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.
4 comments:
I appreciate your passion for this giant robot but you don't seem to appreciate the fact that stuff like plot devices from Star Wars and the concept of laser weapons are very famous and tend to be used a lot. Take the Gundam franchise as an example. The Beam sabers were introduced to give the robot a chance to slice its mechanical opponents cleanly in half. The beam weapons are a thing of the future!(Duh) The Japanese giant robots had their own gimmicks; the Beam Saber was just one of the Gundam's own. Plus, how would you know that Gundam ripped off the laser blade thing from Star Wars? Just by looking at the year when the the two franchises were made? Through speculation? Nonsense! How would you know they actually did in the first place? State some facts to prove your ideas are true! Some things may not look totally original but at least they gave it a shot at being one. Star Wars and Gundam are two different franchises! You cannot compare them that easily! Just because one thing started the fad dosen't mean the seconds just ripped it off. They might have actually been the first or they never knew such a thing already existed before. Can't we all just do our own thing and never be criticized about being not creative or ORIGINAL enough?
I agree with gunplafanittel
Thanks for a marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed reading it, you’re a great author.I will make certain to bookmark your blog and will eventually come back at some point. I just ordered these consoles at PIJ! I’m excited! I’m going to have these in week! http://bit.ly/Voltes
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