manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series written and illustrated by
Fujiko F. Fujio
was a manga writing duo formed by Japanese manga artists and . They formed their partnership in 1951, and used the Fujiko Fujio name from 1954 until dissolution of the partnership in 1987, upon Fujimoto's illness. The pair was best known f ...
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
'' volumes and published by
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics (manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.
Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hit ...
from 1970 to 1996. The story revolves around an earless robotic cat named
Doraemon
''Doraemon'' ( ja, ドラえもん ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The manga was first serialized in December 1969, with List of Doraemon chapters, its 1,345 individual chapters compiled into 45 ' ...
Nobita Nobi
is a fictional character in the ''Doraemon'' anime and manga series created by Fujiko Fujio, the pen name of writing team Hiroshi Fujimoto and Motoo Abiko. He is also the main character in The Doraemons (special version). Known as Sidney, Spec ...
.
The manga spawned a
media franchise
A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or ...
. Three anime TV series have been adapted in
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
,
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
, and
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
. Additionally,
Shin-Ei Animation
is a Japanese animation studio owned by TV Asahi and founded in Tokyo in 1965 as A-Production by Daikichirō Kusube, who was previously an animator for Toei Animation. Shin-Ei is known for being the animation studio behind two of the anime tele ...
has produced over forty animated films, including two 3D computer animated films, all of which are distributed by
Toho
is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...
. Various types of merchandise and media have been developed, including soundtrack albums,
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
, and musicals. The manga series was licensed for an English language release in North America, via
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle is a series of e-readers designed and marketed by Amazon. Amazon Kindle devices enable users to browse, buy, download, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines and other digital media via wireless networking to the Kindle Store. ...
, by a collaboration of Fujiko F. Fujio Pro with Voyager Japan and
AltJapan Co., Ltd.
AltJapan Co., Ltd. is a Tokyo based company specializing in the translation and localization of Japanese entertainment. It is particularly active in manga and video game localization. It specializes in Japanese-to-English and English-to-Japanese t ...
The anime series was licensed by
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
for an English-language release in North America in 2014, and LUK International in
Europe, the Middle East and Africa
EMEA is a shorthand designation meaning Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The acronym is used by institutions and governments, as well as in marketing and business when referring to this region: it is a shorthand way of referencing the two ...
.
''Doraemon'' was well-received by critics and became a hit in many Asian countries. It won numerous awards, including the
Japan Cartoonists Association Award
is an annual award for manga, sponsored by the Japan Cartoonists Association. The prize was first awarded in 1972.
Prizes
Recipients of the Grand Prize receive a gold plaque, a medal, and a cash prize of ¥500,000. Recipients of the Excellence P ...
in 1973 and 1994, the
Shogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, and is sponsored by Shogakukan, Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga and features candidates from a number of publishers. It is the oldest manga award in Japan, being ...
for
children's manga
and refer to manga and anime directed towards children. These series are usually moralistic, often educating children about staying in the right path in life. Each chapter is usually a self-contained story.
History
''Kodomo'' manga started ...
in 1982, and the
Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize
Named after Osamu Tezuka, the is a yearly manga prize awarded to manga artists or their works that follow the Osamu Tezuka manga approach founded and sponsored by Asahi Shimbun. The prize has been awarded since 1997, in Tokyo, Japan.
Current ...
in 1997. As of 2019, it has sold over 250 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling manga series in history. ''Doraemon'' is also one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, of which the animated film series has the highest number of admissions in Japan. The Doraemon character has been viewed as a Japanese cultural icon, and was appointed as the first "anime ambassador" in 2008 by the country's
Foreign Ministry In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
.
Synopsis
Nobita Nobi
is a fictional character in the ''Doraemon'' anime and manga series created by Fujiko Fujio, the pen name of writing team Hiroshi Fujimoto and Motoo Abiko. He is also the main character in The Doraemons (special version). Known as Sidney, Spec ...
is a ten-year-old Japanese school boy, who is kind-hearted and honest, but also lazy, unlucky, weak, gets bad grades and is bad at sports. One day, a robot cat from the 22nd century named Doraemon is sent back to the past by Nobita's descendants to take care of Nobita so that his descendants can have a better life. Doraemon has a four-dimensional pouch in which he stores tools, inventions, and gadgets from the future to aid Nobita whenever he is faced with a problem. Although Doraemon is a cat robot, he has a fear of mice because of an incident where robotic mice chewed off his ears. This is why Doraemon lost his original yellow color and turned blue, from sadness.
Nobita has three main friends:
Takeshi Goda
This list describes characters from the anime and manga series ''Doraemon''. Also listed are their original NTV voice actors (1973), followed by their TV Asahi voice actors (1979–2005; 2005–present). Part of the 22nd century characters are ...
(nicknamed Gian),
Suneo Honekawa
This list describes characters from the anime and manga series ''Doraemon''. Also listed are their original NTV voice actors (1973), followed by their TV Asahi voice actors (1979–2005; 2005–present). Part of the 22nd century characters are ...
(Gian's sidekick), and
Shizuka Minamoto
This list describes characters from the anime and manga series ''Doraemon''. Also listed are their original NTV voice actors (1973), followed by their TV Asahi voice actors (1979–2005; 2005–present). Part of the 22nd century characters are ...
, Nobita's best friend and love-interest. Gian is a strong, leading and domineering boy, but also loyal to his friends. Suneo is a wealthy and spoiled boy who uses his friendship with Gian to win the respect of other schoolmates. Shizuka is a gentle and kind girl who frequently plays with Nobita. Nobita has a crush on Shizuka; she is his prospective future wife (Nobita's future wife is initially Gian's younger sister). Although Gian and Suneo are Nobita's friends, they also typically bully and abuse him. Nobita normally responds by using Doraemon's gadgets to fight back against them, but Nobita has a tendency to get carried away with using the gadgets (or Gian and Suneo, if they steal it away), which typically results in unintended consequences for him and others.
In addition to Gian, Suneo, and Shizuka, Dorami and Hidetoshi Dekisugi (common name Dekisugi) are also recurring characters. Dorami is Doraemon's younger sister, and Dekisugi is a gifted student boy who as Shizuka's close friend, frequently attracts the jealousy of Nobita.
Creation and conception
Development and themes
''Doraemon'' is written and illustrated by
Fujiko F. Fujio
was a manga writing duo formed by Japanese manga artists and . They formed their partnership in 1951, and used the Fujiko Fujio name from 1954 until dissolution of the partnership in 1987, upon Fujimoto's illness. The pair was best known f ...
, the pen name of Japanese
manga artist
A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan.
Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist be ...
Hiroshi Fujimoto. According to Fujio, it was originally conceived following a series of three events: when searching for ideas for a new manga, he wished a machine existed that would come up with ideas for him, he tripped over his daughter's toy, and heard cats fighting in his neighborhood. To set up the plot and characters, he inspired some elements from his earlier manga series, ''
Obake no Q-Tarō
is a Japanese manga series by Fujiko Fujio and later Fujiko F. FujioThe series was written under "Fujiko Fujio" initially. When Fujiko F. Fujio and Fujiko A. Fujio decided to separate, Fujiko F. Fujio took over this series. about the ...
'', which involve an ''
obake
and are a class of ''yōkai'', preternatural creatures in Japanese folklore. Literally, the terms mean ''a thing that changes'', referring to a state of transformation or shapeshifting.
These words are often translated as "ghost", but primari ...
'' living with humans, with a similar formula. Fujio said that the idea for ''Doraemon'' came after "an accumulation of trial and error", during which he finally found the most suitable style of manga to him. Initially, the series achieved little success as ''
gekiga
, literally "dramatic pictures", is a style of Japanese comics aimed at adult audiences and marked by a more cinematic art style and more mature themes. ''Gekiga'' was the predominant style of adult comics in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s. It is ...
'' was well-known at the time, and only became a hit after its adaptation into an anime TV series and multiple feature films.
''Doraemon'' is mainly aimed at children, so Fujio chose to create the character with a simple graphic style, based on shapes such as circles and ellipses. He used the same sequences of cartoons with regularity and continuity to enhance the reader's ease of understanding. In addition, blue, a characteristic color of Doraemon, was chosen as the main color in magazine publications, which used to have a yellow cover and red title. Set in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, the manga reflected parts of Japan's society, such as the class system and the "ideal" of Japanese childhood. Problems, if occur, were resolved in a way so as not to rely on violence and eroticism, and the stories were integrated with the concept of environmentalism. The manga also insisted on the ethical values of integrity, perseverance, courage, family and respect.
In order to underline the crucial role of the young generation in society, the manga's creator chose to have the act carried out in a "children's domain" where young people can live with happiness, freedom and power without adult's interference. As Saya S. Shiraishi noted, the existence of the "domain" helped ''Doraemon'' to have a strong appeal in various Asian countries. During ''Doraemon'''s development, Fujio did not express a change in characters; he said, "When a manga hero become a success, the manga suddenly stops being interesting. So the hero has to be like the stripes on a barber pole; he seems to keep moving upward, but actually he stays in the same place."
According to Zensho Ito, Fujio's former student, the "length" of time in the universe is one of the ideas that inspired Fujio to make ''Doraemon''. Frequently occur in its stories is Nobita's desire to control time, and there exist time-control gadgets that he uses to satisfy that desire, particularly the "Time Machine", which lies in his desk drawer. Unlike Western works on science fiction, the manga did not explain the theory nor the applied technology behind these tools, but instead focusing on how the characters exploit their advantages, making it more children-friendly.
Origin of the name
The name "Doraemon" can be roughly translated to "stray". Unusually, the name is written in a mixture of two Japanese scripts:
Katakana
is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...
() and
Hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''.
It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' literally means "flowing" or "simple" kana ("simple" originally as contrast ...
(). "Dora" derives from , and is a corruption of nora (stray), while "-emon" (in kanji ) is an old-fashioned suffix for male names (for example, as in
Ishikawa Goemon
was a legendary Japanese outlaw hero who stole gold and other valuables to give to the poor. He and his son were boiled alive in public after their failed assassination attempt on the Sengoku period warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His legend lives ...
). Nobita's home address in Tsukimidai ("moon-view-heights"),
Nerima
is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Nerima City.
, the ward has an estimated population of 721,858, with 323,296 households and a population density of 15,013 persons per km2, while 15,326 f ...
refers to Fujimidai ("
Fuji Fuji may refer to:
Places China
* Fuji, Xiangcheng City (付集镇), town in Xiangcheng City, Henan
Japan
* Mount Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan
* Fuji River
* Fuji, Saga, town in Saga Prefecture
* Fuji, Shizuoka, city in Shizuoka Prefectur ...
-view-heights"), where
Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such ...
's residence and animation studio is based. The name "Nobita Nobi" refers to "nobi nobi", meaning "the way a young child grows up free, healthy, and happy, unrestrained in any sense".
Gadgets
Gadgets, or , are Doraemon's tools from the future, usually used to help the characters. Fujio said that Doraemon has a total of 1,293 gadgets; according to a 2004 analysis by Yasuyuki Yokoyama of
Toyama University
The is a Japanese national university in Toyama Prefecture established in 1949. The University of Toyama has three campuses, namely the Gofuku, Sugitani, and Takaoka campuses.
The University of Toyama, Sugitani campus is the home to Institute ...
, there are 1,963 gadgets found in 1,344 sketches. The most important gadgets include "Take-Copter", a small piece of headgear made out of bamboo that can allow its users to fly; "Time Machine", a machine used for
time travel
Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...
; "Anywhere Door", a pink-colored door that allows people to travel according to the thoughts of the person who turns the knob; "Time Kerchief", a handkerchief which can turn an object new or old or a person young or old; "Translator Tool", a cuboid jelly that allow one to converse in any language; and "Designer", a camera used to instantly dress-up the user.
Saya S. Shiraishi wrote that most of the gadgets were "an impressive testimony to the standards of quality control and innovation that exist in the twenty-second century". The gadgets were an essential part of the series so as to reflect a positive point of view about the association of technology in children, and to express the wishes of modern society.
Conclusion
The series stopped publishing after Fujimoto's death in 1996, without an ending; this has aroused numerous
urban legend
An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...
s throughout the years. One of the most well-known "endings" of the manga was by an amateur manga cartoonist under the pen name "Yasue T. Tajima", first appeared on the Internet in 1998 and made up into a manga in 2005. The story takes place when Doraemon's battery dies, and Nobita later grows up becoming a robot engineer, potentially revive Doraemon and live a happy life. Tajima issued an apology in 2007, and the profits were shared with Shogakukan and the copyright owner, Fujiko F. Fujio Pro.
Ryūichi Yagi and
Takashi Yamazaki
is a Japanese visual effects artist, television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. He won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Director of the Year, Director of the Year and Japan Academy Film Prize for Screenplay of the Year, Screenplay o ...
, the directors of ''
Stand by Me Doraemon
is a 2014 Japanese 3D computer-animated science fiction comedy drama film based on the ''Doraemon'' manga series and directed by Ryūichi Yagi and Takashi Yamazaki. It was released on 8 August 2014. It is the highest-grossing film of the Dorae ...
'', confirmed that it had only one opening, while the ending has been rewritten several times. Because of this, Shogakukan had to clarify that only if the marriage of Nobita and Shizuka is finalized will the mission be accomplished, and then Doraemon will return to the future.
Media
Manga
In December 1969, the ''Doraemon'' manga appeared in six different children's monthly magazines published by
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics (manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.
Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hit ...
: ''Yoiko'', ''Yōchien'', ''Shogaku Ichi-nensei'', ''Shogaku Ni-nensei'', ''Shogaku San-nensei'', and ''Shogaku Yon-nensei''. The magazines were aimed at children from nursery school to fourth grade. In 1973, two other magazines, ''Shogaku Go-nensei'' and ''Shogaku Roku-nensei'' (aimed at fifth-grade and sixth-grade students respectively), started publishing the manga. In 1977, ''
CoroCoro Comic
is a Japanese monthly manga magazine published by Shogakukan, established on May 15, 1977. Its main target is elementary school-aged boys, younger than the readers of shōnen manga. Several of its properties, like ''Doraemon'' and the '' Poké ...
'' was launched as the flagship magazine of ''Doraemon.''
Since the debut of ''Doraemon'' in 1969, the stories have been selectively collected into forty-five ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
'' volumes that were published under Shogakukan's imprint from July 31, 1974 to April 26, 1996. These volumes are collected in the Takaoka Central Library in
Toyama
Toyama may refer to:
Places and organizations
* Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island
* Toyama, Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture
* Toyama Station, the main station of Toyama, ...
, Japan, where Fujio was born. Between April 25, 2005 and February 28, 2006, Shōgakukan published a series of five manga volumes under the title ''
Doraemon Plus
''Doraemon+'' (ドラえもん+) is a collection of "short story" chapters of Fujiko F. Fujio's ''Doraemon'' (as opposed to the so-called "long story" standalone volumes of ''Daichōhen Doraemon'') that did not make the 45 published volumes. ...
'' (''Doraemon+''), featuring short stories which did not appear in the forty-five original volumes; a sixth volume, the first volume in eight years, was published on December 1, 2014. Additionally, 119 unpublished stories were compiled into six colored-manga volumes under the title ''Doraemon Kara Sakuhin-shu'' , published from July 17, 1999 to September 2, 2006. For conception, see pp. 158–159. Between July 24, 2009 and September 25, 2012, Shogakukan published a ''master works'' collection consisting of twenty volumes with all 1,345 stories written by Fujio. In December 2019, on the 50th anniversary of ''Doraemon'', a "Volume 0" was published by Shogakukan featuring six different versions of Doraemon's first appearance.
There have been two series of bilingual, Japanese and English, volumes of the manga by SHOGAKUKAN ENGLISH COMICS under the title ''Doraemon: Gadget Cat from the Future'', and two audio versions. The first series has ten volumes and the second one has six. 21st Century Publishing House released bilingual English-Chinese versions in Mainland China, and
Chingwin Publishing Group
Ching Win Publishing Co., Ltd. () is a Taiwanese Publishing Group famous for its large manga selection, established 1964 in Taipei. Though it was initially aimed as general publishing company, it changed its principle to mainly publishing manga, l ...
released bilingual English-Chinese versions in Taiwan.
In July 2013, Fujiko F. Fujio Pro announced that they would be collaborating with ebook publisher Voyager Japan and localization company
AltJapan Co., Ltd.
AltJapan Co., Ltd. is a Tokyo based company specializing in the translation and localization of Japanese entertainment. It is particularly active in manga and video game localization. It specializes in Japanese-to-English and English-to-Japanese t ...
to release an English-language version of the manga in full color digitally via the
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle is a series of e-readers designed and marketed by Amazon. Amazon Kindle devices enable users to browse, buy, download, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines and other digital media via wireless networking to the Kindle Store. ...
platform in North America. Shogakukan released the first volume in November 2013; as of 2016, a total of 200 volumes have been published. This English version incorporates a variety of changes to character names; Nobita is "Noby", Shizuka is "Sue", Suneo is "Sneech", and Gian is "Big G", while dorayaki is "Yummy Bun/Fudgy Pudgy Pie". Also, as of 2016, four volumes of the manga have been published in English in print by Shogakukan Asia.
Shogakukan started digital distribution of all forty-five original volumes throughout Japan from July 16, 2015.
Anime
The first attempt of a ''Doraemon'' animated series was in
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
, by
Nippon Television
JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed su ...
. After a January 1973 pilot named ''Doraemon Mirai Kara Yattekuru'' , twenty-six episodes, each with two segments, were broadcast on Nippon TV from April 1 to September 30 of the same year. The series was directed by Mitsuo Kaminashi with voice cast from
Aoni Production
is a Japanese talent agency representing a fair number of voice actors and other Japanese entertainers.
Voice actors currently affiliated with Aoni
All names are in Western order (given name followed by family/last name).
*Mai Aizawa
*Kenj ...
; the character Doraemon was voiced by
Kōsei Tomita
was a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo Prefecture who was affiliated with Aoni Production and Production Baobab. He voiced Doraemon in the first half of the original 1973 ''Doraemon'' series. He voiced Shunsaku Ban, also known as Mustac ...
, then later by
Masako Nozawa
is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator. Throughout her life, she has been affiliated with Production Baobab, 81 Produce and self-owned Office Nozawa; she is also affiliated with Aoni Production. Her late husband, Masaaki Tsukada, was ...
. Later in the series, the animation studio, Nippon TeleMovie Productions, went bankrupt, and the masters were sold off or destroyed. The series was re-aired on Nippon TV and several local stations until 1979, when Shogakukan requested
Toyama Television
is a TV station affiliated with Fuji News Network (FNN) and Fuji Network System (FNS) in Toyama, Toyama. It is broadcast in Toyama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Toyama Prefecture has a popu ...
to cease broadcasting. Some of the segments were found in the archives of
IMAGICA
is a Japanese post-production company for films, television programmes and commercials, etc., established in 1935 and headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is a subsidiary of Imagica Group.
History
Imagica was formerly named from 193 ...
in 1995, and some others were recovered by Jun Masami in 2003. As of 2013, 21 of 52 segments have known to survive, two of which without audio.
''Doraemon'' remained fairly exclusive in manga form until 1979 when a newly formed animation studio,
Shin-Ei Animation
is a Japanese animation studio owned by TV Asahi and founded in Tokyo in 1965 as A-Production by Daikichirō Kusube, who was previously an animator for Toei Animation. Shin-Ei is known for being the animation studio behind two of the anime tele ...
(now owned by
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Compan ...
) produced an animated second attempt of ''Doraemon''. The series, directed by
Shunsuke Kikuchi
was a Japanese composer who was active from the early 1960s until 2017. He specialized in incidental music for media such as television and film. Kikuchi was regarded as one of Japan's most highly demanded film and TV composers, working pri ...
was the composer.
Nobuyo Ōyama
, born , is a former Japanese actress, voice actress and singer affiliated with Actors Seven. She is best known for playing the title character in the long-running ''Doraemon'' anime series. She is also well known as the voice of Monokuma, the m ...
voiced Doraemon in the series; because of this, in
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, this version is sometimes referred to as the Ōyama Edition. In total, 1,787 episodes were produced and released in VHS and
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
by
Toho
is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...
. Celebrating the anniversary of the franchise, a third ''Doraemon''
animated series
An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either ...
, also produced by
Shin-Ei Animation
is a Japanese animation studio owned by TV Asahi and founded in Tokyo in 1965 as A-Production by Daikichirō Kusube, who was previously an animator for Toei Animation. Shin-Ei is known for being the animation studio behind two of the anime tele ...
, began airing on TV Asahi on April 15, 2005, with new
voice actors
Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...
and staff, and updated character designs. The third series is sometimes referred to in Asia as the Mizuta Edition, as a tribute for the voice actress for Doraemon,
Wasabi Mizuta
is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actress. She was born in Aoyama, Mie, and currently resides in Iga, Mie.
Mizuta replaced long-time voice actress Nobuyo Ōyama as the voice of Doraemon (character), Doraemon, starting with the Doraem ...
. It was released in DVD on February 10, 2006 under the title ''New TV-ban Doraemon'' with Shogakukan Video banner.
In May 2014, TV Asahi Corporation announced an agreement with
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
to bring the 2005 series to the Disney XD television channel and Disney Channel in the United States beginning in the summer of that year. Besides using the name changes that were used in AltJapan's English adaptation of the original manga, other changes and edits have also been made to make the show more relatable to an American audience, such as Japanese text being replaced with English text on certain objects like signs and graded papers, items such as yen notes being replaced by US dollar bills, and the setting being changed from Japan to the United States. Initial response to the edited dub was positive. The Disney adaptation began broadcast in Japan on
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
from February 1, 2016. The broadcast offered the choice of the English voice track or a newly recorded Japanese track by the Japanese cast of the 2005 series.
The anime has also been aired in over sixty countries worldwide. It premiered in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
in 1982, the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
in 1999, India in 2005, and Vietnam in 2010. Other Asian countries that broadcast the series include
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, and
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. The series is licensed in
EMEA
EMEA is a shorthand designation meaning Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The acronym is used by institutions and governments, as well as in marketing and business when referring to this region: it is a shorthand way of referencing the two ...
regions by LUK International; it premiered in Spain in 1993 and France in 2003. It has also been distributed in South American countries, including Brazil, Colombia, and Chile. In 2017, POPS Worldwide, a Vietnamese multimedia company, collaborated with TV Asahi to release the anime series on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
and other digital platforms.
Feature films
As of 2022, there have been 41 annual feature-length
animated film
Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...
s produced by Shin-Ei Animation and released by Toho, the most recent of which is '' Doraemon: Nobita's Little Star Wars 2021'', which premiered in Japan on March 4, 2022. The first twenty-five films are based on the 1979 anime, while the rest are based on the 2005 anime. Unlike the anime and manga series, the films are more action-adventure oriented, taking the familiar characters of ''Doraemon'' and placing them in a variety of exotic and perilous settings.
A 3D computer animated film, ''
Stand by Me Doraemon
is a 2014 Japanese 3D computer-animated science fiction comedy drama film based on the ''Doraemon'' manga series and directed by Ryūichi Yagi and Takashi Yamazaki. It was released on 8 August 2014. It is the highest-grossing film of the Dorae ...
,'' debuted in Japan on August 8, 2014. Directed by
Takashi Yamazaki
is a Japanese visual effects artist, television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. He won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Director of the Year, Director of the Year and Japan Academy Film Prize for Screenplay of the Year, Screenplay o ...
and Ryūichi Yagi, it combines elements from the short stories of the manga series: "All the Way from the Country of the Future", "Imprinting Egg", "Goodbye, Shizuka-chan", "Romance in Snowy Mountain", "Nobita's the Night Before a Wedding", and "Goodbye, Doraemon ..." into a new complete story, from the first time Doraemon came to Nobita's house to Doraemon bidding farewell to Nobita. The film was a box office success, grossing $183.4 million worldwide. A sequel, ''
Stand by Me Doraemon 2
is a 2020 Japanese 3D computer animated science fiction comedy film based on the ''Doraemon'' manga series and a sequel to the previous movie, the 2014 film ''Stand by Me Doraemon''. Directed by Ryūichi Yagi and Takashi Yamazaki, it is primari ...
'', also directed by Yamazaki and Yagi, was released on November 20, 2020.
Short films, OVA and crossover
Several ''Doraemon'' short films were produced and released between 1989 and 2004. These include '' 2112: The Birth of Doraemon'', a film about the life of Doraemon from birth before coming to Nobita; '' Doraemon: Nobita's the Night Before a Wedding'', a film about the events related to the marriage of Nobita and Shizuka; ''
The Day When I Was Born
also known as ''Doraemon the Movie 2002'' is a 2002 Japanese animated
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent ...
'' and '' Doraemon: A Grandmother's Recollections'', the films about the relationship between Nobita and his parents along with his grandmother. Other short films focus on
Dorami
This list describes characters from the anime and manga series ''Doraemon''. Also listed are their original Nippon Television, NTV Voice acting in Japan, voice actors (1973), followed by their TV Asahi voice actors (1979–2005; 2005–present) ...
and
the Doraemons
is a spin-off manga series of the long-running series ''Doraemon''.
Synopsis
The series originated from the film '' 2112: The Birth of Doraemon'', where the six protagonists were created. The original author Fujiko F. Fujio agrees with the ...
. In 1981, Toho released ''
What Am I for Momotaro
''Doraemon'' ( ja, ドラえもん ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The manga was first serialized in December 1969, with List of Doraemon chapters, its 1,345 individual chapters compiled into 45 ' ...
'', a film about
Momotarō
is a Folk hero, popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō (given name), Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, ...
, the hero of Japanese folklore.
In 1994, an educational
OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
was made, titled ''Doraemon: Nobita to Mirai Note'' , where the main characters express the hope for a better Earth. The OVA was released in DVD along with the 13th issue of ''Fujiko F. Fujio Wonderland'' magazine in September 2004. A crossover episode of ''Doraemon'' with '' AIBOU: Tokyo Detective Duo'' aired on TV Asahi on November 9, 2018.
Music
The soundtrack of the 1973 anime series was composed by Nobuyoshi Koshibe, who also arranged the opening theme song and the ending theme song , both performed by Harumi Naitō. For the 1979 anime, Shunsuke Kikuchi was the composer, who arranged ; it had been performed by numerous singers, including
Kumiko Ōsugi
is a J-pop artist from Tokyo. In 1964 she recorded a song with Crown Records using the pseudonym . The first song to be released under her real name was , the opening theme for the '' Attack No. 1'' anime. She went on to perform theme songs for m ...
and Satoko Yamano. When the anime got a reboot in 2005, Kan Sawada was the composer of the series. There are four other opening themes, including an instrumental version of "Doraemon no Uta" performed by
Twelve Girls Band
12 Girls Band (, sometimes abbreviated to 女樂 or 女乐) are an all female Chinese musical group that initially consisted of twelve members before the addition of a thirteenth. Twelve Girls Band use traditional Chinese instruments to play both ...
; "Hagushichao" performed by
Rimi Natsukawa
is a Japanese singer. She is best known for her 2001 single "Nada Sōsō."
Childhood
Natsukawa was born in Ishigaki, the largest city in the Yaeyama Islands chain. From a young age she enjoyed singing, and wanted to be a singer after hearin ...
; "Yume wo Kanaete Doraemon" , the opening theme broadcast from 2007 to 2018; and "Doraemon" performed by
Gen Hoshino
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and writer.
Career Music
Since 2000, Hoshino has led the instrumental band Sakerock, where he plays marimba and guitar. They released over ten albums before disbanding in 2015. As a solo artist, ...
, broadcast since October 2019.
Numerous collections of theme songs of the anime series and feature films were initially available in cassettes. Since the 1990s, ''Doraemon'' songs have been released in CD, under the type of
singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
and
compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
s. Soundtracks of ''Doraemon'' feature films have been released by
Nippon Columbia
, often pronounced ''Korombia'', operating internationally as , is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as Nipponophone Co., Ltd. It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK C ...
since 2001 in the album series .
Other
''Doraemon'' has been adapted into a musical, titled . Based on the 1990
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space
is a centre for the performing arts located in Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. It opened in 1990 and is operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture. There is a concert hall with 1999 seats and a playhouse with 834 seats a ...
on September 4, 2008, running through September 14. Shoji Kokami was the director and writer, Makoto Sakamoto played Nobita and Reiko Suho as Shizuka; Jaian and Suneo were portrayed by Tomohiro Waki and Kensaku Kobayashi, respectively; Wasabi Mizuta voiced Doraemon. The musical was later revived and ran at Sunshine Theater, Tokyo from March 26 to April 2, 2017, then later in other prefectures including
Fukuoka
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...
,
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
,
Miyagi Miyagi may refer to:
Places
* Miyagi Prefecture, one of the 47 major divisions of Japan
* Miyagi, Gunma, a village in Japan, merged into Maebashi in 2004
*Miyagi District, Miyagi, a district in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
Other uses
* Miyagi (surna ...
, and
Aichi
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectu ...
. The 2017 revival is also directed and written by Kokami, with Mizuta reprising her role; Nobita, Shizuka, Jaian, and Suneo were played by Yuuchi Ogoe, Hina Higuchi, Koki Azuma, and Shō Jinnai, respectively.
Several spin-off manga series of ''Doraemon'' have been made. '' Doraemon Long Stories'' is a manga series consists of twenty-four ''tankōbon'' volumes published from 1983 to 2004, featuring longer and continuous narratives about the characters' adventures into various lands of science fiction and fantasy. ''
The Doraemons
is a spin-off manga series of the long-running series ''Doraemon''.
Synopsis
The series originated from the film '' 2112: The Birth of Doraemon'', where the six protagonists were created. The original author Fujiko F. Fujio agrees with the ...
'', a manga illustrated by Michiaki Tanaka based on ''Doraemon'', was published by Shogakukan in six ''tankōbon'' volumes from 1996 to 2001. Between 1997 and 2003, Shogakukan also published fifteen volumes of ''The Doraemons Special'', created by Yukihiro Mitani and Masaru Miyazaki as a complement part of ''The Doraemons'', including twelve from the main series and three from the ''Robot Training School Edition''. ''Dorabase'', a
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
-themed manga written and illustrated by Mugiwara Shintarō, is another spin-off of ''Doraemon''; twenty-three volumes of the manga were published by Shogakukan from April 26, 2001 to October 28, 2011. A
parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...
of ''Doraemon'' created by Hikari Fujisaki, titled ''Nozoemon'' , was first serialized in
Nihon Bungeisha
, or , is a book and magazine publisher established in 1959 and based in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan.
Magazines
*'' Weekly Manga Goraku''
*''Comic Heaven''
*''Bessatsu Manga Goraku''
*''Manga Goraku Nexter''
*''Golf Lesson Comic''
*''Manga Pachinko D ...
's ''Comic Heaven'' magazine in September 2014, with the compiled book volume released on June 9, 2015; however, it was discontinued in August 2015 due to content issues.
Many Japanese-only
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
based on ''Doraemon'' have been developed. For instance, in 1983,
Bandai
is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...
developed , an arcade game inspired by
Pac-Man
originally called ''Puck Man'' in Japan, is a 1980 maze action video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. Th ...
. ''
Doraemon
''Doraemon'' ( ja, ドラえもん ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The manga was first serialized in December 1969, with List of Doraemon chapters, its 1,345 individual chapters compiled into 45 ' ...
'', a
NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
video game made by
Hudson Soft
was a Japanese video game company that released numerous games for video game consoles, home computers and mobile phones, mainly from the 1980s to the 2000s. It was headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo ...
, was released on December 12, 1986, and became one of the best-selling games of that year in Japan with over 1.15 million copies sold. On December 6, 2007,
Sega
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
published ''
Doraemon Wii
''Doraemon Wii - Secret Tool King Tournament'' known in Japan as is a video game based on the manga and anime series ''Doraemon''. It was released in Japan on December 6, 2007 for the Nintendo Wii game console.
Places
* District Area
* Cloud K ...
'', the first ''Doraemon'' video game released on
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
. Doraemon can also be seen in
Namco
was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...
's ''
Taiko no Tatsujin
, lead=yes, group=lower-alpha (Japanese: 太鼓の達人, Taiko no Tatsujin, lit. "Master of the drums") is a series of games created by Namco. In the games, players simulate playing a taiko drum in time with music. The series has released games ...
'' rhythm game series, such as in ''Taiko no Tatsujin: Sesson de Dodon ga Don!'' (2017). The first Doraemon game to receive a Western release was '' Doraemon Story of Seasons'' (2019). Card games with ''Doraemon'' themes have also been made in several special occasions, sometimes to exploit the popularity of feature films. In 2016, a special edition of '' Uno'' about the series' characters was released exclusively in Japan, as a result of a cooperation between
Asatsu-DK
d/b/a ADK, formerly known as Asatsu-DK, is a Japanese advertising agency. Headquartered in the Toranomon Hills building complex in Minato, Tokyo since June 2014 (previously in Tsukiji, Chūō, Tokyo), the firm is Japan's third largest advertis ...
and
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
.
Merchandise
In Japan, the ''Doraemon'' merchandising rights belong to
Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions
is a Japanese production company, a subsidiary of the Japanese publishing group Hitotsubashi Group. Prior to 2008, it was known as .
Notable filmography
* ''A Penguin's Troubles''
* '' Departures''
* ''Doraemon''
* '' Pokemon''
* '' Pokémo ...
, which has produced and distributed a wide range of products under its brand, such as toys, food, stationery,
action figure
An action figure is a poseable character (arts), character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are ...
s, ''
gashapon
, also called , is a trademark of Bandai. Among the variety of vending machine-dispensed capsule toys that originated in the 1960s, it became popular in Japan and elsewhere. "Gashapon" is onomatopoeic from the two sounds "gasha" (or "gacha") f ...
'', shoes, clothing, and others. Several companies have collaborated on the creation and distribution of products on the series and its characters, including
Sanrio
is a Japanese entertainment company. It designs, licenses, and produces products focusing on the ''kawaii'' ("cute") segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts, and accessories which are sold ...
,
Converse
Converse may refer to:
Mathematics and logic
* Converse (logic), the result of reversing the two parts of a definite or implicational statement
** Converse implication, the converse of a material implication
** Converse nonimplication, a logical c ...
,
Moleskine
Moleskine (Italian pronunciation: ) is an Italian manufacturer, papermaker, and product designer founded in 1997 by Francesco Franceschi, based in Milan, Italy. It produces and designs luxury notebooks, as well as planners, sketchbooks, leathe ...
, and
ESP Guitars
is a Japanese guitar manufacturer, primarily focused on the production of electric guitars and Bass guitar, basses. They are based in both Tokyo and Los Angeles, with distinct product lines for each market. ESP Company manufactures instruments ...
, which has made guitars decorated with ''Doraemon'' characters; a further partnership of ''Doraemon'' with Uniqlo led to a line of clothing designed by
Takashi Murakami
is a Japanese contemporary artist. He works in fine arts media (such as painting and sculpture) as well as commercial (such as fashion, merchandise, and animation) and is known for blurring the line between high and low arts as well as co ae ...
. The ''Doraemon'' franchise has also collaborated with various Japanese brands, including Tsi Groove & Sports's ''Jack Bunny!!'' golf apparel brand,
Unicharm
is a Japanese company that manufactures disposable hygiene products, household cleaning products, specializing in the manufacture of diapers for both babies and adult incontinence, feminine hygiene products and pet care products.
The company h ...
's ''MamiPoko'' diaper brand, and the video games ''LINE Pop 2'', ''
Monster Strike
is a Mobile game, mobile Japanese role-playing game, Japanese role-playing physics game with elements of Puzzle video game, puzzle, strategy game, strategy and Cooperative video game, cooperative multiplayer. It is developed by Mixi, XFLAG for i ...
'', and ''
Granblue Fantasy
(Japanese:グランブルーファンタジー, Hepburn: ''Guranburū Fantajī)'' is a Japanese social-network game and role-playing video game developed by Cygames for Android, iOS and web browsers, which first released in Japan in March 2014 ...
''.
Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
owns the ''Doraemon'' merchandising rights in North and Latin America, which has developed ''Doraemon''-themed clothing and collectibles in collaboration with retail chain
Hot Topic
Hot Topic, Inc. (stylized as HOT TOPIC) is an American retail chain specializing in counterculture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested in rock music and video gaming, ...
, and themed
Happy Meal
A Happy Meal is a kids' meal usually sold at the American fast food restaurant chain McDonald's since June 1979. A small toy or book is included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a red cardboard box with a yellow smiley face ...
s in a 2015 collaboration with
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
. Viz Media Europe (now
Crunchyroll EMEA
Crunchyroll EMEA, formerly known as Viz Media Europe, is a European anime distributor. Established as Viz Media Europe, it was Viz Media's European sister company until 2019. It holds partnerships with TV channels, DVD distributors, and manga pub ...
) manages the merchandising in Europe except Spain and Portugal; LUK International has obtained licenses in these two countries.
Characters from ''Doraemon'' have been used in advertising through specific agreements with Shogakukan. For instance, following the
Cool Japan
refers to the aspects of Japanese culture that non-Japanese people perceive as "cool". The Cool Japan strategy is part of Japan's overall brand strategy, aiming to disseminate Japan's attractiveness and allure to the world. The target of Cool Ja ...
initiative promoted by the
Japanese government
The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary state, c ...
,
Sharp Corporation
is a Japanese multinational corporation that designs and manufactures electronic products, headquartered in Sakai-ku, Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. Since 2016 it has been majority owned by the Taiwan-based Foxconn Group. Sharp employs more than 5 ...
produced a series of commercials featuring the characters of Doraemon and Nobita, which were broadcast in several ASEAN countries. In late 2011, Shogakukan and
Toyota Motor Corporation
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
joined forces to create a series of live-action commercials as part of Toyota's ReBorn ad campaign, which depicted the manga's characters two decades after being grown up, where Hollywood actor
Jean Reno
Jean Reno () (born 30 July 1948), is a French actor. He has worked in American, French, English, Japanese, Spanish and Italian movie productions; Reno appeared in films such as ''Crimson Rivers'', ''Godzilla'', ''The Da Vinci Code'', '' Mission: ...
played Doraemon.
Reception
General
''Doraemon'' is considered one of the best-known manga of all time, a true Japanese cultural icon, and an essential part of family life of the Japanese post-war generation. Akihiro Motoyama observed that "mothers who watched the movies when they were children are now taking their own children to see them". It was also commercially successful: over books were sold in Japan by 1996. The 1979 and 2005 anime series also achieved high ratings on television. With the film '' Doraemon: Nobita's Secret Gadget Museum'', the ''Doraemon'' anime film series reached 100 million tickets sold at the Japanese box office, surpassing ''
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
'' as the highest-grossing film franchise in Japan. By 2015, it had sold over 103 million tickets, and was the largest franchise by numbers of admissions in the country.
''Doraemon'' was also a hit in Asia in general, and was considered one of the typical cases of Japanese
soft power
In politics (and particularly in international politics), soft power is the ability to co-opt rather than coerce (contrast hard power). In other words, soft power involves shaping the preferences of others through appeal and attraction. A defin ...
, although it was published without a license in some countries. The anime television series is available in over 60 countries, and reportedly getting high ratings in at least 30 countries. However, ''Doraemon'' was less successful in Western countries, because it was viewed as a children-only series, and there were some tight restrictions about publishing manga and broadcasting anime series there. The manga has sold over copies worldwide as of 2012, and 250 million as of 2019. Estimates show that ''Doraemon'' has generated at least more than in merchandise sales by 2019, and over $1.7 billion from anime feature films as of 2020, making it one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
Outside Japan, ''Doraemon'' achieved particular success in Vietnam, with a record-breaking 40 million copies sold as of 2006. The manga was first launched there in 1992 by
Kim Đồng Publishing House
Kim Đồng Publishing House (Vietnamese: Nhà xuất bản Kim Đồng) is the largest book producer and publisher for Vietnamese children. With more than a thousand titles of books published yearly, its books are offered to children of all ages, ...
, but the copyright from Shogakukan was not fully acquired until 1996. In 1993, the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture considered the manga's publication to be "an impactful event for the improvement of children, youth and adult's likings ... 'Doraemon''is a comprehensively educational book series which has the effect of developing children's personality". Doraemon is now a cultural icon in Vietnam, having featured in many cultural events.
Critical response and analysis
''Doraemon'' received favorable reviews.
Mark Schilling
Mark Schilling (born 1949) is an American film critic, journalist, translator, and author based in Tokyo, Japan. He has written for ''The Japan Times'', ''Variety'', and ''Screen International''.
Biography
Schilling began working for ''The Japan ...
wrote, "For kids whose lives are often so regulated, Doraemon represents a welcome breath of freedom and a glimpse of a funnier, friendlier world where all dreams, even foolish ones, can come true." Italian writer Massimo Nicora wrote that the manga "can be interpreted as a type of book that criticizes, with irony, the omnipotence of science that pretends to solve every problem with its tools", alluding to the fact that Doraemon's gadgets often end up making the problems even worse than they initially were, more than anything else. He added that it represents "the metaphor of the childish imagination, which always manages to find the most bizarre and original solutions, in a continuous game of transformation of reality".
Some critics considered that Nobita's flawed personality and modest background is different from the special or extraordinary characteristics usually seen in other typical anime and manga protagonists; this portrayal has been seen as reasons of its appeal as well as the contrary, especially in the United States. According to the Italian Parents Movement (Moige), in the manga, "the lazy Nobita does not know any kind of appreciable evolution", though there are still good points including "the criticism of bullying, the goodness that transpires from the little Nobita and the positive figure of Shizuka".
In his 2000 article, Leo Ching explained that the success of ''Doraemon'' in Asia was because it had reflected the Asian values such as imagination and responsibility, the same reason that ''
Oshin
is a Japanese serialized morning television drama (''asadora''), which originally aired on NHK from 4 April 1983 to 31 March 1984; it is the 31st ''asadora'' overall to be produced. The 297 15-minute episodes follow the life of during the Mei ...
'', another Japanese cultural export, became well-known there. On the other hand, according to an analysis by Anne Allison, professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University, the strong point of it was not the variety of the gadgets, but the relationship between Doraemon and Nobita, which was particularly appreciated. Jason Thompson praised the "silly situations" and "old fashioned, simple artwork", with Doraemon's expression and comments adding to the "surrounding elementary-school mischief". On the manga's 50th anniversary, an
op-ed
An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page", is a written prose piece, typically published by a North-American newspaper or magazine, which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board. O ...
published on ''Asahi Shimbun'' stated that the manga "has already become a contemporary classic".
Awards, accolades and public recognition
''Doraemon'' has received numerous accolades. It won the
Japan Cartoonists Association Award
is an annual award for manga, sponsored by the Japan Cartoonists Association. The prize was first awarded in 1972.
Prizes
Recipients of the Grand Prize receive a gold plaque, a medal, and a cash prize of ¥500,000. Recipients of the Excellence P ...
twice in 1973 and 1994, the former for Excellence Award while the latter for Minister of Education, Science and Technology Award. In 1982, it received the first
Shogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, and is sponsored by Shogakukan, Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga and features candidates from a number of publishers. It is the oldest manga award in Japan, being ...
for children's manga. In 1997, the manga won the Grand Prize at the first
Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize
Named after Osamu Tezuka, the is a yearly manga prize awarded to manga artists or their works that follow the Osamu Tezuka manga approach founded and sponsored by Asahi Shimbun. The prize has been awarded since 1997, in Tokyo, Japan.
Current ...
. The 1979 series won the award from the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs four times for best television series in 1984, 1985, 1988 and 1989.
A 2006 poll among 80,000 Japanese fans for the 10th anniversary of the
Japan Media Arts Festival
The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held since 1997 by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs. The festival begins with an open competition and culminates with the awarding of several prizes and an exhibition.
Based on judging by ...
placed ''Doraemon'' at fifth among the top ten best manga of all time. The 2005 and 2006 surveys conducted by TV Asahi found the ''Doraemon'' anime ranked fifth and third, respectively, among the 100 most favorite anime series of all time. In 2010, a survey conducted by researchers of
Tokyo Polytechnic University
is a private university in Honchō, Nakano, Tokyo. Its nickname is ''Shadai'' (写大). It was formerly known as Tokyo College of Photography (, ''Tōkyō Shashin Daigaku'').
The university was founded as Konishi Professional School of Photogra ...
found that most responders considered ''Doraemon'', along with ''
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters colle ...
'' franchise, to be the anime series that represents
Cool Japan
refers to the aspects of Japanese culture that non-Japanese people perceive as "cool". The Cool Japan strategy is part of Japan's overall brand strategy, aiming to disseminate Japan's attractiveness and allure to the world. The target of Cool Ja ...
. In a 2013 survey, ''Doraemon'' was found to be the best anime recommended for foreign people.
Controversies
''Doraemon'' has been blamed for having a negative impact on children, due to the controversial traits of the characters in the anime. The character has received criticism in China, where some media outlets considered Doraemon to be a politically subversive character and that it was a tool of Japan's "cultural invasion". In 2016, a resolution to ban
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
dubbed ''Doraemon'' anime series was submitted in Pakistan. Around the same time, legal notices were served against several companies in India, targeting ''Doraemon'' and '' Crayon Shin-chan'' for bans (which did not materialize), as having an adverse effect on children.
Disney Channel India
Disney Channel is an Indian pay television channel operated by Disney India. The channel is the Indian equivalent to the original American network which was launched on 16 December 2004. Disney Channel is available as a pay television channel ...
, the regional broadcaster of the anime, was banned in Bangladesh and Pakistan citing non-availability of localized dubs for content including ''Doraemon''.
Cultural impact and legacy
The ''Doraemon'' manga has inspired many other
mangaka
A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan.
Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist bef ...
s; these include
Eiichiro Oda
is a Japanese manga artist and the creator of the series ''One Piece'' (1997–present). With more than 516.5 million ''tankōbon'' copies in circulation worldwide, ''One Piece'' is both the best-selling manga in history and the best-se ...
, the creator of ''
One Piece
''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 1997, with its individual chapte ...
'' with the idea of "Devil Fruits", and
Masashi Kishimoto
is a Japanese manga artist. His manga series, ''Naruto'', which was in serialization from 1999 to 2014, has sold over 250 million copies worldwide in 46 countries as of May 2019. The series has been adapted into two anime and multiple films, vi ...
, the creator of ''
Naruto
''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
'', who showed interest in drawing characters from anime shows during his childhood, including Doraemon. The manga has also been mentioned in ''
Gin Tama
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from December 2003 to September 2018, later in ''Jump Giga'' from December 2 ...
'' and ''
Great Teacher Onizuka
''Great Teacher Onizuka'', officially abbreviated as ''GTO'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tooru Fujisawa. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from January 1997 to February 2 ...
''. The character Doraemon is considered one of the cultural icons in Japan, and one of the most well-known characters in manga history; some critics compared his notability with
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...
and
Snoopy
Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. He can also be found in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of the most recog ...
.
Mark Schilling
Mark Schilling (born 1949) is an American film critic, journalist, translator, and author based in Tokyo, Japan. He has written for ''The Japan Times'', ''Variety'', and ''Screen International''.
Biography
Schilling began working for ''The Japan ...
noted that Doraemon's "Take-Copter" is familiar among Japanese people "just as Snoopy's biplane is familiar to most Americans".
On April 22, 2002, on the special issue of ''Asian Hero'' in ''Time'' magazine, Doraemon was the only anime character to be named one of the twenty-two Asian Heroes, and was described as "The Cuddliest Hero in Asia". A 2007 poll by
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
shown that Doraemon was the second-strongest manga character ever, behind only Son Goku of ''
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters colle ...
''. Doraemon is also referred as something with the ability to satisfy all wishes.
In 2005, the Taiwan Society of New York selected ''Doraemon'' as a culturally significant work of Japanese
otaku
is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in ''Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorativ ...
pop-culture in its exhibit ''Little Boy: The Arts of Japan's Exploding Subculture'', curated by renowned artist
Takashi Murakami
is a Japanese contemporary artist. He works in fine arts media (such as painting and sculpture) as well as commercial (such as fashion, merchandise, and animation) and is known for blurring the line between high and low arts as well as co ae ...
. In 2008, the
Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The is an executive department of the Government of Japan, and is responsible for the country's foreign policy and international relations.
The ministry was established by the second term of the third article of the National Government Organi ...
appointed Doraemon as the first anime cultural ambassador; a Ministry spokesperson explained the decision as an attempt to help people in other countries understand Japanese anime better and to deepen their interest in Japanese culture. On September 3, 2012, Doraemon was granted official residence in the city of
Kawasaki, Kanagawa
is a Cities of Japan, city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, one of the main cities of Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area. It is the second most populated city in Kanagawa Prefecture after Yokohama, and the List of cities in Japan, eight ...
, one hundred years before he was born. In the same year,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
celebrated the birthday of Doraemon 100 years early with a series of displays of the character. In April 2013, Doraemon was chosen as Japan's ambassador in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
's bid to host the
2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July.
Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...
and
2020 Summer Paralympics
The , branded as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, was an international multi-sport parasports event held from 24 August to 5 September 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. They were the 16th Summer Paralympic Games as organized by the International Paralym ...
. He appeared in the
2016 Summer Olympics closing ceremony
The closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics was held on 21 August 2016 from 20:00 to 22:50 BRT at the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
As per traditional Olympic protocol, the ceremony featured cultural presentations from both ...
to promote the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
A Fujiko F. Fujio museum opened in Kawasaki on September 3, 2011, featuring Doraemon as the star of the museum. The
National Museum of Singapore
ms, Muzium Negara Singapura ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் தேசிய அருங்காட்சியகம்
, native_name_lang =
, logo =
, image = 2016 Singapur, Museum Planning Area, Narodowe Muzeum Singapuru (02) ...
held a time-travelling exhibition in October 2020 as a tribute to the manga. After the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...
, Shogakukan released an earthquake survival guidebook, which included the main cast of the ''Doraemon'' manga series.
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Compan ...
launched the ''Doraemon Fund'' charity fund to raise money for natural disasters in 2004, and in 2011. In 2020, Mumbai's Sion Friends Circle group distributed food and books to kids using mascots, one being Doraemon, to help during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. In Vietnam, a Doraemon scholarship fund was established in 1996, and the Doraemon character has been used for education of traffic safety. ''Doraemon'''s creator, Fujiko F. Fujio, received the Culture Fighter Medal from the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture in 1996 for his contributions to young education through the manga.
Many prominent figures have been nicknamed after the cast of ''Doraemon'': politician
Osamu Fujimura
is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan and a former member of the House of Representatives of Japan, House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan, Diet (national legislature).
Early life and education
A native of Osaka, Os ...
is known as the "Doraemon of Nagatacho" due to his figure and warm personality, and sumo wrestler
Takamisugi
Takamisugi Takakatsu (born 1 March 1961 as Takashi Kanao) is a former sumo wrestler from Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. His highest rank was ''komusubi''. He is now the head coach of Tokiwayama stable, renamed from Chiganoura stable.
Career
Kanao p ...
was nicknamed "Doraemon" because of his resemblance to the character. In 2015, a group of people in a drought-affected village in northern Thailand used a Doraemon toy to complete a rain-ritual, in order to avoid controversies that would occur by using real animals.
See also
*Other manga series by Fujiko Fujio: ''
Perman
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga artist duo Fujiko Fujio about a clumsy boy, Mitsuo Suwa, who is chosen to apprentice to a powerful superhero to save the world along with other superheroes. The manga series ...
'', ''
Ninja Hattori-kun
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the Fujiko Fujio duo (and later by Fujiko A. Fujio) which was serialized between 1964 and 1988. It was later adapted into a television drama that aired on TV Asahi from 1966 – ...
'', ''
Kiteretsu Daihyakka
is a Japanese manga series by duo Fujiko Fujio and later Fujiko F. Fujio, which ran in the children's magazine '' Kodomo no Hikari'' from April 1974 to July 1977. The manga was later made into a 331-episode anime television series which ran ...
''
*''
21 Emon
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio published from 1968 to 1969 in the Shogakukan magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday''. Set in the same universe as ''Doraemon'', and predating that work by only one year, the ...
'', a manga by Fujiko F. Fujio set in the same universe as ''Doraemon''