Chou Denji Machine Voltes V

I was a little kid in the Philippines when this anime aired on television, so it definitely has a nostalgic appeal that gives it an unfair advantage when I compare it to other giant-mecha anime. I rewatched this series in Japanese with English subs, and I saw it in a whole new light. I think this anime is the quintessential giant robot anime.
I really have nothing bad to say about it. Other than... with old-school robot anime like this, you either get it... or you don't. OR you're Filipino and you love this anime because you used to sing the opening theme song with ... your family whenever it was on.

The English dub (done by Filipinos with limited English skills) was pretty terrible. I don't think anyone would appreciate it unless you were there to experience it back in the day. So if you're interested, stick to the Japanese with English subs.

I give this anime ten thumbs way up.

this anime is probably the first anime i ever saw..since i was a kid in the philippines LMAO:) it brings back so many memories.. i think i was like 6 or 7 years old..well now im 14 yrs old. The art i gave an 8 cuz..well..ya'll noe its old but its a classic for me:) but over all the story is great...i was addicted to the theme song back den..(i think im still into it)..everytime the show starts i sing along whaaAA wEEE....I GIVE this anime a 10/10;]

Voltes V has almost everything you could want in an anime. Cool mecha battles, sword fighting, outer space travel, likable characters, an engaging story and plenty of drama. I'm pretty new to super robot anime and I did not expect that the genre would have something this good to offer.

If you ask me, the best thing about this series is Prince Heinel and the story surrounding him. I can't say too much without spoiling the whole thing, but he's one of those villains that you can respect and even like. If you've seen a lot of anime, the "sympathetic ... villain" thing might seem a little cliche, but keep in mind that this was 30 years ago. Prince Heinel was one of the earlier examples of this kind of character.

Despite having a quick temper, he is loyal and forgiving to those who are loyal to him, and grants them many second chances. He is not treacherous or two-faced like many villains are, and has no tolerance for deceit or treachery. Surprisingly, he's a real patriot, and is ready to die for his home planet if need be. Oh, and he's far from painful to look at. Let's just say that he has a very nice character design. ^_~

Anyway, though this series was made in the 70s, the animation is not poor and is actually quite consistent, unlike a lot of other shows where the animation is really, really good at certain moments and poor the rest of the time. It shows its age only because of the art style (which I happen to be fond of anyway).

I found it interesting that there's one thing that this series does NOT have a lot of: romance. Frankly, even though I like romance, I found it refreshing that there wasn't any in Voltes V. It could have easily derailed the whole thing and I'm glad the writers decided to keep it at a minimum.

I haven't said much about the music of this series. I really only have one thing to say: the closing song could not be more appropriate or touching. It's become one of my favorite anime songs.

In closing, if you only see one 70s super robot series, make it Voltes V!

Voltes V is the second of Tadao Nagahama's "Romance Trilogy" mecha anime, coming between Combattler and Daimos. Like Combattler, the story focuses on a team of five pilots fighting against an invasion of Earth, and they're powered by extreme science and the power of friendship. Every week, the villainous Prince Heinel and his lackeys roll out a new monster for the team to fight, and with sheer determination and willpower, our heroes are able to carry the day.

So from the sound of it... just another 70s toy commercial.

What makes Voltes interesting, though, is that this isn't just a simple battle against an alien ... empire. There are strong undertones of racism and revolution that guide the action of the show. Most of the exposition doesn't arrive until the final third of the series, but when it does, it suddenly adds a whole new dimension to the action. Boazan is a planet where horned people enslave the hornless, and a handful of slaves led by a deposed prince are fighting for their freedom.

Three of the Voltes pilots are brothers, and their father, Professor Go, is at the center of everything. He was the one who designed the Voltes and prepared a handful of trusted comrades for the impending invasion. He turns out to be a key member of the Boazan rebellion, so Voltes' mission is not just about protecting the Earth. The Voltes pilots must come to grips with the fact that not all Boazanians are evil and that they have a duty to protect the slaves just as much as they have a duty to protect the Earth.

The aforementioned Heinel is also an interesting villain. He is the son of a traitor and seeks to restore his good name by serving the emperor, but his position is anywhere but safe. He must deal with the difficulties of fighting Voltes while also staving off subterfuge by his own generals, who have their own separate agenda.

The art and sound are about what you'd expect from a show from the 70s: hasn't aged well, but it's passable. The robot combines with the theme song blaring triumphantly in the background, and all is right with the world.

For me, the last five or so episodes pull the whole show together and make it worthwhile. The cruelest twist is saved for the end, when we learn the last outstanding piece of Professor Go's backstory...

Make way!!!! Childhood anime coming through... I am a fan of mecha when I was a kid. I collect robot toys, videos with robots in it and I draw robots. This is the cause of all this. MY FIRST ANIME!!!! To all staffs who created this, thumbs up from the Philippines!!! My father watches this so I tried to watch and it was awesome. Amazing story, characters and battle scenes.

One of the best mecha anime genre of all time. Everything is great. The plot is somewhat repetitive but it is still enjoyable and watchable. The opening song is catchy even the background music. The ... background music is the highlight of the anime.

Love the memories of this. I even watch it during weekdays in TV when it was aired. And it was still amazing. By the way, my rating is based on my memories the first time I've seen this as a kid. You might not enjoy this if you watch it right now. The plot would be childish for you.

An entry in the "super robot" genre of mecha anime, Voltes V focuses on five talented youths specially trained to pilot five combat vehicles that form the mecha Voltes V in order to combat the alien Boazan Empire who plan to take over Earth. Each episode of the series features the pilots of Voltes V taking on a different Beast Warrior created by the Boazans in "monster of the day" formatted plots to attempt destroying Voltes. Throughout the conflict, the three Go brothers who pilot parts of Voltes V try to locate the whereabouts of their missing father, Kentaro, responsible for creating the mecha.

Before I ... dabble into my thoughts on Voltes V, I do have to comment on a certain aspect of the show's appeal in that this series is apparently quite popular in the Philippines, strong enough where a live-action adaptation of the series is currently in development for the country's viewers. There is history to this within the country as during the 1970s when Voltes and other Japanese mecha titles were airing in the Philippines, the country's then authoritarian President, Ferdinand Marcos, had banned a number of anime titles, including Voltes V, from airing due to supposed concerns about their "excessive violence." However, there was speculation at the time Marcos banned Voltes V due to the anime's plot having underlying themes of revolution and rebellion. By 1986, opposition to Marcos' rule from the People Power Revolution led to Voltes becoming a popular mascot of the revolters and following Marcos being overthrown, Voltes became a national symbol of rebellion against the Marcos regime and has been a fixture of Filipino culture ever since. This is certainly an interesting historical development for an anime within another country's culture.

As far as the quality of Voltes V goes, I guess I'll at least offer up my positives of the series first as it does have some story elements to it that stick out from many "super robot" anime made during its time period. First, the series wasn't afraid to kill off major characters at points throughout its run. Characters that the Voltes team are close are killed at points throughout its run and this lends it some decent drama that help raise the stakes of humanity's conflict with the Boazan. Second, the series explores themes such as prejudice and revolution that get dabbled into as more about Boazan society is revealed throughout the show's run. Third, there is a major plot twist revealed about the upbringing of some major characters within Voltes V that does make sense when considering the technology of the Voltes being quite advanced compared to much of what Earth has to offer to oppose the Boazan threat.

Praises aside, Voltes V is still largely a product of its time as it sticks firmly to many of the typical cliches of the "super robot" genre common during its era. It dabbles quite heavily into "monster of the day" episodic plots throughout much of its run which can limit its appeal to those not fans of the plot formula and its characters largely stick with whatever archetypes they are defined by without having much dimension to their personalities. The plot has its sloppy moments with certain events that transpire during its run and things usually feel a bit too convenient with how the Voltes V team are able to overcome a "monster of the day" that is seemingly overcoming them. The animation is also quite dated with rough detailing of its mecha and character designs, as well as liberal use of animation shortcuts being employed.

While having some story elements that stick out from other mecha titles of its era and having its historical significance in Filipino culture, I was largely feeling indifferent to Voltes V as a viewer of it throughout its run as many of its storytelling cliches were typical of other titles of its ilk and much of them haven't really aged well thus it could have limited appeal to modern audiences. Your mileage may vary with reception to this series depending on your interests dabbling into old-school mecha anime.

I watched this anime after it was recommended to me in a Transformers fan group. Although very old, it is pleasant to watch. The story of a combiner robot may feel cliche now, but it was probably fresh in the 70s and Voltes V is one very cool mecha with great weapons. However my favorite character was the antagonist, Prince Heinel - I wouldn't say villain, for he is not one, not for me, at least.
This anime also reminded me of some childhood favorites such as "Voltron" and "Saber Rider", which was a pleasant feeling, as it reminded me of better, carefree times.
Final rating: ... 9.0 out of 10.