Fight, Lockman! For Everlasting Peace!

Bicycles are widely used in Japan as a mainstream form of transportation. People of all ages and social standings rely on cycling to get around, so you can imagine how important it is to keep your bike locked up when not in use. Choosing a bike lock that's fit for your needs is no easy task, what with so many to choose from. Fortunately, one mom-and-pop business has summoned the likeness of Rockman to help them come out on top.

Meet Lockman. He's here to sell you bicycle locks at affordable prices!  The mascot of a local hardware store in Japan, Lockman makes for an appropriate poster child because of a convenient pun on Rockman's name.  In the Japanese language, it's difficult to recognize the difference between L and R, because the sounds fall into the ra/ri/ru/re/ro liquid category.  Therefore both L and R are pronounced as a single phoneme. So 'Rockman' often sounds like 'Lockman'. It's quite punny.

Lockman here has become something of a miniature imageboard meme over the last couple days -- well on his way to cult status. It's only a matter of time before the fan art starts pouring in! A "Mr. Lockman" crossover is inevitable.

Source: Omaketeki