In 1989, Japan released the 38-episode "Transformers: Victory." Star Saber became the new leader of the Autobots, while Deathsaurus plundered Earth's energy to build a space fortress. The Autobot base continuously moved to stop the Decepticons and save humanity. The Decepticon lieutenant Leozak risked rescuing Gaihawk, successfully merging into King Poseidon to battle God Ginrai. God Ginrai was fatally wounded in battle, and Sixshot assumed command of the Autobots' Second Front. God Ginrai was rebuilt into Victory Leo and successfully combined with Star Saber to form Victory Saber, ultimately defeating Deathsaurus in the fortress. The Autobots' triumph in the final episode is considered a symbol marking the end of the Generation 1 era. Japan did not continue to adapt American character designs but instead seriously developed original characters for the first time. Thus, a work with a somewhat back-to-basics feel was born—Transformers V (Victory). This series returned to the theme of war between the two factions over energy resources, and its toy designs were uniquely innovative, with almost all characters possessing distinct styles. For example, the Breast Force (which combined into King Poseidon) could transform chest armor into weapons; the Brain Masters (which combined into Road Caesar) could transform into robot faces; and the Multiple Teams (which combined into Landcross) could merge in pairs. Except for the Decepticon dinosaur combiner Dinoking, which was adapted from the American Pretenders, and the Autobot Rescue Patrol members, which were based on American Micromasters, almost all toy designs were original Japanese creations, making this series the most popular in Japan. However, for us longtime viewers, this work felt like a robotic version of "Armored Trooper Votoms," merely dressed in a Transformers skin. The manga related to this series was also serialized in Japanese publisher Kodansha's television magazine, and its content significantly diverged from the original for the first time—for instance, Victory Leo existed as an independent character, and the story ended with both sides making peace through a handshake, a first in Transformers history. The series consists of 38 episodes. The Japanese version excludes recap episodes, and it is translated as "Victory."