Chōdenji Machine Voltes V

Chōdenji Machine Voltes V

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超電磁マシーン ボルテスV
(Super Electromagnetic Machine Voltes V)
Genre Mecha, Drama, Super Robot
Anime television series
Directed by Tadao Nagahama
Produced by Yoshiyuki Tomino
Written by Fuyunori Gobu
Masaaki Sakurai
Masaki Tsuji
Saburo Yatte
Shoichi Taguchi
Yumiko Tsukamoto
Studio Toei Company,
Nippon Sunrise
Network TV Asahi (Japan), ABS-CBN, PTV, IBC, RPN and GMA Network (Philippines)
Original run 4 June 1977 25 March 1978
Episodes 40

Chōdenji Machine Voltes V (Japanese: 超電磁マシーン ボルテスV Hepburn: Chōdenji Mashīn Borutesu Faibu, lit. "Super Electromagnetic Machine Voltes V") more popularly known as Voltes V, is a Japanese anime television series which first aired on TV Asahi on June 4, 1977. It was created by Saburo Yatsude (a pseudonym referring to a committee within Toei Company) and directed by Tadao Nagahama. Voltes V is the second part of the Robot Romance Trilogy of the Super Robot genre which includes Chōdenji Robo Combattler V and Tōshō Daimos. Like Combattler V, the series was animated by Sunrise and produced by Toei Company. The series was animated by Sunrise on Toei's behalf. This super robot along with the other two aforementioned super robots first appeared the USA as a part of Mattel's Shogun Warriors line of import toys, released in the late 1970s.

Plot

An armada of horned humanoid aliens known as Boazanians invade earth and launch their "beast fighters" all over the world, defeating most of the world's armed forces including the US military. Their first humiliating defeat by Super Electromagnetic Machine, Voltes V brings the invaders to focus their attacks on Japan. Voltes V was designed by Professor Kentaro Gō (Doctor Ned Armstrong), his wife Professor Mitsuyo Gō (Doctor Mary Ann Armstrong) and their trusted colleague, Professor Hamaguchi (Doctor Richard Smith) and built by large scale construction effort backed by United Nations Earth Defense Force and General Oka (Commander Robinson). Voltes V is a robot composed of five "Volt Machines", and each are themselves formidable weapons. Each machine is piloted by Ken'ichi(Steve), Daijiro(Big Bert), and Hiyoshi(Little John): the three sons of Kentaro and Mitsuyo Gō, along with the only daughter of General Oka; Megumi(Jaime Robinson), and Ippei Mine(Mark Gordon), an orphan cowboy.

Voltes V's home base is Camp Big Falcon, a fortress situated on a bird-shaped island along the coast of Japan. Voltes V's enemies are the Boazanians; namely Prince Heinell(Prince Zardos), Katharine(Zandra), Jangal(Draco), and Zuhl. The series focuses on the struggle against the Boazanian invaders, and the Gō brothers' search for their long-lost father, Kentarō Gō. As the series progresses, four major characters—Professor Mitsuyo Gō, Zuhl, General Oka and Professor Hamaguchi—die. Zuhl and Hamaguchi are replaced by Belgan and Professor Sakunji (Doctor Hook), respectively. Later in the series, the brothers learn of their unique heritage of being half Boazanian. The characters deal with their identity's impact on their own lives and that on both their close friends and bitter enemies.

Characters

The Voltes V Team and Allies Protagonist

The Boazanian Nobility Antagonist

Cast

Original Japanese Cast

Philippine Cast (1970s; In English, then in 1999; In Filipino, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano and Bicolano;)

Notable: Kim Atienza revealed in a TV show in GMA 7, that he was Steve Armstrong's second dubber when Voltes V was dubbed for the first time in Filipino.

Voltes 5 Evolution Cast (redubbed Filipino version in 2005)

The following names replaced the original voice actors in the redub version on Hero TV.

Airings and release

Voltes V was broadcast in Japan by TV Asahi from June 4, 1977 to March 25, 1978.

In the Philippines, since May 5, 1978, an English-language dub of Voltes V was first aired on GMA-7, which was shown every Friday (6:00 pm) and lasted for a year until 1979.[1][2] In 1979, shortly before the series finale, then-president Ferdinand Marcos issued a directive banning Voltes V and other similarly-themed anime series due to concerns about "excessive violence".[3][4] The directive also led to speculations at the time that the series was also taken off the air due to its aforementioned revolutionary undertones.[5] In 2012, Marcos' son Bongbong defended his father's decision to ban Voltes V, stating that parents before were worried about the excessive violence in the show, so Marcos pulled the show and other robot-based animated series from television to appease their demands.[6]

An American English dubbed version was released in North America in 1983 by 3B Productions as Voltus 5. It was a condensed version of the first three episodes of the series. The English dub used the character names of the Philippine English version.

In 1986, the series was aired in PTV-4 then on ABS-CBN from 1986–1987 then on RPN-9 from 1988–1989 and on IBC-13 from 1989 (brief Tagalog dub Episodes 1 -11) and 1994 (English reruns Episodes 1 - 31), and on GMA in 1999 which was shown in English & later in Tagalog. The latter's popularity spurred numerous homages and pastiches, namely the Ang Dating Doon parody religion sketch in Bubble Gang. In 2005, the cable channel Hero, owned by the ABS-CBN Corporation, released Voltes V as Voltes V Evolution. However, the voice cast was different from the GMA version. In an attempt to promote the show to a younger audience, the network had Jett Pangan, Sandara Park, Dennis Trillo and other Filipino celebrities re-dub the characters' voices.

Toys

During the series' run, Popy released a diecast metal toy of Voltes V. The toy was available either with the five Volt Machines sold separately or in a gift set known as the "Volt In Box". Aside from the Volt Machines combining to form Voltes V, the toy also transformed into Voltank mode (an alternate vehicle mode wherein the robot lied down face-first with the Volt Panzer and Volt Lander's wheels on the ground). Voltank mode never appeared in the series, but was a unique feature of the toy. The boxed set was re-released in 1982 before being repackaged as part of Bandai's Godaikin line for the international market in 1983.[7] Popy also released a Jumbo Machinder version of Voltes V. Standing at over 24 inches in height, the toy featured firing projectile fists and could transform into Voltank mode, which small children could ride on.

In 2006, Bandai released a newer, smaller Voltes V toy as part of their Soul of Chogokin line. This toy is more detailed and more poseable than its Popy diecast predecessor. In 2008, the toy was re-released as a special edition called "Respect for Volt In Box", which pays homage to the original toy in both color scheme and packaging. In addition, this version has been retooled to transform into Voltank mode.[8]

Legacy

In the Philippines, Voltes V has embedded itself in Filipino pop culture.[9][10] The debut album of the Filipino rock band Eraserheads is titled Ultraelectromagneticpop!, a reference to the "Ultraelectromagnetic Top" used in the series. A thirteen-foot sculpture made by Toym Leon Imao called at the time Last, Lost, Lust for Four Episodes was displayed in front of the Palma Hall at the University of the Philippines Diliman from September 20 to 28, 2014, consisting of brass, fiberglass, and galvanized iron. The sculpture was made to represent "the anger [Imao] felt as a 10-year-old when Voltes V and the other robots were summarily removed from television."[11][12]

See also

References

  1. Dancel, Raul (29 August 2014). "My little Voltes V rebellion". The Straits Times (Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co.). Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  2. Sison, Norman (June 7, 2015). "Revenge of the Voltes V generation". ABS-CBN News (ABS-CBN Interactive). Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  3. Gamil, Jaymee (24 September 2014). "‘Voltes V’ fan gets back at Marcos". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  4. "'Voltes V' and Martial Law in an Artist's Memory". University of the Philippines Diliman. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  5. Montemayor, Tony (14 April 2009). "Searching for Voltes V". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  6. ABS-CBNnews.com (6 April 2012). "Bongbong: Poverty is not a poor man's battle". ABS-CBN News.com (ABS-CBN Interactive). Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  7. Collection DX - DX Voltes V
  8. Collection DX - Voltes V Respect for Volt In Box
  9. Locsin, Joel (6 October 2014). "An official Voltes V LEGO set? This Pinoy needs your help to get it done". GMA News Online (GMA Network Inc.). Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  10. Mendoza, Diana (15 February 2014). "Of Marcos babies and the Voltes V generation". Rappler (in English and Filipino). GODADDY.COM, LLC. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  11. Imao, Toym Leon (27 September 2014). "Ferdinand Marcos angered ‘Voltes V’ generation". Inquirer.net (INQUIRER.net). Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  12. "Coping with a Couple's Copious Conjugal Cupboard of Curios, Cops, Cuffs and Corpse by Toym Imao". University of the Philippines Diliman - College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Retrieved 26 June 2015.

External links

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