Ash Ketchum

I have a box set in my hand called "Beast King Golion" Collection 1, containing episodes 1-18. It says on the back of the case: "Golion is the original Japanese show cut to create the 80's cartoon classic VOLTRON."

Now, in my other hand, I have a box set called "Armored Fleet Dairugger" Collection 1, containing episodes 1-18. On the back it says: "The original Japanese show that was edited to create "Voltron: Defender of the Universe" now available uncut for the first time."

In "The Anime Encyclopedia," by Clements and McCarthy, it says,
"The Golion series was bought for U.S. syndication as Voltron: Defender of the Universe!....Preempting later treatment of ROBOTECH, it was combined with an unrelated show to bulk out the running time. Dairugger XV (1982) was a 56-episode show, also from Toei, renamed Video Team Voltron in the U.S."

The upshot is...I'm confused.

I'm asking if someone well-versed in VOLTRON and its origins can please explain how the two series, "Golion" and "Dairugger" were combined to create "Voltron." Were they intercut in some way? Did one follow the other? If so, which one came first? And how was the transition from one series to the other handled?

Thanks.

RocShemp

First they aired "Beast King Golion" which in the US is the awesome lions Voltron. After those episodes ended they aired "Armored Fleet Dairugger" which is the US lameass vehicles Voltron.

They explained it by saying they were two robots called Voltron and one defended the near galaxy and the other defended the far galaxy.

They were to dub and re-edit a third show featuring a robot with a lion head for a chest but "Voltron: Defender of the Universe!" was cancelled before they got around to it.

Giantrobo

Don't forget "Gladiator Voltron"

fujishig

Lion chested robot? I thought they were going to use Albegas (which were three robots that sorta stacked on top of each other to make a bigger robot) as the third Voltron. They even sold a toy of it and called it "Voltron II," but then the Dairugger Voltron wasn't as popular as the GoLion Voltron, so they instead made new episodes of the lion voltron instead.

They did have one special episode where the two Voltrons fought together, using interspliced footage and new animation. In fact, I think they have a dvd out for it:
http://www.amazon.com/Voltron-Fleet-...564482&sr=8-14

IIRC, they also made two similar-looking characters from each series brothers (it was the pilot of the green lion, Pidge, and one of the vehicle voltron pilots)

I always thought it was dumb that vehicle voltron was hindered if the red chest jet was missing. Also, the obvious "why-the-heck-don't-they-just-form-voltron-right-away-and-use-form-blazing-sword" plothole.

Note that using separate series like this was way, way better than the abomination that was Macron 1. They basically interspersed pieces of the two Japanese series GoShogun and Srungle in each episode. The teams were kept apart by saying they were from different dimensions, but it made absolutely no sense.

kenage

Call me weird but I preferred the vehicle Voltron to the lion one. The characters who formed the lion one always bothered me for some reason.

buckee1

I'm strictly the golion version of Voltron. i could never really enjoy the vehicle ones. They always seemed so cheesy.

Maxflier

Definately weird

resinrats

They used some miltary footage from the vehicle voltron to create Galaxy Garrison that was referenced a few times in the lion show. Also Pidge said he was the brother of a vehicle voltron team member. Other than that, not much mixing of footage.

The lion show was popular enough that the US commissoned a 2nd season of the lion team. The biggest difference I noticed was the green lion & pidge's outfit were much darker then before.

The Fleet of Doom (both Voltrons) was new footage (maybe the combining was stock footage) commissoned by the US. I've seen it recently. It sucks & seems not much effort went into it. The 2 Voltrons don't even meet up until the last 10-15 minutes so its not like they are together the whole movie. Its also very Lion Team based so both teams don't even get equal screen time. Maybe 3:1 time spit. Vehicle team might as well not even been there since they don't do much.

kenage

Other than the head red lion pilot all the other lion pilots really annoyed me.