B'T X and B'T X Neo | ABS-CBN's 90s Filipino-Dubbed Anime Retrospective

B'T X was a Filipino-dubbed Japanese animation that aired on ABS-CBN every weekend afternoon during the 90s in the Philippines. B't X, stylized as B'T X, was adapted from the shonen manga series, written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada which ran from October 1994 – January 2000. The 25-episode first season of the anime adaptation of B'T X ran from April 6, 1996 – September 21, 1996. It was followed by a 14-episode second season titled B'T X Neo that ran from August 21, 1997 – November 20, 1997 in Japan. Let's go down memory lane and remember the pilot of the badass B'T X in this alternate world of B'T X and it's sequel B'T X Neo.


B'T X - The Story
B'T X Series Plot

B'T X is set on an alternate Earth which is ruled by one faction called the Machine Empire. The Machine Empire pushed for a society of scientists which culminated in the creation of the B'Ts (pronounced "beat" in the Japanese version), mechanical beasts with artificial intelligence powered by human blood.

B'T X and B'T X Neo follows the story of Teppei Takamiya and the bond he formed with the titular B'T X, or simply X which was once of the strongest B'T of the Machine Empire. The story then delves deeper with the B'Ts and MAchine Empire. Secrets start to unfold as it becomes the a story of survival of the human race against the clutches of the Machine Empire and smack in between is Teppei and X, along with the comrades they gained along this journey.

B'T X Opening Theme
B'T X Series Intro





B'T X Lyrics

Maglalakbay ako patungo sa kawalan
Upang habulin ko pangarap sa buhay
At susuungin ko itong kadiliman
Makita ko lang ang liwanag
Ng katarungan

B’T X Closing Song
Alab ng Katarungan
ang pagmamahal sa ating kapwa
ang pag-ibig sa ating bayan
Handang ibuwis ang aking buhay
B'T X Legacy on the Filipinos

It is without a doubt that B'T X has become a part of the lives of Filipino kids who grew up watching this anime series every afternoon. Some have even made various tribute and covers remembering this aspect of their childhood. I now present you with the legacy of B'T X amongst the kids and Filipinos in general who grew up watching the series. Credits goes to the original authors. Kindly follow, like and support their channels which we'll also include below:

BTX opening theme (Tagalog/Japanese version)- Mavilon cover

Source: Mavilon's YouTube Channel B'T X Cover

BTX TAGALOG OPENING THEME Acoustic version 90's Anime | Sailing For My Dream Cover Rider Kikomi

Source: Rider Kikomi's YouTube Channel

A Retrospective on B'T X and B'T X Neo
A Look Back on B'T X and B'T X Neo


What can be said about B'T X's run in Philippine television back in the late 90s? Well, I don't really remember much about the plot of B'T X, only bits and pieces. I was only at around grade school back then when it first aired on ABS-CBN. It was Filipino-dubbed but I guess I wasn't paying much attention to the story, maybe more fascinated with what seemingly high octane action and the cool designs of the the B'Ts (Beats) back then. speaking of cool designs, I managed to archive a few snapshots from this nostalgic 90s series in my teks collection of B'T X. Maybe, I will make an unpacking and release scans of my teks collection (on a future post soon).




Being a 90s kid, my fondest memory of the series was me playing around with my grade school classmates shouting Teppei's iconic Messiah Fist and thinking that we were riding some of the iconics beats from the show. A fan favorite back then was Fou Lafine's B't J'Taime that had a phoenix (suzaku) design and opposite to him was Ron and B'T Raido with his dragon (seiryuu) design. I tend to favor the lead back then, even though I usually favor the main character, I remember favoring Hokuto and B'T Max (genbuu). I've managed to get a hold of the series now, but when re-watching the very first few episodes I can say that it really didn't age gracefully. Maybe it is my more mature taste when it comes to animation (but I do appreciate titles like Mob Psycho 100), but maybe a few episodes in more and I will warm up to the animation style. I will re-watch this series and hopefully will have a good time just like when I finished and re-watched Hell Teacher Nube.


How about you guys? How much do you remember about B'T X and B'T X Neo back in the days? What was your fondest memory, character, B'Ts, or moments from the series? Share your thoughts and experiences about B'T X in the comments section below and let's discuss more about it:

Yaiba | Kenyuu Densetsu Yaiba | ABC 90s English Dubbed Anime Retrospective

Legend of the Swordmaster Yaiba or commonly known here in the Philippines as Yaiba was an English dubbed Japanese animated series (anime) that aired in ABC-5 (now known as TV5) during the 90s. Yaiba (Ken'yū Densetsu Yaiba) was first a manga created by Gosho Aoyama the same creator and artist who brought us two other popular manga/ anime with Kaito Kid and Detective Conan. The Yaiba anime aired simultaneously on TV Tokyo (where it was titled as Kenyuu Densetsu YAIBA), TV Hokkaido, and TV Aichi from April 9, 1993~April 1, 1994 with 52 episodes. Let's take a look back at the adventure of the legendary swordsman, Yaiba Kurogane here at Retro Pilipinas.


Yaiba - The Story
Yaiba - Series Plot

Yaiba Kurogane is a samurai-in-training living together with his father (Kenjurou) and his two animal friends (Kagetora and Shonosuke). One day they were attack by gorillas where they barely escape and eventually found themselves in the big city where Yaiba found out that he is a legendary warrior's incarnation able to wield the Raijin-ken or commonly known in the English dubbed series as "Sword of Thunder God" and has to be Onimaru. He is then set on a quest to become the Samurai that he has always dreamt of through the power of the legendary sword and its powers.

Yaiba Opening Theme
Yaiba Series Intro





"Yuuki ga Areba" (If You Have Courage)
Performed by Kabuki Rocks

tatakau kotoba ikiru sadame dato iu naru
kachi tsuzukeru koto dake tada hitotsu no nozomi

kami ga ataeta shiden o koete
henka no PAWAA furishi boru sa

* yuuki ga areba dekiru hazu
yume to iu na no katana o nuite
tatakae! subete no chikara de kimi o mamotte miseru

kaze kiru kata ni tooku tobi satta ano koro
tsuyoku naritai dake tabidatta kokyou

furi kaeritai toki mo aru kedo
henka no PAWAA yomi ga eru sa

* repeat

kami ga ataeta shiden o koete
henka no PAWAA furishi boru sa

tatakae! subete no namida to kaeranu toki o sutete
yuuki ga areba dekiru hazu
yume to iu na no katana o nuite
yuuki ga areba wakaru hazu
ai o shinjiru koto o
Yaiba Closing Theme
Yaiba Series Outro



"Shinjigakunaki Tatakai" (Battle Without Theosophy)
Performed by Kabuki Rocks

Nna yatsu inai yo doko datte
MAKUNBA kamashita onna no ko
TAFUna yarou ga daisuki na no
Hanfuku yokotobi kimeteru ze!

Aaa nan darou kono yume dou yuu kokoro
Aaa senazaiishiki no araware nanda na
JUNG fuu ni kaishaku suru naraba

TORA TORA UMA TORA TORA UMA
RIBI-LIBIDOU (RIBI-LIBIDO)
KOGI KOGI KOGI KOGI KOGI KOGI
KOGI KOGI COGITO (ERGO SUM)
Nna koto bakkari no tamau hima nado
Samurai nya nai no da!

Nna yatsa inai yo doko datte
KOKKURI uto-uto onna no ko
CARISMA yarou ga daisuki na no
Fumitai shoukou kimeteru ze!

Aaa nan darou kono yume wo dou yuu kokoro
Aaa shinsou shinri no araware nanda na
KAFKA fuu ni byousha wo suru naraba

TORA TORA UMA TORA TORA UMA
RIBI-LIBIDO (RIBI-LIBIDO)
KOGI KOGI KOGI KOGI KOGI KOGI
KOGI KOGI COGITO (ERGO SUM)
Nna koto bakkari no tamau yatsu nado
Samurai nya narenai!

TORA TORA UMA TORA TORA UMA
RIBI-LIBIDOU (RIBI-LIBIDO)
KOGI KOGI KOGI KOGI KOGI KOGI
KOGI KOGI COGITO (ERGO SUM)
Nna koto bakkari no tamau hima nado
Samurai nya nai no da!




Yaiba is one of the many masterpiece which came from the brilliant mind of Gosho Aoyama who is also the creator of Kaito Kid, and one of the longest running anime Detective Conan (Maitantei Conan). There is a special anime episode in Detective Conan where Yaiba, Conan, and Kid were featured. You can check it out here:


What is there to NOT say about The Legendary Brave Swordsman Yaiba? It is only just one of the most kick ass anime series of the 90s!!! Okay, I've calmed down. I plan to re-watch the series online again to see as how well it lives up up to this day. I am also thinking of getting this on DVD or Bluray as part of a collection. So what made Yaiba so great? It is probably the Dragon Ball-esque like elements where Yaiba and the crew starts hunting magical spheres or orbs to power up the "Sword of the Thunder God" (Raijin-ken) to defeat the forces of Onimaru and Princess Kaguya (last arc). It started light-hearted and later became more action-packed which is perfect for a growing 90s boy like myself at that time. I also remember doing the "whirlwind sword technique" a.k.a. Senpūken, in which Yaiba spins the sword like a lawnmower blade by inserting his fingers in the hole where the orbs would usually go then twirls it, using everyday household materials just to emulate Yaiba's technique. I usually use a clothes hanger for this deed. I like at how some villains eventually became Yaiba's most trusted friends like Spiderman, Frogman, Slugman, Starman, and Grasshopperman (Wew! and I haven't rewatched it and I still remember them). I also love the twist in the Princess Kaguya story in the end. If ever there is something that local television station like GMA, ABS-CBN, and TV5 should pick up again, it is Yaiba.


How about you guys, what are your fondest memory of Yaiba? Do you have any favorite episode(s), memorabilia, and experiences with the Gosho Aoyama masterpiece? Share your thoughts about the phenomenal 90s English-dubbed anime Yaiba in the comments section below: