That's exactly why the show got cancelled after season 3, the biggest mistake in movie making history was the decision they made to kill off all the best characters in the movie just to introduce lamer toys. All they had to do was start a 2nd TV show instead that would come on after the original show. It would've kept it's popularity had we still got new adventures with our original guys. I wanted a movie but a full length movie with all the original guys not new ones we didn't care about. I do like the movie and season 3 but I don't love it like season 1 & 2. They seriously screwed up the franchise with their lame decision. I feel we got ripped off, Thundercats got 130+ episodes and we only got like 65 with our original G1 guys. I wanted the Thundercats treatment with Optimus Prime vs Megatron. To this day I'm still disappointed.

the bad animation for about the episodes was due to animation studio AKOM taking over.
AKOM animated a few of the season 2 episodes. Their episdoes had more "Hanna barbera" looking art and incorrect model colors, ie Optimus white backpak, chip chases, blue jacket etc.
Due to TOEI animating the movie, AKOm was brought in to animate 16 episodes of season 3.
They also did the final "Season 4" -the Rebirth episodes.

Maybe the bad animation was due to the cartoonist putting so much effort and time in the movie, I would imagine that would be tiring see how much detail was put into the movie.

If you have it in you, watch any part of 'the five faces of darkness' episodes. First episodes after the movie it's atrocious and probably set the season up for failure itself tbh.
For great animation check out 'call of the primitives'. hands down the best animation of all 3 seasons, though a little different in style.
I'm sure there's plenty of each on youtube.

It's funny; having not seen season 3 since - now that I think of it, probably the 1980s, I don't remember the bad animation part (although I do certainly remember miscolored characters showing up here and there).

It's true. Season 3 had some of the best animation but it was so very few and far between while plagued with so much bad animation it really let it down.
I think season 1-3 are all as good as one another really but I feel the best episodes are from season 3 and the worst episodes are from season 3.

I like season 3 a lot, writing-wise.
But that awful animation that plauged the majority of the season is just such a turn-off.

I haven't watched the third season in around 20 years or so, but I actually preferred it to the first two. It was more complex and a lot darker. It required more attention. I can't imagine a 3-year-old would like it much. The stories it told were a little more nuanced (as Transformers goes, anyway). Stories were spread out over multiple episodes and there was much more of a feeling of continuity.
What's funny is that one episode everyone seems to love - Starscream's Ghost - is the one I hated as a kid. I thought it was cheesy and that it was a cheap way to bring back a dead guy. I barely remember the episode now, but I do remember feeling that way about it when I was 11.

I personally love season 3 just as much as 1 & 2 but in different ways. It's true the animation took a serious dive but there were quite a few Gems in the season. The Return of Optimus Prime and The Ultimate weapon comes to mind when thinking of some of the better animation in the entire series and who could forget the single greatest episode (for animation) Call of The Primitives?
I loved the futuristic tone of S3. The music is particularly good and when I'm into Transformers in general I often find myself humming some of the music from S3 but never S1 & 2.

I'd rate Starscream's Ghost and Dark Awakening as some of the best in the series.
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I know most people hated Season 3. But for some reason (maybe the tone) I liked it quite a bit.
Call me Snake.

I felt Season 3 was lacking characters as opposed to Season 1 and 2. For the most part we kept seeing the same villains and heroes. The Gestalts were given more screen time though Devastator pretty much got the boot. He was defeated by Perceptor for crying out loud. Last but not least, the animation was just terrible throughout the series. It was a sign that Hasbro wasn't doing so hot.
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Season 3 was mostly distracting, because the original G1 characters were phased outthough plots were better than season 2.

I just wanted Ironhide and Wheeljack to come back
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Yeah I wish they kept going with Starscream and him seeking revenge against Galvatron.

Yeah, the movie is probably too much for a 3yr old lols, esp. one with connection to the characters lols.
Try again in 3-4yrs.
As for season 3, it did scuk because it all felt so conceptual. A pet peeve of mine- so many new planets looked the size of asteroids, lame.
Alas(?) S3's writing seemed the tightest. S1 was expostional, vast majority of S2 was standalone eps. which took depth away at least S3 had a more mature tone & vibe.
They should've really tried to run with the Starscream's ghost thing for more S1-S2 characters. Not just return Optimus Prime, but bring back dozens more who we wanted.

Show him the movie. It'll fill in the gaps.
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It's kinda good he didn't watch all of season 3. He probably would have gotten nightmares of 'Dark Awakening'
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