AlphaBrav0
Since: Aug, 2016
Dec 29th 2019 at 9:04:12 PM
•••
Also, do links and apostrophes not work in discussions, or am I doing something wrong?
Edited by AlphaBrav0 "Waiting for something to happen?"
Since this series was being produced by Takara Tomy, I'm honestly surprised that they excluded Astrotrain, the Trainbots and Team Bullet Train. Granted, Transformers is not nearly as big in Japan as it is overseas, but it would've been neat to see how those characters would have been integrated, as the show IS centered around mecha that turn into bullet trains...
Never mind, I just realized why they didn't:
1) They'd have to get Hasbro's approval, as Transformers is a joint property.
2) Astrotrain is almost always a steam locomotive in train mode (for the toys that retain his Triple-Changing ability); the two exceptions are his "Classics" and "Titans Return" figures. The former turns into a bullet train (which fits this series' theme), but the latter turns into a Cybertronian locomotive (which does not). So they'd have to reissue the decade-old "Classics" mold or create a new mold specifically for this series.
3) Similarly, only two of the Trainbots turn into bullet trains (Shouki and Yukikaze). The remaining Trainbots (Getsuei, Suiken, Seizan, and Kaen) would have to be redesigned or left out entirely, the latter option robbing the characters of their gimmick (combining to form Raiden).
This leaves Team Bullet Train, whose only media appearances (and toys) were nearly 2 decades ago. The obscure nature of the group combined with the fact that Transformers as a whole is niche (at best) in Japan meant that incorporating those characters in a crossover was too much of a risk.
Edited by AlphaBrav0 "Waiting for something to happen?" Hide / Show Replies