Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2000 TV series)

This article is about the 2001 anime. For the 2015 animated TV series, see Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 TV series).

Transformers: Robots in Disguise
United Kingdom ultimate collection DVD cover
トランスフォーマー カーロボット (Toransufōmā: Kā Robotto)
Genre	Mecha, Action, Superhero
Anime television series
Directed by	Osamu Sekita
Produced by	Hisashi Katou Juuroh Sugimura Makiko Iwata Shigero Sugimura
Written by	Junki Takegami
Studio	Studio Gallop Nihon Ad Systems
Licensed by	NA: Saban Entertainment (2001–2002) The Walt Disney Company (2002-present)
Original network	TV Tokyo (2000)
English network	CA: YTV UK: Fox Kids US: Fox Kids (2000-2002) UniMás (2014)
Original run	April 5, 2000 – December 27, 2000
Episodes	39

Transformers: Robots in Disguise, originally known as Transformers: Car Robots (トランスフォーマー カーロボット, Toransufōmā Kārobotto), is an anime television series created by Japanese companies Nihon Ad Systems and Studio Gallop in cooperation with Korean company Dongwoo Animation. It was originally conceived as a reboot with a self-contained universe separate from any of the other existing Transformers universes. It aired in Japan in 2000, and in the United States as part of the Fox Kids programming block from September 8, 2001 to March 30, 2002.

Despite being the first Transformers series to not be connected to the G1 continuity, it was later retconned as part of the Japanese Generation One timeline, but for western version only being separate series. The series was imported to the West as a "filler" line while production on the next series, Transformers: Armada began in 2002, to begin the Unicron Trilogy. The series episodes last 27 minutes each. The series was licensed in the United States by Saban Entertainment. It was one of Saban's last English dubbed anime projects, before the company was sold to Disney in 2002. The rights to this series is currently owned by Disney Enterprises through BVS Entertainment, who acquired the Fox Family/Fox Kids Worldwide franchise in 2001, and who is the owner of the ex-Saban Entertainment/Fox Kids libraries.

Plot

Main article: List of Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 TV series) characters

Megatron captures Dr. Onishi, and the Autobots ally themselves with his son, Koji, vowing to safely recover him from Megatron's clutches. An assortment of plans by Megatron to steal the Earth's energy ensue, led by his subordinate, Sky-Byte, but are stopped by the Autobots, including the newly introduced teams, Team Bullet Train and the Spy Changers. Probing Doctor Onishi's mind, Megatron discovers the significance of an ancient cave system, in which the Autobots discover a coded microchip belonging to the Doctor. After scuffles involving the new Autobot troops Skid-Z and Tow-Line, the microchip leads the Autobots to the Cave of the Dragon, where they discover a mysterious artifact of Cybertronian origin.

Further information decoded from Dr. Onishi's microchip leads the Autobots to the site of a crashed Cybertronian spaceship containing six Autobot protoforms. But Megatron has also learned of the ship through his mind-probes and attacks, capturing the Autobot protoforms and taking them to a nearby military base, where he scans vehicle modes for each of them and infuses them with his own Spark energy, creating the evil Decepticons. The final Autobot protoform scans Optimus Prime in addition to the tanker truck that will be his alternate mode, creating Scourge, a twisted "evil twin" of Optimus. Several battles with the Decepticons ensue, as Sky-Byte grows steadily jealous of the attention Megatron heaps on his new warriors. Amidst battles between the Decepticons and the newly promoted Autobot subgroup, the Build Team, Sky-Byte attempts to prove his worth by holding a tower of humans hostage in exchange for the Autobots' O-Parts, one of which is the artifact from the Cave of the Dragon. The plan meets with failure, but when Sky-Byte saves his hostages' lives, Koji begins to think he might not be all bad. Subsequently, Ultra Magnus, the bitter brother of Optimus Prime, arrives on Earth to claim the Matrix in Prime's possession, leading to an injured Optimus Prime facing certain doom against the Decepticons on a desert island. Magnus offers him the hand of friendship, but it is a ruse to allow Magnus to take the power of the Matrix, with an unexpected side-effect – the two brothers merge into Omega Prime and defeat their foes.

The Predacons and Decepticons attempt to turn Ultra Magnus to their side, but he refuses and channeling the power of the Matrix he and Prime now share, he supercharges the Autobot Brothers, giving them new powered-up forms. The discovery of a mysterious energy field radiating from beneath the Earth's surface leads both sides to the discovery of Fortress Maximus, a colossal Transformer city hidden on the planet to protect it. In the ensuing battles to claim its power, Dr. Onishi is accidentally set free by Sky-Byte. Now with Dr. Onishi advising them, the Autobots begin to put all the pieces together and, under his guidance, quickly locate all the O-Parts, which are combined to form a map that leads to the Orb of Sigma. In a failed attempt to acquire the orb, Megatron is buried in the ruins of a mysterious pyramid, but is resurrected by its energy as Galvatron. The Orb of Sigma soon leads the Autobots to Cerebros, the power key of Fortress Maximus, but he is stolen by the Decepticons and used by Scourge to activate Fortress Maximus, who rampages through the city until Koji calls out to him, and he stops. Experimentation soon makes it obvious that Maximus responds to human bio-signatures, leading the Decepticons to attempt to capture Koji (but accidentally snatching his friend Carl instead). With Maximus active, Scourge makes his power play, attempting to use him to destroy Galvatron, but when the scheme fails, all the Decepticons have their brains wiped. Galvatron proceeds to drain Fortruss Maximus's energy, boosting his already-formidable strength and then releases a swarm of cyber-bats across the Earth, using them to hold the children of the world to ransom to stay Optimus Prime's hand. Believing he has destroyed the Autobots in a lava flow, Galvatron then recalls his bats, but finds that his foes are still alive, leading to a final confrontation with Omega Prime at the Earth's core. The children of the world re-energize Fortress Maximus, who transmits his energy to Optimus Prime, forming the gigantic Matrix Blade, with which Prime finally defeats Galvatron. At the end, the Predacons and Decepticons—all but Sky-Byte—are imprisoned aboard Fortress Maximus and escorted by Ultra Magnus to Cybertronian space, and the remaining Autobots prepare to leave Earth for good after some rest and relaxation.

Release

Episodes

The three clip shows of Robots in Disguise differ between the English and Japanese versions. Both are listed at the appropriate numbers.

#	Title	Japanese title	Writer	Director	US airdate	Japanese Airdate
1	""Battle Protocol!""	初出動! ファイヤーコンボイ First Deployment! Fire Convoy	Junki Takegami (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui, Akira Katō	September 8, 2001 (2001-09-08)	April 5, 2000
Predacons have come! The Autobots must defeat a gigantic hand!
2	""An Explosive Situation""	高速バトル! ゲルシャーク High Speed Battle! Gelshark	Junki Takegami (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui, Akira Katō	September 10, 2001 (2001-09-10)	April 12, 2000
3	""Bullet Train to the Rescue""	合体せよ! 新幹線ロボ Unite! Bullet Train Robo	Yukiyoshi Ōhashi (JP) Steve Kramer (US)	Akira Katō	September 12, 2001 (2001-09-12)	April 19, 2000
4	""Spychangers to the Rescue""	忍者ロボ! スパイチェンジャー参上 Ninja Robo! Enter the Spychangers	Kazuhiko Gōdo (JP) Richard Epcar (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	September 13, 2001 (2001-09-13)	April 26, 2000
5	""The Hunt for Black Pyramid""	決死のジャンプ! マッハアラート Resolute Jump! Mach Alert	Tadashi Hayakawa (JP) Marc Handler (US)	Akira Katō	September 14, 2001 (2001-09-14)	May 3, 2000
6	""The Secret of the Ruins""	ギガトロンの襲撃! Gigatron's Raid!	Junki Takegami (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	October 11, 2001 (2001-10-11)	May 10, 2000
7	""Sideburn's Obsession""	スピードブレイカーの危機! Speedbreaker's Crisis!	Yukiyoshi Ōhashi (JP) Richard Epcar (US)	Akira Katō	September 15, 2001 (2001-09-15)	May 17, 2000
8	""Secret Weapon: D-5""	謎の兵器! D5 Mysterious Weapon! D5	Kazuhiko Gōdo (JP) Marc Handler (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	September 17, 2001 (2001-09-17)	May 24, 2000
9	""Mirage's Betrayal""	カウンターアローの裏切り!? Counterarrow's Betrayal!?	Tadashi Hayakawa (JP) Richard Epcar (US)	Akira Katō	September 18, 2001 (2001-09-18)	May 31, 2000
10	""Skid Z's Choice""	爆走! インディーヒート!! Out of Control! Indy Heat!!	Junki Takegami (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	September 19, 2001 (2001-09-19)	June 7, 2000
11	""Tow-Line Goes Haywire""	駐車違反だ! レッカーフック Parking Violation! Wrecker Hook	Yukiyoshi Ōhashi (JP) Matthew V. Lewis (US)	Akira Katō	September 20, 2001 (2001-09-20)	June 14, 2000
12	""The Ultimate Robot Warrior""	究極! 大仏トランスフォーマー The Ultimate Extreme! The Large Buddha Statue Transformer	Kazuhiko Gōdo (JP) Richard Epcar (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	September 21, 2001 (2001-09-21)	June 21, 2000
13	""Hope for the Future""	ギガトロンの野望を暴け! Gigatron's Ambitions Revealed!	Junki Takegami (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Osamu Sekita	October 26, 2001 (2001-10-26)	June 28, 2000
14	""The Decepticons""	敵? 味方!? ブラックコンボイ Friend? Foe!? Black Convoy	Junki Takegami (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Akira Katō	September 22, 2001 (2001-09-22)	July 5, 2000
15	""Commandos""	5体合体! バルディガス Quintuple Merge! Baldigus	Yukiyoshi Ōhashi (JP) Marc Handler (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	September 24, 2001 (2001-09-24)	July 12, 2000
16	""Volcano""	対決! ふたりのコンボイ! En Garde! Two Convoys!	Tadashi Hayakawa (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Akira Katō	September 25, 2001 (2001-09-25)	July 19, 2000
17	""Attack from Outer Space""	宇宙から狙え! シャトラー!! Aiming from Space! Shuttler!!	Kazuhiko Gōdo (JP) Matthew V. Lewis (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	January 12, 2002 (2002-01-12)	July 26, 2000
18	""The Test""	正義に目覚めよ! ブラックコンボイ Awaken to Righteousness! Black Convoy	Junki Takegami (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Akira Katō	September 26, 2001 (2001-09-26)	August 2, 2000
19	""The Fish Test""	秘密作戦! ゲルシャーク Secret Strategy! Gelshark	Yukiyoshi Ōhashi (JP) Marc Handler (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	September 27, 2001 (2001-09-27)	August 9, 2000
20	""Wedge's Short Fuse""	熱血戦士! ビルドマスター Hot-Blooded Warriors! Buildmasters	Junki Takegami (JP) Richard Epcar (US)	Akira Katō	September 28, 2001 (2001-09-28)	August 16, 2000
21	""Landfill""	四体合体! ビルドキング Quadruple Merge! Build King	Yukiyoshi Ōhashi (JP) Richard Epcar (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	June 22, 2002 (2002-06-22)	August 23, 2000
22	""Sky-Byte Saves the Day""	正義の味方? ゲルシャーク Friend of Righteousness? Gelshark	Tadashi Hayakawa (JP) Matthew V. Lewis (US)	Akira Katō	June 23, 2002 (2002-06-23)	August 30, 2000
23	""A Test of Metal""	狙われたビルドマスター Targeted Buildmasters	Kazuhiko Gōdo (JP) Richard Epcar (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	September 29, 2001 (2001-09-29)	September 6, 2000
24	""Ultra Magnus""	登場! ゴッドマグナス Enter! God Magnus	Junki Takegami (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Akira Katō	October 6, 2001 (2001-10-06)	September 13, 2000
25	""Ultra Magnus: Forced Fusion!""	強制合体! ゴッドファイヤーコンボイ Forced Fusion! God Fire Convoy	Junki Takegami (JP) Matthew V. Lewis (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	October 13, 2001 (2001-10-13)	September 20, 2000
26	""Lessons of the Past""	集結せよ! 新戦士たち Assemble! New Troops	Junki Takegami (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Osamu Sekita	December 14, 2001 (2001-12-14)	September 27, 2000
27	""The Two Faces of Ultra Magnus""	絶体絶命! カーロボ3兄弟 Stalemate! 3 Car Robo Brothers	Yukiyoshi Ōhashi (JP) Michael McConnohie (US)	Akira Katō	October 20, 2001 (2001-10-20)	October 4, 2000
28	""Power to Burn!""	発動! ダブルマトリクス Invoke! Double Matrix	Tadashi Hayakawa (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	October 19, 2001 (2001-10-19)	October 11, 2000
29	""Fortress Maximus""	浮上! サイバトロンシティ Arise! Cybertron City	Kazuhiko Gōdo (JP) Richard Epcar (US)	Akira Katō	October 27, 2001 (2001-10-27)	October 18, 2000
30	""Koji Gets His Wish""	JRX 対 バルディガス JRX versus Baldigus	Junki Takegami (JP) Richard Epcar (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	November 3, 2001 (2001-11-03)	October 25, 2000
31	""A Friendly Contest""	ゲルシャークの罠 Gelshark's Trap	Yukiyoshi Ōhashi (JP) Matthew V. Lewis (US)	Akira Katō	November 10, 2001 (2001-11-10)	November 1, 2000
32	""Peril from the Past""	最後の鍵? さよならアイ The Final Key? Farewell, Ai	Tadashi Hayakawa (JP) Michael McConnohie (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	November 17, 2001 (2001-11-17)	November 8, 2000
33	""Maximus Emerges""	奪われたプラズマ Stolen Plasma	Kazuhiko Gōdo (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Akira Katō	February 16, 2002 (2002-02-16)	November 15, 2000
34	""The Human Element""	ブレイブマキシマスの謎 The Mystery of Brave Maximus	Junki Takegami (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	February 23, 2002 (2002-02-23)	November 22, 2000
35	""Mystery of the Ultra Magnus""	ゲルシャークの憂鬱 Gelshark's Blues	Junki Takegami (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Osamu Sekita	March 30, 2002 (2002-03-30)	November 29, 2000
36	""Mistaken Identity""	ブラックコンボイの野望 Black Convoy's Ambition	Yukiyoshi Ōhashi (JP) Michael McConnohie (US)	Akira Katō	March 2, 2002 (2002-03-02)	December 6, 2000
37	""Surprise Attack!""	ブレイブマキシマスの起動! Brave Maximus's Rise!	Tadashi Hayakawa (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	March 9, 2002 (2002-03-09)	December 13, 2000
38	""Galvatron's Revenge""	逆襲! デビルギガトロン! Counterattack! Devil Gigatron!	Junki Takegami (JP) Richard Epcar (US)	Akira Katō	March 16, 2002 (2002-03-16)	December 20, 2000
39	""The Final Battle""	最後の戦い! ファイヤーコンボイ Final Battle! Fire Convoy	Junki Takegami (JP) Tom Wyner (US)	Yoshiaki Tsutsui	March 23, 2002 (2002-03-23)	December 27, 2000

External links

• Official NAS website (in Japanese)