DVD review (region 2, 14-disc box set)
Starring the voices of Isamu Tanonaka, Hiroshi Takemura, Miyoko Aoba, Hideyuki Tanaka
Release date Out now

Fans of robots with a penchant for disguises are in for a treat as the legendary Japanese Transformers adventures make their way to our shores…

We’ve got a lot to thank the 1980s for: Thundercats, big hair-powered stadium rock, and Transformers – all of which strutted their stuff with a larger than life attitude 20-odd years ago. These may all be examples of nostalgic ‘guilty pleasures’, but Transformers transcends its era thanks to its timeless characters.

A boys’ toy that could shift and twist its way from vehicle mode into bad-ass robot was fried gold waiting to happen, and the possibilities for accompanying TV series and comic books were infinite. Fans’ adoration for the well-crafted characters and their ever-expanding backstories stretched well into the 1990s and beyond, and so an updated live-action movie was inevitable. Cue: Michael Bay’s recent smash-a-thon hit film, and the birth of a whole new generation of Transformers fan.

This massive 14-disc DVD box set revisits the much-heralded Generation One of the Transformers universe. Although the cartoon saga originally came to end after four US seasons, in Japan, the epic story was far from over…

Kicking off with Headmasters – the first collection of this box set’s ‘Takara trilogy’ – UK fans can now experience how the Takara universe continued the Cybertronian wars. Along with many familiar (toy) names and characters, Headmasters featured some characters in animation for the first time. Scorponok is here, as is Fortress Maximus, and this season packs several action-packed punches.

Next up, Super-God Masterforce brings human characters more into the story, including a spin on the Pretenders characters, with humans becoming Transformers themselves. The Godmasters – the most powerful sentient machines – bring a slice of Armageddon to the fray.

Lastly, the Victory season brings the most unfamiliar of all the Transformers together for some serious robot-on-robot metal mashing. Although the characters in Victory will be largely unknown even to the die-hard Trans-fans, if you like your mech action, there are more than enough full metal jacket moments for you here.

The success of a universe like Transformers is largely down to the talent of its vocal cast. Having these stories voiced by different actors, and in a different accent, is at first a little jarring. But when you consider the intonation, effort, and sound effects used (including some great synthesised vocals, a la Soundwave), you soon find yourself happily following the English subtitles and enjoying the action.

And, for the love of Optimus Prime, whatever you do, do NOT switch to the English dubbed version. The US cartoon cast just don’t have the same gravitas as their Japanese counterpoints, and the translated vocal performances here are truly awful. Paul Terry

VERDICT: 7/10
Whether you’re a die-hard robots in disguise nut, massive mech fan, or simply riding the nostalgia wave fuelled by the recent Michael Bay movie, Transfomers: The Complete Takara Collection is a worthy addition into your animated DVD collection.

Click here for all the latest adventures in the official Transformers comic!