Remember the classic Mega Man cartoon that used to play on Sunday mornings? Japanese gamers are discovering that particular Mega Man cartoon for the first time ever. The show is finally available on various Japanese streaming services including Prime Video, 30 years after its first broadcast in America. Renamed ‘Rock Man USA,’ its campy charm and bizarre creative liberties have sparked lively discussions on the land of sushi’s social media.
For the uninitiated, the aforementioned legendary Mega Man cartoon debuted in 1994 and was produced by Ruby-Spears Productions. Rock Man is also the original name of the Blue Bomber, as a reference to the music genre. Meanwhile, his fellow android Proto Man is called Blues in Japan.
Loosely based on the beloved Capcom video game series, the cartoon featured Mega Man battling Dr. Wily and his robot minions. However, it often strayed far from the games’ plot to keep the episodic format, focusing on problem-of-the-week hijinks instead.
アマプラでUSA版1話視聴して衝撃的だったのでフリーの絵チャにてロックマン（メガマン？）描いた pic.twitter.com/SXUcz7ZFyt— 梨 (@nashi_umai) December 21, 2024
Not long after its streaming debut, Japanese X is abuzz with memes and commentary as many express appreciation for the cartoon’s unique take.
“Watching the first episode on [Amazon Prime] was so shocking, I drew Rock Man (Mega Man?) in a free drawing chatroom,” wrote @nashi_umai above.
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“Roll’s vacuum cleaner is too scary,” joked @xxxrinnoxxx. In the Ruby-Spears version, Roll can turn her hand into utility tools including a toaster and a vacuum, which she uses to a devastating effect.
“Was the cute design of the Japanese version of Mega Man felt a bit too dull for the US version? They gave it a completely different feel [laughing emoji],” wrote @ROOM15923529.
After watching Rush eat ‘battery-packed dog food’ like Scooby-Doo and his Scooby Snacks, @tuumen06 jokingly complained, “This wasn’t in the Japanese version of Mega Man…”
Image source: Amazon, Ruby-Spears, Capcom
The Ruby-Spears adaptation is just one of several Mega Man cartoons. The Battle Network games were adapted into MegaMan NT Warrior in the early 2000s, although made by a Japanese studio Xebec. It was followed by Mega Man Star Force in 2006.
Then in 2018, the 3D animated series Mega Man: Fully Charged was created by Man of Action Entertainment. For its latest adaptation, it recently got featured in Amazon’s video game-themed anthology series Secret Level.
Nevertheless, the Japanese streaming platforms are only serving the first season of Rock Man USA for now. One might wonder how they will react when they finally see how ruthless (and manly) American Mega Man X is in season two.
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