In 1977, the world was introduced to the anime series, Voltes V. Across 40 episodes, the show told the story of a group of kids who were the last line of defense to save the Earth from the Boazanian invasion. After over 40 years since its initial broadcast, it has been announced that Voltes V would be revived through a live-action adaptation.
Philippine TV network GMA announced in 2022 that it will be releasing its biggest show yet, Voltes V: Legacy. The show is said to be a modern-day retelling of the original anime and was in development since 2020. Leading up to the show’s release, GMA released Voltes V: Legacy – The Cinematic Experience. This was a limited-time-only movie experience that had the first 15 episodes cut into a feature-length film. Moviegoers and fans praised the film for teasing what’s to come in this TV show, whilst somewhat criticizing how the film was cut since it was made for TV.
Thanks to the amount of marketing and promotion, hype for the series was built, not just in the Philippines, but also for an international audience. So how can someone watch Voltes V: Legacy overseas? Is it possible?
How to watch ‘Voltes V: Legacy’
Unlike other GMA programs, such as the highly acclaimed Maria Clara at Ibarra, full episode uploads of Voltes V: Legacy are geo-blocked on YouTube and could only be accessed if you live in the Philippines. The easiest solution to bypass this is to perhaps get a VPN or subscribe to a Filipino cable network. But what if you can’t afford one? Is there a way to still watch the show?
Good news, there is! At 9pm Manila time (6am PST), the official GMA Network YouTube channel will open up its ‘Kapuso Livestream’ which will allow international viewers to watch Voltes V: Legacy. Viewers will have a limited time to rewind the stream to when Voltes V: Legacy starts due to another show airing in that same stream. This means that international fans of the anime can watch the live-action adaptation one hour after its official broadcast in the Philippines.
If you can’t access the YouTube stream for some reason, there is also an app that will stream the series for free. Get the “Jungo Pinoy” app and set up a free account. Afterwards, you get a live broadcast feed for the show. Just like the YouTube stream, Voltes V: Legacy will air one hour after the initial broadcast, right after the Philippine version of Family Feud. The only cons to this is that it’s a live feed, so you can’t rewind or fast forward. At the same time, there have been reports of lag and unstable connection during the show’s premiere, so expect stability issues.
But what if you missed the broadcast schedule? Is there a way to catch up? Fortunately, there is. There are a handful of episode reuploads on YouTube, done by fans to help their international brethren access the show. While there will be some accounts that would promote the show with shady links. There has been a handful that has provided genuine reuploads of the show without the ads.
GMA reported that after the “worldwide” premiere of Voltes V: Legacy, the show received strong viewership ratings. At the same time, GMA’s comments section is filled with requests by international viewers to have the show available outside of the Philippines. Hopefully, these tips would help fans access the show without needing to visit the country. Perhaps your next course of action is to learn Tagalog since a majority of the show’s dialogue is in that language.
Voltes V: Legacy airs every weekday at 8pm, Manila Time, at GMA, and will air an hour later for international viewers.
Published: May 11, 2023 10:16 pm