Reflection:
My group chose to research Korean animation, and we came up with the question “how did culture and history change korean animation over time?” to base our research poster around. Working on our poster turned into an experience that was definitely equal parts challenging and creative. To be honest, we struggled at first. Korean animation isn’t widely covered or as easy to research than expected, we chose a country that we knew very little about especially when it came to their animations. A lot of information was either hard to find, scattered across different sources, lost media or mixed up with content about Japanese anime. It took some digging, and a bit of frustration, before I started finding reliable material about the animations that came from Korea, especially older ones. I found that researching Korea’s history, culture, and how it tied into certain animations wasn’t as difficult though, so I didnt struggle with that area as much.
One of the best parts about the whole experience was designing the group research poster together. We had some trouble figuring out what software/website to use to make ours, and had a lot of frustrations when it came to using Canva, but in the end we had a lot of fun. We spent a lot of time choosing different layouts, fonts, colours, images as well as adding our own personal touches by drawing little cartoon versions of ourselves. It might not have been strictly professional or academic, but it made the whole project feel more personal to us. Some problems we encountered when designing our research poster however, were that we struggled to make it look structurally appealing since we had a lot of information and struggled to compile it down to fit onto the poster.
During our time researching, we stumbled across some pretty hilarious Korean animations, which made us laugh in the middle of trying to be productive, and definitely lead us to being distracted. Although it turned the research process into a mix of entertainment and studying, which made it a lot more enjoyable and significantly less stressful. Despite the rough start, I feel that my group is pretty proud of what we put together. This group work was definitely a memorable experience. I learned how to navigate a difficult research topic, and how to collaborate efficiently which I will definitely be remembering for any future group projects.
I have included my research below.
Robot Taekwon V:
Released in 1976, Robot Taekwon V is one of South Korea’s most iconic animated films and a powerful reflection of the cultural, historical and political climate
of the country during the 1970’s.
– Director: Kim Cheong-gi
– Producer: Yu Hyun-mok
– Released: July 24th 1976
Authoritarian Government and Nationalism:
South Korea in the 1970’s was under the authoritarian rule of President Park Chung-hee. The government promoted strong nationalism, modernization, and
anti-communism, and Robot Taekwon V echoed this agenda. The robot is portrayed as a protector of the nation, symbolizing Korean strength, self-reliance,
and technological advancement. At the time, South Korea had a rising animation industry. Robot Taekwon V was a landmark achievement in Korean animation, showing
that local studios could produce high quality, popular entertainment. The government supported media that promoted Korean pride and unity so, while not officially
a propaganda film, Robot Taekwon V aligned well with national goals.
Cold War Influence:
South Korea’s fear of communism during the 1970’s had a major influence on the themes and character design in Robot Taekwon V. While it wasn’t an official propaganda
piece, the Cold War tension between North and South Korea, and the governments use of media to shape public opinion, definitely left a strong imprint on the film.
The threat from North Korea loomed large, and media often portrayed external or evil forces threatening peace – something Robot Taekwon V embodies through
its villains who are portrayed as power-hungry, authoritarian, and bent on world domination. While never explicitly labeled as communists, their design and behaviour
align with how the South Korean government depicted North Korea and communist ideology. These villains often use brainwashing, mind control, and militarized
technology which were tactics commonly associated with fears of communist regimes and directly reflects a Cold War era paranoia in South Korea. The robot in the film
is a symbol of South Korea’s technological hopes and defensive strength, he doesn’t conquer or invade – he defends, which echoes South Korea’s image as a nation
constantly under threat, especially from the North. The robot fighting off threats is a metaphor for defending South Korea against idealogical and military threats.
Influence of Japanese Anime:
Robot Taekwon V has a lot to do with Japanese animation, both in terms of influence and cultural reaction. You can’t fully understand Taekwon V without looking
at the huge impact of Japanese anime on South Korea at the time, and how Robot Taekwon V was both inspired by and a response to that. The animation style and concept
were heavily influenced by Japanese works like Mazinger Z (1972), one of the first major mecha series. The director of Taekwon V, Kim Cheong-gi, has acknowledged
that Japanese mecha anime influenced his work, especially visually and stylistically. At the time, Japanese anime dominated Korean TV, but it was also controversial.
Japan had colonized Korea, so many Koreans were uncomfortable with how much Japanese culture was being consumed, which is why Taekwon V attempted to reclaim the genre
by embedding korean cultural elements such as taekwondo, Korea’s national martial art, by giving the main character a korean identity: Kim Hoon, a taekwondo champion
and included Korean music, symbols and cultural references. This was a cultural assertion, distinguishing Korean identity from Japanese imports.
References:
“The Korean Socio-Political Context of the 1970s in Robot Taekwon V (1976).” https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1746847720933800?icid=int.sj-full-text.similar-articles.6
https://youtu.be/iJdb8FphHw4?si=i_Z8j-ApSAgA2_uO
My group decided to use Canva to create our poster, here are some screenshots of our different drafts:
(the text is meant to be black but my browser has an issue with inverting text colour for some reason)