well, the production was "overseeen" in Japan because that is where it was produced. It wasn't produced here. Secondly, as I mentioned before, the whole thing was based upon a Japanese toy line brought over to the US. Third, Takara was just as heavily involved as Hasbro was, and the show aired in Japan as well as the US. It was meant for both markets.

So it was written in Japan? The animation was keyed to Japanese voice actors? It was dubbed into English? I'd be interested to know what you would say about "Rebirth" as well.

well, the production was "overseeen" in Japan because that is where it was produced. It wasn't produced here. Secondly, as I mentioned before, the whole thing was based upon a Japanese toy line brought over to the US. Third, Takara was just as heavily involved as Hasbro was, and the show aired in Japan as well as the US. It was meant for both markets.

 

I don't think "based on" is the proper phrase to use when talking about the Transformers property as compared to its Diaclone/Microman ancestors. Hasbro didn't adapt those stories, they completely discarded them and invented their own independant concept.

 

It's kind of like saying that "Flags of our Fathers" is based on "Saving Private Ryan" just because they both star guys in period accurate military uniforms.

Much like how English has altered the meaning of the word "manga" to refer to comic books and animation from Japan (as is defined in the Macquarie English Dictionary's entry for 'manga').

 

Yes I would also attribute this reason because US Manga Corps was one of the first big distributors of anime in the US.

I've allways thought of "Anime" (in english) as a style. Not an origin. That stuff in kill bill was "anime" in style even though it was written/directed by Quentin Tarantino. (I don't know who animated it)

 

Watch a 1st-3rd season episode, and then watch a Headmaster episode. Two screenshots may look alike but in motion the style is completely different.

Kill Bill uses classic "Martial Arts" movie style, though a "bit" more bloody. anime isn't really a "style" because that varies from artist to artist ansd show to show and runs the gamut from really stylized and cartoony (chibis and such) to super realistic. There isn't any one style Both Dragonball Z and Megazone 23 Part 2 are Anime, yet there artistic styles are completely different. DBZ is very cartoony, Megazone 23 Pt2 has very realistic style characters and imaging.

 

well, the production was "overseeen" in Japan because that is where it was produced. It wasn't produced here. Secondly, as I mentioned before, the whole thing was based upon a Japanese toy line brought over to the US. Third, Takara was just as heavily involved as Hasbro was, and the show aired in Japan as well as the US. It was meant for both markets.

So it was written in Japan? The animation was keyed to Japanese voice actors? It was dubbed into English? I'd be interested to know what you would say about "Rebirth" as well.

What would you say about Rebirth? As for the cartoon, if memory serves, the first three seasons were produced for world wide distribution simultaniously, including for Japan. This means that it wasn't specifically keyed for any partucular language, but for multiple languages. Another good example of that is Macross Plus which was produced for both the US and Japan and the dubbing was also done simultaniously in both languages. From what I understand, Sunbow was in charge of the US production and distribution of the show, while Toei handled Japanese production and distribution on top of the actual animation.

 

well, the production was "overseeen" in Japan because that is where it was produced. It wasn't produced here. Secondly, as I mentioned before, the whole thing was based upon a Japanese toy line brought over to the US. Third, Takara was just as heavily involved as Hasbro was, and the show aired in Japan as well as the US. It was meant for both markets.

 

I don't think "based on" is the proper phrase to use when talking about the Transformers property as compared to its Diaclone/Microman ancestors. Hasbro didn't adapt those stories, they completely discarded them and invented their own independant concept.

 

It's kind of like saying that "Flags of our Fathers" is based on "Saving Private Ryan" just because they both star guys in period accurate military uniforms.

"based on" is definately the proper phrase. While they didn't use the same story line, nearly all of the original models came directly from the Japanese Diaclone and Microman lines. All of the first Transformers started as Japanese toys. As for your analogy, that doesn't really work since they are not only completely separate events and characters, but both of those movies are based on World War II. Neither is based off of the other nor is one spawned from the other. Transformers was directly spawned from Diaclone and Microman. Thus it is directly based upon those two toy lines.

"based on" is definately the proper phrase. While they didn't use the same story line, nearly all of the original models came directly from the Japanese Diaclone and Microman lines. All of the first Transformers started as Japanese toys. As for your analogy, that doesn't really work since they are not only completely separate events and characters, but both of those movies are based on World War II. Neither is based off of the other nor is one spawned from the other. Transformers was directly spawned from Diaclone and Microman. Thus it is directly based upon those two toy lines.

 

But, just like FOOF and SPR, Diaclone/Microman and Transformers depict completely separate events and characters, despite them being based around the same action figures molds.

 

The toys are WWII and the different canons are FOOF and SPR.

"based on" is definately the proper phrase. While they didn't use the same story line, nearly all of the original models came directly from the Japanese Diaclone and Microman lines. All of the first Transformers started as Japanese toys. As for your analogy, that doesn't really work since they are not only completely separate events and characters, but both of those movies are based on World War II. Neither is based off of the other nor is one spawned from the other. Transformers was directly spawned from Diaclone and Microman. Thus it is directly based upon those two toy lines.

 

But, just like FOOF and SPR, Diaclone/Microman and Transformers depict completely separate events and characters, despite them being based around the same action figures molds.

 

The toys are WWII and the different canons are FOOF and SPR.

Wrong. The toys didn't spawn both Diaclone and TF. Dicalone became Transformers. After concept of the Transformers was spawned, Takara abandoned the Diaclone concept entirely and worked with Hasbro on the development of the Transformers. It was a joint venture. one was a direct result of the other. Flags of Our Fathers was not a direct result of Saving Private Ryan. There is no comparison.

If you say so.

To my mind, a show is anime if it's a Japanese show.

 

I concur.

 

:pfx

 

G1 is NOT anime.

 

Anime IS a style. Take any animation that is made in the US or Canada and compare. It's a style all on it's own as compared to western animation. Yes, there are different variations to the style (adult/chibi) but ut's a style none the less and wholely different from western animation.

 

Not really, anime is not a style, its not even a genre, is simply cartoons in general in Japan. And there is plenty of Japanese anime thats looks exactly like western animation and vice versa. There is no one quality to can point to that links all anime together other then the fact that it originates in Japan. And like it or not Transformers was animated in Japan, which makes it anime regardless of how it looks.

Gee, what a surprise -- this is turning into another Tramp Versus The World thread. :roll

 

*sigh*

 

:wave

The script was written in English and the animation was keyed for English. Just go watch any interview with a G1 voice actor as well as the Wally Burr DVD interview - all talk about how G1 was pre-lay animation, where the animation was done after they recorded their voices - as opposed to ADR (dubbing) where the animation is done first. If you actually pay attention to the lip animation you can very clearly see that it is animated to the English language script, particularly with More Than Meets The Eye. One scene where this is quite noticeable is when the Decepticons attack Sherman Dam and Megatron says, "I am Megatron, leader of the Decepticons..." when he then says, "You will do exactly as I say." the lip syncing is absolutely perfectly spot on to the level that it would easily rival Disney's lip animation.

 

As for the animation style, I would still consider it to be animé.

 

Just compare the animation in Transformer to that of The Challenge of the Gobots. Can you tell which one was animated in Japan and which was animated in the US?

 

 

 

This animation style and quality in G1 wasn't all that different from a lot of others 80s animé - the style does differ in places, but remember that it is based on an American written script which would have demanded a different style of visual narrative compared to those written in Japan.