I watched Lion Voltron and Vehicle Voltron. I didn't like Vehicle Voltron -- I only watched it as a form of escapism. It's obvious that both Hyajakuu Golion and Dairugger XV have DIFFERENT plots and weren't meant to be connected. However, World Events Productions (WEP) decided to do that mish-mashing with the two shows and we have two Voltron entries. Dairugger XV came a year after Golion premiered. It was a different environment. That means the Galaxy Garrison was only from Dairugger XV. The year was 2200 A.D. and the plot is related to the endless sea of the Galaxy.
I actually like some shows that weren't a hit during their time. Take Kamen Rider BLACK RX which had low ratings. B-Fighter Kabuto may be better than the Beetleborgs duology BUT it's still messy. I enjoyed both shows but they didn't do well during their time. Dairugger XV is another show that was too ambitious for its own good. What was interesting was that Dairugger XV was five years after Chodenshi Machine Voltes V aired in 1977. The show could've linked to the cult classic Voltes V in some way but chose not to.
I bet there's always the challenge of children's attention spans. It's something that's developed along the way. I heard that Vehicle Voltron's lack of popularity was with the huge number of characters. Honestly, I was planning to do an episode review for Dairugger XV after finishing my Golion episode reviews. Instead, I got overwhelmed by the 15-person team. I could only remember a few like Aki, Walter, Keats, Cindy, Manabu (who's NOT Hiroshi's brother here), and Haruka. Emperor Corsair (Zeppo) and Telez (Hazar) are the only Galveston members who are easy to remember. Can children remember all of the names at once? In fact, there's even hardly any build-up arc like Golion did. Everything seemed thrown at once -- one way or another.
I bet there's always the challenge of children's attention spans. It's something that's developed along the way. I heard that Vehicle Voltron's lack of popularity was with the huge number of characters. Honestly, I was planning to do an episode review for Dairugger XV after finishing my Golion episode reviews. Instead, I got overwhelmed by the 15-person team. I could only remember a few like Aki, Walter, Keats, Cindy, Manabu (who's NOT Hiroshi's brother here), and Haruka. Emperor Corsair (Zeppo) and Telez (Hazar) are the only Galveston members who are easy to remember. Can children remember all of the names at once? In fact, there's even hardly any build-up arc like Golion did. Everything seemed thrown at once -- one way or another.
The Galveston people are actually more interesting than the main heroes. Daimos had given me that vibes. Daimos' plot had the Baams moving away from their planet as it was destroyed. The Baams are seeking a new home namely Earth. Dairugger XV twists that with the Galvestons looking for a new planet -- before their planet erupts. The Galveston is mixed into two factions -- those who believe that they can work together with the Galaxy Garrison and those who don't. Corsair is selfish tot he end while Teles slowly becomes the ally of the main cast. The Galvestons can be divided into allies like Teles and the warmongers like the emperor himself. The conflict comes from exploring different planets. The Galveston citizens simply need a new home. The politics here may have been too hard for children to understand. It's not as simplistic as Boazan politics in Voltes V or the not-so-developed Campbellians in Combattler V. I enjoy the deep politics but I doubt my younger self would!
The amount of blood in Dairugger XV is that heavy. With a huge cast of characters -- blood is bound to be MUCH HEAVIER. I may no longer want to watch Vehicle Voltron BUT Dairugger XV is buckets of tears. Seeing a lot of plot-related deaths can be that depressing. My favorite example is that two Garrison members who wanted coconuts -- DIED in that same episode. Yes, that scene was deleted and a scene of Aki gagging over the curry was recycled. That means the chef never made an awkward coconut dessert! There's barely anything funny in Dairugger XV. Dairugger XV had a few laughs. However, Dairugger XV was somehow fond of massacres. It really showed the consequences of war at a large scale. I bet not too many children were ready for that. Sure, previous entries showed the consequences. However, Dairugger XV showed it at a more realistic angle.
After all that, it's safe to assume that not so many children were ready for something this mature. It was overly ambitious for its time too. The 1980s were a different era. The Super Sentai entries of the 1980s went serious starting with Chodenshi Bioman in 1984. Before that, it was mostly fun. Dai Sentai Goggle V is more of a fun series with heavy action. Kagaku Sentai Dynaman was more wacky fun -- even the villain deaths can be laughable. Dairugger XV got too ambitious it wasn't as child-friendly. Not even any of the more serious Super Sentai entries could beat Dairugger XV in being Darker and Edgier. I believe it only got Vindicated by History thanks to grown-up viewers.
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