They have everything to do with Transformers because they are character in the Kiss radio play. This is an official Japanese line and therefore canon.

Also, Alt Prime's human is Marissa Fairbourne who is again, EVERYTHING to do with Transformers.

 

Just because they made up this story doesn't mean I have to like it. And she doesn't even look remotely like the Marissa Fairbourne I remember.

 

And of course, Marissa is wearing beachwear and comes with a  surfboard, so it's not exactly strange clothing, and if you sit someone atop a giant robot or perhpas on a  surfboards, the pose isn't that unusual either.

Especially from an artist's pov.

 

As for Starscreaming about sexuality in the other figures; yes it's there, of course it is.

It's also there in western figures, it's there in our comics, in our cartoons, even good old "pink with 1950's fantasy pin-up art proportions Arcee"  was designed that way.

Her statue was based on old glamour photography as much as any other figure's pose too.

It's there, it's always been there, it's always been there in Transformers.

 

So all this Starscreaming as though the "seedy, perverted Japanese" that exist in some perceptions have come along and soiled our whiter than white product is absolutley ridiculous.

 

You see, in the western countries, when we "sexualize" something, we at least make sure that it looks like a full grown adult, not like A FREAKING 12 YEAR OLD. That is what makes it really bizarre and freaky IMO. In fact, let's just go over the story again....

 

Marissa Faireborn is a 20 year old American woman. As a child, she was once rescued by Optimus Prime. Years later, she joined the EDC and discovered the unconscious body of Optimus. She kissed him, awakening the giant robot. Now they travel together, working on their as-yet-unclear agenda.

 

Marissa considers Optimus Prime to be her boyfriend, and shares her knife-wielding skills with him by kissing him. She is also a professional surfer.

 

Sorry, it's still weird and freaky. I don't care that the story says she's 20...the figure still looks like a kid. Ugh.

You see, in the western countries, when we "sexualize" something, we at least make sure that it looks like a full grown adult, not like A FREAKING 12 YEAR OLD. That is what makes it really bizarre and freaky IMO.

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It doesn't look like a 12 year old.

It looks like a human done in the SD style.

 

12 year old children do not have giant heads that would snap their scrawny necks, they do not have fully developed adult physiques, squashed or not and perhaps most importantly of all, they do not have GIANT EYES THAT WOULD MAKE THEM LOOK LIKE GREYS!!

 

If I saw children that looked like this:

 

 

I'd be terrified, they're freaking mutants.

 

Furthermore, the US DO make figures that look like this and sexualise them.

 

Disney's Tinker Bell is actually based on a woman, a glamour model from that period, she's supposed to be sexy and feminine etc, not the little girl that so many Americans see her as.

 

 

The bottom line is that they're not making a 12 year old, they're making their usual super deformed figures with exaggerated western features (we have large eyes to the east as they have smaller eyes to us and so on).

 

You're (I'm talking in general here) blaming the figures because something in YOU associates them with children.

Maybe as a society you should look at why you can't help but interpret a seriously unrealistic art style as a realistic depiction of a child.

That's creepy itself right there.

 

As for her differences to G1, it's not G1, it's Kiss, an alternate continuity, no different to Armada's differences to G1.

I'd prefer G1 continuity myself, but that hasn't been around for 15 years now.

 

Hate the set all you want, Energon Kicker and Highwire have more play value and fun in them than an army of Junkos and Marissas and their pet Autobots.

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Personally, I don't play with my toys, but love the Kicker set and would have loved to have seen more.

You see, in the western countries, when we "sexualize" something, we at least make sure that it looks like a full grown adult, not like A FREAKING 12 YEAR OLD. That is what makes it really bizarre and freaky IMO.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It doesn't look like a 12 year old.

It looks like a human done in the SD style.

 

12 year old children do not have giant heads that would snap their scrawny necks, they do not have fully developed adult physiques, squashed or not and perhaps most importantly of all, they do not have GIANT EYES THAT WOULD MAKE THEM LOOK LIKE GREYS!!

 

If I saw children that looked like this:

 

 

I'd be terrified, they're freaking mutants.

 

Furthermore, the US DO make figures that look like this and sexualise them.

 

Disney's Tinker Bell is actually based on a woman, a glamour model from that period, she's supposed to be sexy and feminine etc, not the little girl that so many Americans see her as.

 

 

The bottom line is that they're not making a 12 year old, they're making their usual super deformed figures with exaggerated western features (we have large eyes to the east as they have smaller eyes to us and so on).

 

You're (I'm talking in general here) blaming the figures because something in YOU associates them with children.

Maybe as a society you should look at why you can't help but interpret a seriously unrealistic art style as a realistic depiction of a child.

That's creepy itself right there.

 

As for her differences to G1, it's not G1, it's Kiss, an alternate continuity, no different to Armada's differences to G1.

I'd prefer G1 continuity myself, but that hasn't been around for 15 years now.

 

Hate the set all you want, Energon Kicker and Highwire have more play value and fun in them than an army of Junkos and Marissas and their pet Autobots.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Personally, I don't play with my toys, but love the Kicker set and would have loved to have seen more.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ah, the Super-Deformed style. Got it.

 

I guess it just throws me off because of how anime depicts child characters (i.e. small bodies, exaggerated expressive facial features, etc.), which while not identical, are somewhat similar to that of SD characters. I suppose the discomfort that I get from these stems from seeing that Fire Convoy/AI set a couple years back...that was truly unsettling.

 

As far as the Tinkerbell example, she was a Pixie...but I get your point.

 

You're (I'm talking in general here) blaming the figures because something in YOU associates them with children.

Maybe as a society you should look at why you can't help but interpret a seriously unrealistic art style as a realistic depiction of a child.

That's creepy itself right there.

 

I've probably just seen too many crime shows on the biography channel, and that's what has jaded me somewhat and made me read into things a little too much.

 

The story is still goofy though IMO.

 

Anyway, I'm not trying to take this to a personal level...it's just my opinion.

Anyway, I'm not trying to take this to a personal level...it's just my opinion.

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And if I seemed to be doing that, apologies too, I was definitely talking from a societal pov when I said the generalised you.

 

It seems that any western culture, but the US would be at the forefront, seems to fear sliding into mass perversion unknowingly.

It's almost as though anything not obviously adult in it's realism automatically gets treated as childlike for fear we start to blurr the lines and I do think they've instilled a kind of paranoia or automatic defense in us to react that way everytime we see something not clearly one way or the other.

 

And the AI is a funny thing.

I got that in the set, and I didn't know what t make of it either.

I mean again, it's super deformed, but it's also very clearly supposed to be a hologram resembling a naked kid, which is as creepy as they come.

 

And reaction to it has been mixed too.

I know one person who thinks it's perversion personified, another who thought that but then saw it as an innocent thing a grew to like it, and another who loved it so much, thought it was so cute, she rushed out and bought one immediately.

 

And I still don't know what to make of it.

Looking at it from where I'm sat, it's a harmless fun little figurine, silly.

But up close, you can see the fine line they were on when they made it.

 

And I totally agree on the story, but when you look at some of the things the Japanese put into Transformers, like the care bear-esque power of friendship and stuff, it still sucks but seems so much less unusual.

Anyway, I'm not trying to take this to a personal level...it's just my opinion.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And if I seemed to be doing that, apologies too, I was definitely talking from a societal pov when I said the generalised you.

 

It seems that any western culture, but the US would be at the forefront, seems to fear sliding into mass perversion unknowingly.

It's almost as though anything not obviously adult in it's realism automatically gets treated as childlike for fear we start to blurr the lines and I do think they've instilled a kind of paranoia or automatic defense in us to react that way everytime we see something not clearly one way or the other.

 

And the AI is a funny thing.

I got that in the set, and I didn't know what t make of it either.

I mean again, it's super deformed, but it's also very clearly supposed to be a hologram resembling a naked kid, which is as creepy as they come.

 

And reaction to it has been mixed too.

I know one person who thinks it's perversion personified, another who thought that but then saw it as an innocent thing a grew to like it, and another who loved it so much, thought it was so cute, she rushed out and bought one immediately.

 

And I still don't know what to make of it.

Looking at it from where I'm sat, it's a harmless fun little figurine, silly.

But up close, you can see the fine line they were on when they made it.

 

And I totally agree on the story, but when you look at some of the things the Japanese put into Transformers, like the care bear-esque power of friendship and stuff, it still sucks but seems so much less unusual.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

:lol you're right about that....the writers seem to like the combination of friendship and GOTTA CATCHEM ALL....it sells LOTS.

 

And you're dead on with everything else you said.

If she came with the alt, I wouldn't care in the least. I like little anime hotties. But twice the price? She's not worth the extra, nor is extra crotch paint.

Spencer from the "Ages 3 and Up" online store has apparantly confirmed from Takara that Convoy will be die-cast.

Spencer from the "Ages 3 and Up" online store has apparantly confirmed from Takara that Convoy will be die-cast.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's great news (hopefully it's true).  Hopefully soon we'll see confirmatino that they will be shipping more BinalTech or BT* figures in general.  Mirage and Rumble have't been confirmed yet that I've seen...  It's enough to make me almost miss the good old days where they made two of everything (jazz, tracks, prowl) vs. none.

BTA Convoy to be Die-Cast!

 

This seems very credible to me. The explanation for the plastic one showing up in shows and the one being held by that Japanese chick were mock-ups using Alternators version but painted in the same scheme as Alternators. This may be the reason why it will take up to September before this is released. And if the news is very much true, we will be seeing more Binaltech in the future. They probably just going to repackage Convoy to fit into the KISS storyline.

 

This is the first good news (post-MP Starscream) from Takara I've heard. :D

you know, i was kind of hoping that BTA Convoy wouldn't have die-cast. i like the paint job better than that of the Alt but now the die-cast will make it fragile as hell.