Cho Denji Machine Voltes V

Genre: Mecha / Action
General Audience
1977- 1978 Sunrise / Toei Animation / TV Asahi

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Skysenshi's Description:
To born without horns in Boazania is to be born a slave, forever answerable to the wrath and cruelties of the esteemed aristocrats. To be a ruler in Boazania is to be the almighty power over all that he encompasses; to be the supreme decision-maker who is answerable only to himself. Not satisfied with his dominion over the Boazanian race, the current ruler aims at a higher ambition: to reign over the entire galaxy. When he sets his eyes on Earth and begins to lay seige on its majestic glory, he is in for a surprise as its inhabitants fight back with a powerful secret weapon: the super electromagnetic machine Voltes V.

(40 Episodes)

Story that aims for the heart. >>> by skysenshi
Voltes V struck at the heart of the Philippines in the late 1970's, at a time when we were wallowing in hatred and self-disgust brought about by an oppressive administration. It's a powerful tale of political ambition, social injustice and de-humanization. Though Voltes V resembles an older anime called Combattler V in terms of robot looks and function, Voltes V boasts of a more mature plot, laden with history and hope for the future. It tells of how a young aristocrat fought for equality in a land filled with prejudice and high class snobbery. It also tells of a son's longing for a father that fate has kept away (as evident in the ending theme Chichi wo Motomete), another important symbolism that one can pay close observation to. Most importantly, it tells of a world's anguished cry for survival and the right to human dignity.

The anime was banned from Philippine Television by the late President Marcos because it was supposedly promoting violence and destruction. However, historians agreed that it wasn't really the violence that was causing the dictator's objection. It was more of the subliminal messages that Voltes V projected that worried the president. He wisely judged that children would grow up and realize that they were living in oppression, and that only time will tell if they would follow the footsteps of an anime character that led bloody revolution against the fictitious Boazanian aristocracy.

The five leading heroes that make up Voltes V are Kenichi Gou (pilot of Voltes' head), Ippei Mine (Voltes' arm), Daijirou Gou (Voltes' torso), Hiyoshi Gou (Voltes' leg), and Megumi Oka (Voltes' feet). There is still an argument going on of whether Megumi should be in love with Kenichi or Ippei -- I personally vote for Ippei -- but there isn't any clear indication that Megumi ends up with either of them. The missing love angle was more defined in the mecha series that followed Voltes V, in the form of Daimos.

Individual Rating: Art/Animation 8; Story 9; Characters 7; Sounds 9