Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueAutobots and Decepticons battle for control of the Mini-Cons, small Transformers that grant immense power to their masters. The fierce conflict rages on Earth, as both factions vie for domin... Tout lireAutobots and Decepticons battle for control of the Mini-Cons, small Transformers that grant immense power to their masters. The fierce conflict rages on Earth, as both factions vie for dominance.Autobots and Decepticons battle for control of the Mini-Cons, small Transformers that grant immense power to their masters. The fierce conflict rages on Earth, as both factions vie for dominance.
Avis à la une
If I'm being honest, first time I saw Armada I was ready to give up after the whole Star Saber arc. However, something incredible happened when Scavenger and Sideways were introduced and the show finally got its act together and got good. Granted there were still occasional animation and dub mistakes, but the animation in general was smoother. The Transformers themselves were given more focus and development, especially Hotshot (this continuity's mix of Hot Rod and Bumblebee) and Starscream, who isn't the backstabbing opportunist like he was in G1, but has a long character arc in this show which I'll touch on later. Also, new additions like Scavenger, Sideways, Smokescreen, Blurr, Jetfire, and Thrust were nice additions to the series since it gave the initial characters more to interact with, as well as having fun and colorful personalities on their own. The show also became more mature with Hotshot going through multiple betrayals throughout the show (Sideways, Wheeljack, and Starscream), and even get put in charge of the Autobots at one point. Starscream I especially like with this version initially quite loyal to Megatron, however he overhears a conversation where Megatron says that he'll put Starscream into a suicide mission. After hearing this, Starscream actually, genuinely defects to the Autobots. However, he gets convinced to join back into the Decepticons by Thrust who is conspiring with Sideways. But that's what I liked about this show, it had character with different allegiances as well as serialized storytelling that was handled very well and it's a shame that Armada started off on such a bad note, if the show started off this good, I think it would have been regarded much more fondly.
I also enjoyed Armada's takes on both Optimus and Megatron, while neither's past is explicitly said or shown like in G1 or Prime, you do get the sense through their dialogue (in the Armada dub at least) that not only do these characters have a history, but some form of respect for each other since Optimus and Megatron do have quite a bit of banter. I'll even say that for all the dub's faults, it does have it highlight with some funny dialogue (Megatron rescuing Optimus at one point and exclaims "I can't believe I've just saved Optimus Prime" in front of his troops made me chuckle) as well as the voce talents of Garry Chalk, David Kaye, Scott McNeil, and the late Kirby Morrow giving it their best.
Towards the show's end, the action shift to the planet Cybertron where the last episodes titled "The Unicron Battles" takes place. After Starscream's death where he convinces Megatron (now Galvatron) to join with Optimus's forces to defeat Unicron, a massive battle ensues in which Unicron is stopped and Optimus and Megatron have their final battle (at least in this show) and, this really surprised me when I first saw this, Optimus realizes the Unicron was right about his desire for war, and he actually feels unworthy to be the Autobot leader. I'll say that it's quite a gutsy move to have Optimus, the dad character of the Transformers, to admit to liking war and realizing that he's a flawed character. Granted, I wish this character arc was further realized in the later shows. But nonetheless, I appreciate Armada's attempt to change the character.
In all, while it's not as good as Beast Wars, Animated, or Prime nor does it have G1 or even some of Cybertron's charm, I overall really enjoyed Armada in spite of the litany of issues. What's sad is that if the show started after the first quarter, and of the animation and dub in the U. S was better handled earlier on, I don't think Armada would have this infamous reputation that it has in some circles. Armada was also a very well hyped show back in 2002 and it was meant to be the glorious return of Transformers back as Autobots and Decepticons, while the toys sold well the show was quickly forgotten as another dud series. There have been some fan remasters of Armada as well as some websites that have the Armada dub with the improved Micron Legend animation. That said, this year is the 20th anniversary of Armada and I would like to see an improved "special edition" version of the show with fixed dialog and animation. While many would argue to just watch the subbed version, I do like the vocal performances of Armada and with some fixes to the voice clips and having with the improved animation from Japan, this can easily be done. However, considering that Armada isn't considered to be one of the "good" Transformers shows in many circles, and it's not as famous as G1, Beast Wars, Animated, or Prime so I doubt this will ever happen.
You people say it's nothing like the original...well, it is! There's some returning charecters, and the plot is basically the same....attacking the Decepticons. What, is that too hard for you guys to follow?
Finally, it does not look like Scooby Doo. That's got to be the dumbest show I've ever seen, and Armada is one of the best. The voices are good, as well as the animation, and it's an awesome show. I reccomend it to anyone that likes Transformers, or even gundams or zoids!
Rock on, Transformers!
Transformers Armada is essentially like two different shows or seasons(and that is how it is so conveniently presented in the DVD release). The first "season" which comprises of episodes 1 to 26 is, in my humble opinion, a complete waste of time.
The story never had any build up and instead plodded along like some sickly hippopotamus. Its core concept of the minicons was a blatant rip-off of pokemon, a silly underhanded strategy just to get kids to buy more toys. None of the episodes ever came close to the writing level of the original or Beast Wars and Beast Machines; the stories are shallow and juvenile.
The animation too is a huge disappointment. Very stiff and with minimal character movements, there is an abundant usage of scrolling or repeating backgrounds, still shots of characters sliding across the screen, and dialog which involves only animating mouths while the rest of the screen remains absolutely still. The only well animated shots are the stock transformation and some combat footage that are repeated in nearly every other episode.
The human character designs are a step away from your typical anime designs of cutesy faces and large reflective eyes, sporting a more western cartoon look but with still some anime aesthetics thrown in. On the other hand, the designs for the robots are really mixed. Compared to the human-form designs in the original, the stylized organic designs of Beast Wars/Machines and the sleek edged ones in "Robots in Disguise", the designs here seem overly bulky and utterly clunky. Optimus Prime, Megatron and Starscream look great, but the rest of the cast range from looking weird(Demolishor, Red Alert) to just plain silly(Hot Shot).
Couple all those factors with yawn inducing monologues, overly frequent exposition, dull uninspired acting(though a few actors like Gary Chalk and David Kaye who play Optimus and Megatron respectively, make the most with what they are given) and a constant re-iteration of plot points(sometimes many times within a single episode) and you get one of the worst Transformers viewing experiences ever.
In The second season, especially from the introduction Wheeljack and anything after episode 30, the writers apparently got their act together and started writing proper Transformers stories. Character development is taken up a notch with the introduction of Starscream's reason for his wavering loyalty. It gives a lot more dimension to the character other than just wanting to usurp Megatron for his own selfish gains and actually allows us to care a lot more for this character. His character arc is possibly one of the more heart wrenching ones second only to Dinobot's in Beast Wars. We get some nice emotionally charged episodes from here on with "Past"(32), "Sacrifice"(33), "Crisis"(39) and "Cramp"(48) as some really shining examples.
The voice acting too improves dramatically, though the script changed little. The actors have finally settled into their roles and the level of emotional range slowly returns to that same high quality last seen in Beast Machines.
The plots involving collecting minicons take a backstage to a greater sweeping epic involving a returning villain last seen in the 1986 Transformers movie. Gone are the juvenile story lines and themes, replaced with more mature themes like the conflict of purpose, philosophy of war, honor and many others that are more commonly seen in shows targeting a young adult demographic and not for children. This new, more mature style of storytelling, with its emotionally charged moments and more intense dialog are accentuated with a greatly improved quality of animation. There are still some inconsistencies and the painfully drawn out monologues are still present, but thankfully they are few and far in between.
To make an overall fair assessment of Transformers Armada, I would give season 2 a 9/10 for its excellent build up to the climax, emotional character development and vast improvement over the course of the series. However, season one would only merit a 2/10 from me for its horrible scripting, bland animation and unprofessional writing.
Together, Transformers Armada comes to 5.5/10. round it up to 6. The improvements later in the show came a little too late. By that time, Transformers Armada had already alienated many viewers and enraged the fanbase.
Personally i recommend just watching the first two episodes of season 1 and then skipping to the second season DVD set.
Le saviez-vous
- AnecdotesThis series marks the first time that the character of Unicron received a toy, and it soon became one of the most famous and popular figures in the entirety of the Transformers franchise. Unicron first appeared in La Guerre des robots: Transformers (1986), and although Hasbro originally wanted to make a toy out of him, the designs fell through. He remained toyless until the release of this series, 16 years later.
- GaffesIn the early episodes, Hot Shot is sometimes called Hot Rod. Later when Tidal Wave appears, he is sometimes called Shockwave. Mixing up the character's English and Japanese names was a fairly common mistake in the dub. Even Optimus Prime himself was occasionally referred to by his Japanese name, Convoy, and at one point even Optimus himself mistakenly used that name. Overload is also called by both his English and his Japanese name (Ultra Magnus) at different points.
- Citations
Galvatron: I hope you realize you're playing a very dangerous game, Starscream.
Starscream: I've made my choice, Galvatron. There's only one path to survive Unicron, and that's to follow Optiumus.
Galvatron: Why you...
Optimus Prime: Stay out of this, Starscream. This is between Galvatron and me. Now just back away!
Starscream: I don't mean any disrespect, Optimus, but I'm not going anywhere.
Galvatron: You'll understand you'll pay for this. No one defies my command and gets away with it.
Starscream: Sorry. I don't work for you anymore. I've made up my mind to bring this to an end. And once all is said and done, Unicron will be destroyed and the universe will be at peace.
Galvatron: May I suggest that you have LOST your mind? I'll destroy you!
Starscream: Come and get a taste of my blade, Galvatron!
- ConnexionsAlternate-language version of Chô robot seimeitai Transformer: Micron densetsu (2003)
Meilleurs choix
- How many seasons does Transformers: Armada have?Alimenté par Alexa
Détails
- Durée30 minutes
- Couleur