GMA Network dropping its teaser trailer of the highly anticipated Philippine television adaptation of the TOEI classic, Voltes V, on January 14, stirred overwhelming excitement among Kapuso fans, but it also cast some doubt from faithful fans of the original Japanese anime.
The teaser trailer impressed with sophisticated visual effects, and while the actor to play the lead character, Steve Armstrong/Kenichi Go, has yet to be revealed, his brief appearance in the teaser has undoubtedly taken the social media by storm, with a number of netizens guessing who had taken on the iconic role.
The new trailer teased the audience with the Boazanian attack on the Earth, showing the inordinate destruction caused by their invasion. Of course, if you’re an avid Voltes V fan, identifying with familiar things and scenes shown in the trailer, nostalgic and compelling. But if that’s not the case, the least emotion you’d probably feel is amazed and to some extent, proud. CGI has definitely improved from the first teaser released a year ago, and the iconic music gives you goosebumps.
Should the series live up to the top-notch quality of the teaser trailer, GMA Network will conjure a historical milestone in Philippine television, being the first network to deliver such caliber of work—which the network can claim to be on par with international production standards—to local audiences. Arguably, GMA Network is now at the most strategic place to return to its glorious telefantasya days, where it lorded the ratings game on free television. With the departure of its former biggest rival, ABS-CBN from free TV, there is no question that the series will capture the top spot, but its legacy remains questionable.
Can Voltes V: Legacy really resurrect GMA Network’s glory days, when iconic Kapuso shows like Encantadia, Mulawin, and Amaya pushed the network’s audience shares to unprecedented levels? The question brings us to recall a number of recent Kapuso series whose trailers generated the same awe and excitement as Voltes V: Legacy did, but disappointed massively, nonetheless, when the actual series came out. Let’s not forget Victor Magtanggol and Zaido: Pulis Pangkalawan, please. Skepticism, by all means, can’t be ruled out, considering GMA Network’s recent history of disappointing viewers.
That being said, we’re cautiously optimistic for the eventual outcome of this series. There is a great possibility that its debut won’t happen very soon, as press releases imply that TOEI, the owner of the franchise, wants GMA Network to finish filming all the episodes, first, before the Kapuso Network can finally air the pilot episode of the adaptation.
That TOEI also keeps their tabs on the overall production of the series, kind of warrants that this show is being polished to perfection, and cannot, by any means, suffer the same fate as GMA Network’s past failed attempts at fantasy and live adaptation series. Voltes V: Legacy is also largely a sci-fi series, which means that CGI effects will be heavily utilized in many scenes.
Nevertheless, there is a big possibility that GMA Network will prove its skeptics, wrong, and I think those who still have doubts won’t find offense in getting corrected, this time.
Voltes V Legacy is set to premiere on GMA Network this year. Watch the teaser trailer below:
