Medabots (2004 film)

Medabots (also known as Medabots: The TV Movie or simply Metabots: The Movie) is a 2004 El Kadsreian science fiction action comedy television film produced and directed by Takima Susima, written by Norman Rompay and stars Tom Omazaki and Hideki Hamasaki.

Based on the and mostly adapted from the  video game Medarot R, it was a first film adaptation of Medabots and it was produced by El TV Kadsre Television in association with Caldatite.

The film premiered on June 4, 2004 on ETVKK in El Kadsre. The film was later aired on the in the  on September 18, 2004 and  in  on January 1, 2005. The film also had an theatrical release in, , and  in 2005.

Plot
In the inner El Kadsre City suburb of Medatown, the group of scientists were seen driving out of multistorey car park when they were suddenly ambushed by the Rubberobo Gang, a crime organization, who suspect one of them who is clinging to his silver suitcase has a Medabot medal inside and demanded them to pass the metal over them. When the scientists refused to comply, the Rubberobo Gang destroyed their car and mugged the scientists.

The scientist with a suitcase tries to run away from the scene before tripping over and dropped the suitcase. When the Rubberobo Gang picked up the suitcase, they opened it to find the very rare Beetle Medal. The Phantom Renegade appears before the gang gets a chance to examine the medal and takes it away from them before disappearing with the medal in the cloud of smoke.

In Wednesday morning, Ikki Tenyrou wakes up and gets dressed on his 13th birthday. Before he leaves home for school, his parents gave him two birthday presents, a Medawatch and a preowned second hand KBT-type Medabot. When he arrived at school, he witnessed the Robattle taking place in the school courtyard between the leader of the trio “The Screws” Samantha Lucus and school captain Martin Nitter. Samantha won the Robattle when her Medabot “Peppercat” defeated Martin’s Medabot “Dr. Bokchoy”. After school, Ikki assembled his Medabot with his father and activated his Medawatch with a computer before naming his Medabot “Metabee”.

In Thursday morning, Ikki and his close friend Keiji Aomine stopped at the 24 Hop Store to buy blank Videocards for Arica on their way to school, where they witness the Rubberobo henchman demanding the store owner Henry Krahm to buy an BAT-type Medabot “Noctobat”. When Henry declines and runs out of the store, the henchman turns to Ikki and challenges him to Robattle before the Phantom Regenade appears and gives Ikki a Beetle Metal, but as soon he inserts the medal into Metabee’s back, he doesn’t go online and Noctobat unleashes its attack upon Metabee, pushing Ikki into the verge of losing his first Robattle. Eventually, Metabee comes online and defeats Noctobat. After the battle, Ikki was told by the Regenade to keep the medal before learning that Metabee has a mind of his own.

When the Screws see the student news report about Ikki’s first Robattle, they were so appalled, thinking that Ikki’s newly-gained fame would overshadow theirs, that they confronted members of the school’s news club before discovering Ikki in the gymnasium while confronting Arica and challenged him to Robattle. Metabee managed to take down Peppercat, Cyandog and Yellowturtle in the 3 by 1 battle. Before they leave the gymnasium, Samantha vowed to Ikki they’ll be back for a rematch.

After school, Ikki, Keiji and Arica went to downtown Medatown for the quest to find the Phantom Regenade. There, they saw two Rubberobo henchmen operating the black market before entering the Medabot parts shop to get new parts that they believed that Regenade was aiming to get. While Keiji tries to ask an elderly woman with impaired hearing running the shop named Kameya about the new Medabot parts, Ikki arrived to the store with a amulet that he received following the Robattle. Then, an high-ranking member of the Rubberobo Gang who dresses like a pirate, Mr. Redbeard, comes into the store to buy the whole supply of new Medabot parts. Ikki was then challenged for the Robattle for taking a stand against Mr. Redbeard’s plans while Keiji runs out of the store to find the Regenade. Piraskull, Mr. Redbeard’s Medabot, was on the brink of victory when he was suddenly attacked and defeated by Rokusho, a KWG-type Medabot who Keiji discovered in the alleyway.

In Friday morning, The Screws challenged Ikki for a rematch. This time, Keiji joins Ikki’s side in the Robattle. Peppercat, Krssrdog and Totalizr were defeated again by Metabee and Rokusho. After school, Ikki and Keiji enters the industrial suburb of Horuton that Kameya was talking about a day earlier, where they visit the Medabot repair store where they asked the storeowner to get Keiji a Medawatch. While Ikki and Keiji Robattles with Member 55 of the Rubberobo Gang, The Screws entered the factory and argued over the Medabot materials that the Rubberobo Gang were stealing. After Sloan and Syke along with the Rubberobo Gang leave the factory, Samantha challenges Keiji to Robattle. Keiji manages to win his first solo Robattle match wheb Rokusho defeated Peppercat. The factory workers awarded Keiji a Medawatch for his victory.

On Saturday, Ikki, Arika, Keiji, along with Koji and Karen take a train to El Kadsre City to attend the Medabot Expo. After the few Robattles, they attend the Q&A event with “Mr. Cutter”, when suddenly Raymond, a Medafighter from Capulco, unveiled that he was a imposter, who turned out to be Mr. Pork, a Rubberobo Gang member who wears a pig nose. Mr. Pork unveiled their plans to hijack the event and steal all Medabot displayed in the area. When Ikki challenges him to Robattle, Mr. Pork tries to run away and before boarding his private jet, he changed his mind and accepted Ikki’s challenge. Metabee and Rokusho defeated Hotsand and Fireorgn. After the gang flee following their defeat, Ikki meets Chuck Keith, a TV director working for El TV Kadsre who offers him a leading role for his television series about the famous first-generation Medafighter from the 1980s titled “Medafigher Hikaru”.

On Sunday, Ikki sees posters of female participants of the heroine role heavily vandalized. After a brief investigation, Ikki discovers two Rubberobo Gang members harassing Arika. After Metabee defeated two Noctobats in the Robattle, it was revealed that one of the auditions of the competition, the Marilyn Monroe impersonator “Ms. Monroe”, is working for the Rubberobo Gang and was the mastermind of the plot to vandalise the posters and challenges Ikki to Robattle before Arika joins in. Brass and Metabee defeats Ms, Monroe’s Medabot “Fairgirl”.

On Monday, Ikki, Keiji, Arika and others went to participate in the Medabot Tournament, where they’re participated in several Robattles. However, the Rubberobo Gang enters the tournament and Ikki confronts its underboss “Mr. Silverwing”, who dresses like a vampire before they Robattle. Metabee and Rokusho defeats Dondraco and Madmuscle while Brads and Sumilidon defeats Peppercat and Krssrdog who the Gang stolen from the Screws. After handing the stolen Medabots back to the Screws, they realised some of the bots are defective, so they went to the Medabot lab to have then repaired, where they meet the professor named Eugene Aki. Eugene suggests they should go to the Medabot medal mine near the nuclear power plant for something to experiment.

Once they entered the mine along with The Screws, Ikki discovers the man who is dressed like a Phanton Regenade and claims he is the real Regenade. He tells Ikki his plans to extract all of the medals from the mines and hand them over the Rubberobo Gang. After the brief Robattle, the fake Regenade escapes with the stolen medals. When Ikki hands one of the medals he extracted to Eugene, Eugene drives Ikki and Keiji to the observatory, where he tells them about how the rare Medals that Medabee and Rokusho have could give them the ability to use a huge amount of energy to perform the beam attack called the “Medaforce” and how there is a Medal Galaxy that is located 500 billion light years away from Earth and the Medabots were ancient aliens who were part of the civilisation that predates mankind.

Suddenly, the fake Regenade appears and stole an Galaxy Atlas. When Ikki and Keiji came and confront the fake Regenade, he said he need to hand the Galaxy Atlas over to Dr. Medagod, a leader of the Rubberobo Gang. The fake Regenade then challenges them to Robattle after Ikki insults him, but before the Robattle begins, a transvestite man named “Phantom Girl” arrives. Metabee and Rokusho defeats Zorin, a Medabot who looked similar to Rokusho and Bayonet, who looked similar to Metabee. After the Robattle, the fake Regenade and the Phanton Lady escapes and Ikki and Keiji gave the Galaxy Atlas back to Eugene.

On Tuesday, Ikki and the gang visit the arena for the second day of the tournament. After winning a few Robattle, Ikki faces the mysterious Medafighter, who turns out to be his seventh grade substitute teacher Jick Manuel. Medabee defeats two of Jick’s Medabots; Gokudo and Hackard. After the Robattle, Ikki’s friends came to confront Jick, accusing him of being a mastermind of the conspiracy to steal all medals in the mine. Jick denies the accusations and reveals to everyone that he works for Medabot Corporation and the reason he was in the mines which is to take a Metal Stone and needed a Medafighter capable of protecting it.

Eventually, Arnold Manuel, the leader of the Rubberobo Gang who goes under the name Dr. Medagod, appears at the scene and introduces the gang to Hikaru, who the Dr. Medagod said he’s a Hyper Medafighter who joined the Gang before ordering him to robattle Ikki and Keiji. Metabee and Rokusho defeats Metabil and Blackram. After the Robattle, Ikki realised Hikaru was an imposter and the robot, who spontaneously combusts into flames. Eventually, the blonde female wearing an mask calling herself the “Regenade Lady” appears, before Katekin, who serves as Ikki’s informant, came and confessed he betrayed Jick and was the one who stole Hikaru’s data. Mr. Silverwing was order to unleash the Metabeam upon Metabee, only to be tackled to the ground by Rokusho to dodge the beam.

Ikki and the gang run to their school, where they encountered the fake Regenade and the Phantom Girl, who call themselves the “Medahunters” in the courtyard and challenged them to Robattle. Metabee, Bayonet and Rokusho defeats Crimson King and Death Phoenix. The Medahunters were then shot by a lazers, causing then to lose consciousness. Ms. Monroe then runs to the courtyard along with Arica, Koji and Karen. Ms. Monroe informs them the lazer was a satellite that looks out for illegal Robattles who the Rubberobo Gang is using the Medal Stone with and confessed she only joined the Gang for money and that Katekin is in the Gang’s base. When Ikki and Keiji left school, the whole block elevated upwards, revealing to be the Rubberobo Gang’s base. Ikki and Keiji realised that the 24 Hop Store where Ikki’s first Robattle took place serves as the secret entrance to the base.

Once they entered, they went to the top of the base. There, Ikki and Keiji took Robattle rematches with high ranking Rubberobo Gang members before finding Dr. Medagod in the school hall. He told them that Arika, Koji and Karen are being taken hostage and offered them that they dominate the world if they joined his side. Eventually, the Phantom Regenade appears and informs Ikki and Keiji the satellite is dysfunctioning, giving them a chance to defeat Dr. Medagod. Metabee and Rokusho managed to defeat Roboemperor and Blackram. As Ikki and Keiji about to celebrate their victory, Dr. Medagod spontaneously combusts, revealing to be a robot. The Regenade informs Ikki and Keiji that the real Dr. Medagod is in the gymnasium confronting Jick.

Once they entered the gymnasium, Metabee blasted the doors as it was locked before they found out that Dr. Medagod was Jick’s twin brother. After Ikki and Keiji confronted Dr. Medagod, they were challenged for a climactic Robattle as Katekin prepares to launch the base into space to fly into the Medal Galaxy to establish the colony there. Metabee, Rokusho, Bayonet and Zorin fought against Megaemperor and two Roboemperors with all their might. However, Megaemperor defeats Rokusho while the Megaemperors defeat Bayonet and Zorin. As Megaemperor unleashes its final blow on Metabee, Metabee unleashes its Medaforce, disintegrating Megaemperor and shattering the gym’s windows in the process.

After the battle, Dr. Medagod faints and Jick informs Ikki and Keiji that Katekin is in the woodworks room, which serves as the base’s control room. When they enter the control room, Ikki demans Katekin to stop the launch. Katekin refused and instead challenges Ikki to Robattle but before he gets a chance to call his Medabot to Robattle with Ikki, Metabee shoots at Katekin’s right wrist, destroying his Medawatch in the process. While Ikki, Metabee and Katekin fight over the controls, Jick arrives at the control room and demands Ikki and Keiji to leave the room. When Ikki and Keiji leave the base through the 24 Hop Store entrance, they witness the school elevated downwards back to the ground level.

When Ikki and Keiji arrived at the courtyard, they found Arika, Koji and Karen unharmed, while the Regenade, along with Eugene and Jick arrives at the scene. Jick told the gang that the Medal Stone was still in the base but Eugene suggests it should be buried deep underground. Jick thanks Ikki and Keiji for dealing with the Rubberobo Gang before witnessing Dr. Medagod and other high ranking members of the Rubberobo Gang getting arrested. The Regenade, Eugene and Jick leaves the school before Koji and Karen follow suit. Before Arika leaves, she thanked Ikki for saving her and said she personally liked reliable people before kissing him in the cheek and running off, much to Ikki’s surprise. During an epilogue, Eugene manages to revive Rokusho while Ikki and Metabee celebrate their victory and suggests they should drink Panchi out of the trophy cup.

Humans

 * Tom Omazaki as Ikki Tenryou
 * Jenny Vabron as Arica Amazake
 * Seihachi Akagi as Keiji Aomine
 * Bella Matthews as Samantha Lucus
 * Satou Song-il as Sloan Kazama
 * Brodie Battle as Spyke Edinbrough
 * James Chavez as Henry Krahm/Phantom Renegade
 * Shinhei Zayasu as Koji Karakuchi
 * Elise Samuel as Karen Johnson
 * Tuku Samuelson as Raymond Nami
 * Kruku Makusa as Prof. Eugene Aki
 * Zlata Lugnov as Jick Manuel
 * as Ryomi "Mr. Referee" Uruchi
 * Jerry Rogers as Arnold "Dr. Medagod" Manuel
 * Kazu Tenabe as Katekin Ten
 * Danila Antonov as Mr. Silverwing
 * Clara Beaumont as Ms. Monroe
 * Farley Bent as Mr. Pork
 * Patrick Dry as Mr. Redbeard
 * Kouki Hashimoto as Mitsuo Tenryou
 * as Chloe Tenryou
 * Momoko Shiraishi as "Grandma" Kameya
 * Arnold Minstrom as Chuck Keith
 * Arata Oshiro as Kadsreist priest

Medabots

 * Hideki Hamasaki as Metabee
 * Jodocus Reinder as Rokusho
 * Kimbra Weaver as Brass
 * Free as Peppercat
 * Newt Hargrave as Cyandog
 * Teiji Utsumi as Sumilidon

Production and release
Some Medabots characters who both appeared in the video games and the anime had their names changed for the adaptation. For example, “Rintaro Namishima” was renamed “Raymond Nami” while the film’s antagonist, “Dr. Meta-Evil” was renamed “Dr. Medagod”. The character “Keiji Aomine”, who serves as Ikki’s close friend, was created exclusively for the film.

Principal photography of the film began on August 2, 2003 and was wrapped on October 26, 2003. The film was mostly shot in Madwyn while some of the scenes including the Medabot expo scenes were filmed in El Kadsre City. The exterior and interior shots of the Medatown High School were shot in the Madwyn Secondary College while both the interiors and exteriors of the school gymnasium was shot in Madwyn Primary School and the interior of the school hall was shot in the Madwyn Nampo Hall. The 24 Hop Mart convenience store where the first Robattle took place is a 7-Eleven store that was located near the Madwyn Secondary College. The diamond-shaped observatory building is a Madwyn Government Building, located near the Madwyn railway station. The arena in which several Robattles take place was a set built in the Pasi Peure Stage, which was the re-used Fusa sports arena set from Lana X2: The Enhanced Earth, while the Madwyn Entertainment Center is used for exterior shots.

The Medabots were animated by CCGG and El TV Kadsre Imageworks. The Medawatches that appeared in the film were modified  DW-9100 wristwatches.

The film premiered on ETVKK on June 4, 2004 and was released on DVD, VHS, Videocard and Game Boy Advance Video on October 2, 2004 by El TV Kadsre Home Entertainment in Aritonesia. It was later released on Video UMD in 2005 and on Blu-Ray in 2014.

Video game
On October 2, 2004, the tie-in video game was released by Latikuu, in association with El TV Kadsre Interactive Games and for the Theorysonic Pyramid, TS-UGOS and. It was developed by Latikuu Melbourne.