Voltes V tank mode a tribute to 'enduring legacy' of 'Voltes V,' says Riot's Jay Santiago

"Voltes V: Legacy" surprised many fans when it unveiled the Voltes V tank mode on Tuesday's episode.

The tank mode was not in the original anime and instead appeared as a toy, making it a nice Easter egg for die-hard fans.

Jay Santiago, the co-founder of Riot Inc. which produced the CGI for the Voltes V robot, shared on Facebook the story of how the tank mode made it into the live action adaptation.

"I was excited, but not surprised, when Direk Mark proposed the idea of including this tank transformation in our iteration of the series," said Jay, who admitted that he had always been intrigued by the toy version growing up.

According to him, however, the tank mode was not a part of Riot's original deliverables for "Voltes V: Legacy." Adding it to the list posed difficulties in their schedule.

"The practical part of my brain understood the potential logistical nightmare this could spawn," he said. "Yet, the fanboy within me, the childhood enthusiast who once marveled at the Voltes V tank toy, was too enticed by the prospect of being part of this historical addition to the Voltes V canon to say no."

Jay said the prospect of enriching the Voltes V universe made it worth it to go through the arduous task of rendering the tank mode.

"I remember taking a moment, weighing the pros and cons, before finally looking at Direk and saying, 'This is going to be a tall order, but we're up for the challenge,'" he said.

"It was a decision fueled by passion rather than logic, a tribute to the enduring legacy of Voltes V, and a nod to all those fans like me who wondered about the intriguing tank transformation that never made it to the screen," he added.

Fans absolutely loved the tank mode, with many Japanese fans expressing their excitement and geeking out over it on X (formerly Twitter).

Previously, Japanese fans were all praises for the CGI and the dedication of "Voltes V: Legacy" to the original anime.

"Voltes V: Legacy" is now on its last three episodes. Catch the epic finale on GMA Telebabad at 8 p.m. after "24 Oras" and on GTV at 9:40 p.m.

It is also available on the GMA Network YouTube channel, the GMA Network website, GMA mobile app, and GMA Pinoy TV.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News