Japanese Transformers

Amazon Japan has updated their page for the fourth release in the Transformers GT series, GT Maximus. These new, high res images show off the head of GT Maximus giving a much better idea of what his face looks like. There is also a clear look at the vehicle mode and his Race Queen partner. We have mirrored the images - check them out attached to this post.

In a simple, yet effective release, Takara-Tomy have unveiled a papercraft ramp for the BeCool line. Since the toys in the line rely on bumping into things to transform, this ramp is a natural selection for the line. It is due to be given away at Bic Camera stores starting May 7th on a first come, first serve basis.

A new brochure advertising Transformers Go! and its Japanese original characters has begun to be distributed. The brochure shows silhouettes of the three samurai characters Kenzan, Jinbu and Ganoh at left along with their combined mode - and at right, silhouettes can be seen of three more characters, thought to be the ninjas Gekisomaru, Hishomaru and Sensuimaru. Behind them is a second shadow, which is thought to be a combined mode of the three ninjas.

Moreover, the flyer advertises that a Transformers Go! animated series will be made. There's no other news on this as yet - it seems that, according to information posted by Snakas, the full report will be published in a June 1 kids magazine in Japan, quite probably TV-Kun.

The original source for the flyer, as best we are aware, is the Twitter of noiseblaster. The flyer is expected to be officially distributed on Friday the 27th when the Transformers Go! toyline launches in Japan.

E-Hobby has uploaded a video showcasing their upcoming Classics Magnificus exclusive. Magnificus uses then Reveal the Shield Perceptor mold as his base, with a new head and a stylish black and red deco. Check out the video, embedded below, for an in-hand look at the exclusive release:

Site sponsor Robot Kingdom has updated their preorder listings for the Transformers GO! combiner figures. Original listings of these figures had fans perplexed on what they might be or how they might combine. Robot Kingdom has been kind enough to shed some light on the future releases. Shown here are G-01 Kanzen (The police Car), G-03 Ganoh (fire truck) and G-02 Jinbu (Jet). The three figures can combine by one robot becoming the legs, the second a torso and the third bot becomes the head, shoulders and arms. One might compare it to Robots In Disguise Rail Racer with Transformers Energon's swapability. Others will definitely see the designs as a homage to Brave as well.

Also revealed is G-04 Gaidorah, a Transformers Go! redeco of Beast Hunters Lazerback.

Click on the title bar to check out the images of the figures.

Update - TFSource has sent us updated, clearer images of the four releases, showing a clearer look at the Kenzan, Jinbu and Ganou, and Gaidorah, revealing he has a new head not seen on Lazerback.

By way of a Japanese image board, we can share this magazine scan with you which gives a look at the Transformers Go! packaging. It's very blue! The Deluxe class figures are carded, with primarily blue backer cards other than a black boxout in the top left, giving the collection number. The banner inside the blister pack is also mostly blue, with the faction logo at left and a photo of the alternate mode at right. The packaged sample shown, Bumblebee, is packaged in robot mode.

Voyagers are packaged in window boxes, again there's a lot of blue but also some gold bordering around the packaging window. Once again the bottom right has a photo of the toy's alternate mode and the left has the faction symbol.

Check out the image attached to this post, at left.

TFYuki has updated his Twitter photostream with some in-hand images of the next releases in Takara-Tomy's Japanese Generations line - the Autobot and Decepticon Data Disks. Soundwave and Blaster's minions will sport metallic finishes on their Japanese outing, and they also have more paint apps on balance than their US counterparts - notably the fists on Rumble, Frenzy, Eject and Rewind are now painted distinct from the rest of the arms.

Check out the images and see what you think.

By way of the Twitter account of Japanese blog site Parkside201 we have some apparent retailer listings for new releases in the Transformers Go! line through September 2013. We know of the June and July releases already but the August and September ones are completely new - and also not exhaustive, since there is no listing yet for a Hunter Arcee or Hunter Megatron.

The listings are as follows:

22 June 2013 - all previously revealed, although G01 Kenzan is missing for some reason.
G02 Jinbu ￥3,500
G03 Ganoh ￥3,500
G04 Gaidora ￥2,500

27 July 2013 - all previously revealed.
G05 Gekisomaru￥5,500
G06 Hunter Smokescreen ￥2,500
G07 Bakudora ￥2,500

31 August 2013
G08 Budora ￥4,000
G09 Evil Demon Combination Goradora set ￥4,000
G10 Hishomaru ￥3,500
G19 Hunter Rachet ￥2,500

28 September 2013
G20 Sensuimaru ￥3,500
G21 Judora ￥2,500


In the August listings, Budora and Goradora share the "dora" suffix suggesting they are Predacons. The pricepoint suggests both are Voyager Class, implying one of them may be Grimwing. Goradora is either new or an Abominus giftset, Evil Demon Combination (Maou Gattai) implies some kind of combiner set as this is the same naming forumula used for past combiner giftsets both within the Transformers line and more widely in other mecha toy lines. Hishomaru is new, and priced similarly to other Japan only releases like Jinbu and Ganoh. Hunter Ratchet is a Japanese release of Beast Hunters Deluxe Ratchet.

In the September releases, Judora once again has the kaiju-esque "dora" suffix and has a deluxe pricepoint, so will probably be the third of the three deluxe class Predacons being released under the Transformers Go! banner. Sensuimaru once again is new, and shares a price with the Japan only releases - odds are him and Hishomaru will be Japan exclusive releases along with the others previously revealed.

By way of our sponsors TFSource, we can report on some new listings from Takara-Tomy including a second utterly gigantic Transformer coming out in Japan this September - that's right, one of the new listings is for Generations Japan Metroplex. Transformers GT Maximus is also confirmed for a release in September after what feels like months of waiting for news, and we have the first true promotional material for him - he comes with his Master Sword. Rounding it out there is a Japanese Generations four pack of Legends Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and their Mini-Con partners, which features metallic paint.

The full listings for September are as follows:

Generations Japan TG-23 Metroplex
Generations Japan TG-24 Optimus Prime & Bumblebee Set
Transformers GT GTR-04 GT Maximus

And at Robot Kingdom:

TG-23
TG-24
GT-04

e-HOBBY has updated their website with the bio of the upcoming Magnificius release, as well as a colored cover image of the comic that will be included with the release.

Please bear in mind that the translation of the bio is VERY ROUGH:

Name: Magnificus
Status: Exile

Once Military Affairs Advisor for Mebion, Magnificus was betrayed by an unknown comrade and banished to frontier space. Forced to serve as a gun-for-hire, he has spent long years on the run from bounty hunters with his comrade-in-arms, Gamede. But the pair has finally found a means to achieve their revenge: body data stolen from Perceptor using Gamede's ability to shrink to atomic size! Redesigning his body using this data, Magnificus has successfully mastered the art of "Psychometry", which is the ability to see residual images by scanning objects and other lifeforms. Can Magnificus master this ability and use it to determine the identity of his betrayer?

The e-HOBBY exclusive Magnificus will be available both through e-HOBBY and the Transformers Collector's Club.

An image has surfaced which purports to show the silhouettes of the three Japan-only Transformers Go! Samurai. G01, 02 and 03 are new molds with a combination gimmick which allows them to assume three different combined modes. These silhouettes hint at what the individual robots might be - one thing that is very obvious is the emphasis on melee weapons. Check out the alleged silhouette at left.

Hisashi Yuki has also updated his Twitpic account with more new Transformers Go! images. The first group of deluxe class toys - Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Soundwave (in a G1 deco) and Starscream are all on show with their more show-accurate decos. The Predacon Voyager Predaking, known in Japan as Dragotron, is also on show.

Check out all the new images attached to this post.

Thanks to the TFyuki twitter account, we have a trio of images from the upcoming Transformers GO! toyline. Shown here are voyagers Optimus Prime and Shockwave (Or Beast Hunters Optimus and Shockwave respectively).

Check out these new photos by clicking the title bar.

Takara-Tomy has updated their website with some rather cool promo material for the Transformers Go! toyline. On their main website there is an extremely cool flyer for the initial releases in the line, featuring a photoshopped image of Hunter Optimus Prime and Dragotron / Predaking fighting in Earth's orbit. Meanwhile the Transformers Go! Toyline page has updated with another image - this one showing the heads of the three main characters of each faction in Go! (Optimus, Dragotron and Shockwave) along with Bumblebee.

E-Hobby has updated their pre-order page for their Classics Magnificus exclusive with some artwork for the bonus comic that will come with the figure. The comic cover takes a Wild West style, with a wanted poster for Magnificus being torn by an unseen hand. The artstyle seems to be in the vein of the Marvel Transformers comics, at least as much as we can judge from one single uncolored lineart.

Check it out here. The Transformers Collector's Club will be offering Magnificus for order to fans outside of Japan, priced $90 with preorders expected to go live next week.