I had been attached to it. Ever since when I was four and not able to comprehend anything concretely, I would always find myself huddled with my dad, uncles and cousins in front of the TV, watching the supposed re-runs of Voltes V. Aside from being attracted to the look and feel of a robot cartoon series, I was also intrigued (yes, four year olds can be) by the gothic air exuded by the horned villains, in sheer contrast to girls my age back then who would run away from such a frightening sight. Yes, I was different. I was gonna be one of the few female "Voltes V" fans of my generation.
Fast forward to my ninth year. When I heard that it would be shown on Channel 13, the familiar images and the recalling of the familiar names came to me. Armed with such faint recollections, I went in front of the tube and was taken for a ride into this story of giant robots, parental love and alien invaders. The next thing I knew, I was addicted to it. I really go nuts whenever the electricity goes out on that time (it was the time of the power crisis), because I can't wait to see what happens next. Either that, or the infatuation I had for Steve was that strong. But I sure understood what was going on, and that's why I was quite frustrated when the station just made dozens of reruns before finally putting it off the air. But somehow, I got over it and went on with my fan life, eventually getting into the contemporary line of anime, starting with "Sailor Moon". I had my other male character infatuations, but I did not lose my desire to pick up where my "first love" had left off. And on my fifteenth year, it materialized: "Voltes V" made a full-blown comeback on GMA-7, and I can see how many avid fans got excited over that. I watched the series without missing a single episode, as I followed the documentaries that were made by the station's news and current affairs programs. And on my sixteenth birthday, I was treated to something that really blew me away: a movie that was a compilation of "Voltes V"'s last five episodes. There, I finally had closure, as well as the resolving of some interesting issues, like the surprising relationship of Prince Zardoz to the Armstrong family (I had my suspicions on that earlier, but I usually keep speculations to myself until they are proven). The next conversation over dinner would be the parallelism of "Voltes V"'s story of warring races and tyranny to Philippine history. Who wouldn't see the connection? In fact, it was the same history (the Marcos dictatorship) that gave rise to the show's popularity in the first place. This, amid the snickers elicited by one of the Philippine Daily Inquirer's columns of that day, titled "Young Solons Back Voltes V Against House Boazanians".
So great was my passion for the series that I went to look for people whom I can share my thoughts, and my fan-fictions with. The first was the group that started it all, Camp V5. Sadly though, they found my thoughts too farfetched and fangirl-ish, me being obsessed with Steve and yes, Zardoz himself at that time. I searched among the current otaku, but all of them sneered at "Voltes V"'s "kabaduyan", and most held it in contempt. It was really tempting to hurl in their faces that their anime are the ones that suck, but I'd rather not. After all, we're all anime fans. But that still didn't help, since I am always out of place when it comes to my first love, "Voltes V".
I was intrigued when Questor Extreme Mangamania featured a sequel titled "Camp Big V", and I followed the comic series. But it was a disappointment: it wasn't really that interesting, and what made it worse is that it seems to be made by, and catering to the, lusty fanboys who only want to see female anatomy and nothing much else. Each issue got worse, seeming to populate its pages with breasts, butt and panties (although Little Jon's adolescent incarnation is kinda cute). And when I spotted a topless woman in one of the distance shots, I gave up. This is nothing more than a disservice to the show's original spirit, and would someone please explain why Jamie had to be dressed up like a slut, and in front of minor characters at that!
Eversince that day, I abandoned my ideas on my own "Voltes V" fanfic, realizing that revisions could only ruin the show's intended theme. Being a passionate fanfic writer and aspiring doujin-ka (maker of doujinshi, or fanfic manga), I instead concentrated my energies on other anime titles that caught my fancy. But somehow, the male characters that I had an infatuation on reflected my subdued attachment to my "old loves". For instance, Toraoh of "Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru". According to an observant friend, he shares the royal standing, arrogance, stubbornness and some facial features with the blond Boazanian royal that we all know, although Toraoh has a far sunnier disposition. Another, and perhaps stronger link is Kurapika of "Hunter X Hunter", having the same stern temperament and propensity for near-criminal acts. Still another is Lei of "Beyblade", on which I had my infatuation on as of writing. Like Steve, he's the matured, responsible one; the one who has the strongest sense of right and wrong; and the same obsessive-compulsive streak---Steve wants nothing else than to be reunited with their father; Lei wants nothing else than to be the best Beyblader. Maybe I saw it that way because they share the same Filipino dub voice actor as someone suggested.
Or it's simply because some things never change, like the "Voltes V: Declassified" book sitting on my shelf right now.
Heinell no Miko
12. Feb 2004 09:47:34
Back to Insight Page
