Transformers: Masterforce: Turning Powermaster Optimus Prime Into Ginrai For The Japanese-Only Continuity

There's always the problem of milking the franchise, right? Apparently, Transformers started to stale in America so it was time to try something new. The comics created the Pretenders and the Powermasters -- two concepts that were integrated into the Japanese-only Transformers: Masterforce Anime series sometime in 1988. At that time, Super Sentai had been established and trying to mix the formula of Transformers with Super Sentai may have been the aim. I wonder if Toei planned to make it live but instead chose the animation route? Either way, it was time to bring back Optimus Prime -- OR NOT!

The concept of Powermaster Optimus Prime was from the comics. An alien humanoid known as Hi-Q would bring back Optimus Prime. An alien from Nebulon named Hi-Q became the partner to rebuild Optimus Prime. Hi-Q was the obvious professor-type character. Given Optimus Prime's role as a senior commander -- I believe it's fitting that Hi-Q would be the perfect partner. However, the concept was U-turned when it came to the Japanese continuity. Oh, I wonder why Hasbro never had a hands-on approach with Toei at at time? It even created the plot hole as to why Wheeljack made a cameo in Transformers: Victory.

The Transtector originally meant for Optimus Prime (who was daringly killed off again in Transformers: Headmasters) fell to Earth. A truck driver named Ginrai got bonded to the Transtector and bore a similar appearance to Optimus Prime. Some things from the Powermasters version got added. One always wondered why Optimus Prime's trailer never transformed with Optimus Prime. The concept was first used in the Marvel Comics before it was added to Masterforce.

The Super Ginrai concept used Optimus Prime's trailer for battle. Okay, but it took me some time to accept that Ginrai wasn't Optimus Prime. I always assumed that after Ginrai bonded with the Optimus Prime Transtector -- it would resurrect Optimus Prime in the process. The God Bomber robot was created as a later upgrade for Ginrai. The Omni Productions Dub used "Optimus Prime". Was it some miscommunication since Ginrai wasn't meant to be Optimus Prime?

Comic Book Resources also gives this explanation:

One element that was never explained in the Transformers: Super-God Masterforce anime was why Ginrai's Transtector so heavily resembled the classic Autobot leader, Optimus Prime. By that point in the Japanese G1 continuity, Prime was dead, having merged with Vector Sigma in order to turn Hot Rod back into Rodimus Prime in Transformers: The Headmasters. It was later explained in "Shūta and Grand's Masterforce Super-Secrets!" (a special presentation packaged with tapes of the final episodes of the series) that the Transtector for Ginrai was meant to be used by Optimus Prime. This after-the-fact explanation had its own plot holes, however. It couldn't have been meant to be used to resurrect him, as he was still alive when the lifeless vehicle came to Earth. Likewise, it may have been meant for a smaller Transformer from Planet Master and merely modeled after Prime's body, with any real explanation being fairly hard to parse.

In the West, the toy for Ginrai and Super Ginrai was released as "Powermaster Optimus Prime," with Powermasters being the name for Godmasters in that region. This was simply treated as a new, upgraded body for Optimus Prime, similar to how the diminutive Autobot Bumblebee and the savage Dinobot Grimlock were given new "Classic Pretender" toys. The commercials for the figure even had Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen reprising his role as the Autobot, with the toy itself becoming a fan-favorite collector's item. It wasn't initially sold with the Godbomber, but years later, a reissue of the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy came complete with the "Apex Bomber." Recently, the Transformers: MPG line (the modern incarnation of the collector-oriented Transformers: Masterpiece toyline) released a new toy for Ginrai and Super Ginrai, with an MPG Godbomber figure now confirmed.

Transformers:Masterforce's finale had the Powermasters split off from their robot identities. Either the Ginrai body had Optimus Prime's identity or not. What was bizarre though was why Ginrai was later rebuilt as Victory Leo. The episode "Ginrai Dies" would probably bring memories of Transformers: The Movie. Optimus Prime was killed off in the movie, a second time in Transformers: Headmaster (where Cybertron exploded hence it can't fit into the actual American continuity), and we can count Ginrai as a third. However, Robot Ginrai probably carried the personality of the Human Ginrai -- which may prove he wasn't meant to be Optimus Prime. 

These days, I have mixed feelings about reformatting Transformers characters. OG Megatron was turned into OG Galvatron. However, BW Megatron and BW Galvatron were two different characters. Ginrai was turned into Victory Leo -- an upgrade for Star Saber. Star Saber was losing against the new Decepticon combiner Leokaiser. Victory Leo went feral but regained his former personality but lost his identity. Victory Leo lived on as a different identity while still being Ginrai. I wonder if Victory Leo's character was what inspired the Japanese Beast Wars continuity to create Lio Convoy?