Line #17 YMMV/Voltron


1	!!!Franchise-wide
2	* CompleteMonster: See [[Monster/{{Voltron}} here]].
3
4	!!!Both
5	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Whatever else you might think of the show, that central theme is remembered by millions for a ''reason''.
6	* FirstInstallmentWins: You'll hear most fans refer to ''Lion Force'' rather than ''Vehicle Force'' whenever the series is brought up.
7	* GatewaySeries: For many people, particularly in America, ''Voltron'' was their introduction to CombiningMecha SuperRobot anime.
8	* {{Woolseyism}}: In the Mexican Spanish dub, the ''Loved by good, feared by evil'' line in the opening of both series was translated as ''Amado por los justos, temido por los cobardes'' (Loved by the just, Feared by the cowards), which sounds arguably more epic than the English version.
9
10	!!!Lion Voltron
11	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Keith and Allura's relationship: are they the OfficialCouple, or merely a case of ImpliedLoveInterest? There is some DependingOnTheWriter at play here, as while ''Voltron'' in general seems to go for the former, ''Anime/GoLion'' on the other hand went with the latter. Yes, ''[=GoLion=]'' pretty much stated that Keith/Kogane's feelings for Allura/Fala were strictly platonic and that they were JustFriends, and that if anything the other guys in the Voltron Force were far more interested and attracted to the Princess than Keith/Kogane was (''Voltron'' didn't exactly ignore that little aspect either, especially with Pidge). However, the original ''Voltron'' series did try to go for the former, but it can come off as the latter, especially at first. The American Voltron Animated shows like ''The New Dimension'' and especially ''WesternAnimation/VoltronForce,'' on the other hand, are clearly going for the former.
12	* BrokenBase: ''Voltron'' vs. ''Anime/GoLion'', which was the better show? There have been plenty who strongly preferred ''[=GoLion=]'' due to its grim DarkerAndEdgier dramatic style that is far easier to take it seriously compared to Voltron. Some have even hated WEP for butchering a dark and intense Mecha anime series by turning it into a {{Narm}}-filled LighterAndSofter generic Mecha Anime {{Macekre}} [[MerchandiseDriven just for the sake of cashing in on ''Voltron's'' merchandise]]. Some ''[=GoLion=]'' fans often make accusations that the only reason why anyone would still like ''Voltron'' is strictly due to nostalgia. However, there are those who still openly like ''Voltron'' even being well aware of how different it was compared to the original Japanese series. Some would even go so far as to prefer ''Voltron'' and find that some of the changes were actually an improvement. Some of them would also accuse ''[=GoLion=]'' of being a fairly generic grimdark anime that relied on gory violent scenes just for the sake of cheap shock value... despite still being a giant robot anime based on a multicolored lion robot. There's also been mention of how over time Lotor became a bit more of a conflicted and rounded character in ''Voltron'' compared to how he was a one-dimensional depraved monster in the original. And of course, one of the biggest reasons why anyone would prefer ''Voltron'' over ''[=GoLion=]'' was Sven/Shirogane's fate; as noted under the {{Woolseyism}} entry below, even Japanese viewers preferred the idea of Sven getting injured and making a comeback over him getting KilledOffForReal early.
13	** Conversely, some try to take a more moderate approach by stating that both versions have plenty of merits despite their differences. More specifically, they take the view that while ''Voltron'' is considered to be an iconic classic in the US, WEP should get some credit for being openly willing to acknowledge ''[=GoLion=]'' and making sure ''[=GoLion=]'' is fully released in the US (and even taking a few good-natured jabs at themselves for how they censored the show so much on their Website/YouTube channel). Also, some may try to point out that despite how different ''Voltron'' and ''[=GoLion=]'' can be, both versions fully deliver the awesome CombiningMecha anime action for which the franchise is well known.
14	* DracoInLeatherPants: Lotor is so very, very much this. It doesn't help that a lot of his worst acts were edited out, or being shown as being in love with the princesses instead of being attracted to them because of their resemblance to his mother.
15	** Even less helped by the purely original third season of the show, which has him become much more of a conflicted character, rather than the straight-up villain he was in the ''[=GoLion=]''-adapted first season.
16	** The computer animated version that came much later essentially turned him into a TragicVillain, which probably would have pleased his fangirls even more... if half his face and one arm hadn't been blown off in the process, [[BeautyEqualsGoodness severely limiting the desire of many to fangirl him]].
17	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
18	** Sven only appeared in a handful of episodes, but nevertheless became very popular due to his hilariously corny accent and the famous {{Woolseyism}} surrounding his HeroicSacrifice.
19	** Romelle does not appear much in the series, but she was immediately well-liked due to her being a DarkerAndEdgier ActionGirl, which served to contrast Allura's naivete and purity.
20	* FandomRivalry: Fans of ''Anime/VoltesV'' vs. fans of ''Anime/{{Voltron}}''. As ''Voltes V'' was released earlier, proponents of it will slam ''Voltron'' as a rip-off and dedicate fanfiction and videos to the characters being slaughtered or [[RonTheDeathEater made out to be villains]] threatening the ''Voltes V'' team. Flamewars will spark over which giant robot would wipe the floor with the other, and whether or not the "Voltron" title plagiarized the "Volt" in ''Voltes'' (fans who point out that the original title was ''Anime/GoLion'' tend to get ignored in the shuffle). The arguments all boil down to which FiveManBand series is the legitimate and superior title, whether or not the latter was plagiarism, and if it's possible for fans of either to enjoy both.
21	* FanPreferredPairing: While the Canon Keith/Allura pairing has a ''lot'' of fans, an almost equal number of fans like to pair Allura with Lotor, in part because of Lotor's DracoInLeatherPants vibes, and in part of scrub off some of the more boring aspects of Allura.
22	** While not as active as Keith and Lotor in this regard, fans have shipped Allura with one of the other Voltron Force pilots as well; Lance seems to be the most popular choice in that regard. Some are even willing to point how while WEP seems to be intent on making Keith and Allura the OfficialCouple, ''[=GoLion=]'' had Allura/Fala's love life a bit more ambiguous and supported the idea that the Princess would more likely go with one of the other pilots.
23	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: ''Voltron'' is far better known in America than ''[=GoLion=]'' is in Japan. In fact, ''[=GoLion=]'' is almost forgotten there. This is because when the show premiered in Japan, there were already ''tons'' of transforming/combining mecha shows on airwaves, while in America it was pretty much the only show of its kind (not to mention it had to compete with ''Super Sentai'' in Japan too, which America didn't get until the early 90s with ''Franchise/PowerRangers'').
24	** Also, ''Vehicle Voltron'' is better remembered in both Russia and Latin America than in America because it was shown there first. In fact, in Latin America, ''Lion Force Voltron'' wasn't broadcast until a decade later, despite all the toys sold in Latin American countries from the Lion Force; the Vehicle Force didn't get any, while the bootlegged ones are based on the Japanese version instead.
25	* HoYay:
26	** Let's just say that the Klance subtext didn't start with [[WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender the reboot]]...
27	** Allura and Merla, especially in "A Ghost of a Chance" where Merla calls her lovely ("You're just as lovely as they say."), laments that they could've been good friends ("Too bad you're not a bad guy, we have much more fun."), and gets pissed at Lotor for trying to take Allura away ("She's my prisoner!", "I'll do exactly as I please with Allura!").
28	* MemeticMutation: '''''AND I'LL FORM THE HEAD!''''' The phrase is said regularly in almost every incarnation, and made the basis for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMgsAD3D948 a nice parody song]].
29	* {{Narm}}: Just watch this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FurRIjdBgYk video]] of some of the [[SoBadItsGood best moments]] of the show and wonder if anyone had a straight face while recording their dialogue.
30	* NarmCharm: Sven's Norwegian accent is completely ridiculous and out of place. He's still the show's EnsembleDarkhorse.
31	* NightmareFuel:
32	** In episode 2, the scene where the space explorers travel through a foggy woods and hear a lion's roar is pretty unsettling.
33	** The monster trees in "Zarkon is Dying", emerging from the forest and surrounding Allura, Nanny, and the other maids. The girls' screaming doesn't help. Before the tree monsters show up, the girls hear strange sounds and noticed [[ForebodingFleeingFlock some birds flocking away]]; they decide to head back, but are too late.
34	* OlderThanTheyThink: A lot of people who have watched this series assume it was the TropeMaker for CombiningMecha and actually [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks accuse]] ''Power Rangers'' of [[SmallReferencePools ripping it off]]. Meanwhile, in Japan, it was already a well-worn formula going back to TheSeventies. On the other hand, it pretty much ''was'' the TropeMaker in the West.
35	* SlowPacedBeginning: The titular character doesn't show up (except in flashbacks) until the end of episode four, and getting the story to that point is agonizingly slow at times.
36	* TearJerker:
37	** While Sven survives to the end of the series (unlike his ''[=GoLion=]'' counterpart Shirogane), he never had it easy. First he's attacked by Haggar and her cat. The planet he's staying on while recovering is attacked by Zarkon's forces. Sven is unable to do anything to stop the invasion and is taken as a slave afterward. Lastly he's left for dead when his captors learn he's unable to work. Things don't get much better for him even after he meets Romelle.
38	--> '''Sven''': The Sven you speak of is gone! He was a failure!
39	* TheyCopiedItSoItSucks:
40	** See the ''Anime/VoltesV'' bit above.
41	** The anime is also accused of ripping off ''Anime/FutureRobotDaltanious'', which came 3 years earlier. Both are about lion-themed {{Super Robot}}s that are {{Icon Of Rebellion}}s against fascist alien empires and use [[CoolSword Flaming Swords]].
42	* ViewerGenderConfusion: ''So'' many kids thought Pidge was a girl at first glance. The Japanese version is worse since he actually sounds like one too, whereas his English voice at least clarifies his gender more.
43	** [[spoiler:This, of course, becomes HilariousInHindsight when he was {{Gender Flip}}ped in the [[WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender reboot series.]]]]
44	* {{Woolseyism}}: Sven ought to be the Woolseyism poster child.
45	** To detail: in ''[=GoLion=],'' Shirogane, the character that would become "Sven," was killed off early on so that Fala could become a pilot. However, the Japanese rather liked the character and wanted him to return, so ''[=GoLion=]'' has [[BackupTwin his twin brother]] show up at the end of the series, which ends up feeling a little ham-fisted and awkward. World Events Productions, on the other hand, had a "NeverSayDie" policy at the time; to get around this, they rewrote the script: Sven was taken off-world to receive medical attention from an attack on his life. So when the time came for Shirogane's brother to show up, they just brought Sven back. Many fans, in both the US and Japan, prefer this change.
46
47	!!!Vehicle Voltron
48	* {{Macekre}}: The entire nature of the conflict between the Galaxy Alliance and the Drule Empire was changed. Also, of course, being forced into the same universe as ''Lion Voltron''.
49	** The Galaxy Alliance was only in this show, and called the Terran League.
50	** Pidge and Chip were not brothers in the originals, since the two shows were completely unconnected.
51	* MemeticLoser: In the U.S., ''Vehicle Voltron'' is treated as this. See ReplacementScrappy below. Not so much in Latin America and Russia, and in some cases like in Mexico, this is even ''inverted''.
52	* ReplacementScrappy: ''Vehicle Voltron'' (at least in the US) will go down in history as the lame, horrid replacement of the original awesome ''Voltron'', regardless of whether that reputation is deserved. ''Robot Chicken'' lampshaded this in a skit, with a character [[CrossesTheLineTwice committing suicide out]] [[ExaggeratedTrope of despair]] because of ''Vehicle Voltron''.
53	* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: The reaction from American fans when the series changed from ''Lion Voltron'' to ''Vehicle Voltron'', since they didn't know the whole story behind the production of ''Voltron''. In Latin America, this goes the other way instead, since ''Vehicle Voltron'' came first and ''Lion Voltron'' didn't air until a decade later.

Context YMMV / Voltron