Animated

Takara-Tomy have updated their Family Mart Lottery Event page with images of the actual toy of Animated Activator Ramjet. This recolor is the first toy form representation of Starscream's pathological liar clone, and other than Slipstream, the last of the clones to still be without a toy of some description. However those looking to add this Decepticon to their Starscream clone army might hit a small roadblock along the road - he's a "second chance" item in the Family Mart lottery draw, and is only available by mailing in two coupons from prizes E, F or G on the linked campaign page and 2,500 yen.

Like Rodimus? Like black repaints? Then you'll want to check out the December issue of Hyper Hobby magazine. The December issue will contain an order form for a mail away exclusive black recolor of Transformers Animated Rodimus (which will probably only be available to Japanese residents). He's only shown in silhouette on the scan sent over to us by 2005 Boards member DrillBIT, but if history is anything to go by, he'll be your traditional black with silver accents redeco, and maybe will have some silver or even purple flames.

According to Autobot Aichi, the KeroKero Ace Exclusive Animated Activator Optimus Prime Crystal Version will come with Transformers Animated The Cool comic special edition. The book is in full color, A4 size, and set for release in April 2011. The set will cost ¥2500.

Takara/Tomy, Sega and Paramount Japan have announced a new campaign in which winners may receive a Lucky Draw Animated Megatron. 1000 figures will be released, and they will be based off of the Battle Begins Deluxe Megatron figure.

This is it, Animated fans - the last of the unreleased new mold Transformers Animated toys have hit retail - in Japan. The latest assortment of Transformers Animated toys from Takara-Tomy, including Wingblade Optimus Prime, Jetpack (aka Hydrodive) Bumblebee and Cybertron Mode Ratchet, have been released at Japanese retail and were purchased by 2005 Boards member Masabon. While there are still some Animated releases in the pipeline for Takara-Tomy, this marks a milestone - it's all redecos and Japanese releases of toys already available in the US from here.

But for those of us waiting on these last couple of molds to finish our collections, the wait is oh-so nearly over!

Million Publishing has posted some images of Transformers: Animated Elite Guard Optimus Prime Million Publishing Exclusive Mail-Away Figure. This figure is a Voyager Class TakaraTomy Design.

You can checkout the cool images by hitting the Image to the left.

Findout more information by clicking on the link above.

All the Transformers: Prime chit-chat, brought forward memories of Transformers: Animated for some fans. TFA is over, but the legend is still alive in Japan. Here's TFW2005's Peaugh with Transformers: Animated Wingblade Optimus Prime (Japan/Takara).

Jinxm of HK-TF has posted a rather extensive gallery of the TakaraTomy release of Wingblade Optimus Prime from Transformers Animated! The Japanese version of Wingblade Optimus Prime uses the voyager figure(a translucent version at that!) as the base, in lieu of the deluxe to be used on the forthcoming US Wingblade Optimus Prime.

Hit the title bar to check out the last version of Optimus to appear onscreen in Transformers Animated!

We have even more news coming out of Japan's C3 X Hobby for you today! This time it's a full run down of the Transformers Animated display, showing many of the mass retail release items (as well as the Lucky Draw Silver Animated Bumblebee).

On show were next month's releases, Wingblade Optimus Prime (now confirmed to be a crystal version of the regular Voyager Class toy, with solid colored armor parts) Jet Pack Bumblebee (with shiny gold finish to his robot mode) and Cybertron Mode Ratchet (who features metallic red in similar places to his Earth mode toy).
Also on show were the October releases, Lights and Sounds Optimus Prime (with full metallic finish), Lights and Sounds Ironhide (with very nice weathering once again evident), Decepticon Shockwave Original Version (who sports a very nice metallic purple finish), Oil Slick (with metallic finish on his green parts) and Armorhide (who has some metallic red particularly on his chest and shoulders. The rest looks the same as the US Toys R Us Exclusive Ironhide release). Also on show were the Animated Super Collection, these look more or less identical to the Animated Activators other than full color faction symbols.

The coverage of the display is rounded out with the next four releases in the Movie Series Autobot Alliance line. These will be:

- AA-11 Highbrow
- AA-12 Tomahawk
- AA-13 Hailstorm
- AA-14 Terradive

No variations were evident, but it is possible like the different versions of the initial Autobot Alliance releases we reported on earlier today, that we might find out all four have differences compared to their US releases nearer the time these four are planned for release.

Also be sure to check out these videos showing some of the highlights of the event, including a large display of Transformers lines from years past:

One of the cool items revealed at the C3 X Hobby show this weekend (along with the awesome Masterpiece Rodimus Convoy) was this upcoming mail away item, a "crystal" version of the Animated Activator Optimus Prime. He will be available through Kerokero Ace which also serializes the Transformers Animated: The Cool manga, probably as a mail away item. The details of how to obtain this item will be published in the next edition of Kerokero Ace. For now, enjoy the image!

Good news Canadia! Cybertron.ca reports that the Toys R' Us exclusive Transformers Animated Rodimus Minor and Ironhide have been released at Canadian retail.

Good hunting Canada.

Takara-Tomy have updated their website with pages for a huge amount of new releases. Heading up the new pages is a new Lucky Draw campaign toy, Silver Animated Bumblebee - to get this Bumblebee, you have to purchase 3,000 yen or more at participating stores between 18 September and 31 October, then mail in the entry postcard you receive in order to be entered into the draw. For more information, see our Resources page - Lucky Draw Silver Animated Bumblebee.

Also in this update are the September Transformers Animated releases - TA-38 Wingblade Optimus Prime, TA-39 Jet Pack Bumblebee and TA-40 Ratchet Cybertron Mode. Pages have also gone up for the various October Animated releases - TA-41 Optimus Prime Light & Sound, TA-42 Oil Slick, TA-43 Ironhide Light & Sound, TA-44 Armorhide and TA-45 Decepticon Shockwave Original Ver.. There are also pages for the Transformers Animated Super Collection Vol. 1 and Super Collection Vol. 2, which are the Japanese releases of the Animated Activators. None of the releases appear to be significantly different to their US versions, other than now sporting full color faction logos.

Last but not least, a page has also gone live for the Japanese "Autobot Alliance" movie series toys which are due to debut in Japan shortly and include the toys sold in the US under the "Hunt for the Decepticons" promotion, as well as a more detailed page for the 2010 celebration reissue of Predaking.

A friend of 2005 Boards member Feralstorm (owner of one of the most awesome Transformers Animated signature artworks out there) has shared some images of this little piece of awesome that is Jet Pack Bumblebee, aka Hydrodive Bumblebee. As you may or may not be aware, Hydrodive Bumblebee was designed with the intention of producing a version of Bumblebee who would be better in scale with the rest of the Animated Autobot cast, his Deluxe toy being a bit too large, and his Activator being a little too small. He will be sold as a Voyager Class toy because he includes a big jet pack / minisub that he can attach to in either mode.

But enough about the accessory, on to the toy! These images show this variation of Bumblebee without the accessory pack, focusing on the little guy in all his glory. As well as the nice finish, you can get a sense of the refinements in the design and transformation, to give you a Bumblebee toy that is accurate in both modes, without the backpack that the Deluxe toy had.

Check out the images and share your thoughts by clicking on the title of this story.

We have received some further information regarding the Elite Guard Animated Optimus Prime, who will be a Million Publishing Mail Away exclusive with the purchase of the Transformers Animated Encyclopedia. Despite what the cover shows, the toy will be a redeco of Animated Voyager Optimus Prime, not Wingblade Optimus Prime as the silhouette suggests (products may vary, kids!). Million Publishing's page for the book has updated, with not only images of the toy itself which looks slick in red and black with gold highlights, but the page also gives information about how this is a "what-if" Optimus Prime - this is what Animated Optimus Prime could have been, if he'd stayed on as a member of the Elite Guard.

Individuals who order the Transformers Animated Encyclopedia, which is released in Japan next month, will be able to purchase an exclusive figure. A silhouette from the cover and accompanying text reveal that the exclusive will be based on the Wingblade Optimus Prime mold and be called Optimus Prime (Elite Guard Version).

While the 112-page encyclopedia will cost 1,680 yen, each figure will cost 4,900 yen. Orders of two figures will be sold at the slightly discounted price of 9,200 yen. Each purchase of the encyclopedia entitles the buyer to a maximum of two of the exclusive figure. The book is currently available for order at online stores such as Books Rakuten, Amazon JP and Red Mercury.