Today marks ten years since the end of Animated, and the end of one of the greatest Transformers stories ever told. As is often the case, it was initially met with scorn, and from my understanding, the first look at Optimus wasn’t that hot. As Transformers fans have often worried, they were concerned that the show would be too kiddy (lol after the uber serious and competently made Unicron Trilogy, I bet). Maybe it was just because at the time, dark edgelordy stuff was popular because of the emo era and The Dark Knight and all. A lot of people cite Thrill of the Hunt as the turning point of the series, since it was a mature, darker episode than what had came before. And don’t get me wrong, it’s easily one of the best of the series and of the franchise. But tell me, would it have worked on it’s own without what came before it? Would Code of Hero worked if it hadn’t been the culmination of a season and a half long arc? No, to both. Thrill of the Hunt wouldn’t have succeeded if the show hadn’t already succeeded before it. Yeah, it was only the fourth or fifth episode, but the show had already introduced us to lovable characters, menacing villains, and themes of heroism and war, and to blend it together, lovable characters proving themselves as heroes in war against menacing villains. Thrill of the Hunt wasn’t a success because it was dark and gritty. It was because it was the last proof needed that this show could entertain and enchant all ages, that it could maintain a consistent tone both light and dark. The episode gets dark but doesn’t feel like a betrayal of what we’d already had. It’s not like one episode they’re fighting a hammy pizza monster then the next they’re facing John Carpenter’s The Thing. It was consistent with what we’d had before in that it was mature and respectful of its characters and story above all else, that it trusted its audience young and old and didn’t talk down to them. That’s what I think is probably the best part of Animated - the respect it had for its audience young and old, the respect it had for its characters and story, it’s world, it’s franchise. Only Beast Wars and Machines, and some of IDW, have this much respect for all of the above. And no, I’m not a better fan than you because I gave so much thought to the show-making process. I love everything else in this show, too. I love the voice cast which included many G1 characters reprising their roles but they still felt fresh. I love the incredible designs that pay tribute to what came before yet are still original. Blackout is probably the closest we got to a shot for shot remake of a past character and he’s absolutely unique in his own way. Our new characters like Lugnut and Lockdown and Slipstream and the rest are incredible. The art design by Derrick J. Wyatt and company is incredible. I love the long term story arcs, the foreshadowing, even the episodes that wobble with plot contrivances like Five Servos of Doom are excellent in their own right. The hype going into Season 3 was phenomenal to experience. The hiatus between 2 and 3, that’s the time when I really got into the show and I was hooked. The original stuff like changing Optimus and Magnus’ roles are great. The action, the one off characters are wonderful. Just so much YES in a show. It wasn’t perfect, but it was to date the last consistently great Transformers series we’ve had, and haven’t seen the likes of since. Today, ten years ago I woke up early, not believing the reports that Animated was ending, and gasped as Starscream finally died. I cheered seeing Omega wreck his dark clones. I was shocked to see Prowl sacrifice his life with that last, comforting smile that has stayed with me the entire past decade. And the defiant, triumphant way that Optimus told Megatron his name. In that moment, Optimus was already a hero, and he had already won. And the same goes for Animated. Yes, it kinda got cut short. To this day, I’d like maybe one more episode to decompress and wrap up a little of this and that. But I’ve made peace with it’s end. Part of the journey is the end, and in the end, seeing Optimus’s crew hailed as heroes by Cybertron is more than enough for me. Animated won.
And there are those of us who refuse to accept its untimely death. We are very well aware that the fabled Season 4 was abruptly cancelled, and that Season 3 was not the intended end for Animated. Hasbro may have decided Animated doesn't deserve a second chance in the limelight, yet time and again, the show's creators and actors affirm their wish to finish what they started. Even now, we see popular shows from our childhoods being resurrected, to tell the stories they were denied. Young Justice. Star Wars: The Clone Wars. There is no reason for Animated not to join them. Especially now, since the show's creators have galvanized us with the knowledge that we are the ones who can make the difference. Hasbro listens to us, and we need to make our demand for more Animated content heard.
*Standing ovation* Oh my goodness dude that is probably the best essay I've ever read about Transformers Animated and the impact it has on the fandom and Transformers as a whole. Thank you for writing it.
Originally, the show was intended to be called Transformers: Heroes. I guess "Endgame, Part II" is when they finally were seen as true heroes, yes?
Well, the mods said they were going to close this sub-forum, as it was going to be integrated into Cartoon General discussion. So a lot of people might have left without realizing the thread never closed. On top of that, most of the people that were active here ten years ago are no longer around. They probably phased out of Transformers. The killing blow is the fact that these forums are dominated by rabid G1 fans. Pretty much any and all discussion is about it, and any other discussion is in bits and pieces about Beast Wars and the Unicron Trilogy. Animated has, despite our best efforts, been forgotten about.
Resurrecting an old thread in honor of the twelfth anniversary. Still an absolute moment of my life, the day Animated ended and from then on belonged to the ages. Or something poetic like that. A lot of people have Luke Skywalker as their hero, with the moment that Luke threw away his lightsaber and defied the Sith, declaring himself a Jedi like his father before him, as their hero moment, when they saw a fictional character they admired prove themselves the hero they saw them as. A lot of people today see Chris Evans’s Captain America as their Luke Skywalker, and Thanos as their Darth Vader. And the pure moment when Steve Rogers strapped up his arm, gritted his teeth, and advanced towards the assembled army of Thanos, prepared to face oblivion for the entire universe and die fighting it - as their hero moment. And yeah, I do too. Growing up on The Lion King, seeing Simba ascend Pride Rock to become king while Hans Zimmer’s “King of Pride Rock” blared triumphantly, was the hero moment I grew up with since childhood. It’s just that for me, I realize my first major post-The Lion King hero moment came with Animated Optimus Prime, boldly throwing it back in Megatron’s face that his name was Optimus Prime, after being belittled and underestimated the entire series. And finally Megatron, recognizing who had been standing in his way the entire series, accepted that he was indeed the one Autobot who could defeat him, and addressed him by name. I think that was my first real hero moment. I think we can have multiple hero moments, when a character resonates so much with you that you have a hero moment that is sealed into your heart for years and years afterwards. Simba becoming king, Optimus Prime announcing his name, and Steve Rogers standing against Thanos are my three hero moments, each from different eras of my life and indeed the three decades of my life (not counting the 2020’s which just started). But Optimus Prime’s was the first one I truly registered as a hero moment, one I found on my own, whereas I was raised with The Lion King, so to speak.
Thirteen years today. If it was still on YouTube, I would've posted a link to a video tribute someone did setting TFA Optimus to Michael Bolton's "Go the Distance". Hercules has resonated with me ever more so due to that video, and I really can't listen to that song casually because of it. From the battle between Team Athenia and Team Charr to Ratchet confronting Lockdown to Optimus roaring at Sari in rage discovering how much candy she ate while they were gone, boy do I miss this show. Especially now that one of its' creative architects, the great Derrick J. Wyatt, is no longer with us. He expressed disdain for stuff like Bay Lockdown and wasn't keen on CHUG style Animated toys due to toy downsizing, but I really do hope that he knew how loved his work, and this series he gave so much of his heart to, remains to this day. I got to interact with Derrick on a fairly common basis and even though we weren't personal friends, we still got on and had fun together in the Transformers RP. He did the zaniest things like invent a holiday based on mocking Straxus and stuffing him down a chimney, throw a surprise party on the Prime Nemesis and sing the Touch, and tell Professor Princess she was his most prized creation. He was such a card, and that's just the fandom side of it. His art style lent so much warmth and fun to Animated, making it distinct while still clearly paying tribute to what came before. While I don't want every Transformer to be designed by Derrick, I do want future character designers to be willing to remix old and new as much as Derrick did. For them to have such creative ideas as he did when it came to the story, to respect the fandom like he did to the point of personally asking TF Wiki and co to name Cliffjumper when he went unnamed. Animated remains probably my definitive animated series, and it was only with us so briefly. But what we got was a gift, and so much of it was because it was wrapped by Derrick.
Fourteen years today, and I still think about how the end of Animated really changed me. I’d grown up knowing that some shows ended, even before I really got rolling with the internet. I learned how Samurai Jack and Hey Arnold didn’t get their proper series finales, I experienced the confusion of “Things Change” ending Teen Titans. But something was well and truly different when Animated ended. I still remember seeing news reports that it was ending, though I never really saw any reason to trust what seemed to be potentially unreliable sources. I went into the episode not believing it was ending, but at the same time, I did feel some sense of finality. Starscream died for real this time. Prowl died. Megatron finally remembered Optimus’s name, which honestly I don’t think I ever really thought about until the finale when it really was a big deal. Then there was stuff like Sari’s origins not being elaborated on, the fate of Ultra Magnus, the other AWOL characters like Slipstream, the Constructicons, Lockdown, Swindle. And eventually, the toys that wouldn’t be released like Blackout and Thundercracker. The end of Animated was like a mythic legend. The heroes saved the day and were finally recognized as heroes by their home. Optimus giving a weary, but relieved and proud smile as the final focus shot of the series felt right. Here, at long last, Animated entered into the halls of Transformers Valhalla, taking its rightful place at the table of chiefs and kings. I know everyone wants to write for their favorite franchise, but one thing I’d love to do if I had the reins is to have the Covenant of Primus, and have a passage that went something like this: “and a brave band of misfit warriors faced down the great dark titans, led by the nefarious warmonger, who was forced to not only admit defeat, but respect for their leader. And lo their home finally recognized them for the heroes they turned out to be.” Because that’s what Animated is to me and many others. It’s a tale of heroism, of family, of love. And it’s earned its place in the tales that should and always should be remembered and retold, again and again. This video also gave me closure back in the day. Thank you for another year of remembering the good times, Animated. And thank you again, Derrick, for your part in it.
As someone who grew up with G1--both American and Japanese versions of it--I can admit that I forgot much of it. And have no real interest of touching G1 American again. At most? I'd go rewatch the Japanese trilogy if I had the abundance of time and energy to binge it. Besides, by curiosity, I gave a look at Prime and Animated ... and each one has its own charm and feel to them. Animated ... felt organic. Even if it was abruptly ended, I honestly didn't sense it--after all, the main story was the cast of five outcasts with desire for heroism succeeding in their task even at the price of their own spark. Even if I saw years later, I can honestly admit that it was more entertaining than Prime. Prime though? I like it for its aesthetics more than its cast of barely effectual Decepticon threat even if it got actual closure of most plot threads. Plus, the Robots in Disguise Windblade was quite a great buy!
