Q-Transformers (cartoon)

Q-Transformers Toyline Cartoon Mobile Game

You know exactly why.

Q-Transformers (キュートランスフォーマー) is a cartoon released in support of the Q-Transformers toyline and mobile game. Episodes were broadcast on Tokyo MX, and released by animation company DLE on their YouTube and Nicovideo accounts. When each new episode was released, the previous episodes were set to "private", so that the whole series was never available all at once until its DVD/Blu-ray release.

The first season, subtitled Mystery of Convoy Returns (帰ってきたコンボイの謎 Kaettekita Konboi no Nazo), spanned 13 episodes and ran from January 6 to March 23, 2015. A second season, subtitled The Road to Additional Popularity (さらなる人気者への道 Saranaru Ninkimono e no Michi), followed shortly afterwards, running from July 6 to September 28.

Overview

Pop. Team. Epic.

The short episodes feature a dramatic CGI-rendered title sequence, which proves rather discordant with the actual content of the show: simple, Flash animation of several of the characters—usually Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Lockdown, joined by guest characters in later episodes—standing around a service area on one of Japan's many expressways. The show has no regard for the fourth wall, as the characters are all aware that they are a line of toys made to tie-in with the 30th anniversary of the Transformers brand. The cast is likewise a mash-up of characters from across Transformers history with no concern for such wiki-able concepts as "continuity families" or "universal streams"—the guest characters are all from Generation 1, while the three main cast members are live-action movie characters (the Age of Extinction incarnations, specifically), though Optimus and Bumblebee sometimes switch bodies (with no explanation) to designs based on their Generation 1 and Alternity selves.

The show is broken into the two segments. The first is a fast-talking scripted segment that centers on the Mystery of Convoy Returns mobile game, and the original Mystery of Convoy game; the show does not shy away from the fact the game was famously terrible, and most of the conversation in these first segments is based around the history of kusoge, a Japanese portmanteau that essentially means "crappy game". Then, the sound of a Japanese kotsuzumi drum transitions the show into the second segment, in which the voice actors—staying in-character—ad-lib more humorous discussion topics based on what they were talking about in the first half. For example, the first episode starts with a discussion on the Q-Transformers toyline and its purpose, which then segues into the characters ad-libbing ideas for other types of reboots, such as plush toy Transformers, or a Transformers "Boys Love" romance.

The second season, The Road to Additional Popularity, retains the general format, but drops the Mystery of Convoy theme in regards to both the Famicom and mobile games and instead has the characters talk about the peculiarities of Transformers and ways to make the brand more popular. A second cast, made up of Decepticons Megatron, Starscream, Shockwave and Soundwave, is also introduced and star in their own episodes where they discuss the same subject. Other changes include the setting now being in front of various Æon malls in Japan, the replacement of the title sequence with an ending credits sequence, and radio episodes featuring crossover guests from other properties.

Cast

Episodes

For further information, see: List of Q-Transformers episodes

Production

The episodes are written and directed by Kotaro Ishidate and animated by DLE, with Mame Suzuki directing the animation and Sanae Fujioka on backgrounds. Music is provided by JPop band LiLi members Hajime and Jiro. The CGI title sequence was animated by 6 Dimensional Animation, and features the theme song "Physical" performed by OLDCODEX, Tatsuhisa Suzuki's band. The second season features two ending theme songs written by Eri Ishikawa and composed by Cher Watanabe: "DESTINY ~I've Loved You For 4 Million Years~" for the Autobot episodes, performed by Yoshimasa Hosoya, and "SHOCK ~This Feeling is Like Light~" for the Decepticon episodes, performed by Kaito Ishikawa.

Home video release

Mystery of Convoy Returns was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Happinet Pictures, the first 13 episodes being released on May 22, 2015. Both versions feature a creditless opening sequence, a live-action promo video, an interview with the main cast and footage previously only screened during an event, while the Blu-ray version adds additional ad-libbed material and a video of a perfect run of the Mystery of Convoy Returns game with commentary from Optimus. Certain stores offered exclusive bonuses with either version: if purchased through Amazon, Tower Records, HMV or Yodobashi Camera, they came with little figures of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Lockdown, while at Animate they included rubber straps of the human designs shown in episode 1.

The Road to Additional Popularity was released on December 2, 2015 and came with the Q-Transformers Original Soundtrack CD. Additional features on both versions include clean ending sequences, a long version of a live-action promo video featuring the main cast and their respective toys, and a recap of an event held in Odaiba, while Blu-ray owners again get additional ad-libbed material. If purchased at Amazon, Tower Records, Rakuten, HMV, Yodobashi Camera or Animega stores, it comes with buildable papercraft figures of Optimus, Bumblebee, and Lockdown. Animate customers get an exclusive bonus again, this time a rubber strap depicting human versions of Starscream, Soundwave and Shockwave.

External links

• Credits on Q-Transformers site