Super Electromagnetic Machine Voltes V (1977)

Description

The second of the trilogy.

In the future evil horned aliens from the planet Boazan decide to add the citizens of earth to their empire. The Boazan race are a curious mixture of high scientific achievement and medieval culture in which hornless Boazanians are considered slaves. One aristocratic child was born without horns, but was fitted with fake ones. He became a great scientific genius, and was next in line for the throne of Boazan. The cunning Zambojil, however, found out the truth and the genius became a slave, and Zambojil became emperor. The genius led a rebellion of slaves but had to flee to earth. Knowing that Zambojil would want to enslave earth, he set about working with the Earth defense forces including General Oka and Professor Hamaguchi to create the ultimate weapon: the Chodenji Machine Voltes Five! Taking the name Go Kentaro, the Boazan genius married an earthwoman and had three children, Kenichi, Daihhiro and Hiyoshi. These three, together with General Oka's daughter, Megumi, and the former rodeo star Mine Ippei would pilot Voltes Five.

Main Characters

Photo	Name	Description
	Kenichi Gou	Kenichi Gou is the Voltes V team leader. He is a marksman, a Motocross champion, an ace pilot, and the eldest of the three Gou brothers. He was a very adventurous child, but the disappearance of his father changed him. He became more responsible, caring for his younger brothers as well as for the people who depended on him. His uniform was red. He pilots the Volt Cruiser (Head).
	Ippei Mine	Ippei Mine is a rodeo champion, was orphaned while still a young boy. His mother died trying to save him from a pack of wolves. After his mother's death, he grew bitter, aloof, but cool under crisis. He learned how to live in the streets and perform odd jobs. This kind of life strengthened his personality. Upon joining the rodeo, he learned to ride horses and how to use a whip. He found his greatest friend in a white stallion known as Aiful ("Alpha"). The two, man and beast, became inseparable. He won two rodeo championship contests with Aiful as his horse. Then one day, The Earth International Defense Force asked Ippei to join the team. When he refused, he was taken forcibly, so for the first time, Ippei and Aiful were separated. Dr. Hamaguchi has Aiful brought to Big Falcon early in the series. His uniform was blue. He pilots the Volt Bomber (Arms) and has a Maverick and Iceman-like rivalry with Kenichi.
	Daijirou Gou	Daijirou Gou is the defense tactician, was once a playful child. But Daijirou's outlook in life suddenly changed when his father disappeared. Alarmed by this change in his personality, Mrs. Gou sent him to live in the country where a martial arts master taught him different fighting styles and forms of meditation. Upon rejoining his brothers, Daijirou was already a master of different hand-to-hand fighting styles. The naginata (fighting staff) became his favorite weapon. Together with Kenichi and Hiyoshi, Daijirou started training as a member of the Voltes V Team. Unlike in the group portrait above his uniform was dark green, not brown. He pilots the Volt Panzer (Body Chest).
	Hiyoshi Gou	Hiyoshi Gou is a genius in inventing automatons. He has been interested in learning mechanics, robotics, and electromagnetism since a very young age. He was considered a genius by many university professors. He even created a funny little octopus-robot called Tako-chan ("Octo-One" in the dubbed version). But to his big brothers, Kenichi and Daijirou, Hiyoshi will always be a little brother, a child who never felt the warmth and love of a real father. He also excels in swimming and diving. Because of his exceptional talents, Hiyoshi was asked to join the Voltes V Team as a technical handyman, specifically for repairs during field operations. His uniform was light green. Volt Frigate (Legs) is Hiyoshi's vehicle.
	Megumi Oka	Megumi Oka is a kunoichi (female ninja) and the 18th heir of the Kouga-ryu ninja. Young, slim, and beautiful, Megumi received special training during her childhood. By the age of 13, she already possessed extraordinary skills and lightning reflexes. She also learned the gentle arts from her mother. Through her mother's guidance, Megumi became a person with a calm yet alert disposition. Joining the Voltes V Team, she was the voice of reason among the male members, especially whenever Ken'ichi and Ippei were about to clash during personal conflicts. Her cool demeanor and uncanny skills qualified Megumi as the fifth (and only female) member of the Voltes V team. Her uniform was yellow with pink accents. She pilots the Volt Lander (Feet).
	Prince Heinel	The half-brother to the Gou brothers at their father's side. He was born the son of a traitor, bitter and more of the noble villain. As a child, he had a rough time being called a traitor's son, with no memory of his parents and only loved by his grandparents. He wanted to clean the stain, but being a possible heir makes his second-degree uncle Zambajil hate him secretly and was hesitant to appoint him. Though first shown as a villain and using dirty tactics, he is later seen to be having noble qualities like playing fair at times in contrast to most of his comrades who prefer to use cheating methods like most super robot princes that would eventually succeed him. Graduating as best student at the Institute of Military Science and Warfare, He has a high sense of honor, like most warriors and regards himself more of a soldier than a prince. Due to his repeated failure, his second degree uncle Zambajil removed him from duty. Prince Heinel sought to restore Boazania to glory; after all, he was only a scapegoat. He would rather die in battle than die a loser. He later realized that he was fighting against his own father and his own half-siblings. His mother was Lozaria, the Boazanian wife of La Gour/Kentaro Gō who died after giving birth to him. When he saw Zambajil try to escape, he threw a dagger (which came from his mother) to kill the despotic Emperor to redeem himself. In the end, he died a redeemed man, peaceful, enjoying a few moments of peace having saved his younger half-brother Kenichi's life.
	Katherine Rii	Prince Heinel's aide and would-be lover. Motivated by love, she remained loyal to her prince until the end, when she took a sniper's bullet, saving his life. As she died, she confessed her love to him, and he realized that he loved her, too.
	Jangal Rui	The three-horned General sent to Earth with Prince Heinel and Katharine. Fiercely loyal to Heinel while also a wise strategist, he is the one who convinced Heinel, and himself, that the Gō Brothers are actually part Boazanian. He later chose death over surrender to the Voltes team.
	Zuul	The one-horned, aged, hunchback, toothless scientist, one of Prince Heinel's original aides. His invention of the Anti-Super Electromagnetic Device nearly destroyed Voltes V. Cunning and contemptuous, he discreetly captured Prof Go just before he returned to Earth and attempt to use him for his plans to kill Heinel and Voltes V. Eventually, his attempt to betray Heinel failed and he was executed.

Episode List

Fun Fact

• There actually is a singer named Megumi Oka, also known as a TUGUMI, Megu, Megu&ScottyD and Megumi upper-slope. She's famous for her songs from BEATMANIA, BEATMANIA IIDX (two deluxe) and Pop'n Music games. She debuted in 1999 with song HUNTING FOR YOU
• Voltes V was banned in Philippines, late 1970s during Ferdinand Marco's presidency, alongside with Figting General Daimos (1978) and Mazinger Z (1972). The ban was removed after Marco's own overtrown in 1986. While Nagahama's works came, Mazinger Z to this day didn't.
• Fan-theory was said that Voltes V was Nagahama's test run before directing The Rose of the Versailles (1979). In "Tadao Nagahama: Robot Romance Animation Chronicle Infobook" book, page 253, Tadao Nagahama himself admits the similarities between these two. You can read a really cool stuff from there here.
• IMDB's Synopsis states Boazanians as a "A demonic race from a planet fourteen thousand light years away called Boazan...", but they're not demons, they are rather a Horned Humanoids.