Imagineer has announced a collaboration with the mobile app Manga HOT to launch Weekly Medarot Broadcast, a column the company will begin in late December. It’ll feature reader participation as well as two new manga series, Medarot Short (working title) by franchise staple Horuma Rin and Medarot Re – Reloaded by franchise newcomer Hakubayashi. The latter was described as starring Rokuyo Kagami, a former Medarot great, aiming to win the World Robattle Cup. The company shared a preview image of the series:





To celebrate the launch of Weekly Medarot Broadcast, Imagineer has decided to run a new Ori-Meda contest. Fans are encouraged to send their original designs to appear in Medarot Re – Reloaded. To enter, follow the Weekly Medarot Broadcast Twitter or Instagram accounts. Create an image 2000px × 2000px in JPG or PNG format that follows the template Imagineer provides (below, left) and post it on the site with the hashtag “#オリメダほっと”. Submissions must include a full body design, a name, the design motif (for example, beetle), a three letter model name (KBT, KWG, etc.), and names for the head, legs, and each individual arm. Entrees can also optionally add characteristics for each part, the robot’s gender, leg type (flying, floating, tank, etc.) and other advanced options.

Three Grand Prix winners will get their design featured in the new manga series, a Grand Prix certificate and a special Medarot wrist strap. Five runner-ups will also get the strap (up, right) and an Excellence Award mention in the column. Other entries may win the Imagineer Award, which will also see them in the column. The Ori-Meda contest runs between December 11, 2017, and January 8, 2018. Winners will be announced in the January 17th issue of Weekly Medarot Broadcast. Those chosen for the first two tiers of prizes will be contacted through a private message.

The Ori-Meda term dates back to the 1990s when Imagineer hosted similar contests in the Comic BonBon magazine. The company most recently held an Ori-Meda event in 2015 for Medarot 8, which resulted in Haikara-Mate, Kimengar and Time Faller being added to the game as downloadable content.

The Manga HOT app launched on June 1, 2017, in Japan on iOS and Android devices. Created by COAMIX and North Star Pictures in partnership with Imagineer, the free to use service features classic manga titles like Fist of the North Star and City Hunter. The current Japanese-only edition became available worldwide last month, with an English version of the app on the way. That’s no guarantee all of the content inside the app will be translated, however.

Note: This article has been amended to change the translation of Weekly Medarot Communication to Weekly Medarot Broadcast.

Thanks bk2128 and Kimbles.