, popularly known as simply ''Voltes V '' (pronounced as "Voltes Five") is a Japanese
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television series produced by
Toei Dōga and animated by
Nippon Sunrise (formerly known as Soeisha). It is the second installment of the ''
Robot Romance Trilogy'', which also includes ''
Chōdenji Robo Combattler V
''Combattler V'', full name , is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Toei Dōga and animated by Soeisha (later renamed as Nippon Sunrise) that aired from 1976 to 1977. It is the first part of the ''Robot Romance Trilogy'' o ...
'' and ''
Tōshō Daimos
is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Dōga and animated by Nippon Sunrise, directed by Tadao Nagahama as his last work. It is the third and final installment of the ''Robot Romance Trilogy'', following '' Chōdenji Robo Co ...
''. It is directed by
Tadao Nagahama
__notoc__
Tadao Nagahama (長浜 忠夫 ''Nagahama Tadao''; September 26, 1936 – January 14, 1980) was a Japanese director of both puppet shows and anime, animation.
He is best known as the director of Sunrise (company), Sunrise and Toei Compa ...
and produced by
Yoshiyuki Tomino
is a Japanese mecha anime creator, animator, director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the ''Gundam'' anime franchise. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art ...
. It aired on
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Compan ...
from June 1977 to March 1978.
''Voltes V'' grew into a cultural phenomenon in the Philippines since its airing in the country in 1978, and had achieved popularity as well in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
and
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
. A live-action television series adaptation, titled ''
Voltes V: Legacy'', is currently in production in the Philippines for broadcast on
GMA Network
GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...
.
Plot
One day, a massive horde of flying saucers appears out of the depths of space and launches an invasion of the planet Earth. Despite the best efforts of the world's militaries and the Earth Defense Force under the Japanese Commander Oka, simultaneous deployments of the invaders' fleets of well-armed and highly mobile flying saucers devastate key strategic targets around the world and completely overwhelm the defenders. The invaders are aliens from the imperial planet Boazan, fighting under the command of the Boazanian emperor's ruthless nephew, Prince Heinel. With their victory all but assured, the Boazanian commanders retire to Castle Heinel, a secret underground citadel constructed by their agents in preparation for their conquest, and deploy the massive bio-mechanical "Attack Beast Knight Dokugaga" to destroy humanity's last bastion of resistance.
Unbeknownst to the Boazanians, however, are the efforts of Japanese scientists Mitsuyo Goh and Professor Hamaguchi, who have been working alongside Oka on a plan originally created by Mitsuyo's vanished husband, Dr. Kentaro Goh. Having forced her children, Kenichi, Daijiro, and Hiyoshi, to undergo a grueling training regimen alongside the American rodeo champion Ippei Mine and Commander Oka's daughter, Megumi Oka, it is revealed that all of their efforts up to this point were secretly meant to prepare the earth for this very eventuality. The scientists take the children to a top-secret base on the hidden island of Ootorijima known as "Big Falcon", where they reveal to the five Kentaro Goh's greatest life's work and humanity's last remaining hope for survival: the Super-Electromagnetic Robot, "Voltes V". Though it takes them some time to adjust to the controls, the five are able to work together and save the EDF from total destruction by finishing off Dokugaga with their powerful Heaven Sword, or Tenkuu-ken.
As the series progresses, the Boazanians continue to come up with a variety of strategies to try to defeat the Earth's powerful new robot, always involving the production of a new Beast Knight based on a different animal. As the Voltes team trains to improve their teamwork and skill, they also learn more about the nature of the Boazanians and the Goh siblings' missing father. Professor Goh is revealed to have disappeared on a diplomatic mission to the planet Boazan itself, hoping to stop their invasion before it came to pass. Having been imprisoned by the Boazanian empire this entire time, he escapes from their control and attempts to return to earth with several allies, but is waylaid by a breakaway force and taken prisoner by Heinel's traitorous science officer, Zuhl. Much of the second half of the series revolves around the Goh siblings desperately searching for their father, while he in turn works to oppose the invaders in secret.
Aside from its technological advancement, the planet Boazan is in fact very similar to Earth, and the native Boazanians are so like humanity that the two races can even healthily interbreed. The planet is wholly governed by an oligarchic monarchy with a cruel caste system: Boazanians born with horns are highly regarded and form an aristocratic elite, while the hornless are forced into slavery and worked to death on physically demanding tasks such as mining and construction. During a succession dispute between the highly-revered Chief Science Minister La Gour, son of the late emperor's brother, and Zu Zambajil, an illegitimate son of said emperor, it was discovered that despite La Gour's noble birth, he had been born hornless and had hidden the fact with prosthetics. Taking advantage of this fact to further his own quest for power, Zambajil had La Gour imprisoned and exiled his wife Rosalia, causing him great despair. After learning that Rosalia died while he was forced to work as a common slave, La Gour joined a band of hornless dissidents and subsequently led a daring insurrection against the empire, only to be easily thwarted by their vastly superior military. With no other options available to him, La Gour was forced to escape on a flying saucer and flee across the galaxy until he found himself on the faraway planet of Earth. Upon crash-landing, he was discovered by a Japanese scientist, and they fell in love. To blend in on Earth, La Gour exchanged his name for a Japanese one: Dr. Kentaro Goh. Thus, Dr. Goh's powerful technological advancements and knowledge of the oncoming alien invasion suddenly make sense, for he was once a native of that very planet himself.
Knowing that Zambajil's ambition was to rule a galactic empire, Goh quickly set into motion his plans to protect the Earth from their eventual attack, and moreover, to someday finish what he started by returning to Boazan and liberating its oppressed underclass. Yet when Zambajil threatened to invade the earth unless Goh returned to work under him, Goh had no choice but to abandon his family. Refusing to work for the tyrannical ruler, Goh was once-again imprisoned and nearly executed, only to be saved by the remnants of the rebel army he had created right before his exile. It is here that he met the rebel General Dange, an aristocrat who cut off his horns to join the rebellion, and they left for their ill-fated return to Earth. Just when everyone else believes them to be dead, it is revealed that Goh and Dange have been working on the creation of a massive spaceship known as the Solar Bird, with which they hope to return to Boazan to topple its oppressive government once and for all.
Characters
Voltes Team
;
:
:The Leader of the Voltes Team. Born on June 22, he is an 18 year old
marksman
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting using projectile weapons (in modern days most commonly an accurized scoped long gun such as designated marksman rifle or a sniper rifle) to shoot at high-value targets at longer-than- ...
, a
motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
champion, an ace
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
, and the eldest of the three Goh brothers. During his younger years, Kenichi used to behave like a typical playful child and was prone to mischief, but the long absence of his father molded him into a more responsible son and older sibling. Stern and selfless, he is rarely one to indulge in personal pursuits that might be detrimental to their cause and he often decides on the best course of action in most of the team's numerous predicaments. Due to his headstrong temperament and unwavering resolve, Kenichi often clashes with the more cynical Ippei which often results in fierce fisticuffs but the two share no ill will and eventually get along better. Aside from his exceptional marksmanship and formidable barehanded fighting skills, Kenichi is also quite adept with the use of swords (he can hold his own against Heinel, an accomplished swordsman). His uniform is red and he pilots the (Head).
;
:
:Born on November 24. Ippei is an 18-year-old
rodeo
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...
champion, who was orphaned while still a young boy. His mother died trying to save him from a pack of
wolves
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
. After his mother's death, he grew bitter, aloof, but cool under crisis. He learned how to live in the streets and perform odd jobs. This kind of life strengthened his personality. Upon joining the rodeo, he learned to ride horses and how to use a
whip. He found his greatest friend in a white
stallion
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated).
Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...
known as . The two, man and beast, became inseparable. He won two rodeo championship contests with Eiffel as his horse. Then one day, the Earth International Defense Force asked Ippei to join the team. When he refused, he was taken forcibly, so for the first time, Ippei and Eiffel were separated. Dr. Hamaguchi has Eiffel brought to Big Falcon early in the series and he has a rivalry with Kenichi. His uniform is blue and he pilots the (Arms).
;
:
:Born on November 18, Daijiro is the second oldest of the Goh brothers and a 17 year old defense tactician. He was once a playful child, but Daijiro's outlook in life suddenly changed when his father disappeared. Alarmed by this change in his personality, Mrs. Goh sent him to live in the country where a martial arts master taught him different fighting styles and forms of
meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally cal ...
. Upon rejoining his brothers, Daijiro was already a master of different hand-to-hand fighting styles. The ''
Bō'' became his favorite weapon. Together with Kenichi and Hiyoshi, Daijiro started training as a member of the Voltes V Team. His uniform is dark green and he pilots the (Body and Chest).
;
:
:Born on October 20, Hiyoshi is the youngest of the Goh brothers and a 10 year old a genius in inventing
automaton
An automaton (; plural: automata or automatons) is a relatively self-operating machine, or control mechanism designed to automatically follow a sequence of operations, or respond to predetermined instructions.Automaton – Definition and More ...
s. He has been interested in learning
mechanics
Mechanics (from Ancient Greek: μηχανική, ''mēkhanikḗ'', "of machines") is the area of mathematics and physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among physical objects. Forces applied to objects r ...
,
robotics
Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrat ...
, and
electromagnetism
In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge. It is the second-strongest of the four fundamental interactions, after the strong force, and it is the dominant force in the interactions of ...
since a very young age. He was considered a genius by many university professors. He even created a funny little
octopus
An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...
-
robot
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...
called ''Tako-chan''. But to his big brothers, Kenichi and Daijiro, Hiyoshi will always be a little brother, a child who never felt the warmth and love of a real father. He also excels in
swimming
Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...
and diving. Because of his exceptional talents, Hiyoshi was asked to join the Voltes V Team as a technical handyman, specifically for repairs during field operations. His uniform is light green and he pilots the (Legs).
;
:
:Megumi is a 16 year old ''
kunoichi
is a Japanese cant term for . In popular culture, it is often used for female shinobi or practitioner of ninjutsu (''ninpo''). The term was largely popularized by novelist Yamada Futaro in his novel ''Ninpō Hakkenden'' (忍法八犬伝) in 1964 ...
'' and the 18th heir of the
Kōga-ryū
Kōka-ryū (甲賀流, "School of Kōka"; occasionally transliterated as "Kōga") is an umbrella term for a set of traditions of ninjutsu that originated from the region of Kōka (modern Kōka City in Shiga Prefecture). The samurai of Kōka-ryū ...
ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...
. Born on May 17. Megumi received special training during her childhood. By the age of 13, she already possessed extraordinary skills and lightning reflexes. She also learned gentle arts from her mother. Through her mother's guidance, Megumi became a person with a calm yet alert disposition. Joining the Voltes V Team, she was the voice of reason among the male members, especially whenever Kenichi and Ippei were about to clash during personal conflicts. Her cool demeanor and uncanny skills qualified Megumi as the fifth (and only female) member of the Voltes V team. Her uniform is yellow with pink accents and she pilots the (Feet).
Allies
; /
:
:The father of the three Goh brothers and a former Boazanian aristocrat. Being the son of the then reigning emperor's brother, La Gour was a privileged high-ranking royal-blooded Boazanian nobleman but had the great misfortune of being born without horns. Due to this perceived abnormality, La Gour's parents had him secretly outfitted with imitation horns in order to avoid stigma, scandal, and a life of forced labor. His aging uncle was not able to produce a legitimate male heir so despite La Gour's undisclosed imperfection, the latter was still groomed to be next in line to the Boazanian throne. The horned elites' extreme prejudice and severe maltreatment of the hornless slaves struck a chord in young La Gour's psyche; he began devoting his life into quelling societal discrimination in order to foster peace and equality between the two classes. Gifted with an extremely brilliant scientific mind, La Gour's academic excellence and unwavering work ethic eventually earned him the peerless title of Boazan's Chief Science Minister; majority of the planet's technological advancements (particularly in regards to the military sciences) can be attributed to his efforts. A horned noblewoman named Lozaria was married to La Gour and during their honeymoon, the latter reluctantly decided to be completely honest with his new wife by revealing his fake horns. Despite fears of being rejected, Lozaria's affections toward La Gour never wavered then reassured the latter that horned or hornless he was still the man that she chose to love; the couple enjoyed marital bliss for a while.
:Moments before being crowned as the new emperor, La Gour's secret was finally publicly divulged by his jealous and ambitious bastard cousin, Zu Zambajil. He was branded a traitor, stripped of his title, separated from his pregnant wife and then imprisoned. Lozaria later dies during childbirth while the helpless La Gour could only weep in mourning behind bars. With the aid of the rebels he was able to escape from prison. La Gour then led a rebellion against the empire, but his ragtag troops of former slaves were simply no match against the superior might of the Boazanian military. Even though La Gour was adamant to fight alongside the rebels until the bitter end, his desperate comrades urged the former to live on; they sacrificed themselves in order for La Gour to board their last remaining space saucer which the latter then used to reach planet Earth. Wounded and unconscious in a foreign world, La Gour was found near his ship's wreckage by a local woman, a scientist named Mitsuyo Goh, whom he later marries. Fearing Zu Zambajil's inter-planetary conquest ambitions, La Gour (who now goes by the name Professor Kentaro Goh) collaborated with his wife, as well as premier Earth scientist Professor Hamaguchi and Earth International Defense Force commander General Oka to design and construct Voltes V, his greatest creation and the ultimate defense against a potential Boazanian invasion. After the birth of their third and youngest son, Hiyoshi, Professor Kentaro Goh tearfully left his newfound world and family; he returned to Boazania as a diplomat in a peaceful effort to abate the cruelty and tyranny of the now current reigning emperor, Zu Zambajil. Instead of listening to Professor Goh's appeal of non-violence towards other planets, the ruthless monarch offered his long lost cousin the lofty designation of being lead designer to Boazania's inter-planetary war machine. Disgusted by how vile and despotic Zu Zambajil had become, Professor Goh vehemently refused the Boazanian emperor's proposition and was therefore incarcerated.
:Much of the series' plot revolve around La Gour's sons discovering the reasons behind their father's disappearance as well as his secret origins, both of which are related to the Boazanian Earth invasion. Eventually, the Voltes Team made their way to planet Boazan and the Goh brothers were finally able to reconnect with their father. La Gour and the Boazanian rebels collaborated with the Voltes Team in order to ultimately terminate Zu Zambajil's despotic rule. The series' finale revealed that Prince Heinel is actually La Gour's unknown child with his first wife Lozaria; making the proud Boazanian enemy commander an older half-brother to the three Goh brothers. After the rebels' successful liberation of the slaves, La Gour was finally crowned as the new ruler of Boazan.
;
:
:The human wife of Professor Kentaro Goh and the mother of the three Goh children. She met La Gour when he escaped Boazania and crash-landed on Earth. She later married La Gour and, as a scientist herself, assisted him in creating Voltes V. She raised her children on her own when her husband left, and continued to care for them until her death. She sacrificed herself to help Voltes V when it was under the mercy of a beast fighter.
;
:
:The former commander of Camp Big Falcon fortress at the beginning of the series. Regarded as planet Earth's top scientist, he helped design and build the Voltes V robot alongside his good friend Professor Kentaro Goh. Due to his friendship with their absentee father, Professor Hamaguchi is somewhat of a father figure to the Voltes team, especially to the three Goh brothers. Despite having the appearance of an old man past his prime, Professor Hamaguchi is surprisingly very capable of defending himself; Boazanian soldiers who were trying to seize him during an abduction attempt failed when they were met with his vicious roundhouse kicks. Professor Hamaguchi acted as the commander of Camp Big Falcon on Professor Goh's behalf until he perished after sacrificing his life to save the Voltes team.
;
:
:Megumi's father and the 17th heir of the
Kōga-ryū
Kōka-ryū (甲賀流, "School of Kōka"; occasionally transliterated as "Kōga") is an umbrella term for a set of traditions of ninjutsu that originated from the region of Kōka (modern Kōka City in Shiga Prefecture). The samurai of Kōka-ryū ...
ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...
. He is one of the co-designers of Voltes V, and commander of the Earth International Defense Force. On the verge of retirement due to ill health; he dies late in the series saving his daughter from a Boazanian beast fighter that had the power to control people's minds.
;
:
:The recent commander of Camp Big Falcon after Hamaguchi's death. Sakunji, a former student of Hamaguchi, is called upon to take over command of Big Falcon. He is a hard-nosed commander who continually pushes the Voltes V Team to their limits during training, sometimes to the point of risking their lives. Although he first appeared cruel, he has also shown his soft side as the series went through, especially that he was concerned about the people of the Earth more than anything else.
;
:
:A Boazanian colleague and ally of Doctor Kentaro Goh. A former member of Boazanian nobility, and military general. Believing in Kentaro Goh's cause of equality, he broke his horns and joined the rebellion. When Dr. Goh returned to Boazania, he freed him from capture and escaped with him back to Earth, along with a handful of rebels. He assisted Voltes V by piloting the Mecha Hawk (鷹メカ, ''Taka Mecha'', Mechanical Eagle) and installing new weapons upgrade components during battle. On route to Camp Big Falcon, he was attacked by a beast fighter and was mortally injured. However, just before he died, he managed to tell Kenichi, Daijiro and Hiyoshi of their father and their Boazanian origins.
;
:
:Another Boazanian colleague and ally of Doctor Kentaro Goh who escaped with him to Earth. He is the leader of the Boazanian refugees/rebels on Earth and assisted Goh in constructing the Solar Falcon, a giant spaceship that is designed to be the partner for space travel for Camp Big Falcon. After Goh was re-captured by General Gururu, he led the Voltes team and Camp Big Falcon to Boazania to launch the final attack on Emperor Zambajil and his regime.
The Boazanian Nobility
;
:
:The series' main antagonist, Zu Zambajil is the emperor of Boazania who is extremely racist, cruel and selfish, but ultimately a coward. The son of the previous emperor and his mistress, he took the throne when he revealed the "hornlessness" of his cousin, La Gour. Driven by greed and the desire for conquests, he ordered his people to create beast fighters as a tool to expand his empire further. His ambition knew no bounds. Under his rule, horned and hornless alike who dared oppose him were imprisoned, enslaved, and executed. He sent Prince Heinel, the son of La Gour, to Earth, as a means of removing a perceived threat to his throne. As time wore on, he sent others to pretend to aid Heinel while spying on him. When Voltes V and the Big Falcon reached Boazania, the people rebelled against him and the remaining few still loyal to him turned against him and fled. He met his end when, while trying to escape with a wagonload of riches, he was found by Prince Heinel, who killed him in repayment for betraying his planet and people.
;
:
:The proud and stern inter-planetary commander who led the Boazanian Earth invasion, Prince Heinel is a member of the Boazanian nobility through his uncle Emperor Zu Zambajil though the latter is not very fond of him. Labeled as a traitor's son to a father he never knew, young Prince Heinel was shunned and ridiculed by his peers; the hapless lad only received genuine love from his maternal grandparents. Being a potential heir to the throne, Prince Heinel's second-degree uncle Zu Zambajil secretly despised him; the emperor was reluctant to appoint his nephew to any meaningful position in the royal court. Knowing that he had little chance in proving his worth among the ruling class, Prince Heinel became headstrong and motivated while earning accolades through military merit. Graduating as the top cadet at the Boazanian Institute of Military Sciences and Warfare, Prince Heinel conducts himself proudly like most distinguished warriors and regards himself primarily as a soldier rather than a nobleman. Though initially depicted as a typical lead villain who is not above using under-handed tactics, Prince Heinel is later shown to have honorable qualities like being a fair leader to his subordinates as well as giving credit to those who deserve recognition. Earnestly giving his all for the glory of Boazan, Prince Heinel would rather die a warrior's death than live a cowardly life in defeat. But alas, Prince Heinel's over-confidence in Boazanians' supposed superiority coupled with his constant under-estimation of the Earthlings' capabilities often result in embarrassing failures. Due to repeated setbacks he suffered against the Voltes Team, Zu Zambajil removed Prince Heinel from active command then had the latter exiled back to Boazan. During his final confrontation against Kenichi Goh, Prince Heinel pulled out his prized dagger which immediately caught the eye of Kentaro Goh/La Gour as it is embellished with the latter's coat-of-arms. Prince Heinel's mother was then revealed to be Lozaria, the Boazanian first wife of Kentaro Goh/La Gour who perished after giving birth while her husband was being wrongfully detained by Zu Zambajil. Realizing he had been waging a senseless war that had him pitted against his own father and half-siblings, Prince Heinel was emotionally shattered for a short while but eventually accepted the truth. When he saw the defeated and now very desperate Zu Zambajil's pathetic attempt to escape, Prince Heinel flung the said dagger at the despotic Emperor thus finally putting an end to his uncle's tyrannical regime. As their surroundings were being engulfed in flames due to all the fighting, Kenichi was almost caught in the fire but Prince Heinel immediately came to the former's aid then pushed him aside. His younger half-brother now safely out of harm's way, the still remorseful Prince Heinel willingly let himself be trapped amidst a pile of burning rubble; Kentaro Goh/La Gour and the rest of his sons can only look on tearfully as their newfound kin solemnly succumbs to a fiery demise. Prince Heinel enjoyed a brief moment of redemption and solace before death knowing that his last selfless act saved Kenichi's life.
;
:
:Prince Heinel's aide and unrequited lover, born on May 1. Motivated by love, she remained loyal to her prince until the end, when she took a bullet, saving his life. As she died, she confessed her love to him, and he realized that he loved her as well.
;
:
:The three-horned general sent to Earth with Prince Heinel and Katharine. Fiercely loyal to Heinel while also a wise strategist, he was the one who convinced Heinel that the Goh brothers are part-Boazanian. He later chose death over surrender to the Voltes team.
;
:
:A one-horned, aged, hunchback, toothless scientist and one of Prince Heinel's original aides for the Earth invasion force. His invention of the Anti-Super Electromagnetic Device nearly destroyed Voltes V. Cunning and contemptuous, he discreetly captured Professor Goh just before he returned to Earth and attempt to use Goh for his plans to kill Heinel and Voltes V. Eventually, his attempt to betray Heinel failed and he was executed.
;
:
:The second general sent by the Emperor, sent by Emperor Zambojil to keep an eye on Prince Heinel and kill him if necessary. He kept his identity concealed most of the time with a blank mask. Upon arrival, he created a combat beast with a special alloy called Maxingal, the same alloy used for his armor, which was supposedly impervious to Voltes V's weapons and sword. Using this alloy, he intended to defeat Voltes V and take over Heinel's position, but lost and became Zuhl's replacement under Heinel. Since his arrival, all beast fighters constructed have Maxingal as standard armor but they're still no match when Voltes V upgraded its sword with the Chōdenji/Superelectromagnetic Ball. Along with Gururu, he betrayed Heinel and attempted to blow up Earth with a Magmite Bomb. During the battle to liberate Boazan, he died when the starship he and Gururu were aboard was destroyed by Voltes V.
;
:
:The head of the Boazanian military and the last commander sent to Earth. He re-captured Lagour/Professor Goh and betrayed Heinel with Bergan. Overconfident, he was killed during the liberation of Boazan.
;
:
:The chief inspector of Emperor Zambajil and one of the few who knew about Zambajil's betrayal of La Gour and the Boazanian throne. He is well known to deliver bad news to the Emperor from his scouting, thus many executions ordered by the Emperor was a result of his reports. Zambajil sent him to Earth to report on Heinel's progress, but discreetly wanted him to ensure Heinel's death from the hands of Voltes V. He plotted with Zuhl to have Heinel pilot a beast fighter, while at the same time leaked information to Big Falcon about the beast fighter's weak points. His plan backfired when Katharine overheard the plot. Heinel ordered Zuhl to reinforce the weak points, and in mid-battle the beast fighter destroyed Zaki's nearby ship with him inside.
Development
''Voltes V'' was produced by Toei Company, Ltd. with animation from Sunrise and sponsorship from Popy for the toys.
During the development of Voltes V, Nagahama originally conceived the series to be a sequel to ''
Chōdenji Robo Combattler V
''Combattler V'', full name , is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Toei Dōga and animated by Soeisha (later renamed as Nippon Sunrise) that aired from 1976 to 1977. It is the first part of the ''Robot Romance Trilogy'' o ...
'' and follows the events of the series after the finale before making it into a separate series. From Nagahama's memo, the series is originally meant to be titled or . Both names are ultimately scrapped and it was renamed to ''Voltes V''.
During the time of its development, NET TV transitioned its name to TV Asahi during 1977. In a proposal from Popy in 1976, ''Voltes V'' was meant to have a gun-like finishing attack but Sunrise and Toei wanted the actual attack for the toys to be changed. As such, the gun was changed to a sword, which is carried over to the mech's Heaven's Blade/Laser Blade attack.
At that time also in 1976, Nagahama was given creative direction on the series and used
Stage combat
Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet p ...
as reference for the titular mecha's combat moves.
As describing the story itself, the plot of the Goh brothers' search for their father were inspired from
Taiga dramas,
as explained by Shoichi Taguchi, one of the anime that inspired him for the plot was ''
3000 Leagues in Search of Mother'' and that he wanted the heroes to search for their father instead of a mother.
Akinori Watanabe, the previous director of Toei's Television Business Division, was worried that the plot will be too depressing to viewers and wanted to avoid viewers crying all the time. In response to Watanabe's request, he created the rival character, Prince Heinel, who was based on one of the actors in the world-famous ''
Takarazuka Revue
The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions of Western-style musicals and stories adapted from films, novels, manga, and Japa ...
''.
According to Kei Iijima, one of Toei's producers, the Goh brothers and Heinel will be rivals throughout the series until the final episode, in which Heinel will be revealed to be related to them by blood but have a tragic end and redemption. He stated also that "This is because I wanted viewers to strongly elicit anger against various discriminations around them and to hate discrimination through this work and think about correcting them."
The final draft of the series was completed in March 1977, with the first episode was broadcast on June 4 of the same year.
Shinya Sadamitsu and
Yoshiyuki Tomino
is a Japanese mecha anime creator, animator, director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the ''Gundam'' anime franchise. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art ...
were brought to the staff by Nagahama for their roles as producer and art director. Kazuo Tomizawa was also brought in as one of the staff until he decided to focus more on ''
Invincible Super Man Zambot 3
is a Super Robot anime series created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Yoshitake Suzuki, featuring character design by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and produced by Sunrise. It was first broadcast on Japanese TV in 1977. The series lasted for 23 episodes.
Stor ...
''.
Media
Anime
''Voltes V'' was broadcast in Japan by
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Compan ...
from June 4, 1977 to March 25, 1978, replacing ''
Chōdenji Robo Combattler V
''Combattler V'', full name , is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Toei Dōga and animated by Soeisha (later renamed as Nippon Sunrise) that aired from 1976 to 1977. It is the first part of the ''Robot Romance Trilogy'' o ...
'' in its initial timeslot. The series' opening theme is titled by
Mitsuko Horie
is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer. She was born in Yamato, Kanagawa.
She has voiced several characters throughout her career, such as Sailor Galaxia in '' Sailor Moon: Sailor Stars'' and Remi in the Nippon Animation World Master ...
,
Koorogi '73
were a Japanese backing vocals group best known for their contributions to the Super Robot series and Toei's Super Sentai and Kamen Rider Series. The group was disbanded after 1990.
The Japanese word means "a cricket
Cricket is a bat ...
, and
Columbia Yurikago-kai with the ending theme titled by
Ichiro Mizuki. The lyrics to the opening theme were written
by Toei staff with music written by
Asei Kobayashi
was a Japanese composer. He was also a lyricist, actor, and ''multi-tarento''. He could also sing songs and advertisement songs.
Kobayashi was represented by Astro Music. He was the director of the Japan Songwriters Association (J-scat). Kobaya ...
, and arranged by the series' composer, Hiroshi Takada, while the lyrics to the ending theme were penned by Akira Aoi (Tadao Nagahama), with music written by Asei Kobayashi, and arranged by Hiroshi Tsutsui.
At the
Otakon 2018 convention on August 13, 2018,
Discotek Media
Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series.
Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
announced that they licensed the series (with English subtitles) for its
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
and
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
release in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
.
Telesuccess Productions (formerly known as Questor International) holds the Philippine rights to the anime series since its English dub premiered on GMA in 1978.
The Telesuccess dub (English and Tagalog) was made available in Southeast Asia through video-on-demand service
iflix
WeTV iflix, or simply iflix, is a Malaysian free and subscription video on demand (VOD) service focused on emerging markets. Its global headquarters are in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The site serves as a digital hosting and distribution platform fo ...
in September 2016.
Another English dub, written and directed by
William Ross, was produced in Tokyo, Japan by
Frontier Enterprises
was a Tokyo-based company dedicated to the dubbing of Japanese films and media for the English language. Frontier did jobs for Toho International, Toei Animation and Shochiku Company, dubbing their films into English for export.
Along with ...
and released in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
in 1983 by 3B Productions as ''Voltus 5''. It was a compilation of selected episodes (from episode 1 to 18).
Live-action adaptation
A live-action television series adaptation, titled ''
Voltes V: Legacy'', is currently in production in the Philippines for broadcast on
GMA Network
GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...
. The production will be licensed from the
Toei Company
() (also styled TOEI) is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution and video game developer and publishing company. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan (all but two of them operated by i ...
through its Philippine licensor Telesuccess Productions, Inc.
Mark A. Reyes
Marciano Antonio "Mark" Reyes V is a Filipino film director, television director, music video director and film writer known for his multi-stranded storylines. He is a resident director and writer of GMA Network.
His work include the film ''Mome ...
is the director who leads the production of the series, which will involve close supervision from
Toei. Riot Inc. was hired to do the special effects alongside GMA's video-graphic department.
Toys
During the series' run,
Popy
Popy (ポピー) was a Japanese toy manufacturer of the 1970s and early 1980s. The company was owned by Bandai. It was founded in 1971 and merged back into the parent company in 1983. The company is best known for its groundbreaking Chogokin robot ...
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). This mode never appeared in the series, but was a unique feature of the toy. The boxed set was re-released in the United States in 1978 by
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
as part of the
Shogun Warriors line of imported toys. Later it was re-released in 1982 repackaged as part of
Bandai
is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...
's ''
Godaikin
Godaikin or GoDaiKin (a combination of ''gokin'' (合金, "alloy") and ''dai'' (大, "big"/"great")) was a line of Super Robot toys released by Bandai America from 1982 to 1985, composed of figures from Popy-created series such as ''Chogokin'' and ...
'' line for the international market in 1983. Popy also released a
Jumbo Machinder Jumbo Machinder is the name of a series of large-scale plastic robots sold by Bandai's character toy subsidiary, Popy in the 1970s. Although a trademarked brand name, in common usage Jumbo Machinder is often applied to any large-size robot toy roto ...
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
or "Soul of Super-alloy", is a popular line of adult collector's toys produced by the Japanese company Bandai.
The line, which began in 1997, focuses almost exclusively on mecha (robots) taken from various 1970s and 1980s anime series, although ...
'' 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.
In 2018, Bandai released the Soul of Chogokin Voltes V F.A. (Full Action) figure. The figure sacrifices its combination gimmick in favor of more anime-accurate proportions and dynamic articulation. In 2020, Bandai released the titular mecha under the DX Soul of Chogokin line.
Video games
The series itself has been included and featured in the long-running ''
Super Robot Wars
''Super Robot Wars'', known in Japan as is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Banpresto. Starting out as a spinoff of the '' Compati Hero'' series, the main feature of the franchise ...
'' series of video games with its first appearance on the
PlayStation game ''Shin Super Robot Wars'' in 1996.
Cultural impact
''Voltes V'' is notable for its cultural impact in several countries like
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, and the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
In the case of the latter, it had a major impact in the country during the period of
martial law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Marti ...
under President
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
, who banned the series along with other "violent" Japanese animated series on August 27, 1979 for their "harmful effects on children".
However, popular speculation was that the series was banned because of the anime's underlying themes of rebellion and revolution.
The remaining four episodes were never aired and Filipino children angered by the sudden ban have sometimes been referred to as the "Voltes V generation".
After the success of the 1986
People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
, ''Voltes V'' was re-aired on
Philippine television
Television in the Philippines was introduced in October 1953 upon the first commercial broadcast made by Alto Broadcasting System (now ABS-CBN), making the Philippines the first Southeast Asian country and the second in Asia to do so. Even b ...
from 1990-2010s with a Filipino dub.
In March 1999, however,
Davao Oriental
Davao Oriental ( Cebuano: ''Sidlakang Dabaw''; tl, Silangang Davao), officially the Province of Davao Oriental, is a province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is city of Mati, and it borders the province of ...
congressman Mayo Almario filed a bill seeking to remove ''Voltes V'' from the air once again, proposing to give the
Movie and Television Review and Classification Board
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board ( fil, Lupon sa Rebyu at Klasipikasyon ng Pelikula at Telebisyon; abbreviated as MTRCB) is a Philippine government agency under the Office of the President of the Philippines that is respon ...
(MTRCB) the authority to remove programming deemed too violent for children.
Toym Imao
Abdulmari de Leon Imao, Jr. (born 1968), better known by either Toym Leon Imao or Toym Imao, is a Filipino multi-media visual artist whose art is known for its commentary on Filipino social conditions, as well as for its pop culture sensibilities ...
, a visual artist who was a child at the time the series aired, made a sculpture inspired by ''Voltes V'' in 2014 called ''Last, Lost, Lust for Four Forgotten Episodes'' as part of his series of art installations entitled ''
Super Robot - Suffer Reboot'' that was displayed at the entrance of Palma Hall at the
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...
.
References
External links
*
*
{{Sunrise
1977 anime television series debuts
1977 Japanese television series debuts
1978 Japanese television series endings
Alien invasions in television
Discotek Media
Shōnen manga
Toei Animation television
Sunrise (company)
Super robot anime and manga
Works about revolutions
Animation controversies in television
Anime and manga controversies
Obscenity controversies in animation
Obscenity controversies in television