COUNTDOWN: 6 questions about the future of the Masterpiece line

Fans have been treated to an exciting new Masterpiece Transformers reveal recently, including a proper first look at the upcoming MPG-09 Super Ginrai! 

This high-end take on the popular protagonist from Japan’s Super God Masterforce cartoon has certainly caused plenty of comment since, as it looks to recreate the classic design those of us in the West more commonly think of as Powermaster Optimus Prime. There will be two separate versions, including the main MPG release featuring the combining trailer to become the character’s larger, powered-up super robot mode. 

Alongside it is MP-60, which is a more toy-styled take on the cab section alone. Considering the reaction to MP-44 Convoy and the expense of owning the full MPG version, this may well be a welcome move in the eyes of many collectors. 

However, there’s a twist. MP-60 will also be the final release in the main Masterpiece line, a detail surprisingly revealed by the official TakaraTomy website as a rather casual remark in their promotional blurb for the release. Instead, the MPG line (Masterpiece G) will continue in its place. Needless to say, this has caused all kinds of speculation online, with many fans quick to express their shock at the idea of the longest-running Transformers line coming to a rather unexpected end. 

But is that what’s going on? And how much do we actually know of TakaraTomy’s plans at this stage? Here are six questions to consider! 

#6: Does this mean the end of Masterpiece?

In a word, no. Or at least not entirely! True, we don’t have much to go on, but the report of the death of Masterpiece is no doubt an exaggeration. Instead, what seems to be happening is more of a ‘rebranding’, with the whole endeavour set to carry on under the Masterpiece G banner instead. Sort of a “the king is dead, long live the king” scenario, if you like. But how similar will the ongoing MPG line be to what we previously knew simply as MP? That is certainly open to interpretation at present, and with the absence of concrete details, this is where the real speculation begins…

#5: Will it be all about combining?

Many fans have taken the notion that ‘Masterpiece G’ is all about combining to heart, despite it not being the only core concept of the updated format for the line. It’s true the ‘G’ stands for ‘Gattai’ (合体), which is the Japanese word for ‘union’ or ‘combine’, and, with the first six releases of the roster giving us the Raiden Trainbots, it’s not hard to see why some would leap to think MPG was essentially a side hustle for Masterpiece combiner releases. In that case, where do regular characters fit if MPG is all we get moving forward? Well, have no fear – it isn’t the whole story, as the ‘G’ also represents the Japanese words 巨大化, translating as “giant” or “gigantic” and グレート, which means “great”. So, lots of great giants, then? Well, no – it appears as though MPG figures are only tasked with meeting at least one of the three ‘G’s in terms of their concept or design, so whilst some of them might be ‘gigantic’ and others combine, we may see plenty which are simply… ‘great’! All in all, it appears this ‘rebranding’ is really just that – an attempt to refresh and repackage, much like comics often reboot with a new #1 but continue the same storyline. However, that doesn’t mean it will be precisely the line we already know, either…

#4: Will it be in the same scale?

Ever since the Trainbots were first revealed, much has been made of the scale used for the character designs. Search any discussion on the topic, and you’ll likely find someone asserting they’re more in line with Generations figures than the traditional Masterpiece scale we’ve observed since the MP-9/ MP-10 era, all as a result of their HO gauge alternate modes leading to more diminutive robots form (and a lessened combined robot stature into the bargain). Yet, whilst it is apparent that TakaraTomy led with a smaller-than-expected set of toys to make use of the pre-existing train scale, the reality is the Raiden crew aren’t all that sizeable in the corresponding Japanese cartoon series, The Headmasters, either, so if anything, their MPG interpretation stacks up surprisingly accurately versus the main MP carbots and the like. This is all a very long-winded way of saying that perhaps the current MPG toys aren’t so out of scale with the established MP format as you might think, and as far as the future goes, there’s nothing to currently suggest subsequent MPG toys will be any different in that regard.

#3: Will we still see repaints of existing MP toys?

So, is MPG basically MP in all but name, then? Well, perhaps, or at least that appears to be the case based on the little we know currently! No doubt we will be more clued up when further details drop and definitely once the first toys beyond MPG-09 start to be unveiled. However, one thing that will almost certainly define our interpretation of MPG as a continuation or reboot is whether or not it uses repainted toy designs from the existing MP roster. Countless MP moulds have never been re-used at all, and many more maintain precedent for re-releases of some kind beyond what we’ve already seen. If MPG is to be a truly fresh start, it stands to reason the potential for these may go unused, with new designs marking a separation between past and present. Yet if the successor line is a continuation in all but name, surely we shouldn’t expect TakaraTomy to let good toys go to waste?

#2: Will there be more Beast Wars and Movie Masterpiece toys?

Another burning question on our minds is a concern regardless of MPG proving to be a full reboot or just a soft rebrand. After all, either change, whether major or minor, could mean further shake-up to the various releases we’ve been appreciating for some time now, with perhaps the most perilous of those the ongoing roster of Beast Wars designs thrown into the mix. Ever since MP-32 Beast Convoy in 2016, it’s been widely wondered why TakaraTomy didn’t opt for a separate numbering system when releasing this line-up of characters, given how they don’t particularly fit with the direction Masterpiece had taken before this point. After that, we observed a sparse but steady trickle of toys until 2020, and then absolutely nothing – not a peep – for four long years. That’s all set to change with the imminent arrival of MP-59 Rhinox, but could the MPG update mean an end to the beastly business once and for all? The honest truth is… we don’t know! One can only hope it doesn’t because these remain some of the finest examples the line has ever put out, in this writer’s humble opinion!

Also worth consideration is the ongoing Masterpiece Movie line, known as MPM. However, it’s fair to assume that as a separate proposition made in conjunction with Hasbro, this will likely remain unaffected by whatever changes happen alongside MPG, especially given there’s a recently announced MPM-15 Brawl already on the way.

#1: Will we see the same characters again?

OK, so our best guess is that MPG will be a simple refresh of the existing MP branding, with any new releases probably set to fit the same scale we already know. Does that mean we can expect it to be a straightforward continuation of the line which simply fills in the existing blanks on the ongoing character roster, then? Again, this is pure speculation, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if there are a few surprise tweaks along the way. For one thing, it strikes me as the perfect opportunity for TakaraTomy to re-do existing characters in new form with updated engineering, all under the guise of this being a ‘reboot’ of sorts. After all, it’s not like they’ve shied away from multiple Optimus Primes or Starscreams before, so what better time to revisit bots which haven’t had a new toy in a while, such as Soundwave, Grimlock or even some of the carbots? The chances are that your existing MP figures will be able to ‘co-exist’ with any new MPG designs, but I wouldn’t put it past them to give various examples another pass at the same time. 

Ultimately, this is all rampant speculation for now, so let’s hope we have more concrete updates soon!

So that’s our list! Are you intrigued about the upcoming MPG releases?

TTFN