2005 Boards member SydneyY has kindly translated for us a very informative interview posted on the official Takara-Tomy Transformers website with toy designer Shogo Hasui. Nicknamed “Mr Starscream”, Mr Hasui is responsible for the design of Starscreams from Armada, Energon, Cybertron, Classics and the 2007 Movie line, as well as other cool toys such as Wing Saber and Beast Machines Skydive. This interview also gives some more background into the creative process of the Transformers line and the relationship with Dreamworks in realizing the robots you see on the big screen for the live action movies as toys. Click here to read the full interview, then talk about it on our 2005 Boards by clicking on the discuss button.
Paxtin
Heh, I actually like the look of Alternity Megatron. So it actually does matter how you cut it. Again, it's that pesky little matter of personal opinon.
Just because you hate it, doesn't mean the same goes for everyone else.
And sure, just because it's a newer toy, doesn't automatically make it good. But in the larger picture, the engineering of transformers have still come a long way to where they were just a few years ago.
I will admit Q/C probalems with paint aps and loose joints have been the biggest problem lately. But I find it hard to believe that kind of thing is something that's exclusive to recent toys.
Fair enough. I really don't care if you hate it or not. But people who disagree with you will still debate your statements.
saberconvoy
Really nice interview
rizuan76
Great job Syd! (as always on these Japanese interviews). a very insightful interview.
@RedAlert Rescue: Bro if you're all that jaded with all the current TF lines & whatnots, I suggest you might as well consider taking a breather from collecting TFs for awhile. as for me I'm thankful enough that the TF franchise is alive & kickin' after all these years.
Thundercrackah
Oh Mighty Maximal, your name may be different but you're still one crazy cat.
Wh33ls
A very informative, insightful and ejoyable read.
It makes me appreciate more the time and energy spent by designers for the enigineering processes on each toy.
Thanks for the translations SydneyY!
Now I have a better understanding as to why almost every Anime/Japanese mecha based toy line/video games has those damn drill vehicles/weapons.
Shizuka
I love to draw and design, maybe when I move to Japan I could work for TakaraTomy
DeeJay
I can't articulate any better, at the moment, than those who have already responded. And I realize that you've made your mind up, and no amount of argument can change your opinion.
But most of what I want to say, and emphasize, boils down to a reply to the following quote, and it goes something like this:
You have two weeks, starting this moment.
On Monday, June 1st, by 2:30am Eastern Daylight Time (7:30am GMT), please present to the world by reply to this thread, your attempt to do better. Make a completely new Rhinox design, and don't squash the alt mode proportions, have things hovering in mid-air, or ignore any design problems. And in the name of all that is holy, do NOT come at us with another chain-gun-toting, bow-legged, gas-passing, drill-weapon-shunning, neon-green-and-earth-tone monstrosity in brick form.
Note: This message was not composed or posted in anger or with any malice. I am genuinely interested in whether the Original Poster can surmount the challenge. If anyone else would also like to accept the challenge, so much better the outcome, pass or fail. I myself plan to design a better TF in the future.
Paxtin
lol Well that's you opinon.
Frankly, I think Transformers have come a long way since the days of the Unicron Trilogy. The Animated line probably shows the most growth in way of ingenuity in design, even if you don't like the art style.
I really don't see anything in the past that is somehow better then what's being made now. Sure past lines do have some toys that are still pretty good. It's usually those that were the ones that paved the way for the improvments seen in the newer toys today.
And sure, you're going to get your few flops here and there. That's always going to happen. But even then sometimes that's still just perosnal opinon. I still hear some people who do in fact like classics Galvatron.(In fact, I myself don't think he's that bad.)
So just because the line isn't personally catering specifically to your tastes doesn't mean it's failing, it just means it's got nothing for you right now.
Just like the days of the Unicron trilogy was for me. Just wait it out for when they come back around to something that's more to your liking.
Just think of all the money you'll save.
Terrorcon Blot
What your rant implies is that it lacks character appeal for your tastes.
I didn't do much shopping this year, because Animated character didn't appeal to me. They're great toys, wonderfully engineered, but I just don't like them. Conversely, I am in love with the movie character appeal.
As well, you must have pretty twisted standards if you think Universe Cheetor is a worse toy than BM Cheetor.
RedAlert Rescue
I forgot to say thanks for the Translation in the first place, sorry that was neglectful of me.
Personally I'm sort of writing off the rest of 2009/2010 – what they seem to be making seems averageware to me – it lacks something in terms of character appeal as a lot of the characters are new ones like the twins or rather non humanoid looking ones like the bikes and some of the Constructicons. And I prefer them a bit more humanoid in general and I like to see likeable characters the odd weird one is fine but there's rather a lot of odd ones this year.
Hasbro being so movie focused to the exclusion of everything else is a bit disapointing to me to and I hope they return to something more Universe like in 2011 now we know Michael's taking a year off hopefully they can return to non-movie themes before to long.
I'd like to see them make some more Mini-bot homages as Legends toys for example Seaspray and Windcharger, as well as the remainder of the MTMTE cast like Jazz or Trailbreaker as Deluxes at some point.
frilly toothpick
interesting interview.
Sonscreen
That was pretty insightful. Thanks for the Engrish translation Syd!
Paxtin
Awesome quote.
I like how he was open to the idea of doing something different with the movie designs, as he mentioned in the bit with Starscream.
I also liked the movie Prime concept model they made out of what looks like Energon(Superlink) Prime parts. lol that's neat.
Very cool read.
ninety
Interesting read, cheers for taking the time to translate it SydneyY
Kaymac
Very enlightening interview. Sideswipe's my favourite from ROTF too.
I didn't know much that the process of designing the robots and alt-modes was so hard before reading this. I know combiners and triple-changers can give a designer a hard time, but when they are finally done, they are some of the funnest TFs! Hasui does a great job on all of the Starscream toys too, I have two of the ones Hasui has designed, and I like them both. I am definately a fan of this designer now!
Golden Age
radical
Glitch
Very rarely is a single person responsible for a Transformers from concept to production. Generally, several concepts are generated and submitted, and, once a direction is decided upon, a lead designer, or designers, are assigned to flesh the piece out to final production.
It is very much a group effort.
When a Transformer is designed from scratch, you will usually see the initial designer take a more commanding role in the process.
.
Aernaroth
This is great. SydneyY, you're great. Awesome, awesome job.
Psychrome86
Sydney's the man!