1. Medarot (1997–1999, 3 volumes)
2. Medarot 2 (1999–2000, 4 volumes)
3. Medarot 3 (2000–2001, 2 volumes)
4. Medarot 4 (2001, 2 volumes)
5. Medarot 5 (2001–2002, 2 volumes)
6. Medarot G (2003, 2 volumes)

Medabots, known in Japan as {{Nihongo|Medarot|メダロット|Medarotto}}, is a role-playing video game franchise developed by Natsume and published by Imagineer in Japan in 1997. The video game franchise was later adapted into a Japanese anime television series produced by Bee Train. Spanning 52 episodes, the series originally aired on TV Tokyo from July 2, 1999 until June 30, 2000. Medarot Damashii, a thirty-nine episode sequel to the anime series that was produced by Production I.G, aired from July 7, 2000 through March 30, 2001. Both the series and its sequel are licensed by Nelvana Limited. The Nelvana Limited English dubbed version of Medabots aired on the Fox Kids network from September 1, 2001 through November 2, 2002 and was one of the channel's highest rated new series at the time. Medarot Damashii followed a year later, airing from September 13, 2003 until March 7, 2004.

A manga series, written by Rin Horuma (credited as just Horumarin), was also produced. It was serialized in the children's magazine Comic BomBom in Japan and then published into collected volumes by Kodansha. The manga based on the first game, Medarot, was never translated into English, and further sequels Medarot 3, Medarot 4, Medarot 5, Medarot G, and spin-off manga Medarotter Rintarō and Medarot Navi were never licensed for release in the U.S. The manga based on the sequel, Medarot 2, was licensed for an English language release in North America by Viz Media, simply under the title Medabots. Medarot 2, 3, and 4, have also been translated into English for distribution in Singapore by Chuang Yi.

Several video games have been released for multiple platforms, including Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS. Other related merchandise alongside them are plastic models produced by Kotobukiya.

Plot

Medabots

The series centers around Medabots, artificially intelligent robots, whose purpose is to serve humans in a future time. The series begins with a ten-year-old boy named Ikki Tenryō, who wants to become a champion of the World Robattle Tournament. However, Ikki is unable to afford a Medabot, and his parents refuse to buy him one. However, he manages to get enough money to buy an outdated model, and, with a bit of luck, he finds a medal in a river. Ikki quickly inserts it into the Medabot he purchased named Metabee. The only problem is that the medal he found gives Metabee a severe attitude problem (a problem rarely seen in a Medabot), which leads Ikki to think he is defective. However, this theory is proven wrong later in the series, as it is revealed that Metabee actually has a "rare" medal.

The rare medals were kept secret by the Medabot Corporation, as very little was known about them. However, a Medabot with a rare medal would be able to call upon an attack called the "Medaforce". In the manga, the Medaforce is a form of medal mind control, as explained by Dr. Aki in the third graphic novel of Medabots. In the cartoon however, it is shown as a way of increasing the power of the Medabot's special skill into a focused beam attack.

Another important aspect is the story of Henry, the store clerk who sold Ikki Metabee. We find out that he is, quite obviously, Phantom Renegade. A running gag of the series was Henry almost telling everyone he is The Phantom, with no one ever discovering this fact. We are then introduced to Space Medafighter X, who is another one of Henry's secret identities, the number one medafighter in Japan. Later, during the World Finals, he rarely shows up to the fights, instead sending substitutes and working behind the scenes. This being because he supposedly started The Ten Days of Darkness, which occurred eight years before the events in the series during the World Robattle Cup when Henry fought as Hikaru Agata with the original Metabee ( however, the medal was different). The Medabots went on a rampage during the Ten Days of Darkness, which stopped when Hikaru Agata was forced to kill his Medabot by destroying his medal.

At the end of the second season, it is revealed that Victor (a medafighter for Team Kenya and Warbandit's owner) was helping Dr. Meta-evil to get medals during the tournament. During the finals, Metabee and Warbandit continue to fight, even with their partners lost and their bodies damaged. It is during this event that Dr. Meta-evil starts his plan using Metabee and Warbandit's medals; trapping them both in a dream. However, Ikki manages to get Metabee to wake up from the dream, while the other medabots, free now, help Metabee to fight against Dr. Meta-evil. Ikki must also stop the plans of the nefarious "RubberRobo Gang".

Later in the series, Medabots are found to be actually thousands of years old; remnants of an ancient civilization who called themselves Medalorians. The Medalorians were obsessed with war, and to become more effective warriors they fastened metal armor to themselves. However, their wars decimated the civilization, and the survivors coded their memories onto hexagonal pieces of metal. These, "Medals", cloned and mass-produced by the Medabot Corporation (a corporation founded by Dr. Aki), are the Medabot equivalent of a brain and soul. The original medals, referred to as "rare" medals, are kept in storage because of the extreme power they have.

Medarot Damashii (Medabots Spirit)

Medarot Damashii, a sequel to the original series, follows Ikki and Metabee, as they face a new challenge following the events of the original series. Kam Kamazaki, a twelve-year-old boy, has designed one of the most dangerous medabots in the entire story, called Kilobots (or Death Medarot, in the Japanese version), who use the X-Medal. These Kilobots have no feelings, since the emotion part of the Medabot medal has been removed, and more strength parts have been replaced instead, and can break the rules in order to win a fight. Because they have no personality, the Medaforce is useless against them. In the first episode, Ikki loses a Robattle to Ginkai and his Kilobot when it cheats and reloads. But he soon meets Nae, a Medabot mechanic and Dr. Aki's granddaughter, who gives Ikki new medaparts in order to defeat the kilobot through using a new feature called Action Mode (later Demolition Mode is introduced as well). Throughout the season, Ikki, Erika and their new friend Zuru (who also masks as the Mystery Medafighter) battle several of Kam’s friends and their Kilobots. The Mystery Medfighter’s ambition is to rid the world of Kilobots, with the help of his medabot Roks. Eventually, Ginkai re-discovers the true spirit of medafighting and ceases being a rogue medafighter and returns to using Medabots. Eventually Kam realizes the error of his ways and stops trying to develop stronger and more dangerous Kilobots, choosing to remain with his Kilobot Blackbettle, who has a personality installed into her medal.

The series is often criticized for the removal of several supporting characters such as Henry/Hikaru Agata/Phantom Renegade/Space Medafighter X and Arcbeetle, Rokusho, Koji and Sumilidon, Rintaro and Kantaroth, Karin and Neutranurse, Victor and Warbandit, Mr. Referee, the Rubberrobo Gang and the Chick Salesman, as well as for the fact that many of the new Kilobots and Medabots are simply slightly modified versions of the original series without relation to the original characters: Roks (Rokusho), Exor (Sumilidon), Arcdash (Arcbeetle), Unitrix (Warbandit).

Characters

• Ikki Tenryou (天領イッキ Tenryō Ikki), is a lively and easygoing boy, although a bit timid, he is the main protagonist of the series. At first Ikki is unable to afford a Medabot. But after finding a medal in a river, he manages to buy a model, which is named Metabee. However, the medal he found appears to be defective, as Metabee is short-tempered and disobedient. In spite of this, a strong bond grows between them after several robattles. Though Ikki is not a full-fledged Medafighter, he gradually matures through the Robattles he engages in. He is voiced by Michiru Yamazaki in the Japanese version, Samantha Reynolds in the English translation of the first series, and Julie Lemieux in the Spirits anime.
• {{nihongo|Metabee|メタビー|Metabī|whose name is a portmanteau of Metal Beetle}} is the main antihero of the series, a Medabot belonging to Ikki Tenryou. Metabee is a beetle type Medabot, specializing in revolver tactics. He possesses a rare medal that allows him to access the Medaforce. Metabee is known to be a rebellious and arrogant Medabot who often causes problems due to his headstrong personality. He is often sarcastic to his owner Ikki, but he shares a close bond with him, and so Ikki trusts him deeply. In the English version he is voiced by Joseph Motiki.

Media

Video games

Medabots was initially a video game series, which has had numerous entries to date. Only three entries have ever been released outside of Japan – Medabots AX, Medabots, and Medabots Infinity.

Most games in the Medabots series come in two versions: Kabuto (lit. Rhinoceros Beetle), in which your starting Medabot's design is based on a Japanese rhinoceros beetle (a "KBT type" Medabot), and Kuwagata, in which it is based on a stag beetle ("KWG type"). Differences beyond the starting Medabot also exist, such as which Medabot parts the player is able to collect, and minor story differences. The only Medabots games not to have been released in two versions are Medarot R, Medabots Infinity, and the Parts Collection games.

The games draw significant influences from Nintendo's Pokémon franchise and Square-Enix's Front Mission series.

Main series

The games in the main series of Medabots are all numbered (all except Medabots DS), and all feature role-playing game gameplay focused on collecting and battling with the titular Medabots.

• Released in two versions, Medarot Kabuto Version and Medarot Kuwagata Version.
• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.

• Released in two versions, Medarot Perfect Edition Kabuto Version and Medarot Kuwagata Version.
• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.
• Enhanced port of the first game.

• Released in two versions, Medarot 2 Kabuto Version and Medarot Kuwagata Version.
• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.
• Compatible with the original Game Boy.

• Released in two versions, Medarot 3 Kabuto Version and Medarot 3 Kuwagata Version.
• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.

• Released in two versions, Medarot 4 Kabuto Version and Medarot 4 Kuwagata Version.
• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.

• The Japanese title translates to "Medarot 5: The Transfer Student of Susutake Village".
• Released in two versions, Medarot 5: Susutake-mura no Tenkōsei Kabuto Version and Medarot 5: Susutake-mura no Tenkōsei Kuwagata Version.
• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.

• Released in two versions, Medabots: Metabee Version and Medabots: Rokusho Version.
• Known in Japan as Medarot 2 CORE Kabuto Version and Medarot 2 CORE Kuwagata Version.
• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.
• Remake of Medarot 2.
• The only main-series game released in English.
• Prior to its Japanese retail release, a special edition of the game was sold through the Japanese magazine Comic BomBom.

• Released in two versions, Medarot DS Kabuto Ver. and Medarot DS Kuwagata Ver.
• Developed by Delta Arts.
• Published by Rocket Company.

• Released in two versions, Medarot 7 Kabuto Ver. and Medarot 7 Kuwagata Ver.
• Developed by Delta Arts.
• Published by Rocket Company.

• Released in two versions, Medarot 8 Kabuto Ver. and Medarot 8 Kuwagata Ver.
• Developed by Delta Arts.
• Published by Rocket Company.

• Released in two versions, Medarot 9 Kabuto Ver. and Medarot 9 Kuwagata Ver.
• Developed by Delta Arts.
• Published by Rocket Company.
• The last Medabots game developed by Delta Arts before they shut down.^[16]

• Released in two versions, Medarot Classics Kabuto Version and Medarot Classics Kuwagata Version.
• Developed by digifloyd.^[18]
• Published by Imagineer.
• Emulated collections of Medarot 1 to 5, enhanced with various overarching features.

Spinoffs and side games

Several spinoffs of the Medabots series have been produced, some sticking closer to the RPG formula of the main series, and some branching out into other genres.

For Medarot 1, 2, R, and 3, supplementary games entitled Parts Collection were made. These are shorter games with less complicated stories, focusing mostly on battles. The main draw of them, and the reason for the name "Parts Collection", is that the player is able to collect robot parts and other items within the Parts Collection games and transfer them to the respective main games.

• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.
• Supplementary Parts Collection game for Medarot.

• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.
• Supplementary Parts Collection game for Medarot.

• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.
• Supplementary Parts Collection game for Medarot 2.
• Compatible with the original Game Boy.

• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.
• Role-playing game with mechanics that match Medarot 2, but with battle scene graphics in 3D.
• The game's story is similar to that of Medarot 2.
• The only game ever asides its Parts Collection of the series on PlayStation hardware.

• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.
• Supplementary Parts Collection game for Medarot R.
• Unlike the handheld Parts Collection games, this game loads the save file from the main game in order to let the player use the same Medabots. It also writes the parts obtained directly to the save file rather than requiring a transfer step. It is also completely menu-based, as opposed to having an overworld to traverse.
• Includes a PocketStation minigame called Pocket Robottle.

• Released in two versions, Medarot Card Robottle Kabuto Version and Medarot Card Robottle Kuwagata Version.
• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.
• A video game adaptation of one of the Medabots trading card games.
• Takes place in the world of Medarot 2, but in a reality where battles are carried out through a card game instead of robots fighting.

• The title translates to "Medarot 3 Parts Collection: Z's Ultimate Battlefield", and is wordplay on "chōsenjō" usually meaning "written challenge".
• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer.
• Supplementary Parts Collection game for Medarot 3.
• The last Parts Collection game produced.

• Released in two versions, Medarot Navi Kabuto and Medarot Navi Kuwagata.
• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Imagineer on Game Boy Advance, and by Rocket Company and Imagineer on Wii U Virtual Console.
• A role-playing game similar to the main series, but with a different battle system.

• Released in two versions, Medabots AX: Metabee Version and Medabots AX: Rokusho Version
• Developed and published by Natsume.
• A fighting game with gameplay identical to the Japan-exclusive Medarot G, but with story and content modified to be more similar to the anime.
• The only Medabots game not to be released in Japan.

• Released in two versions, Medarot G Kabuto Version and Medarot G Kuwagata Version.
• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Natsume on Game Boy Advance, and by Rocket Company and Imagineer on Wii U Virtual Console.
• A fighting game with gameplay identical to Medarot AX.
• Builds on the story of Medarot 5: Susutake-mura no Tenkōsei.

• Known in Japan as Medarot BRAVE.
• Developed by Natsume.
• Published by Natsume in Japan and North America, and by Ubisoft in Europe.
• A third-persion action role-playing game.

• The title translates to True Style Medarot, and is wordplay on "shingata" usually meaning "new style".
• Released in two versions, Shingata Medarot Kabuto Version and Shingata Medarot Kuwagata Version.
• Developed and published by Rocket Company.
• Reuses the engine and game mechanics from Medabots (Medarot 2 CORE).
• Unlike earlier games in the series, which feature a distinctly anime-like art style, Shingata has a more cartoony look.
• The game's story closely mirrors the one of the very first Medarot, albeit with new characters.

• Released in two versions, Medarot DUAL Kabuto Ver. and Medarot DUAL Kuwagata Ver.
• Developed by Jupiter Corporation.
• Published by Rocket Company.
• A third-person action game.
• Has similar gameplay to Virtual On.

• Released in two versions, Medarot Girls Mission Kabuto Version and Medarot Girls Mission Kuwagata Version.
• Developed by Engines and KUROGANE, with assistance from Jupiter Corporation.
• Published by Rocket Company.
• An action game with largely the same engine as Medarot Dual. Unlike Dual, it features an all-female cast, and the overworld is replaced by visual novel-like segments.
• The only Medabots game to receive a CERO C (recommended for ages 15 and above) rating. This is due to its mild sexual content: upon triumphing in battle, the player can strip opponents of their clothes by executing certain inputs.
• The last Medabots game to be published by Rocket Company before they were absorbed by Imagineer.^[30]

Anime

The Medabots anime series was adapted from the original 1997 video game, with its robotic combat elements inspired by Plawres Sanshiro.^[2] Produced by Bee Train, the fifty-two episode series originally aired on TV Tokyo from July 2, 1999 until June 30, 2000. A thirty-nine episode sequel to the anime series that was produced by Production I.G, Medabot Damashii aired from September 19, 2003 through March 7, 2004. Both the series are licensed by Nelvana Limited. The Nelvana Limited's English dubbed version of Medabots aired on the Fox Kids network from September 1, 2001 through November 2, 2002 and was one of the channel's highest rated new series at the time.^[31] It also aired on ABC Family Channel’s unnamed pre-Jetix-era action-oriented programming kids’ morning block from 2002-2003 and on the JETIX block in 2004. Medabot Damashii followed a year later, airing from September 13, 2003 until March 7, 2004.

In 2007, Shout! Factory announced that they will be releasing the first two seasons of Medabots to Region 1 DVD,^[32] containing the English dub only. The Japanese version has received a VHS and DVD release of the first series, while Medabots Souls has only received a VHS release. On January 29, 2010, a Region 2 boxset release known as MEDABOT DVD BOX 1 was released containing the first thirty episodes,^[33] with a second boxset on February 19 finishing with the last twenty-two episodes.^[34] Two boxsets for Medabots Souls were released on December 30, 2010.^[35][36] This was Souls very first DVD release.

Manga