Most Super Robot Anime shows are self-contained -- unless specified. It's known that Mazinger Z had a Trilogy. However, the Nagao Tagahama's Romance Robot Trilogy, which are Combattler V, Voltes V, and Daimos, are most likely self-contained, series-wise. The American production shows tend to get the Japanese license then combine several unrelated shows into one localized remake. Vehicle Voltron's first episode came out on October 19, 1984. Dairugger XV came out in 1982. The two shows were completely unrelated. The idea was done by World Events Productions (WEP) before Harmony Gold did the same thing in making Robotech (which I'm super oblivious to) and Saban Entertainment with Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.
Dairugger XV became the last of the Super Robot Anime series by Toei. What do you expect when Super Sentai started making Megazords sell better? However, I blame Dairugger XV's overly serious and mature tone as to why it didn't click with children. Compare it to Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan which had tons of crazy humor. Dairugger XV is an utterly heart-wrenching show! However, WEP managed to edit it and create a hilariously bad show out of Golion and Dairugger XV. Why WEP decided to create two shows under the Voltron title is funny. It gets rather confusing if you ask me! Was it some kind of weird experiment? I can tolerate calling every Power Rangers season as Power Rangers. However, calling both giant robots as Voltron -- that's a very uh-huh moment to me!
Golion already established itself independent of its predecessors. That means don't expect Golion to interact with the Romance Robot Trilogy except in non-canon crossovers. Even the first episode dared to destroy THE EARTH in cold blood. A nuclear war was declared. Episode 20 finally decided to get the dirty deed done by DESTROYING THE EARTH. What was Toei thinking in doing that in the Golion continuity? I guess the whole plot backfired badly. No Super Sentai entry or Kamen Rider entry dared to blow up the Earth! That means the Galaxy Garisson just can't exist in Golion. Instead, it was derived from Dairugger XV.
Lion Voltron's first episode already linked both Voltron continuities. It's safe to assume that differences between American culture and Japanese culture mandated it. Americans have their Marvel Universe and DC Universe. Maybe, the American side of the fence thought that joining certain Japanese self-contained shows AND put them in an expanding Universe might work. The idea was even moved forward during the supposed finale. Sadly, ratings got so high for Lion Voltron that Toei created 20 American-exclusive episodes!
Dairugger XV's plot revisited and why I prefer it over the two Voltrons
There's some reason why Toei usually chooses NOT to link the shows. Sure, they did that to Denji Sentai enziman and Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan. However, most Super Sentai series tend to be self-contained unless said otherwise. The latest linking was done with Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger and Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger -- presumably due to the 10th anniversary of the latter and because of the 30th anniversary of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Dairugger XV's plot could've picked up where Golion left off. I even heard Voltes V was supposed to be a direct sequel to Combattler V but never happened. So what's the big deal? Sure, direct sequels can be fun at times but Toei seems to rely less on nostalgia and focuses on self-contained stories. Marvel and DC would be better with their expanding universe way of writing.
Dairugger XV takes place in the Year 2200 A.D. The introduction plot says it all. The show focuses on space exploration. That means Dairugger XV wasn't meant to be a combat robot. However, it's still fitted with the weapons needed for combat. The show never bothers to link itself to any other Super Robot Anime shows. There are times I pretend Dairugger XV is Voltes V's sequel. I even imagine that Dairugger XV was produced using more advanced Boazan technology. I imagine it as a world where the Warp Drive Technology has advanced sometime after the fall of Zambojil's regime. I want to imagine Emperor Lagour built Dairugger XV. It'd be hilarious if the now-older Gou siblings chose to name the new robot Voltes XV but the name Dairugger XV was chosen instead. Maybe, have a scene where Kenichi shakes hands with Aki. Instead, Toei kept Dairugger XV in its very own continuity.
Sure, I didn't like Vehicle Voltron as a child. However, Dairugger XV can be better in some ways. The 15-character main cast can be jarring. There are lots and lots of characters to deal with. However, the dramatic build-up here and there helps the series. There are corruption issues between Earth and Galveston. Both Earth and Galveston get to understand each other better. It's almost like Daimos' plot where both Baams and Earthlings realize not everyone from their side is good and not everyone from the other side is bad. It's a huge political drama with lots of characters. I feel the lack of character development with the main cast wasn't all that bad. Some Super Sentai series in the past didn't have much character development either!
Neither the Rugger Guard nor the Galveston Empire was aware of each other YET. I found that plot a huge breath of fresh air! Dairugger XV was supposed to go exploring but ran into conflict with the Galveston Empire. Along the way, they meet friends and enemies from the Planet Galveston. Emperor Corsair (Zeppo in Vehicle Voltron) is in no way linked to Emperor Daibazaal from Golion either. Golion was meant to end as it should. Along the way, several levels of depressing happens when allies die one after the other. A good example is the episode where two Garrison officers wanted coconuts and DIED. Aki is seen feeding them coconuts before they die! That means Rugger Guard chef never made any bad food fiasco -- the guy was a GOOD COOK in the Japanese version!
Speaking of which, making one race out of the Galveston people and the Galrans was funny -- creating what I'd call the Drule Confusion. The Galrans seemed to be written more often as For the Evulz like the Bouma Tribe in Kosoku Sentai Turboranger. The Galran Empire seems to be focused on becoming Eviler Than Thouh -- maybe that's why the rest of the empire didn't object to Sincline's coup against Daibazaal. However, the Galvestonians were like the Baam-Seijin or the Boazanians. They were both under an oppressive rule. Emperor Corsair, like Emperor Zambojil of Voltes V, is a despotic monarchs who doesn't operate with For the Evulz. I dare say that Dairugger XV had more maturity in some way. Golion's villains feel more like Saturday Morning Villains without the TV-Y7-FV restriction. Sorry to say but the Galra Empire lacked depth as the writers just made them a civilization that's For the Evulz. Dairugger XV gave us the Galvestonians who are just as oppressed as the Baams and the Boazanians. Voltes V gave more development for the Boazanians in 40 episodes than Golion did for the Galrans in 52 episodes. Daimos gave plenty of development for the Baams in 44 episodes as well.
Besides, the purpose of Galra and Galveston conquering is different. Galra was conquering planets because they're well... let Mermaid Man do the talking! Galveston was taking over planets because their planet was slowly DYING. Vehicle Voltron carried over the dying planet part. The differences in plots makes me think, "Was it such a good idea to combine both shows?" Even worse, Vehicle Voltron flopped so hard. A movie called Fleet of Doom was created. However, Vehicle Voltron gets so forgotten. However, I feel that Vehicle Voltron may have caused Dairugger XV to be vindicated by history -- by older fans like myself nonetheless!
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