Choro-Q Transformers
Optimus, Megatron and Rodimus

Type: Choro-Q Super Deformed Transformers
Manufacturer: Takara
Price: 980 yen
Out now, released only in Japan

I had a long overdue Choro-Q Optimus review to be uploaded, so now's a good opportunity to do it, along with the newly released Megatron and Rodimus Prime figures.

A brief introduction to the Choro-Q series. The line was originally one of Takara's kid's toys featuring little super-deformed vehicles, some of which came with larger vehicles of the same type which could unfold into a playsets of sorts, not unlike the Micromachine playsets from a few years back. Some time back they released a red trailer cab with Autobot symbols (you know who!) as a convention exclusive, and from there the idea to combine the Choro-Q and Transformer licenses (Both owned by Takara) carried on to what it is today. These are the first 3 in a new line of Super-Deformed (ie, big head, small body cuties) Transformers which actually transform from one cute robot into a cute...whatever else it is they turn into. Each character comes in two colours. They are mass retail items in Japan, not candy premiums or the such.

OPTIMUS PRIME / CONVOY

The great leader of the Autobots was the first release in this line. Based on the original Optimus Prime, the toy colours feature him in either his colours a la the animated show (Bright red body, Blue eyes and cab windows) or the original toy's colours (Dark red body, yellow eyes and brown-tinted windows). A simple transformation turns him into his famous cab form, complete with trailer, in the same scale as the small vehicles of the Choro-Q line.

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Features: Besides the transformation ability, Prime comes with his trademark laser rifle, scaled down to the same squattish shape as he, mounted on an arm of plastic that you have to pry it off. Also, his fore-wheels have a pullback mechanism that will be the standard in this series, it seems. Pull him back in vehicle mode and watch him go!

What is utterly disappointing is his size, or rather, the lack of it. From pictures and announcement of pricing (980 yen) I had expected a good 10cm or so of plastic. Prime stands only at 6cm in full height, and in truck mode he's about 7.5cm long. Puny, but with Choro-Qs being as small as they are, I guess I should have expected it.

MEGATRON

The dastardly leader of the Decepticons is finally released, in the second wave of Choro-Q Transformers which also includes Rodimus Prime / Rodimus Convoy (below). Designed in the same way as Optimus Prime, Megatron transforms from a cute robot to a cute gun that looks more like a kiddie waterpistol. He also comes in 2 colours. One is the standard Megatron as seen on the Television series, and the other is a black number with a brown grip, resembling the black exclusive repaint of the rerelease version of the actual Megatron toy. This is the former, but both are identical except for the colour scheme.
Megatron....is odd. It's a bit of a turnoff not being able to have his trademark BLACK fusion cannon stuck to his right arm, but here it needs to be grey in order to follow the overall colour scheme of grey. It is this, or having a black barrel, which would look even stranger. I am however most disappointed in the face, which bears little resemblance to the actual character. It gets more frustrating to see that the prototype, featured on the back of the box, has a much better likeness! Even down to the black triangle features on his forehead, something which the actual toy does not have.	The production quality of the piece is also not of a very satisfactory standard. The plastic and paints used are very glossy and I would have very much preferred the matte look that the prototype has. The worst has to be the Decepticon sign, which, while printed clearly on the prototype, is a blur on the toy. The little eyes on the insignia have blurred so badly that they cannot be made out at all! There's no excuse for this as the Autobots all have very nice, very clearly printed decals. What is nice is that due to his transformation, Megatron has fullmotion shoulder joints, which places him in first place in terms of articulation. The 2 Autobots have but normal rotating shoulders and nothing else. Going back to the oddity of this piece, here's something else. This is a picture of the BACK portion of the gun. It is understandable that in order for the transformation to work, the aesthetics of one side profile have to be sacrificed. I have no problem with that. What is ODD is that they decided it would be a nice place to put wheels, and the pull-back mechanism. So Megatron, like Prime before him, can speed along too. Forget about being faster than a speeding bullet, here's a speeding gun! Vroom Vroom!

RODIMUS PRIME / RODIMUS CONVOY

The not-so-great leader of the Autobots is the other item that was released the same time as Megatron. By this time you should be getting a good grasp of what pics mean what, so there's little to explain about the toy. The colour variation features Rodimus sporting either his bright coloured animated look(as seen on the picture on the box), or a darker metallic look (featured here). He comes with his signature gun, this time not attached to anything, so there's no need to pry it off a frame and spoil the paintjob. A nice improvement over Optimus.
There isn't that much to say about Rodimus except that I like the metallic version better than time. The pullback mechanism is placed in his cab/chest, which makes sense; not a hard thing when it comes to the Autobots, I guess (How would they handle a Choro-Q Grimlock, I wonder?). Rodimus is the bulkiest one of the three released so far, and he does look a little strange from the side as his arms are placed quite far from the front. Like Megatron, Rodimus too differs from the prototype, this time for the better. Originally looking bloated and full of gas, the production piece features a nicer, sleeker sculpt with well-defined cheeks. Ooooh!

While in the beginning I thought I'd only be getting optimus for his own sake, now it seems I'm starting another collection! Having more than one squatty dwarf of a Transformer character is too hard to resist doing! So while I'm at it, I might as well scream like a mad fan: I wanna see Grimlock, Soundwave, Shockwave, Jazz, Bumblebee and the rest of the old G1 gang done like this! But the next release better be the coolest decepticon of all.....STARSCREAM! Wooo, who needs Veritechs! And they could reuse the molds easily to make Skywarp and Thundercracker easy! PLUS, the variant figure could be...the GHOST OF STARSCREAM! Ha ha ha ha haaa....

~20/12/01~