Transformers: The Headmasters

Transformers: The Headmasters (Japanese: トランスフォーマー ザ★ヘッドマスターズ, Toransufōmā: Za Heddomasutāzu) is a Japanese anime television series that is a part of the Transformers robot superhero franchise. It aired from July 3, 1987 to March 25, 1988, and its 17:00–17:30 timeslot was used to broadcast Mashin Hero Wataru at the end of its broadcast.

Plot
Six years after the decisive battle against Unicron, when a group of rebellious Headmasters led by Weirdwolf joined with Galvatron's Decepticons in an attack on Cybertron, the bot Headmasters, led by Cerebros return to their home planet to aid in its defense. The situation soon gets worse when it is revealed that Vector Sigma, the super-computer at the planet's heart, was destabilizing, and Optimus Prime again sacrifices his life to save Cybertron. This soon proves to be only delaying the inevitable, however, when a bomb attack instigated by Scorponok turns Cybertron into a burnt-out, inhospitable husk. Rodimus Prime departs to search for a new planet for the Transformers to live on, leaving Cerebros in command, operating from the planet Athenia. Meanwhile, Scorponok replaces Galvatron - who had vanished in the explosion - as Decepticon leader, constructing a personal Transtector so that he can battle Cerebros' own giant form, Fortress Maximus, and redubbing himself MegaZarak.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) The English dub is laughably godawful, especially with the voice acting.
 * 2) * Most of the characters, as well as a few objects and items, have different names, possibly due to the scriptwriters being unable to find the correct equivalents for the terms and characters. For example, Blaster is referred to as "Billy", Metroplex is referred to as "Philip", Rodimus Prime (also known as Hot Rod) has his name mispronounced as "Rode-dimus Prime", and the Matrix and Energon Cubes are referred to as "power packs".
 * 3) ** This trait is also shared with a few Autobots and Decepticons during the G1 era of the 1980s that were only introduced in Japan and never made it to North America, such as Raiden being referred to as "Grimlock", Grand Galvatron referred to as "Unicorn", Soundblaster referred to as "New Soundwave" and Twincast as "Blaster".
 * 4) * Almost all of the Autobots and Decepticons that have mouthplates have muffled voices, which makes it almost difficult to understand as to what they are saying.
 * 5) * Wheelie speaks with a Scottish accent and doesn't rhyme at all. His voice also sounds older than he is.
 * 6) * Blurr (referred to as "Wally") speaks rather slowly than really fast like he does in the American G1 cartoon (although this is forgivable since it makes it easier to understand as to what he is saying).
 * 7) * The word "idea" is pronounced with putting more emphasis on the "r" at the end.
 * 8) * The dialogue is, if not, laughably awful, as if the scriptwriters tried so hard as if they weren't even trying.
 * 9) ** The word "enlarge" is sometimes used instead of "transform".
 * 10) ** The Dinobots and Menasor both speak with proper English grammar (For example, Grimlock of the former Autobot group doesn't say "Me, Grimlock" like he did in the previous G1 cartoon).
 * 11) * In the commercial bumpers, the music in the background gets abruptly cut-off followed by someone saying "Head on!" in rather weak tone.
 * 12) Soundwave and Soundblaster (referred to as "New Soundwave" in the English Dub) both completely lack the voice modulation effect (in other words, vocoding) whenever they speak.
 * 13) The narrator almost never stops talking at all, even in the English dub.
 * 14) * Speaking of the English Dub, he seems to pronounce "Decepticon" as "Decepticun".
 * 15) Some of the characters from the American G1 cartoon get flanderized badly:
 * 16) * Cyclonus, who was originally stoic and calculating in terms of his personality, has been reduced to an incompetent comic relief and barely gets any role whatsoever.
 * 17) * Sixshot, who only appeared once in the first part of "The Rebirth", takes up way too much priority as the antagonist.
 * 18) Some of the Autobots and Decepticons from the previous G1 cartoon, as well as the 1986 movie, either rarely make any appearances (mostly as background characters) or don't return at all:
 * 19) *The Autobots that rarely or don't return at all are:
 * 20) ** Optimus Prime (only appears in the first three episodes, and speaking of the third episode, he gets killed again and doesn't get revived later on, leaving Rodimus Prime to take his place)
 * 21) ** Cliffjumper (since the third-fourth seasons of the American G1 cartoon, he became reduced to a background character. However, he never showed up at all in The Headmasters cartoon, which leaves his fate unknown)
 * 22) ** Ironhide (which is understandable because he was killed off in the 1986 movie)
 * 23) ** Ratchet (which is understandable because he was killed off in the 1986 movie)
 * 24) ** Prowl (despite being killed off in the 1986 movie, there is a continuity error where he appears in two episodes)
 * 25) ** Bumblebee, also known as Goldbug (only made four episode appearances)
 * 26) ** Hound (only appeared once in the first episode)
 * 27) ** Mirage (only appeared once in the first episode)
 * 28) ** Wheeljack (only appeared once in the first episode)
 * 29) ** Springer (only made two episode appearances)
 * 30) ** The Dinobots, Grimlock, Slag, Swoop, Snarl and Sludge (only made two episode appearances)
 * 31) *The Decepticons that rarely or don't return at all are:
 * 32) ** Starscream (even though he was killed off in the 1986 movie, he only appeared once in the first episode)
 * 33) ** Thundercracker
 * 34) ** Skywarp (which is understandable because he is now Scourge)
 * 35) ** Thrust (only appeared in one episode)
 * 36) ** Dirge (only appears in two episodes)
 * 37) ** The Insecticons, Shrapnel, Bombshell and Kickback
 * 38) The storyline doesn't feel like a storyline at all.
 * 39) The pacing and action scenes are insufferable.
 * 40) The animation is very bland, even compared to the earlier episodes of preceeding G1 Transformers cartoon, being filled with more animation errors and how the characters are drawn.
 * 41) The show has plenty of mediocre episodes, such as:
 * 42) * "Four Warriors Come out of the Sky" (which started the Headmasters cartoon on a sour note)
 * 43) * "The Mystery of Planet Master"
 * 44) * "Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime"
 * 45) * "Ultra Magnus Dies!!"

Good Qualities

 * 1) At least it gives Sixshot more episodes than the preceeding G1 Transformers cartoon (who only appeared in the first part of "The Rebirth" and had a screen time of one and a half minutes), despite the fact that he was gained too much priority as the antagonist of the show.
 * 2) The Japanese original is more tolerable than the English Dub.
 * 3) The English dub can be considered so bad, it's hilarious, with a few quotes for example:
 * 4) * "This is Unicorn! The Earth will soon become a part of me!"
 * 5) It introduces the Trainbots, a six-member Autobot combiner team. Sadly they were never introduced outside of Japan.
 * 6) Optimus Prime, Chromedome and Rodimus Prime are still likable characters.
 * 7) It does have a few good episodes every now and then, such as "My Friend Sixshot!" and "The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg".

Trivia

 * The English dub of the cartoon, done by Omni Productions, would later spawn internet memes.
 * It replaced the three-part episode series "The Rebirth" from the American Transformers cartoon series from 1985 to 1986, which took place after the events of "The Return of Optimus Prime", when the Transformers brand during the time was imported by Takara to Japan.