Kelly (RID) - Transformers Wiki

Kelly is a very unfortunate human from the Robots in Disguise continuity family.

Poor Kelly, she was most likely born on a Friday the 13th underneath both a ladder and an open umbrella inside a house and possibly within close proximity of numerous black cats. To put it lightly, her luck sucks. On the bright side, Kelly appears to be fabulously wealthy (or at least has great insurance policies). So while her many sports cars typically wind up destroyed during Transformer battles (into which she inadvertently steps all the time, no matter where on the globe she travels in order to get away from "the talking cars"), she can just buy a new one.

Kelly is also quite boy-crazy, always on the lookout for a good man. However, thanks to her bad luck, the only man to ever show any interest in her is Side Burn, who, unbeknownst to her, is actually macking on the red sports cars she drives.

Poor, rich Kelly.

Fiction

Cartoon continuity

2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon

Voice actor: Philece Sampler (English), Chieko Higuchi (Japanese), Diana Pérez (Latin American Spanish), Laura Lenghi (Italian), Rita Lopes (Brazilian Portuguese)

Kelly's first encounter with those strange, talking cars from another planet happened when her new sports utility vehicle (X-Brawn to his friends), came to life in response to a call from Optimus Prime. Not wanting to lug her into battle, X-Brawn apologized in advance and then launched her violently through his sunroof. Battle Protocol!

Her second talking car encounter introduced her to Side Burn, whose advances on her red sports car she misinterpreted as an interest in her. Shortly after this, she took delivery of another red sports car at the docks. Unbeknownst to her, the car contained a bomb planted by terrorists which was coveted by the Predacons, and the car was destroyed when Sky-Byte retrieved said device. She was saved from injury by Prowl. An Explosive Situation

Any mode of transport proved to be a problem for Kelly: bullet trains in Metro City had a habit of abandoning their carriages, Bullet Train to the Rescue traffic was so abysmal she wound up stuck in it for what seemed like an eternity, Spychangers to the Rescue and her boating trip was spoiled by police cars and fire engines falling from the sky. The Hunt for Black Pyramid

It wasn't long before Kelly was seeking therapy for her constant visions of talking cars and giant robotic animals, and her doctor suggested a quiet, restful walk in some ruins. The tranquility of the ruins was soon ruined by the arrival of Side Burn and a pair of guided missiles. The Secret of the Ruins

Perhaps out of desperation she turned to driving X-Brawn again, only to have him once again ditch her for a mission (At least that time it wasn't through the roof). Sideburn's Obsession Kelly was driving on the open road when she found her car being harassed by Side-Burn once more. She sped off and managed to give him the slip, only to swerve off the road in order to avoid hitting a cow. At this point, she had no choice but to concede that she must have been under some sort of curse. Secret Weapon: D-5 Later, Kelly was stuck waiting at a gas station while a Lola T94 Indy car fueled up ahead of her. When she noticed that, apparently, no one was driving the car as it sped away, she tried to convince herself that it just had a really short driver. Mirage's Betrayal Her encounters with various talking cars led her to attempt a holiday in Europe, where Skid-Z turned her new hat into roadkill. Skid Z's Choice

Perhaps assuming that her previous problems were just bad luck, Kelly went for a calming trip in the forest in X-Brawn, only for him to be randomly towed away by a talking tow truck. Tow-Line Goes Haywire

Another holiday, this time in China, was also ruined by Side Burn. The Ultimate Robot Warrior Kelly's next attempted vacation took her to America, where her hike in the American wildness was interrupted by the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Autobot Brothers, and a subsequent earthquake as the Predacons uncovered an Autobot spaceship. However it wasn't a total loss, as she was rescued by some cute soldiers and taken back to their army base.

Of course, her luck didn't last, as the base was soon attacked by Megatron and his Predacons, who had obtained six Protoforms and were looking for alternate modes for them to scan. Attempting to flee in a truck full of rocket fuel (Kelly was a trained truck driver), she almost drove the rig into a crater but was saved by Optimus Prime, shortly before all three of them were scanned to create the Decepticon Scourge's form. Scourge's bio-signature was, as a result, partially human. The Decepticons This would later allow him to pass himself off as human enough to briefly control Fortress Maximus. The Human Element

Returning to civilization, Kelly tried her luck at a casino, only to be interrupted by a power cut caused by the destruction of Sherman Dam. Commandos She went on to a Caribbean resort on Montrose Island, and enjoyed the hot pools. So much so she stayed in them when the volcano's increased activity heated them up to an abnormally high temperature, almost broiling her. Volcano

A drive around the country side was no way to shake off Side Burn either. Kelly was stalked by the love-struck 'bot no matter where she drove, as Side Burn suggested various movies he and Kelly's car could watch together. At least Kelly had her fair share of witty retorts to yell back at him as she shut down his advances this time around. She still wound up at the bottom of a ditch at the end of the day though. Attack from Outer Space

Kelly made a trip to the mechanic to get her car fixed after the beating it received at the hands of the “giant robots.” Once her car was repaired, she took it out for a ride immediately. And it got wrecked immediately, as Scourge cleaved off its rear end. Losing her composure, Kelly began laughing hysterically, proclaiming that she'd only have to buy half as much gas for her car from now on. The Test She then took X-Brawn out for a drive in the mountains to get away from all the crazies. The Predacons lept in front of her, wanting a little talk with her car. Knowing what awaited her if she stuck around, Kelly simply closed her eyes, walked away from her vehicle. and calmly waited for everything to return to normal. The Fish Test

Perhaps deciding that vacations were more stressful than relaxing, Kelly returned to Metro City where she found being chased by Side Burn was becoming a regular feature of her day. Even the malls weren't safe after she was almost run down by Railspike, who'd been deposited there by a malfunctioning space bridge. Landfill

Her trip to the opening of the CGA Tower similarly ended in disaster when it was unexpectedly attacked by Predacons. Fortunately the tower was saved when the Predacons helped the Autobots stabilise it, and everyone inside was able to cheer on Sky-Byte. Sky-Byte Saves the Day

Maybe because her current SUV always got her into trouble, being an Autobot and all, Kelly decided to purchase a brand-new all-terrain vehicle. She couldn't resist getting it in red though, which meant that after a day of surfing, she came back to it, only to find Side Burn nuzzling up to her car. She didn't have to put up with the pest for long this time around... But Side Burn left in a hurry, kicking up a heap of sand on his way out, covering both Kelly and her SUV in the stuff. A Test of Metal

Kelly's problems continued, although at one point it looked promisingly like all the talking cars were being hauled away on a car carrier. The Two Faces of Ultra Magnus Then the talking cars started inexplicably changing colours. Power to Burn! Even the most innocent of activities, such as a shopping trip, would end with being chased around by the creepy blue car. Fortress Maximus And there was the encounter with the giant singing shark in the subway. Koji Gets His Wish

She opted to take another holiday, this time in the remote Sahara desert. Her drive through the desert in a red jeep was interrupted by the arrival of the Decepticons. A Friendly Contest Then an attempted camel ride resulted in her becoming lost in the desert. Fortunately she was picked up by X-Brawn, who dropped her off at the nearest oasis. Peril from the Past

Returning to Metro City once again, Kelly did finally get at least one day off from being hassled by giant robots... though only because Tow-Line restrained Side Burn for a good portion of the day. Maximus Emerges Later, she found out that even reading a book while sitting on a park bench was dangerous, as Scourge and Mega-Octane showed up to cause trouble. Mistaken Identity A ride in a pedal-powered swan boat on the lake was similarly interrupted when a massive battle between the two opposing forces of giant robots broke out nearby, and Kelly was forced to swim for her life. Surprise Attack!

Soon afterwards, Kelly was, once again, being pursued in her red sports car by Side Burn. The Final Battle

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The events of the Robots in Disguise cartoon occur in Japanese continuity as noted above, except that they take place in the world of the original Generation 1 cartoon where the Transformer cast are time travelers from the Beast Era to Tokyo in the year 2000, and Kelly is named "Junko Shiragami".

Ask Vector Prime

A couple of years after all of that excitement, Junko was attempting to have a nice Grecian vacation when the Mutant Burnout attempted to kidnap her! She was saved by Super R.E.V. The poor girl can't catch a break! Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/01

Asterisk Story

In 2005, Junko Shiragami took a job as a "race queen" model who worked at auto shows. As a member of the Interplanetary Personnel Exchange Program, she was partnered with Sunstreaker as a part of the Autobot Race Team. Their similar narcissistic attitudes made them a good pair (Junko's favorite colors were also yellow and red, so that helped), though they argued quite a bit. Binaltech Asterisk Junko bio

While Junko was going for a drive with her partner (and reading a magazine behind the wheel), Sunstreaker was egged into a race with a human. Despite her protests, Sunstreaker engaged in a very fast and very dangerous race, scaring Junko half to death. While making a sharp turn, Sunstreaker destroyed a road sign. Junko stopped the race and proceeded to chew the Autobot out. I'll Show You Some Great Scenery

Junko was one of the many women brought to the Legends World by Tigatron using the ultra-drill in an attempt to get women who liked him better than Springer. It did not work out, as all of the women brought over eventually swooned over Springer. Bonus Edition Vol. 19

In 2021, Junko accompanied Sunstreaker when he went to Hawaii for surfing training. Crossing the Pacific Ocean!? She was visiting a public bath when she was shocked to find her old adversaries, the Predacons, washing up in a neighboring room. Strategy Meeting in an Earth Bath?!

Dreamwave Armada comic

Kelly was nearly mowed down by the Street Action Mini-Con Team when they responded (against their will) to a Mini-Con recall signal. Armada #8

Classics

When an alternate Ultra Magnus threatened to destroy Earth with the power of his Terminus Blade, Kelly was seen near Sunstreaker during the evacuation attempts in Canada. Invasion

2005 IDW continuity

Kelly was at Poverty Flat when the Transformers battled there. Detonation Boulevard

Junko was among the passengers on a train who were weirded out by Rattle's new robot body. Bonus Edition Vol. 1 She was supposed to narrate a Transformers live show held at Tokyo Toy Show 2015, but the performance was interrupted by Black Convoy. Bonus Edition Vol. EX

Renegade Rhetoric

Nemesis Prime took Kelly hostage, and the subsequent crisis of conscience this caused allowed him to break his brainwashing and return to Optimus Prime. Renegade Rhetoric (2), 2016/07/14

Toys

Binaltech Asterisk

• Sunstreaker feat. Dodge Viper meets Junko (2005)

• ID number: BTA 02
• Release date: September 29, 2005
• Accessories: Alternate left & right arms, alternate lower body, stand
• Known designers: Hiroyuki Taiga (concept artist)

Part of the second Binaltech Asterisk set, Junko is a PVC figurine that came packaged with Sunstreaker. She came with a second set of arms and a "sitting" lower body that lets her drive her partner Sunstreaker, though theoretically she should work with most Alternators molds.

• Archive of Binaltech Asterisk Junko's bio and tech specs
• More information on Binaltech Asterisk Junko Shiragami at TFU.info

Notes

• Kelly's name is never once spoken during the Robots in Disguise dub. Rather, it was only ever made known through a casting sheet released online at the time of the show's premiere. However, in the Italian dub of "Secret Weapon: D-5", when she believes she had successfully escaped from Side Burn, she says to herself: "Congratulations Kelly, you did it!"
• Like all the girls in the Binaltech Asterisk line, the character of Junko Shiragami was inspired by an existing female human from a past Transformers series, in this case Kelly (née Junko in Japanese). Since Asterisk is a Generation 1 toyline, and Car Robots (Robots in Disguise's Japanese iteration) belongs to the mammoth Japanese Generation 1 continuity, they were potentially the same character, but no firm word was given till the the writer of the Unite Warriors Offshot story established her as such.
• According to Junko's Binaltech Asterisk bio, her birthday is November 5, she has a weakness for Korean barbecue, she swims for exercise, and her hair smells like marigolds. The more you know!

Foreign names

• Japanese: Junko Shiragami (白神 ジュンコ Shiragami Junko)