Superhero animated television series
Mega Man is a science fiction superhero animated television series co-produced by Ruby-Spears Productions and Ashi Productions, and based on the video game series of the same name by Capcom.[1] It aired from September 11, 1994 to January 19, 1996, lasting two seasons. A spin-off based on Mega Man X was planned, but didn't go through.[2]
The rights to the series are currently owned by Shochiku.
Plot
Dr. Light and Dr. Wily were brilliant scientists in the field of robotics and coworkers at a laboratory. One day, they finished an extremely advanced prototype, but shortly after being activated, it began destroying the laboratory. Dr. Light believed that the prototype's guidance system, which Dr. Wily had personally programmed, was the source of the problem. Dr. Wily attempted to steal the plans later that night, but Dr. Light catches him. Despite this, Wily is able to steal the plans and uses them to construct Proto Man.
Later, Dr. Light builds Rock and Roll, advanced robots with personalities, along with Ice Man, Guts Man, and Cut Man. Dr. Wily and Proto Man steal Ice Man, Guts Man, and Cut Man, reprogramming them to be henchmen. Dr. Wily attempts to reprogram Rock and Roll, but Rock tricks Dr. Wily by telling him that Dr. Light also built "super warrior robots", and that if Rock and Roll are let go, he will tell him how to defeat the robots. Since Dr. Wily believes robots can't lie, Rock uses this lie to cause a distraction and escape with Roll. Dr. Light decides to reprogram and reoutfit Rock into Mega Man, who from then on protects the world.
Characters
Main
- Mega Man (voiced by Ian James Corlett) – Mirroring his origins in the video games, he was originally an assistant robot built by Dr. Light named Rock. He originally donned a blue T-shirt and shorts but also wore his typical robot boots. After Wily reprograms Light's first industrial robots and unsuccessfully attempts to reprogram Rock and Roll, he is rebuilt into a fighting robot. He mainly wields the plasma cannon, which he fires from his left arm after withdrawing his hand into it. He can also copy Wily's robots' abilities by touching them. He has numerous catchphrases, with the most common one being "Sizzling circuits".
- Dr. Light (voiced by Jim Byrnes) – Mega Man's creator, who once worked with Dr. Wily and created a line of industrial robots until the latter stole their plans and a defective prototype. Light built Rock, Roll and the first three robot masters; Cut Man, Guts Man and Ice Man. After Wily reprogrammed his industrial robots, Light rebuilds Rock into Mega Man to stop his schemes. Throughout the series, Light builds other robots and inventions to help humanity and stop Wily's plots. His appearance differs slightly from his game counterpart, as he has a shorter beard and grey hair. Jim Byrnes would later reprise his role as Dr. Light in the English dub of Mega Man: Upon a Star, where he is named Dr. Wright.
- Roll (voiced by Robyn Ross) – Mega Man's sister, who assists him on missions. She was built as a household robot and possesses a number of home-appliances which switch on and off similarly to Mega Man's plasma cannon. She mostly uses a vacuum cleaner which has enough force to pull robots to pieces and which can suck in enemy projectiles and fire them back. She is more mature than her game counterpart and wears a red-and-yellow jumpsuit instead of a dress.
- Rush (voiced by Ian James Corlett) – Mega Man's robot dog, who has several modes; Mega Man uses his jet-mode, in which he turns into a jet board, as a primary means of transportation. . He has enhanced smell and hearing, and alternates between making typical dog sounds and speaking. Though he mostly parrots other characters, he seemingly has a limited ability for independent speech, such as announcing "Mega, Mega. Right back. Messages". during the show's commercial bumpers.
Supporting
- Eddie (voiced by Scott McNeil) – A suitcase on legs, whose primary function is to deliver Energy Cans (E-Tanks) to Mega Man when he is critically low on energy. Though he resembles his game counterpart, he is green in color instead of red.
- Met/Doc – A single Met acts as an assistant to Dr. Light, as seen in the first episode. Unlike its game counterpart, it is not equipped with a weapon, instead having a flexible grabber arm which it uses to produce items. This suggests he was another lab assistant and a prototype for Eddie. He is referred to as "Doc".
- Mayor of New York City (voiced by Garry Chalk in most appearances, Jim Byrnes in "Mega Dreams", understudied by Scott McNeil in "Campus Commandos") - The unnamed mayor of New York City, who often goes to Mega Man when a crisis involving Wily threatens New York City. Despite being unable to stop Wily, he does stand up to him during the "Big Shake", refusing to surrender control of the city despite his threats and Mega Man being out of commission. He reappears in "Campus Commandos", and reappears in the episode "Mega Dreams". In the episode Crime of the Century, a new mayor is introduced, who is African American.
- Bree Ricotta (voiced by Robyn Ross) – A recurring news reporter who appears most prominently in the episode "Mega-Pinnochio". Her name seems to be a reference to brie and ricotta, which are both types of cheese.
- Mega Man X (voiced by Michael Donovan) – The main character of the Mega Man X series who appears in the episode "Mega X", having chased Vile and Spark Mandrill through time to stop them from taking Lightanium back to their own time to help Sigma finance his wars against humans. Like Mega Man, X has the ability to copy weapons from enemies by touching them, as he is seen copying Snake Man's weapon to destroy Dr. Wily's plasma cannon. Unlike Mega Man, who can only use a copied weapon once, X is seemingly able to copy a weapon multiple times, as he is seen copying and using Snake Man's weapon three times. His personality is different in the cartoon compared to his video game counterpart, who is a pacifist and sometimes hesitates doing a job if it means risking innocent lives, as he is more quick to action and does not have as much regard for human life. This makes him more similar to Zero, his comrade in the games.
Villains
- Dr. Wily (voiced by Scott McNeil in a German accent) – Light's former assistant, who stole the plans for the prototype industrial robots after their first test with a humanoid robot failed. Wily was convinced that Light sabotaged his work in order to get the credit and ran off before returning with Proto Man to reprogram Light's industrial robots. In the first episode, it is revealed that Wily has suffered envy through his entire life, as he says that "I didn't even have toys like the other children", and that he plans to exact vengeance on humanity using his robots. Scott McNeil would later reprise his role as Dr. Willy in the English dub of Mega Man: Upon a Star, although his German accent is toned down.
- Proto Man (voiced by Scott McNeil) – Mega Man's older brother and Wily's constant lackey. Despite working for Wily, Proto Man tends to disobey him and ruin his plans, as he is obsessed with destroying his brother or recruiting him to Dr. Wily's side. His abilities are similar to Mega Man's, as he fires plasma resembling blue energy and has the ability to copy other robot's powers, as shown when he copies Guts Man's power to fight Mega Man. The first humanoid prototype built by Light and Wily resembles his color-scheme, though it is not directly stated if Wily rebuilt Proto Man from the prototype. Unlike in the games, Proto Man does not carry a shield and is loyal to Wily alone, filling the role that Bass plays from Mega Man 7 onwards.
- Batontons – The series' version of the Bubble Bat enemies introduced in Mega Man 2, who are also referred to as Wily's Spy Bats. They are frequently used for spying, but also possess the ability to attack by firing projectiles.
- Vile (voiced by Lee Tockar) – A battle Reploid and Maverick Warrior sent from the future to obtain Lightanium power rods in the episode "Mega X". He and his partner Spark Mandrill hope to distribute the rods to their master Sigma, who is the leader of the Mavericks and plans to use the rods to finance his war against the humans in his time. Vile enters an alliance with Wily after learning he has gained the schematics of the power plant containing the rods. As compensation for Wily helping him get the rods, he allows Wily to use some of the rods to power up his blaster. However, the two are foiled by Mega Man and Mega Man X, and Wily and his henchmen escape after the blaster is destroyed while Mega Man X takes him and Spark Mandrill back to their time.
- Spark Mandrill (voiced by Richard Newman) – A mandrill-themed battle Reploid and Maverick Warrior, who appears in "Mega X". He is Vile's partner, who along with him seeks to obtain the Lightanium rods to finance Sigma's war on humans in the future. He is defeated by Mega Man X, who takes him and Vile back to their time.
Robot Masters
Various Robot Masters from the first five classic Mega Man games appear throughout the series, including Snake Man from Mega Man 3, Elec Man from the original Mega Man, and Pharaoh Man from Mega Man 4. None of the Robot Masters from Mega Man 6 made appearances, despite the show's first episode airing a year after the game's release.
- Cut Man (voiced by Terry Klassen impersonating Peter Lorre) – One of Dr. Light's original six industrial robots, who was created to aid in logging and chop down trees. He is one of Dr. Wily's stock-lackeys alongside Guts Man and Proto Man. He is arrogant and makes cutting and scissors-related one-liner puns ("Cutting you down to size is going to be shear delight") while laughing at his own jokes. His overall design is similar to his game counterpart, but the details of his head and uniform are slightly different. He wields a weapon that is thrown like a boomerang, but also displays the ability to fire his weapon a seemingly unlimited number of times.
- Guts Man (voiced by Garry Chalk) – One of Dr. Light's original six industrial robots, who was created to aid in construction. Along with Cut Man, he is one of Dr. Wily's main henchmen. Unlike his counterpart in the games, he prefers brawn over brains. A recurring joke involves Rush biting his leg before being kicked off, and he is also often shown breaking through walls to get somewhere rather than using doors.
- Ice Man (voiced by Terry Klassen in an Italian-American accent) - One of Dr. Light's original six industrial robots, an Inuit-themed robot with ice attacks who was created to aid in arctic work. He has circles around his eyes and a flashing light for a mouth. In "Ice Age, he becomes jealous of Dr. Wily's freezing plot involving Air Man and takes revenge using his own plan that involves Ice Bots.
- Fire Man - One of Dr. Light's original six industrial robots, a fire-themed robot with flames painted on his blasters who was created to aid in construction. He only appears in the first episode and has no dialogue.
- Bomb Man (voiced by Terry Klassen) - A bomb-throwing robot with a beak-like mouth. He is one of Dr. Light's original six industrial robots and was created to aid in demolition. A running gag is that he is often destroyed by someone shooting or deflecting his bombs.
- Elec Man (voiced by Terry Klassen) - An electrical robot with a muscular appearance. He is one of Dr. Light's original six industrial robots and was created to aid in construction. His Thunder Beam is a more straightforward attack than in the game.
- Air Man (voiced by Terry Klassen) - A fan-themed robot who does not get along with Ice Man. He has a human-like face and is taller than Guts Man.
- Crash Man (voiced by Terry Klassen in an Italian-American accent) - A robot first seen in "Mega-Pinocchio" attacking a building until Mega Man stops him. His Crash Bombs are renamed Time Bombs and have drills at the tip.
- Heat Man (voiced by Garry Chalk) - A Zippo lighter-shaped robot that attacks with fire. While he does not use his Atomic Fire ability, he can spit fire from his mouth.
- Metal Man (voiced by Ian James Corlett) - A robot who can attack with circular saw-shaped metal blades and can turn his hands into saw blades.
- Quick Man (voiced by Jim Byrnes) - A robot with quick reflexes who attacks with the boomerang from his head and laser boomerangs shot from his wrist.
- Wood Man (voiced by Richard Newman) - A wood-themed robot, whose Leaf Shield is depicted as a large leaf-shaped shield.
- Gemini Man (voiced by Tony Sampson) - He has a nose and is not shown using his ability to make copies of himself. Instead, he uses his Gemini Laser. He is used to portray the lead guitarist of the band Cold Steel as part of Dr. Wily's plot to brainwash humans into obeying him.
- Hard Man (voiced by Terry Klassen) - A robot with a strong body and a habit of using the word "hard" in his sentences. Like Gemini Man, he has a nose. While he does not utilize his Hard Knuckle, Mega Man does when copying his ability. Dr. Wily uses him in "Bad Day at Peril Park" as part of his plot to brainwash the attendees of Fun World into thinking they are robots.
- Magnet Man (voiced by Terry Klassen) - A magnet-themed robot who uses his hands to do magnetic abilities and does not use his Magnet Missiles.
- Needle Man (voiced by Garry Chalk) - A needle-themed robot who wields the Needle Cannon.
- Shadow Man (voiced by Terry Klassen) - A ninja-themed robot who can throw the blade on his head.
- Snake Man (voiced by Ian James Corlett) - A snake-themed robot who fires Search Snakes as projectiles, which can chew through anything. In "Bot Transfer," his circuits are swapped with Mega Man's circuits due to one of Dr. Wily's machines.
- Spark Man (voiced by Garry Chalk in his normal voice, Tony Sampson in his disguised voice) - A spark-themed robot who performs his Spark Shot by touching his two needles to a surface instead of firing them. While he appears in "Mega-Pinocchio," he has a larger role when he is used to portray the drummer of the band Cold Steel as part of Dr. Wily's plot to brainwash humans into obeying him.
- Top Man (voiced by Jim Byrnes) - A top-themed robot who is taller than his game counterpart.
- Bright Man (voiced by Garry Chalk) - A robot with a lightbulb atop his head. He wields the Flash Stopper, which induces temporary blindness, causing Mega Man to use sunglasses when fighting him.
- Dive Man (voiced by Terry Klassen) - A submarine-themed robot. Unlike in the games, he does not have propeller feet and his chest is not in the shape of a keel. In addition, his Dive Missiles are fired from the cannon on his arm.
- Drill Man (voiced by Scott McNeil) - A drill-themed robot.
- Dust Man (voiced by Terry Klassen in a raspy voice) - A vacuum cleaner-themed robot, who like Air Man has a human-like head.
- Pharaoh Man (voiced by Terry Klassen) - A pharaoh-themed robot.
- Toad Man (voiced by Terry Klassen) - A toad-themed robot, who has been redesigned with a mouth and a prehensile tongue, and is able to fire his Rain Flush into the sky. Dr. Wily uses Toad Man in "Robosaurus Park", where he fires his Rain Flush attack modified with Dr. Wily's formula to devolve the minds of robots exposed to it.
- Ring Man (voiced by Garry Chalk) - A ring-themed robot, who uses a hoverboard in "Mega-Pinocchio" and an air fighter in "Bad Day at Peril Park."
- Crystal Man (voiced by Terry Klassen) - A crystal-themed robot, who once assisted Dr. Wily in targeting a space station's lenses. His Crystal Eye is fired from his arm rather than his chest and explodes like a bomb.
- Dark Man (voiced by Garry Chalk) - One of Dr. Wily's most powerful robots, who has the ability to manipulate electromagnetic energies.
- Gravity Man (voiced by Jim Byrnes) - A gravity-manipulating robot.
- Gyro Man (voiced by Garry Chalk in his normal voice, Jim Byrnes in a disguised voice) - A robot with helicopter blades on his back. Unlike the video game, he uses the blades on his back to attack. While he is not shown flying, Mega Man does when copying his abilities. He is used to portray the lead guitarist of the band Cold Steel as part of Dr. Wily's plot to brainwash humans into obeying him.
- Star Man (voiced by Terry Klassen) - A star-themed robot, whose Star Crash fires star-shaped blasts towards his target instead of forming a barrier around himself.
- Stone Man (voiced by Garry Chalk) - A rock-themed robot with two blue tubes on his shoulders. He wields a cannon that he uses to fire his Power Stone attack. Dr. Wily uses him in "Big Shake" to assist Drill Man in causing earthquakes in New York City.
- Wave Man - An aquatic robot, whose Water Wave channels a powerful water current.
- Napalm Man - An armored robot equipped with missiles, who only appears in the intro.
Production
Mega Man starred in a Saturday-morning style cartoon that premiered in 1994. Ruby-Spears, one of the producers of the show, redesigned the characters from the Mega Man video games to varying degrees. The show had a budget of 300,000 dollars per episode.[3] It was originally designed in an art style matching the games' artwork. "Appearance in Japan", the first episode of Mega Man: Upon a Star, was made as test footage and intended to be a special episode of the series, as it had the same animation and used the same voice actors as the cartoon in production. However, it was a big budget, and so the animation style had to change. The new art style was based on redesigns of the characters Keiji Inafune had done in his spare time. "Appearance in Japan" still aired on TV in 1994, as an after school special on various TV stations and in Japan on TV Tokyo. If the series' art style hadn't changed, it would've aired alongside two similarly cancelled shows: an English dub of Magic Knight Rayearth starring Venus Terzo as Luce, and an American adaptation of Sailor Moon utilizing live-action and animation with Adrienne Barbeau as Queen Beryl and Queen Serenity.
Music
The theme and background music was composed and produced by John Lee Mitchell and Tom Keenlyside at Anitunes Music. An official soundtrack was also released in 1996 with songs by artists such as Sugar Ray, Machines of Loving Grace, Skid Row, Junior M.A.F.I.A., CIV, Mr. Big, The Bucketheads, and Inner Circle.[4] The cover of the soundtrack is from an early promotional image. Nearly all of the show's background music was reused in the early 2000s Westwood Media/Ocean Group dub of Dragon Ball Z, which covered episodes 108 to 276.
Release
Broadcast
Mega Man entered first-run syndication in the United States on September 17, 1994, and aired new episodes through January 1996. It was rerun on Fox Family Channel (now Freeform) between 1999 and 2001.
Home video release
Episodes were released on VHS by Sony Wonder beginning in January 1995.[6]
The entire series was released on 2 DVD sets by ADV Films in 2003. Both sets are now out-of-print. In 2009, ADV Films re-released the 1st half of the series, but was shut down in 2009. Discotek Media released the entire series on September 30, 2014.[7][8]
Reception
At one time, Mega Man was placed as the number one weekly syndicated children's show in the Nielsen ratings.[9]
