Charles Teves
The team behind Voltes V: Legacy celebrated the start of 2023 with great excitement. Following the successful release of the show’s mega trailer on New Year’s Eve, director Mark Reyes announced on social media that the GMA Network live-action adaptation of the classic ’70s Japanese anime, Voltes V, has now become an official franchise.
“Never thought I would ever see my name credited on TOEI Co. Japan’s website. This is the official announcement for @voltesvlegacy as a fully licensed franchise. #achievementunlocked #legitasf,” Reyes said.
The recognition of Voltes V: Legacy as an official franchise was made possible after it was featured on the website of Toei Company in Japan. In a press release on January 4, 2023, the original creators of the mecha anime recognized the significant popularity of Voltes V (Chōdenji Mashīn Borutesu Faibu) in the Philippines since it aired there in the late ’70s.
Toei Company in a statement expressed, “…Its popularity was not limited to Japan, but also across the sea, and it was extremely popular in the Philippines at the time, and the entire Filipino people, including children, were enthusiastic about “Super Electromagnetic Machine Voltes V” . In the Philippines, there are still many people who can sing Mitsuko Horie’s anime opening theme song “Voltes V no Uta” in Japanese, showing how popular it is in the Philippines.”
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Toei recognized the efforts of GMA in producing a high-budget project and praised the director, Mark Reyes, for his expertise and experience in producing live-action films in the Philippines. The cast of Voltes V: Legacy, including Miguel Tanfelix, Ysabel Ortega, Carla Abellana, and Dennis Trillo, was also mentioned in the article.
The Japanese animation studio also praised Voltes V: Legacy’s mega trailer for gaining a million views in a short period of time. They also announced that the show will premiere in the Philippines this year and will be distributed and aired in Japan and other parts of the world. The article concludes with a thank you message from Toei Company, Ltd. producer Shin-ichiro Shirakura to the Filipinos for their support of the beloved Japanese anime.
The producer remarked, “Thank you to the people of the Philippines who have loved “Voltes V” for a long time, overcame many challenges, and managed to realize this huge project. On the other hand, in Japan, “Voltes V” has been completely forgotten… but that’s not the case. The flow of “Voltes V” was changed to a live-action series from “Battle Fever J” (1979) through the later program “Tosho Daimos” (1978). It is now called the Super Sentai series.
Shin-ichiro Shirakura added, “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 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…a giant robot that is big, heavy, and strong, just standing. If you have the soul of a “boy”, here is the scorching super robot soul that everyone still yearns for!”
Shirakura expressed his enthusiasm for Voltes V: Legacy and thanked Telesuccess Productions for their dedication, passion, and diligent work despite the COVID-19 pandemic challenges.
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Voltes V: Legacy, written by Suzette Doctolero, is a production of GMA Entertainment Group. It has the potential to be the Philippines’ first major epic sci-fi TV show as it has partnered with Toei Company, Ltd., the company behind the original robot saga, and its local licensor Telesuccess Productions, Inc. GMA has also enlisted the help of Riot Inc. Post-Production and the GMA Post Video Graphics and Audio team to handle the CGI and live-action elements of the show.
Voltes V: Legacy will air in 2023 on GMA Telebabad.
