Transformers: Masterpiece Is Making New Toys- Who Are The Anime-Exclusive Trainbots?
Transformers is largely an American franchise business, however it was born out of a partnership in between East and also West. That resulted in the original Generation One anime tackling a wildly various form in Japan after it ended in America. One facet of this was the anime series Transformers: The Headmasters, which concentrated on principles as well as characters just eyed in the West. It additionally had a bunch of exclusive personalities, consisting of the Trainbots.
A team of integrating Autobots that change right into trains, the Trainbots are rather unidentified amongst the Western fandom. They’re exceptionally prominent in Japan, resulting in them being the inaugural entry in the Transformers: Masterpiece G plaything line. Right here’s a look at who these mystical Autobots are, in addition to when fans can have them in die-cast form.
Who Are the Generation 1 Trainbots?
The Trainbots, likewise understood in the West as the Railbots, made their opening night in the toy line and also anime collection for Transformers: The Headmasters. This collection was the Japanese-exclusive substitute for the five-episode fourth season of the original Generation One anime, including a much different take on the Headmaster idea. Beyond the collection’ main quintet of Autobot Headmasters were other new characters, including the Trainbots. This six-member combiner team was the initial of its kind on the Autobot side, with the various other “Scramble City” combiners only having 5 members. Thus, Raiden’s Decepticon rival was none aside from the legendary Constructicon combiner Devastator.
The members of the Trainbots were their leader Shuki/Shouki, Getsuei, Yukikaze, Suiken, Seizan and also Kaen. They were all repaints of formerly launched toys in the non-Transformers plaything line Diaclone, as well as together, they formed the magnificent Raiden. Trains are a significant part of contemporary Japanese society, so it’s not a surprise that the team is rather prominent there.
Paradoxically, Raiden as well as the Trainbots were extremely rarely featured in The Headmasters, generally just turning up to eliminate off other Combiners. They additionally did not have a lot in way of characterization, being blank slates besides the somewhat brash nature of Shouki. Also some of the later anime didn’t bring them back, with their only real cameos remaining in American Transformers comic books. This is possibly why they’ve yet to see a launch beyond America, or even a re-release of their initial toys. Nonetheless, that absence of depiction is lastly ending thanks to the collector-oriented Transformers: Masterpiece toy line.
Transformers: Masterpiece Brings the Trainbots to International Fans
The Masterpiece plaything line is broadening with the new subseries of Transformers: Masterpiece G. The G represent “gattai,” which suggests “integrate” in Japanese. To lots of followers’ surprise, the very first member of this toy line wasn’t somebody well-known like Devastator, but rather Raiden. This isn’t without criterion, as one previous caveat in the Masterpiece line was the launch of the likewise Japanese-exclusive personality Star Saber. Considered that Masterpiece numbers are created by Hasbro, the Japanese side of Transformers’ plaything advancement, it makes good sense that another Japan-only character might heading this new series.
The Trainbots, which will certainly be able to combine right into Raiden, are all being launched separately as well as intermittently. This toy, which is set to release quickly, has actually currently won an award from the 2022 Japan Toy Awards for its engineering.
Hopefully, this enhanced direct exposure will certainly make the Combiner group a lot more prominent in America, seeing them become as ubiquitous as the Constructicons or other non-Combiner groups like the Dinobots and also the Insecticons. This could abrade on all the anime-exclusive Transformers, with Hasbro and Takara both placing them in new toy lines as well as shows while possibly reissuing their originals. The franchise business as a whole has been dipping into nostalgia more than ever, reviving personalities in plaything form that have greatly been ignored. Luckily for Japanese Transformers fans, Raiden currently counts among that number.
