The original 1984 – 1987 cartoon series.

Season 1	Season 2
Season 3	Season 4

When the Transformers series first hit the airwaves back in 1984, I was captivated. It had all the elements of a cartoon TV show that I could possibly want. Over the years, Transformers has always held a nostalgic place in my heart. But as I sit down to watch the series once again, with an eye for analyzing and commenting on it, I must acknowledge a couple of things.

First of all, the first run of Transformers cartoons, called G1 by most afficionados, is intended to be a very long infomercial with the intent to get kids to buy the toys. Certainly there is more to it than that, however, ignoring the idea would be a disservice to any objective commentary. And clearly the advertising worked — well, at least it did with myself and millions of like-minded children in the mid 1980’s.

But there is certainly more to the series than it simply being a commercial. Otherwise, it would never have truly capture the hearts, minds and, most importantly, the imaginations of its countless fans. And so while I acknowledge up front that the series is a commercial (as well as the nostalgia I harbor), my reviews are intended to focus on what makes Transformers transcend its capitalistic purpose and become something greater.