IMPORTANT: G1/Movie Questionnaire!

Hi everyone!

I'm doing a film and TV course at university and have decided to write a research essay on fan experiences with the cartoons (particularly G1) and 2007 movie. I'd really appreciate it if you could answer the following questions in reasonable detail - if you're uncomfortable posting your answers in this thread for any reason, feel free to PM me, I'll keep it confidential. No usernames will be used in the final essay. If you're first cartoon wasn't G1, feel free to discuss equivalences in the questions (e.g. Optimus Primal for the Optimus Prime questions).

A. Basic Background:

1. Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
2. How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
3. If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
4. Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?

B. Cartoon:

1. Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
2. Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
3. How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
4. Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
5. Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
6. In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?

C. Optimus Prime:

1. Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
2. What qualities in him did you find appealling?
3. Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?

D. Movie:

1. How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
2. How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
3. How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
4. Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
5. What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
6. What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?

 

A. Basic Background:

1. Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
   male, Caucasian
2. How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
   7 years old
3. If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
   It was.
4. Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers?
   Cars and planes that turn into action figures.
   Does this appeal still resonate for you today?
   Yes.

B. Cartoon:

1. Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
   I remember watching the pilot at my Grandmother's house on the Bozo show. For seasons two and three, I watched it on a 12" black and white tv in my parents house in the kitchen because the station that aired it was FOX and it was cable or over antenna only...and that set was the only one that could pick it up.
2. Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
   My favorite was JEtfire. Loved his introduction episode "Fire in the Sky" and his toy was the most articulated of that time period.
3. How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
   I thought they were okay. But never thought of them as the focus.
4. Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
   Yes. No, they did not affect. Since I only had so many of the characters, my personal stories were different from those on TV.
5. Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
   Yes, in the cinema. It made me wish the cartoon was more like the movie in tone and animation.
6. In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?
   Yes, I see it as more goofy than I used to. But that's also part of its charm.

C. Optimus Prime:

1. Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
   No more than any other heroic character.
2. What qualities in him did you find appealling?
   His ability to handle most situations.
3. Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?
   The 2007 movie did a decent job. His character deviates a bit as the sequels come out.

D. Movie:

1. How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
   I was excited.
2. How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
   I was excited.
3. How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
   31 years old.
4. Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
   Yes.
5. What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
   the special effects.
6. What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?
   Lack of characterization and the movie bot designs.

[/QUOTE]

 

A. Basic Background:

1. Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
   Male, Chinese
2. How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
   5
3. If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
   N/A
4. Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?
   Colorful robots becoming vehicles. Yes.

B. Cartoon:

1. Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
   After school, at home on WUTV Buffalo 29
2. Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
   Optimus Prime...heroic and compassionate. Soundwave, great voice, loyal, and has his own backup team to command.
3. How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
   Yes, I wished I was him. Who wouldn't want a bunch of big robots protecting you?
4. Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
   Yes, had 12 when G1 ended. No.
5. Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
   Yes...home video. Heroes and villains fall, but there's always new ones to take over. But it made me miss Optimus Prime.
6. In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?
   Yes...back then it was just a bunch of adventures. Now, there are quite a few eps that are clearly silly.

C. Optimus Prime:

1. Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
   Yes
2. What qualities in him did you find appealling?
   Heroic, compassionate, and wise.
3. Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?
   Yes. The 2007 movie version seemed more Die Hard meets Lethal Weapon.

D. Movie:

1. How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
   Excited.
2. How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
   Didn't care.
3. How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
   29
4. Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
   Yes.
5. What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
   Peter Cullen back as Optimus Prime.
6. What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?
   Too many explosions and close-ups, and too many humans, not enough Transformers, not enough color, and memorable voices for the Transformers.

 

A. Basic Background:
Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
Male and American.
How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
10.
If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
Transformers Animated.
Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers?
The hype from the live-action movies, and my bother buying a Blackout figure. The fun of the shows and the action figures sold me on it.
Does this appeal still resonate for you today?
Wouldn't be here if it didn't.

B. Cartoon:
Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
Sitting next to my brother at a computer.
Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
Bumblebee. A hero with flaws, such as doubting himself and being inexperienced, but he's also got this loyalty and integrity to him that really makes him likable for me.
How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
I don't. To be perfectly honest, I've always related more to Bumblebee.
Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
Yes, and I still do. They've made me enjoy it more because I can act out what I like on screen with them, and also make my own adventures for them.
Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
My mom ordered it on DVD from the library. It made me appreciate Transformers even more.
In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?
A little bit. Even though I didn't grow up in the 80's, I still saw the original cartoon as being a lot more epic than it probably was. Even still, I've learned to appreciate the cheesy 80's fun that comes with it.

C. Optimus Prime:
Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
Yes.
What qualities in him did you find appealling?
Probably his integrity and courage, and the fact that he treats his soldiers like friends and family, rather than yell at them or boss them around.
Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?
I feel the first movie did a great job of embodying Optimus Prime's personality.

D. Movie:
How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
Interested, but never enough to go out of my way to see it until I watched Animated and got interested in the franchise.
How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
I didn't.
How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie
10.
Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
I remember it was confusing because I wasn't aware it was a separate continuity from Animated. I was confused as to where Sari was, why Sam was there, why Ratchet was yellow, and where Prowl and Bulkhead had gone to. I also thought Megatron had killed Ironhide and not Jazz at first.
What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
The designs for the characters were really intricate and imaginative, and they looked impressive on screen. I thought the action was really cool and really fun. The voice acting was pretty good and full of character. I also liked the idea behind the Allspark.
What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?
The human acting wasn't that great, and the humans themselves took up way too much screen time. The Decepticons weren't really developed as characters. Also, there were a few jokes that could qualify as offensive.

 

A. Basic Background:

1. Male and… Merica!!!!!
2. Don’t know my exact age but I was in 5th/6th grade.
3. Nope G1 was my first cartoon.
4. The trailer for the 07 movie and the Burger King Optimus Prime toy. Nope nowadays what appeals to me is the concept, characters, and overall just a world I can escape to when the world crushes me.

B. Cartoon:

1. I rented the first season at a local dvd rental store(now closed) and watched it the moment I got home afterwards.
2. I don’t know why but when I first watched Transformers I liked the Autobots(now its the Decepticons), I guess it also had to do with how well I remembered the Season 1 Autobots and how distinct they were.
3. Not at all, didn’t like Daniel and could careless about Spike(until Season 3)
4. I had a few 07 figures and it was cool to have figures based on characters I saw in the movie.
5. When we had Netflix I watched the movie, loved it, and I liked the new characters and though the show was going in a cool direction.
6. Nope, still love it and all its characters.

C. Optimus Prime:

1. Not when I first got into Transformers but years later I did.
2. He was a great leader, very compassionate, and someone to look up to/inspire. And I liked Peter Cullen’s work as the chracter.
3. Not really, to me he was still Optimus Prime but added more warrior like qualities.

D. Movie:

1. Didn’t know of the movie till I saw a trailer on TV (didn’t know what Transformers was)
2. At the time didn’t know who they were.
3. Like I said I don’t know my exact age but I was in the 5th or 6th grade.
4. It was so cool I remember, sitting in the very front row with my sister and my niece and nephews. It blew me away.
5. I had no expectations.
6. Nothing dissapointed me.

 

A. Basic Background:

- Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
Male, Italian
- How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
I think I was around 5
- If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
It was G1
- Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?
Melancholic music, dark backgrounds (I remember the rainy clouds and dark skies) and... ROBOTS!! Today melancholy is what resonates the most, especially music themes of the cartoon (the main theme done with violins... sublime)

B. Cartoon:

- Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
In the living room, that is all I remember
- Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
Autobots where my favourites, they had the most awesome colors! And then there was (what in Italy was called) Commander (a.k.a. Optimus Prime)
- How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
I wasn't very interested in the humans
- Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
I had Optimus Prime and Jazz primarily, then other most modern Transformers (post 86 movie)
- Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
I did some months ago for the first time (I am 33 now)
- In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?
I think it is a good cartoon. Probably nostalgia has a lot to do with that perception

C. Optimus Prime:

- Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
Yes, more recently than when I was a child. As a child I liked the fact that he was a truck (I loved trucks) but as an adult I now see the nuances Peter Cullen has put into Optimus and like him being compassionate and wise.
- What qualities in him did you find appealling?
He is compassionate and he is humble and love every form of life
- Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?
I think movies are another universe, so the movie Optimus is not my Optimus (that is, the G1 cartoon Optimus). I think they are funny, but lack certain feelings I liked in the cartoon (melancholy above all).

D. Movie:

- How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
I was not interested in Transformers when the movies came out. I was interested when I was a child, then lost interest then regained a lot of interest in the last couple years due to the masterpiece line. Now I regularly collect Masterpieces and G1 and enjoy the movies.
- How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
I was not interested at the time.
- How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
I think 31
- Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
"I don't understand the robots, they are messy"
- What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
I think they are funny and they are good at being funny.
- What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?
I think the robots should be G1-nnesque. I did not like the "knight" theme for Optimus Prime of AoE. I think it's simply stupid.

 

A. Basic Background:

-How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?

I was either two or three years old.

-If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.

I did watch G1 and BW around the same time.

-Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?

What appealed to me the most was the concept of shape changing robots that had unique quirks and personalities which made them stood out. And yes, it still resonates nowadays.

B. Cartoon:

-Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?

When I lived in Brooklyn, I used to watch the G1 and BW cartoons (among others) on saturday mornings.

-Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)

I always liked Starscream, Rodimus Prime, Waspinator and G1 Silverbolt a lot. Starscream was always a joy to behold. Totally treacherous and bombastic, and it was fun to see him being abused frequently. Waspinator was always fun to behold as well. Being scrapped every time he tried to attack. Rodimus Prime is my favorite of the leaders. He had depth and he was relatable. And G1 Silverbolt spoke really directly to me (I am acrophobic myself, so I identified with him).

-How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?

Well, I always liked them as characters, 'cause they had great interactions with the Transformers. Daniel in particular was pretty relatable IMO.

-Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?

I didn't collect TFs until I was four years old, when I got my first TFs for my birthday. They were G2 Starscream (which my pop had bought back when I was born and saved it for me until I was four), Waspinator and Dinobot. They didn't affect my viewing experience in any way, 'cause I still enjoyed the show.

-Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?

I saw the animated movie when I was about five (on VHS). It was a powerful experience. I cried when Optimus died, I was shocked when Starscream got pulverized, but I was pretty amazed by all the action and fun moments.

-In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?

Well, no. I always liked the original cartoon. Of course, I've always preferred the last two seasons of it a lot more, but the first two are still pretty enjoyable.

C. Optimus Prime:

-Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?

Well, yes. But not as much as Rodimus.

-What qualities in him did you find appealling?

Well, he was the father figure. He's the one who inspires all the Autobots to go on.

-Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?

Nah, not at all. Yes, he may be more violent, but you gotta understand that the live-action movies are for a more mature audience, so it's understandable. But still, despite being more aggressive, the essence of the character is still there, and that's what matters.

D. Movie:

-How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?

My reaction was pretty casual. I only thought "boy, it's really nice that they're making a TF movie".

-How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?

I thought it was a pretty interesting move. Of course, I had seen Jaws, so I was really big on Spielberg's work. As for Bay, I had seen The Rock a while before the announcement, and I immediately figured where they were going with the live-action flick. They wanted a flick with tons of action, adventure and focusing more on how humans handle a situation.

-How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?

I was 14.

-Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?

It was a pretty pleasant one.

-What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?

It was just as engaging and solidly written as The Rock, so it was pretty enjoyable. Plus, the fact that it focuses more on humans interacting with the robots really made it clear that the writers read the old Marvel comics written by Bob Budiansky.

-What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?

Well, I think the innuendos could have been less, and some of the characters weren't too memorable.

 

A. Basic Background:
1.Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
Female and American.

2.How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
Fourteen, only a few months from turning fifteen.

3.If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
Transformers Animated

4.Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?
The many variety of characters interested me and it was fun to see robots fight.

B. Cartoon:
1.Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
Sitting on the floor in front of the TV, leaning as close as I could to the screen. It might be the reason why I have to wear glasses now. *laugh*

2.Did you have a favorite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealing about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
Bumblebee, I loved his personality and I always got a good laugh from watching him on Animated. I also like Rodimus as an interesting character too as a young guy that's thrust into the role of a leader and must learn to cope with it.

3.How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
No, not really. To be honest I just poked fun at Spike most of the time he was one screen.

4.Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
Yes my collection is currently up to 8 and still growing, as for it changing my views on the show, it's still pretty much the same.

5.Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
I watched it on TV since I wasn't born yet when it was released in theaters. The movie is what helped me really like Rodimus.

6.In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?
I still like it just as much as I did back then.

C. Optimus Prime:
1.Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
Kind of, he reminds me of my dad in a way.
2.What qualities in him did you find appealing?
His honor, I like how he struggles to keep it during the war... unless it's his Animated counterpart then I like him there for the same reasons I like Rodimus.

3.Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?
Optimus' honor is still in tact and I don't mind his personality being different otherwise by that same logic I should be hating Animated Optimus.

D. Movie:
1.How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
Wasn't really a fan at the time so I had no thoughts.

2.How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
Same as above.
3.How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
I didn't see the first movie until around shortly the second movie came out on Blu-ray/DVD so I would have been about 17 only 10 months away from being 18.

4.Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
I enjoyed it but I wasn't quite yet a huge fan so I mainly was entertained from seeing Optimus and Bumblebee, and I liked how the Autobots had defined personalites.

5.What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
The fights and I guess Bumblebee's and Optimus' screentime.

6.What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?
More screentime and story development for the Transformers, less annoying human characters, and less crude adult jokes.

 

A. Basic Background:

1. Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
   
   Male, Caucasian American
   
2. How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
   
   Nine Years Old
   
3. If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
   
   N/A - was G1
   
4. Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?

Cool robots, robots that change into other things, and a solid Good vs. Evil story.

B. Cartoon:

1. Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
   
   In my bedroom, laying on my bed, but with my head up at the foot of the bed, watching on a small color TV.
   
2. Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
   
   Favorite Transformer was Optimus Prime. Groups? Hmm... I loved episodes with the Dinobots.
   
3. How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
   
   I liked Spike, working with his dad, Sparkplug. Until Autobot X. I thought he was waaaaaay too whiny about having his mind transferred into a giant robot. As a kid, I thought it sounded super cool.
   
4. Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
   
   I did. As a kid, my friends and I would often play Transformers with our toys, and the entire narrative of our play was based entirely on what we knew from the G1 cartoon.
   
5. Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
   
   I saw it on VHS video. My parents actually BOUGHT a video store membership (anyone remember when you had to do that?) to rent the video for my birthday. At that age, I don't think that the difference between home viewing and theater viewing mattered to me very much.
   
6. In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?

Yes. I have both come to appreciate it a lot more, and how it changed the Transformers universe, while at the same time finding the reasoning behind it and the execution as less than great.

C. Optimus Prime:

1. Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
   
   Absolutely. Optimus Prime became an example to me of leadership and honor, a mark to strive toward. As a matter of fact, in college, I wrote a paper entitled "The Prime Epiphany," where I cited the G1 Optimus Prime for his influence over my youth.
   
2. What qualities in him did you find appealing?
   
   Intelligence, bravery, patience, decisiveness, wisdom... nobility. Yeah, a quiet nobility, someone truly worthy of the devoted following of the Autobots.
   
3. Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?
   
   Deviated. At times, the character resembles the character I love... but not often. He doesn't have that same decisiveness, wisdom, or nobility.
   

D. Movie:

1. How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
   
   I was excited. I was very much interested in seeing the beloved characters of my childhood on the big screen.
   
2. How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
   
   Steven Spielberg - very excited. Michael Bay - not really excited. Particularly when, early on, Bay seemed to declare that so many aspects of the G1 cartoon wouldn't make it into the film.
   
3. How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
   
   Thirty-Two.
   
4. Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
   
   I do. It was... disappointing. I left the theater, and said to the people with me, "Well, I'm not the audience for that film."
   
5. What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
   
   I can't really say it lived up to any positive hopes I had for the film. As for expectations, it was kinda exactly what I expected after the hype and trailers.
   
6. What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?
   
   As I said, I wasn't the audience for the film. I wanted something far closer to the G1 cartoon, just "grown up" and expanded on. I wanted the characters to look a bit more like the original cartoon characters. I wanted it less about the humans involved in the movie, more about the war for Cybertron. I wanted less juvenile humor.

 

Why not set up a surveymonkey page?

 

The free version of SurveyMonkey only supports so many responses, so I didn't want to limit potential feedback. Also responses being shared here makes the process more communal (as fandom should be) and could inspire further discussion on another thread.

 

A. Basic Background:
Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
American Male

How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
6

If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
-It was G1

Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?
The characters and the fact that the robots turned into vehicles instantly made medislike thing slike Matchbox cars, since they didn't turn into robots

B. Cartoon:
Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
-Every saturday then every day afte school. I remember in detail watching the first episode with my dad after school when they pre-empted He-Man

Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
Ratchet, Bumblebee, Optimus, Megatron, Ironhide and Starscream

How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
I like Spike and Daniel as characters, but didn't really relate to them

Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
-I collected as many as I could, i always preferred the characters on the show to charaters who weren't


Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
-Saw it on vacation in Florida in the theatre with my dad

In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?
No, it's still probably my favorite cartoon from childhood

C. Optimus Prime:
Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
What qualities in him did you find appealling?
-He was my hero as a child. He always did the right thing and you always felt like you would be safe with him.

Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?
For the most part it did, it just made him more ready to get his hands dirty

D. Movie:
How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
I was excited, but not that much, as I knew it would be too different from what I was used to

How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
-28 years old, it was cool

What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
I liked the overall story and just seeing the characters in live action was cool.

What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?
I didn't like the designs of the robots and how they casually killed off characters (I didn't like this in the 1986 film either)

 

Great responses so far guys! Keep 'em coming, I'm aiming to write this over the coming week so as many responses as possible as soon as possible would be appreciated!

 

A. Basic Background:

1. Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
   
   Male, American
   
2. How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
   
   3 or 4
   
3. If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
   
   Energon.
   
4. Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?
   
   Giant robots from space that turned into cars and blew stuff up. To extent yes this still resonates but it's more the story that draws me in.

B. Cartoon:

1. Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
   
   Coming home and watching reruns on cartoon network.
   
2. Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
   
   The Dinobots because they turned into dinosaurs and I loved dinosaurs as a little kid.
   
3. How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
   
   I did not as I didn't watch G1 untill I was 12 in 2012
   
4. Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
   
   Yes I owned Transformers, but it didn't effect my viewing, it was more the other way around.
   
5. Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
   
   I saw the animated movie as a four or five year old watching Energon, so it made me verry confused about why Optimus and Ironhide were still alive and were the movie characters went.
   
6. In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?
   
   Not really.

C. Optimus Prime:

1. Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
   
   Not really beyond that he was how a true soldier and leader should act.
   
2. What qualities in him did you find appealling?
   
   His heroism, willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good, and his leadership.
   
3. Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?
   
   I feel like the 2007 live action film was pretty true to my veiw off Optimus Prime.

D. Movie:

1. How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
   
   I was verry excited as I thought it was going to be related to Transformers: Cybertron and that my favorite characters were going to be in it.
   
2. How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
   
   I didnt know about either till untill the movie's credits.
   
3. How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
   
   7.
   
4. Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
   
   Somewhat, I remember being excited the first time Blackout transformed, nearly jumping out my seat with excitement when the Autobots were landing on earth and being really sad when Jazz died.
   
5. What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
   
   I expected it to be cool, and it was.
   
6. What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?

The small amount off actual fights between the Autobots and Decepticons.

 

A. Basic Background:

1. Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
   
   Male, American.
   
2. How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
   
   Six.
   
3. If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
   
   G1, More than Meets the Eye (episode 1)
4. Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?

Sure. The large cast of varied characters who all had different features and strong personalities/archetypes.

B. Cartoon:

1. Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
   
   Sure, I can remember a few episodes watching them early Saturday mornings and a few afternoons after school.
   
   
2. Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
   
   Sure did!
   
   Stunticons; they were cars but Decepticons, a reverse of the norm and I actually had the toys as a kid. I also thought the Animation Model for Menasor was pretty awesome.
   
   The Cassettes; they were a neat little group of really different characters, the Condors and Ravage were different then everyone else.
   
   The Dinobots; because duh. (Transforming Dinosaurs.)
   
   
3. How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
   
   Spike was interesting as a "teacher of Earth" to them, but beyond that, not really.
   
4. Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
   
   Yup. Beyond the "staple" figures (Optimus, Bumblebee, Soundwave) seeing them do things in episodes were fun, but the real delight was when I got someone more obscure and they'd get a feature episode, like getting Cosmos that week and then that weekend seeing some episode like "Secret of Omega Supreme" that featured him in the first act.
   
5. Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
   
   In the theater opening weekend (then again later that summer at the dollar theater). I loved the movie; I thought as kids do and went on the roller coaster of emotions, enjoying Hot Rods brashness as Dare played, tearing up when Optimus died, loving Megatron becoming Galvatron and destroying Starscream, etc.
   
   
6. In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?

Sure. I don't have the nostalgia goggles a lot of people have and see G1 as an Okay 80's cartoon. While there are some very good episodes, there are also a lot of very bad episodes as well, so it's a mixed pot.


C. Optimus Prime:

1. Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
   
   Not really. I teared up in theaters when he died and I enjoyed playing with the toys, but inspired? Can't say that I have.
   
2. What qualities in him did you find appealling?
   
   Well, he was a natural leader who wasn't stuffy, he cared about his troops/friends, and was generally a moral character.
   
3. Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?

Murderprime? Yeah, I'd say he has very few virtues.



D. Movie:

1. How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
   
   Uncertainty.
   
2. How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
   
   Trepidation but optimistic.
   
3. How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
   
   28 if my math is correct.
   
4. Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
   
   I was in a near empty theater, so yes.
   
   
5. What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
   
   It was shot in color and had sound. It did have a beginning, middle, and end. It was also in English.
   
   
6. What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?

I don't really feel like writing another essay after all these years, but suffice to say there wasn't anything that I actually enjoyed and that I would've changed everything. I'm not saying I wanted a slavish G1 film, I just wanted something that actually felt like Transformers and looked like them, not something that a clever dub could turn into a Go-Bots movie.

 

HI!

A. Basic Background:

1. Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
2. How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
3. If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
4. Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?

* Male. American.
* 5-years-old.
* It was Generation 1.
* Many things- the characters were great, the concept was unique and hooked me instantly, I've always loved robots and science fiction, etc. These same things still appeal to me today.


B. Cartoon:

Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
My memory's a little foggy, but I seem to recall seeing it every morning before school. Or perhaps it was only on Saturday mornings. But I feel like Saturdays were spent watching other cartoons. Oh, but yeah- in a living room with my 2 sisters. We'd watch Transformers, then GoBots, some Jem in there, Scooby, we watched all our favorite toons together.

Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
I liked a couple Autobots specifically like Optimus Prime and Sideswipe, but the Decepticons had a lot more of my favorite characters. Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, Shockwave, etc. I always loved Soundwave's voice and his creepy lack of emotion. Starscream's treachery and charm, Megatron's belly laugh (and he had some genuinely great lines).
I do remember that for a while Sideswipe was my all-time favorite TF. I liked his jovial attitude, his laid back, casual demeanor (usually because he had the skills to warrant such a lack of concern). But upon rewatching the show, I discovered that he was barely in it, prompting me to wonder what exactly made me notice him so much in the first place.

How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
Not at all. I never hated them. They just never resonated with me.

Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
I had all of 3 Transformers growing up. I got Optimus Prime for Christmas, which was incredible. I got Hardhead the Predacon rhino, and Searchlight. I'd play with them when I wasn't watching the show, but never had them in the room with me as I was watching. We'd always come up with our own stories when playing with the toys instead of recreating stuff we saw on the TV.
(once while playing with my sisters, Optimus was a big robo-daddy adopting a bunch of little gobot kids. Their idea   ).

Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
I did, but not in a theater. I was able to catch it on VHS a year or two after it came out. I remember being really wowed by Unicron and how the scope of the whole story became so much bigger. I don't think it even clicked with me that Optimus was dead for real. I was more bummed out when Starscream was killed, actually. Also, one of the most memorable moments for me was when Hot Rod punched out all of a Sharkticon's teeth. That was awesome.
It didn't affect how I viewed the cartoon at all. I more or less viewed it as a longer episode- just another ep in the continuing story of the TFs.

In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?
I'm a bit more analytical these days, but whereas a lot of people enjoy pointing out all the mistakes and how goofy and sometimes just plain awful the show was, I find a lot more to like about it. An episode like "The God Gambit" tackled the subject of false gods and the religions built around them. That's not the kind of stuff you see many cartoons addressing. I also found that a couple of the characters like Megatron and Starscream to be written with more sides to their characters than most modern versions.


C. Optimus Prime:

Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
As a kid, I can't recall feeling inspired by or motivated by Prime to be a better person. I think he was already preaching to the choir. I'm generally pretty nice as is, and he was standing up for a lot of the same things I believe(d) in.

What qualities in him did you find appealling?
He always has a strong moral compass. We're basically introduced to him after he's gone through all his character development, so the guy we meet is very sure of his convictions and won't ever back down in the face of evil. He's compassionated and leads by example- often placing himself on the front lines of battle.

Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?
I thought the 2007 movie portrayed him just right. He seemed like a live action version of the guy I watched as a kid. It's the sequels where he seemed off.

D. Movie:

How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
Worried that it would suck.

How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
Didn't care. Didn't register. Before TF, I really didn't know who Bay was.

How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
28

Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
Yep. I remember having, like, butterflies in my stomach, because I was real nervous that it was going to suck. But the trailers had shown some cool stuff that I 'd never seen before in a TF toon (like the awesome panning shot underneath Bonecrusher as he transforms), so I was hopeful that it would be good. And I was entertained. I liked the humor, I liked the human characters, I liked the robots, it was all a neat little package. Had a great time watching it.

What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
The movements of the robots themselves. Transformations especially blew my mind. It was great to see these characters transforming while in motion, and all the different angles we got to see that at.

What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?
I'm actually pretty happy with the movie as is. If I were to do anything, I would just give the Decepticons some actual personalities.

 

A. Basic Background:
Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
Male, British
How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
Eight years old, when G1 first premiered during the Summer on WAC.
If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
N/A
Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?
Robots with actual personalities that transformed into vehicles. TF had something of a soft-launch in the UK, and I remember seeing the ads on the back of UK marvel comic books. Even in the ads, they managed to give each of Transformers a sense of individualism that made them very easy to identify with.

B. Cartoon:
Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?

I remember it extremely well. As it was during the summer, I'd watch it just before I had to get dragged to work by my mother who was working as a cleaner. I only ever got to see the first 10 minutes or so.

Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
Not really. I disliked how the Dinobots were portrayed in the cartoon, and although I loved the interaction between Megatron and his troops (especially Starscream); I didn't really have a favourite. They were all great from my view.

How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
Not at all.

Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
I owned a total of three, one being stolen by my "friend". That was my lot and I as lucky to even get those. I guess I could (in a limited way) act out some of the stuff I saw in the cartoons. I think it's fair to say the cartoons affected how I played with my Transformers rather than the toys affecting my viewing experience.


Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
Yes, I saw it at the cinema. I think it gave me a sense of time moving on, that the TF universe wasn't as static as the one portrayed in the cartoons. No matter what happened in the cartoons, Megatron et al would be back in the next episode, and injured bots would be repaired to fight them off.

The cartoon changed that perception though. The Deceptions had won a major coup by returning to and capturing Cybertron, and beloved characters were killed off left and right. Events had progressed. There were consequences. The bad guys had the upper-hand.

In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?
I think I see a lot of ideas behind the plot for what they were - something to drive sales of new toys. I sort of saw it that way as a kid too - but maybe I didn't give it as much thought.

It's only now that I realise that Transformers became really mainstream in the UK around the time of the movie. Before that it seemed to be just myself and a few others who were into them - but wth the movie and related toys, lots of kids were suddenly into Transformers.

C. Optimus Prime:

Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
Looking back, I probably did to some degree.
What qualities in him did you find appealing?
There was this concept of treating individuals fairly that appealed to me. The idea that people had certain rights, like freedom, no matter who they were. It's Prime's motto and I took that to heart.

Then there was the "never give up" attitude. No matter how many times Prime was knocked down, he'd get back up and keep going. The cartoons really showed this and, as a kid who was having a rough time at home and school , I drew a lot of inspiration from that.

Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?
I think they tried to show them, but it perhaps wasn't as well done. Maybe the limited time and focusing more on the human characters is partially to blame.


D. Movie:
How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
In many ways I was happy. My favourite toy-brand was getting a new lease of life that would introduce it to a new generation of fans. It might not be TF as I remembered it, but that was ok. Nothing stays the same forever.

How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
No real reaction.

How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
I would have been 31!

Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
Nope.

What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
The blend of live action and CGI was impressive.

What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?
I think the characterisations were bit too shallow. They tried to fit in elements of the original, but there was no depth to them. Not surprising given that they didn't have a whole season of cartoons to base their characterisations on.

If they'd spent more time focusing on the TF's rather than the humans, they could have done more with that. But as it was, the TF's ended up being just background noise the human characters.

 

A. Basic Background:

1.Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
Male, Filipino

2.How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
I was in Kindergarten so probably 5 or 6.

3.If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
Transformers: Armada

4.Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?
The fact that these various vehicles were giant talking robots was the main appeal for me as a kid. Nowadays, if the series has a good story, I'll watch it.

B. Cartoon:

1.Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
It was probably after school on a school night. My family had just moved to our new apartment, and I was familiarizing myself with what stations are on which channels such as Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. When I came to Cartoon Network, the episode where Fred and Billy have their first encounter with the Decepticons was on, and I was instantly hooked. So every night since, after I finished all my homework, I'd sit down in front of the TV and watch Transformers before going to bed.

2.Did you have a favorite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealing about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
Any show I watch, I'm always drawn to the leader of the group so naturally Optimus Prime is my favorite character. Any series he's featured in, he's my favorite. The way that he leads the Autobots is something to be admired in my opinion. And in G1 he actually has fun with them like when he played basketball with Spike and a couple other Autobots.

3.How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
Since G1 wasn't my main series growing up, I'd say that I didn't. However, I did discover G1 a little after I discovered Armada, so I guess whenever I saw Spike or any human character for that matter, as a kid, I was a bit envious thinking to myself, "I wish that was me so I can interact with Optimus and the other Autobots."

4.Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
As a kid, I was allowed to get one new figure once every month, so I had plenty of figures growing up. It probably wasn't until the 2007 movie or ROTF that I decided I wanted to be careful with these toys and actually start displaying them. And I don't think it affected my viewing experience in any way. In fact, as I grew older, my viewing experience affected the way I bought toys.

5.Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
I watched it on VHS. As a kid, I was obsessed with Transformers. If there was something Transformers related at the local video rental store, I wanted to watch it. This was mainly how I watched G1. Then I saw the movie and it was an instant favorite of mine. Surprisingly, Optimus' death didn't really affect me at all. Then again, I didn't grow up with G1 Optimus, and I had seen plenty of Disney movies where a main character died i.e. The Lion King, Tarzan, etc. so I guess you could say I was already used to the concept of death.

6.In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?
So far, I've watched every Transformers series released in the US at least one. I enjoyed all of them (yes, even Energon), and I probably still do.

C. Optimus Prime:

1.Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
See above.

2.What qualities in him did you find appealing?
His ability to rally the other Autobots behind him and his sense of honor and respect for those around him.

3.Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?
He's still leading the Autobots pretty well, and his honor and respect is still intact. My favorite Optimus moments in that movie are actually the parts when the other Autobots want to go and free Bumblebee, and Optimus says they can't do it without harming humans. It's just really admirable to me how he knows the humans don't really know what they're doing, and doesn't want to harm them because of that.

D. Movie:

1.How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
Since I was still young and didn't really know the power of the Internet, all I could really do watch watch the various TV spots and count down the days till the movie's release.

2.How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
I didn't know the reputation of either person since I didn't really care to know any of the names of Hollywood other than the characters in the films.

3.How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
I was in either 4th or 5th grade so around 10 years old, give or take a year.

4.Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
Any time a character transformed onscreen, I was extremely excited, especially the first transformation (Blackout), and all of Optimus' transformations. However I did start getting confused on which character was which, especially Jazz. When Megatron killed Jazz, I remember thinking to myself, "there's so many of these guys, who did Megatron just kill?" Then when Ironhide (or whoever) handed Jazz's body to Optimus, I was like, "whoa, when did Jazz die?"

5.What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
At the time, it was the best thing that ever existed.

6.What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?
Given how it's a movie based on a kids' toy franchise, it could've been more family friendly. In fact, a few years later, I remember walking out of Iron Man 2 with my dad, and he said something that stuck with me, and always comes back to me every time I watch a TF film: "Both Transformers and the Iron Man movies are PG-13, but Transformers is way more inappropriate for kids. Why can't Transformers be more like Iron Man?"

 

A. Basic Background

Please state your gender and nationality (optional).
Agender and Canadian.
How old were you when you first saw a Transformers cartoon?
I was like 5 or 6?? idk
If your first cartoon wasn't Generation 1, please state which it was.
Animated.
Do you remember what it was that drew you towards Transformers? Does this appeal still resonate for you today?
Mostly the live action movies, but I eventually started liking the other cartoons as well..

B. Cartoon:
Do you have a distinct memory of the conditions in which you watched the cartoon, e.g. in the living room on a Saturday morning?
No.
Did you have a favourite Transformer or group of Transformers? If so, what qualities did you find appealling about them? (Please be more specific than "Autobots" or "Decepticons"!)
I love the Rescue Bots! It's probably because they're in a lil kiddie show and are just giant adorable soft nerds
How, if at all, did you relate to Spike/Daniel Witwicky?
I don't.
Did you collect/own any Transformers figures? If so, did they affect your viewing experience in any way?
I used to have a Bayverse Megatron toy that I had way back when but I don't own any now rip
Did you see the animated movie? If so, in the cinema or on home video, and what effect did it have upon your appreciation of the cartoon?
Which one? The only animated movie I've seen is Predacons Rising.
In retrospect, has your opinion on the cartoon changed at all?
Not really.

C. Optimus Prime:
Did you ever feel affected/inspired by Optimus Prime?
He is a very good role model, especially in the Prime cartoon. I've seen and adopted some good ideals from him.
What qualities in him did you find appealling?
Several. Can't really name them off the top of my head due to my shitty memory.
Do you feel that the movie version of the character followed these qualities or deviated from them (going only off of the 2007 movie)?
Bay deviated from them a bit. He's definetly more aggressive and dominating in the movies, but is still gentle towards humans.


D. Movie:
How did you feel when you first heard that a live-action movie was in production, and in the build-up to its release?
Don't remember. It was announced when I was just a lil tyke.
How, if at all, did you react to the announcement of Steven Spielberg as producer and/or Michael Bay as director?
Again, don't remember. But Bay was a bad choice, I'll tell you that much.
How old were you when you first saw the first live-action movie?
I think I was like 7 or 8 when I first saw them.
Do you remember the experience of watching the movie for the first time?
What aspects of the movie lived up to your expectations, or exceeded them?
I was too young to remember.
What aspects of the movie did you think could be improved, or disappointed you to any extent?
Many, many things, my friend.