“Voltes V Legacy” director assures love story angle wouldn’t be a distraction
After a long wait, GMA Network has finally released the full trailer of its much-anticipated live action adaptation of “Voltes V,” titled “Voltes V Legacy.” The series is headlined by GMA homegrown actor Miguel Tanfelix together with a bunch of fresh faces: Ysabel Ortega, Matt Lozano, Raphael Landicho, and Radson Flores. They compose the Voltes team.
The trailer, dubbed as the Mega Trailer, was launched on free TV on January 1, 2023 during the GMA New Year Countdown. It was later uploaded to GMA’s online platforms.
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The viewers also had a glimpse of some of the other characters in the show: Martin del Rosario plays the lead villain Prince Zardoz with Liezel Lopez, Epy Quizon, and Carlo Gonzalez as the Boazanian force. Albert Martinez, Neil Ryan Sese, Epy Quizon, and Gabby Eigenmann are the allies of the Voltes team.
The trailer shows some of the scenes that the “Voltes V Legacy” team has been shooting for the last two years of production. The scenes showed Carla Abellana and Dennis Trillo portraying the parents of the main characters.
Image: GMA Network
Currently, the trailer uploaded on YouTube has 1.8 million views while it has 4.2 million views on Facebook as of this writing.
Social media reacts to “Voltes V Legacy” trailer
Most comments on GMA’s YouTube channel are impressed with the mega trailer of “Voltes V Legacy.” Some are even praising the animation and CGI and how these did not disappoint “Voltes V” fans.
Here are some of the comments:
While there were also praises on Twitter, some are criticizing the love angle between Jamie Robinson (Ortega) and Steve Armstrong (Tanfelix), saying that the original “Voltes V” did not have a romance layer to it.
The trailer showed the characters of Jamie and Steve staring at each other while Steve is in the arms of another girl, played by Elle Villanueva.
Image: GMA Network
Image: GMA Network
Here are some of the criticisms on Twitter:
The only part i feel iffy about in the voltes v legacy is the love triangle plot ^^;; i don’t mind romance but they’re putting those again for the sake of making the story interesting, when it’s not. Jamie and Steve are already great characters w/out the romance.
— Sae ? is procrastinating (@yatchiichoi707) January 2, 2023
40 episodes lang og voltes v, 80+ daw legacy, so ung +40 eps ung love story ganern?
— DANJOK | STRESSED SA WD US PAYROLL (@danjok_) January 3, 2023
I hope Voltes V Ph adaptation will live to its hype. At hello? Wala namang love story sina Steve and Jamie pero syempre type ni Jamie si Steve. Ahahhahaha!!!
— Rhia del Rosario (@rhiadelrosario) January 3, 2023
The trailer is good, graphics, CGI & the action. Kaso hindi talaga mawala-wala sa mga palabas nila ang “LANDI’AN”???
— The_Leech (@The_Leech13) January 1, 2023
At kung gusto n’yo rin i-target sa bata ang live adaptation ng Voltes V, sana di n’yo na nilagyan ng love story nga, haha! Wag n’yo turuang magjowa-jowa nang bata pa, LOL! (6/10)
— Michelle Roldan (@dompy_roldan) January 2, 2023
Headwriter defends love angle
“Voltes V Legacy” headwriter Suzette Doctolero was quick to defend the love angle that is being criticized by netizens who have seen the trailer.
In a lengthy Facebook post on January 2, 2023, Doctolero explained why they injected the subplot, specifying that what they are doing is a live-action adaptation for all ages and not cartoons, where the audience is particular to children.
She also advised naysayers to watch first before actually judging the work since its totality has yet to be aired.
Doctolero writes (published as is), “On V5. May reaction: bakit may love story at agawan? Sagot: manood muna bago mag Maritess at gumawa na naman ng sariling haka haka at mga hula (kahit hindi naman manghuhula).
“True, walang love story doon sa anime kasi pambata iyon. Cartoons ang tawag naming mga golden era V5 fans. Wala talagang love story sa cartoons na ang target ay kids. Sinong lokong “cartoons” maker ang gagawa nun? (V5 ang topic dito ha).
“Pero dahil ito ay LIVE adaptations, at ang target ay all ages (mula bata hanggang matanda), kaya ginawa naming mas “humanized” ang mga characters. At bilang ang REYALIDAD ay mga kabataang guwapo at magaganda sina Steve, Big Bert, Mark at Jamee kaya yes, may love story. Na hindi malaking part sa kuwento pero mayroon. Imposibleng wala!
“Kung yung mga panget na bashers nga, may mga jowa at loma-love story, bakit kaya sila nagrereact kung may love story rin ang mga kabataang mapupusok, at mga guwapo at magaganda pa? MAG ISIP nga! Mga kinapon ba sila ha??? Lols.
“Iba ang anime sa live adaptations. Kasama sa pagsusulat ng live adaptations ang adjustment na gawin silang tao as much as possible. Tao, okey? Hindi cartoons.
“Manood at saka maghusga. (Karamihan ng shows ko, nauuna ang mga husga tapos pag palabas na, nawawala na ang mga mema. Hay naku, 2023 na, magbago na lols).”
Director addresses love angle reactions
On January 3, 2023, “Voltes V Legacy” director Mark Reyes had an interview with the press where he mentioned some details about the series.
In a report published by GMA News Online from the interview, Reyes addressed the concerns about the love angle, and assured that it wouldn’t be a distraction to the original story arc.
He explains, “If there is a love story, there is a bigger stake.
“Imagine mo [for Steve], [would he] risk his life to save Jamie [at the expense of the] mission being compromised?
“It’s not a distraction at all to the main storyline of ‘Voltes V,’ [rather] it’s one of the flavors that’s gonna be enjoyed by the teenagers.”
“Voltes V Legacy” will air for 16 weeks or 80 episodes and is set to air on the second quarter of 2023.
Banner Image Paulo Correa
