History Trivia / TheTransformers

* RecycledScript: "Microbots" has a similar scene to the ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 TMNT]]'' episode "Shreddered and Splintered". Both episodes were written by David Wise (who has a bad habit of doing this).

** Two that pertain to the movie: Several of the film's key animators were, at the time of production, employees of Creator/{{Bebow}}[[note]]in particular, Masanori Shino, character designer for the ''Manga/BlackLagoon'' and ''Manga/TerraFormars'' adaptations[[/note]], Creator/{{Madhouse}} and Creator/{{Sunrise}}. Whereas Unicron was originally designed by Takehiko Ito, who would go on to create ''Manga/LordofLordsRyuKnight'' and ''Manga/OutlawStar'', as well as be the character designer of two other mecha series, ''[[Anime/NGKnightLamune40 NG Knight Lamune & 40]]'' and ''Anime/KOBeast''.

* WordOfGod: An odd one. For the longest time it was a mystery as to worked on the episode "Call of the Primitives" (Both TMS and Obari's names were thrown around. The latter eventually revealing that even ''he'' had no clue; Creator/AshiProductions was also an often mentioned suspect due to their involvement on the show's first two seasons and the episode's similar appearance to the concurrently airing ''Toys/MachineRobo'' series in Japan). This was eventually cleared up when ''Manga/{{Karneval}}'' director Eiji Suganuma came out and [[https://twitter.com/LandSoda/status/487278887332638721 confirmed his own involvement on the episode]] as its animation director. He would further confirm in 2020 that the episode was not produced by either TMS or Ashi, but rather by Toei themselves, with assistance from subcontract firm Studio Look.
** He then went on to confirm the involvement of animator Shin Matsuo[[note]]then working on the series as an illustrator for the Japanese release's promotional material[[/note]] as the one who did the Predaking transformation in the episode.

* WordOfGod: An odd one. For the longest time it was a mystery as to worked on the episode "Call of the Primitives" (Both TMS and Obari's names were thrown around. The latter eventually revealing that even ''he'' had no clue; Creator/AshiProductions was also an often mentioned suspect due to their involvement on the show's first two seasons and the episode's similar appearance to the concurrently airing ''Anime/MachineRobo'' series in Japan). This was eventually cleared up when ''Manga/{{Karneval}}'' director Eiji Suganuma came out and [[https://twitter.com/LandSoda/status/487278887332638721 confirmed his own involvement on the episode]] as its animation director. He would further confirm in 2020 that the episode was not produced by either TMS or Ashi, but rather by Toei themselves, with assistance from subcontract firm Studio Look.

* WordOfGod: An odd one. For the longest time it was a mystery as to worked on the episode "Call of the Primitives" (Both TMS and Obari's names were thrown around. The latter eventually revealing that even ''he'' had no clue). This was eventually cleared up when ''Manga/{{Karneval}}'' director Eiji Suganuma came out and [[https://twitter.com/LandSoda/status/487278887332638721 confirmed his own involvement on the episode]] as its animation director.

** Astrotrain's bizarre behavior in "The God Gambit" made him completely out of character, as the whole "ordering Starscream around, choking him, and Starscream fearing him" thing may have been intended for Megatron, but Astrotrain was shoehorned in to shill his then-new toy.

** Sparkplug Witwicky was going to appear in "Five Faces of Darkness", but he was ultimately cut.

** ''Fire On The Mountain'' was going to include a subplot of [[DefectorFromDecadence Skyfire]] trying to convince [[HalfHeartedHenchman Thundercracker]] to join the Autobots, and while the Seeker wouldn't accept, he would help Skyfire foil the Decepticons' plan-of-the-week. This ended up being severely downplayed in the final version, though it does put Thundercracker's final line in the episode [[note]] mocking Megatron & Starscream while saying the Autobots "aren't such wimps after all" [[/note]] in a new light.

** Two that pertain to the movie: Several of the film's key animators were, at the time of production, employees of Creator/{{Bebow}}[[note]]in particular, Masanori Shino, character designer for the ''Manga/BlackLagoon'' and ''Manga/TerraFormars'' adaptations[[/note]], Creator/{{Madhouse}} and Creator/{{Sunrise}}. Whereas Unicron was originally designed by Takehiko Ito, who would go on to create ''Manga/RyuKnight'' and ''Manga/OutlawStar'', as well as be the character designer of two other mecha series, ''[[Anime/NGKnightLamune40 NG Knight Lamune & 40]]'' and ''Anime/KOBeast''.

** Two that pertain to the movie: Several of the film's key animators were, at the time of production, employees of Creator/{{Bebow}}[[note]]in particular, Masanori Shino, character designer for the ''Manga/BlackLagoon'' and ''Manga/TerraFormars'' adaptations[[/note]], Creator/{{Madhouse}} and Creator/{{Sunrise}}. Whereas Unicron was originally designed by Takehiko Ito, who would go on to create ''Manga/OutlawStar''.

** The writing staff for the series included the likes of ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain''[='s=] Earl Kress, ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987''[='s=] David Wise as reoccurring writers for Season 2 (with Wise also penning the series finale), and Creator/PaulDini, who wrote the episode "Dweller in the Depths".

** The writing staff for the series included the likes of ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'''s Earl Kress, ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987'''s David Wise as reoccurring writers for Season 2 (with Wise also penning the series finale), and Creator/PaulDini, who wrote the episode "Dweller in the Depths".

** In the early 80's, Takara planned to release the car and jet robots known as ''Diaclone'' in Japan as ''Diakron''. The first initial toyline failed, so they tried again at a toy fair. However, the toys caught the eye of Hasbro, who proceed to rebrand the toyline, along with the Microman toys, as ''Transformers''. Takara later dropped the ''Diaclone'' car and jet robots and ''Microman'' lines and rebranded them as ''Transformers'' as well. (They also released several ''Diaclone'' and ''Microman'' toys themselves as part of the ''Kronoform'' line, which was also short-lived.)

** In the early 80's, Takara planned to release the car and jet robots known as ''Diaclone'' in Japan as ''Diakron''. The first initial toyline failed, so they tried again at a toy fair. However, the toys caught the eye of Hasbro, who proceed to rebrand the toyline, along with the Microman toys, as ''Transformers''. Takara later dropped the ''Diaclone'' car and jet robots and ''Microman'' lines and rebranded them as ''Transformers'' as well. (They also released several ''Diaclone'' and ''Microman'' toys themselves as part of the ''Kronoform'' line, which was also short-lived.)

** Marvel had licensed out Spider-Man to Mattel in 1984 and they only agreed to let the character make a guest appearance in the Hasbro licensed comic if he appeared in his black symbiote suit, which had just been recently introduced and would be less identifiable then his classic suit. Ironically, the black suit would become Spidey's standard costume for a few years an Mattel had to produce toys of it.

** Unicron was originally going to be released as a toy after the movie, but the faulty microphone and flimsy arms meant the toy had to be scrapped. Takara had their own version in the works, which also never got released/

** Astrotrain's bizarre behavior in "The God Gambit" made him completely out of character, as the whole "ordering Starscream, choking him, and Starscream fearing him" may have been intended for Megatron, but Astrotrain was shoehorned in to shill his then-new toy.

** Hasbo at first did not approve Megatron's name, believing that his name sounded as dangerous as a nuclear bomb. Bob Budiansky fought back and explained that as the main ''villain'', that's ''exactly the point''. Hasbro wisely backed off and approved the name.

* ContinuityLockOut: The [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie movie]] was never released in Japan, making the viewers wondering ''what'' happened during season 2 and ''2010''. Oddly enough, Creator/ToeiAnimation didn't try to explain this when ''they made the movie''. It gets the point where the three Japanese exclusive Generation 1 series had a heavy dose of ContinuitySnarl.

* CreatorApathy: Hasbro didn't really care what kind of stories the Marvel writers told as long as the comic shilled their toys and stayed child friendly.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The reason female Transformers didn't appear from the very start (aside from Marvel's adaptation of the animated movie and Arcee's appearances in UK-exclusive stories). Budiansky was ready, willing and able (Ratchet was even a candidate for an early female character), but the Hasbro execs thought there shouldn't be girls among "toys for boys" in a comic book "for boys" (human female characters were obviously exempt from this reasoning).

** In the early 80's, Takara planned to release the car and jet robots known as ''Diaclone'' in Japan as ''Diakron''. The first initial toyline failed, so they tried again in the Toy fair. However, the toys caught the of Hasbro, who proceed to rebrand the toyline, along with the Microman toys, as ''Transformers''. Takara later dropped the ''Diaclone'' car and jet robots and ''Microman'' lines and rebranded them as ''Transformers'' as well.
** Hasbro attempted to release Megatron several times after his release in the US, despite the later releases of the original toy containing an orange cap as per US toy gun laws. It's one of the reasons ''Toys R Us'' refuses to sell the figure, and any Walther P-38 Megs must have an orange cap if released in the US at all. Buyers eventually have to import the Japanese version to circumvent this.
** Unicron was originally going to be released as a toy after the movie, but the faulty microphone and flimsy arms meant the toy had to be scrapped.

* ArtistDisillusionment: Bob Budiansky, who has lost all interest in the series even several decades after he left it. According to post-''Transformers'' interviews, while he initially approached the project with complete enthusiasm,[[note]]He even wrote the "Tech-Spec" bios for the toys[[/note]] ExecutiveMeddling and the need to feature new toys sapped at his enthusiasm. It doesn't help that his tenure was derided by some fans who consider his stories more juvenile than those of Creator/SimonFurman -- a point that Budiansky agrees with, as [[ItsNotSupposedToWinOscars he was targeting his stories for prepubescent boys.]]

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ''Techno-X'', a proposed 90's revamp of Circuit Breaker and the Neo-Knights by Simon Furman and Andrew Wildman, integrating the team more fully into the Marvel universe.

* NoExportForYou: According to the Wiki, Rebirth was never dubbed in Japan, instead replacing it with ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters''. However in 2007, the Rebirth three-parter was eventually dubbed, but with different seiyus other than Creator/TesshoGenda (Optimus/Convoy), Seizo Kaito (Megatron/Galvatron), Creator/KunihikoYasui (Rollbar), Creator/MasashiHirose (Searchlight), and Issei Masamune (Narrator).

** Sparkplug Witwicky was going to appear in "Five Faces of Darkness", but he was ultimately cut. Common fan consensus is that he either retired from having adventures with the Autobots, or died of old age during the TimeSkip.

* ActorAllusion: During the episode "Only Human", the outfit Ultra Magnus dawns as a human looks very much like Robert Stack, who voiced Ultra Magnus in the movie.

* ArtistDisillusionment: Bob Budiansky, who has lost all interest in the series even several decades after he left it. According to post-''Transformers'' interviews, while he initially approached the project with complete enthusiasm,[[note]]He even wrote the "Tech-Spec" bios for the toys[[/note]] ExecutiveMeddling and the need to feature new toys sapped at his enthusiasm. It doesn't help that [[FanDumb his tenure was derided by some fans]] who consider his stories more juvenile than those of Creator/SimonFurman -- a point that Budiansky agrees with, as [[ItsNotSupposedToWinOscars he was targeting his stories for prepubescent boys.]]