Armored Fleet Dairugger XV (機甲艦隊ダイラガーXV, Kikō Kantai Dairagā Fifutīn^?) was an anime series aired in Japan from 1982. It is also referred to as "Dairugger 15", "Dairugger XV", "Armored Armada Dairugger XV", "Armored Squadron Dairugger XV", or "Machine Platoon Dairugger". In the United States, it was heavily edited to become part of the Voltron series. ^[1]

Armored Fleet Dairugger XV
機甲艦隊ダイラガーXV (Kikō Kantai Dairagā Fifutīn)
Genre	Mecha
TV anime
Director	Kozo Morishita
Studio	Toei Animation
Licensor	22x20px Media Blasters
Network	22x20px TV Tokyo
Original run	3 March 1982 – 23 March 1983
Episodes	52

Contents 1 Story 2 Concept 3 Staff 4 Characters 4.1 Dairugger Characters 4.2 Other Characters 5 Dairugger Specifications 6 Episode List 7 Merchandise 8 Home Video Releases 9 Alterations Made to Adapt Voltron 9.1 Korean version 10 References 11 External links

StoryEdit

Dairugger XV is an exploration robot, as well as an intended peace-keeping force. The Earth is in a time of prosperity. The president of the Terran League launches a mission to explore beyond the galaxy. After commencing its mission of exploration, the starship Rugger-Guard is attacked by a ship of the Galveston Empire. Dairugger, the super robot, is deployed in order to defend the Earth. It is somewhat by fate that they must help the people of Galveston find a new planet before it explodes, and liberate it from its despotic Emperor.^[2][3]

ConceptEdit

There are three assault team units: Land, Air, and Sea. There are a total of 15 parts referred to as "Rugger", which can combine together to form the super-robot Dairugger. The design of the 15 separate Rugger units came from the sport of rugby, since 15 players are required to form a rugby union.^[4]

StaffEdit

• Planning
  Susumu Yoshikawa
  Yasuo Nobe
  Yu Saito
• Original concept
  Saburo Yatsude
• Chief Director
  Kozo Morishita
• Series Composition
  Keisuke Fujikawa
• Script
  Keisuke Fujikawa
• Character Design
  Shigetaka Aoyama
• Music
  Seiji Yokoyama
• Production
  Toei
  Toei Agency

CharactersEdit

Dairugger CharactersEdit

Air Team uniforms were red and silver.

Sea Team uniforms were blue and gold.

Land Team uniforms were yellow and bronze.

Function	Pilot Name	Seiyū	Team	Vehicle	Dairugger Body
Rugger #1 Pilot	Manabu Aki (安芸 マナブ, Aki Manabu?)	Toshio Furukawa	Air Team	Command Jet Explorer	head
Rugger #2 Pilot	Shinobu Kai (甲斐 シノブ, Kai Shinobu?)	Ryōma Yamamoto	Air Team	Strato Weapons Module	upper torso
Rugger #3 Pilot	Shota Kreuz (ショーター・クロイツ, Shōtā Kuroitsu?)	Kōzō Shioya	Air Team	Advanced Recon Helicopter	right upper arm
Rugger #4 Pilot	Yasuo Mutsu (陸奥 ヤスオ, Mutsu Yasuo?)	Satomi Majima	Air Team	Advanced Recon Helicopter	left upper arm
Rugger #5 Pilot	Patty Ellington (パティ・エリントン, Pati Erinton?)	Keiko Han	Air Team	Falcon VT Fighter	chest plate
Rugger #6 Pilot	Miranda Keets (ミランダ・キーツ, Miranda Kītsu?)	Hideyuki Hori	Sea Team	Communications Module	torso mid-rif
Rugger #7 Pilot	Haruka Kaga (加賀ハルカ, Kaga Haruka?)	Harumi Iizuka	Sea Team	Space Prober	right thigh
Rugger #8 Pilot	Saruta Katz (サルタ・カッツ, Saruta Kattsu?)	Masaharu Satō	Sea Team	Space Prober	left thigh
Rugger #9 Pilot	Tatsuo Izumo (出雲タツオ, Izumo Tatsuo?)	Shō Hayami	Sea Team	Multi-Wheeled Explorer	right lower leg
Rugger #10 Pilot	Baros Karateya (バーロス・カラテヤ, Bārosu Karateya?)	Ken Yamaguchi	Sea Team	Multi-Wheeled Explorer	left lower leg
Rugger #11 Pilot	Walter Jack (ワルター・ジャック, Warutā Jakku?)	Katsuji Mori	Land Team	Jet Radar Station	hips
Rugger #12 Pilot	Moya Kirigas (モーヤ・キリガッス, Mōya Kirigassu?)	Nana Yamaguchi	Land Team	Rotating Personnel Carrier	right forearm
Rugger #13 Pilot	Mack Chakker (マック・チャッカー, Makku Chakkā?)	Banjō Ginga	Land Team	Armored Equipment Carrier	left forearm
Rugger #14 Pilot	Tasuku Izu (伊豆 タスク, Izu Tasuku?)	Shingo Hiromori	Land Team	All-Terrain Space Vehicle	right foot
Rugger #15 Pilot	Kazuto Nagato (長門 カズト, Nagato Kazuto?)	Hiroshi Ōtake	Land Team	All-Terrain Space Vehicle	left foot

Other CharactersEdit

Japanese Name	Seiyū
Shinji Ise (伊勢 シンジ, Ise Shinji?)	Hideyuki Tanaka
High Commander Wakasa
Dick Asimov	Kōji Yada
Doctor Search
Socrat Teles (テレス司令?)	Kōji Totani
Drake
Internal Commissioner Socrat Tes
Sirk
Luciano
Commander Caponello	Banjō Ginga
Emperor Corsair

Dairugger SpecificationsEdit

Dairugger is made up of 15 vehicle parts. Dairugger is 60 meters tall.

• Weapons
  Laser Sword
  Spinning Laser Blades
  Electromagnetic Whip
  Electromagnetic Beam
  Laser Blasts
  Laser Lance
  Electromagnetic Cross

Episode ListEdit

MerchandiseEdit

In the early 1980s, the original ST Dairugger toys were released by Popy Pleasure under the toy release number of GB-72, as part of the Chogokin label, and constructed of high-quality die-cast materials. A GB-73 would follow, with a transforming DX Dairugger, which could separate only into the three larger combined vehicles. A larger version of Dairugger XV was also released, which did not contain die-cast materials, as the metal content was too heavy for the design and for the Friction motors installed in many of the vehicles. The smallest non-transforming ST Dairugger and the fully-transforming plastic Dairugger XV would be resold in the US as part of the Voltron series by Matchbox, entirely under the Voltron name. However, the Popy version came with a sword, missiles, and stickers that the Matchbox version did not.

Because Dairugger had 15 pieces, and was a highly playable figure compared to many of the other fixed-state super robots of the early '80s, there were countless imitations and bootlegs of Dairugger. Some are cheap plastics, some do not assemble well, some have neon-glowing colors that are completely misaligned with the show. Even approved brands such as "Big Bear" were spawned to rejuvenate the toyline.^[5] No version, however, is identical in quality, packaging, and comes with all the pieces like the Japanese original.

Home Video ReleasesEdit

• The Armored Fleet Dairugger XV Collection

Need to move the info below to the above link

Dairugger XV Collection 1 was released on February 23, 2010.^[6][7]

Dairugger XV Collection 2 was released on May 25, 2010.^[8]

Dairugger XV Collection 3 will be released on September 28, 2010.^[9]

Alterations Made to Adapt VoltronEdit

• Dairugger XV and GoLion are not related in any way, in contrast to the U.S. version. (The coincidental similarities in design, most notably in the face, are due to having the same mechanical designer and a significant portion of the same animation staff.)
• The Galaxy Alliance only exists in Dairugger XV in the Japanese, since Earth in GoLion is destroyed in a thermonuclear war.^[10]
• Many of the allied and enemy force members died in Dairugger, as opposed to disappearing without any explanation in the U.S. Voltron series. The finale of Dairugger XV was different in its Voltron form — the U.S. footage had no depiction of Emperor Zeppo's true fate, which left a lot of questions for U.S. viewers (although one shot of Zeppo dead on the throne remained intact). The scene of Emperor Zeppo's death was cut out due to violence, perishing in an assassination attempt by Hazar and the Drules, who want freedom for their people. His death was similar to the bloody nature of Emperor Zanbazir's in Voltes V.
• In the Japanese version, Telesu (Hazar) dies a martyr, and there is a sad scene where his body is left to die on Galveston at his request. He does not become the new leader of the new Drule people after all, but rather, his sister Dorma; the series ending where the Drules are finally at peace. This is highly referential to the ending in Daimos, where Erika, not Richter, becomes the new leader. The flames that engulf him are similar to Prince Heinel's redeemed death in Voltes V.
• Aki (Jeff) and Haruka (Lisa) have a serious relationship in the show. The lucky charm that Haruka gives to Aki dies with Telesu (Hazar).
• Dick Asimov (Captain Newley) was Shinji Ise's (Commander Hawkins) superior officer in the original series. The dialogue was rewritten in Voltron to suggest that Hawkins was Newley's superior. There were inconsistencies, however that reveal the original ranks of the two officers.

Korean versionEdit

There is a South Korean knockoff anime of Dairugger XV called Super Titan 15 (슈퍼타이탄15).^[11] It also cribs characters and vehicles from Galaxy Express 999.

ReferencesEdit

External linksEdit

• Dairugger XV Uncut Scenes and Comparison
• Template:Anime-links

v • d • e Voltron Episodes • Fleet of Doom (1986 film) • The Third Dimension (1998 TV series) • Force (2011 TV series) • Characters • Related: Albegas · Armored Fleet Dairugger XV · Beast King GoLion · Daltanius