Mega Man Manga Creator Designs Original Robot Character To Fight Coronavirus Outbreak

As many readers will know, the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus has shaken many nations – including Japan. In this time of hardship, however, it looks like a new robot master has emerged to boost everyone’s health and hopes!

Hitoshi Ariga, the illustrator and author of the Mega Man Megamix manga, recently shared a fun sketch of an original robot hero to encourage fans in this troubling time. Named Antivirus Amorviel, the character follows in the style of Mega Man X bosses such as Spark Mandrill, Chill Penguin, and more!

Here’s the full artwork below:

“My daughter said to me, ‘daddy, you should draw an Amabie to help defeat COVID-19’…So I drew a strong-looking Amabie”

“Antiviral Reploid – Antivirus Armorviel”

The design itself pays tribute to the Amabie – a three-legged mermaid/merman yokai from Japanese folklore (in this case, Antivirus Armorviel’s tail seems to represent the ‘third leg’). According to legends, sharing images of Amabie in Japan helps to heal people – which is certainly pertinent given Japan’s growing coronavirus concerns.

What do you think of this unofficial addition to the Mega Man universe? Feel free to share your thoughts below!