Robot Taekwon V

Robot Taekwon V (로보트 태권 V) is a South Korean animated film directed by Kim Cheong-gi and released on July 24, 1976. The film was mainly influenced by Mazinger Z, which was very popular in South Korea by the time of its creation, with Cheong-gi freely admitting the influence in order to make a hero for the Korean children. The film was very popular and statues of the robot are seen around Seoul today as well as a museum of the series. Throughout the 1970's through 1990's, several sequels were also produced, where the title mecha is upgraded all taking models from other mecha anime's such as Xabungle and L-Gaim.

Plot
A mad scientist named Prof. Karp is bent on world domination and is kidnapping world-class athletes in order to make an army. In response, Dr. Kim creates the super robot Robot Taekwon V and has his eldest son, taekwondo champion Kim Hoon pilot it. Hoon either pilots V mechanically or by his movements that includes his Taekwondo style. Joining Hoon is his young friend Kim Cheol (aka Tin-Can Robot Cheol) who wears a tea kettle with eyeholes on his head for his alter ego and Hoon's girlfriend Yoon Yeong-hee who like Hoon also utilizes Taekwondo and can pilot the Taekwon V.

Relationship to Mazinger Z
As admitted by Kim Cheong-gi, there are several elements from Mazinger Z. An obvious point out is the strong resemblence that Taekwon V has from its source of inspiration. Several of the main characters also physically resemble the main characters of Mazinger Z. Cheong-gi stated that besides wanting a hero for the Korean children, he wanted Robot Taekwon V to be a Korean version of Mazinger Z, giving the robot the ability to use Taekwondo kicks to appeal to the South Korean audience.

Trivia

 * Initially, the movie was supposed to be called "Mazinger Taekwon" and would have plagiarized designs from Great Mazinger (which hadn't aired in South Korea at the time), including a recolored Great Mazinger being the "Taekwon Mazinger". Only a single piece of concept art was created for this prototype version.
 * Exactly, why this was scrapped is uncertain, but it may have had to do with the Anti-Japanese sentiment South Korea's government had and the Japanese origins of the designs would have been considered taboo.