History YMMV / BlackCrayons

** Sam Witwicky. He's so desperate to get a job that actually allows him to make a difference in the world but he keeps failing to do so. He also misses his best friend, Bumblebee who is too busy with NEST missions. Then, Charlotte Mearing dismisses his heroics from ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' and ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'', saying he's just "a messenger". [[spoiler: Then, Dylan Gould [[IHaveYourWife kidnaps Mikaela]] to force him into being a spy for the Decepticons. It gets worse when Optimus Prime tells Sam that they are friends whilst Sam is in the middle of betraying them (unwillingly, of course) and he is unable to tell them that the Decepticons have Mikaela and are forcing him into betraying them. Then, he seemingly sees his friends die in the Xanthium explosion. This does not stop him from going to Chicago while it's being torn apart by the Decepticons to rescue Mikaela and stop the Decepticons.]]

* BetterThanCanon: Reviewers of ''A Child's Innocence'' (a rewrite of ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'') have commented that the story is much better than the movie the fanfic was based on.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: The series eschews a lot of what the films have been criticized for in favor of focusing on Ironhide and Annabelle's relationship.
** Having Mikaela Banes in place of [[ReplacementScrappy Carly Spencer]]. The story also lacks any pointless relationship drama between Sam and Mikaela.
** Having there be less focus on Mikaela for {{Fanservice}} and more focus on her skills and abilities, such as her being mechanically inclined (which is how she gets hired by Dylan Gould) [[spoiler:and the quick thinking she demonstrates when the Decepticons are invading Chicago]].
** Giving the other Decepticons actual personality and focus. [[TheStarscream Starscream]] and [[UndyingLoyalty Soundwave]] [[CharacterRerailment are given their most commonly associated character traits]]. [[spoiler:[[EnsembleDarkhorse Barricade]] is made into the group's OnlySaneMan concerning the [[PapaWolf consequences]] of trying to harm Annabelle.]]
** [[spoiler:Not having Ironhide being killed by Sentinel when the latter reveals his betrayal and the two actually having a struggle (over Sentinel’s rust cannon).]]
** [[spoiler: Optimus Prime faking that the Autobots were dead and arriving to Chicago after the Decepticons have leveled the city was ''not'' done to prove a point about how Earth needs the Autobots but rather because he and the Autobots could simply not get to Chicago in time when they separated from the Xanthium. Optimus is ''very'' pissed knowing that the Decepticons slaughtered so many humans whilst he and the other Autobots were trying to get to Chicago as quickly as they possibly could.]]
** [[spoiler:Unlike ''DOTM'' which basically just stops once the action is over, ''A Child's Innocence'' actually has an ending with plot points being resolved.]]

* TheWoobie: [[Film/TransformersTheLastKnight Izabella]] appears in ''Not According to Plan'' (albeit a few years younger than in canon) [[spoiler:where losing her parents to the Decepticons in Chicago was still recent to her.]]

* AngstWhatAngst:
** Subverted [[spoiler:with Annabelle's encounter with Barricade in ''My First Decepticon''. While she is initially fine after Ironhide rescues her, ''Nightmares'' shows that she is having, well, ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin nightmares]]'' of the Decepticons.]]
** Averted with [[spoiler:Jolt and Flareup's deaths in ''A Child's Innocence'', as their allies are shown to still be affected by their deaths from when they occurred to near the end of the story. Ironhide almost dying counts as well, especially with Annabelle.]]

* CatharsisFactor: After repeatedly getting instances of Tommy's FantasticRacism towards Cybertronians and generally being a {{Jerkass}} in ''Not According to Plan'', it can be quite rewarding to see his scheme dismantled by Annabelle and the other children, [[DirtyCoward prevented from escaping]] by Ironhide and Chromia, as well as get his finger dislocated (on top of receiving a [[TranquilFury verbal assault]]) by [[MamaBear Sarah Lennox]] when he attempts to bad-mouth Annabelle.
* CharacterRerailment:

** [[spoiler:Not having Ironhide being killed by Sentinel when the latter reveals his betrayal and the two actually having a fight.]]

* CatharsisFactor: After repeatedly getting instances of Tommy's FantasticRacism towards Cybertronians and generally being a {{Jerkass}} in ''Not According to Plan'', it can be quite rewarding to see him [[DirtyCoward prevented from escaping]] by Ironhide and Chromia, as well as get his finger dislocated (on top of receiving a [[TranquilFury verbal assault]]) by [[MamaBear Sarah Lennox]] when he attempts to bad-mouth Annabelle.

** Annabelle in ''A Child's Innocence''. [[spoiler:She gets kidnapped by the Decepticons only a few chapters into the story. When she gets rescued, she goes to NEST base to discover that Sentinel Prime, who the Autobots thought to be a friend, betrayed them and killed Jolt and Flareup and left Ironhide in critical condition. Then, she discovers that the world leaders are exiling the Autobots from Earth. Then, she watches as the Autobots are seemingly killed when the Xanthium explodes. Despite all of this, she still goes to Chicago even while it's being ravaged by the Decepticons to stop them and save Mikaela from Dylan because she feels like she has to do something to make sure the bad guys don't win.]]

** [[BigGood Optimus Prime]] [[spoiler: gets betrayed by his former mentor Sentinel Prime who has killed Flareup and Jolt. He and the other Autobots are then forced to leave Earth because the world leaders think that their exile will keep the Decepticons from attacking. While the Autobots have no intention of leaving Earth, Optimus and the other Autobots are forced to listen to Annabelle pleading for them to answer her without being able to respond in order to keep the Decepticons from possibly discovering that they did not die in the Xanthium explosion. By the time Optimus and the Autobots reach Chicago, god know how many people have been killed. Optimus clearly does not enjoy the fact that he practically let numerous innocent people die nor the fact that his former mentor and friend is now sided with his [[ArchEnemy sworn enemy Megatron]], but this does not keep him from being any less badass if his taking down of Shockwave's "Driller" bot or [[MeleeATrois his three way battle with Megatron and Sentinel Prime are any indication]].]]

* OneSceneWonder: [[spoiler:The katana-wielding Decepticon who fights Arcee, Mirage and Sideswipe in Chicago. Unlike the other nameless Decepticons, he completely avoids being CannonFodder and nearly managers to off-line the trio before Sideswipe takes him down.]]

** Sarah Lennox's portrayal in this series as a very intimidating MamaBear is even more hilarious when you remember that her actress, Samantha Smith, plays Mary Winchester in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' who is practically the same character.

** To Carly: when Bumblebee presents rings to Sam and Mikaela, unlike ''DOTM'' where Sam does not go through with proposing, Sam actually goes through with proposing to Mikaela.