is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
in the ''
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 ' ...
'' 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
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 ...
(special version). Known as Sidney, Specky, Nobi Nobi and Noby, in some of the English localizations of the anime, Nobita is usually depicted as an academically elementary school student 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
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 ...
Ward and the only child of Nobisuke and Tamako Nobi, who is perpetually looked after by the
series' title character, a robotic cat from the future sent back in time by Nobita's descendant.
Along with Doraemon, Nobita is considered to be one of the most popular and widely recognizable manga characters due to the series' popularity, which extends beyond its native Japan.
Characteristics
Nobita's characterization depicts him as a lazy and flawed person, including but not limited to a lack of physical co-ordination or athletic talent, predisposition to laziness, reluctance to engage in critical thinking, and sometimes exhibits childish or even perverted behavior. He dislikes books and lacks a basic grasp of knowledge, such as being unable to understand concepts such as the definition of an eclipse. He often takes any chance to take a nap and is often known as 'The Lazy King'. In a typical episode, Nobita begs Doraemon to lend him a gadget to get revenge on his bully classmates, Gian and Suneo, show off to his classmate and future love interest, Shizuka Minamoto, or to provide convenience for himself such as getting his homework done quicker. Whenever he possesses Doraemon's gadgets, he almost always abuses the gadget's power to the point that the effect backfires on him. He envies his classmate Hidetoshi Dekisugi, a straight-A student admired by all of the girls in his class, including Shizuka. Nobita's typical day consists of arriving late to school, falling asleep during class, scoring low marks on his tests, getting scolded by his teacher and teased by Gian and Suneo, falling in the curbside rain gutters, getting chased by dogs, getting scolded by his mother for not completing his tasks, and being bullied by people he knows, except Shizuka.
Even though Nobita possesses many questionable character traits, he occasionally displays redeeming qualities such as kind-heartedness, courage, and even a good work ethic. In some full-length stories he has risked his life to help save others, or even entire civilizations. In some episodes, it is implied that his poor academic grades is due to his lazy nature as opposed to a lack of intellectual ability. Nobita is known for his sharp gunfiring abilities and also skilful in the game of
Cat's cradle as shown in many episodes. The character has also demonstrated creativity when it comes to utilizing Doraemon's gadgets in novel ways. For example, in one instance he finds a way to profitably use a gadget called the "broadcasting mirror" for advertising, even when Doraemon himself couldn't think of any use for it. Other examples include his ability to co-opt free flying with the use of Doraemon's "power of wind" fans, which can create a gust of wind with just a gentle swish, and his use of the voice hardener, which is considered useless by Doraemon, for transportation. His creativity is the proof enough of his high intelligence and also he has extensive knowledge about science and Doraemon's gadgets.
Despite not doing well academically, occasionally, Nobita is able to easily score a good mark or do well on a test. His imagination is the reason why he can write a great narrative, even with so many spelling and grammatical mistakes. Although not good at drawing, he still managed to write a 32 paged comic.
Appearances
The central premise of the ''Doraemon'' media franchise is grounded on the relationship between its protagonists, Doraemon and Nobita.
Nobita encounters Doraemon after the robot is sent back in time by one of his descendants, a young boy named Sewashi Nobi to improve the circumstances of his great great grandfather so that his descendants may enjoy a better future. In the original timeline, Nobita experienced nothing but misery and misfortune manifested in the form of very poor grades and bullying throughout his life. A running gag in the series involve Nobita crying for and begging Doraemon to use his gadgets to solve a problem, often at the beginning of an episode or scenario.
Throughout the series Nobita is mostly shown to be overly dependent on Doraemon; He begs Doraemon for many things, such as gadgets allowing him to have vengeance on Gian for hurting him or taking his belongings, or to have something better to show-off after listening to Suneo brag about his vacations, expensive games and toys, and other privileges that he enjoys.
In other media
Japanese actor
Satoshi Tsumabuki
is a Japanese actor. His breakthrough film was ''Waterboys'' for which he was nominated for the 'Best Actor' award at the Japanese Academy Awards, and won the 'Newcomer of the Year' prize. He is also the bassist and lead singer of the Japanese ...
appeared as Nobita in several live-action television commercials throughout 2011 and 2016. The advertisement's were created by
Toyota
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 ...
and depict the series' characters two decades after they "grow up."
Nobita has appeared in various educational manga along with other ''Doraemon'' characters. The character has been used in a public service campaign organized by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West), where posters of Doraemon, Nobita and several supporting characters from the series were distributed to promote appropriate etiquette for train travel during the ongoing
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 ...
.
Cultural impact
Due to the success of the ''Doraemon'' franchise, Nobita is an internationally recognized character that has attained considerable notoriety. The character's likeness has been recreated as figurines sold during festive celebrations in parts of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Nobita's family residence, a typical Japanese suburban house, is a recognizable element of the series to international audiences.
Nobita's relationship with Shizuka has been referenced by an Indian television personality from the ''
Bigg Boss
''Bigg Boss'' is an Indian reality television game show franchise based on the Dutch reality show '' Big Brother''. It is produced by Endemol Shine India through Viacom18 and Disney Star. Subsequently, the various versions of the show are made ...
'' reality television series in a public discussion about the rivalry between his cast mates
Sidharth Shukla and
Rashami Desai
Shivani Desai (born 13 February 1986), professionally known as Rashami Desai, is an Indian television actress. Desai is the recipient of several accolades including two Indian Television Academy Awards and Gold Awards. She has established hers ...
, whereas his
relationship dynamic with Doraemon had been co-opted as a satirical form of criticism against a
Malaysian politician.
A footprint fossil of a dinosaur species discovered in China in 2020 is named ''
Eubrontes
''Eubrontes'' is the name of fossilised dinosaur footprints dating from the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic. They have been identified from France, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Australia (Queensland), USA, India and C ...
nobitai'' after Nobita.
Reception
![Doraemon Nobita cosplayer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Doraemon_Nobita_cosplayer.jpg)
Critics found that the character's flawed personality and modest background is considered to be a departure from other contemporary anime and manga protagonists typically portrayed as special or extraordinary, and the consistent portrayal of Nobita as being relatable and down-to-earth had been cited as reasons behind the character's appeal as well as the contrary.
[ 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". According to an analysis by ]Anne Allison
Anne Allison is a professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University in the United States, specializing in contemporary Japanese society. She wrote the book '' Nightwork'' on hostess clubs and Japanese corporate culture after having worked at ...
, professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University, the strong point of the series and its heart is the relationship between Nobita and Doraemon, as opposed to the variety of the gadgets showcased by the latter.
In early 2021, the character became a trending topic on social media following the international release of promotional material featuring the character marrying Shizuka in the 3D computer animated
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes (still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refer ...
film ''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 ...
''.
Controversies
Nobita's physical appearance was referenced as a term of insult by Spanish YouTube personality AuronPlay
Raúl Álvarez Genes (born 5 November 1988), better known as AuronPlay or simply Auron, is a Spanish YouTuber, Twitch (service), Twitch Online streamer, streamer, and comedian.
, AuronPlay's YouTube channel has over 4 billion total video ...
against Spanish entrepreneur Josep Maria Bartomeu
Josep Maria Bartomeu Floreta (born 6 February 1963) is a Spanish entrepreneur, and a former president of football club FC Barcelona. He started his presidency in 2014, following the resignation of Sandro Rosell; he held the post until his resign ...
for his alleged resemblance to the character. Bartomeu responded to AuronPlay's comment by filing a police complaint against him, and threatened to take further legal action.
In August 2016, a member of the Tehreek-i-Insaf party submitted a resolution in the Punjab Assembly calling for a ban on the series, alleging the show's "negative impact" on Pakistani children: one of the cited reasons behind the motion was the depiction of Nobita's interactions with Shizuka at school, which was labelled as incompatible with Pakistani and Muslim culture. Similarly, politicians and activists in neighbouring India have criticized Nobita's problematic behavioural traits for setting a bad example to children, such as answering back to their parents and refusing to do their homework.
One activist blamed the character's supposed influence for a 2013 exam-fixing scandal in the state of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
.
References
Further reading
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{{Authority control
Child characters in anime and manga
Child characters in television
Child characters in animated films
Comics characters introduced in 1969
Doraemon characters
Male characters in anime and manga
Time travelers
Fictional Japanese people in anime and manga