If someone you met have never seen any Transformers before, what series you would recommend him/her to start with?

 

Youtube movie edits of War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron the video games. Honestly.

 

The 86 movie to establish the idea, then Beast Wars/Machines, Animated, or Prime/RID.

Only live action films worth showing off are DOTM and BB.

Cyberverse is another great series to set up the concept but it's got a tough start that many adults probably wouldn't sit through.

If you've got a kid you wanna show some TF then I'd start with Cyberverse all day long.

 

Cyberverse.... But skipping the first two episodes.
Nobody should ever have to hear Bumblebee's steamed vegetables " radio" line.

 

Agreed......G1 is a bit dated for a kid (all the toys they’re pushing aren’t available anymore), Cyberverse is on shelves now (next to the Studio Series, Generations and depending on retailer Botbots)

 

Animated, probably.

 

I honestly think I'd just show them the first 3 G1 episodes. They introduce you to the basics of the franchise. Optimus, Megatron, the characters, the Autobot/Decepticon war, Cybertron, Earth, making friends with humans, finding their disguises, etc.

Most of the cartoons are made so that they can be watched without knowledge of previous incarnations. Despite having mixed feelings on Prime, it would work as a fine introduction to someone. From what I've seen of Animated, that seems to work well on it's own too, it seems to have all the key ingredients.

I'd argue the Bumblebee movie is another good one. Again, it has most of the stuff you need to know about the brand. The main thing missing is Megatron. But it still portrays the Decepticons well.

I have to disagree with people saying the '86 movie or Cyberverse. I think those would could potentially turn a lot of people away. Despite having a lot of iconic Transformers aspects, Cyberverse lacks a key ingredient of TF stories...the human dynamic. And that's not to mention technical stuff like the underwhelming voice acting that could turn them away. And the '86 movie will just come across as weird...it really only works if you're familiar with the lore and characters of the first two seasons.

 

Any of the cartoons are fine I guess. I started with G1. My kid started with Animated. RiD15 is fun. I hear Rescue Bots is great for the little ones.

 

For a child: Bumblebee or Cyberverse.

For a teen/adult: High Moon video games, Bumblebee, or the '86 movie.

The Generations and the reissue lines are kinda putting them back on store shelves.

 

Either Animated or Prime season 1. Beast Wars's CGI looks really dated so not that.

 

Late 90's

 

It's pretty much a no brainer for me that I would (and have) recommended Prime to adults (that aren't already into Transformers). But for kids, I guess I would probably recommend any cartoons from this last decade: Prime, Rescue Bots, 2015 Robots in Disguise, Cyberverse, or Rescue Bots Academy.

 

As much as I love the 86 movie, I would definitely not recommend it to anyone not familiar with the brand, as the movie only works if you are a Transformers fan IMO. Megatron being turned into Galvatron, Optimus Prime and the rest of the 84-85 crew's deaths, and the entire first act of the movie only work if you are familiar with what has come before.

 

I want to say “More Than Meets the Eye parts 1-3”, but I don’t know. It is definitely dated. But it has all the key elements & characters in it that define much of the brand.

Absolutely do not use the 1986 movie. It’s biggest moments only work if you’re already a fan.

Despite being my fav series, I’d skip Beast Wars & Machines. They work better as spins on the regular TF status quo.

I wouldn’t bother with any of the anime series, as they are almost all aimed at an even younger demographic, written poorly, translated poorly, animated poorly, or all four.

I liked Animated, but that first season can be rough with all the human villains to slog through. But it’s definitely a good show.

Transformers Prime is ok.

Rescue Bots is good if you’re talking about preschoolers. If you’re trying to introduce TFs to someone 10 or older, I wouldn’t use RB. Same with RB Academy.

I personally love RID 2015. The main cast have a lot of personality, which is something a lot of other TF series forget entirely. Like, TFP is super plot heavy to the point that I can’t tell you anything about the characters other than their function.
The only real problem with RID 2015 is that, as a sequel, it references characters and events that a newbie wouldn’t be familiar with. Soundwave returning was a huge freak out moment for me, but it would mean nothing to a newbie.

Cyberverse... I can’t recommend it.

Of the movies, I’d either go with Bumblebee or the 2007 movie.

In summary: go with More Than Meets the Eye 1-3, Animated, TFP, the BB movie or the 2007 movie.

 

A poll always works

 

Prime or Animated.

 

I would say either G1 or Animated.

G1 establishes all of the key elements that Transformers typically uses elsewhere: Optimus and Megatron as faction leaders, Starscream is a conniving backstabber, Bumblebee makes lots of human friends, et cetera. It also has the advantage of having an entire toyline dedicated to it, thirty years after it aired.

Otherwise, I would say Animated or Cyberverse. The latter is a decent crash-course for someone who's brand new and might be overwhelmed by the volume of Transformers content out there, while the former is a very good "modern" update that features many very memorable takes on characters, as well as a blend of campiness and rich storytelling.

 

More Than Meets The Eye parts 1-3, and most of season 1. That’s all you need to know, kids can branch out from there, and adults who still have a soul can do the same. If an adult can’t sit through at least the first three episodes of G1, they're too serious to enjoy the franchise.

 

Beyond the dated animation, a lot of the series' "big" moments rely on at least some basic knowledge of G1 to get the full effect.

 

Honestly I'd go with MTMTE episode 1 to 3, then the '86 Movie and then whatever else you're interested in.