A remake that “bears the potential of being the Philippines’ first serious epic sci-fi TV show.”
GMA Network released a five-minute mega trailer for Voltes V: Legacy during the GMA New Year Countdown on Saturday. The Philippines’ show, a live action remake of the popular Toei Japanese anime known as Voltes V, is set to release in the second quarter of 2023 and is rumored to contain 80 episodes. The remake has made a splash as the anime’s history is one that includes bans and cultural revolutions.
Voltes V first aired from June 1977 to March 1978, and is known as a show that made a notable cultural impact in the Philippines, Cuba, and Indonesia. The series was banned along with other “violent” Japanese animes by the Philippines’ then-President Ferdinand Marcos while the country was under martial law, with four episodes left unaired. The then-president claimed that these shows had harmful effects on children. However, Voltes V was allowed to air again on Philippines TV from the 1990s to the 2010s following the success of the 1986 People Power Revolution.
Along with the trailer being filled to the brim with action and leaving a large fan base excited to see the return of the show, it also revealed more of the cast, showing Martin del Rosaio, Liezel Lopez, Epi Quizon, and Carla Abellana in iconic scenes identical to the anime. Additionally, Dennis Trillo will be playing Ned Armstrong, the father of Big Burt, Little Jon, and Steve.
Voltes V is a sci-fi show that follows a team of Earth’s defenders as they battle enemy invaders. When an evil race from the planet Boazan suddenly invade Earth, a team of five pilots join together to command the electromagnetic machine known as Voltus V. The five pilots are a young, inconspicuous group made up of three brothers and their two friends.
The new live-action remake stays close to the original anime, featuring the same five pilots: brothers Steve, Big Bert, and Little Jon Armstrong, along with their friends Jamie Robinson and Mark Gordan. Additionally, the premise is exactly the same, the Earth is under attack, and it’s up to these five kids to save the day. The remake was approved by the ordinal Japanese animators, Toei.
