At the 15th edition of Indie-AniFest, Kim Cheong-gi repeats his age-old truth at this year's Korean Special screening of “Robot Taekwon V” (1976): “[It's] a Korean animation made for the Korean people.”
In one sense, he's right. “Robot Taekwon V” definitely left its mark as a film for Korean people. Aside from its Korean cultural references (the bots all battle Taekwondo-style, for example), “Robot Taekwon V” has been historically significant for the Korean animation industry as a whole. As an entirely homegrown film, “Robot Taekwon V” is a major milestone in a largely outsourced industry. In the 2014 Korean Film Archive's list of top 100 Films, “Robot Taekwon V” has also earned its place as the only animated film on the list.
On the other hand, the modern-day press has often written off “Robot Taekwon V” as a Japanese rip-off. With character designs and themes pulled from animated series “Mazinger Z” (Go Nagai, 1972-1974), “Robot Taekwon V” has been tainted in contemporary English-language reviews for its seeming lack of originality. Kim Cheong-gi admitted himself that the film had directly lifted from the Japanese anime — but at Indie-AniFest, argued that it was neigh impossible to not be influenced by the animation powerhouse.
The reviews do not do the film justice however, as they remove its own accomplishments from its unique historical context. Certainly, “Robot Taekwon V” seems like an amalgam of one trope after another; it kicks off wu-xia style with starry-eyed Kim Hoon (Kim Young-ok) emerging from his last nature meditation. With the support of his father, girlfriend Yoon Yeong-hee, and comedic understudy Kim Cheol, Hoon wins every round of the international Taekwondo tournament. However, his success is short-lived. His opponents mysteriously disappear one by one, leading to a media chase after the athlete-based abductions. Events only grow stranger when a blue-eyed blonde, Mary, shows up at Dr. Kim's lab looking for her long-lost father, Dr. Kaff — an old acquaintance who had fallen from grace decades ago.
In a winding journey that inevitably leads to giant robots locked in an epic martial arts battle for world hegemony (in front of the Pyramids of Giza, no less) Kim Cheong-gi's first feature showcases a colorful globetrotting adventure despite its humble beginnings. For an era in which art materials were hard to come by (Kim Cheong-gi laughingly recalled that it was difficult to even find a working pencil in postwar Korea) the vivid colors shine through in the 2007 digital restoration. Character designs inspired by Hanna Barbera cartoons and postwar Japanese anime add, rather than take away, to the film's charm as well, ringing with the nostalgia of the 60s and 70s. The slower camera movement too – limited to only tilts and pans – also presents a refreshing break from more convoluted camerawork found in contemporary animation.
Beyond its visuals however, previous reviews have noted that the anti-Communist sentiment can be a bit jarring, or even over the head. Considering the context though, this only makes sense. Dr. Kaff's Red Star Army is a clear allegory for communist North Korea, and Hoon's own steering of Robot Taekwon V represents South Korea's own success. In this regard, “Robot Taekwon V” is more akin to the Cold War politique of postwar American cartoons. All of this aside however, the anti-Communist themes only pale to the underlying capitalist moral: no fancy techno-gadget can outshine the blood, sweat, and tears of hard work.
Even today, “Robot Taekwon V” is still an engaging watch for adults, though it is still primarily geared towards a younger audience. At the Indie-AniFest Q&A, one elementary student brazenly asked, “How is your film relevant today?” Director Kim Cheong-gi ended the Q&A with a smile and a twinkle in his eye: “No matter who the audience is, animation should always inspire the courage to dream.”
You can watch the entire film online here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22BmiLqPS14
