#tf miko

[nova--spark]

Miko Nakadai in her full , explosive and colorful glory.

Having moved to Jasper full time as soon as she was legally able, she took over a room in Hangar E, and has become the unofficial combat specialist of the Jasper Trio, using the Apex Armor once per day to better be ready should Cons ever return to Jasper.

She greatly misses Bulkhead, and it shows, as once she got her license, Miko decided to use an old military jeep as her vehicle, painting it with in familiar colors.

Never letting that dull her nature though, Miko persists as the heart of the trio, whereas Jack is the moral compass, and Raf the brains of their team.

Jack and Raf invite her to dinner at their houses often, as they know the hangar gets lonely, and have offered to make room for her at their homes, but she's answered the offer the same ever time:

She wants to be the first face that Bulkhead sees, when he comes back to Earth and to Jasper someday.

[beemochi-art]

They smell trouble. They are now friends.

Can you imagine the shenanigans these two would get into.

Miko is one of my favorite humans of all time and twitch is quickly becoming one of my favorite bots. So them as a dynamic duo would be amazing.

Srsly tho. Miko would love the terrans. All of team prime would. She’d be a terrible influence.

[optimus-faked-his-own-death]

My redesign of Miko and then her taking a selfie with her bestie Bulkhead :DDD!!!

[hi-im-you]

A little side project that I finally finished after like a week

It's Bulkhead and miko. They're watching the sunset...or rise idk

[spophiearts]

LIVE MIKO REACTION❗❗

[bloominglegumes]

a bit of pride themed doodling,,

(hcs/flags are largely just me being goofy dont take them too seriously)

[felis-rach]

The prime and those three bugs in his shoulders

[grey-viridian]

The newest addition to the TF Girls Club!

[salmonpiffy]

Joining TFP kids redesign train

[raileurta]

I just love the untold intimacy of transformers & humans touching each other.

There's just something so special about it to me you know? The trust the human has that their robot friend wouldn't hurt them and the bot's love for this small being that's not even a fraction of their lifespan.

Cybertrionains have been through centuries of war and have like so much trauma it's unreal. While humans are capable of great misery we're ultimately made to love.

Bumblebee for example has been shown to have found great comfort in humans. This dude was thrust into a world war he didn't want to be in and became a full on war veteran before he turned 25.

Like don't even get me started on his relationship with Sam. I can't say anything that hasn't already been said.

He's probably not used to such soft touches either so it makes it just that much sadder.

Megatron & Dot is another good relationship. He's so gentle with her and just so happy to be her friend! There's this one scene where she even hitches a ride on Megatron's leg. (Can't find it though)

Of course I can't forget Bulkhead and Miko. He's just straight up her dad. It's very obvious that she doesn't like or have a good parental figure in her life. The team is probably Miko's true family in her eyes. She might be a little shit but she's Bulkhead's little shit.

I just also just love size differences in general. It appeals to a lot of creatures in my brain. It's probably in my top 5 of best tropes in fiction.

[nova--spark]

Kidnapper: we kidnapped your daughter if y-

Bulkhead: what daughter?

Kidnapper: black and pink hair? Japanese?

Optimus: oh you have Miko

Kidnapper: YES HER AND WE-

Arcee: you think you kidnapped her? She unintentionally kidnapped you

Kidnapper: what?-

Ratchet: good luck, tell her to be home at least at 9

Kidnapper: WAIT-

Fowler: bye

This

This is accurate

Borderline canon even.

[blade-liger-4ever]

Why I think Miko Nakadai is arguably the best human character in TFP

Don't misunderstand, I know Miko was handled haphazardly throughout the series' run. That said, aside from her skipping off into the battlefield, she was actually a great character - and, in my personal opinion, the actual audience surrogate character in TFP.

Now, let me explain.

Although Miko's backstory is told and not shown - a rich daughter who had everything she could ever want, up to and including two pure-breed cats and piano lessons from age three onwards (which, coincidentally, tells us she's brainy despite her antics) - much can be inferred from what snippets of her past we get, along with her interactions with the Autobots. For one, she obviously can't stand most adult supervision, which is likely because of a few things. For one, back home in Japan, Miko would have had to be proper and polite, always restrained, and had to do what she was told. While this is normal (to an extent) in the West, in the East this is etiquette that needs to be obeyed, especially if you're as well off as she is; her actions, specifically in Japan, will reflect on her parents, but to a far lesser extent in America. Thus, when presented with the freedoms of the USA, Miko not only jumps at the chance for an exchange program that will give her the mobility she craves, she also chooses the place that has the least amount of glamor. By extension of choosing to settle in Jasper, Miko's also displaying two other traits: she's not afraid of going to a place vastly different from her home, and she isn't disgusted by a small town with very little monetary value to it.

Secondly, Miko's disregard for authority from adults but deference to the 'Bots teases us with an insecurity - namely, an insecurity that no adult ever gives her a chance to make her own decisions.

Just think about it: All the times Miko's blown off the human adults, it's when they've tried to decide her life for her. Miko has, from what we can see, had her whole life dictated, up to and including those piano lessons. She may be a prodigy at almost everything, but her preferred instrument is the guitar - and yet, she wasn't given lessons in that from the time she was a toddler. Therefore, she feels confined and controlled by the authority of her elders. And so, while Miko may be able to sway Bulkhead into getting her out of detention and consistently slip past the watchful eyes of the 'Bots, it's out of a desperate motivation to control her own life. Now, she does hold too much interest in the battles and getting to watch them, but wouldn't you have that same eagerness if Gundams or Jaegers came to life before your eyes? Yes, she knows their lives are in danger, that they couldn't come home, but there's still a fantastical element to all of this about the Autobots. And it remains so because while she loves them all, Bulkhead is the only one who, while giving her life advice and trying to keep her in check/alive, lets her make her own decisions and take control of her life and her actions.

And that's why she keeps going to the field. That's why she only listens to the reprimands with half an ear and why she recovers so fast from Optimus' near death experiences, as well as Raf's close call with death.

And that's why Miko's world shatters when Bulkhead is left in a half-dead coma from his fight with Hardshell. Because the one person in the universe who gave her freedom and care without deciding her life for her was not just seriously injured, but possibly on death's door.

That's why Miko runs around without a care until the S2 episode "Hurt": because she wants autonomy to decide her life, even if it's stupid choices that could get her killed.

And after "Hurt", we see a new Miko. Yes, she remains gung-ho and fierce, but she stops running onto the battlefield. She takes less enjoyment from the War. Because now, with the reality of war fresh in her mind, she knows the risks and the stakes involved, and she will never take that or her friends for granted anymore. This is further proved when Miko 'sneaks' along for "Chain of Command", but with a twist: she asks Wheeljack if she can come along - and if memory serves, this is the first mission Bulkhead's been on with herself present since the events before "Hurt". Clearly, Miko is still worried about losing Bulkhead - only, this time, she values the words of the 'Bots, and now seeks permission to join a mission, though she wisely asks Wheeljack for this blessing.

This is the beautiful part of her arc, crowned by her battle with Starscream and his Seekers (which is also just straight up awesome.) When she's kicked the afts of everyone, and Starscream tries to intimidate her with his usual "I killed Cliffjumper" speech, Miko's response is this calm, slightly rough, retort:

"Big whoop. I snuffed Hardshell."

In this moment, Miko Nakadai is shown to have grown from an excitable child into an unyielding, but mature, adult warrior. She no longer treats the War and the 'Bots like a game, or a release. She treats them as her friends who she will gladly risk her own life for.

And that, in my opinion, makes her the best human protagonist in all of Transformers: Prime, and Transformers media in general.

As for what I said earlier about her being the true audience surrogate, be honest with yourselves: If any of us were given the chance to meet the Autobots, wouldn't you be just as irrepressible as Miko, as eager to help as she was, and tempted to go to the battlefield to see the action/make sure your 'Bot wasn't going to die? That's what I mean when I say she's the audience surrogate - Miko acts like we would, and learns as we would about the War and the 'Bots if we suddenly came across them.

That's my two cents on Miko, and why she's the human character I respect the most in Transformers...probably of all time. If you liked it, I'm glad; Miko deserves better, and I hope I explained why well.

Til next time, folks!

"Autobots, transform!"

[optimus-faked-his-own-death]

some Jack and Raf sketches as well my process of coming up with a redesign of a more punk/metal Miko :D

[bbonezie]

miko for tf inktober day 16 !!!

[chownkiies]

Haven't drawn humans for a while

Slowly crawling back from burnout D:

[gelu-the-babosa-multiversal]

FINALLY, I CAN SHOW IT. My piece for @turbofox-zines Rescue Bots zine!!! If anyone has the chance, check it out

Anyway, enjoy these troublemakers 💚