Product Details

• Actors: Jack Angel, Michael Bell, Peter Cullen, Neil Ross, B.J. Ward
• Directors: Franklin Cofod
• Producers: Franklin Cofod, John Teichman
• Format: Animated, Color, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Anime Works
• DVD Release Date: September 26, 2006
• Run Time: 375 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (112 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000FUTV64
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,529 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Voltron - Defender of the Universe - Collection One: Blue Lion" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Like Robotech, Voltron is an anomaly: an anime series that never aired in Japan in this form. The program Americans know under that title is comprised of recut footage from Hyakujuo Go-Lion ("Hundred-Beast King Go-Lion") and Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV ("Armored Fleet Dairugger XV"). Voltron debuted in syndication in the US in September, 1984, with a completely new storyline. Five young pilots from the Galaxy Alliance, Keith, Lance, Sven, Hunk, and Pidge, crash on the planet Arus when they're attacked by the minions of the evil King Zarkon. In the ruins of an ancient castle, they learn the secret of recreating Voltron, the ancient robot "loved by the good and hated by the evil." Each of them must pilot one of five lion-mecha that link to form Voltron. They also befriend Princess Allura, who pilots of one of the lions after Sven is wounded in battle. Together, they fight Zarkon's robots and "ro-beasts," the witch Haggar and Zarkon's son Lotor. Obviously pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle, Voltron reuses some footage over and over, but leaves out big chunks of the narrative. When the five pilots initially crash on Arus, they stand at the edge of vast desert; after the commercial break, they're wandering through a fog-shrouded forest. These problems won't phase Gen-X'ers who grew up with Voltron and want to revisit this relic of their childhoods. The extras include a rather stilted documentary on the restoration of the series. (Rated 7 and older: violence)--Charles Solomon

Product Description

From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend. The legend of Voltron: Defender of the Universe! A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil. A force of space explorers, Kieth, Lance, Hunk, Pidge, and Sven are sent to find the last princess of planet Arus, Allura, and the keys to Voltron. Together they find the five robot lions that make up the legendary robot. King Zarkon, an evil warlord, rains down destruction across the universe. But our heroes form Voltron at the last moment, and begin a new war against his cruel empire.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

119 of 122 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars DVD Breakdown! June 27, 2006

By Servo VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

"Voltron: Defender of the Universe - Collection One: Blue Lion" (as newly titled by Media Blasters) is a 3-disc set featuring Lion Force Season One episodes 1-15 digitally "re-assembled frame-by-frame from the best available sources (mostly from original Japanese film negatives), and video and audio imperfections wiped clean wherever possible." The set comes in a "[Blue] Lion's head" special molded tin designed to be stackable with subsequent volumes. Described as "quite the set" by Media Blasters, fans who've been longing to own "Voltron" on DVD are sure to be pleased by all the work put into this set and following volumes. Here are how the discs will be configured, plus a list of extras:

Disc 1:
1. "Space Explorers Captured"
2. "Escape to Another Planet"
3. "A Ghost and Four Keys"
4. "The Missing Key"
5. "The Princess Joins Up"
6. "The Right Arm of Voltron"

Disc 2:
7. "The Lion Has New Claws"
8. "The Stolen Lion"
9. "A Pretty Spy"
10. "Secret of the White Lion"
11. "Surrender"
12. "Bad Birthday Party"

Disc 3:
13. "The Witch Gets a Facelift"
14. "Yurak Gets His Pink Slip"
15. "Give Me Your Princess"

Special Features:
*Original Pilot: "The Voltron Trilogy"
*Staff Interviews
*Making of the DVDs
*New 5.1 surround mix
*Insert: Episode Synopses with Original Air Dates

Voltron - Collection One: Blue Lion
September 26th!

Form Blazing Sword!

76 of 79 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Planned Releases for Voltron (English + Japan Versions) June 9, 2006

By Jason Dodge

Format:DVD

In September 2006, Media Blasters, in conjunction with World Events Productions, is releasing Voltron: Defender of the Universe on a series of Special Edition DVD boxed sets. Each set will contain about 15 episodes, all with a newly remastered 5.1 audio (created just for this release) and remastered video.

In addition to original character sketches, TV ads, and news footage, the DVDs will contain new extras created "with help from the original producers and staff." This will reportedly contain never-before-seen interviews that have been previously created over the years, but never made available to the public before.

In 2007, Media Blasters is also planning to release the original uncut Japanese version of Voltron, under the original translation title "Hundred Beast King GoLion" and the Japan-only sequel series under the translated name "Armored Squadron Dairugger XV" on DVD starting next year. They both will be uncut and subtitled - which is perfect for all of the hardcore anime fans out there. We get the original series they way we remembered it, and the way it appered on Japan TV - with subtitles - plus the official 52 episode sequal series to the original Voltron (which never was released outside of Japan in any form).

Originally, "Hyakujuu Ou Golion" ran in Japan for 52 episodes from 1981-82, but when it was released in the USA as Voltron in 1984, the show's popularity was so immense that World Events Productions commissioned Toei Animation (the original creators) to produce 20 more episodes exclusively for the western audience. I really can't say enough positive coments about Voltron, but it had me memorised as a kid. As popular as Transformers and G.I. Joe was, it was still produced by American companies trying to make money by marketing a toy-line with an inexpensively made cartoon program. I love both of those series, but it really was the more maturely-written anime programs that had stories and animation well beyond what was available in the USA at the time. Robotech might be more fondly rememberd on the websites nowadays, but Voltron will always be what started my love affair with Japanese animation -- even though I didn't even really know what "anime" was back then. I hope the diehard fans enjoy this DVD collection I much as I do. I even hear a new toy-line will make some kind of appearance along with the DVD release, and a possible marketing campain from Cartoon Network themselves (who will also show the series in some form). Also, please don't confuse this release with the rather bad CGI-based 26-episode "Voltron: The Third Dimension" (1998) that was only produced in the USA. The failure of this "new" Voltron franchise brought CGI animation studio Netter Digital to bankruptcy. If you never saw it -- it wasn't the worst thing around, but it was probably for the best.

54 of 58 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Voltron's Legend Continues With Collection Two! October 8, 2006

By Servo VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

Picking up where Voltron - Collection One left off with the next 15 episodes in the series (note the continuing disc and episode numbering), "Voltron: Defender of the Universe - Collection Two: Yellow Lion" is a 3-disc (350 min.) set featuring digitally remastered Lion Force Season One episodes 16-30. The set comes in a "[Yellow] Lion's head" special molded tin; features Full Frame (1.33:1) video, English Dolby 5.1 audio; and is the 2nd of 8 "Voltron" DVDs (5 Lion Force, 3 Vehicle Team) planned for release by Media Blasters. Also of fun note is that at the time Collection Two was first announced, Media Blasters confirmed that the Lion head tins would release in the order in which the lions form Voltron in the show: Blue & Yellow [the feet & legs], Green & Red [the arms & body], and Black lion [the head]. As with the previous collection, fans are sure to be pleased by all the work put into this continuing set. Here are how the discs will be configured, plus a list of extras:

Disc 4:
16. "Bridge Over the River Chozzerai"
17. "My Brother Is A Robeast"
18. "Zarkon is Dying"
19. "The Buried Castle"
20. "Pidge's Home Planet"
21. "It'll Be A Cold Day"

Disc 5:
22. "The Deadly Flowers"
23. "It Takes Real Lions"
24. "Raid of the Alien Mice"
25. "Short Run of the Centipede Express"
26. "The Invisible Robeast"
27. "The Green Medusa"

Disc 6:
28. "The Treasure of Planet Tyrus"
29. "Magnetic Attraction"
30. "The Sleeping Princess"

Special Features:
* Buckethead music video, "Viva Voltron!"
* Exclusive Staff interviews on: The Life & The Legend; The Toys
* TV Ads
* International Voltron: Voltron in different languages
* AnimeWorks Trailers
* Newly remastered picture, 5.1 Surround Sound
* Insert: Episode Synopses with Original Air Dates Booklet

Voltron - Collection Two: Yellow Lion
December 12th!

Go Voltron!