MECARD
Mecard (originally known as Turning Mecard in South Korea) is a cross-media action franchise created in 2015 by Choirock Contents Company in partnership with Sonokong. Centered on mini die-cast cars that automatically spring open into fighting Mechanimals upon rolling over magnetic cards, the IP spans multiple television series, theatrical feature films, mobile video games, and comic books.
Cronologia
Panoramica
Created by South Korea's Choirock Contents Company (formerly Choirock Contents Factory) alongside toy distributor Sonokong, Mecard (originally Turning Mecard) debuted in South Korea in February 2015. Head-written by Atsushi Maekawa (known for Bakugan and Yu-Gi-Oh!), the franchise combines miniature die-cast cars, trading card gameplay, and animated mecha battles.
The defining mechanism of the property revolves around Mechanimals—miniature toy vehicles that roll onto a magnetic card ('Mecard') to spring open and instantaneously transform into mechanical creatures or robotic fighters.
Over its decade-long history, the franchise has expanded into an extensive media universe comprising eight distinct animated television series with over 360 combined episodes (including Turning Mecard, Turning Mecard W, Turning Mecard R, Dino Mecard, Ghost Mecard, Bbasha Mecard, Mecard Ball, and Turning Mecard God), three theatrical feature films, multiple mobile games, and graphic novel adaptations. Between 2016 and 2021, global toy giant Mattel distributed the toy line internationally under the shortened brand name Mecard after acquiring a 12% equity stake in Sonokong.
Origini
The concept of Mecard originated from an initiative to reinvent action-vehicle play by combining magnetic card activation with instant mechanical spring transformations.
Developed in South Korea by Choirock Contents Company and Sonokong, the franchise premiered on the KBS2 network on February 3, 2015, with the broadcast of the original Turning Mecard animated series.
The story introduces Jason (Na Chan), an ordinary grade-school boy who meets Evan, an alien mechanical beast disguised as a mini car from the parallel dimension of Triforce. As Jason learns to operate Evan using special game cards, he enters the world of Tamers—battlers who command Mechanimals across Earth and Triforce to stop dark entities like Black Mirror from conquering these living machines. The seamless synergy between physical pop-up toy mechanics and a character-driven animated story transformed the franchise into a massive commercial hit in South Korea, prompting immediate sequel series, spin-offs, and an international distribution agreement with Mattel in October 2016.
Personaggi
I PEZZI DI MECARD
Collezionismo
For mecha and transforming action toy collectors, Mecard represents a major milestone in modern converting die-cast engineering. The primary toy line was originally manufactured by Choirock Contents Company and Sonokong, with global English packaging produced under Mattel from 2016 to 2021. The hallmark of the collection is the spring-loaded Mechanimal mini-cars, which utilize internal magnetic latches that trigger instant pop-up transformations when rolled over metallic Mecards.
Key grails and chase items for collectors include the dual-transforming Jumbo Mechanimals introduced in Turning Mecard W, the radio-controlled mini-cars from Turning Mecard R, and the Tinysaur egg capsule sets from Dinosaur Mecard. The franchise made toy industry history during a multi-year global legal battle when Canadian competitor Spin Master sued Choirock alleging patent infringement over Bakugan mechanics; Choirock won every legal challenge worldwide by 2021 across China, Europe, and the US Court of Appeals. Following the resolution of these lawsuits and the end of the Mattel agreement, Choirock re-issued the classic line starting in 2024 with updated production standards—featuring opaque outer bodies with transparent interior mecha frames marked 'Originals: Registered International Patents'—making both early Sonokong first-editions and newly remastered releases prized items among collectors.
Choirock defeated Spin Master in high-profile patent litigations across China, Europe, and the United States Court of Appeals, securing total global patent freedom for its magnetic transformation designs.
