Medarot (anime)

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Medarot (メダロット Medarotto), known as Medabots in the West, is the first anime in the Medarot franchise, produced by Bee Train Production and originally aired on TV Tokyo in July 2, 1999. The anime tells the adventures of Ikki Tenryou and Metabee as they foil the schemes of the RoboRobo Gang.

Beginning its airing a month before the launch of Medarot 2, the anime serves as a tie-in and adapts its story and characters, though takes considerable creative liberties in doing so. As it progresses, the series also bring in elements from the original game and Medarot R. Following its release, subsequent Medarot games would make various alterations to the characters and setting to more closely match the anime's portrayals.

The series was originally licensed and localized into English by Nelvana and was broadcast on YTV and Télétoon in Canada and Fox Kids and ABC Family in the United States in 2001. Though not the first Medarot media to be released in the west, its prominence and associated marketing blitz made it the main gateway to the franchise for Western audiences. Due to this, the anime was promoted as a standalone product rather than an advertisement for the games, with other products like action figures and videogames being later sold with the marketing of being derived from the anime rather than the opposite. The few Medarot games officially localized for the West (namely (Medabots AX), Medarot 2 Core and Medarot Brave) were designed with the anime in mind.

The anime has a sequel called Medarot Damashii.

Synopsis

Ikki Tenryou is a young boy who loves Medarots but does not have the allowance to buy his own. Through a series of coincidences, Ikki stumbles upon a rare Kabuto Medal and purchases an obsolete KBT set. Ikki's Metabee proves to be surprisingly strong but also much unlike most medarots in personality, being rude, disobedient and with a huge chip on his shoulders. Together with Ikki's childhood friend Arika and her medarot partner Brass, Ikki and Metabee go on a variety of adventures as they help various people and tangle with the RoboRobo Gang, who at first appear to merely petty Medal thieves.

Ikki and his new friend meet a variety of colourful characters as they get dragged into hijinks or attempt to climp up in the national rankings to qualify for the upcoming World Robottle Championship. After hearing rumors of a "Legendary Medafighter", they befriend the caring-if-quirky Karin and meet Kouji, a serious and arrogant Medaroter who grows into Ikki's friendly rival. The pair also acquaint themselves with Rokusho, a wise and honorable wandering medarot whose master is thought to have perished in a fire many years prior. Metabee becomes the target of the Phantom Retort, a master thief (and actually Ikki's friendly mart cashier Hikaru Agata in disguise) who has a keen interest in Metabee's rare medal.

The duo comes under the notice of master medarot researcher Dr. Medarot and Ikki is invited to become his "apprentice". It is learned that Metabee has the ability to perform the Medaforce, a powerful attack thought to only be usable by Rare medals. After foiling a scheme by the RoboRobo leader Dr. Hebereke to harness the energy of Metabee's medal and cause a rebellion in medarots equipped with the mass-produced Kabuto medal, Ikki is told he climbed to the #3 national ranking at the last minute, qualifying him for a spot on the World Robottle Championship's Japanese team.

Before the championship begins, a controversial new rule is introduced which allows the victor of a heat to claim the medals of the losers, a rule that the current world champion Victor doesn't hesitate to take advantage of. Eventually, the Japanese team win their heats and come to blow with Victor's Kenya team. Metabee and Victor's Warbonnet execute their Medaforce attack simultaneously, plunging every Medabots witnessing the match in a dreamlike-state. Throughout Metabee's ensuing dream, it is revealed that the Medabots and their Medals are the remnants of an ancient alien civilization that wiped itself out in a war long ago. The RoboRobo leader was one of the few survivor of the civilization and used Victor and the RoboRobo as his pawns, engineering the tournament to remind Medarots of their origins and have them overthrow humanity. However, the plan is ruined when Ikki manges to enter Metabee's dream and snaps him out of it, restoring all of the medarots to their original condition.

With his plan ruined and his henchmen having deserted him, Dr. Hebereke activates his final trump card, a giant medarot called Primity Baby. Dr. Medarot has Metabee and the other medarots pilot a giant Metabee mecha he had stashed for an eventuality just like this. When the mecha's attack have little ffect, Metabee ejects the other medarots and sacrifice himself by launching the mecha at Primity Baby and detonating it. Soon after, aliens land with Rokusho's old master Dr. Gengoro Fushihara, taking Dr. Hebereke with them and giving Ikki a ressurected Metabee.

With all seemingly being well, Ikki invites Victor to reprise their interupted match.

Characters

World Robottle Cup

RoboRobo Gang

Episodes

Episode no. Title Translation English title Original airdate
Original Dub order
1 うごけ! ポンコツメダロット Move, Junky Medarot! Stung by a Metabee July 2, 1999
One night, the phantom thief Retort, a Medal hunter, stole a Rare Medal... In the playground of Ikki and Arika's school, Kikuhime, the Screws' boss, and the student council president, are starting a robot battle with Medarots called a Robattle. Ikki, who doesn't have a Medarot, accidentally picks up a Medal from the river. Then Hikaru, a convenience store clerk, sold Ikki Metabee, an early Medarot model.
2 逆襲のスクリューズ The Screws Strike Back Return of the Screws July 9, 1999
Ikki is finally able to have his own Medarot Metabee, but Metabee doesn't listen to his master. Ikki complains to Hikaru that it is a defective product, but it seems that the discrepancy in personality between Medarot and master is caused by the Medal.
3 男の夢は体力だ A Man's Dream Is Physical Strength Running Scared July 16, 1999
Otokoyama, known as Mister Muscle, hates Medarots. He belives that those who have time to play Robattles should train the body! Just like that, he imposes hellish punishments. One day, Ikki gets a mediocre score on a test and is invited to Otokoyama's fun club activities...
4 伝説のメダロッター The Legendary Medarotter The Legendary Medafighter July 23, 1999
Apparently, there is a legendary Medarotter at Hanazono Academy who has an undefeated Medarot? Hearing about this rumor, Arika immediately goes to Hanazono Academy with Ikki and Metabee to find out what kind of person is that.
5 海よ今日もありがとう Thank You For Today, Ocean The Old Man and the Sea Monster July 30, 1999
Ikki and Arika arrive at the beach with Metabee. Metabee, who did not know that seawater was salt water, complains to Ikki about rust, and the two get into a fight. Then a trio of locals arrive and warn them that there is a monster on the beach and it's dangerous, so all outsiders should go home! They walk away after the warning.
6 27 宇宙人だロボ!! Aliens-robo!! Spaceship Superstars August 6, 1999
Arika saw aliens while walking with Brass in search for a special feature. She shows Ikki the photographic evidence, but he doesn't believe her because it sounds like a lie. Therefore, Arika thought of using Metabee as a bait to capture an alien alive in her alien decoy operation.
7 6 暗闇に消えたメダル The Medals That Disappeared into the Darkness The Gimme Ghost August 13, 1999
The phantom thief Retort, who steals medals from collectors, is rumored to be the ghost that appears in the middle of the night and tells you to "leave the medals" behind. Karin came to Ikki and Arika to talk about Kouji being a victim of the "leave ghost".
8 32 迷子のメダロット The Lost Medarot No Body Home August 20, 1999
Ikki, who was invited by Arika to study the ecology of Medarotters as part of his free research for summer vacation homework, suggests that they go to Karin's house, saying that Karin is also a Medarotter. On the way, Metabee picked up a Mermaid Medal.
9 7 吠えろ! シアンドッグ Howl, Cyandog! Cyandog Bites Back August 27, 1999
As Iwanoi had lost many Robattles, Kikuhime fired him from the Screws. Iwanoi challenged kindergarteners playing in a sandbox for a Robattle, believing that they would be opponents he could definitely defeat, but he was the one easily defeated. Iwanoi then decides to leave town with Cyandog.
10 8 嵐のロボトルトーナメント The Stormy Robattle Tournament For Better for Worse, Part 1 September 3, 1999
Metabee provoked Ikki, who was watching the TV broadcast of the Robattle World Tournament, and they got into a fight as usual. After breaking the TV, Ikki is left without any pocket money. At that time, Ikki hears that a Robattle tournament will be held in town and is enthusiastic about his first participation and obtaining his first victory!
11 9 メタビー、グレる Stray Metabee For Better for Worse, Part 2 September 10, 1999
Ikki lost his medal at the Robattle competition venue, and Metabee stopped working. Metabee's medal was picked up by the Roborobo Gang and placed into an A-Gedama, and he appears before Ikki.
12 10 その名はロクショウ The Name Is Rokusho Mystery Medabot September 17, 1999
On a stormy day, Ikki and Arika pass by a river and find a girl whose dog has been washed away and is calling for help. Ikki goes to help her, but the rain and wind are so strong that he can't move. At that moment, from the bridge, a mysterious Medarot appears and rescues the dog from being washed away.
13 28 キクヒメの恋 Kikuhime in Love For Love or Robattle September 24, 1999
14 33 忍びが通る Shinobis Passing Through Welcome to Ninja World October 1, 1999
15 34 キン・タロー注意報 Kin-Tarou Warning Eat, Drink, Man, Medabot October 8, 1999
16 35 花ことばはロボトル Robattle in the Language of Flowers There's Something About Miss Mimosa October 15, 1999
17 11 レトルト危機一髪! Retort's Close Call! Phantom Renegade: Unmasked October 22, 1999
18 12 ロボトル禁止令! Ban on Robattles! Ban All Medabots October 29, 1999
19 36 ピンゲン南へ… Go South, Pinguen The Birds and the Metabees November 5, 1999
20 13 レアメダルを奪え! Steal the Rare Medal! Meet Your Meda-Maker November 12, 1999
21 14 潜入! メダロット社 Infiltration! Medarot Company The Spy Who Robattled Me November 19, 1999
22 37 翔べ! メタビー Fly, Metabee! Skyward, Yo! November 26, 1999
23 15 風と火の記憶 Memories of Wind and Fire I Dream of Hushi December 3, 1999
24 29 ロボトル舞踏会 Robattle Ball Dance with the Mantis December 10, 1999
25 16 激突! メタビー対ロクショウ Clash! Metabee vs. Rokusho Metabee vs Rokusho December 17, 1999
26 17 メダフォース発動 Medaforce Activated Use the Medaforce December 24, 1999
27 18 発表! ロボトルランキング Announcement! Robattle Rankings Fifteen Minutes of Shame January 7, 2000
28 38 たこ焼き大作戦! Operation Takoyaki! Love at First Bite January 14, 2000
29 30 雪だるまが来た The Snowman Cometh Once Frostbitten, Twice Shy January 21, 2000
30 39 捨て犬のブルース Stray Dog Blues Heavy Medal January 28, 2000
31 19 りんたろう参上! Enter: Rintarou! Enter Rintaro February 4, 2000
32 20 宇宙からの使者? The Emissary From Outer Space? The Ace from Outer Space February 11, 2000
33 31 ロボトルに架ける橋 Robattle Over the Bridge Bridge Over Troubled Squidguts February 18, 2000
34 21 奥義! シャドウソード Secret Technique! Shadow Sword Me and My Shadow Sword February 25, 2000
35 22 囚われたチドリ! Captive Chidori! Dude, Where's My Ma? March 3, 2000
36 23 さらば宇宙メダロッターX Farewell, Space Medarotter X X-treme Measures March 10, 2000
37 24 決戦! ミヤマ遺跡 Decisive Battle! Miyama Ruins The Road to Ruins March 17, 2000
38 25 メタビーをとり戻せ! Take Metabee Back! Beetle Mania March 24, 2000
39 26 灼熱の最終ロボトル The Scorching Final Robattle The Mother of All Robattles March 31, 2000
40 開幕! 世界大会 The World Cup Begins! Let the Meda-Games Begin April 7, 2000
41 一回戦から大波乱! Turmoil From the First Round! Pixies and Pirates April 14, 2000
42 ルパン三兄弟七変化 The Quick-Changing Lupin Brothers The French Deception April 21, 2000
43 踊る! 大おやびん Dance, Great Boss Lady! Space Medaballerina X April 28, 2000
44 アイドルにご用心! Beware of Idols! Swede and Sour May 5, 2000
45 強敵! エジプトの女王 Formidable Foe! The Queen of Egypt Future's Past May 12, 2000
46 華麗なるジョー The Splendid Joe The Medaforce Within May 19, 2000
47 北から来た少年 The Boy From the North A Date with Destiny May 26, 2000
48 孤独なライオン Solitary Lion Calm Before the Storm June 2, 2000
49 世界大会決勝 The World Cup Final Taking the Victor Out of Victory June 9, 2000
50 よみがえる悪夢 The Nightmare Returns Altered States June 16, 2000
51 夢の途中 In the Middle of a Dream Waking to a Dream June 23, 2000
52 史上最大のロボトル The Greatest Robattle in History Metabee's Last Stand June 30, 2000

English dub

The series and its sequel were licensed by Canadian animation distributor Nelvana, which aired them as a three-season (26x26x39) series between 2001 and 2004, first airing on Fox Kids for its first season before moving to ABC Family for its second and Jetix for the third. Voiceovers were recorded in Toronto. Most western dubs of the series beside the Italian one are based off this version.

As was typical for foreign adaptations of Japanese kids anime, the series was heavily localized in the name of meeting U.S broadcasting requirements and appealing to its target audience. A non-exhaustive list of changes include:

  • The dub has a new, shorter opening sequence mixing footage from the Japanese opening and various episodes. A truncated version of its theme music is used as the menu theme for the overseas releases of Medarot 2 Core, Medabots AX and Medarot Brave.
  • The episode order was heavily shuffled around with only the first five and the last 13 matching the Japanese episode listing. This causes a number of continuity issues.
  • The entire soundtrack was replaced by new compositions.
  • Various characters are renamed to simpler or western names.
  • Scenes that were originally silent either have music playing or characters speaking from off-screen, often both.
  • When a new Medabot is introduced, a "Medabots Vital Stats" screen appears which show's the Medabot's name, Medafighter, and specialty.
  • The Medabot's model number, although they mostly maintain the same letters as the Japanese version, the numbers, which were absent in the Japanese anime, were included and changed to something completely random and with more digits. For example, Metabee changed from KBT-1 to KBT-11220.
  • Scenes involving physical violence performed against human character are often edited out.
  • Every episodes have small cuts and transition changes to account for different episode length
  • The special ending credits montage from the final episode was cut. As such, international viewers are not informed of the outcome of Ikki and Victor's final battle as well as why Hikaru does not appear in Medarot Damashii.

Differences with the games

  • As an adaptation of the Kabuto version, all the features of the Kuwagata version had to be implemented in the anime in a storyline that often doesn't exist in the games.
    • Since Metabee is Ikki Tenryou's main Medarot, Rokusho was introduced as a solo Medarot that once belonged to Dr. Fushihara.
    • Since Smilodonad is Kouji Karakuchi's main Medarot, Warbonnet was introduced as Victor's main Medarot.
  • Almost all weekly episodic plots don't exist in the game and don't correspond with the plot of each chapter of Medarot 2. Only the main plot has few characteristics shared with the game.
  • Although nothing prevents a person from having more than one Medarot in the anime, battles have been simplified to 1v1 instead of 3v3. Because of this most characters only have a single Medarot rather than a collection of them.
  • The idea that Mr. Uruchi always appears to be the judge of every battle between Medarots doesn't exist in the games. He is only responsible for being the judge at tournaments.
  • In the anime Iwanoi starts with Cyandog and later upgrades him to Bluesdog, while in the game he only uses the sucessor Bluesdog. Due to this Bluesdog was replaced by Cyandog in the Medarot 2 Core remake since the game tried to be more accurate to the anime, but remains with Cyandog during the whole game.
    • However, the whole plot point about Cyandog using the Monkey medal (which is incompatible with his parts) doesn't exist in any version of the game and is exclusive to the anime.
  • Although the anime places Arika and Karin as two possible romantic interests for Ikki, the plot ultimately opts for Arika's path over Karin's, as Karin is not present in Medarot Damashii. In the game you have the freedom to choose Karin instead.
  • The whole plot about Karin being a legendary Medarotter doesn't exist in the game as gameplay-wise Saintnurse is completely unable to win a battle alone due to her lack of offensive skill. However, in the anime it is implied that Karin never lost due to never participating in a Robattle before, being too nice to start one or to be challenged.
  • Despite their roles in Medarot 2, Kirara, Hachiro and Nae are completely absent in the anime.
    • However, in Medarot Damashii, Nae appears as a major character, and Kirara has a cameo appearance in the Japanese credits.
  • Although the anime makes some allusions to the events of Medarot 1 similar to the game, the presence of adult Tawarama in the anime doesn't happen in the game. Also, Joe Suihan knowing Hikaru in the past is based on the Medarot 1 manga, since who Hikaru faces in the Medarot 1 game was Jaw Suihan, Joe's father.
  • Some Medarotters, especially Roborobo Gang, have Medarots that they don't have in the game. A notable example of this is them having Flame Tisala, which in the games only Nae initially had because it is one of the Elemental series still being tested in the laboratory.
  • The anime states that Medaforce is an ability exclusive to rare medals and that clone medals are incapable of such feat (Although this is later contradicted with Smilodonad being capable of using Medaforce). In the games, any medal is capable of making Medaforce.
    • Also, in the games a Medarot is capable of using up to three different Medaforces, while in the anime the Medarots apparently only had one.
  • As obvious as it is that Hikaru and Phantom Retort are the same person, the anime ends with this plot point open and even showing the two in different locations to increase doubt. In the games, Phantom Retort is revealed to be Hikaru in the story's climax.
  • Hikaru has a third identity as Space Medarotter X, which doesn't exist in the games.
    • Hikaru/Phantom Retort/Space Medarotter X is shown with an Arcbeetle. This is impossible in Medarot 2 as Arcbeetle would only be introduced in Medarot R and 3. In Medarot 2 Hikaru always uses the same starter Medarot as Ikki, Metabee or Rokusho.
    • Of note, Rintarou, Arcbeetle, and Space Medarotter X were introduced in the same episode, and the three also appear in the Medarot R manga that was being serialized at the time. In the manga it is Rintarou who has Arcbeetle, and there are multiple Space Medarotters.
  • The game's Island Tournament was replaced by the World Robottle Cup in the anime. Although they have some participants in common, the entire event happens differently.
  • In the anime Dr. Hebereke is the leader of the Roborobo Gang, while in the game he only cooperates with the group for his own plans. The reason for his actions in the game are more comical than truly evil.
  • While in the game God Emperor is recognized as the final boss, the anime opted for Primity Baby. Probably because Primity Baby is indeed an extra (and harder) battle after God Emperor in the games. Also Primity Baby is indeed the final boss of Medarot R (which the second half of the anime uses some elements), which makes Dr. Hebereke have an equivalent role to Katekin Ten from Medarot R than his own Medarot 2 counterpart.
    • Primity Baby's gigantic size and Metabee's gigantic body never happened in the games.
    • God Emperor was placed as a major enemy from the first half of the anime, right before the start of the World Robattle Cup arc.

Reception

In a press release by Nelvana, Medabots was stated to be Fox Kid's "#1 new-season program for fall 2001".

In a 2010 interview, Horuma Rin said he was impressed by the thoughtful and fluid way the anime series translated his designs to animation, singling out Peppercat's portrayal.

Medarot 2 writer Kana Hirano spoke highly of the series, calling it a masterpiece on her account of Medarot 2's development. In a 2023 twitter post, she added that seeing the characters she named brough to life by the anime series was highly motivating during the "death march" of Medarot 3 and Medarot 4's development.

See also

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