TRANSFORMERS G1 (JAPAN) (EPS 1-3) FANSUB NOW AVAILABLE

karyuudo

Member
Citizen
Hi everyone,

I know it's been a while since our team's last release. Since it's the 40th Anniversary of The Transformers franchise, we decided to put together an English subtitled translation of the first 3 episodes of the Japanese dub of the G1 cartoon in celebration of this year. Thankfully Takara-Tomy allows these episodes to be posted online without issue, so we're grateful that we can share these everyone.

For those wondering if we're going to translate the rest of the G1 series, the answer at this time is no, however we may consider translating the odd episode if it provides value to the audience.
:)
Viewers will quickly realize when watching this series, aside from some adjustments to the dialogue and character names / factions, the dub follows the original English version quite closely.

The videos are available via YouTube on our channel, so we hope everyone enjoys them. Please leave a Like / Dislike and comment as we love the feedback and support.


Enjoy the show!
Karyuudo
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
For those wondering if we're going to translate the rest of the G1 series, the answer at this time is no,
Good call getting that out in the open...

owever we may consider translating the odd episode if it provides value to the audience.
...and now you've opened the floodgates. 😛

"Call of the Primitives" is probably the most important one to sub as far as understanding JG1 lore is concerned, as it contains at least one line that was (whether deliberately or inadvertently) rewritten by the Japanese localization team, rewritten in a way that completely changed the context of all scenes set on the barren planet of the Oracle who called the Primitives there, and in a way that allowed the episode to be used as the foundation for some of the biggest retcons made by later JG1 fiction.

"A Plague of Insecticons" is one that's not nearly as important, but is believed to also contain a line changed by the localization team that reinterprets when the Insecticons first arrived on Earth.
 
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karyuudo

Member
Citizen
Good call getting that out in the open...


...and now you've opened the floodgates. 😛

"Call of the Primitives" is probably the most important one to sub as far as understanding JG1 lore is concerned, as it contains at least one line that was (whether deliberately or inadvertently) rewritten by the Japanese localization team, rewritten in a way that completely changed the context of all scenes set on the barren planet of the Oracle who called the Primitives there, and in a way that allowed the episode to be used as the foundation for some of the biggest retcons made by later JG1 fiction.

"A Plague of Insecticons" is one that's not nearly as important, but is believed to also contain a line changed by the localization team that reinterprets when the Insecticons first arrived on Earth.
LOL Yeah, Call of the Primitives is definitely one of the episodes which is on the consideration list. Which brings me to what you were mentioning about specific lines that were re-written. Unless the episodes really contain some kind of value to the audience, there really isn't a lot of value in translating them.
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
Some notable observations:

In general, all three episodes insert various references to Megatron being an Emperor of Destruction, where none originally were in the English version.

Optimus is repeatedly referred to as "Commander Convoy" or simply "Commander". Only those who deem him no respect refer to him by name alone.

Likewise, Jazz is referred to as "Lieutenant Meister" or just "Lieutenant" by the other Autobots. Only Optimus has the authority to call him by name alone.

The episodes also add a lot more references to Megatron specifically wanting to conquer the whole universe.

To correct the switch made between Rumble and Frenzy's toy colors vs. their cartoon colors, the purple robot is referred to as "Frenzy" in the Japanese dub.


Episode 1

Wheeljack's statement of the energy conductors not being able to last a quartex is changed to their only having enough energy for three months.

Iacon keeps its name in the Japanese dub.

Instead of Jazz getting knocked out of his seat by the collision of the asteroids rocking the ship and Optimus moving into his seat to retake control of the ship, Optimus tells him to "Move!" and Jazz's fall is reinterpreted as Optimus practically shoving him out of the way.

The animation error of the shot of Optimus yelling "Prepare for battle!" repeating as Megatron's is heard yelling "Attack! Attack!!!" is accounted for, with the repeated shot not having Megatron's voice heard but a second command given by Optimus since he's the one who's onscreen in the shot.

The Decepticons identify on the spot the nearby power station that they destroy as "A nuclear power plant".

Hound jokingly saying that Cliffjumper shouldn't have missed when he fired at Megatron, which cheers up the forlorn Cliffjumper with a laugh, is slightly amended to Hound basically saying the same thing, but Cliffjumper reaction is now one of embarrassment.

Hauler is not referred to by any name. For all any of the Japanese viewers knew, he could have just been Grapple, or a generic Autobot, or a random Earth crane truck that the Autobots simply borrowed for this scene.

In Hound's report about the Decepticons' plans to harvest Earth's energy, he does not mention their plans involve the use of "some kind of cube".

At the oil rig, Spike identifies the Decepticons as "giant robots".


Episode 2

Spike's wondering about whether the Autobots are from the past or the future is kept.

The separate building outside the Ark where Ratchet is repairing everyone is referred to as the Autobots' "technology lab" by the narrator.

Spike's inquiries about how the Autobots transform uses some terminology differences between him and the Autobots. The Autobot use the term "Transform" when discussing it, while Spike uses the more ordinary Japanese word "henshin". The two are treated as synonyms in the discussion.

TIL that "tsunami" is simply the Japanese word for "tidal wave"

In a seeming attempt to try to make some degree of sense for Sparkplug's claim that he used to work in the ruby mines of Burma (keeping in mind that he's an American oil rig worker and mechanic while Burma is in Asia), Sparkplug's line is changed to him claiming that he used to be a miner and is familiar with these mountains.

Optimus's final cry of "Roller!" is way more dramatic in the Japanese dub.


Episode 3

When Skywarp requests permission from Megatron to teleport and engage Ironhide and Bluestreak, it is instead Thundercracker's voice, name and all, who is heard making the request. Whoops.

It's been hinted at prior to this point, but Ironhide is fully confirmed here to be a young 'bot in the Japanese version, as Optimus attributes Ironhide's recklessness to his "youthful impatience". The moment where Ironhide was about to start telling an old war story is likewise completely rewritten to him lamenting how he couldn't stand to see the Decepticons get away, which is what leads Optimus to bring up the aforementioned "youthful impatience".

Hearing them better in this episode that before, Ravage's growls provided by Frank Welker are retained in the Japanese dub. That said, his single line of spoken dialogue in the entire series, which is given here in this episode, is dubbed over by a Japanese actor.

The scene where Megatron humiliates Starscream is largely the same, but instead of calling out "Mistake number one" and "Mistake number two", Megatron just insults Starscream in the first case, saying "This isn't like taking kids on a picnic. You can't lead the Destron army," while in the second case, he insults Starscream again by saying "You're still number two!" Starscream's pleas on his knees of "Megatron! Megatron!" are changed to him begging Megatron to please spare him.

As Hound sets up the rocket base hologram, the narrator explains to the viewers how this is all a trap set by the Autobots, even though anyone watching would have already known that.

The staff members of the rocket base's control tower compare the Decepticons to dinosaurs.

When Optimus asks for volunteers for the final battle against the Decepticons, what he originally called a very dangerous mission is now emphasized further as a mission they may not return from alive.

Sideswipe's rocket pack is renamed as his "rocket booster".

When the Autobots help the fallen Optimus back to his feet and ask of Ratchet should look him over, Optimus is much angrier in the Japanese dub. He's even hostile when asking where Mirage is when he and the others realize Mirage is missing.

Jazz pointing out that Mirage is "gone now" is changed to him rationalizing "Maybe he got hurt."

The jokey exchange between Optimus and Mirage near the end of the episode is faithfully localized in the Japanese dub.
 

karyuudo

Member
Citizen
Not that this isn't cool and all, but if they're so close that there's little value in translating them, why do it in the first place?
Many fans have asked us over the years if we'd be willing to translate the Japanese dub of the G1 series. While we've been pretty firm about not having any interest in doing so, this being the 40th Anniversary of the franchise, we decided to give something back to the fanbase that's supported us through these years. 3 episodes didn't take much to do, so even if there isn't much difference in the dialogue, we hope folks out there will still enjoy this glimpse into the Japanese dub of the G1 series.
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
And we got another one, "Kremzeek!"


Why this one, of all episodes? Well, In Chris McFeely's most recent livestream, he was asked by Kary which G1 episode he would like to see subbed in English next and Chris (half-jokingly?) said "Kremzeek!" Well, looks like Kary took the suggestion seriously and Chris got his wish. :p
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
Hm, in this version, it seems Megatron was trying to create Kremzeek on purpose, rather than it being the accident it was in the English version. Megatron using Kremzeek as a distraction for the Autobots while the Decepticon make their energy magnet was his intention in this version, instead of him coming up with the distraction idea only after Kremzeek was created. The Japanese narrator even confirms that Megatron created Kremzeek for a specific purpose.

The Circuit Trap that Megatron uses to contain and transport Kremzeek to the Autobot base is not referred to by name.

Teletraan I has a pretty silly sounding Japanese voice, even before Kremzeek wrecks its system. It sounds like a bit like Stitch.

When surveying the damaged Autobots, in a panning shot that originally had no dialogue in the English version, Sparkplug now makes a snide remark about how the fallen Autobots are supposed to be warriors but got beaten so easily. His concerned facial expression in the next shot is kept as is, so it's weird that this dub had him give such a rude comment right before.

Inferno's original suspicion of Megatron being behind Kremzeek is changed to him wondering alongside Bumblebee where the creature came from, saying it's definitely not of this Earth and that he's never seen anything like it in outer space.

Inferno then saying how useless it is to try stopping Kremzeek since it can't be caught, held, or shot at is changed to him getting angry, saying that if it can't be caught he'll shoot it down.

Bumblebee telling the fallen Omega Supreme that they'll fix him as soon as they can is changed to him saying that he'll help Omega right away, with the arrival of the bullet train and Kremzeek possessing it now repurposed as a distracting that prevents Bumblebee from helping Omega immediately.

Hearing Blaster's Japanese voice more and more, he sounds much younger than his English version, almost like a preteen.

The Decepticons' Seascraper keeps its name.

The Japanese lady who gets bumped into by the bullet train's driver, and then wacks the driver with her purse, is given a deep man's voice in the dub.

Soji Yoshikawa is addressed by himself and everyone only by his surname.

Yoshikawa's suggestion of using radio waves on Kremzeek is simplified to just "high-frequency sound waves".

Blaster's plan to use his own power to fry Kremzeek within his chest, which Yoshikawa says will just feed Kremzeek and make it stronger, is changed to Blaster trying to drain Kremzeek of its power by using his Record switch, which Yoshikawa says will instead cause a motor reversal that will enable Kremzeek to get stronger by draining Blaster of his own energy.

Ha! In a bit of language reversal, where Prime called him "Yoshikawa-san" in the English version, Convoy calls him "Mister Yoshikawa" in the Japanese dub.

When Blaster gets covered in foam by the giant Kremzeek, his original sarcastic line of "Well, that worked like a charm," is changed to a more solemn lament of "I almost want to cry."

Originally, Starscream was impatient with testing the energy magnet again, and just activated it in full against Megatron's orders. While he's still impatient here, his activating in full is reinterpreted as being just another test per Megatron's instructions. The narrator them says that this test had a farther-reaching effect than the Decepticons expected, explaining why it reached all the way to Japan in this version.

Blaster's original measurement of the energy magnet being "200 miles offshore" is changed to being "400 kilometers out at sea."

Optimus saying that they don't have any time to reach Megatron's energy magnet is changed to him saying that they can't get to it at all because all the planes and ships nearby are immobile.

Optimus congratulating Blaster on coming up with a good idea to send Kremzeek back to Megatron is more genuine here. In the English version, he sarcastically says "Blaster... you finally came up with a plan." Here, he's sincerely says "Broadcast, that's a brilliant idea!" This makes his patting Blaster on the back actually feel wholesome instead of snarky.

All throughout the episode, Kremzeek is able to speak a bit more than just its name. In the English version it only ever said its name and "Sleepy" once, but here, it can laugh and say little words and phrases.
 
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Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
Oh boy! The Japanese dub of "The Burden Hardest to Bear".

---

When Kup complements Sky Lynx on his shooting, Sky Lynx's original "Yes, Kup, I know," is made a bit more modest: "Not at all, it was an easy task." While this could still be read as vain, his tone kinda sounds like he's downplaying the feat rather than boasting.

The Japanese Prime Minister is given a very nasally voice in contrast to the very deep voice he original had in the English version.

When the Prime Minister complains to Rodimus, Rodimus's original retort of "Yeah, then maybe you oughta try protecting yourselves!" is made less rude by having him instead reiterate that the Autobots are fighting to protect the humans.

Kup's answer to Marissa's question about what's wrong with Rodimus was originally just "Giri", which he explained is a Japanese word meaning "The burden hardest to bear." In the dub, his answer is to say "He's tired", and then proceeds to say "He's unable to bear the weight of his duties and responsibilities." The spirit of intent is there, and you can hear Kup mention "giri" in the dialogue, but the overt Japanese-ness of the answer is, ironically, toned down in the Japanese version.

Kup saying that Optimus Prime learned to live with his "giri" and respect it is changed to Kup musing about the many hardships that both Optimus and Rodimus have (or had, in Optimus's case) that he (Kup) and the others don't understand.

Marissa's original "If I could turn into a car, this is where I'd blow off steam," is completely changed entirely: "I can't just leave it like this. We have to help our Leader with his problems together with everyone else."

Dead End and Wildrider are misidentified by the narrator as Runabout and Runamuck, which is especially weird since their toys were never sold in Japan.

Something to note that is not a typo of the subtitles is their spelling Marissa's name as "Melissa". That is actually her name in the Japanese version, probably due to a misunderstanding of her English name and assuming it was supposed to be "Melissa" instead of "Marissa".

Wildrider loves to shout "Yahoo!" in the Japanese version as much as he shouted such in the English version.

Galvatron's original "At last all will be one... under Galvatron's rule!" is genericized into "With this, I have nothing to fear anymore. The entire universe will be mine."

Galvatron's fear of the ancient Autobots' chanting is changed to mere begrudging annoyance.

Scourge calling the Matrix the "key to the universe" is amended slightly to him saying it holds the "essence of the universe."

Spinger also misidentifies Wildrider and Dead End as Runabout and Runamuck. Someone on the dub team must have really slipped up.

Ultra Magnus calling the Matrix the "essence of the Autobots" is likewise slightly amended to being a "symbol of the Cybertrons."

Hot Rod's big speech to everyone about how he's sick of being leader and responsible for peace in the universe and doesn't want the Matrix anymore, is given an extra mention of the Quintessons in the Japanese version.

When Cyclonus attacks Scourge in an attempt to stop his rampage, he now calls Scourge a traitor and attacks with the outright intent to kill Scourge.

It seems the Japanese misinterpreted original Cyclonus's statement about the Matrix having "poisoned" Scourge's body and mind, as it seems he really does think there was a literal poison in the Matrix that affected Scourge.

Ha! The sound effect of Galvatron punching Cyclonus is changed to sound even more "punchy" in the Japanese version, like a "pop" sound, making the punch look and sound funnier. Likewise, the impact of Cyclonus hitting the ground sounds less mechanical and more like a "thud".

Ozu saying he was trying to be as forceful as possible because he felt he wasn't aggressive enough is changed to him wanting to become stronger quickly because he sees himself as weak and lacking in training.

The sensei's tendency to refer to Roddy as "Autoboto-san" in the English version is not carried over in any fashion in the dub. Here, the sensei just addresses him by name.

The sensei's speech to Hot Rod that was originally very "stereotypically Japanese" in the English version is basically the same in the dub, but is rephrased to sound SO much more natural. He doesn't mention "giri" (but does at least mention "gimu", which is "duty"), and even seems to use a bit of clever wit to really make Hot Rod think in this version. It's a lot more intelligently-written here.

Warp Gate 09A is slightly renamed to just "Warp Gate 9A".

Broadside gets to speak in the Japanese version when he was mostly silent in the English version.

The woman that Scourge frightens when he lands near her doesn't scream when she does in the English version, but instead yells for help when she runs away from him.

Scourge goading Ozu into trying to stop him ("Make me!") is changed to him telling Ozu to leave ("Stand back, kid!").

The old woman that Ozu protects from Scourge is given a voice that sounds more like a man trying to sound like an old woman instead of sounding like an actual woman's voice.

Because of the amount of lip-flaps to match, Ultra Magnus's accidentally calling Rodimus "Hot Rodimus" is cut short to just "Hot Rod-", making this a rare case where it sounds, to the untrained ear, like the Japanese dub used Hot Rod's English name instead of his Japanese name, when Magnus is really just cutting himself off before correcting himself to say "Rodimus Convoy".

Kup's final line of "And that's the point, son. No matter who carries the Matrix, that part's what you'll never lose," is slightly reworked into "That's why you are our Leader. When the Matrix becomes a part of you, you can be called the true Convoy."


Ooh, this episode ends with a segment similar to those "Secret Files of Teletraan II" segments from the English version, but this one's different. It's a recap of the first battle fought between Menasor and Superion back in "The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2".
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!! "Call of the Primitives" in Japanese! This is the big one. The very foundation of the JG1 Primus retcon!

---

At the beginning of this episode, not only does the narrator outright give Primacron's identity away to the audience immediately (instead of letting it be revealed by the Oracle much later in the episode per the original English version), but the narrator also describes him as "the creator of the super robot lifeforms".

Primacron's name is pronounced like "Pry-ma-kron" in English, but like "Pree-ma-kron" in Japanese.

Instead of alluding to "the other" (meaning Unicron) who was both made of matter instead of energy and who "forgot who ruled him", Primacron now just describes how everything in the universe, "plants, animals, humans, robot lifeforms, even stars", are all just food for Tornedron to eat and get fat on.

During the firefight on the moon, the banter exchanged between Rodimus and Springer is changed to words of encouragement.

Rodimus's "One down, millions to go," is changed to "Strange, it suddenly got quiet." Originally, it was Magnus and Springer who pointed out this curiosity in the next shot, so now Magnus advises caution while Springer now wonders if the Decepticons have suddenly gotten cold feet.

Instead of ordering a counterattack because Galvatron won't expect it, Rodimus orders a counterattack because he himself expected the Decepticons would try their big sneak attack.

Wheelie's Japanese voice sounds suitably young and similar to his English voice. Having watched The Headmasters first, his voice here also sounds younger than his voice in The Headmasters even though it's the same voice actress, which gives the impression that he grows from a kid to a teenager between the two series.

Once Tornedron absorbs all of Planet Cybertron's energy, while Primacron does still mention that Tornedron's power has now surpassed that of Unicron, Primacron neglects to mention that Unicron was Tornedron's predecessor. It seems this dub is trying to keep Primacron's creation of Unicron a secret for now.

Grimlock calling himself "stealthy fighter" (an originally ridiculous notion that was obviously meant for comedic effect) is changed to the more sensible notion of him calling himself "the strong".

The dub corrects a dialogue mistake from the English version: "Come, Snarl, Sweep, Swoop, and Slag," becomes "Come, Snarl, Swoop, Sludge, and Slag."

Springer's famous line to Sky Lynx of "Well well, Commander Modesty's here!" is changed to "I wish you'd come sooner!" This is because Sky Lynx no longer boasts about "superior forces are taking over"; instead, he jokingly calls himself "Sky Lynx Airlines", but does still tell the others to relax now that he's arrived.

Instead of Galvatron pointing out Sky Lynx succumbing to the strange behavior exhibited by the other animal-based Transformers, he now says it's Trypticon who's acting strange.

The Primitives are referred to as "yajū senshi" (野獣戦士, "beast solder" or "beast warrior") or as just "yajū robots" (野獣ロボット).

Sky Lynx again refers to himself a "Sky Lynx Airlines". This might be something he does in general rather than just this episode, but we'll need to see more of him in other episodes before we can make that call.

There is a small typo in these subtitles. After returning from the first commercial break, "Seibertron" is spelled as "Cybertron", when it was spelled "Seibertron" earlier in the episode, while the "Cybertron" spelling is reserved for the Autobot faction.

Okay, here it is. The big change to the episode that formed the basis for JG1 Primus retcon: Sky Lynx's original line of "And unless I'm wrong, which is, of course, extremely unlikely, we are being called to a very ancient and sacred place," has been completely changed to "Moreover, it feels like we are being called by a voice from the past, as if we're traveling to a hidden world from the past." This is it. This is what led to the Japanese reinterpreting this sequence as a form of time travel, which was not the case in the original English version. Though, strangely, his following line of "I believe we're coming home!" was also changed, to "We seem to have reached our destination." Had the "coming home" part been kept intact, that would have likewise made it feel even more like they were traveling back in time to a primordial version of Cybertron, their home planet. But instead, it's only the earlier line that was used to indicate time travel in this version.

Where the Oracle says Primacron "built some of the Primitives" in the English version, in Japanese he says Primacron "created several primitive robots." This is not the same "yajū" term that was used to refer to the bestial Primitives, but rather "genshi-teki" (原始的), which is the actual Japanese word for something primitive or primeval.

The Oracle saying "Unicron decided to rule himself, and tried to dispose of Primacron," is changed to "Unicron had an evil will and tried to erase Primacron and become ruler of the universe himself." Wait! So, JG1 Unicron was always wanting to rule the universe, not eat it like Marvel Unicron and all his influenced versions. Suddenly, Unicron's later claims of wanting to become a god and rule the universe in Beast Wars Neo now make sense!

Like in the English version, the Oracle/Primacron's assistant identifies himself in the flashback as the object fleeing from Primacron, the object that very much resembles the Matrix of Leadership. Also like in the English version, no attention is drawn to that resemblance.

When Sky Lynx tells everyone to flee from Trypticon's collapse, someone's line of "Us, Primitives, are not stupid!" is omitted from the Japanese dub. No dialogue is spoken when the line was spoken in the English version. Just general screams of terror/urgency.

When Tornedron rebels against Primacron, he makes his intent to devour Primacron and his ship very explicit in the English version, whereas the Japanese version initially has Tornedron just declare his freedom Primacron's control and only threatens to kill him if he gets in Tornedron's way. But then Tornedron suddenly gets starving and only then decides that he will eat Primacron after all since he can no longer stand the hunger. This makes Tornedron seem less overtly malicious in the Japanese version.

Primacron's technobabble rambling in the English version is changed to him frantically declaring that creating Tornedron was a mistake and futily orders Tornedron to die.

I was saving this last bit for after the end of the episode, but it feels like Sky Lynx has been made less arrogant and vain in the Japanese dub. While he does still speak with a lot of confidence, his tone isn't as cocky or flamboyant as he is in the English version, so he comes off as less conceited and more just matter-of-factly.


This episode also ends with a "Secret Files of Teletraan II" type segment, but it's also a different one from the Cassette-focused one found in the English version of this episode. This segment, titled "Transformers 2010 Information Scramble Great Operation", reviews the five Combaticons and their combined form, recycling footage from the Season 2 episode "The Revenge of Bruticus".
 

karyuudo

Member
Citizen
YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!! "Call of the Primitives" in Japanese! This is the big one. The very foundation of the JG1 Primus retcon!

---

At the beginning of this episode, not only does the narrator outright give Primacron's identity away to the audience immediately (instead of letting it be revealed by the Oracle much later in the episode per the original English version), but the narrator also describes him as "the creator of the super robot lifeforms".

Primacron's name is pronounced like "Pry-ma-kron" in English, but like "Pree-ma-kron" in Japanese.

Instead of alluding to "the other" (meaning Unicron) who was both made of matter instead of energy and who "forgot who ruled him", Primacron now just describes how everything in the universe, "plants, animals, humans, robot lifeforms, even stars", are all just food for Tornedron to eat and get fat on.

During the firefight on the moon, the banter exchanged between Rodimus and Springer is changed to words of encouragement.

Rodimus's "One down, millions to go," is changed to "Strange, it suddenly got quiet." Originally, it was Magnus and Springer who pointed out this curiosity in the next shot, so now Magnus advises caution while Springer now wonders if the Decepticons have suddenly gotten cold feet.

Instead of ordering a counterattack because Galvatron won't expect it, Rodimus orders a counterattack because he himself expected the Decepticons would try their big sneak attack.

Wheelie's Japanese voice sounds suitably young and similar to his English voice. Having watched The Headmasters first, his voice here also sounds younger than his voice in The Headmasters even though it's the same voice actress, which gives the impression that he grows from a kid to a teenager between the two series.

Once Tornedron absorbs all of Planet Cybertron's energy, while Primacron does still mention that Tornedron's power has now surpassed that of Unicron, Primacron neglects to mention that Unicron was Tornedron's predecessor. It seems this dub is trying to keep Primacron's creation of Unicron a secret for now.

Grimlock calling himself "stealthy fighter" (an originally ridiculous notion that was obviously meant for comedic effect) is changed to the more sensible notion of him calling himself "the strong".

The dub corrects a dialogue mistake from the English version: "Come, Snarl, Sweep, Swoop, and Slag," becomes "Come, Snarl, Swoop, Sludge, and Slag."

Springer's famous line to Sky Lynx of "Well well, Commander Modesty's here!" is changed to "I wish you'd come sooner!" This is because Sky Lynx no longer boasts about "superior forces are taking over"; instead, he jokingly calls himself "Sky Lynx Airlines", but does still tell the others to relax now that he's arrived.

Instead of Galvatron pointing out Sky Lynx succumbing to the strange behavior exhibited by the other animal-based Transformers, he now says it's Trypticon who's acting strange.

The Primitives are referred to as "yajū senshi" (野獣戦士, "beast solder" or "beast warrior") or as just "yajū robots" (野獣ロボット).

Sky Lynx again refers to himself a "Sky Lynx Airlines". This might be something he does in general rather than just this episode, but we'll need to see more of him in other episodes before we can make that call.

There is a small typo in these subtitles. After returning from the first commercial break, "Seibertron" is spelled as "Cybertron", when it was spelled "Seibertron" earlier in the episode, while the "Cybertron" spelling is reserved for the Autobot faction.

Okay, here it is. The big change to the episode that formed the basis for JG1 Primus retcon: Sky Lynx's original line of "And unless I'm wrong, which is, of course, extremely unlikely, we are being called to a very ancient and sacred place," has been completely changed to "Moreover, it feels like we are being called by a voice from the past, as if we're traveling to a hidden world from the past." This is it. This is what led to the Japanese reinterpreting this sequence as a form of time travel, which was not the case in the original English version. Though, strangely, his following line of "I believe we're coming home!" was also changed, to "We seem to have reached our destination." Had the "coming home" part been kept intact, that would have likewise made it feel even more like they were traveling back in time to a primordial version of Cybertron, their home planet. But instead, it's only the earlier line that was used to indicate time travel in this version.

Where the Oracle says Primacron "built some of the Primitives" in the English version, in Japanese he says Primacron "created several primitive robots." This is not the same "yajū" term that was used to refer to the bestial Primitives, but rather "genshi-teki" (原始的), which is the actual Japanese word for something primitive or primeval.

The Oracle saying "Unicron decided to rule himself, and tried to dispose of Primacron," is changed to "Unicron had an evil will and tried to erase Primacron and become ruler of the universe himself." Wait! So, JG1 Unicron was always wanting to rule the universe, not eat it like Marvel Unicron and all his influenced versions. Suddenly, Unicron's later claims of wanting to become a god and rule the universe in Beast Wars Neo now make sense!

Like in the English version, the Oracle/Primacron's assistant identifies himself in the flashback as the object fleeing from Primacron, the object that very much resembles the Matrix of Leadership. Also like in the English version, no attention is drawn to that resemblance.

When Sky Lynx tells everyone to flee from Trypticon's collapse, someone's line of "Us, Primitives, are not stupid!" is omitted from the Japanese dub. No dialogue is spoken when the line was spoken in the English version. Just general screams of terror/urgency.

When Tornedron rebels against Primacron, he makes his intent to devour Primacron and his ship very explicit in the English version, whereas the Japanese version initially has Tornedron just declare his freedom Primacron's control and only threatens to kill him if he gets in Tornedron's way. But then Tornedron suddenly gets starving and only then decides that he will eat Primacron after all since he can no longer stand the hunger. This makes Tornedron seem less overtly malicious in the Japanese version.

Primacron's technobabble rambling in the English version is changed to him frantically declaring that creating Tornedron was a mistake and futily orders Tornedron to die.

I was saving this last bit for after the end of the episode, but it feels like Sky Lynx has been made less arrogant and vain in the Japanese dub. While he does still speak with a lot of confidence, his tone isn't as cocky or flamboyant as he is in the English version, so he comes off as less conceited and more just matter-of-factly.


This episode also ends with a "Secret Files of Teletraan II" type segment, but it's also a different one from the Cassette-focused one found in the English version of this episode. This segment, titled "Transformers 2010 Information Scramble Great Operation", reviews the five Combaticons and their combined form, recycling footage from the Season 2 episode "The Revenge of Bruticus".
Glad you enjoyed the episode Sabrblade. Apologies for the typo - it was a late night working on this. I've corrected it in the original subs now. Unfortunately that doesn't help the YouTube video... but it was mentioned in the comments section, so I "hearted" the comment for others to see. If we do finish the whole 2010 series at some point, the corrections will be in the torrent version. Thanks again for posting these summaries for everyone.
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
*cracks knuckles* This is gonna be long.

---

The sounds of laughter coming from the Lithone children playing is unchanged audio from the English version.

New small talk dialogue is added between Kranix and his colleagues before Unicron shows up and they spot him.

Distant screams of agony and horror from the inhabitants of Lithone are added to the shots of Unicron consuming the planet and its people.

An extra dialogue line from Kranix is added as he boards his escape ship, making sure that everyone is aboard their ships before he shuts his ship's door closed.

The English-language theme song performed by Lion is kept in the Japanese version. In fact, all of the songs from the English version are kept as well.

The English "The Transformers" and "THE MOVIE" logos are also unchanged.

The Star Wars-styled opening English text scroll from the UK release of the movie is used here, and is verbally translated into Japanese by the narrator. The only notable differences between the English text scroll and what the narrator says are that the text describes the war as ongoing while the narrator says it "could end at any moment," and that the text says the war has gone from Cybertron to Earth and back again while the narrator describes a grander scope of from Cybertron to Earth and "to the vastness of intergalactic space."

While Season 3 of the cartoon was dubbed as taking place in the year 2010, the movie is kept as being in 2005, creating a five-year time gap in Japanese continuity that does not exist in the English version.

All the English name credits that play over the initial Moonbase scenes are neither removed nor translated in the Japanese version.

In the English version, Spike sounds pretty confident that Megatron will soon be defeated and that he, Spike, will be coming home soon to reunite with Daniel. Here, he's still hopeful, but instead speaks in a less certain, more realistic tone about coming home "if" Megatron is defeated.

Laserbeak's squawks are unchanged from the English version's squawks provided by Chris Latta.

Starscream makes some small verbal responses to Megatron's initial insult of him when Laserbeak returns.

There's a lot more talking added to the attack on the Autobot shuttle, making the scene feel even more traumatizing as each Autobot screams and groans their final lines as they fall one by one to their agonized deaths.

When Starscream points out to Megatron the real threat of the Autobots' Moonbases, he adds a little remark of "Maybe you're afraid of Convoy" that makes Megatron calling him a fool feel more valid in this version. Megatron also lays out his plan to attack Autobot City with an extra detail here, pointing out that destroying Autobot City will leave the Moonbases isolated.

Heh. Megatron's original "Such heroic nonsense!" line is rewritten to a more aggravated line of "Ugh, you Cybertrons just won't die!" Ironhide also gets a new response of "Fat chance that'll...!" before he too screams in pain one final time.

Daniel's excitement to see the shuttle land is now because he thinks his "Papa" is aboard it.

Daniel is given little lines of laughter and excitement when riding his hoverboard and inside Hot Rod.

Hot Rod telling Daniel to "ride in style" is changed to him telling Daniel he still needs more practice, in reference to Daniel colliding with the boulder accidentally.

Lookout Mountain is renamed more simply to "the lookout tower".

When crashing through the sign, Hot Rod yells "Sorry, old man!" In response, Kup's famous line of "Turbo-revving young punk! I'll straighten ya out yet!" is amended to "It says stop, for crying out loud! You crazy street racer!"

As Hot Rod and the screaming Daniel fall from the mountain, Hot Rod now comforts Daniel on the way down, reassuring him that everything will be okay.

Additional banter from Blitzwing and Kup is added during the mountain battle, with Shrapnel also now screaming when he gets shot by Blitzwing.

Instead of helping to spread the word, Blurr is tasked to provide cover for Ultra Magnus.

Little bits of dialogue are given to Springer and Arcee as they work to transform Autobot City. Same for Starscream when he gets his foot stuck, now saying "I won't let you sandwich me!" But, in a reversal of all the added screams, Starscream now says nothing after shooting his foot free (he originally shouted "OW, MY FOOT!" in the English version).

Ew. Shrapnel's original comment about Autobot City's doors being "a little heavy on the electrons, electrons," is changed to "But this is a lot to eat. I've been diarrheic since last night."

The Insecticons get little bits of dialogue and groans as Hot Rod and Kup plow through them.

Since Blaster doesn't talk like a radio DJ in the Japanese version, his dialogue is more generic. He also shows a greater sense of urgency regarding the situation.

"First we crack the shell, then we crack the nuts inside!" is changed to "Then take Frenzy's special attack... the Hammer Arm!"

Springer says that they need to push the rocket launcher to block the entrance so Megatron can't get inside the city. I guess the dubbers misunderstood that it was a rocket launcher that they were trying to move into firing position.

Instead of Arcee saying she was worried Hot Rod would be trapped outside the city, she rather apologizes for closing the door with him outside.

When Devastator is formed, Starscream is given a new line of "We're counting on you, big guy!"

During the big fire fight montage, Megatron can now be heard shouting "Keep shooting!"

Instead of telling the Dinobots to "Destroy Devastator!", Optimus's order is made less ruthless: "All right, Dinobots. Take care of Devastor."

The fight between the Dinobots and Devastator now has banter, growling, and screaming added to it.

"Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost," is now "Even if it means sacrificing myself, I must defeat Megatron!"

As Optimus mows down and guns down the Decepticons on his way to Megatron, they all now scream in pain.

"One shall stand, one shall fall," is now "Either you die, or I die, Megatron."

Little bits of dialogue, grunts, and groans are added to the Optimus/Megatron fight.

"You, who are without mercy, now plead for it? I thought you were made of sterner stuff..." is now "Mercy? How many Cybertrons have died because of you? Begging for your life at this point is pitiful."

Megatron now screams on his way down after being struck by Optimus, and Soundwave now yells "Megatron-sama!" once Megatron hits the ground.

As the Decepticons retreat, Starscream gives more rally calls for them to get out of there.

Arcee is now confused as to why the Decepticons are retreating, with Kup now having to explain to her that it's because Optimus won his duel with Megatron.

Before Perceptor says how severe Optimus's wounds are, Daniel asks if Optimus is going to be okay, making Perceptor's line now a response to Daniel's inquiry.

After Prime tells Magnus that he (Prime) was also originally unworthy of the Matrix upon receiving it, but before he then tells Magnus about the prophecy of an Autobot one day using the Matrix to "light out darkest hour", a new line is added of Optimus saying "But now... You are the only one I can entrust with the Matrix."

Said prophecy is translated here as "One day, with the power of the Matrix... A light will shine through this darkness."

"Until that day... 'Til all are one..." becomes "Until the day peace returns to the universe... Take this..."

Daniel's crying over Optimus's death is now loudly audible.

Unicron still screams with Bob Holt's Incredible Hulk roar.

Astrotrain telling the others to jettison some weight is now given the explanation of "We don't have enough energy to make it!" His Japanese voice also makes him sound way younger than how his English voice sounds.

The Decepticons tossed out of Astrotrain now all scream as they fall out into space.

"Wait! I still function!" and "Wanna bet?" are now "Wait, I can still move just fine!" and "Then move on!"

"Soundwave superior, Constructicons inferior," is now "Soundwave is smart, Buildrons are all stupid."

Hook calling Soundwave an "uncharismatic bore" is changed to calling him "sycophantic scum", which kinda runs deeper as an insult considering how much of a Yes Man Soundwave has been to Megatron up to this point. Likewise, Rumble and Frenzy's responses to said insult ("Hey, nobody calls Soundwave uncrazimatic." "Yeah! Let's kick tailgate.") become "Anyone who insults Soundwave has to deal with us!" and "Bring it on you rusty junk!"

The fight aboard Astrotrain is made to sound much louder and rowdier.

Unicron's Japanese voice (provided by Mizuho Suzuki) is nowhere near as heavily modulated as Orson Welles's voice was in the English version.

Megatron doesn't sound nearly as sickly or as injured in his first meeting with Unicron.

Huh? Megatron saying he accepts Unicron's terms is changed to "Name your terms! Name your terms and I'll help you!", when Unicron already did so beforehand.

"Scourge, the tracker, and his huntsmen, the Sweeps" becomes "The merciless trackers, the Sweeps, and their leader, Scourge."

"Cyclonus, the warrior, and his armada," becomes "The space marauder, Air Commander Cyclonus, and his armada." The visuals accompanying that last bit almost kinda look like "and his armada" refers to Scourge and the Sweeps themselves in this version, ignoring the second Cyclonus in the background.

Seizō Katō doesn't really differ his voice between Megatron and Galvatron.

"Get on with the ceremony!" is now made funnier as "You're all out of sync, amateurs!" And now the Constructicons say "Is it true?" when they all look at each other in confusion. Ha!

Starscream's death is now punctuated by a loud, horrified scream.

Rumble (or "Frenzy" in this version) originally asking the others "What'd he say is name was?" is changed to him asking Galvatron directly "What should we call you?" despite the animation still showing him looking at Soundwave and Scavenger.

Ultra Magnus calling out "Jazz! Cliffjumper!" is changed to him ordering "Get out quickly!"

Jazz and Cliffjumper sound way more scared of Unicron in the Japanese version.

Spike's infamous swear is faithfully translated, with only the "What do we do now?" part changed to "What a nightmare!"

The term "monster planet" (monsutā wakusei) is consistently used multiple times to refer to Unicron in this version.

"I, Galvatron, will crush you just as Megatron crushed Prime!" becomes "I am the New Emperor of Destruction, Galvatron! Ultra Magnus, I'll send you to the other world like Convoy!"

"And you'll die trying just like Megatron!" is now "Shut up, you zombie Megatron!", making Galvatron's identity far less ambiguous in this version.

Cyclonus's line of "You want me to gut Ultra Magnus?" is changed to Scourge now saying "Leave him to Scourge!" (it's spoken in the same voice as Scourge's earlier line of "Have you forgotten? Our master is Unicron-sama," making it far less ambiguous who said the line in this version).

The Sweep that Grimlock shoots down with his fire breath screams as it crashes down before exploding.


Concluded in the next post below...
 
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Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
Ultra Magnus ordering Kup and Hot Rod to get the Dinobots aboard the shuttle is changed to him telling everyone to help get the Dinobots aboard, when only Kup and Hot Rod are actually shown doing so while everyone else heads to a different shuttle.

Kup still mentions Alpha Nine and petro-rabbits in this version.

Springer's line about Daniel having to walk back home if he gets space sick is also kept in this version.

Springer's sarcastic line to Arcee of "Believe it or not, this is the fun part!" is changed to a more gentlemanly line of "Leaving you behind was a mistake on my part."

Kup's story about Beta 4, wipers on optics, and an Ick-Yak is all kept mostly intact. Though, the Dinobots' demand for "good part" is changed to them wanting to hear "battle stories".

When the Auto-combatant strikes Hot Rod when he's not paying attention, Hot Rod now yells back at it "Attacking from behind is cowardly!"

Kup still mentions Dromedon in this version, but his mentioning the shrikebats is omitted.

"I can't deal with that now!" is changed into the less harsh and more practical "There's nothing we can do now."

Cyclonus's other line in the movie "The Autobots have been terminated!", is also given to Scourge in this version, as "We did it, the Cybertrons are wiped out!" This is because Scourge is seen on the bridge next to Galvatron, so the dubbers likely assumed he was the one who said it to Galvatron, despite it being Roger C. Carmel's voice who said it in the English version. This means both of Cyclonus's only two speaking lines in the English version are given to Scourge in this version, with Cyclonus's only Japanese dialogue being from newly-added lines that are much shorter.

"Remind me to give the autopilot a raise," is changed to "This autopilot system needs some improvement." Considering it was Ultra Magnus who piloted the ship down to its crash-landing, it seems the dubbers missed that Springer was making a sarcastic jab at Magnus's piloting skills.

Springer telling Daniel "It's rough out there, kid," is changed to "There might be monsters outside." Coupled with the animation, he now seems like he's teasing Daniel.

Ultra Magnus's line about "Showtime" being over is kept.

It seems the dubbers struggled to translate and make sense of Wreck-Gar's TV-talk, as his dialogue now comes across as less reference-heavy and more comprehensible than in the English version. He still occasionally says a few phrases that sound like they're meant to be references, but since his entire way of speaking is no longer strictly TV-speak, these bits instead come across as just random nonsense spouted during what is otherwise ordinary dialogue.

The universal greeting is mostly the same, just a couple of syllables altered to fit the lip flaps in the Japanese language. Namely, the "wheep ni ni bong" part is changed to "whee pi ni bon".

The energon goodies are instead called energon cubes, even though they look more like sticks of gum and definitely not like cubes.

Wheelie gets a couple of small lines in his early cameo. And he does not speak in rhyme in this version, due to the difficulty of making his lines make sense while also rhyming in Japanese.

Kup's mentioning the slave mines on Golgonath Seven is kept, though he does not mention that they were niter mines.

The Quintesson Imperial Magistrate is instead referred to more simply as "the jury". Each one of his heads is given its own very distinct voice, with the "Suspicious"/"Doubt"/"Judgement face given what sounds like a female laugh.

Kranix has a much higher-pitched voice than his English voice.

Kranix refers to his people as "Kranix-jin" ("Kranix people"). The subtitles opted to translate this as "Kranixian". In the original English version, he said "I am the last survivor of Lithone!"

"Spare me this mockery of justice!" becomes "Enough of this charade."

Kranix and the other doomed victim that preceded him both scream on their way down into the Sharkticon pit. Kranix even cries out "Help me!" when he briefly surfaces from the pit's yellow waters before he is eaten alive.

The "beryllium baloney" and "cesium salami" argument between Grimlock and Slag is rewritten to be about Slag calling Grimlock's nose unreliable (after Grimlock says he can smell Hot Rod and Kup nearby), Grimlock getting angry at Slag for the insult, and Slag getting defensive and calling Grimlock a dumb-dumb.

Wheelie is given a very young-sounding voice, as opposed to how Frank Welker just made him sound squeaky. And since he doesn't rhyme in this version, his dialogue makes him come across more clearly as a mischievous little smart aleck.

After Wheelie shoots Grimlock in the nose with his slingshot, Grimlock sounds hurt and in pain for the remainder of the scene.

Instead of calling it "the Planet of Junk", Unicron says "Junkion" in this version.

Galvatron receives a new line of "Destron army, attack!" when he pilots Cyclonus on Junkion and destroys the Autobot shuttle.

When they corner Daniel on Junkion, both Shrapnel and Scavenger speak lines of their own, making it unambiguous that it is Shrapnel despite his having been seen being turned into a Sweep earlier.

The "'Til all are one!" spoken by the Autobots on Junkion is rendered in Japanese as "Unite the universe as one!" But since Optimus Prime did not say that in this version, it comes out of nowhere as some very random rally cry in this version.

Unlike Spike's swear, Ultra Magnus's swear is not retained in this version.

"I have nothing but contempt for this court!" becomes "I can't believe this is supposed to be a court!"

Some of the Sharkticons actually speak little phrases in this version! Wasn't expecting that.

Kup compares the Sharkticons to cockroaches in this version, in how they just keep on coming.

Because there's more banter added to the Sharkticon fight, the lyrics to the second verse of "Hunger" are turned down in volume and made less audible in this version, to let the new dialogue be heard easier.

"Me, Grimlock, want to much metal!" becomes "Me, Grimlock, take you all down!"

"Me, Grimlock, no bozo, me king!" becomes "Me, Grimlock, am no troublemaker, me warrior of justice!"

Amazingly, the entire fight sequence with "Dare to Be Stupid" is barely given any new dialogue sounds. It's really only during the duel between Wreck-Gar and Springer that the usual grunts and yells are added in. The rest of the action before that fight is just as silent as it was in the English version.

Likewise, the entire dance sequence is also given no extra dialogue or noises.

"Me, Grimlock, not kisser, me king!" becomes "Me, Grimlock, hate kissing! Me, Grimlock, warrior!"

Wreck-Gar still claims to "talk TV", but like I said before, it's really not as frequent throughout his dialogue in this version.

Kup's line of "And now for the news. Don't touch that dial," is changed to him telling Wreck-Gar how great it is to find others who can speak like him.

"Destroy Unicron! Kill the Grand Poobah! Eliminate even the toughest stains!" is changed to the less-TV-talky "Let's go defeat Unicron, together! Our world is one, the always peaceful Junkion! Let's go defeat Unicron, let's go!"

Unicron's third Bob Holt-voiced Incredible Hulk roar is actually dubbed over, whereas his previous first two roars were unchanged from the English version. Though, you can faintly hear the beginning of Bob Holt's roar for just a split second before Mizuho Suzuki's new roar is heard.

To my surprise, Unicron's elaborate transformation sequence does not have him shouting "Transform!" at any point, when many of the other characters' transformations in this movie had them all shouting that.

"For a time, I considered sparring your wretched planet, Cybertron. But now you shall witness... it's dismemberment!" becomes "You fool. I wasn't planning to touch you planet, Seibertron. But... An eye for an eye... and destruction for betrayal!"

Unicron now screams in pain when Hot Rod pilots the Quintesson corkscrew ship into his eye. But, he does not scream at all when shown grasping his broken eye right afterward, even though he was animated with his mouth hanging open, which the dub could have easily used to insert another scream, growl, or roar.

After he orders Galvatron to destroy Hot Rod, Unicron threatening to obliterate Galvatron if he doesn't destroy Hot Rod is changed to Unicron demanding Galvatron not
let Hot Rod get the Matrix, as if Unicron senses that Hot Rod is the one destined to bear it.

Galvatron's line of "Puny Autobot! You lack even Prime's courage!" becomes "Where'd you go? Come out, Cybertron! Are you too afraid to fight? Coward!"

"Me, Grimlock, kick butt!" becomes "Me, Grimlock, will kick attack!"

Sludge calls whacking Unicron with his tail a "tail attack!"

Grimlock saying he needs "new strategy" is slightly amended to him needing "a bit of strategy time."

Springer, Arcee, and Kup all scream when they get swept away by the ocean water inside Unicron.

Unicron now growls and howls when he crushes and throws the Junkion ship with his hand.

"Arise, Rodimus Prime," becomes "I leave the rest to you, Rodimus Convoy."

Likewise, Rodimus's original "Optimus!" line becomes "That voice... Commander Convoy!"

Rodimus's voice is much deeper than when he was Hot Rod.

Galvatron now screams as he is thrown out of Unicron into deep space.

"Now, light our darkest hour!" becomes "Matrix, now, shine a light in the darkness!"

Unicron now groans and howls in agony as his body is destroyed from within.

Rodimus's first official command of "Autobots, transform and roll out!" becomes "Cybertron warriors, transform and escape! Quick, get in, Spike and Daniel!"

When everyone transforms and rolls out of Unicron, since Springer's transformation is shown last, he is given a cheeky new line of "Hey, wait for me!"

Unicron groans in pain when the Autobots drive out through his other eye, and he continues to groan until speaking his final line.

Said final line is changed from "Destiny! You cannot... destroy... my... destiny!" to "This is impossible! for me to be destroyed? This can't be happening."

"Let this mark the end of the Cybertronian wars as we march forward to a new age of peace and happiness. 'Til all are one!" becomes "Let this day be the end of the Seibertron Wars, and the first day of peace and happiness for our future. Unite the universe as one!"

Despite opening with the UK-original text scroll and a Japanese translation of it, a translation of the UK-only ending narration ("The battle is over. But the galaxy-spanning adventures of the Transformers will continue, and the greatest Autobot of them all, Optimus Prime, will return.") is not provided in this version.

The English-language end credits are all retained and not translated into Japanese. Despite this being the Japanese dub of the movie, no credits for the Japanese dub production crew or voice cast are provided at all.



Phew!
 
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