But, again I was born in 1997 in Kenya. The East African bundle was cheap. So my country's broadcasting TV services could only afford Cartoon Network at the time. And so my love for animation begun.

Cartoon Network

When I watch Cartoon Network and its sister channel, Boomerang I was immediately hit with a wave of animation. Tons of animated properties with different genres, animation styles, art styles (their is a difference), tones and eras. You may see that some of theses cartoons have similar art styles, but that is how each era differentiates each other and I love it.

• Vintage 30's to 40's classics (Popeye)
• Retro 50's to 60's hits (Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Hanna Barbara, Tex Avery)
• Nostalgic 70's to 80's thrill rides (Re-imagined Hanna Barbara classics, Kid versions of Flintstones and Tom and Jerry)
• Late 90's and 2000's mix of slap stick comedies and straight forward action (Dexter's Lab, Cow and Chicken, Powerpuff girls, I am Weasel, Kids Next Door, Megas XLR (remember that) and Ben 10 just to name a few)
• Some Canadian  hand me offs(Atomic Betty) 
• And some Anime  (Bakugan)

From Cartoon Network to Transformers to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe

So by now you are probably asking, what does any of this has to do with Transformers? Well, unlike the previous section of this journal, let me keep this brief. Remember when I listed Megas XLR? This is one of my favourite action shows off all time. As a fan of the Disney/Pixar Cars franchise, even the second movie, this show was pretty much right up my alley and It was everything I loved about the early 2000's era. It was action packed, funny, restraint, fast paced, had great musical score, interesting art style, decent animation interesting lore. It had everything I love about the plot heavy shows of today...minus the action, pacing, art style and musical score. This kind of mentality is what made my an unsuspecting target of Micheal Bay and Paramount. In 2007 my mum bought me the Transformers 2007 on DVD. We watched the first movie together. The movie had remained me of, not just Megas XLR, but also the idea of cartoon characters interacting with real life people and the Cars franchise. And After the movie ended I wanted my older cousin to trace the Autobot Logo. That one act got my into drawing more than I ever did before. I was an immediate fan of the Transformers movies and transformers in general. I got the DVDS with behind the scenes features, toys, merchandise, drew fanart in school and watched the animated versions of the Transformers. I watched Transformers 3 with my dad in theatres, I watched Transformers 4 as my first solo theatres experience. Every-time I broke my Optimus, I begged my mum to by me another one. I frustrated her at how expensive those toys were. Still I went on to become a fan of Transformers. And the production team behind it. DreamWorks:

• Kung Fu Panda
  
• How To Train Your Dragons
  
• Shrek
  

...Paramount pictures:

• The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movies
  
• The G.I. Joe Movies
  
• The first Iron Man movie (because machines) and The Incredible Hulk movie (before Disney bought Marvel).
  

2017 the Year of Betrayal

In 2014, when I was in High School, Secondary High School for all those who were under the same British education system, people just made fun of me being a Transformers fan. They were constantly stating over and over again 'Transformers sucks, Transformers sucks, Transformers sucks!'. It screwed me up like hell. To the point where I basically distanced myself from everyone else. I was also gone through that whole angsty teenager phase. #relateable I was ashamed to call myself a fan of Transformers and entertainment in general around my fellow students. After I graduated from High school, by skipping a few classes, I felt relieved as I went to my local college. There was little to now bullying, insulting, or angst. For the first time ever, I felt free. This college was focused on only Art and Technology. These two years were the best school years of school that I have ever had, next to my years in Primary School. During those tow years I was exposed to online critics like the people on Channel Awesome, Chris Stuckmann, Andre Meadows and the rest. Then in 2017 the year of colour and 80's nostalgia, I went to Dubai for higher education. It my first hands on experience being on my own in a foreign continent in a desert environment. Which made it the perfect atmosphere for watching movies like:

• Sicario (2015)
  
• Logan (2017)
  
• Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
  
• Wonder Woman (2017)
  
• Spider-man Homecoming (2017)
  
• Dunkirk (2017)
  
• and of-course Transformers 5 (2017)
  

So despite what the haters at high school said, what all the critics say and what my peers at college say, I went to see what ten years of loyal fan support and patience pay off. I even made my first recorded reactions to the Last Knight trailers. I wanted to at least enjoy the latest movie like I did 4 times in a row. So I went to see it and as I watched it. I felt like there was a hole where my heart used to be in. Like Micheal Bay was ripping my heart out and stomped it on the ground. I forced myself to find fun the final 20 minutes of the movie and I left movie theatre in a way that I never did after seeing any movie ever. I went back to my dorm afterwards, wrote my review:
  Transformers: The Last Knight ReviewWARNING: SPOILERS!
JMK Here, and
To be honest...I was sorta confused.
This was the first TF movie that got me underwhelmed. The first that got me to think critically. I mean I love the TF movie sieres. From all the adrenaline inducing fight scenes to the awesome looking Cars and of course the Transformers. This movie sieres is what got me invested in the Transformers movies, the franchise and the lore in general. I mean sure people have complained that their were too many scenes with the humans, sex jokes, racial jokes and of course explosions. But I didn't mind all that, mainly because I was just a kid who wanted to watch the Live Action Version of Megas XLR. I just wanted to focus on the Transformers whenever they were on screen. That's it After all these are called 'Transformers.' Even on the posters they seem to be the main focus of the movie from the composition alone. But...they are not.
Instead we get some of the same stuff from the previous movies only this time do we ge

And I after a while it really hit me, HARD! I for the first time HATED WATCHING THIS MOVIE. After years of support, years of defending this franchise, years of going against the naysayers and years of praising this franchise like the second coming of Christ, years of loving this franchise, I finally admitted it. They were right, all of them, this franchise made me look a Twilight fan, ironic given my female cousins watched the movies and my mum read the 50 Shades books. Maybe they grew out of it, as for me I broke out of it and I saw the light: TRANSFORMERS SUCKS. At least that is how people perceive the franchise by the movies alone. Just like how much more compliment Disney/Marvel are with their movie franchise as compared to the Warner Bros./DCEU, more on those two later. So yeah I hated this movie and hate grew to my hatred for the rest of the Transformers live action franchise in general. DAMN IT, PARAMOUNT!

The Problem with the My Little Pony Movie (2017)

Review: MLP movie Review

After that I treid to get back in Hasbro's good grace with the MLP Movie (2017). Even thought I enjoyed this movie as my first 2D theatrical experience, I wouldn't mind this movie if only Fluttershy, my second favourite character next to Twilight Sparkle, were given more to do. She didn't even use her power over animals to help out. On her own she was nopony. My greatest fear for this franchise, ever since college came to life and I tried to use this movies energy to mask my fear. But after the glitter cleared from my eyes, my head got a little clearer. This movie was solely for the fans (lame ass excuse for the DCEU movies) of the show not for the general audience. That was the same case with the first animated Transformers and G.I. Joe movies. Fans of the show will love it, more than ever that this is not Equestria Girls movie for once. But unlike Lego Batman, general audiences will get lost in them. This isn't the case with Infinity War. Film critic review movie that were supposed to stand on their own and not need to do any homework to watch the movie, unless said movie in part of a film franchise. Infinity War only need critics to watch the past 18 movies. And that's what could saved this movie. Make the 2017 film so that you can introduce the characters ala Guardians of the Galaxy, and then have them go on the adventure in the following year. It certainly worked for every other animated movie realised in theatres that aren't made my Hasbro. The MLP movie we got in 2017 required the critics to watch Seven Seasons worth of character arcs and world building. Some of which were not present in Fluttershy's character. Since the executives from All spark Studios, you know? The same people who brought us the Jem and the Holograms (2015)? Interference with the writing team just to sell toys first, story later. I just want to make this abundantly clear so that Hasbro stops fucking up their female orientated franchises. So yeah, the movie kinda left a sour taste in my mouth. I kinda lost interest in watching the rest of the main show after this mistreatment of a beloved character. I was more pissed off by here being more useless than Phasma in both Star Wars movies more pissed of than Transformers 5 getting Onslaught all WRONG!. I mean come on Mantis was more useful in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 than Fluttershy was in MLP Movie and both films were released the same year! I am just gonna continue watching Equestria Girls. (because boner).