Voltes V Evolution Alienates Original Fans
By: Edwin Manalo
Launched by anime channel Hero TV (a subsidiary company owned by ABS-CBN), Voltes V Evolution promised to capture the hearts of a younger generation that never got to enjoy this animated classic. Voltes V first aired in the late '70s right till about the early '80s; but not even Voltes V's Laser Sword could stop Marcos from pulling the plug on the show. The people behind Voltes V Evolution cast some of today's hottest stars to re-dub the character voices, thinking that it would definitely appeal to this new generation of viewers. Being a big Voltes V fan myself, I wasn't really sure how good this newly re-dubbed series would be; but I gave it chance and watched several episodes, hoping this would pacify this die-hard fan's inner voice.
After a few weeks or so, I was curious to find out what other fans had to say about Voltes V Evolution. So I did a bit of sleuthing all over the Pinoy Blogosphere, newsgroups, forums, forwarded e-mails, and it wasn't much of a surprise to discover that many people had bad things to say about it. What seemed to be a good idea, has left original Voltes V fans alienated. It's been over 8 months since Voltes V Evolution first aired, and here are a few highlights of the many excerpts I found:
I wanted to see if all this hype about Voltes V Evolution would live up to its claim, but I was so disappointed when I heard the voices. They should've hired better actors, ones who have real experience in animation voice overs. I won't go anymore into detail... you have to see it for yourself. -Rico
My family watched this on tv, but then I got the Voltes V vcd box set for Christmas and watched the entire series with my son during Christmas break. I was surprised to find out that he liked this one more than whats shown on Hero Channel. I guess he likes the voices more, and for me the original had more feeling and expression. -Tony Gonzales
They better put back the original on tv! I don't like it at all! -Lesley
Naknangpucha! Bakit naman nila ginawa yun?! Nandyan na ang box set ng vcd, nagdub pa ang mga walanghiya ng panibago pero walang kwenta naman ang mga boses! Waiter, yung bill nga! -Animajika
abs-cbns original press release said: "Nikki Valdez voiced for the prince’s sister, Princess Zandra." uummm... diba inlab si zandra kay zardos? sa last episode noong namatay siya sa bozania ay doon lang nalaman ni zardos na inlab sa kanya si zandra. men, sino ba ang sumulat ng press release na ito? napanuod ko noong isang araw, at hindi ko talaga nagustuhan. ang daming mali sa pagkatranslate. -BobbyM
The most unbearable to hear was Jamie Robinson. I mean, what would you expect if Sandara Park was dubbing her? I just laughed at all of her parts. At first I thought it was too much, but when my brother started laughing at her too, I guess I may not be so bad XDDD. Sandara's voice is annoying. Parang trying hard na boses babae sa anime na matinis, but I can't blame her if that's the way her voice sounds...but there's the diction problem. I just feel I'm gonna hear more mishaps with pronunciation as the series progresses. They could have chosen other professional dubbers for Jamie's part. -Grimrehyper
Whether it's blaming ABS-CBN for cashing in on their stable of stars, or accusing the network of ruining their childhood, Voltes V Evolution has definitely disappointed many fans of the original series. I'm sure ABS-CBN had good intentions in re-dubbing Voltes V in Filipino, so that it would reach a greater audience. Presenting Voltes V in Filipino surely makes it seem more nationalistic, but I guess what original fans are not so happy about is the quality and talent of the actors they hired for this project. Dubbing voices for animation features aren't as simple as one would think. It's entirely different from acting on screen, as one has to breathe life into the animated characters. With this said, the caliber of talent needed for such an endeavor is crucial to the success of the project; success which is measured by acceptance of an entire audience, especially from the original fans who grew up on Voltes V. These fans of the original series deserve nothing less, as they were responsible for making Voltes V a classic that has withstood the test of time.
To get the original 40 episode collection on vcd, go to: www.kimcastro.com
Technorati Tags:70s, 80s, tv, anime, cartoon, voltes v, blog, nostalgia
28 comments:
This article is so true. Yung bagong Voltes V Evolution na yan hindi ko gusto. Redubbing the voices kills the nostalgia.
Amen! Long live da original series!
Dude...haven't seen the EVOLUTION SERIES. I Guess, I don't have anymore plans of catching it on the tube. Parang napaka-heartless naman ng ABS-CBN, doing that kind of a move. Sorry to say this but, PERA PERA lang ang iniisip nila tlga. (though, I am a THE DAWN fan!)
myke pare, excatly! talagang puro pera lang ang nasa isip ng abs-cbn. it's a good formula diba? get something classic, tapos give it a modern twist... kuno. pero really, they ruined it by hiring these talentless people. yung isa taga pinoy big brother pa na wala namang acting experience! i'm a dawn fan to bro, pero hindi talaga bagay si jet to play draco. can you just imagine draco singing enveloped ideas? LOL!
this was a horrible idea. hearing the bad voices killed the nostalgia for me. buti na lang may vcd box set.
they really really messed up big time doing this. pati yung pamangkin ko, he likes the original better. we both agree that the voices on evolution are too annoying to watch.
whoever suggested the brilliant idea that instead of jett pangan voicing draco, it should have been max alvarado (see the reactions collected from the pinoy blogosphere), well i guess i must break the news that max alvarado is already dead--since 1994.
I hope they don't try to do this with Daimos!
oo nga naman, patay na si max. i guess some of our friends here haven't been back home to know the lates showbiz news kaya they don't know who has been gone. pero may alam ako na dapat talaga maging draco at bagay na bagay. ang walang kupas na kontrabida na si PAQUITO DIAZ! bwahahaha!
james, patay na rin si topakits.
I am still lucky then because I was not able to watch it. I never wanted to watch it in the first place. It was all for good reason that I did not dare watch it. I feel sad for the kids watching it because they want to learn what the hype about Voltes V is all about. Voltes V nostalgia rages on even here at the office.
pati si topaquits dead na rin?!!! wow labo, matagal na talaga ako hindi umuuwi. well, 21 years to be exact. pero this site brings me home to the manila i have always loved. swerte talaga at may nostalgia manila.
well, i quite agree to your post and it is really disappointing that i couldn't bear to watch it.
it destroyed the beauty of the original voltes v... argh! how low could they get to promote stars, not that they don't have much talent, but doesn't have the right voice for dubbing... oh yeah, there's initial d fourth stage for animax who used angel locsin and mateo guticelli which is not good either...
BASTA PRODUCE NG ABS-CBN WALANG KUWENTA. PURO PERA LANG ANG NASA ISIP NG MGA IYAN WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THEIR SHOW. PURO NON-SENSE ANG SHOW NILA. LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THEM NOW.
I don't know, but I actually enjoyed watching the new Tagalog dubbed Voltes V. (I couldn't stand that they added "Evolution" to the title, but anyhoo...)
I am a die-hard fan of the original series, falling in love with it when I was 6 years old, and feeling outraged when it was pulled off the air. Fast forward many years later, and I bought the entire series on VCD. I watched, with tears in my eyes, whilst reliving my childhood with each swipe of the laser sword.
My curiosity was piqued when Hero TV announced this new dubbed version... I opened my mind and gave it the benefit of the doubt. And yes, I enjoyed it.
What irritated me about the original series is the mispronunciation of much of the English, so I felt a great measure of relief when the Tagalog version came out (and the fact that an actual little boy dubbed the role of Little John).
I shall always look upon the original series with nostalgia and a tear in my eye... but I have to say, I looked upon the new dubbing with doubt, and came away very happy.
mmmm... sagwa pa rin dahil si jet pangan ang boses ni draco! dapat humanap sila ng totoong kontrabitda para sa boses.
I hate those big TV companies... I get their point by hiring big name actors and actresses, but they SHOULD MAKE SURE THEY CAN DO PROPER VOICE ACTING.
I for one would choose unknown people who can deliver those lines properly than Sandara Park and Co.
I sooo wish I had an indie dubbing studio... I would kick their arses.
the first time i heard about this redubbing thing was to check the cast. napailing ako in utter disappointment. kala ko pa naman, makakagawa na ng new generation of followers ang voltes v.
i didn't have to watch the first episode to find out. dun pa lang sa presscon na inere sa news, bagsak na ang bataan. casting jett pangan as draco was bad enough. tapos sandara park as jamie?!?! nagbibiro ba sila?
never mind quality programming. never mind kung sablay yung boses dun sa character. as long as sikat yung kasali, siguradong kikita.
kumita ba naman? sus, modesty aside, i can do a better voice job at half the talent fee.
kaso, hindi naman ako sikat e.
i grew up WITH voltes v. for me, kabastusan at insulto ito sa legacy na iniwan ng series sa pinoy. maybe the people behind this evolution ek-ek were born in the late-70s kaya ganun na lang kung tratuhin nila.
or maybe, they were more attracted to the sound of the cash register.
na hindi naman tumunog. ire-redub pa e mas magastos pa yun kesa sa i-reshow yung original english dub.
between this sorry piece of a redub and iron man #28 (sa q-11 ba yun?), parang mas gusto ko pa ata yung huli. at least, gigantor yun, no?
haaay naku... like i always say, they don't make 'em like they used to.
di-hamak na mas magaling pa ring doctor smith at doctor hook si JOONEE GAMBOA!!! walang kokontra!!! mwehehehe...
OT lang: parang buhay pa si paquito; si romy diaz yung namatay nung 2005.
Rockett pare, you said it right!
AMEN ROCKETT!!!!
Meron pang isang Diaz, si Vic Diaz. Like his brothers, he too played the contrabida all the time. Siya, buhay pa ba?
OT lang, with everyone's permission, to answer sa above post: parang buhay pa. di ba nandun siya sa yamashita movie with armando goyena just a few years back?
brothers? hindi niya kapatid sila kit at romy. ang sure, siya yung tatay nung nasirang teddy, yung original guitarist ng the dawn.
now back to regular programming. salamat po.
obvious naman na nakiki ride lang ang abs-cbn sa popularity ng voltes v! alam naman natin na sa sa GMA-7 yang voltes v at thank God na nasa kanila pa rin ang broadcast rights ng voltes v sa free tv. lumalabas na naman ang kaswapngan ng ebs-lbm este abs-cbn at pati voltes v ay pinirata rin nila na kagaya sa pamimirata sa mga talents ng GMA-7!
Hallo! Dapat sana iyon na lang mga voice talent ng DZRH ang kinuha ng Hero TV para iredub ang Voltes V. Karamihan sa mga voice talent ng DZRH ay matanda nga, pero kaya nilang magboses-bata, tulad halimbawa nina Susan Lemon, Vilma Borromeo at Marichú Villegas.
ogie gazmen
pls...spare our memories of the true and legendary Voltes V....
I hope "Golion" will be aired on Philippine TV soon.
This may be deviating from the topic, but I just watched the finale of Daimos.
This bears strong resemblance to the way Voltes V ended.
Ulrich, the Brahmins' prince, sacrificed his life to let Richard and Erika be together in the end -- exactly the same way Prince Zardoz gave up his life to allow the Armstrong brothers to be together with their father and for the Boazanians to be saved.
Credit this to creator Tadao Nagahama's vision. Being a Romantic author, he lent humanistic stories to his robot creations.
You're looking at this through nostalgia glasses, that's why you're busting your pants. Sure, the actors/celebs are rough, but they actually did a more or less decent job for newbies (although I admit Sandara is a lost cause and Joseph's Zardoz is quite deficient). I loved Nikki's Zandra though, she really sounds like a noblewoman, and Michael (De Mesa) really suits Dr.Hook to a T. Sorry, but unlike most of you, I'm very satisfied with this version.
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