The Insect Corps Arrive
From Transformers Wiki
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 Makes you wonder if bug enthusiasts are screaming over the size issue. | ||||||
| "The Insect Corps Arrive" (Konchū Gundan Arawaru) | ||||||
| Production company | TV Tokyo, NAS, Ashi Productions | |||||
| Airdate | 13 May 1998 | |||||
| Writer | Kazuhiko Gōdo | |||||
| Director | Yukio Okazaki | |||||
| Animation studio | Ashi Productions | |||||
| Continuity | Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity | |||||
The Insectrons arrive, but will they fight for the Maximals or the Predacons?
Contents |
Synopsis
Dirge and Thrust are searching for a location where the Autorollers can begin construction on a Predacon fortress on Gaia's South Continent, and they eventually settle for simply cutting down a large portion of the jungle. As the two jets sit back and watch the Autorollers work, they are approached from behind by a mosquito and a dragonfly, both giant-sized. The insects introduce themselves as Tonbot and Bigmos, and accuse the Predacons of disturbing their sleep.
On the moon, Artemis and Moon observe how the Maximals haven't reacted to the Predacons' activities. Moon figures that they haven't noticed, as the Predacons have halted construction on their fortress to do something else. This prompts Artemis to choke him, demanding that he tell her what the Predacons are up to. Some time later, on board the Galvaburg II, the Predacons are watching a recorded video of Dirge and Thrust being soundly defeated by the two insects. Starscream realizes that these new enemies must be the Insectrons, and tells Megastorm that he has a plan to destroy the insects by other means than violence.
At the Maximal campsite, the Maximals are analyzing the enemy they faced previously in the ruins. NAVI explains that it was an Insectron, one of a group of Transformers who wander space. Diver and Tasmania Kid discuss how these Insectrons look like your average bad guys, and are chastised by Apache for judging people by their appearances. Lio Convoy decides to enter negotiations with the Insectrons and convince them that the Maximals are not enemies. Meanwhile, Starscream and BB are setting up hard energy nets in the jungle, intending to capture the Insectrons, only to then come to their aid and claim the Maximals did it.
The Maximals split into groups and start scouring the jungle for signs of the Insectrons. Tasmania Kid goes with Lio Convoy and grows paranoid and scared of jungle noises as soon as they enter Insectron territory. Bighorn, paired with Apache, suggests that they lure the insects out by blowing stuff up with his Buffalo Missile, but Apache makes him realize that that wouldn't be a very good start to their relations. Finally, Diver spends his time sleeping on Scuba as they patrol the rivers, until the squid loses his temper and throws him off.
Meanwhile, as Starscream and BB go and check up on one of their energy nets, they learn that they have captured...Dirge and Thrust. Despite their pleas, Starscream leaves them there to check another trap. Luckily, the other net contains Bigmos and Tonbot, whom Starscream and BB rescue, all the while claiming to be Maximals. After refusing Tonbot an autograph, Starscream hands the Insectron a disc, saying it has information on the evil Predacons who set the trap. At that moment, Dirge and Thrust fly by, having freed themselves from the net. Starscream takes the opportunity to have BB shoot them down, explaining that the jets were Predacons, thereby enforcing the Insectrons' trust in him.
The two Insectrons take the disc back to Mantis, who checks it and finds information on Lio Convoy and his troops. Recognizing them as the people who assaulted his hideout earlier, Mantis decides that the only way the Insectrons can get their peaceful lifestyle back is to destroy them. Bigmos and Tonbot set out, soon discovering and attacking Apache and Bighorn. Apache refuses to fight back, as their orders are to talk to the Insectrons, but things go wrong when Bighorn's tail is caught in some debris dislodged by the Insectrons' blasts, causing it to be inadvertently pulled, launching his Buffalo Missile at the attackers. Tonbot responds by covering the area in thick mist, obstructing their vision. As Starscream and BB stand by, planning to wipe out all their weakened enemies at once, Lio Convoy and Tasmania Kid arrive, having heard the explosion of Bighorn's missile. The Insectrons tell the Maximals they will stop their attack if the Maximals leave, but Lio Convoy tries to explain who they really are. Before he can, however, he hears BB's missiles zooming towards them, and warns the Insectrons to look out. The missiles obliterate the cliffside, burying Maximal and Insectron alike in a rockslide, and Starscream and BB, assuming their enemies have been destroyed, return to base.
Battered but alive, the Maximals dig themselves and the Insectrons out of the mess. Bigmos and Tonbot take to the air, looking ready to finish their enemies off, but clearly, the Maximals' kindness has given them pause, and they end up just telling them to leave quietly, then fly off. Lio Convoy attempts to stop them, but collapses from the damage he received from the boulders. Watching a rainbow created by Tonbot's mist, the Maximals wonder what will happen next regarding these Insectrons...
Artemis & Moon II Report
Artemis expresses relief at the segment still being around, then asks Moon who exactly the Insectrons are. Moon responds by inviting Bigmos as a special guest, although he's not too excited about being interviewed. Bigmos describes his faction as "wanderers of the universe", as they got sick of the constant battles between the Maximals and Predacons and started traveling through space to get away from it all, eventually ending up on Gaia. Artemis sums it up with saying the Insectrons are in fact peaceful despite their appearances, greatly offending Bigmos.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Maximals | Predacons | Insectrons | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
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Notes
Continuity notes
- In "The Lake Trap", Dirge was scolded for mistaking a real Tasmanian devil for Tasmania Kid, with Starscream pointing out that the real Tasmanian devil is much too small to be a Maximal. Here, Dirge realizes that the mosquito and the dragonfly probably aren't regular animals because they are way too big for that.
- Artemis has stopped coming after Moon with her piko piko hammer since the previous episode, so this time she uses her bare hands, as she will next in "Autorollers Roll Out!".
- The Maximals encountered Mantis in the previous episode.
- Standing at the front of the Galvaburg II's bridge, below the assembled Megastorm, Starscream, BB, Dirge, and Thrust is one lone Combatant. This is the last appearance of such entities, likely due to the abandonment of the "generic mook" concept.
- After having increased his vocabulary to three words in "Mystery of the Ancient Ruins", BB says a few more things other than "Roger!". He even utters what can pass for a full sentence! It'll be until "Galvatron Rampages" for BB to get this chatty again.
- The Predacons decide to deal with the Insectrons before they resume work on their fortress. They still haven't dealt with them by "The Strongest Tag Team?", at which time Megastorm laments the delay.
- Gadgets and powers:
- Bighorn uses Buffalo Missile to show Bigmos and Tonbot just how strong he is. Although usually he gets someone else to pull his tail, this time he does it himself by hooking his tail between two rocks.
Real-world references
- The "South Continent" is South America.
- While searching for the Insectrons, Tasmania Kid calls out to them with the promise of "sweeter water". This refers to the Japanese children's song, "Hotaru Koi" ("Come, Firefly"), in which sweet water is offered in an attempt to bring out insects (namely, fireflies).
- Tonbot's cry of "Please help me! Please!" when he's trapped in a hard energy net references the cry of the humanized fly when it's trapped in a web at the end of The Fly
Animation and technical errors
- Just before the title card comes up, both Tonbot and Bigmos announce their transformation activation codes. However, all we see is a very drawn-out, glitchy transformation by Tonbot.
- Either the first hard energy net Starscream and BB set up is smaller than the others or that's an animation error. It's about three times smaller than the other two.
- Dirge and Thrust switch from being stuck to the hard energy net with their fronts to with their backs halfway the scene.
Home video releases
- VHS
1998 — Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers — ACT. 3 (Pioneer LDC)
- DVD
2011 — Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers — DVD-BOX (Video Maker)
