Mechamato

Mechamato is a Malaysian animated series produced by Animonsta Studios, focusing on a boy named Amato and his partner robot MechaBot, who fight against bad robots. The animated series was premiered in Cartoon Network Asia on 4 December 2021. Mechamato is a part of the BoBoiBoy franchise and the series also takes place before the original series and BoBoiBoy Galaxy.

Mechamato
The official logo
Genre
Created byNizam Razak
Developed byAnimonsta Studios
Written byNizam Razak
Anas Abdul Aziz
Directed byDzubir Mohammed Zakaria
Raja Nukman Raja Mohd Noordin
Hafiz Ashraf Saipul Islam
Voices ofAlexander Machado
Alex Teixeira
Katherine Clare Clavelo
Daniel Cortes
Christopher Leigh Jahn
Siti Salwa Samsuddin
Opening theme"Armored Hero Mechamato", written and composed by Nur Sharmine Md Bakri
Performed by Nil Cardoso
ComposersNur Sharmine Md Bakri
Mohd Rizdzuwan Md Jusoh
Country of originMalaysia
United States
Original languagesMalay
English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
ProducerNizam Razak
EditorsDzubir Mohammed Zakaria
Raja Nukman Raja Mohd Noordin
Running time21mins/episode
Production companyAnimonsta Studios
DistributorWarnerMedia International (Asia-Pacific, excluding Japan)
Jetpack Distribution (outside Asia)
Bandai Namco Arts (Japan)
Release
Original networkCartoon Network Asia
Picture format1080i (HDTV)
Audio format5.1
Original release4 December 2021 (2021-12-04)

Premise

Setting

Mechamato is set in Kota Hilir, inspired by Bandar Hilir in Malacca City in the real world, which is also the creator's hometown.[1] It features the uniqueness of Malaysian culture such as silat, the Peranakan culture and local food, but is embroidered with futuristic elements such as robots and spaceships.[2]

Plot

A boy named Amato finds a prison spaceship containing bad robots that have crashed to earth. One such robot is the MechaBot which has the ability to mechanize everyday objects into high-tech devices. Amato manages to outsmart MechaBot and eventually becomes the master of MechaBot. Since then, MechaBot and Amato have started working together to find and capture the bad robots.[3]

Characters
Amato / Mechamato
Voiced by: Alexander Machado[4] (English); Armand Ezra[5] (Malay); Ayumu Murase[6] (Japanese)
A kind, creative and imaginative boy who becomes the master of MechaBot after he manages to outsmart MechaBot.
MechaBot
Voiced by: Alex Teixeira[4] (English); Adzlan Nazir[5] (Malay); Yoshitsugu Matsuoka[6] (Japanese)
A Power Sphera which is the most powerful destructive robot in the galaxy. It has the power to combine any item with its Mechanize power. However, it has to obey Amato's instructions because Amato has become his new master.
Pian
Voiced by: Katherine Clare Clavelo[4] (English); Ielham Iskandar[5] (Malay); Ryoko Shiraishi[6] (Japanese)
Amato’s good friend who is very rich and a clever creator. He is the only one who understands Amato's bad paintings.
Mara
Voiced by: Katherine Clare Clavelo[4] (English); Marissa Balqis[5] (Malay); Emiri Katō[6] (Japanese)
A female friend of Amato who is sitting in a wheelchair. She is a person with an artistic soul, and also independent, brave and does not give up. She always helps Amato and his friends in solving problems.
Deep
Voiced by: Daniel Cortes[4] (English); Syabil Syamin[5] (Malay); Satomi Ōtani[6] (Japanese)
Amato's friend who is always happy-go-lucky. He loves to play games and has high creativity, which is higher than Amato himself.

Production

Mechamato is created by Animonsta Studios which is known for BoBoiBoy series. The series itself is an indirect prequel for BoBoiBoy when the main character, Amato is revealed as the father of BoBoiBoy,[7] which is under the Power Sphera Universe.[8] The idea for this series came in 2018 when Animonsta Studios pitch the idea to Cartoon Network. The studio wanted a robot-buddy story that represented a child-like imagination that could be associated with each child, such as making a robot costume out of a cardboard box.[1] The creator Nizam Razak wanted Mechamato to inspire children to imagine possibilities, to use technology responsibly.[9] He and his creative team initially envisioned Amato and MechaBot as a duo of superheroes riding futuristic motorcycles and fighting super villains bigger than themselves. The concepts were sketched out five years before the series was released and they look simpler than it turns out. Based on the initial concept, their animator partners and friends in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and France gave positive feedback.[10]

The grown-up Amato wearing the MechaBot suit, who kept an old photo of him with infant BoBoiBoy and another photo of him sending BoBoiBoy to the train station, was featured in the post-credit scene of BoBoiBoy Movie 2, with the studio giving the hint for this series. The extended version of the first episode of the BoBoiBoy series was also released on Monsta official YouTube channel on 14 March 2021, adding a new scene of Amato sending his son BoBoiBoy to the train station at the beginning of the episode.[11]

The name of the series was revealed as early as 2019 when Animonsta Studios announced the series on a video for their 2020 plans.[12] The first look of the series is revealed on 8 April 2020 when the first teaser is released on Monsta official YouTube channel.[13]

Media

Movie

The movie of the series, named Mechamato Movie, was originally planned to be released in 2020, but postponed to 2021.[14] The official trailer was released on 1 January 2021, intended for the release of 2021. The movie would be distributed by Astro Shaw.[15] However, due to uncertainty over the COVID-19 pandemic situation and vaccination, the film was postponed several times, from November or December 2020 to March 2021 to May or June 2021 and finally until end 2021.[16] However, plans to release the film earlier than the animated series were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the animated series had already been developed according to schedule which is set to be released in December 2021.[17] The movie will be released after the first season of the animated series or even later, based on the COVID-19 situation.[18] In March 2022, the creator Nizam Razak said that due to the change in the screening sequence, the storyline will be changed a bit compared to the original plan and are confident that they can release the film by 2022, while discussions with the cinemas to get the best slots and screening dates have already begun.[19]

Animated series

The animated series, named Mechamato: The Animated Series was announced to be broadcast on Cartoon Network Asia under WarnerMedia for the Asia-Pacific region.[8] It was premiered on 4 December 2021, with a special sneak-peek episode on 6 November 2021.[20] Although the series was released before Mechamato Movie, it is the sequel to the film.[17][18] The opening theme, titled "Armored Hero Mechamato!", is composed by Nur Sharmine Md Bakri and performed by Shah from the indie band Modescape for Malay version and Nil Cardoso for the English version, which is recorded in the US.[21] As for Japanese version, the opening theme is performed by Tatsuhiko Yoshida.[22] The series is available in 21 countries with dubbing in English, Malay, Indonesian, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Tagalog and Thai for their respective countries on 4 December 2021.[23] For Korean, it was available starting 11 December 2021 in South Korea,[23] while for Japanese, it will be available starting 27 March 2022 in Japan. The voice actors for the Japanese version was announced by Cartoon Network Japan on 31 January 2021, which features Ayumu Murase and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka.[6]

For outside Asia, Jetpack Distribution has acquired worldwide rights, which includes season one.[24]

Episode list
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Out of Cone-trol"Hafiz Ashraf Saipul Islam & Dzubir Mohammed ZakariaNizam RazakDecember 4, 2021 (2021-12-04)
On their way to school, Amato and MechaBot has just encountered a cone-shaped robots called Konchos who has been causing a rampage on Kota Hilir.
2"King of the Chill"Dzubir Mohammed Zakaria & Raja Nukman Raja Mohd NoordinAnas Abdul AzizDecember 5, 2021 (2021-12-05)
When Amato, MechaBot, and Pian are going to the beach, a fridge-like robot called Sejukku has the ability to froze the entire Kota Hilir. So it's up to Amato and MechaBot to stop him.
3"Rubika Defense System"Dzubir Mohammed Zakaria, Hafiz Ashraf Saipul Islam & Raja Nukman Raja Mohd NoordinNizam Razak & Anas Abdul AzizDecember 11, 2021 (2021-12-11)
After capturing a goose-like robot called Goosar, MechaBot has run out of battery which Amato and Pian brought him to a crashed spaceship where they have to deal with a cube-shaped giant robot called Rubika.
4"Amazeey's Labyrinth Challenge"Dzubir Mohammed Zakaria & Raja Nukman Raja Mohd NoordinAnas Abdul AzizDecember 12, 2021 (2021-12-12)
Mr. Jamie has been kidnapped by an overconfident and challenging robot named Amazeey who had turned the entire school into a labyrinth, so it's up to Amato, MechaBot, Mara and Deep to save him before it's too late.
5"Don't Mess with the Janitor"Hafiz Ashraf Saipul Islam, Dzubir Mohammed Zakaria & Raja Nukman Raja Mohd NoordinNizam RazakDecember 18, 2021 (2021-12-18)
When a bad robot named Janitoor crashes into Pian's house, shocked by how unclean it is, he is alone at home. When Amato and MechaBot arrive to assist, a horrified MechaBot explains that Janitoor is one of the most dangerous robots in the Space Prison and the five-time Space Arena Champion. He is now pursuing them.
6"Social Media Ninja"Dzubir Mohammed ZakariaNizam RazakDecember 19, 2021 (2021-12-19)
People are getting caught in awkward time loops for no apparent reason, and footage of them are being shared online. Amato discovers that Ninjamera, a sneaky bad robot who likes to sneak up on unsuspecting people and record them in their most embarrassing moments, is the culprit. The videos of his victims are then shared on social media. Before more people fall victim to Ninjamera's online shaming, Amato and his friends must find a way to track him down.
7"The Art Thief"Dzubir Mohammed Zakaria & Raja Nukman Raja Mohd NoordinNizam RazakDecember 25, 2021 (2021-12-25)
Amato has completed a drawing of his new invention, a drawing that no one can understand except Pian. They discover on their way to school that Paintasso, a bad robot, has stolen artwork from a kindergarten that he thinks to be wonderful pieces of art. Amato has no choice but to chase Paintasso when he returns to kidnap one of the talented kids in order to generate more paintings for him.
8"Off-Key Karaoke"Dzubir Mohammed Zakaria, Hafiz Ashraf Saipul Islam & Raja Nukman Raja Mohd NoordinNizam RazakDecember 26, 2021 (2021-12-26)
Amato is studying for his exams when he is awakened by a loud and horrible singing in the middle of the night. Karok, a bad robot that was thrown into Space Prison for singing inside the Space Library, is the owner of the horrible voice. Every night, the singing gets louder, and it begins to interfere with Amato's sleep and studies. He must stop Karok before he fails his examinations as the result of the bad robot.

References
  1. Melanie Chalil (29 November 2021). "Malaysian-made Cartoon Network animation series 'Mechamato' showcases Melaka's charm, diversity (VIDEO)". Malay Mail. Retrieved 25 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. Serimah Mohd Sallehuddin (6 October 2021). "Mechamato tembusi 21 negara Asia Pasifik". Berita Harian (in Malay). Retrieved 17 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. "Mechamato". Monsta. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  4. "Mechamato English Voice Actor Revealed!". YouTube. 6 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  5. "Pelakon Suara Mechamato didedahkan!". YouTube (in Malay). 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  6. "カートゥーン スペシャル メカアマト". Cartoon Network Japan (in Japanese). 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  7. "Monsta Memperlihatkan Siri Animasi Mechamato Secara Rasmi – Pengembaraan Baharu Buat Power Sphera Universe". Aksiz (in Malay). 8 April 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  8. "Cartoon Network Picks-Up Monsta's 'Mechamato' for Asia Pacific". Animation World Network. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  9. "Digerati 50 – Animonsta's Nizam Razak is a man of characters". Digital News Asia. 20 November 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  10. Dennis Chua (7 February 2022). "#Showbiz: 'Foreign animators had strong faith in Mechamato' - Animonsta Studios". New Straits Times. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  11. Hanafis Haris (15 March 2021). ""Menangis Weh Scene Tu, Sedih Kena Berpisah" - Ayah BoBoiBoy Akhirnya Muncul, Filem Mechamato Dijangka Tayang Hujung Tahun Ni?". Gempak.com (in Malay). Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  12. "MONSTA 2020 - A NEW ERA!". YouTube. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  13. "Mechamato™ Series - Teaser Exclusive First Look TOMORROW! (8.4.2020) #ANewEra". YouTube. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  14. "'BoBoiBoy Movie 3' due in 2022, after 'Mechamato Movie' in 2021 say Animonsta Studios". The Star. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  15. "MECHAMATO MOVIE - OFFICIAL TRAILER [HD]". YouTube. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  16. "Enggan rugi, filem animasi Mechamato tangguh tayangan". Berita Harian (in Malay). 6 January 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  17. "Mechamato Bakal Mengubah Industri Animasi Tempatan – Kenapa?". Aksiz (in Malay). 24 November 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  18. @nizamabdrazak (6 December 2021). "In term of timeline, Mechamato series come after Mechamato Movie. Mechamato Movie will focus on Amato's 1st encounter with MechaBot. However, due to the Omicron variant, we are still unsure when we can release Mechamato Movie. After 1st season or maybe even later🙃" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  19. @nizamabdrazak (25 March 2022). "Tayangan Mechamato Movie telah ditunda disebabkan pandemic. Kami menggantikan Mechamato Movie dengan Series S1. Disebabkan perubahan ini, kami perlu mengolah sedikit jalan cerita dalam Mechamato Movie dan ianya melibatkan proses produksi dan perlu mengambil sedikit masa" (Tweet) (in Malay) – via Twitter.
  20. "'Mechamato The Animated Series' arriving on Cartoon Network this December". Animation Xpress. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  21. Aref Omar (3 December 2021). "#Showbiz: Empowering kids with creativity". New Straits Times. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  22. @MechamatoJP (27 March 2022). "#メカアマト OP - 日本語版 🎵 歌　吉田達彦 @tatsuhiko_hiko" (Tweet) (in Japanese) – via Twitter.
  23. @mechamato (7 October 2021). "Mechamato series officially dubbed into Japanese and Korean on Cartoon Network!🇲🇾🇯🇵🇰🇷 More languages to be added soon!🔊🌏" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  24. "'Mechamato The Animated Series' arriving on Cartoon Network this December". Television Business International. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
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