News

New Animated Mega Man Show Teases 1st Visual, Story, Character Lineup

Dentsu Entertainment USA (Monsuno, LBX) presented the first visual tied to the new animated television series of the Mega Man (Rockman) games on Thursday. The company also announced that DHX Media, "the world's leading independent, pure-play kids' content company," has agreed to develop, co-produce, distribute and jointly manage licensing for the new series.

The series is aimed at kids 6 to 9, "as well as their parents who grew up loving the videogames." It will introduce "Mega Man's alter-ego, Aki Light, a normal, upbeat, schoolboy robot. When activated, his skin re-forms – in a flurry of computer code and visual pyrotechnics – into a suit of impenetrable nanocore armor, including the iconic Mega Buster arm cannon and helmet." The series will also bring back characters like Rush and introduce more new characters such as Mega Mini.

Dentsu Entertainment and DHX describe the story:

The new animated Mega Man series focuses on a normal, upbeat schoolboy robot, who discovers that deep within his programming lies secret protocols that can transform him into the powerful Mega Man. And, as the world's first robotic super-hero, Mega Man must face the threats of Silicon City, while trying to preserve his secret identity and maintain a regular robot boy life.

Dentsu Entertainment USA and DHX will jointly manage all global rights. DHX will handle distribution and licensing in the United States in collaboration with Dentsu Entertainment USA. Dentsu Inc., parent company of Dentsu Entertainment USA, will manage distribution and licensing in Asia. DHX will manage distribution and licensing in all other territories.

Dentsu Entertainment USA and Man of Action Entertainment (Ben 10, Generator Rex) are developing the 26-episode animated Mega Man series. The staff is aiming for a "target air date of 2017," the 30th anniversary of the game franchise. Man of Action will create and write the series, as well as serve as the executive producer.

The members of Man of Action Entertainment — Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle — created Cartoon Network's Ben 10 and Generator Rex television series, as well as Marvel's original Big Hero 6 comic series that inspired Disney's animated film of the same name. DHX Media is involved in other brands such as Teletubbies, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Caillou, In the Night Garden, Inspector Gadget, Make It Pop, Slugterra and the live-action Degrassi television franchise.

CAPCOM's original game franchise began in 1987 and has since spawned numerous games and several anime adaptations. Discotek Media released the 1994 Japanese-American animated television series Mega Man (pictured right) in 2014. Viz began streaming the Mega Man Star Force (Ryūsei no Rockman) anime's English dub on its Neon Alley service this week.

Thanks to Liam for the news tip