So, (drumroll please), what have I, humble reviewer as I am, taken from viewing the first 24 episodes of this kid’s show? Well…

• I’ve learned that anything can be rehashed and remade without necessarily applying importance to the original premise.
• I’ve learned watching 24 episodes of a show you didn’t really enjoy a great deal is not good for your home life.
• I’ve learned you can’t force someone to watch a series of DVDs with you without the police becoming involved.
• I understand DVD is so accessible they’ll throw anything on it and stick a price tag on it like it’s a viable toy.
• I enjoy making fun of things.
• I can write a review relatively easily by creating a simple checklist.
• The Transformers war will never be over. Why would it when the corporation owning it can still wring a cent out of this ancient franchise?
• 2I minutes of animation can easily be boiled down to about 14 minutes of actual animation and seven minutes of actual story.
• Children love this stuff, particularly the neighbour’s boys who are flogging the crap out of these discs even as I speak.
• I am 33 and reviewing children’s animation.
• I need a haircut and my fingernails are all chewed away.
• These discs look exactly the same on two different DVD players and two different TVs.
• I’ve learned the war is in exactly the same spot it was when the first episode was over (and the last series back in the '80s ended).
• I won’t ever volunteer to watch 24 episodes of Transformers Armada again.

In following with the theme here, I’ve learned these things based on the entire first eight discs:

• The picture quality is always quite brilliant, as are the colours and transfer.
• The animation is occasionally good, but generally cheaply made for a voracious TV market.
• The sound is Dolby Digital stereo and always clean and easily understood.
• Music is an assortment of pieces written for the show and is usually well suited.
• The ultra-cool Keekkeekkuhk Kehkâ„¢ sound from the original '80s series appears once on the first disc and is then discarded, unfortunately.
• The extras are a joke, being none but a crappy TV ad for the toys, which opens each disc.
• The show is a good vehicle for the kids who seem to find the colours and flashing action mesmerising. So therefore, parents, this may be a good investment if you have rambunctious little boys who need inspiration for more noisy games to play in the backyard.

The New Transformers - Microchip

While I did enjoy the series at first, that quickly changed to malaise and finally to yawns as I couldn’t get enthused about watching these final two in the series of eight we were sent for review (the discs spiral away up to 15 at the time of writing though. I won’t be reviewing those, underline won’t).

I did enjoy drawing the cartoons though.