As one of the most successful franchises in American pop culture history, The Transformers have entered their 25th year in the public eye. Based on Hasbro's toy line of the same name (which, in turn, was based on a Japanese toy line by Takara), their success established a strong connection between animation and marketing for younger audiences. Case in point: Hasbro's own G.I. Joe was relaunched in 1982---just two years prior to The Transformers---and after an FCC regulation was dropped in 1984 (which prohibited companies from broadcasting product-based animated shows), all bets were off. The swift success of The Transformers that year was also due to a Marvel Comics line based on the toys, which led to an avalanche of sales, spin-offs...and, of course, the infamous 1986 motion picture. In short, you'd be hard-pressed to find a thirty-something not familiar with this group of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron.

The first season of the 1984 animated series proved that even the thinnest of concepts can be sold to kids successfully. Our story begins nearly four million years ago on Cybertron, where the honorable Autobots (led by Optimus Prime) battle the dastardly Decepticons (led by Megatron). Their conflict is not unlike the relationship between Tom & Jerry: the Autobots and Decepticons have never gotten along and probably never will. After crash-landing on Earth, they awaken in modern times and quickly resume their conflict, this time fighting for the energy it would require to return home. 16 episodes comprised the premiere season of The Transformers ---and although its initial success was massive, the first animated series would be virtually gone from domestic television within four years. Subsequent relaunches (including Generation 2, BeastWars and the newer live-action movies, among others) have kept the Transformers name alive during the last few decades, but many die-hard fans consider the 1984-87 series as its creative pinnacle.

The second season of The Transformers, as expected, doesn't change the established formula much; aside from the typical "good vs. evil" plots and over-the-top action, plenty of new supporting characters are introduced to expand the Transformers universe...and to sell more toys, of course. This four-disc set includes the first 28 episodes from Season 2 in their original production order, leaving 21 episodes for the second volume (which precedes Transformers: The Movie and the final two seasons). For now, this four-disc episode list includes 28 animated adventures in the following order:

Again, it's no secret that The Transformers---or most animated shows aimed squarely at kids, for that matter---focused its attention on marketable characters, not compelling storylines. At its heart, The Transformers presents a simple tale of good vs. evil, while even the most complex problems are typically resolved within a 23-minute timeframe. This second season features a slight change in tone: though the adventures are varied and often entertaining, the urgency of the first season has been scaled back a bit. If kids didn't fully realize that The Transformers was nothing more than an extended commercial during the first year, it's painfully obvious by this point. The following year's animated feature---which yours truly saw in theaters as a wide-eyed seven year-old---would hammer the point home dramatically, killing off beloved characters to make room for the new line of toys.

Even so, there's some good material here; what's more, it can be watched sequentially or browsed through. Aside from the occasional two-parter (a hallmark of Transformers and G.I. Joe, among others), there's very little in the way of an overall story arc. Standout episodes include "Changing Gears" (in which a normally grouchy Autobot undergoes a drastic personality change), "A Prime Problem" (two Optimus Primes for the price of one!), several of the two-part episodes (especially fan favorite "Dinobot Island" and "Megatron's Master Plan"), "Microbots" (Megatron uncovers a powerful relic on the Deceptions' ancient crash-landed ship) and "Golden Lagoon" (in which "Electrum" is discovered, which grants invincibility to those who have it). There really aren't any genuine clunkers in the bunch here, though most of the highs don't approach the level of certain Season 1 episodes. Even so, The Transformers remains one of the most consistent and enduring Saturday morning spectacles from the decade of excess.

Originally released on DVD by Rhino earlier in the decade, Transformers has been granted a technical upgrade---or "purification", more specifically---by pop culture enthusiasts Shout Factory. Episodes are presented in their original broadcast format, including commercial bumpers and opening/closing credit sequences. In addition to a series of visual corrections and a new audio mix, these 26 episodes are presented in their order of production...not in order of airdate, as advertised on various websites. Overall, casual fans should be satisfied with this sleek four-disc package from top to bottom.

NOTE: Shout Factory will release a complete series collection on October 20th---but for those who don't have $170 laying around (or aren't interested in extra bonus features), this four-disc set offers plenty of bang for the buck. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Video & Audio Quality

It's not a perfect picture, but die-hard Transformers fans should appreciate what Shout Factory has done here. Though the original Rhino collections weren't bad in certain respects, they were apparently taken from workprint sources and featured a number of technical inconsistencies; these included animation/voice errors and incorrect colors, in most cases. Shout Factory describes the situation as follows: "Transformers DVDs released prior to our 25th Anniversary Edition were missing animation seen in the original broadcast. We did extensive research, found the discrepancies between the original broadcast masters and the restored masters used for the last DVD release, reinserted the correct animation, and color corrected it as best we could to match the shots before and after."

While I don't have the out-of-print Rhino collection on hand to cite specific examples, it's evident that Shout Factory went to great lengths for the fans here. The 1.33:1 transfers look relatively clean and clear with crisp colors, though instances of dirt and debris---not to mention a few pesky interlacing issues and occasional softness---keep this collection from looking even better. With that said, these episodes are taken from a video source, so don't expect perfection and you'll be satisfied. Overall, this collection certainly offers a visual improvement, at least from a purist's point of view.

There's more good news in the technical department, as Shout Factory has created a new Dolby Digital 2.0 mix from the original audio source. This is a tastefully-done audio track and disregards all of the "new" effects found on Rhino's overcooked 5.1 surround mixes; in fact, the only limitations seem to be from the source material itself. Dialogue and sound effects rarely fight for attention, while solid stereo separation creates a relatively solid soundstage. Unfortunately, optional subtitles and Closed Captions have not been included during the episodes. This issue needs to be addressed!

Purists will enjoy what Shout Factory has done with Transformers: Season Two, from the "broadcast format" episode presentations to the tastefully "corrected" audio and video. These episodes are fairly enjoyable on their own terms, whether you're new to Generation 1 or seeing these through nostalgic eyes. Our stories often take a backseat to the series' commercially-minded intentions, but it's not hard to get lost in some of the far-fetched magic. Though Shout Factory's technical presentation is the real selling point here, the low retail price and sleek packaging gives us plenty of bang for the buck. Overall, fans of all ages will find this 25th Anniversary Edition of Transformers: The Complete Second Season pretty tough to resist, even with the complete series release only one month away. Firmly Recommended.