B’t X (1997)

Walking along Shaw Boulevard, I spotted something I’d been looking for since the advent of anime series in DVD — B’t X. Ten years ago, B’t X was shown in the Philippines on ABS-CBN. Actually, at first, I wasn’t sure if I would want to watch it since it replaced my favorite anime show then, Zenki. But not long after its pilot episode I began being hooked and couldn’t help but wait for 4pm in front of the television. It was 1997. Ten years later, only a few people that I know remember this series. It was sad because I really think that B’t X is one incredible anime program.

To refresh your memory, B’t X tells the story of Teppei whose brother, Professor Kotaro Takamiya, is abducted and brought to the centre of the Machine Empire. Teppei then accidentally revives the legendary winged-horse B’t (intelligent robots for battles) X. Ergo, B’t X. Every warrior in the Machine Empire has a B’t dedicated to serving its master. Teppei travels towards the centre of the area to save his brother. But along the way, he meets the Four Great Knights, and so many other characters and their B’ts. Soon, Teppei realizes that his mission is not just to save his brother from certain death, but to save the world from Rafael / Rafaello, the ultimate B’t created by the Emperor that becomes so dangerous it could destroy the planet if not killed soon.

I was so excited when I went home and began my B’t X marathon. Suddenly, childhood memories started to be awakened. When I was young, more than Teppei, I admired the Four Great Knights.

  1. Fou Lafini of the South. A priest. B’t Je t’aime, phoenix. Secretly in love with Karen. Plays the violin really well. His bow is his ultimate weapon.
  2. Ron of the West. A passionate warrior. B’t Raido, dragon. Very loyal to the Emperor. Excellent martial artist. His ultimate weapon is his lance.
  3. Dr. Hokuto of the North. The Master Doctor. B’t Max, turtle, the largest and strongest B’t in the empire. A dignified and dedicated physician, who ironically is also terribly sick.
  4. Karen of the East. The traitor to the Empire. B’t X, a pegasus. Discovered that B’t Rafael is not created to unite the world but to destroy it. A fugitive. While in hiding, she trained Teppei, who saved her life, to become a very good warrior.

When I was watching this a decade ago, I was really afraid of the two young villains — two kids, in fact: Misha and Nasha. They were the emperor’s representatives and are always in charge.

Until now, B’t X remains to be one of my all-time favorite anime [ along with Fullmetal Alchemist, God(?) Save Our King, and Samurai X ].

Picture courtesy of: all4seiya.com

Comments

  1. Glad there’s someone who loves B’t X the way i do. For me, its one of the best anime ever.. Kainis nga lang at walang nagbalik ng B’t X. I know kids will love it. Nice one! 😉

  2. Haha! ‘Di gaya ng Yu Yu Hakusho, paulit ulit na lang, kabisado na ng bansa ang mga mangyayari! Tama, bili ka na lang DVD ng B’t X! Bili ka na rin ng B’t X Neo para hindi ka mabitin..

  3. it’s a really good anime. i think i was about 7 or 8 years old when i first watched this series. i was lucky enough to watch the first episode. after that, i never missed an episode. it’s nice to find someone who really love this anime. After all, few remember bt’x. But i think many can recall the opening song. In fact whenever i sing the opening song of bt’x, people remember it.
    if i’m not mistaken, the lyrics of the tagalog version of the opening song goes like this:

    ‘maglalakbay ako patungo sa kawalan, upang hanapin ang pangarap sa buhay. at susugurin ko itong kadiliman, makita ko lamang ang liwanag ng katarungan.’

    haha! even the opening song is great! i really hope that ABS-CBN will bring this anime back. i’m sure the kids will enjoy this one.

    • hahaha. yey, im not alone. haha.

      “upang hanapin ang pangarap sa buhay”

      hindi hanapin yan e. nakalimutan ko na yung word pero hindi sya hanapin, pero something like that. memorized ko din yan, maliban dun sa word na yan na matagal ko na iniisip.

      • Maglalakbay ako patungo sa kawalan, upang harapin ang hamon ng buhay, at susuungin ko ang kadiliman, Makita ko lang ang liwanag ng katarungan. eto tamang lyrics jan.

  4. yeah you’re right. it’s not “hanapin,” i also forgot the word. haha!
    anyway, i’ve heard the original japanese song of bt’x in youtube.
    all i can say is, ASTIG ANG KANTA! even though i don’t really understand the lyrics. haha!
    here’s the link if you want to hear it:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd4ZyVWKx3A

  5. ok first of all i went to the phil and bought both anime serease that ive been longing to watch again for so long. Zenki and Bt X, i also watched Mojako and Saber Marriounett j. If you still remember that, syang hinde ko natapos ang btx b4 i left phil…

  6. Na download ko yung buong series sa Veoh.com lately. Sobrang favorite ko to dati. I was hospitalized back in highschool so I had to spend a couple of months in bed and this is the show that somehow made my day less boring. The Messiah Fist is like my idea of the ultimate weapon back then haha.

  7. heres what i remember:

    Maglalakbay ako patungo sa kawalan
    Upang hamunin tong pangarap sa buhay
    at susuungin ko maging kadiliman
    makita ko lang ang liwanag
    ng katarungan…

    yan natatandaan ko sa kabataan ko at bt x.

  8. Huoooo nice post. Even its old post, but I’m very happy some one still love it even already few years pased. I’m B’T X Freak fanatic fans. Hokuto fans actually. i cosplay as him, creating his fiction etc. lol
    Nice to meet U

  9. I like Hokuto,he’s cool. My love is Fou. Uhm…I don’t think Fou & Karen can be a nice couple. Karen is lack of femineity and romantic. Karin isn’t, either, she doen’t have special charcteristic. If Je T’aime were a true human, she could be the best lady for Fou, isn’t she? She (Je T’aime) is good at music, femine and they love each other…

  10. nakakamiss nga ang BT’X.

    it’s nice to know that there are people who rave about anime as much as i do.
    grabe, sa iba, isip-bata pa din, pero after reading this, i feel much better. haha.

    fave ko rin samurai x at sailormoon. lalo na ung sailormoon, halos regular audience ako ng kada season nya. haha. 😀

  11. Merong Music nito na shinare ng Taga forum na si “Jamibu” don sa imeem, mga 27 secs. lng siya OP tagalog ng BTX.. xD

  12. wowz… its nice to know na may nakakaalala pa sa b’tx…

    miz ko na nga talaga yan…

    cguro hindi nyo makakalimutan si joker at ang b’t nya na paniki…

    weeee…

  13. .,this is my all time favorite anime’.,fou also love karen,so karen as well,, kz he let her go nung tumatakas si karen and demoted being a general to first leutenant.,ay kilig na kilig talaga ako sa kanilang dalawa since chilhood sila talaga tumatak sa isip ko.,sad nga lang yung ending., 🙁

  14. Im 23yrs old now, girl. Yuppy. Super ‘girl’ ako ha! But i looove BT’X sooo much! Sad lng tlga ending, but it’s awesome! Iniyakan ko dati yan, pti ndn ung thunder jet (can anyone remember this?), ska samurai x, savior marionettes, akazukin chacha! Dbest mga animè before!!

  15. Hi guys! Im 23yrs old now, girl. Yuppy. Super ‘girl’ ako ha! But i looove BT’X sooo much! Sad lng tlga ending, but it’s awesome! Iniyakan ko dati yan, pti ndn ung thunder jet (can anyone remember this?), ska samurai x, savior marionettes, akazukin chacha! Dbest mga animè before!!

  16. So long time, but i still love b’t X anime. In aspect of Love, i think there are 4 couples in this story.
    The first is Karin and Metalface. In manga, there are 2 time Metalface showing that he has a weak heart for Karen, and fight for her.
    The second is Ron and Aramis. Ron is the only one who knows that
    Aramis is a woman. The moment when Aramis died for attacking Raphael, he was so upset and cried a lot for her.
    The third couple only appears in anime: Kotarou and Dr. Lisa. This couple is so sweet through their interactive words and actions.
    And the last one i mention here is also my favorite couple. This is Fou and Lily. Lily is younger sister of Quatro and the childhood friend of Fou. You all know that Lily had shown her special feelings for Fou, while Fou didn’t show that. But, through all he does and what he says, i think Fou is also in love with Lily. Fou still wears the jewelry in forehead Lily gave him and her necklace. All he studied is just to say the words he couldn’t say to her that day. And the name of his b’t, Je T’aime, i think is also for Lily. The love Fou gives Je T’aime is only the family love, and Je T’aime which means “I love you” is what he wants to say to Lily.

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