Chôdenji mashin Borutesu Faibu

They say first love never dies, and it's certainly true for my love for Voltes V. I first watched the series in the mid 80's, the first Japanese anime I've ever seen. I'm still an anime lover, but truly nothing compares to Voltes V. I don't exactly know why, maybe it's the storyline (which gives a surprising secret at the end), maybe it's the characters (one of them is my first crush, the villain was voted the most-loved villain in all anime), or maybe simply because it doesn't use sex as a selling tool like so many anime nowadays.

When the story ends, I felt the first disappointment in my whole life. I've moved to many other movies, but still I came back for it, searched for years before finding a complete set of vcds, and surprised myself because I vividly remembered most episodes. That's how much I love it.

I live in the U.S. now but I grew up in the Philippines watching Voltes V dubbed in English (later, I was surprised to know that it was Filipinos who were doing the dubbing, for they spoke perfect English) and still hear in the background the original Japanese dubbing whenever Voltes V fights a foe. For example, whenever he uses one of his weapons, like the top, the team leader would shout "UUUULLLLTTTRRRAAAMMMAAAGGGNNNEEETTTIIICCCCTTTOOOOPPPP!!" or something like "EEEELLLLEEEECCCTTTTRROOOOMMM AAAGGGGNNNEEETTTIIIICCCTTTOOOOPPPPP" while on the background you would here another voice, which is in Japanese, yelling something else. When I get to school the next day me and my classmates would make fun of this and imitate the Japanese voice background... but it was all good you know, its part of your good old days, like everyone else who reminisce about their favorite cartoon shows when they were young, it brings back delight for it was a much simpler times...not like adulthood where you constantly think about the high pressures of life!

Voltes V is the most famous Super Robot in all time.. it started in the 70's as this was the golden era for the Japanese super Robot animated cartoon. and naturally as the American well known habit it was translated into English in Philippines and the Japanese names like Kentaro Gou and Kenichi were transferred automatically into American names like Steve and Mark and Armstrong .. !!

The Voltes idea is based on the pop culture of that time which says that the Earth will be invaded from aliens from the outer space, in Voltes series the aliens were from a planet called Bozania, These invaders were leaded by the evil emperor Zambazil and his invading forces' leader Prince Zardos, aided with a bunch of generals and advisories like: Zandra, Draco, Zhul and Ozlack, with unlimited supplies to build evil Robots and UFO's. Here appears the need for a strong team to lead the defenses for the earth, So 5 members were chosen to fly the five Volt machines as to fight back the enemies and to unite together and to form Voltes Five - which is a great mechanical fighting robot - to fight the enemy monsters and robots .. The Voltes team members were:

1) Steve Armstrong => The leader of the team and the elder son of Dr Ned Armstrong the creator of Voltes V and Dr Mary Ann his wife, Steve has great leadership and fighting abilities and flies the head of the Robot Voltes V ..

2) Mark Gordon => A great Fighter who's so strict and tough, he flies the arms of Voltes V ..

3) Big Bert Armstrong => The second son of Dr Ned Armstrong, He's so strong in the traditional Japanese martial arts and flies the Body of Voltes V ..

4) Little John Armstrong => The youngest son of Dr Ned Armstrong, Although he's just a 10 years old kid, he has a genius analytical mind which enables him to create and invent mechanical inventions and solutions like OCTO1 their little Robo-friend, He flies the legs of Voltes V ..

5) Jaimie Robenson => She is the only daughter of commander Robenson the chief of the earth defense center which leads the army of the earth union Army, She is a cute, beautiful and a very fast Ninja fighter and flies The feet of Voltes V ..

Several Battles took place between Voltes and the Bozanian army ... after a while the Voltes Team has discovered that their father Dr Ned Armstrong is still alive but is captured by the Bozanian forces, so they did all their efforts to find him but in vain for a long time, while the enemy and prince Zardoz have used this fact to trick the Voltes V team several times And around 40 great episodes, the Voltes team fought the enemy in a long epic .. a lot were lost in the battle of freedom .. their mother: Dr Mary Ann Armstrong, Dr Smith who aided and helped the team to stand against the enemy, Commander Robenson, General Watson: their father's friend and comrade in the battle against the Bozanian army .. They knew the truth that their father was a very rich Bozanian Baron who was about to be the emperor of Bozania, but by an ugly trick from Zambazil -His rival- He was jailed and tortured as a hornless slave, and so he escaped to earth were he married Mary Ann and and become Dr Armstrong, and built camp big falcon and Voltes V as he was expecting the attack from Zambazil .. The Voltes team found their father at the end of the story and fought with him against Zambazil forces in Bozania in a great final battle. they found that prince Zardoz is actually Armstrong's son from his former wife Lozaria and in the most tragic scene in the series .. Zardoz dies protecting his father and brothers.. Bozania was free at last and Victory was to Dr Armstrong and the Voltes team ..

A lot of Gigantic and Super Robots appeared after Voltes like: Grendaizer, Mazinger Z, Voltron, Daimos, Mazinkaizer, Gundam, Jungar .. etc (needless to say that almost all of them are Japanese inventions which were transfered into English by the American usual (habit)), but actually Voltes V has a unique and unrepeatable taste and charm ..

I watched Voltes V in my childhood and I really believe in its main idea: The Union and faith is the way of Victory and Even the weakest armies can defeat the strongest armies and empires by faith and will as long they believe in the freedom and their right lo live and to create their own destiny *** Lo'ay

It was so obvious that Voltron DID copied some of the elements in VOLTES V.

One of these was ripping-off VOLTES V's name!

Voltron Lion Force had an original title. (Go-Lion: King of a Hundred Beasts)

When it reached the shores of the U.S.A., the American distributors re-named it VOLTRON as to catch the American viewers' taste.

American viewers and fans should be aware that this so-called "Defender of the Universe" took its name from a far more poignant super robot story.

It CANNOT be DENIED, the "VOLT" in Voltron's name was the Volt in VOLTES V's name. There are no other super robots in the past, Japanese originals and U.S tampered that had the Volt in the name but Voltes V!

In the case of Combattler V ripping-off by Voltes V, let us remember that the creator of Voltes V and Combattler V is only one person (Tadao Nagahama) and Voltes V is CLEARLY the Improvement of Combattler V.

Voltes V is one of the best Japanese animated shows I've seen.

Voltes V is the story of three brothers in search for their lost father, while waging a war against a horned race of alien invaders.

To fight against the aliens, the three brothers and two friends use five sophisticated attack vehicles which can combine into a powerful laser sword-wielding giant robot.

The theme of the series is not for the average kid, storylines about discrimination, racism and dictatorialism has led to this series being banned in one country.

But the main theme of siblings going against the odds to be reunited with their father has made this series one of the most popular of the vintage anime. It doesn't hurt also that their mecha (robot) is one of the more advance-designed one.

A cult following has ensued in my country. Twenty years after its release, it still hasn't lost its magic. And I for one am thankful for that.