Transformers: Armada (2002–2003) User Reviews

C'mon it wasn't that bad

[mechg2994 · 8/10 · 22 December 2007]

In my opinion I didn't think Transformers: Armada wasn't that bad. I thought it was good. This was the first Transformers series I watched and I literally grew up with it. To me Transformers: Armada was sometimes emotional, heart pounding, and dramatic. I really like this show so much that I wanted to buy the DVD.

So to all haters out there at least give this a chance for goodness sake. I think this was the best series c'mon at least they brought back some G1 characters.

If you hate what I wrote then fine but watch Transformers: Armada give it a try. I gave it try when I first watched it.

Starts off weak. However, good characters and writing improve the show drastically even with some issues along the way.

[JaAmPoWeR · 8/10 · 23 May 2022]

While I didn't see Armada when it came out in 2002, I am aware that this show has a very divisive reputation among not only Transformers fans, but in general. After doing a bit of research it seems that Cartoon Network wanted this show ASAP and for it to air six months ahead of the Japanese version called Micron Legend. When we got the animation in the United States, it was still incomplete and several miscolorings are still present. The dub was also rushed with the translation sometimes having character call each-other the wrong names. I'll be honest in that the first time I saw the show, I didn't notice most of these issues aside from episodes such as "Decisive Battle" which look like it was done on someone's lunch break. That said, the animation early on is mostly poor even without the animation errors. The movement is unnatural, and the characters look blocky. One aspect that complain regarding this show is the human kids and while I get why many would find them annoying, I didn't mind them that much. I will say that the show focuses on them a lot in the earlier episodes, and they are quite bland personality wise, but as the show focuses more and more on the Transformers the human kids become more background characters. If anything, I thought that they weren't that well developed aside from Alexis. One time I was watching Armada and I realized that It's not until the show's end that we finally see Rad's parents and get some idea of what his home life is like and what he's really like as a person. I also thought that there were too many kid characters, when the show started it was just Rad, Carlos, and Alexis. But, by the shows end two other characters, Billy and Fred, start becoming regulars and they added nothing to the rest of the show. Really the biggest issue with Armada in its early run was that it felt as if the stories "we have to find the Minicon" every week and it became very repetitive. Not to mention that the show would try to have some sort of character growth like Hotshot learning to get along with Red Alert and the Autobots saving a forest from a fire and acting like Captain Planet.

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.

A mixed show with mixed result

[xamtaro · 6/10 · 8 August 2009]

I would compare Transformers Armada to one of the most painfully boring up-hill theme park rides in the world. However, as it crawls its way past its halfway mark, things start looking up. The show finally finds its footing and picks up pace with a steady increase in quality in all aspects, until it plows its way headlong into an epic and satisfying climax.

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.

Totally underrated

[The095 · 10/10 · 3 June 2012]

I was shocked to see how bad reviews this got. I thought that this show was amazing! It was the favorite cartoon show that i watched when i was younger. It had an intriguing story. The last episodes when their in space were epic. It had scenes that almost made me cry when i was younger. I just recently re watched it and it was still amazing. And i get why some people hate it; The voice acting is kinda cheesy and the sound effects really weren't there. But overall the story is one of the best, and it's my favorite transformers cartoon show (untill i finish watching G1) You can argue that this doesn't deserve 10/10, but i find this show excellent and fun.

It's not that bad!

[romel42 · 21 October 2002]

I saw the transformers armada show that was shown on toonami and i have to say it isn't that bad! We got to realize that the original is always going to be the best nothing can beat it! I know that transformers armada is not what i expected it to be sure they had mistakes in the show so there were mistakes in Generation 1 Transformers. The stories for transformers was always the same the autobots versus the decepticons it is sad that now these other New Generation Transformers are not as good as the original, but hey it was all mean for a kids audience. So what you expect for armada a kiddy like story what they really need to do on toonami is show some of those awesome japanese transformers shows over here. Transformers masterforce is pretty nice from what i seen and also transformers victory and transformers zone! I am sure these transformers wouldn't disappoint transformers fans out there so don't be so hard on armada we should give it a chance at least it's not as stupid and corny as Transformers Robots in Disguise.

Love it or hate

[Terryfan · 7/10 · 19 April 2015]

As a long time fan of Transformers it was good to see another series release along with a new line of Action Figures. The Transformers Armada Toys came with the mini cons that would unlock new features like new weapons or extra modes.

The show itself however is still a mix for me and I love Transformers but this show is again a mess and hit for me.

Armada is the first in the trilogy known as Transformers The Unicron Trilogy

The story line for Transformers Armada is that the evil Decepticons lead by Megatron are on a quest to collect the new Transformers known as Mini-Cons but it is up to the Autobots lead by Optimus Prime to stop the Decepticons before they can collect the Mini-cons to rule the Universe.

The series feature an interesting story line which is enough to hold your attention.

But what hurts the series is the human kids that the Autobots have for allies and friends are annoying and more or less useless I mean these characters all they do is whine, cry and belly ache. They just serve no meaning to the series as soon as a Decepticon appears they start to run and scream like little rats I mean they are just awful characters.

The Transformers themselves are what save the series because they are at least interesting ones like Starscream who is like an anti- hero in the series.

If there is another good thing that came out of the series was the video game called Transformers which was release in 2004 and it is still a awesome game.

Back to the series it does feature some talented voice actors like David Kaye and Garry Chalk who voiced in Beast Wars returning to the Transformers and it feels great to hear them together again. Also Michael Dobson does a superb job as Starscream as you can actually feel emotion from the performance of Starscream.

The theme song simple be awesome the guitar work in the song is what makes Transformers Armada interesting as well as talented music in the series with some music serving meaning to the plot of the episodes.

Overall Transformers Armada some love it some just have mix emotions about it if you're a fan of Transformers then check it out

Best series of all Transformers

[piani86 · 10/10 · 19 September 2007]

This is the best of the series of transformers that are out. it has its own story, giving a plot line involving the new breed of Minicons, and gives all of what you would want to have from Transformers: the endless fight between the Decepticons and Autobots, with a series of revelations and surprises on the plot line, which reintroduces the character of Unicron.

The plot line starts with the Minicon escaping from Cybetron, to avoid being captured by the Decepticon or Autobots who uses them to empower themselves in the battle, and land on Earth. After a long search, the advanguards of the two factions reach on earth, having a first encounter with 3 kids, who will aid the Autobots in their fight with the evil Decepticons in a journety to the coquest of all the minicons.

If u wan a good series to begin with transformers, this surely will be the best choice.

I don't get the praise

[digitaldimensiongamin · 6/10 · 2 August 2018]

It's not that special tbh. It's pretty slow at first with a plot that's not interesting at all. Pretty good fight scenes and voice acting and pretty emotional moments but besides that nothing special. The show gets increasingly boring at moments and unwatchable. If not boring just slow. If your willing to be patient with it it's a worthy watch but if not it's a waste of time

This Is MY Transformers!

[rtlloyd98 · 10/10 · 22 February 2014]

I've been bred Transformers since a very young age, even though being born 14 years after More Than Meets The Eyes (Part 1). I love them, but there's one thing they'll never be. My first Transformers. That title goes to Armada.

One thing that made this series for me was not the Autobots vs the Decepticons, which is ever present, but the Unicron story arc. The themes and character development in this series is also awesome. In this series, there was a sense EVERYTHING was connected, from meeting Rad, to Prime dying, to the death of Unicron. This is better than G1, where it was "The Matrix", the n "The Plasma Energy Key."

Another thing is the character development. My favourite was Hot Shot, turning from immature brat into a leader. This is key, and a success in some ways, as he proved he can match Galvatron when he raided the Decepticon base, after losing the Star Saber all the way back in series 1.

Another brilliant character is Sideways. There was always a sense "something's not quite right" about Sideways at the very start, his facial features were much more intimidating than any other bot. It always seemed darker when he was around.

Starscream was interesting also, as he was so different to G1 Starscream, yet relatable. Instead of greed, this Starscream was driven by pride, craving praise and honour from his leader. He, in many ways, is shown to be the most brave and honourable, giving his own life to reveal the threat of Unicron and unite the forces of Cybertron.

Themes are also something that intrigues me in this series. The first theme is fate. There was also a sense of a greater force dictating, manipulating. Sideways playing the Snake, forcing Thrust (Eve) to convince Megatron (Adam) to take the Minicons (the Apple). Also, the Rad and High Wire arc portray fate, showing a greater good was always beating the evil and making sure Unicron was already beaten at the start.

This leads onto free will, the human nature of the Minicons. Without the personality of Rad driving High Wire out of slavery, giving him the freedom to chose, evil would concur. The way Autobots understand this, and are willing to defend it, earns the respect of the Autobots as we see Prime taking the full fire power of Megatron and the Hydra-Canon in a later episode to keep free-will.

All round, it is a great series and definitely up with G1 and puts shame onto Energon and Cybertron, proving a straight forward, simple, story arc can be as effective. It will forever be my favourite, my Transformers.

Transformers Rest In Pieces

[theevilartist1 · 1/10 · 10 February 2007]

By the time I was born Transformers G1 was already almost to a close and the movie had come out just a couple of years previous. Needless to say I was born a little too late to catch Tranformers at the height of their hay day. Those born around the same time as me grew up primarily with Beast Wars and reruns of G1 which by that time had gone into syndication. Heck I even enjoyed Beast Machines to some extent. Sure it wasn't what its predecessor was but hell I enjoyed it more than this crap. Plus the toys were great fun! The main story follows three kids who somehow stumble upon an artifact that activates a small robot later to be revealed as a mini-con. This sends out a beam that summons the Autobots and their long time enemies the Decepticons to earth. By the time this show came out I was already a teenager and had long since pushed Transformers to the back of my memory. Then one day I turn on Fox/Kids, now spiraling into mediocrity, and saw Robots in Disguise. I was a fan of anime and I thought since when did this start being animated by the Japanese? I watched maybe one episode and was sickened to my stomach.

I thought okay maybe this is just a one time thing. I was wrong. Shortly after that ended Armada started coming on Toonami. I liked Toonami a lot back then only to once again discover another Transformers Anime series. From that day forth I vowed to never watch another Transformers episode again post Beast Machines. Once again this includes some annoying kids. Why the heck are they around don't they know its taking away from their toy sales? Plus they added in the concept of the mini-con. As it is now common practice to add the elements of collecting things and battling them in children's anime this is no different. Okay so why do I care if the Decepticons get the mini-cons why do I care if any of the Autobots die? Believe me you have no reason to care about any of these things. The animation quality is commonly found in the lesser anime like Pokemon and Yugi-Oh and what do ya know this show is pretty much like Pokemon with robots. Those kids I just kept wishing the Autobots or Decepticons would step on them cause I hated them so much! Every episode centers around them and their problems that just happen to involve robots. The Autobots serve more as devices to help them through their lives by teaching them things about themselves that they had deep within them. What does this mean? Boooooorrrriiiiiiiinnnnnnnng! They were supposed to be helping the Autobots instead of the Autobots helping them. It should have been all about the Autobot's conflict on earth and they just so happened to have humans helping in their fight.

No instead all conflicts are mostly resolved by those damn kids. The writing was terrible, the animation was terrible, and by anime standards this is just awful. If you are a true Transformers fan then stay away from this like the plague. I know some people don't like Beast Machines but come on folks it had way more merit than this.

You can live a life of autobot

[hridayhrt141 · 10/10 · 11 August 2018]

The Amazing series close to my heart Optimus prime Hot shot and red alert are really having a special place in my heart.

Good effort but LOUSY animation

[endru117 · 5/10 · 27 December 2006]

Transformers: Armada. Known in Japan as Transformers Micron Legend, this is one example of a good series ruined by country transfer.

Armada started out as a co-production between the US and Japanese toy firms. Armada was rushed out of production due to an unreasonable schedule by Cartoon Network (where I guess everyone watched this from). As such, Micron Legend (Armada's Japanese counterpart) was held back and released later, so it contains all the perfected animation and dialogue which so annoyed Armada viewers.

SO, if you want to watch this (as I do), I recommend trying to get your hands on the Micron Legend DVD instead. (make sure you find one with good subtitling)

Under-rated (possible spoilers)

[scott_ae2 · 20 July 2003]

I feel this series is getting a bad rep. It really is not that bad. The artwork is done well, the animation might not be top notch, but- hey- give these guys a break. Nobody's perfect. The voice acting is not bad either. I am almost positive the original voice actors were not only unavailable, but their voices probably changed. This WAS 1984 when they last did this (or whatever, I cant remember when the last show was). In any case, this show exceeds the 1984 predecessor in many areas, including artwork, coloring, and i kind of like the idea of a constant, ongoing search for a lost race of robots rather than just a bunch of decipticon shenanigans looking for "energon"; has more of a serial effect. Both of these series have their ups and downs (i must admit, the kids are a little harder to swallow than Sparkplug and Spike) and i consider them equally good. Transformers: Armada might not be the best thing in the world, but neither was the G1 cartoon. Appearently, G1 transformers had size compensators built in to their systems. In robot form, Soundwave towers over humans, but in cassette player form manages to fit neatly in the palm of any unsuspecting person. Megatron and Starscream stand about shoulder to shoulder in robot form, but also fits in the palm of anyone nearby (if I am correct, I believe I saw an episode where a human used Megatron in pistol form, correct me if I am wrong). And just where does Prime's trailer go when he transforms? I am just saying that all things should be considered before any hasty opinions should be ade.

I'd rather watch the Star TV Dubs of Headmasters

[MikeM1984 · 3/10 · 6 February 2020]

...Because honestly they are almost as bad, but in a more "so-bad-it's-entertaining-and-meme-able-way".

In the end the difference between this and Headmasters is that while Headmasters was voice-over by like three people they dragged off the street, this has professional talent.

I grew up on G1, but I am not a purist. In fact, I regard Beast Wars (and the subsequent Beast Machines) as the two best shows the franchise has produced. Many do not like Beast Machines, but I appreciate the darkness, depth and improved animation. I think RiD is charming, and the dubbing on that show is far, far more competent. One thing to remember is unlike RiD and Cybertron, this show was very, very rushed, and it shows. They get character names wrong a lot. A lot, a lot. In Jetfire's first appearance, for example, he is called Thrust, the name of a Decepticon in the show. Many lines appear cut together. The dialogue frequently does not flow - instead jumping from one line to another - making minimal sense.

The show is also a complete slog, much like Headmasters. It uses cut scenes with stock animation instead of actual action. Decepticons show up, the two factions talk back and forth, and then somebody goes to supermode and the Decepticons run away (despite being capable of the same).

While G1 was also "for kids" the 80s were a different time when network censors didn't tone down the violence to ridiculous degrees. This continued into the 90s, and even some shows in the 90s and post-2000s, but then there are shows like this which are allegedly about a "war" but without any actual "war" in them. I think child audiences are a lot more savvy and critical than often given credit for, and when given the choice between this, and more smartly done animated programs like Batman TAS and X-Men TAS they will always choose the latter. Remember Star Trek and Star Wars has a thriving toy line too, and neither of those shows or movies are made (specifically) for children.

One of the worst series of the Transformers franchise

[TheLittleSongbird · 3/10 · 24 September 2013]

The original 1984 is still the best Tranformers series, however that is not to say at all that it is the only good Transformers show, because it isn't. Beast Wars was the best since, and at its best it was outstanding, Prime was an interesting and very well-done show, Animated is not without problems but was entertaining and Rescue Bots while not a "true" incarnation was a good introduction to the franchise for children without feeling too dumbed down. Beast Machines however was disappointing, as were from memory Energon and Cyberton. Armada was a real disappointment for this viewer, and there isn't much to add. The character designs for the robots were pretty decent and Garry Chalk and David Kaye bring dignity to what they have. The rest of the animation is very poor, it all looks very rushed and scrappy and everything just looks flat colour-wise. The music veers on monotonous and is not very memorable, and Armada suffers also from dialogue that is both juvenile and stilted and story-lines that are rather unexciting and poorly-developed. It further suffers from too much talk, not enough action and too many humans, not enough of the robots. And unfortunately the action is too few and is just dull and the less said about some of the dialogue the better, while the humans are very annoying(Armada probably has the most annoying humans of any Transformers show) and the robots are severely under-written and personality-less. Of the voice acting only Chalk and Kaye acquit themselves decently, the rest are a mix of obnoxious and disengaged. Overall, very disappointing and one of the worst Transformers series. 3/10 Bethany Cox

Armada rocks!

[Hot_Shot · 27 January 2003]

Listen, Transformers Armada is actually interesting! Those old Transformers shows were like, way too hard to follow, and could get confusing! But Armada is definetly, by far, the best show yet!

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!

Decent, but not that great.

[DNukem170 · 31 October 2003]

Transformers: Armada had all the makings for one of the best versions of Transformers since G1. Unfortunately, Beast Wars still holds that torch (Though BW was still good).

First off, the animation is very clunky and not very good. I've seen episodes of the original Dexter's Laboratory that has better animation! The character designs, for the most part, are way too bulky (specifically Optimus, Megatron, and Starscream) and are not pleasing to the eye.

The plot itself is mind-numbingly stupid. Evidentally a race of miniature robots called Mini-Cons have been re-awakened on Earth, and now the Autobots and Decepticons are fighting for supremecy. Not only are the Mini-Cons crappy in the first place, they do not have any personalities whatsoever! They're just mindless drones except when the plot calls for it.

Even though this is the same cast that has been doing Transformers since Beast Wars, the VAs seem very uncomfortable. The acting is just cheesy and you don't feel for any of the characters, especially HotShot.

Though the upcoming Unicron battles are really quite good, it's just not enough to catapult this series above Beast Wars. Tanaka, the creator of Transformers, seems focused on selling to kiddies instead of making the actual product good. They need to hire a good director (such as the director of G Gundam) to take a new spin on the series.

I like it!

[Wmill22069 · 9 January 2005]

This is one of the best Animes out there, I can't understand why everyone hates it so! I have seen episodes from Generation 1,Armada, and Energon, and Armada is the best one, then Energon, then G1. I think that everyone should watch the Transformers, boys and girls! While there are no female Transformers in this series, there is a Female human as a main character, so girl will enjoy this! Ya see, I'm a girl, and I have been intrigued ever since I saw this show! My cousins know I love Transformers, and they got me a Transformers Birthday card, and I still keep it in my room! Watch this show, you'll love it! 8/10 Definitely! You need to watch it, or you'll miss out on something totally cool! Well, Ja-Ne! Oh by the way, I'm not Japanese, but I like to say Ja-Ne because it's something different and just plain sounds cool!

It's Not That Bad

[blackarachnia2 · 24 March 2003]

From what I've seen so far of Transformers: Armada, it's not a bad cartoon. Of course it will never be the G1 series but it's doesn't quite have the same theme to it as the other Transformers series did but I can say that it's good series. I only wish that some of the original cast members could have been asked to do the series again but sometimes it's not possible because a lot of them have since passed away. Not too bad a show when you consider some of the things that were wrong with it.

Bad

[paulo20 · 21 September 2002]

The new designs are pretty good, especially Optimus Prime's updated design and, overall, the actual look and art design seems better than that of the original cartoon. Problem is, there's very little action and every excuse possible to show as little animation as possible is fully exploited. Also, the annoying kids are shown more than the robots and the dialogue is as bad as in that other cartoon (the one shown on Fox Kids). Yeah, this show is for kids but so was the G1 cartoon and that one didn't talk down to its audience.

Oh ye of little faith...(possible spoiler)

[charlie_lockehart · 24 December 2002]

Why is it that most everyone is quick to the trigger to flame Armada? Of the comments I was reading, they all occured during the very early episodes. Now, while this series isn't comparable to the first few seasons of G1, it still has potential to become a great series, despite its obvious flaws (animation, the kids).

I've seen the Japanese series that should've happened rather than "Rebirth" and most of the other Beast series. I'm talking about Headmasters, Masterforce, Victory, Beast Wars, etc. All of them that I've seen, and I'm sure the others which I haven't as well, all follow a similar pattern. For at least the first 11-14 episodes, the series aren't all that great. But right around the aformentioned range, the series starts to pick up. Armada is also showing to follow this pattern, starting with Episode 13 "Swoop". It is also showing signs of fitting nicely into the Transformers Universe.

Finally, to all of you who are flaming Armada up and down, give it a shot. The series hasn't even BEGUN, yet a lot of you hate it already. If you're going to flame Armada before you even see the whole thing, stop watching TV. Meanwhile, the rest of us are going to watch this series to the end.

And, for those of you wanting to jump back onto the bandwagon, all I have to ask you is "How's your ankle?"

And the Transformers return to the light

[Diane-8 · 1 September 2002]

Being an "old school" Transfan (having watched the G1 series when it aired Sunday mornings), I viewed Armada with anticipation, and also a little trepidation. Let's face it, the years have not been kind to the Transformers. Whether it's the toys (remember G2 toys... sneeze and they shatter?) or the cartoons (Robots in disguise... ick), Transfans as of late have been getting the short end of the stick.

All that has changed.

Armada is a very good successor to the original series of Transformers. Optimus Prime behaves more like Optimus (and he's a semi-rig again!), Megatron is terrifying again, and Starscream is a toadying sycophant again. Admittedly, the minicons and the kids on the show are a minor turnoff, but unfortunately, that's the style of anime today. No kids, no cartoon, unfortunately. Thankfully, Armada handles the situation -much- better than Robots in Disguise, where the children (and, sadly, the Transformers themselves) are more annoying than a microfly in your transistor housing.

No, it isn't perfect. But it IS good. The animation beats out any of the 3D Beast-fill-in-the-blank cartoons (3D animation is still in its infancy, and currently is vastly overrated), and assuredly Robots in Disguise. With this on the air, I can once again look forward to quality Transformers programming.

Crap and never ever will be as good as the original Transformer G1 1984 cartoon..

[Rooblakas · 12 February 2003]

" Transformers: Armada " will never ever be as good as the original 1984 Transformers G1 cartoon. Armada is mostly targeted for little kids only. If I was a kid that was never exposed to Transformers at all, maybe I would have liked it. However, since I grew up with the original G1 cartoon in the 1980's, I do like it better than Armada. Every time Armada comes on Cartoon Network, I just tend to pop in any episode of either Transformers G1: Season 1, or Transformers G1: Season 2 (Part 1) in place of Armada on my DVD player. Before that, the first time I watched it (Armada) on Cartoon Network, I just threw up. I could not stand watching Armada anymore. So I just pretend that the original Transformers 1984 G1 Cartoon is on Cartoon Network. Sure Armada looks better in the drawings. On the other hand, Transformers G1 got better characters, better voice talent, better storylines, and a better musical score. Besides the Autobots in Transformers G1, even the Decepticons in Transformers G1 are ten times better than the ones in Armada. Marvel and Sunbow did a great job in my opinion; Transformers G1 (1984) will always be an all-time cartoon classic. Another thing is that Spike, Carly, and Sparkplug in Transformers G1 are not irritating unlike those 3 kids in Armada. Transformers: Armada just absolutely sucks like Transformers: Robots In Disguise. Nothing will ever beat the original.

Skip this one...

[ghosti · 9 February 2004]

If you're looking for a good Transformers show, and you were placing all your bets on "Armada", I'm very disappointed to tell you to skip it.

I'm not a dedicated Transformer "purist", but even I can't stand "Armada". This series is dedicated to the Transformers hunt for a race of lost robots called Mini-Cons that allow them to "Level Up" when they attach to them. Along the way, the Autobots and Decepticons battle it out over every little thing, while the most moronic bunch of kids you've ever seen gets underfoot every step of the way.

The kids are the absolute worst. Their voiceovers are incredibly painful - I can only liken these people's voices to the ones on Sailor Moon. So naturally, they usually suck up the most screen time per episode. The Mini-Cons are dull, with no personality, and sometimes it seems that their purpose is simply to act as a plot device. The animation is amazingly clunky, especially when compared to the 1984 series (how is it that as our tech gets better, they wind up looking worse?). And just when you think that you can really get into the show, they just pull something out of the anime handbook that makes you want to turn the TV right off.

So I'm sorry to say that our search for a good follow-up to the G1 series continues, as Armada doesn't fulfill. If you like to see giant robots beating the tar out of each other, this ain't the show for you.

It just gets worse (spoilers).

[Ayatollah · 10 December 2003]

Man, am I glad I'm not a kid nowadays. When I was young (did I really just say that?), our cartoons were great. Sure, they were basically commercials for whatever toyline was being sold at the time, but they were commercials with substance. Now, however...well, I would call "Transformers: Armada" a case of style over substance except for the fact that there's no real style to speak of here. Just like its predecessor, "Robots in Disguise," this series is acquired animation. And it has been acquired from -- you guessed it -- Japan. So now we get incredibly boring and slow-moving animation as well as some of the most tedious dialogue ever written. The plot moves along at a snail's pace; it makes "The Stand" seem like a fast-paced action adventure romp. One main problem with "Transformers: Armada" is that it is the product of one series of miscommunications after another. The Armada toyline was developed mainly in the United States, but all of the animation and writing for the series was done in Japan. This is because shows that are vaguely anime-like are the "hot" thing...as long as your characters have huge eyes, spikey hair, and sweatdrops, you're a-ok with the kids. Have you ever read "1984"? If you have, you'll remember a passage about books being manufactured by machines for mass consumption. It's a commentary about works of art becoming products; "Armada" is one such product.