''Phoenix King'' (불사조 로보트 피닉스킹 ''Bulsajo roboteu Pinikseu-King'') is a South Korean animated feature film. It was later dubbed into English and released in America and Europe as ''Defenders of Space'' and parts of its footage was used to create ''Space Thunder Kids''. The small image of the movie poster depicts a toy version of Phoenix King that was released. Phoenix King is identical to a ''

Diaclone is a toyline by Takara Toys launched in 1980. It consisted of transforming vehicles and robots piloted by miniature, magnet-shoed figures spun off from the prior Microman toy line. The toys in the 1980 line were designed by future ''Macross'' ...

'' toy No.10 Fire Engine, that later became Inferno of the ''

Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...

''. This is the earliest animated version of said toy.

Criticism

The film is infamous for copying designs from numerous Super Robot Series in Japan, especially

Mazinger Z is a Japanese super robot manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later was reissued in Kodansha ''TV Magazine ...

Ippatsuman is a Japanese anime television series broadcast from February 13, 1982 to March 26, 1983, comprising 58 episodes. It is the sixth entry to the ''Time Bokan'' series by Tatsunoko Productions and the second series to feature a super robot as th ...

Space Cruiser Yamato is a Japanese science fiction anime series produced and written by Yoshinobu Nishizaki, directed by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, and produced by Academy Productions. The series aired in Yomiuri TV from October 6, 1974 to March 30, 1975, ...

Mobile Suit Gundam , also known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is an anime television series, produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting ...

and many of

Leiji Matsumoto is a Japanese mangaka, creator of several anime and manga series. His wife Miyako Maki is also a manga artist. Early life Matsumoto was the middle child of a family of seven brothers, and, in his early childhood, Matsumoto was given a 35m ...

's work. China's

Astro Plan ''Astro Plan'', known in China as ''Space Adventures'' () and informally in Japan as , is a science fiction mecha animated series created by Guangzhou-based toy firm Xing Yuan. Hailed as "China's first sci-fi animation", the series premiered on Chi ...

later is said to have ripped off far more numerous series.

External links

Phoenix-bot Phoenix King
at Mimanbu
Karaeff
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Phoenix Robot Phoenixing (Bulsajo Roboteu Pinikseu King)
at the Korean Movie Database 1984 films South Korean animated science fiction films 1980s Korean-language films Animated films about robots {{Transformers-stub