Comic-Con 2016: Bandai Reveals ‘Chogokin Voltron,’ Announces ‘The Wait Is Over’ To Fans
As the Comic-Con 2016 draws closer, Bandai made it a point to present an early teaser to their fans.
According to Crunchyroll, Bandai took to Twitter to announce the reveal of their “Chogokin Voltron.” Chogokin means “super alloy” and it is comparable to Marvel Comic’s adamantium.
The Chogokin is also an iconic figure for Bandai since it was the building material for the popular character, Mazinger Z. Back in the ’70s, the term “Chogokin” was also used by Bandai to describe metal-related figures.
During this year’s Comic-Con International: San Diego, Bandai is introducing a Chogokin-made Voltron.
Die-hard Voltron fans were pleased by the announcement and excited to see what Bandai has in store for the popular character.
Voltron: Defender of the Universe is an American animated show about astronauts and a giant super robot named Voltron. The show was a joint venture between World Events Production and Toei Animation.
Voltron: Defender of the Universe has been a success. During its first syndication back in 1984. It has 72 episodes and it has becomes one of the best animated series in the U.S. for two years. It also had two follow-up series and a 1-hour special. Voltron also had a comic book extension.
In the 2000s Voltron was brought back to life during its 20th Anniversary. DVD episodes of Voltron were made available in Australia. Because of the 2-decade anniversary, it had the special Lion Force Voltron Collection. Each DVD box has the color and the style of the lions with the metallic highlight in the DVD case.
More digital releases were rolled out. In 2004, The Lion Force Voltron Collections 1 and 2 were both released in the Australia. These were only released in North America in 2006.
The Lion Force Voltron Collections 3 to 5 were completed in 2005, and they were released in 2007 in North America.
Fleet of Doom Collection was the only collection not released in Australia. However, Fleet of Doom Collection was released exclusively in the U.S.
Rebooting the Chogokin Brand
Alongside the possible rebirth of the Voltron brand, Bandai is also reliving the greatness of their Soul of Chogokin. The fictional material used in Mazinger Z was popular in high-end toys.
Soul of Chogokin was then introduced as a special line of adult toys that would have a unique build. The Soul of Chogokin was first introduced by Bandai to fans in 1997. The line focuses mostly on robotic models.
The Soul of Chogokin is so specialized that it has subcategories on its releases. The original line includes Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger, Aphrodai A, Minverva X, Boss Robot, Eva 00 “Kai,” Eva 00 “Yellow,” Getter Dragon, Zambot 3, Tetsujin 28, Garada K7, Gaikin, Black Ox, Voltes V, Golden Lightan, Leopardon, King Joe, Baikanfu, God Mars, Daimos, The Big O, Daitarn 3, Tobikage, Space Battleship Yamato, Future Robo Daltanious, Danguard Ace, General Franky and more.
According to Collection DX, the Soul of Chogokin even introduced black, recolors and renewal versions for the toys starting 1998. They made recolors and updates on the characters like Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger, UFO Robo Grendizer, Getter Robo, Aphrodai A, Boss Borot, Dainan A, Voltes V, Lightan, King Joe, Raideen and more. They even released a gold version of the Mazinger Z.
Bandai’s special collection brand in Soul of Chogokin has been popular over the years. They have a long history of creating a strong fan base for their mecha toys.
Last year, Bandai released yet another mecha toy, the GX-68 Soul of Chogokin Gaogaigar from The King of Braves Gaogaigar. Hobbylink reported that the special collector’s item has impressive detailing and overall finish.
With Bandai’s big announcement on the Chogokin Voltron, fans are expecting it to be perfect. There are no price points yet, but this could be announced during their event at the San Diego Comic Con event this year.
[Photo via Twitter/Bandai]
