Star Blazers, Series 3: The Bolar Wars (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)The plot is sort of a rehash of the Quest for Iscandar. Two alien space fleets(The Bolar Federation and the Galman Empire) are fighting it out on the outside of Earth's solar system. Both fleets are equiped with planet destroying Proton Missiles. During the battle a Proton Missile is misfired and goes astray plunging into the sun causing a nuclear fussion reaction. This causes the heat to intensify on Earth day by day and the task of finding a new planet before the sun goes supernova has become a priority. Ready for the rehash part? Earth has "only 1 year" to find a new planet suitable for colonization. The Star Force led by Commander Wildstar is assigned the task. They even tell you how many days are left at the end of every episode. LOL
Voyager Entertainment Inc. (VEI) has packaged this series as being the "Lost Episodes." To American TV audiences who loved the first two series, these episodes were indeed "lost." This 3rd series was created in Japan in 1981 and was dubbed into English for American audiences in 1985 (but had VERY limited distribution). Unfortunatly the original voice cast for the first two seasons due to being non-union and uncredited for their work on those series in 1979 could not be found to return to their old roles. So, the Speed Racer cast of Peter Fernandez, Corinne Orr, Jack Grimes, etc. voiced the 3rd series. So you can imagine my disappointment when Leader Desslok spoke his first words and instead of that pompus evil Gamilon dictator I'd come to know and love he sounded more like Mr. Peabody the dog from the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons...
Because the 3rd series was dubbed so long after the first two (which were dubbed at the same time) there were errors in character names and continuity problems. Due to poor research Leader Desslok's aide General Talan was carelessly renamed Sgt. Masterson.
The biggest inconsistancy for me was the the use of the name "Star Force." In the first two seasons Desslok, Lysis, Zordar, Captain Gideon, you name it! They all called the crew of the Argo the "Star Force." When the Argo was appraoching a Gamilon base or a Comet Empire Fleet they were refered to as, "the Star Force is approaching!" Not, "the Argo is coming." Not the case in this 3rd season. While the name "Argo" was rarley heard in seasons 1+2, "Star Force" was always used. In the 3rd season, the opposite. "Argo" is used a LOT more than "Star Force." I think a lot of the charm was lost in season 3 because of that.
The biggest error was not so much an error but a real tacky way for them(the American company that dubbed the 3rd series) to cover up the huge story gap between series 2: "The Comet Empire" and series 3. Two movies were released in Japan that took place between the two TV series; "Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage/Journey" and "Be Forever Yamato." In these movies Earth is threatened by yet another enemy, the Dark Nebula Empire. In the New Voyage we find out the fate of Queen Starsha and Alex Wildstar on Iscandar and where the Gamilons and Earth stood after the Comet Empire was defeated. Here's the cover up; in the middle of this 3rd series when the Argo.. ahem STAR FORCE reaches planet Galman they are reunited with their former foe Desslok. A flash back sequence is shown of Desslok and the Star Force first as enemies and later progressing as allies in fighting off a Dark Nebula Gorba Space fortress. In this American dubbed version of Bolar Wars, the Dark Nebula craft is wrongfully named the Comet Empire because the comapny that dubbed this series felt that since the two movies that followed Series 2 were never shown to American audiences, they wouldn't know who the Dark Nebulans were in this 3rd series flashback. Confused? I hope not, or I'm a lousy storyteller. LOL
In fact here is the order to watch the Star Blazers/Yamato universe:
1. Series 1: The Quest for Iscandar
(you can also watch the 1st Space Battleship Yamato movie)
2. Series 2: The Comet Empire
3. Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage
4. Be Forever Yamato
5. Series 3: The Bolar Wars
6. Final Yamato
Because this series was dubbed by a different company than that of the one that dubbed the first two series, the violence was left alone and casualties were aplenty. But don't think that this series was the most violent. The first two just had theirs sanitized. Yet another inconsistancy... Now if they'd left the first 2 seasons uncut and used the original English voice cast for season 3 we would finally be able to have our cake and eat it too. :)


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2203 A.D. A planet-destroyer missile, crashing into the sun, has brought about a dangerous increase in nuclear fusion. With the annihilation of the human race near at hand, it is imperative to find a new Planet Earth within one year. The Star Force is sent on this mission, accompanied by a group of new recruits hungry for action... and they're going to get more than they bargained for. None of them suspects that their destination is a cosmic battlefield caught between two mighty galactic forces: The Gaiman Empire and The Bolar Federation! This is a story of young space soldiers struggling for love, peace, and coexistence. They lived together, laughed together, and fought together. The heroic image of the Space Battleship Argo will live in their hearts forever.Special features: All 25 episodes remastered for DVD. Interactive menus designed like the bridge of the Argo. Character Guides. Spaceship guides. Equipment Guides. Location Guides. Stellar Maps. Weapons and Machinery. Voice Actors interview. Hidden Bonus Features. Collectible insert: 24 page booklet on the making of the original series.

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