Fans are split and pulling their hair out over the new Mega Man cartoon releasing next year. Some are worried about its quality, others have embraced the changes, many are hoping for a new game in some shape or form for the series’ 30th anniversary. We don’t know what Capcom’s plans are just yet, but we do know that the new cartoon will be airing in 2018 exclusively on Cartoon Network.
Producing companies DHX Media and Dentsu Entertainment confirmed the exclusive deal last night. DHX Media Executive Producer Ken Faier stated that this is the best way for the show to reach as many people as possible.
We are thrilled that Cartoon Network has picked up the new Mega Man series for its U.S. viewers. This deal points to the solid demand for our original kids’ content, and highlights the strength of our strategy of collaborating with leading industry peers such as Dentsu and Man of Action to refresh evergreen properties for today’s kids. Further, we believe Mega Man’s incredible heritage and proven popularity also positions the brand extremely well for longer term consumer product opportunities.
No air date has been set for the cartoon yet.
Not your daddy’s (or yours truly’s) Mega Man
Mega Man has clearly undergone some serious changes for this latest series. The art style is much different from the classics, and the story itself has Mega Man, now named Aki Light, attending school while battling robots.
Aimed at kids 6 to 11, as well as their parents who grew up loving the video games, the new Mega Man animated series will feature exciting new technologies and robots, as well as the introduction of Mega Man’s alter-ego, Aki Light. Aki is a normal, upbeat, schoolboy robot who has nano-core technology that allows him to transform into the mega powered super hero Mega Man! With his Mega Buster arm cannon and iconic helmet, Mega Man battles the wickedest villains Silicon City has to offer. Beloved characters, such as Mega Man’s robotic dog, Rush, will return – while new characters, like Mega Mini™ and Suna Light, will make their debut!
Selective memory works best here for those already piling on the hate, but Mega Man has changed many times over the course of his existence, mainly when jumping from series to series. Mega Man X is much darker than the original NES series, and Mega Man EXE, which remains shockingly popular to this day, already saw the series take place in a school setting. Mega Man Legends doesn’t have robot masters but it does have a Ghibli-inspired setting and plenty of happy, heartfelt moments.
And Mega Man Zero will just destroy your soul and faith in humanity
I’m not so big on the art changes this time around, but I’ll wait and see how it turns out. What I’m hoping is that Capcom has its own ideas for Mega Man locked in place because the games should influence the cartoon, not the other way around.
My guess is that this cartoon will deliver plenty of cheap mobile games for its new fans, which is fine so long as Capcom provides something for longtime fans just in case this latest outlet goes south.