Robot Taekwon V

In short: Another Korean ripoff of another mecha show, that grew the beard and made something of itself.

Robot Taekwon V (released in America as Voltar The Invincible) was a 1976 South Korean animated film that inspired many sequels and comic books. In Japan it's known as a Mazinger Z ripoff, but the creator Kim Cheong-gi freely admits that it directly inspired him.

An Mad Scientist named Dr. Kaff builds giant robots to kidnaps world-famous athletes to use their powers to Take Over the World. Dr. Kim makes a super robot to fight Dr. Kaff's robots. His eldest son Kim Hoon, a young taekwondo champion, must use his martial arts skills to pilot it. He is joined by his Action Girlfriend Yoon Yeong in the fight against evil. It follows a few kids finding a Humongous Mecha that could adapt in any environment and can be used as a tool for keeping the galaxy at peace.

Video sequels are still being made today.

Click here for a clip of OP.

Tropes used by the anime:

 * Action Girlfriend: Yoon
 * Annoying Younger Sibling: Kim Cheol
 * Author Appeal: Robot Taekwon V designed to give South Korean children a Korean hero with it's Tae Kwon Do themed robot. Taekwon V’s helmet is based on the headgear of Admiral Yi Sun Shin, the iconic 16th century leader who defended Korean shores from Japanese invasion with iron clad warships.
 * Big Bad
 * Falling Into the Cockpit
 * Mad Scientist: Dr. Kaff
 * Motion Capture Mecha (an early example)
 * May or may not in fact be the Trope Maker. The show came out two years before Daimos, the anime which is usually credited with inventing the concept. It seems some things really were invented in Korea...
 * Mockbuster: Averted. Despite some Mazinger fans' misplaced nationalism, this is one of the few Korean robot cartoons that isn't.
 * Monster of the Week
 * New Powers As the Plot Demands: Sometimes the gang in charge of Taekwon V can unknowingly summon outside forces to aid them in fighting anything that is evil or corrupt.
 * Ragtag Bunch of Misfits
 * Recruit Teenagers With Attitude
 * The Seventies
 * Plucky Comic Relief: Kim Cheol
 * Take Over the World
 * Zettai Ryouiki: Yoon wears thigh-high boots and a short skirt.