Dubbing Daimos Daze

Like today’s cartoon Sponge Bob Square Pants, Daimos was just as popular in the seventies and eighties. Japanese robot cartoons were so popular they had toy robots, like Daimos, that even today can sell for P13,000. Daimos was plastered all over snack chip packages, and kids sang the theme song in Japanese. We students back then quoted the famous lead characters, “Richard!” “Erica!”

Then President Marcos banned Daimos, Mazinger Z, and Voltez V, because of the anime violence. So the Daimos series was put on the shelf and Richard and Erica began fading away … but not forgotten.

There was also Richard’s best friend, Edward, and in 1987 the series was remembered and resurrected along with the characters, including Edward. I was one of Edward’s voices, thanks to a little University of the Philippines ingenuity and a pocketful of coins.

It was a scorching, sweaty afternoon and I was nineteen years old. A bunch of us UP Mass Communications students were hanging around our school lobby, pretending to be smart. We were observing a group of senior guys huddling in the middle of the lobby, leaning close together and whispering. The rest of us turned our ears to catch their words. When the group broke the circle and began leaving I thought, “I’m dying to know what’s up! I got to ask! Why not? I would never write about it.” I recognized one of them and approached him.

Note that I am keeping all names here a secret, not because of protecting identities from twenty-seven years ago – but because I forgot.

So I said to him, “Hi, what were you talking about?”

“They’ve restored Daimos and they’re auditioning for Edward now.”

“Who’s that?”

“You know, the guy with the yellow afro, pink glasses, and Samurai sword.”

“Of course! And when are you going?”

“Now.”

Uh oh! I began to tap my foot and squeaked, “Where?”

He looked side to side and behind him, “In Katipunan.”

I had to get there first! Katipunan is the road in Quezon City that passes UP, Ateneo, and Miriam College. I pictured the jeepney stop, remembered the jeepney name, and imagined where to get off. The problem was I didn’t have a pen to write the info. Rats! I vowed to always buy and carry pocketfuls of pens.

So without them knowing, I kept the plan in my head, which thankfully, had an unbelievable amount of space. I said, “Good luck!” and strolled away in the opposite direction, pretending to go to class.

One problem was the seniors were dressed to be interviewed – for success – but I was in school clothes. Also, they had, or had friends with, cars. I took jeepneys. As I was rushing away I looked back, no one saw me; so I walked around our college and down the road to catch a jeepney. Here I come Daimos! Part time job! TV fame! Tons of pens!

My heart raced and my breathing quickened. I jingled the coins in my pockets – I was so nervous I thought I’d jingle through my pockets! I had the jeepney fare, I made it to the jeepney stop – but there were no jeepneys!

By then the seniors would be in their cars on their way to beating me to anime fame and fortune. Plus, the guys had another advantage over me – they could say that they were graduating that year, which I couldn’t.

Jeepneys passed me, their exhaust blowing my hair and drying out my sweat. Then one empty jeepney stopped for me, I got on, but we waited for other passengers, which seemed a lifetime! My grey hair today, grew during that wait. The best thing was the driver knew the place, and we sped through 1987 “traffic,” . . . but he dropped me way off at the wrong stop!

I had to retrace my steps down Katipunan, building by building, and ask directions guard after guard. Time moved like a snail handcuffed to a turtle – both drunk. But I made it . . . and there was no trace of the Mass Comm guys!

I rang the doorbell and a producer opened it. I said, “Hi, I’m here to audition for Daimos.”

He looked me over, held his chin, paused, and said, “Yes, our talent for Edward couldn’t continue dubbing. Have you dubbed before?”

I said, “No. But I can learn.”

“Can you do other voices?”

“No. But I can learn”

“Are you graduating yet?”

“No, but I can learn.”

He scratched his head and said, “Let’s see.” We went to the giant TV monitor and he handed me a script, “I’ll start the video and you read these lines of Edward, matching them to his mouth opening and closing.” I tried a few takes, made mistakes, and thought I might as well leave while my will to live was intact. But I finally got it.

He asked, “You want to see it?”

“Yeah!” and he replayed it and I gazed at the screen mesmerized; earthlings battling aliens in the clouds, Daimos leading the way and Edward jetting circles around him yelling, “Richard, behind you!”

The producer paused and said, “You have good enunciation. We can use you. Can you do some more? Let’s start?”

“Sure!” so we dubbed some more and he gave me some cash. Wait, no he didn’t . . . he gave me lots of cash! He invited me to continue the series.

And so for the rest of the Daimos second season, four episodes up to, and including the finale, I was the voice of Edward as well as a few minor characters. I made friends, money, and memories.

Up to now, no stranger has ever said to me, “You sound like Edward from Daimos.” But people still like to quote it whenever and wherever. Once, twenty-one years later in 2008, in a stationary shop in a mall I heard a father and daughter behind me imitating the characters’ cry of, “Richard!” “Erica!” I smiled and said, “Hey! Daimos! I did the voice of Edward. You still remember!”

They stared at me, hugged each other, and said, “Sorry po!”

I learned important lessons that audition day. That day, like Daimos, will never fade or be forgotten. And if you imitate the show in a mall, I can say, “Hey! I was Edward.”

But beware of fake Edwards! I’m the one who carries bags, boxes, and pockets packed with pens.