Robot Taekwon V
Encyclopedia
Robot Taekwon V is a South Korea
n animated film directed by Kim Cheong-gi
and produced by Yu Hyun-mok
, the prominent director of such films as Obaltan
(오발탄) (Aimless Bullet) (1960). It was released on July 24, 1976, immediately becoming a mega-smash hit in the late 1970s, and consequently inspired a string of sequels in following years. Robot Taekwon V was released in the United States in a dubbed format under the name Voltar the Invincible. Robot Taekwon V became the first Korean film to receive full digital restoration treatment in 2005.
, creates an army of giant robots to kidnap world-class athletes and conquer the world. To fight off this attack, Dr. Kim creates Robot Taekwon V. Kim Hoon, the taekwon-do champion eldest son of Dr Kim, pilots Robot Taekwon V either mechanically or through his physical power by merging his taekwon-do movements with the robot. Comic relief is provided by Kim Hoon's younger buddy, elementary school student Kim Cheol.
He has fashioned himself as "Tin-Can Robot Cheol" by cutting eyeholes in a tea kettle and wearing it on his head. Kim Hoon's girlfriend, Yoon Yeong-hee, is a pilot and taekwon-do practitioner. She can also operate Robot Taekwon V with buttons and levers, and pilots Kim Hoon in and out of the robot.
ese giant-robot manga
and anime
Mazinger Z
was popular in South Korea at the time of Robot Taekwon Vs creation, and Kim Cheong-gi freely discusses the influence of Mazinger Z on his cartoon, saying he wanted to create a Korean hero for Korean children. In order to emphasize the Korean ties of the film, he had leading characters perform the traditional martial art, taekwondo
, and gave the robot the ability to do taekwondo kicks.
The sequel, "Super Taekwon V", had taken designs from Gundam
and Xabungle
and Insadong
, one of the statues landed outside of the National Assembly (parliament) building. The restoration was widely released in early 2007 and set a new record for domestic animated films, attracting over 600,000 viewers in 18 days.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n animated film directed by Kim Cheong-gi
Kim Cheong-gi
Kim Cheong-gi is a South Korean director of animated, fantasy, and science fiction films.His work, Robot Taekwon V , is considered one of the milestones of Korean animation of the 1970s...
and produced by Yu Hyun-mok
Yu Hyun-mok
Yu Hyun-mok was a South Korean film director. Born in Sariwon, North Hwanghae, Korea , he made his film debut in 1956 with Gyocharo...
, the prominent director of such films as Obaltan
Obaltan
Obaltan , also known as The Aimless Bullet and Stray Bullet, is a 1960 Korean film directed by Yu Hyun-mok. The plot is based on the same titled short novel written by Yi Beomseon. It has often been called the best Korean movie ever made.-Plot:...
(오발탄) (Aimless Bullet) (1960). It was released on July 24, 1976, immediately becoming a mega-smash hit in the late 1970s, and consequently inspired a string of sequels in following years. Robot Taekwon V was released in the United States in a dubbed format under the name Voltar the Invincible. Robot Taekwon V became the first Korean film to receive full digital restoration treatment in 2005.
Plot
Dr. Kaff (or Dr. Cops; 카프 박사 in Korean), an evil scientist bent on world dominationHegemony
Hegemony is an indirect form of imperial dominance in which the hegemon rules sub-ordinate states by the implied means of power rather than direct military force. In Ancient Greece , hegemony denoted the politico–military dominance of a city-state over other city-states...
, creates an army of giant robots to kidnap world-class athletes and conquer the world. To fight off this attack, Dr. Kim creates Robot Taekwon V. Kim Hoon, the taekwon-do champion eldest son of Dr Kim, pilots Robot Taekwon V either mechanically or through his physical power by merging his taekwon-do movements with the robot. Comic relief is provided by Kim Hoon's younger buddy, elementary school student Kim Cheol.
He has fashioned himself as "Tin-Can Robot Cheol" by cutting eyeholes in a tea kettle and wearing it on his head. Kim Hoon's girlfriend, Yoon Yeong-hee, is a pilot and taekwon-do practitioner. She can also operate Robot Taekwon V with buttons and levers, and pilots Kim Hoon in and out of the robot.
Background
The JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese giant-robot manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Mazinger Z
Mazinger Z
, known briefly as Tranzor Z in United States, is a Super Robot manga and anime series created by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. In...
was popular in South Korea at the time of Robot Taekwon Vs creation, and Kim Cheong-gi freely discusses the influence of Mazinger Z on his cartoon, saying he wanted to create a Korean hero for Korean children. In order to emphasize the Korean ties of the film, he had leading characters perform the traditional martial art, taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
, and gave the robot the ability to do taekwondo kicks.
The sequel, "Super Taekwon V", had taken designs from Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
and Xabungle
Combat Mecha Xabungle
, infrequently called Blue Gale Xabungle, is a mecha anime television series by Sunrise, and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino. It was broadcast on the Nagoya TV and TV Asahi networks at 5:30 PM each Saturday from February 6, 1982 through January 29, 1983. Promotional toys were produced by Clover...
Restoration
The original print of Robot Taekwon V has long been thought lost, and for years the only available print was incomplete and in very poor condition. However, a duplicate print was discovered in a warehouse of the Korean Film Commission in July 2003. Beginning in August of that year, the Korean Film Council made the film the subject of a 2-year restoration project budgeted at 1 billion won. 72 people were involved in cleaning up and digitizing each of the 108,852 frames. The original mono soundtrack was transferred to Dolby Digital 5.1. The restored version premiered at the Pusan International Film Festival on October 6, 2005. In late 2006 Taekwon mania soared to new levels with a celebrity attended gala event in Seoul celebrating the 30th birthday of the robot and film. In 2007 yet more giant 3 meter tall size statues of Taekwon V have appeared around Seoul; instead of fronting art galleries in the hip areas of HongdaeHongdae
The Hongdae Area is a region in South Korea known for its entertainment and clubs. The area is part of the Mapo-gu district northwest of Seoul, South Korea.-Name:...
and Insadong
Insadong
Insadong is a dong, or neighborhood of the Jongno-gu district of the South Korean city of Seoul. The main street is Insadong-gil, which is connected to a multitude of alleys that lead deeper into the district...
, one of the statues landed outside of the National Assembly (parliament) building. The restoration was widely released in early 2007 and set a new record for domestic animated films, attracting over 600,000 viewers in 18 days.
Sequels
Robot Taekwon V has inspired a number of film and comic book sequels. The film sequels include:- 로보트 태권V 우주작전 (December 13, 1976)
- 로보트 태권V 수중특공대 (July 20, 1977)
- 로보트 태권V 대 황금날개의 대결 (July 26, 1978)
- 날아라! 우주전함 거북선 (July 26, 1979)
- 슈퍼 태권V (Super Taekwon V) (July 30, 1982)
- '84 태권V (August 3, 1984)
- 로보트 태권V 90 (July 28, 1990)