A Possible Ultra-Electromagnetic Disappointment With "Voltes V Legacy"

Years ago, I wrote about why Toei Ltd. should NEVER let GMA-7 adapt Voltes V. It was because of that abomination known as Zaido: Pulis Pangkalawakan that was also a major licensed abomination. It's already known that I dislike Power Rangers or most licensed Americanization of Japanese TV series such as how Lion Voltron was based on Hundred Beast King Golion. I'd like to give my thoughts on how I wanted to give it a chance but it's not even worth sending to Power Morphicon to be viewed, if ever. Sure, I dislike Power Rangers but I'd say it still deserves some global recognition. This one? Well, I guess it's time to talk about how the series went on. With the WEEKNIGHT schedule - I guess it's going to really suffer the same way Zaido did. I did drop Zaido like a hot potato. I don't think even Ysabel Ortega (and maybe she'll show up in a bikini soon) can convince me to sit through it!

Sure, there was a plan to expand what Voltes V could not in the rather rushed 40 episodes. I think Voltes V got rushed due to how it was in Combattler V's shadow. Was it the more mature tones such as politics that caused it to be estranged from older people? I heard the same thing happen with Chojinki Metalder in 1987. It's still questionable though since both Hikari Sentai Maskman and Kamen Rider BLACK managed to get the intended year-long run. The plan to expand things may have just caused unnecessary fillers if you ask me. 

I think Voltes V did have issues developing its not-so-often-seen main antagonist Zanbazil. Now, they finally gave him a mother named Contessa. In the original anime, Zanbazil was simply addressed as the illegitimate child of the emperor and his mistress. We do have a slight glimpse of the former emperor who was never seen either. These can just be mere surface improvements if you ask me. Contessa almost plays the same part that Honerva (Haggar in Lion Voltron) here. Not that Contessa is a witch but that she may have planned her son's ascension. It seems that Contessa is also Zanbazil's personal adviser. Spoilers: Honerva was also revealed to be Emperor Daibazaal's (Zarkon's) mother as a very last-minute revelation. Did Suzette Doctolero hear of that plot and decided to create Contessa as the show's version of Honerva? Except for that Daibazaal strangely never knew Honerva was his mother. 

There was a glimpse of Zanbazil deciding to raise his first cousin's child (often still referred to as a nephew or niece in Asian language, or pamangkin sa pinsan or nephew/niece by the cousin). Zanbazil raised Zardoz (Heinel in the Japanese dub) to hate his father Hrothgar (Lagour/Kentaro Gou, Hrothgar/Ned Armstrong). Heinel even has an interesting battle with his father whom he's taught to hate. However, the intent for world-building the Boazanians have become useless fillers or something better left off in a spin-off series. A spin-off series such as where Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger's spin-off series about King Racules. 

I think another thing worth bringing up is the pacing. Yes, the pacing. I read a review from Dryed Mangoez (the site that helped me get out of my closet fandom of Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters and even helped me expressed more why I've further lost interest in Power Rangers) has this rather useful insight in the review of episode 10:

The episode on its own was great. But…

We got eight episodes between the premiere and this one. And for some reason, I still feel like we didn’t really get enough proper build up. Let’s be honest, the episodes in between were mostly slow. Necessary episodes, but really slow paced. Yet, it’s almost like they focused more on less important details.

For me, I would’ve liked to have seen a bit more of the cadet training. And using those scenes to flesh out the characters more. We only got scenes from Jamie and Mark that lasted less than a minute each episode. And almost every scene with Steve and, to a lesser extent, Bert were of how cocky and privileged-feeling they were. I mean, I feel like we got more focus on Eva’s jealousy and Steve looking to cheat on her with Jamie rather than who these four out of five Voltes members actually are.

Little Jon was really the only one of the Voltes team that got substantial character foundation building. He’s the only one you feel like it’ll be exciting to see don the suit and hop into the Volt machine. For the others, it felt more like a matter of circumstance that they ended up being the chosen four.

I think that approach would’ve worked if we didn’t have these eight episodes previous that were supposed to do more to build up the feeling of “destiny” that Dr. Smith only mentioned the other day.

The episode made it seem like the only reason these four are chosen is because the others decided to slack off. And while that might be part of “destiny,” it’s not as exciting as actually laying out moments and emotions that truly build toward what is supposed to be the climactic moment of them finally becoming the Voltes team. Yes of course, we’ll meet them over the next 70 episodes. But gives us something in these preceding eight episodes at least.

A lot has been made of the last two weeks being quite slow. But while the foundation laying is appreciated and necessary, there’s still a feeling of missed potential here. These two weeks were supposed to lead up to what we saw in the premiere. But I wonder if it would’ve been better to just do flashbacks later on to fill in the gaps rather than do this chronological backstory which is far more traditional for local teleseryes. Especially being a daily series, doing flashbacks, I think would work much better compared to say a series that has only one or two half-hour episodes a week (like toku).

The same with Zardoz and Co. Use their month-long journey to Earth to flesh out Zardoz’s feelings. Show us more of the generals’ dynamics with each other and the prince. Maybe have them stop over on a planet they run into along the way. Even if it’s just a few minutes in one episode.

Again, my nitpicks might come from my experience watching toku all these years. Where both 50-episode Kamen Rider and Super Sentai series are able to jump right into the action from Episode 1 and are still able to tell stories and introduce characters with depth. Usually, the Sentai team and the title Rider get their powers in the first episode. (Or even already have their powers.) And immediately have to fight the villains. We’ll then learn more as the series progresses. Finding out about tragic backstories or intertwined pasts and the like.

I assumed it would be easier for Voltes V: Legacy being a daily show. But perhaps the familiar teleserye conventions and wanting to avoid alienating Filipino viewers overrode attempting a different, but more suitable storytelling momentum.

But even with some of these regrets, this episode showed what might end up carrying Voltes V: Legacy. And that is the pure action that they have already proven they can deliver, based on Episode 1 and now Episode 10. This is only the first battle of course. And there will be many more in the next 70 episodes. But I’m feeling more and more that the visually striking and legitimately exciting action sequences will help carry any slack caused by the somewhat shaky narrative decisions.

I could agree with what the writer has to say. I totally agree that much of the development is focused on FREAKING. USELESS. DETAILS. That's what happened with Zaido and that's what I feel's happening with Voltes V Legacy. We also have a possible love polygon. Voltes V seemed to suggest that Jamie and Mark could've been a couple. Others shipped Steve and Jamie. Now, we have Eva who's Steve's girlfriend. Eva better dump Steve though while it's early. Instead, we might see some Eva vs. Jamie scenarios. Since it's a late-night show, I wonder if we'll even get to see Steve and Jamie having sex to boost ratings?! If that's so then maybe Toei Ltd. might really want to cancel the show. XP 

Some other words that could make you dizzy

I think my nitpicks could be coming from me having watched the original Voltes V as well as other Super Robot Anime by Toei Ltd. Maybe, I could talk about how Golion had a slow introduction to the would-be main team. We even had Takashi (Sven in Lion Voltron) who only lived up to six episodes. It took at least three episodes of introduction before Golion was formed. It was done to introduce some mythos of Planet Altea - the planet where Golion came from. It also showed how Golion was both the legendary defender of the Universe as well as an arrogant god of destruction. Yes, it was the Space Goddess and NOT Haggar that split Golion up into five pieces!

Golion's five-episode introduction did give us the necessary action. It had the five space explorers talk about the ruined Earth, them escaping from Castle Galra, and getting to form Golion in episode 4, we see Castle Gradam become all-new in episode five, we see Takashi die in episode six, and finally, Princess Farla (Allura) become the new member by episode seven. We did see generous amounts of action AND development in spite of the slow pace. We got to see the Galra Empire develop enough screen time to show they're not to be messed with. We see Honerva being more useful than Contessa. We see Daibazaal being more useful than Legacy Zanbazil ever can be. 

Some Super Sentai entries do slow down the introduction. Take Chojin Sentai Jetman purposely gave us a slower-than-usual introduction arc to get the characters acquainted. Jetman was also pretty much based on Tatsunoko's Ninja Sentai Gatchaman. The team format did inspire Toei's Super Robot combiners namely Combattler V, Voltes V, and Golion. Jetman's extended introduction (something later used in later Super Sentai) still gave us what we want - action and development. Voltes V Legacy gets too focused on what should've been flashbacks. For example, we can have the first episode defeat the Beast Fighter THEN have Little Jon recall his previous experience. Instead, it's all fillers that should've been flashbacks to develop the story. If you're going to do a slower-than-usual introduction - why didn't GMA-7 observe how Kamen Rider did it? They've been airing Kamen Rider for some time now. Thankfully, we're yet to see Kamen Rider Drive voiced by the cast of Tsuperhero! With Super Sentai royalties that expensive - I think there's no way GMA-7 might air King-Ohger voiced by the cast of Encantadia or ABiaS-CBN airing it voiced by the cast of Bagani. Though, I did have a nightmare seeing ABiaS-CBN have Dennis Padilla voice Gira in King-Ohger as much as imagining Dennis Trillo voicing Lucky in Ucchu Sentai Kyuranger. 

I do share the concerns that Lester Jeff wrote in Dryed Mangoez. I think the whole series is getting VERY ANNOYING. I can just expect idiotic stunts. Meanwhile, Toei Ltd. will probably do what it does best - get in by the GREEED. Just think that Toei Ltd. did produce additional Japanese footage for Haim Saban to use when Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers became a hit. Toei also allowed World Events Productions to do what it wanted with Lion Voltron. I guess that's why Toei and Saban get along very well, right? Saban could've focused on where I think he did better (ex. cartoons based on video games and Marvel-based cartoons). Instead, Saban opted to continue with Power Rangers with Toei's green light. I could imagine Toei's probably laughing their way to the bank as Voltes V Legacy airs its tedious pace in the Philippines.