THE great Japanese tendency to take the usual and transform
them into smaller, cuter iterations is easily encapsulated by eye-popping,
aww-inspiring world of Super Deformed (SD) toys. Being one of the great toy lines
of the world, Transformers have seen several different manifestations of the SD
effect, but the newest, most multi-faceted iteration is the new Q Transformers
line of tiny transforming figures.
The
long story of the Q TFs begins with another toy altogether, Takara’s Choro-Q
line in 1978 (the company is now known as TakaraTomy). The Choro-Q toys were
3-4 inch cars boasting oversize rubber back wheels and pullback motors.; they
were officially licensed. These toy cars were a hit in Japan and in the United
States, where they were known as Penny Racers.
When
Takara was building its Microman line, they decided to include robots that
transformed into tiny toy cars. Take note: The cars were toy-sized, so the
robots were supposed to be tiny. Takara called them MicroChange robots. These
toys were the fat, short versions of cars like the Volkswagen Beetle and
Porsche 924 Turbo, keeping the same big back wheel but dropping the pullback
motor. When Takara and Hasbro put together the Generation 1 Transformers, they
included these two MicroChange robots—which are now instantly recognizable as
the original Bumblebee and Cliffjumper toys.
Through
the years, Takara has paid tribute to the idea of Choro-Q, but never fully
committed to an actual, mainstream toyline until 2014, when they began
releasing the Q-Transformers. Take note that the line’s name includes the
(listen carefully) word “Cute,” so you know what they were aiming for.
The
Q-Transformers were smaller than the original Choro Q cars and MicroChange
robots. They all had the same transformation and were all licensed so the alt
modes really are SD versions of real life cars. The line is predominantly made
up of G1 TFs, but there are Bayformers (Lockdown and the blue Optimus Prime)
as well as other TF lines mixed in (the Binaltech Optimus Prime shows up as
well).
I
had been looking for these little critters for a while now and was quite happy
to find them at Toys & Games at the Hong Kong International Airport. The
store had a mix of both 2014 and 2015 models. I didn’t want to get all of them
for various reasons. The G1 Optimus Prime, which ironically is part of the
latest wave—didn’t look quite right, in particular because the trailer became
the robot’s arms. The Megatron had a fantastic looking alt mode—a gray
Lamborghini Veneno—but seriously, I just can’t accept a Megatron that turns
into a car.
Being
the G1 freak that I am, I chose three old-school Autobots: Lambor (Sideswipe),
Sunstreaker and Hot Rod.
Upon
closer inspection, you’ll notice had detailed and accurate the alt modes are,
down to the paint apps for headlights and windows. The cars are adorable, to be
honest. The only odd thing about the car modes are the fact that you can just
see the robot feet from under the front and the robot hands from under the
back. They all transform the same way: You pull the legs from under the hood,
the back side of the car separates and flips up; you pull the arms down. Then
you lift the windshield and the entire assembly moves down to become a backpask
and the head rises from the body. All the Q-TFs have a faction sigil
tampographed on the hood, so these three all bear the Autobot logo on their
chests.
Sunstreaker’s
transformation is very different from his G1 self, but check out those tiny
feet. They look like the front of the Lamborghini Countach LP500S he used to
look like. In his Q-TF version, Sunstreaker turns into a Mazda RX-7 FD3S and he
is listed officially as QT-12. The mold is nice but the shoulder joints on mine
were just a little too tight. While you can still see the feet in car mode, the
fact the feet are molded in the same day-glo yellow means you don’t notice
them. I originally didn’t think of getting him, but I believe that it you get
Lambor, you’re supposed to get Sunstreaker to match.
The
biggest change is exhibited by Hot Rod, listed as QT-07. Instead of his
futuristic jet car from 1986’s “Transformers The Movie,” Hot Rod turns into a
more familiar vehicle: a Toyota 86. The car is really super different, but you
got to love that distinctive paint scheme: orange all around with that yellow
flame paint on the hood framing the sigil. The low spoiler on the front also
looks quite good. Props to TakaraTomy for getting that distinctive mug just
right. In an interesting mold detail, Hot Rod’s feet swing all the way into the
hood so you don’t see the feet at all in alt mode. What’s weird is that Hot Rod
is a wave 1 release, but this is not a running change you see in the later
models.
I
love these three Q-TFs. They’re adorable in both modes and call back to their
G! roots while also looking very modern. The other ones I saw looked good too:
the Smokescreen had the right colors, the Wheeljack looked properly boxy .
Truth be told, the Binaltech Optimus Prime’s Nissan GT-R R35 car mode and its
robot mode looked really good (I love me some Nissan GT-R) but I wanted to
stick to the G1 cars. The upcoming line includes mostly retools (Tracks out of
the Crosshairs, Skids out of the Hound and Drift out of the Sunstreaker). It
may be worth looking for the older models in Asian toy stores if you get the
chances as the Autobot Meister (also known as Jazz) comes in a Toyota Sprinter
Trueno AE86 mold that looks like an obvious homage to “Initial D.” The array of
characters represented is fascinating, and take note that the line features two
different “Optimus Prime” characters (the Bayformer and the Binaltech) but
still has the original “Convoy.”
Not
only is the Q-TF line an homage to the Choro-Q, MicroChange and G1 lines, but
each toy comes with a code that allows you to unlock that same character in a
video game called “Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns.” This new game is
a callback to the classically
terrible, impossible-to-defeat side scrolling game “Mystery of Convoy” from
1986 for the Nintendo Family Computer.
Additionally,
the Q TFs are part if what may be the kookiest animated TF series yet—and
that’s saying a lot, when you consider shows like 2000’s “Car Robots.”
“Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns” the TV show features
four-and-a-half minutes of pure TF1 geeky silliness. Don’t be fooled by the
show’s violent, CGI opening, which features heavily-rendered fighting robots
set to the heavy metal sound of OLCODEX’s “Physical.”
When
the show actually begins, it’s always three Q-TFs just hanging around, talking
about their own merchandise. The show always begins with someone playing the
original “Mystery of Convoy” game on a handheld and then complaining how
impossible it is. Yes, a TF playing a TF video game. Yes, this is a self-aware
show, with the characters, most notably the Bayformer Optimus Prime, Bumblebee
and, for some reason, Lockdown, making suggestions for future toy lines. It's done through simple Flash animation (check out the screengarb above from Wikipedia). At one
point, plush TFs are suggested. At another, TFs that turn into the Zodiac signs
are suggested. Lockdown even
suggested a human love triangle between the three of them. In other episodes,
they talk about human expressions. It’s that random and geeky. The Q-TFs
transform back and forth just to emphasize points but nothing—literally nothing—happens
on the show. What’s amazing is that, despite the lack of story and the short
running time, the show has already featured 18 characters from the line in 13
episodes. What’s more, the show has actually been renewed for a second crazy
season!
Q-Transformers
is one of those nicely niche product lines that work for those who like their
TFs cute or enjoy the nostalgic element of the G1 TFs still doing its thing.
These TakaraTomy Q-Transformers were all found at Togs & Games at the Hong Kong
International Airport for HK$70 (Php402.05). Keep an electric eye out for them.
They might just be the thing for you!
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