Generally, most people in the usa became familiar with choro-Q, or superdeformed tfs in the late 90's. However, this particular japanese tradition has long roots. Not for me to go into :-) However, I'll picture these fellows from a couple of years ago, then show you some things in tfs that they may have 'evolved' from...
Choro-Q Prime, availible in standard or metallic (standard on left in all pics). The standard color scheme derives from the show, the metallic from the toy (even down to the trailer colors).
No remolding from version to version, but the gun does go from black on the standard Choro-Q Prime to a metallic painted grey, and the red handle goes to a darker red for the metallic version. Also notice the sloppier black paint ops on the handle to the standard version. Not really a remold, but the copyright info looks a little sharper on the metallic version, probably due to the different plastic tolerances.
Choro-Q Megs comes in grey or black, each with their own C # (I'm not sure of the official names for each version). He has wheels on his bottom, and his springloaded motor is in his legs. I'm not entirely sure, but I believe the different color schemes derive from the show (grey) and a previous Microman version (black).
gun mode(side) gun mode(obverse)
Choro-Q Rodimus Convoy, in regular and metallic versions. This is the only one I couldn't figure out the basis of the alternate color scheme for...any thoughts anyone? Same deal with Optimus, black to metallic grey, darker shade of red plastic on the metallic version...although handle paint ops are clean on both.
Now, this isn't the end of things by a long shot :-) There were some 'stampbots' which look eeriely like the 2002 fellows above...except these were released in 1986 ;-) Have a look:
Lewis goes into more details about them here: Prime and Magnus.
That still isn't the end :-) 'Choro-Q' transforming robots, at least in Takara, can be traced further back still, practically to the beginning of their tf-ing line:
And in the end, we come full-circle to Prime again; this time a little non-transforming figure; part of a series of commemoritive tidbits representing some of the most 'popular' toys of all time. Not choro-Q, but hell, I've no place else to list it...
