by the fans for the fans

LadyGrimes wrote: Well in that case it would probably make a lot more sense if it was said that she dyed her hair instead of it being green-ish and fading to blond. She also must have stuck her finger in a light socket as a kid too and as result a permanent afro.

It wasn't an afro, she had long hair but kept it up, we see that a-lot here in Texas, "Big Hair", never liked it myself, but as a combat pilot, wearing a helmet & all, she would need to keep it short like Marie Crystal (even hers is a little long) or have it up in a bun.

DR-052 wrote:

LadyGrimes wrote: Well in that case it would probably make a lot more sense if it was said that she dyed her hair instead of it being green-ish and fading to blond. She also must have stuck her finger in a light socket as a kid too and as result a permanent afro.

It wasn't an afro, she had long hair but kept it up, we see that a-lot here in Texas, "Big Hair", never liked it myself, but as a combat pilot, wearing a helmet & all, she would need to keep it short like Marie Crystal (even hers is a little long) or have it up in a bun.

Well I always thought it was an afro and on the old days of Rt.com a lot of others referred to it a such and so it just stuck with me. But I still think a can of hair spray must've come with every uniform. Dana wasn't the only character with big hair so to speak. In fact you could probably do a remake of "Hairspray" with the cast of Southern Cross.

Back on topic :

In retrospect, the creators of Transformers made two mistakes. First, they overlooked the differences between children, teenagers/adolescents and adults. Children tend not to like characters dying. Second, they did not realize that whenever you suddenly chance the main cast, you risk losing the original audience. The latter does not only apply to children's programmes, it has happened with all kinds of tv series.

Robotech killed off a lot of characters in # 36 and then changed cast and scene in # 37 (and again in # 61). Forums like these tend to be visited by those who stuck around untill the end of the show. Yet every online description of the Robotech series I have read so far mentioned the original series being relatively unsuccesfull the first time around: at least with the intended target audience.

I recall not liking season three of Transformers as much as the first two and not liking the 'racing' episodes of M.A.S.K. as much as the earlier ones. On the latter: I did not understand why some characters had suddenly changed costumes and vehicles. Even as a kid, I found it strange that, all of a sudden, all the members of V.E.N.O.M. knew the names and faces of the members of M.A.S.K.

Children might have lost interest anyway because the cast got changed twice. However, had not so many characters been killed in #36, there would have been an opening for them to return later on.

Don't forget: even with 'The Lion King', a lot of children cried when Simba's father died.

With the visitors of these kind of forums being way beyond the primary school age, is it possible that this aspect gets ignored?

Peter Young wrote: Back on topic :

In retrospect, the creators of Transformers made two mistakes. First, they overlooked the differences between children, teenagers/adolescents and adults. Children tend not to like characters dying. Second, they did not realize that whenever you suddenly chance the main cast, you risk losing the original audience. The latter does not only apply to children's programmes, it has happened with all kinds of tv series.

Robotech killed off a lot of characters in # 36 and then changed cast and scene in # 37 (and again in # 61). Forums like these tend to be visited by those who stuck around untill the end of the show. Yet every online description of the Robotech series I have read so far mentioned the original series being relatively unsuccesfull the first time around: at least with the intended target audience.

I recall not liking season three of Transformers as much as the first two and not liking the 'racing' episodes of M.A.S.K. as much as the earlier ones. On the latter: I did not understand why some characters had suddenly changed costumes and vehicles. Even as a kid, I found it strange that, all of a sudden, all the members of V.E.N.O.M. knew the names and faces of the members of M.A.S.K.

Children might have lost interest anyway because the cast got changed twice. However, had not so many characters been killed in #36, there would have been an opening for them to return later on.

Don't forget: even with 'The Lion King', a lot of children cried when Simba's father died.

With the visitors of these kind of forums being way beyond the primary school age, is it possible that this aspect gets ignored?

Well I completely understand why some kids would lose interest when introduced to new characters, cause you no longer have that familiarity. I remember watching the series when it aired on Toonami back in the mid 90's and loved it, at least the macross saga anyway, but then after episode #36 I was thinking that's it? And then lo and behold here comes Southern Cross and I just didn't experience the same excitement. It was more of, who are these characters? What happened to the ones before, are they just gone?

It wasn't until I got a little older and tracked the series down that I found out there was more and I just didn't get to see it. I didn't know the Sentinels nor New Generation existed until I got on the internet. Looking back on that now I think it's stupid that Toonami didn't air New Gen just because Lancer was a cross-dresser, I mean my gawd what was the big deal? They obviously aired the series in its entirety in the 80's so what changed in the 90's?

LadyGrimes wrote: It wasn't until I got a little older and tracked the series down that I found out there was more and I just didn't get to see it. I didn't know the Sentinels nor New Generation existed until I got on the internet. Looking back on that now I think it's stupid that Toonami didn't air New Gen just because Lancer was a cross-dresser, I mean my gawd what was the big deal? They obviously aired the series in its entirety in the 80's so what changed in the 90's?

Curious, did Toonami air Ranma 1/2? Because that's about a boy who TURNS INTO a girl and then back again with hot/cold water

Alpha Bravo wrote:

LadyGrimes wrote: It wasn't until I got a little older and tracked the series down that I found out there was more and I just didn't get to see it. I didn't know the Sentinels nor New Generation existed until I got on the internet. Looking back on that now I think it's stupid that Toonami didn't air New Gen just because Lancer was a cross-dresser, I mean my gawd what was the big deal? They obviously aired the series in its entirety in the 80's so what changed in the 90's?

Curious, did Toonami air Ranma 1/2? Because that's about a boy who TURNS INTO a girl and then back again with hot/cold water

I can't remember to be honest. What I do remember is that both RT and old school Voltron were later replaced with Sailor Moon and DBZ. Of course with SM the gay male characters were written as female and later on when Neptune and Uranus were introduced they were written as really close "friends" even though it was clear as day they were lesbian lovers. But now that society is a little less homo/transphobic today it obviously wouldn't be an issue.

Peter Young wrote: Robotech killed off a lot of characters in # 36 and then changed cast and scene in # 37 (and again in # 61). Forums like these tend to be visited by those who stuck around until the end of the show.
Children might have lost interest anyway because the cast got changed twice. However, had not so many characters been killed in #36, there would have been an opening for them to return later on.

When I was a kid (in the 80's) I watched the whole thing.

LadyGrimes wrote: I remember watching the series when it aired on Toonami back in the mid 90's and loved it, at least the macross saga anyway, but then after episode #36 I was thinking that's it? And then lo and behold here comes Southern Cross and I just didn't experience the same excitement.

Looking back on that now I think it's stupid that Toonami didn't air New Gen just because Lancer was a cross-dresser ... They obviously aired the series in its entirety in the 80's so what changed in the 90's?

when I saw #36, I thought the same thing, but TV Guide showed "Robotech" in it's next normal slot so I watched, and there were new characters, some of the ones shown in the start&end credits I hadn't seen before, "so here they are". and, when it ended, some others in those credits still hadn't been seen yet, so I took heart and kept watching. I remember the commercial stated "3 generations" of Earth defenders. so when Southern Cross ended I wasn't too worried (just upset at loosing 'my' Dana - teen boy ). It was at "Reflex Point" that I got upset, hoping they would continue, but they didn't. like you, I was an adult before I learned of (and ordered) Sentinels. Just wish that had been continued (or would restart now - Shadow Chronicles jumps ahead )

DR-052 wrote: when I saw #36, I thought the same thing, but TV Guide showed "Robotech" in it's next normal slot so I watched, and there were new characters, some of the ones shown in the start&end credits I hadn't seen before, "so here they are". and, when it ended, some others in those credits still hadn't been seen yet, so I took heart and kept watching. I remember the commercial stated "3 generations" of Earth defenders. so when Southern Cross ended I wasn't too worried (just upset at loosing 'my' Dana - teen boy ). It was at "Reflex Point" that I got upset, hoping they would continue, but they didn't. like you, I was an adult before I learned of (and ordered) Sentinels. Just wish that had been continued (or would restart now - Shadow Chronicles jumps ahead )

I preferred the Sentinels story arc and still do. I never was a fan of Shadow Chronicles tbh.

LadyGrimes wrote: I preferred the Sentinels story arc and still do. I never was a fan of Shadow Chronicles tbh.

It seems silly to declare Sentinels non-canon, to "make room for" Shadow Chronicles, when Shadow Chronicles borrows several characters and elements from Sentinels anyway. Also the fact that it still doesn't answer what the Sentinels crew were actually doing during that time, and as a "continuation" of that story, doesn't get in the way to begin with.