The Transformers Label series is a line of the Transformers series by Takara Tomy released exclusively in the Japanese market. The toys in this line consist of transforming robot figures with certain themes such as working electronic devices or crossover licenses with other brands and franchises.
Contents
Transformers Music Label
Introduced in 2007, this line consists of characters with working music peripherals.
Convoy (Optimus Prime)
This figure is a reissue of the original G1 Optimus Prime toy with a working iPod speaker dock as a trailer. The first release was painted white to match the iPod's signature color. The second release, which was in Prime's original G1 colors, was marketed in Japan as "Optimus Prime" rather than as "Convoy".
Soundwave
This incarnation of Soundwave closely resembles the original G1 toy, but transforms into a working MP3 player that reads MiniSD cards up to 2GB in size. The first release was painted Sonic White to resemble the iPod. The second release in Spark Blue was the closest to the original G1 colors and is the most sought-after among the three variants. The Blaster Black version is an homage to Soundblaster from the Headmasters anime series. For easier access, the MiniSD card is inserted into the door of the cassette slot, rather than the cassette slot itself. A consequence of this is that Soundwave is perfectly able to play music with the cassette slot open, something which would not have been possible on a real cassette player that Soundwave was originally designed after, because the read/write head of a cassette player is located inside the slot.
Rumble and Frenzy
Rumble and Frenzy transform into a pair of working headphones that work with this line's Soundwave or any iPod or MP3 player.
Transformers Sports Label
In 2007, Takara Tomy entered a cross-promotion with shoe giant Nike to produce figures that transform into 1:2 replicas of the Nike Free 7.0 shoe.
Transformers Disney Label / Disney-Pixar Label
First introduced in 2009, this line is a crossover between Transformers and Disney characters. Mickey Mouse, the first figure in the series, was designed to resemble Optimus Prime, while the Donald Duck figure can be seen as an homage to Bumblebee. The Buzz Lightyear figure incorporates Headmaster elements, wherein the miniature pilot figure forms the head and activates transforming mechanisms when attached to the robot body.
Transformers Device Label
Introduced in 2009, this line consists of robot toys that transform into fully functional computer peripherals.
Transformers Chrono Label (canceled)
Originally planned for release in 2009, this line consisted of digital watches that transform into robots. The line was canceled on July 2009.