| | |  | Childrens & Family | Home » » Voltron: Beast King Go Lion Volume 1 | | | | | | | Description: | | GO LION - DVD Movie | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Go-Lion | | Director:
| Go-Lion | | Format:
| Animated, Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled | | Language:
| Japanese | | Subtitle:
| English | | Number of Discs:
| 3 | | Studio:
| ANIME WORKS | | Run Time:
| 396 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| May 27, 2008 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 11 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 11 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Not your daddy's VoltronJun 17, 2008
By M.K.
From days of long ago. From uncharted regions of the universe....you know the rest. Or do you?....
In this day and age, it's nice to go down memory lane. DVDs has paved the way to relive moments through lots of restoration and remastering. We're also in an age where certain shows and movies are being released unrated, uncut and uncensored. Beast King Golion is one of those examples.
Golion, originally released in the early 1980's, wasn't one of Japan's most popular shows, but it proved to be a smash hit in the United States and internationally when it was redubbed and edited to create the universe of Voltron-Defender of the Universe. Created by the legendary and world-famous Toei Animation Co., the entire mythos of Golion's rise and fall of power is explained a whole lot better in Golion than Voltron.
Some questions are definitely answered with this release:
(1) Do people evacuate safely? Sometimes yes, but mostly no.
(2) Did a certain character heal from his or her wounds? No.
As with some or most anime, graphic violence, senseless murders (to include decapitations), suicides, cannibalism, human treatment (whipping of slaves), religious references and moderate to strong profanity are commonplace. It has its funny moments, especially when the main cast started to argue, laugh and scream in Japanese. The opening and ending theme cues are somewhat catchy. Unlike some animation here in the U.S., a Japanese voice-over narration helps to round it out. When it comes to the forthcoming episode, the narrator sometimes gives the plot away and kills the anticipation and excitement.
Like the previous reviewer said, the only special feature are preview trailers of other forthcoming anime DVDs. If you're looking for special features, they're better with the Voltron box sets.
Hats off to World Events Productions, Toei Animation Co., Anime Works and Media Blasters for finally releasing one of Japan's most underrated anime gems out of the halls of mystery and into the DVD spotlight. If you're a Voltron fan, and if you remember some or all of the episodes, it'll make you look at Voltron in a different light after watching this. Nothing against World Events, and kudos for editing and fitting it for the American and international markets, but the real story is more interesting and detailed in Golion.
In conclusion, if you're a true Voltron fan, don't put off Voltron because of its true origins within Golion. Many people criticize this because like many anime that were localized and played here in the U.S., companies had to follow stricter standards and guidelines from government corporations like the FCC for viewing on American television, especially to a kids audience, which is why the story was the way it was here in America. Having said that, Voltron's (and even Beast King Golion's) fate is forever sealed as one of the many pop culture cornerstones of the 20th century.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 Go Lion Gattai!!!Jun 21, 2008
By J. Price
King Beast Go Lion 1 is a collection of 18 episodes in their original japanese, uncut for the older anime fan. Though this show was translated into Voltron, defender of the middle galaxy, you get a tiny bit more of the story here with Golion. Without going through a boat load of spoilers and storyline differences, the feel of the two shows are the same and different at the same time.
With GoLion, it was obvious that toy makers wanted to market giant combination robots toys that had swords and interchangable pieces. Some of the screen shots showing the recycled footage of the robot combining can be so campy, you can almost physically see yourself snapping together and holding golion while you blast the deathblack beastman to smitereens.
Aside from the standard recycled footage, the decapitations, cannibalism, and ultra violence that anime is known for, there is something else. It was refreshing to see a super sentai series that actually allow the characters to morn and pray. Most other super sentai series (like power rangers) just fight one bad guy after another, while innocent people get hurt and feel no remorse for the damage was done. The praying, and the grave visits was left out of the US cut Voltron...and I do not know why. (At least robotech showed mourning and death..)
This show is also entertaining that the show makes fun of itself at time (none of the characters are called by their actual names, just chief-red, quiet (the black one), moody - blue, hot head- yellow and chibi (tiny) - green....and there was the princess (the girl). A lot of disney references (long lost aunts, a witch, talking mice...etc) was thrown in the mix, Go Lion is a nice ride back in time.
Shouts out to Mediablaster for going back in time and getting us those great old 80's animes...if only someone can bring out the japanese season of Transformers!!!
I am looking forward to the rest of the series:>
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
1+1+1+1+1 GOLION!! :)Jun 24, 2008
By 80's Kid
The cartoon I grew up on improved with all of the cutting room floor goodies added back in.
The names are all different, it's more graphic, and now you have to read subtitles, but it's so much fun..the camp value here is off the charts.
Throw in some Japanese cheese, mixed with some 70's disco funk and some 80's synth and you've got yourself a classic anime, with a FUN soundtrack/score.
Basically an unedited flashback from a Japanese perspective.
SUGOI!! :)
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Golion...NOT Voltron!Jun 21, 2008
By Dexter
"Dex the Impaler"
Great box set, most anticipated! Like most people on this side of the world I only knew and grew up with Voltron and not Golion. As a young kid it didn't make a difference, it was all new to me. Same with Robotech. Now is a different story...
Anyway, whoever buys this set thinking this is just Voltron in Japanese should be slapped on the face. If you don't know anything about old Japanese animation and just want to relive childhood memories, do yourself a favor and buy the Voltron box sets. Please don't spoil the rating of a good product because of your ignorant expectations.
This is for the fan of Japanese animation, specifically old/classic anime which is the best as far as I'm concerned.
Golion just like many other anime series of its kind contains violence, LOTS of it, the main storyline usually carries on from episode 1 to the end. The overall approach is more realistic/dramatic inside its own fantastic universe of course. The characters are vulnerable, they have emotions, they can die and they know it so they act accordingly. That's partly what makes these shows so good and enjoyable. The other part is the action and designs along with old school hand drawn animation.
The picture and audio quality are very nice and crisp, they did a fine job. This IS an old show after all so don't go confusing good quality of old animation filmed with OLD equipment with THX top of the line digital technology of today! It's very clean and is as good as it's going to get unless George Lucas picks it up! (Included is the original Japanese audio with optional English subtitles. That's all you get and that's all you need.
Oh yeah... no extras...sorry, it would have been nice to see some toy commercials or promo spots, but who knows what copyright/money mayhem lurks behind all these foreign series...
The only negative thing that I could point out is the cover artwork. I would have honestly preferred an actual original Golion illustration or promotional Japanese artwork of the time as opposed to this modern American comic book look.
A really HUGE THANK YOU to AnimeWorks and WEP for doing this. It was worth the long wait! I wish more series like this would be released for the American audience but unfortunately it wouldn't have that big of a market. I'm talking about Mazinger Z,the original Getter Robo, Jeeg, Daimos, Combattler, Gaiking and so many other amazing series from the 70s and 80s! oh well...
Please don't stop with Golion, DO release Dairugger XV!!!! (<"vehicle Voltron").
Lets GoLion!May 14, 2012
By M. Curtis
"Dr. Zaius"
As I have said in my reviews for "Armored Fleet Dairugger XV" I am very pleased Media Blasters issued this Japanimated series on DVD so all of us "Voltron" fans can see where the show we enjoyed so much as kids came from.
"King of Beasts GoLion" is an excellent series that delivers great entertainment and non-stop thrills. What helps to make this series great is its realistic portrayal of war. There is a great deal of death and destruction on both sides. In some cases we see that even victories can come at a great cost. This is something we never see in "Voltron" which I think, though I understand that series was targeted to children, is a liability because it comes across as unrealistic.
The series is set in the year 1999. Five space explorers return to Earth from a deep space mission only to find unspeakable tragedy awaits them. Earth has been decimated by Thermonuclear War. All of civilization has been laid waste and humanity has been wiped out. The explorers are soon captured by Commander Sadak (Yurak in "Voltron".) of the evil Galra Empire and brought to the Great Dark Nebula (Planet Doom in "Voltron".). There the brutal Emperor Diabazzal (King Zarkon in "Voltron".) and the witch Honerva (Haggar in "Voltron".) force slaves rounded up from all over the galaxy participate in bloody gladiator like competitons with what are called Deathblack Beastmen (Robeasts in "Voltron".). The explorers, not wanting to be butchered in the gladiator arena, escape by stealing a slave ship and heading off into space. The pursuing Commander Sadak shoots the ship down making it crash land on the Planet Altea (Arus in "Voltron".) which fifteen years prior was conqured and decimated by the Galra Imperial Forces and it's ruling family executed. The explorers make their way to the ruins of an old castle where they meet Princess Fala (Alura in "Voltron".), the last survivng member of Altea's Royal Family and her strategist Raible (Coran in "Voltron".).
One major difference here is there is no Galaxy Garrison in this series. That aspect of "Voltron" was taken directly out of "Armored Fleet Dairugger XV" which was the totally separate and unrelated series used to create Vehicle Voltron. Other differences include realistic portrayls of death and war as mentioned earlier.
The eighteen episodes featured on this DVD collection are a great way to start this terrific series. Even if you are not a fan of "Voltron" i highly recommend this great series. You will not be dissappointed.
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