GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
Artist Toym Imao looks back at Voltes V premiere on GMA-7 40 years ago
On May 5, 1978, Voltes V began airing on GMA-7.
The animated series from Japan, where it was originally titled, "Ch?denji Machine Voltes V," had a distinct opening song and sequence. The chorus begins with the epic "BO-RU-TE-SU FAI-BU ni, subete wo kakete", which translates to "Voltes V, we risk everything."
Visual artist Toym Imao was one of the young kids whose life was heavily influenced by the battle between good and evil portrayed in the show — and the real world struggle outside of it.
He wrote with fondness on the anniversary of the premiere, "It was 40 years ago, at 6pm, May 5, 1978 - we turned the channel dial of our trusty National black & white television set, the kind with that accordion door cover and wooden box frame ... it made that all familiar clicking sound as the dial found its way to GMA-7."
A post shared by Toym Imao (@toymimao) on
"We were eagerly anticipating a new Japanese super robot show whose sneak peek trailers in the past several weeks have been keeping us excited for its [premiere] episode. Then the day finally came[.] We sat down and watched as this very lively and catchy opening credit theme song riveted us to our seats," he added.
"Voltes V" aired in the Philippines 11 months after its initial airing in Japan in June 1977. It had a lasting impact on the entire generation held captive by pilots with different personalities driving their own robot coming together to become a bigger robot to defeat the enemy.
"For the next 30 minutes our childhood would be forever changed, and the battle cry — 'Let’s Volt In' and 'Lazer Sword' — will become a playtime staple. For the next 11 months, the household sala would be a battleground between alien invaders and super robot defenders. It was one reason to come home early. The daily weekly regimen of before dinner mechas was in order," Imao shared.
There was a buffet to choose from for kids: Mekanda Robot on Monday, Daimos on Tuesday, Mazinger Z on Wednesday, Grendizer on Thursday.
"Friday was reserved for the king - 'Voltes V'," Imao said.
The show had a tremendous impact on Imao, especially after it was pulled from the air in April 1979, per the orders of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. The fans didn't even get to see the finale.
Imao first depicted this strange collision of worlds in "Last, Lost, Lust For Four Forgotten Episodes" at the Palma Hall steps in the University of the Philippines-Diliman where Marcos was portrayed Boazanian Beast Fighter.
The whole sculpture, Never Again! Nunquam Rursus! by @toymimao. Lupet!
A post shared by Karl de Leon (@karldeleon) on
On Friday, May 11, he will unveil the follow-up "Super Robot - Suffer Reboot."
A post shared by Toym Imao (@toymimao) on
The exhibit showcases "10 years worth of artwork developed on a particular era and theme, the curious mix of Super Robots, a dictator, and Martial Law." —JST, GMA News
