New Transformers TV Series Debuting in 2015 - First Look at Bumblebee

Sabrblade wrote:I've never been sick of Bee in the fiction. Only in the toy aisles. So this is a positive in my book.

Jones wrote:Bee is a great character, always has been. But with him as the leader, I am unconvinced.

Two quotes come to mind (oddly, both connected to Ultra Magnus, but still . . . )

1: "I'm just a soldier. I'm not worthy."

and

2: "You are no Optimus Prime."

Sabrblade wrote:

Jones wrote:Bee is a great character, always has been. But with him as the leader, I am unconvinced.

Two quotes come to mind (oddly, both connected to Ultra Magnus, but still . . . )

1: "I'm just a soldier. I'm not worthy."

and

2: "You are no Optimus Prime."

That's the best part! He's not Optimus, nor does he see himself as worthy. It's been too long since we've gotten a young, inexperienced (in a leadership role), humble leader in these shows, with the last one being Animated Optimus from six years ago.

Bubbah wrote:Secondly, as for the show... While I'm curious about it, and like the idea of a rookie taking over as leadership (in fact love the idea), I feel like they're missing a big chance and not going with Smokescreen, since Prime set that up perfectly. Bumblebee seems forced (although fully expected), if this is a true sequel.

Sabrblade wrote:

Bubbah wrote:Secondly, as for the show... While I'm curious about it, and like the idea of a rookie taking over as leadership (in fact love the idea), I feel like they're missing a big chance and not going with Smokescreen, since Prime set that up perfectly. Bumblebee seems forced (although fully expected), if this is a true sequel.

Ah, but that's the thing. Smokescreen would have been the predictable choice, yet they took a more original route instead. After all, Predacons Rising had Smokescreen recognize Bumblebee as more fitting for a leadership role than he was, despite having almost been a Prime. That showed how far Smokescreen had matured since his grumbling over not taking the chance to earn the Matrix.

And, who knows, maybe Bee isn't the leader of every Autobot, but only of his team. Smokescreen and the rest of Team Prime could all possibly be leaders of their own respective units instead of there being a single overall leader overseeing everyone. After all, Optimus said that the Age of Primes had come to an end, with no more Primes to lead over everyone possibly setting up an order of multiple bots in seats of authority, rather than just Bumblebee.

Sabrblade wrote:

Bubbah wrote:Secondly, as for the show... While I'm curious about it, and like the idea of a rookie taking over as leadership (in fact love the idea), I feel like they're missing a big chance and not going with Smokescreen, since Prime set that up perfectly. Bumblebee seems forced (although fully expected), if this is a true sequel.

Ah, but that's the thing. Smokescreen would have been the predictable choice, yet they took a more original route instead. After all, Predacons Rising had Smokescreen recognize Bumblebee as more fitting for a leadership role than he was, despite having almost been a Prime. That showed how far Smokescreen had matured since his grumbling over not taking the chance to earn the Matrix.

And, who knows, maybe Bee isn't the leader of every Autobot, but only of his team. Smokescreen and the rest of Team Prime could all possibly be leaders of their own respective units instead of there being a single overall leader overseeing everyone. After all, Optimus said that the Age of Primes had come to an end, with no more Primes to lead over everyone possibly setting up an order of multiple bots in seats of authority, rather than just Bumblebee.

durroth wrote:... so is this ACTUALLY bumblebee, or an ILLUSTRATION of bumblebee? I.e. is he going to be cell shaded like this suggests, or is this just a drawing of what the final render might roughly look like?

Darth Jumpy wrote:The only thing that has me worried about this is that it says it is going to be a more comedic series. While I do enjoy silly takes on Transformers, the Prime people thought that Miko was good comic relief.

Sabrblade wrote:I don't get the comparisons to Animated every time we get something that looks like a more traditionally cartoony style instead of a realistic one.

Animated has a very specific, very distinctive style that anything resembling it would only be other cartoons designed by Derrick J. Wyatt or things specifically intending to emulate his style.

Based on that Bumblebee art alone, this just looks like the typical, nonspecific cartoon style used by the 2D cartoons of today.

Fires_Of_Inferno wrote:EEeeeeuuuuuggggggghhhhhh...

That looks horrible. I skipped Animated for toys entirely, I pretty much ignored the series until it was over and decided to watch it (thankfully it was short). I was kinda hoping that the new series was going to look like Prime but kinda play out like Animated (the overall story in Animated, not the individual stories). It's looking like it's going to play out like Prime and look like Animated, which I think is the worst thing they could try. I'll still check it out because I can always be wrong, but sadly I'm going into this with a tainted viewpoint.

At least it isn't more japanimation.

kirbenvost wrote:ike most everyone else I suffer from Bumblebee fatigue but maybe this can change his recent characterization for the better.

Windsweeper wrote:Rescue Bots suffered from the same problem, to me at least, as Animated. Great Transformers characterisations but childish situations/ human villains.

Sabrblade wrote:

Fires_Of_Inferno wrote:EEeeeeuuuuuggggggghhhhhh...

That looks horrible. I skipped Animated for toys entirely, I pretty much ignored the series until it was over and decided to watch it (thankfully it was short). I was kinda hoping that the new series was going to look like Prime but kinda play out like Animated (the overall story in Animated, not the individual stories). It's looking like it's going to play out like Prime and look like Animated, which I think is the worst thing they could try. I'll still check it out because I can always be wrong, but sadly I'm going into this with a tainted viewpoint.

At least it isn't more japanimation.

This doesn't look anything like Animated, this looks like Prime drawn in the generic style of the 2D action cartoons of today.

Sabrblade wrote:

kirbenvost wrote:ike most everyone else I suffer from Bumblebee fatigue but maybe this can change his recent characterization for the better.

Doesn't that mostly stem from the overabundance of his toys rather than his fictional appearances? I mean, he was pretty downplayed for the most part in Prime and was only a three-episode guest star in Rescue Bots. So his being important here is kind of a new thing, cartoon-wise.

Windsweeper wrote:Rescue Bots suffered from the same problem, to me at least, as Animated. Great Transformers characterisations but childish situations/ human villains.

OptimusPrimeval wrote:

Windsweeper wrote:Rescue Bots suffered from the same problem, to me at least, as Animated. Great Transformers characterisations but childish situations/ human villains.

I would gladly take ten Nanosecs or Mastersons over one Raf! Human villains are much better than human protagonists, and human protagonists are only good when they turn out to be transformers! But it would be nice to have a series with no humans in it.