In the nostalgic preview of Voltes V: Legacy, you’ll get to relive your childhood memories and love for the famed Japanese mecha series.
It’s an established fact that the popular Japanese anime series Super Electromagnetic Machine Voltes V, more popularly known as Voltes V, became a cultural phenomenon in the Philippines ever since it first aired on Filipino televisions in the late 70s. Heck, you can even catch Filipinos singing Mitsuko Horie’s anime opening theme song Voltes V no Uta in full Japanese, a testament to the significant impact of the show in Philippine pop culture. And this 2023, cue the iconic music once again as our favorite robot fighter is about to set foot in the archipelago with GMA Network’s live-action adaptation titled Voltes V: Legacy.
LET’S VOLT IN!
Talk about starting the new year with a bang as GMA Network released the jam-packed mega trailer of the much-awaited Voltes V: Legacy series on New Year’s eve, a week after its third teaser came out. And just as passionate Pinoy fans expected, the anticipated live-action adaptation has got all of the familiar elements to get hyped up about: flying saucers, the Boazanian skull ship, antagonistic beast fighters, the butterfly return technique, the intricate labs and launch conveyors, the LSS-inducing soundtrack, a world on the brink of collapse, and ultimately, that iconic line that we used to shout in unison out of vicarious excitement.
Now viewed over seven million times on various platforms, the five-minute sneak peek also boasts of the amount of effort, passion, and love that were devoted to GMA’s most ambitious and most expensive project yet. Fans also took note of the network’s attention to detail and expressed their enthusiasm for the show’s release after years of waiting. Pinoy comedian Michael V. and even the Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines are stoked to watch the adaptation series.
Voltes V: Legacy follows three brothers Steve (Miguel Tanfelix), Big Bert (Matt Lozano), and Little Jon Armstrong (Raphael Landicho) as they join forces with their friends Jamie Robinson (Ysabel Ortega) and Mark Gordon (Radson Flores) in defending the Earth from humanoid alien invaders, known as Boazanians, who plan to wreck chaos on Earth with its beast fighters.
Voltes V: Legacy also prides itself on being 100% Pinoy as it’s all made by a team of talented Filipino creatives including veteran director Mark Reyes (Encantadia), writer Suzette Doctolero (who’s also behind the successful Maria Clara at Ibarra), and award-winning cinematographer and visual designer Gary Gardoce. Local animators from Riot Inc. Post-Production and the GMA Post Video Graphics and Audio team were also behind the cutting-edge computer-generated imagery (CGI) and visual effects of the show that’s years in the making.
TOEI COMPANY FEATURE AND INTERNATIONAL RELEASE
Just last week, Toei Company, Ltd., the Japanese maker behind the OG Voltes V (Chōdenji Mashīn Borutesu Faibu), featured Voltes V: Legacy on its website, signifying that the newest adaptation is a “fully licensed franchise” of the classic anime series. After highlighting the Filipinos’ unwavering support and love for Voltes V, the company also gave credit to GMA Network and director Mark Reyes who they deem as having “both skill and experience in live-action films in the Philippines.”
The company’s producer Shin-ichiro Shirakura also shares his gratitude to the fans and the production teams’ commitment to reviving the well-loved mecha franchise. “Even if the times change, the basic composition—five young people selected to fight against overwhelming invaders by making full use of five united robots—will not change,” the article writes. “The DNA of Voltes V has been handed down from generation to generation as one of Japan’s leading special effects hero series, and continues to fascinate children around the world. Although it has become more sophisticated with each generation, it may be that something important has been lost. Voltes V: Legacy taught me that.”
Toei Company has also praised the Filipino team and its local licensor Telesuccess Productions, Inc. for their “effort, enthusiasm, and hard work” and teased about Voltes V: Legacy’s “broadcasting and distribution in Japan and other parts of the world.” Director Mark Reyes takes to online to celebrate this announcement as a new achievement unlocked. In another statement, the Voltes V: Legacy helmer also advises the skeptics and critics to give the groundbreaking show a chance.
“Here, pinagkagastusan ng network, pinayagan ng Japan, my blessing ng Japan, pinaghirapan namin, hindi namin minadali,” Reyes says. “Ang daming nagagalit na ang tagal-tagal naman n’yan. At the same time naman, ‘pag minadali n’yo, sasabihin minadali. And here we are, we’re working on it for almost four years so give us a chance to see what we’ve done.”
Voltes V: Legacy is among GMA’s 2023 offerings this 2023. Its star-studded cast includes Dennis Trillo, Carla Abellana, Martin Del Rosario, Liezel Lopez, Epy Quizon, Gabby Eigenmann, Albert Martinez, and Carlo Gonzalez to name a few. Follow Voltes V: Legacy’s official social media page to learn more about the show’s release date and other interesting featurettes.
Related: Here’s Everything We Know So Far Of The Filipino Live-Action Remake, Voltes V: Legacy
