Will we ever get a "dark" Transformers animated series?

Discussion in 'Transformers General Discussion' started by lazerface, May 6, 2012.

  1. Overlord Balder

    Overlord Balder Voices Slugslinger!

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    You got it wrong, Silk, the OP wants a cynic series where death is constant, brutal and sometimes meaningless [at least from what I got from him], nightmarish imagery is constantly used and idealists are not always right [with varying degrees depending on how dark the thing is]. A dark series.

    The Movies and TFP both have shades of this [such as death being a more common ocurrance in both and coming out of the nowhere at times, disturbing imagery is used, idealists pay for their idealism, e.t.c] but not fully [death still isn't common enough, and the idealists usually are at least partially right].
     
  2. Jetbolt

    Jetbolt Maximal Air Commander

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    Beast Machines was it.

    Billions of transformers fallen to a virus, having their sparks pluck, and bodies melted down and turned into Vehicon drone bodies. Having thousands of transformer bodies laying in piles that Optimus Primal and his Maximals witness. Then having Megatron eating sparks, which is like a human eating the heart of another human.

    So, it was dark.
     
  3. Silk Spectre

    Silk Spectre The Evil Queen

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    Well, maybe "dramatic" is more what I would want to see - I don't mind character death when it's right within in the story and well told, but to do it just because ultimately does nothing to make a story better. It's all in the execution of a story.
     
  4. Overlord Balder

    Overlord Balder Voices Slugslinger!

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    I am explaining what he meant, not my opinion. I frankly am fine with TFP's tone.

    And neither TFP nor the movies try to be fully dark, which is why I said they have shades of dark elements, but they're still not fully "dark".
     
  5. Silk Spectre

    Silk Spectre The Evil Queen

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    I realize they don't try to be fully "dark". I just don't think they succeed with the "shades of dark" they're trying for, due to the problems with storytelling and characterization.

    "Darkness Rising" :cool:  worked for me. But after the pilot, TF Prime has had issues with the writing/storytelling that's affected the tone.
     
  6. shroobmaster

    shroobmaster Well-Known Member

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    No because TF is made to sell toys. It's that simple. It's that that simple.

    You will only get adult with the comics, that is the only place Hasbro is willing to go fully adult aimed and that's it, you're not going to see Adult Transformers on TV any time soon.
     
  7. Batman

    Batman The Dark Knight TFW2005 Supporter

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    Like many others have said already, Beast Machines is pretty dark.

    While it may not seem like it at face value, Animated has some pretty dark themes. The Autobots have done some pretty questionable things in that continuity and everything isn't as black and white as it usually is with the franchise.
     
  8. Overlord Balder

    Overlord Balder Voices Slugslinger!

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    Actually, no, all the "shades" mentiones are not up for interpretation, they're facts. A Small-scale genocide on Chicago = Violent, brutal, gruesome, nightmarish imagery = shade of dark, Starscream graphically torturing a man with a prod = Brutal, nightmarish imagery = shade of dark. idealists always paying for their idealism = Ironhide's death, Raf's almost-death = shade of dark. Constant death = Ironhide, Jazz, Jetfire, the Arcee sisters, Breakdown, Cliffjumper = shade of dark.
     
  9. SuzyPrime

    SuzyPrime The friendly lurker

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    Beast Machines is plenty dark. I can't watch more than one episode at a time. I get depressed.
     
  10. SPLIT LIP

    SPLIT LIP Be strong enough to be gentle

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    Not in the future, because Transformers is not dark. It is not gritty, it will never be 'mature' like fans think they want. However, you don't need to be dark to be grown-up and sophisticated, nor must you have not a scrap of humour.

    Only one TF show has been truely dark, visually and in tone. It was called Beast Machines.
     
  11. Silk Spectre

    Silk Spectre The Evil Queen

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    For me it's about execution - how the events are executed within the story. That's where I'm coming from, and why we differ here. I've always felt that poor execution of the story/events hurt the impact they're supposed to have on the audience (not to mention whether or not there's true character impact within the story).

    I think there's been a few instances that were good (Cliffjumper being a notable one, Raf maybe another). More that were executed poorly.

    There on screen / = well done.

    I'm approaching it from a different angle, so this is going to be one those agree to disagree things.
     
  12. Overlord Balder

    Overlord Balder Voices Slugslinger!

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    I said it has dark elements, which, by definition, gives the series shades of dark regadless of the quality. I never said they were well-done.
     
  13. DeadLocke

    DeadLocke Well-Known Member

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    I think not so much dark, but a bit more serious. Kind of like Batman Animated or Batman Beyond (if I have those series' names right.) They're a bit dark and serious, but they don't go into heavy grimdark territory. Plus, it is a style quite likely to be considered by Hasbro, as it still could involve all age groups. :) 

    The only other plausible way that I could really a more 'grownup' Transformers series being made would be if Dr. Smoov or one of those other semi-famous guys did it. The only thing though, is it would have to be a Youtube series, and it would always have to be a profitless 'tribute' to an existing series (like they did with G1) because of the Hasbro copyrights. But that's the only way I could see one getting made without the 'kiddish' elements thrown in.
     
  14. Optimus1138

    Optimus1138 Well-Known Member

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    I doubt that we'd get a super dark series, although Animated and Prime are pretty serious and mature at times. I'd really love a darker PG-13/TV-14 level TF show, though.
     
  15. Cevel

    Cevel Well-Known Member

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    It fascinates me that while fans are always asking why we can't have a more dark and mature Transformers show, they hardly ever go into detail about what they mean by "dark and mature".

    We already have dark and mature themes in the cartoons. We've had shows with death, dismemberment, serial killers, torture, PTSD themes, etc. How far do you want things in this hypothetical series to go? Must there be people swearing? Gory, on-screen human deaths?

    I see some people, including the OP of this thread, wanting a Transformers show on the level of live-action dramas and police/detective TV shows...but do you seriously think this is feasible? How many animated shows (that are not anime) do you know of that are A. Specifically aimed at people in their late teens to adulthood, B. Not comedies, and C. Have a long television lifespan? I can't think of any, because there's still a stigma against animation being age-appropriate viewing for adults unless it's a comedy like The Simpsons or Family Guy, or unless it's anime that airs later at night.

    Also, Hasbro is primarily a toy company. Selling toys is where most of their income comes from. Why would they make a show aimed at the adult collectors who make up around 10% of their customer base at best and hope that all of those same collectors that watch the show will also buy the toys tied to the series (because Hasbro is primarily a toy company, remember?), when they could make shows suitable for all ages and get much, MUCH more money? What you guys who want a mature Transformers show are asking for is an incredible financial gamble for a toy company to make, and one that doesn't have many upsides even if it succeeds.
     
  16. Omegaprime90

    Omegaprime90 Well-Known Member

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    That would be great if they started doing what Wanrer Premier is doing with the DC comics direct to DVD movies for Transformer comics and stuff like that.
    Warner Premier movies are amazing and pretty graphic compared to their live action counterparts and so on, so I figure the same could apply to TF
     
  17. flamepanther

    flamepanther Interested, but not really

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    I don't think the direct to video DC movies are that far beyond what we have in Prime. The drama is tighter and and the narrative is more focused, sure, but that's because they are feature length movies, not a TV series.
     
  18. herugrim

    herugrim N/A

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    Hasbro made an adult G.I. Joe cartoon. Transformers has the same wartime basis. There's no reason not to make a series that has to be about kids because it's for kids.

    The adult fanbase is there, it's what has been keeping the franchise going as long as it has. You can't blame members of that fanbase for not being in the target demographic.
     
  19. Matty

    Matty @StayingInTheBox Veteran

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    This is really well said and aligned with my thoughts. I really think fans are stretching when we ask for a "dark" series. What are we looking for exactly? When Prime first hit the airwaves I remember reading posts that commented on how Prime was much more "darker" than what we've seen before. I can't help but feel even the fans don't know what we want.
     
  20. Kaijumaster

    Kaijumaster 335

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    and it stank and was subsequently retconned.