“Let’s volt in!” I was first year in high school in 1978 when “Voltes V,” a Japanese animated series, first aired on Philippine television. “Voltes V” ushered in the “Super Robot” era, which spawned a legion of devout followers who were glued to their TV sets every Friday to catch the unfolding saga of the Armstrong family against the Boazanian empire ruled by a despotic emperor bent on conquering the earth. “Beast Fighters,” the Boazanians’ weapon of choice, went on destructive rampages on Earth and ultimately battled with Voltes V and his laser sword. Each day of the week, different robot shows were aired—“Mazinger Z,” “Daimos,” “Mekanda Robot,” “Grendizer” and “Dunguard Ace,” to name a few. They captured the imagination of a predigital generation. It was a wonderful time to be a kid then—until they were seized through a directive by the Marcos government. “Voltes V” and the other robot animes were banned from airing nationwide because of their alleged “excessive violence.”
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 23:21:01 +0000