Hello everyone! I'd like to have your opinion...

My friend and I have spent the last year delving into the world of Transformers and watching some of the Transformers television shows. We were originally just bayformer fans, but we were convinced by TFW to check out Transformers Prime. We loved it, and have since worked our way through the first half of Beast Wars. (Also love it!)

Anyway, the reason I ask this is to know which Transformers show you think would be good to watch next for casual fans? We were thinking Beast Machines, but we don't want it to ruin Beast Wars for us. Also, we are looking for a show with good plot, and decent action.

What do you suggest?

 

Watch Animated. It's fun and has excellent storytelling/characterisation, just like Beast Wars. Don't watch the G1 cartoon unless you REALLY like eighties kitsch or are drunk.

EDIT: Oh, and I completely forgot. Rescue Bots! It's brilliant. Like a Transformers sitcom, really character-driven and really fun to watch.

 

Definitely Animated! Next to BW, its the Transformers show that really did succeed in being a really, really good TV show.

I just finished watching BW for the first time myself (and it was beyond awesome) and are now watching Beast Machines. It's good, I don't LOVE it like I did Beast Wars and its surprisingly dark, but I definitely wouldn't say you should skip it.

 

I disagree with this. There wasn't a truly terrible TF show made, except for the Energon version of Superlink. If you can sit through the slapstick stuff of BW then you can sit through G1. There are some real gems in there as well, and since they are on Netflix, they're readily available.

 

The '86 movie is worth it to see the genesis of a lot that's become mythical in TF series. The G1 series is worth it as a lead up to that. But yes, brace for a lot of 80s weirdness (though I lived through those years, so maybe it's more painful for me to watch).

 

If you like prime and beast wars I agree that animated would make an ideal next choice.

G1 is fun, had some iconic designs, had good but limited in length and ambition story arcs, had a great starscream/megatron comedy double act and has some above average voice acting but was unfortunately made in an era when basic continuity was ignored and animation errors were pretty common place so if viewed without any forgiving nostalgic love it kind of falls to pieces when placed under even the most mild of criticism. Its slapdash 80's era is fun in some ways as they seemed to throw some strange un-PC things into the mix like Abdul Fakkadi and there are loads of 80's pop culture references in episodes like making tracks. I love it for all its faults but I can't say I would recommend to anyone new.

 

Animated or Beast Machines.

 

Animated!

 

You should really watch Animated.

 

Animated! And try Beast Machines when you're finished with Beast Wars while you're at it. The G1 movie is also fun, though it might vary from generation to generation.

 

Eh, aside from Prime and Beast Wars, Beast Machines and G1 are my favorites.

 

Animated:
-for the humor
-for the story
-for the characters
-for the homages
-for some of the goofiness (both stupid and lightheartedness)
-for the colors (way different from the "darkness" of Prime)

Beast Machines:
-just to see how the Beast Wars fit in the overall plot (for better or worse)
-first series to use an army of drones (just to compare how they did it back then to your opinion of Prime's Vehicons)
-for the the homages
-for the sake of the good guys not always winning
-NO HUMANS WHATSOEVER!!!!
-why some people debate Beast Machines Megatron is the most successful out of EVERY incarnation of Megatron

G1:
-to see where it all started (characters, color schemes, personality traits, techno-babble, etc)
-to see why some people are fanatics for this and that
-to see the references Beast Wars took (after you finish Beast Wars of course)
-to see the seed of what sprouted to make the live action movies and Prime
-to see the hilarious visual/verbal goofs that people still groan/giggle/laugh at today
-young Peter Cullen being Optimus Prime, and young Frank Welker being Megatron compared to how they did in Prime



It doesn't matter in which order of the 3 above you watch, it's those 3 before the other 4 Japanese imported series. Just my recommendation.

 

watch g1, all the reasons have already been stated and like someone else said its available on instant que on netflix you could be watching it now...

 

I'm gonna go against the grain and say RID and Cybertron.

Robots In Disguise has humorous moments and doesn't have the animation errors of G1, though it's VERY Japanese.

Cybertron has interesting characters and an interesting story, and the mini cons are kinda funny. (That joke with the president hologram was hilarious IMO)

Oh! And Rescue Bots (if youre ok with no Decepticons)! I might go as far as to say its one of the best written TF series ever.

 

I'm going to recommend Rescue Bots as well, it's one of the best TF shows in a long time. The writing really is top notch, the characters very distinctive and it's a different story from the usual fare.

I recommend G1 as well, it just depends on whether you're up for not taking things too seriously and just enjoying yourself. Its strength is really in the characters. I'd probably recommend Megatron's Master Plan, Fire in the Sky, or Starscream's Brigade/Revenge of Bruticus. The first episode I ever saw was The Insecticon Syndrome, the dynamics between the Cons, Insecticons and Bots are just interesting. But really in the end it's a very personal thing which episodes would draw you in.  

 

If you watched Beast Wars, you really need to watch Beast Machines. Otherwise, you're not gonna see how the story ends. I'm one of the few who really enjoyed the Beast Machines episodes. After that, you've pretty much seen the best that any of the Transformers series have to offer. In my opinion the Beast Wars/Machines series(es) and Transformers: Prime are the two best Transformers series.

However, you absolutely MUST watch the original 1986 animated movie. It's hands down the single greastest Transformers product ever put out.

 

Still before watching the movie cold I would recommend at least the first few episodes of the G1 series. You really need to have some idea of the characters or you're going to get lost, lol.

 

No offense, but have to disagree there. Bleck.  

Animated is great fun. Rescue Bots is a really interesting take on the show, if you can get over the fact that there are no Cons, just a couple of references to them.

Beast Machines, but don't be surprised if some of the stuff that pops up in there is bad.

I, personally, like Cybertron, and you might too if you like Dragonball-esque fight scenes with power auras.

 

The original 1986 Transformers movie, seeing it when I was 5 years old, is why I became a Transformers fan in the first place. It was the first TF experience I ever had. The animation, hair metal soundtrack, cursing and characters dying was a total constrast to the Bugs Bunny cartoons I had been watching. It blew me away. And now, at age 30, it's still not only one of my all time favorite movies, but my favorite Transformers experience. That's my argument for why you should see it, anyway.

 

If you got in to Beast Wars then I would suggest the G1 cartoon. The first season is a little bland, and has a few standouts, but Seasons 2, 3, and the three part season 4 the rebirth I still rewatch quite often and still enjoy.

Important to add though to watch the 1986 Transformers movie after watching Season 2, and before you start watching season 3.