In redesigning their headquarters in Second Life, Avatrian's development team used their collective childhood fascination for the Robot Romance Trilogy as inspiration. The new space has been dubbed Camp Big Falcon in recollection of their favorite Japanese anime television series...Voltes V. The story of Voltes V first aired on TV Asahi starting April 13, 1977 and quickly became a mass cultural phenomenon in Japan, the Philippines, Asia and other countries during the 80s. It has been re-broadcasted in the 2000s and was similarly embraced by a new generation of audience. Return to Big Falcon is a nostalgic look back to this classical period in time and an invitation for devotees to experience Camp Big Falcon...now possible in the virtual world of Second Life.
This machinima is filmed primarily in the re-developed Avatrian Central sim in Second Life. In pre-production, Return to Big Falcon took advantage of dynamic shadow rendering technology for in-world lighting. The scenes were captured using Machitopia's new high-end AMD Phenom 2 x2 550 with Nvidia GTX 280 OC graphics card and 1GB gddr3 memory.
Avatrian LLC (a metaverse consultancy and development company), has just recently redeveloped our simulator inside the virtual world of Second Life, into Camp Big Falcon.
Our Big Falcon base has the commmand center modelled, where one's avatars (in full Voltes V costumes/uniforms) can ride the launch conveyors, and activate the hangar doors and barrier system. YouTube movies of the series can also be viewed from within the command center's main screen. We are also currently developing flyable Voltes vehicles (1-5) and a full-sized Voltes V controllable robot for Phase I. Phase II will include a possible "volting in sequence" implementation and more. Other spaces inside Big Falcon will be developed into a digital library containing information about Voltes V, conference areas for fan gatherings, and other meetings. The area surrounding the base is also being developed for other Voltes V related events (i.e. games, parties etc.) in Second Life.
We are about 50% completion of Phase I of our project. We are not aware if you are familiar with Second Life, but we would consider it an honor if you can visit our Camp Big Falcon, at the Avatrian Central Sim. We would also be interested in your feedback regarding our endeavor :)
Recalling the anime convention I’ve attended two years ago, I remember the discussion between enthusiasts regarding Voltes V’s ninja girl pilot Megumi Oka against Volton’s young monarch Princess Allura.
Judging from the physical make-up, stamina and combat orientation of both female characters, Princess Allura would be rolling down the proverbial ring side canvas in pain and utter defeat before Megumi could deliver her next round house kick.
Ouch!
I believe it will never be a fair fight; in the Voltes V series, Megumi was depicted as a harshly trained “Kunno-ichi” (Ninja Girl) since she belongs to a clan of fierce assassin and her father was the 110th descendant of this ferocious clan. The series even showed Megumi as calm and calculating and these attributes alone makes her very dangerous.
Naturally, it occurred to me that Megumi can even take out the entire Voltron Force single handedly and why not…nothing in the Voltron Lion Force’s 48 episode series that depicted the Voltron Force had undergone harsh and rigorous hand to hand combat trainings although Pidge, the youngest of the Voltron Force was seen to jump high like some weightless astronaut in earlier episodes because he was said to have extra ordinary martial arts skills.
I doubt such skills can help him if he’s pitted against Megumi Oka or any of the Voltes Team members. I am quite confident and familiar with what ninja girl Megumi can do if to face against the Voltron Force but how can I compare Voltron’s princess against Voltes V’s Kunno-ichi?
Let’s trace Princess Allura’s origins not from the Voltron series, but from the original Japanese anime “Golion-King of Beasts.”:
Her real name is Princess Farla (Farla Hime) stately Princess of Planet Arus.
According to the Golion series, she is the ruler of the Kingdom of Altair (as well as the entire planet, for the most part) and took over for Sven as the pilot of the Blue Lion that forms Voltron's right leg. Her age is about 18-20. Though a bit naive especially with matters of romance, Princess Farla/ Allura is a strong-willed person, and seems to becapable of ruling her planet, though some like Ambassador Coran and her Nanny tend to disagree.
Princess Farla/Allura was the daughter of a veteran pilot of the super robot Beast King Golion. The series never stated whether this “has been” pilot was also Golion’s creator or what his name was, suffice to say that Princess Farla/Allura is capable of invoking the dead, particularly her father, for his advices, comfort, guidance or miraculous help every time the Voltron Force is in trouble. In the Voltron series, this unnamed ghost was given a name… the late King Alfor.
Just for the record, Princess Farla/Allura was a nice character. Honestly, she could never fit-in as a pilot of a giant warrior robot because of her dainty, medieval fantasy princess disposition, let alone win over ninja-girl Megumi Oka in a bout!
Regarding my personal opinion, Princess Farla/Allura is a candidate for a Disney Princess pageant and it was illustrated by her medieval fantasy attire, her fair European features, her royal built, and her ability to talk to cute space mice, and her romantic fairytale charisma as she waves and talk sweetly to her people.
Frankly, I scoff at Voltron/Golion for being obvious copy cat show of Voltes V yet I believe, with these qualities, Princess Farla/Allura’s character can stand alone, especially if she’s not a part of the Voltron/Golion Universe.
But Princess Farla/Allura DO has her flaws and these short comings are inescapable facts that she’s better off, a part of Voltron/Golion’s universe.
It was said that King Alfor was the original pilot of Voltron before the machine was “quartered” by Hagar’s spell or by a beautiful goddess according to the original Golion series.
If it so, then why did he allowed Commander Keith (Akira) Kogane to man the Voltron Black Lion and why not Princess Allura since he (King Alfor) may sense that his daughter is capable enough of ruling the entire planet or may have given her a chance to prove her self…then why not Voltron and the Voltron Force...or is this one of those male dominated occupations prevalent over all Japanese super robot shows?
Another thing, Planet Arus is under attacked by the forces of King Zarcon of Planet Doom, and the only way to defend it is to find and re-activate Voltron.
If so, then why Princess Allura denied justice for her people by employing Galaxy Alliance Space Explorers from Earth to pilot Voltron instead of training several warriors from Planet Arus itself.
Does Princess Allura truly loved her people, if so I feel it was more justifying if she or Coran secretly trained young astro-fighters from Arus and make them pilots of Voltron…These pilots will represent the oppress and beaten people of that planet and victory will be doubly sweet.
Is Princess Allura for real…does she love her people, is she competent enough to handle the command of the Voltron Force…or is she nothing but a love doll for Commander Keith Kogame or a shapely punching bag for the ferocious Voltes V ninja-girl Megumi Oka?
From Skysword to Laser Sword: A possible Filipino voice over talent’s misinterpretation.
When Voltes V broke into the airwaves back in 1977-79, young viewers were introduced to new and exciting mechanical weapons like the “Chain Knuckles”, “Ultra-Electro magnetic whips”, “Ground Fire”, “Ultra-Electro magnetic Beam”, “Ultra-Electro Magnetic Tops”, “Concealed Bazookas”, and the main weapon, the “Laser Sword”!
Voltes V’s arsenal of deadly missiles and projectiles had caught my fancy; imagine a giant machine that moves adroitly like a giant human fighter and can launch nasty-looking weapons in frightening paces! Imagine what damage these savage buck shots can do if fallen into the wrong hands.
Speaking of “wrong hands” most Filipino viewers had taken the names of these weapons for granted, specially the Voltes V weapon of choice, the “Laser Sword!” The series depicts the “Laser Sword” being deployed by Voltes V from the V-shaped crest on its chest part. This V-shaped crest serves as the hand guard of the giant sword. Perhaps the voice activation unit sets off the blade of this “Laser Sword” from the V-crest; a high-tensile strength wedge armor beam retracts up and is further energized by lightning, just like a lightning rod!
Critical observation shows that there is nothing “Laser” to this “Laser Sword”, let alone having a “triangular” shaped apex which is very unlikely to anything made and composed of laser light!
Watching the original Japanese DVD of Voltes V confirmed much of my intuitions; the magnificent “sword” is originally called “Ten-Ku-Ken” or “The Sword of Heaven!” Most of Voltes V’s weapon was derived from Japanese lore regarding ninjas and samurais. It was part of their native culture. Ten-ku-Ken is a fitting name for a mighty instrument of justice; it was as if the very heavens blest this weapon by raging lightning before it delivers its verdict upon a hapless enemy. The Ten-ku-ken yields its power directed from a source so pure and divine.
Voltes V was aired in 1977 the same year that “STAR WARS” took the movie industry by storm. I suspect that the voice overs or the Filipino script writers coined the term “Laser Sword” from the “Lightsaber” devices used by the characters of the STAR WARS universe. Perhaps the voice over talents and the script writers coined the “Laser Sword” term because it was easy for most of the kids in those times to relate since the kids had familiarize themselves with the STAR WARS heroes using such devices. Frankly, I’m not comfortable with this because I feel calling the Ten-Ku-Ken as Laser Sword diminish the weight of importance of this weapon in regards to the Voltes V series. Somewhere in 1978, the “movie” version of Voltes V was shown in local theaters and the foreign voice over talents (rumored to be Indian nationals) continues to call the Ten-Ku-Ken as “Laser Sword”. They even erroneously labeled Voltes V’s “Chain Knuckles” as “Rocket Punch” a formidable weapon of the Go Nagai super robot series, “Mazinger Z”!
In regards to STAR WARS’ Laser Sword or Lightsabre the epic movie suffered several “Laser Sword” imitations most of which came from both Japanese and American cartoons. I feel the “Lightsabre” is an original Gorge Lucas concept and I can only shake my head in both disgust and disbelief upon learning how other so called movie or T.V. show creator jumps into Director Lucas’ galactic band wagon. One shining example of imitation came from the “Gundam” series where the giant mobile suits sports “Lightsabre-like” devices to battle their enemies. Another one is the live action Japanese Sci-fi series called “Message from Space” were a “Chewbacca” look alike and a storyline based on a “STAR WARS”-like format.
Proudly, I can safely declare that Voltes V had held on its own heavenly sword and had nothing to do with the “Lightsabre” or “Laser Sword” imitation.
Filipinos had a penchant for mislabeling things like the word “Salvage” as summary execution instead of its true meaning as being “saved from loss” or destruction and the word “Samurai” as the Japanese traditional sword instead of its true term as “Katana.” I’m not sure from what trashy culture we Filipinos had derived this trait, but I believe, Voltes V’s “Ten-Ku-Ken” turned “Laser Sword” is one of these inaccuracies and it never sits with me lightly.
She was renamed “Jamie Robinson” by the talented voice dubbers of the Filipino/English version of Voltes V way back in 1978. Well, I can’t find a connection between the name Megumi and Jamie but I suspect the name “Jamie” was inspired by “Jamie Somers”; the female lead character from the then hit TV series “Bionic Woman”. The voice talents should have called her “Meg”.
Megumi Oka was the only female member of the Voltes Team and she was depicted as a lovely young 16 year old Japanese girl; she’s calm, quiet, resourceful yet very dangerous; her father was Field General Oka, 110th descendant of the fierce Oka ninja clan and just like her father, Megumi grew up with the harsh life of training, honing and perfecting her skills as she and her father starts the day exercising deadly Ninjitsu maneuvers against each other portrayed in several Voltes V episodes. Sure enough, Megumi had used her ninja skills on several episodes where one of them, she had to rescue her father from the pursuing Boazanian troops.
Megumi was the voice of reason and conscience of the team, she was there when Kennichi and Ippei was about to collide from their differences and stop them both right on their tracks. But Megumi had her own moments; she was sweet yet rarely laughs and was seem to be contented to smile to show her satisfaction. An episode revealed that Megumi was some sort of a daddy’s girl and after her father died, Megumi clammed up her emotions when ever she was with her team mates, only to shed her tears when she was alone.
I remember my elementary days, where kids compare Voltes V against Mazinger Z, the childish debates often leads to “Who is more beautiful between the two female characters, Megumi or Sayaka Yumi?” Majority of the answers fall on Megumi...and why not, her oval face, sexy long legs and thick pony tail says it all. Just more recently, as I attended an anime convention, Megumi was pit against Voltron’s Princess Allura. A super robot enthusiast told me there is no contest; Megumi was a professional “Kunnoichi (Ninja Girl) and she can always assassinate Princess Allura in her sleep, if only Megumi is not so damn sweet.
Hiyoshi was the youngest of the Go brothers and the Voltes Team. The TV series illustrates him as a “Child genius” aside from being a seasoned aqua-fighter. He was called “Little Jon” in the dubbed Philippine/English version of the series and there were episodes where he acts as a technical trouble shooter every time a Volt Machine had trouble in the field or if Chodenji Mashin Voltes V was having modifications. Young Hiyoshi loved to invent things and most of the time; he ends up arguing with his oldest brother Kennichi because of his hobbies. Hiyoshi was capable enough to build a small, flying octopi computer called “Tako” (Octo one).
But deep inside, Hiyoshi was just a little boy who was plunged into the harsh reality of a savage invasion and was thrown into danger several times; had seen the death of his own mother and had seen the death of their elderly base commanders. Hiyoshi was the youngest soldier ever to be subjected in an inhuman training session arranged by Professor Sanjuki, student of the late Professor Hamaguchi.
Hiyoshi was a silent yet somewhat tough and cheerful kid who longed to feel the long lost love of his father, and hoped someday to reunite with his missing parent as he and his teammate’s approaches victory.
Daijiro was the largest teenage member of the Voltes Team. He was called “Big Bert” by the Filipino voice talents who dubbed the series in 1978. In Japanese, “Dai” means large, important and perhaps that’s where the “Big” in Big Bert must have come from.
Daijiro was the second of the Go brothers and to my relief; he was not depicted as an insatiable pig, prevalent among huge bodied characters. Daijiro was more of a martial artist who mastered exotic techniques in the skill of oriental combat. He was also called as a defense tactician and was said to have studied from an Eastern monk although the series never stressed him having to do with monks, it was clear that Daijiro was a highly skilled martial arts fighter from the start; the Naginata Battle Staff was his especiality.
As I’ve seen in the Voltes V series episodes, Daijiro was a quiet type yet not afraid to voice out his opinions from time to time. He was not boastful and proud and seems to care much about his team mates’ well being in both battles and training. Daijiro was always seen fishing beside the rocky shores of “Falcon Island” if not in his training sessions.
Daijiro was there, helping Kennichi master the art of the “Butterfly Return” technique to be used against a fearful Beast Fighter. Daijiro was there when the Boazanian forces released a robot likeness of Professor Kentaro Go, his long lost father to wreck havoc inside Camp Big Falcon.
Daijiro was there, saving a little puppy from an enemy beast fighter in disguise but the highlight of his adventure in Voltes V was his capture by a Boazanian expeditionary league where he was put into prison with another prisoner who was really his lost father.
It was an emotionally charged reunion that lasted for some moment that leads to a daring yet failed attempt to escape. Daijiro returned to Camp. Big Falcon without recovering his father but he remained hopeful with the Voltes Team until the time he with his other brothers and team mates, venture forth into Boazanian and finally reunited with their long lost father.
The Japanese super robot team format is composed of four to five, usually five heroic pilots, tasked to drive a giant defender robot programmed to protect Planet Earth. The Voltes Team is not an exception; a leader, a hot shot, a bright kid, a gentle giant and a token female member.
Ippei Mine was the second member of the Voltes Team. He was renamed “Mark Gordon” by the Filipino voice-overs in 1978. Mark Gordon- Talk about ironies; the producer of the so-called Voltron movie is named Mark Gordon...and as I have discussed in earlier posts, Voltron is nothing but an inferior copy cat of Voltes V.
But the “Mark Gordon” name used in the Voltes V shows by the voice-over talents was not inspired by the Mark Gordon who produced the Voltron movie; heck Voltes V was there long before this Mark Gordon fellow made a mark in his career. I believe the name Mark Gordon was inspired by “Flash Gordon” in the early American sci-fi serials.
Ippei Mine was depicted in the series as “Cool under pressure”; the show portrayed Ippei as an immigrant from the United States so he was shown in the usual “cowboy” stereo-type. He thought that his mother had abandoned him and his ailing father, and because of this, he grew up bitter hating all mothers (yeah...right) but it turns out that his mother had died trying to save her family from an attacking wolf pack. There’s a shortfall in this particular plot; the “Old West” scenario every time there were “flash backs” showing Ippei’s past and Voltes V’s time line was supposed to be somewhere in the future...
Ippei grew up in the streets, learning the unwritten laws of the concrete jungle. He was constantly looking for a job until he landed on a ranch (or circus...whatever) where he learned to use a whip and learned to take care of horses. His constant trainings with horses made him a top notch rodeo champion in a very early age. This is enough for General Oka to pick him up forcibly and made him a member of the Voltes Team.
At first, Ippei had his differences with the Go brothers, especially with Kennichi but in the later part of the series, Ippei seem to mellow down and seem to agree with Kennichi at many times, but Ippei appears to show some concerned feelings for Megumi Oka, the only female member of the Voltes Team and the only daughter of the ill-fated General Oka.
Frankly, I feel there’s something wrong in Ippei’s life format, not that it's undesirable or anything but it sounded like it’s not from a Voltes V story or any other super robot show. It was like in a different story like something from the old West (Where the "deer and the antelope play" so to speak...). Anyway, he became a member of the Voltes Team and he had shown his utmost dedication for the defense of Planet Earth.
He was called “Steve Armstrong” by the Filipino dubbers from the 1978 anime series Chodenji Mashin Voltes V, a year where the Philippine public had no or limited knowledge about Japanese Animation.
I can’t reconcile any similarities, how minute they maybe between the name Kennichi and Steve. The dubbers should have named this character “Ken”. I suspect, the character’s name was derived from “Steve Austin” the hero from the hit series “The Six Million Dollar Man”. His family name “Armstrong” obviously came from the U.S. Astronaut who first landed on the moon.
Anyway, Kennichi was depicted in Voltes V as an adroit motocross champ and a master marksman. In some write-ups, he was mentioned as a fighter pilot perhaps these qualities qualify him as the team leader of Voltes V.
Kennichi’s character was that of a kid, who suddenly shouldered all the adult responsibilities after the disappearance of his father. The series showed his love for his parents, especially in the episode where his mother died trying to save him and the other Voltes Team from being dangerously locked in a beast fighter’s grip. Sometimes, his character was firm as a rock on a wavy shore, and many times did he scolded his younger brother Hiyoshi if Hiyoshi was out of line and doing other things than those that require utmost priority. Yet at times, his teenage dispositions overshadow these grownup qualities.
There were several times he insisted on taking on the enemy himself just to make sure that his team mates are all safe. Naturally this does not sit well with the other Voltes Team. There were times that Kennichi was involved in fights; may these against the Boazanian Prince Heinnel and his generals or Ippei, one of his team mates or a grave discussion with Professor Sanjuki, the late Professor Hamagichi’s student who replaced him in command . Kennichi exercise a lengthy stream of expressive rhetoric and emotional outbursts rivaling those of corny tele-novella dramas. These scenes just show that Kennichi’s character is still much very flawed and that makes him ever more human.
Kennichi’s character is not that typical “ladies man” who swept many girls off their feet just like in many shows. The Voltes Team seems to function more in brotherly camaraderie than a group where the female hero tends to have amorous feelings for the male hero.
The series showed three of Camp Big Falcon’s pertinent coordinators perished under the strain of Boazanian onslaughts; Professor Mitsuyo (Kennichi’s mother), Professor Hamaguchi and Field General Oka. Their deaths may have shaken Kennichi but it never toppled his strong resolve. Kennichi’s character was bent on defending the Earth and the search for his long lost father.
