans I think it's because it was actually people from Earth using Transformer bodies as mech suits rather than an Alien race we'd never heard of being introduced to become Masters.

 

Headmasters' animation is definitely a big step up from Sunbow season 3 & 4. But I would stop well short of calling it "good." Headmasters' animation is adequate at best. I don't think it compares well against the animation of other Japanese shows in 1987-1988.

 

Masterforce is really good imo, I like Headmasters too. I haven't seen Victory or Zone, but the intros/opening credits are awesome! The J-pop songs are catchy!

 

Well, Headmasters was toy-accurate. There's a big body with no head, and the smaller robot becomes that head. Just like in HM. In The Rebirth, the Transformers are whole, but the Nebulans go inside their heads and act like their pilots. Not even remotely like the toys.

 

I thought Headmasters was better than rebirth still not a big fan of headmasters but I do enjoy Soundwave coming back as Soundblaster. I liked Masterforce and Victory alot, I would of liked Zone more if it wasn't for the generic anime yaoi moments and there wasn't a lot of new villians. I liked Car robots not the best but i liked it more than Headmasters or Zone. Beast War II was ok I havent seen much but i liked Beast Wars Neo more.

 

I can't say I like Victory too too much.

On one hand the bots are cool. Liokaiser is very cool!

On the other hand they story is not very good. Basically Star Sabre bails the Autobots out at the end of every episode? Kind of boring.

 

I would have to agree, the animation of Headmasters was not that good as well and often very sloppy looking.

 

Yeah I think I meant a step up from season 3 and 4... I definitely was not comparing it to all animation out there.

 

I first learned about the Japanese continuity while “surfing the web” around 1997ish. Finding out that the series had continued for 3 years in Japan felt like part of my childhood had been kept from me. When a friend and I tracked down terrible quality VHS copies of the Star TV dubs of the 3 series I felt like I was experiencing a 2nd childhood. All of a sudden all those 1987 and up figures that didn’t mean much to me gained significance. Sometime around 2001ish I got a hold of Headmasters on VCD’s from a guy who cleaned up the audio of the English dubs as best he could and spliced it with the video from the laser discs. Then TV-Nihon fan subbed Masterforce and Victory which I burned to VCD. I was so used to hearing Headmasters in English and reading the TV-Nihon fan subs that watching the official North American DVD release of the set still feels strange to me.

Headmasters may not be considered the best of the 3 series by most fans but it will always be my favorite. Probably because it had so many characters from the previous Sunbow cartoon. Plus, unlike the next 2 series, most of the figures were released in the US making them much easier to find than several Masterforce figures and most Victory figures.

 

On the subject of Masterforce.

I'd love some deluxe/voyager sized figures of the Autobot Pretender inner robots with their human suits acting as their pilots.

That'd be tits.