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Characters
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Doraemon is the robot cat sent back in time by Sewashi to aid Nobita. Doraemon originally had ears but they were bitten off by a robot mouse back in the 22nd century. As a result, he developed a morbid fear of mice, despite being a robotic cat. He also has the tendency to panic during emergencies, characterized by him frantically trying to pull out a very much-needed tool from his pocket (this 4-dimensional pocket is probably the best form of hammerspace), only to produce a huge assortment of unrelated household items.
Of all the Doraemon characters, Doraemon is the only one to have physically changed since the manga began. At first, he was predominantly blue, with a blue tail, a white stomach, and flesh-coloured hands and feet. He also stooped, and had a body much larger than his head. In later issues, he had a smaller body, white hands and feet, and a red tail.
In "The Doraemons" story arc, it is revealed that Doraemon's original paint color was yellow. After getting his ears gnawed off by a robot mouse, he slipped into depression on top of a tower, where he drank a potion with a label having letters that resembled "sadness". As he cried for a long time, the yellow color washed off and his voice changed due to the potion. He was later greeted by his sister, Dorami.
Doraemon weighs 129.3 kg (285 lbs) and his height is 129.３ cm (4'3"). He is also able to run at 129.3 km/h (80.3 mi/h) when scared, and jump 129.3 m (424.2 ft) when threatened. He was manufactured on September 3, 2112 (12/9/3), at the Matsushiba Robot Factory (マツシバロボット工場, Matsushiba Robot Factory?).
Doraemon's favourite food is dorayaki (どら焼き, dorayaki?), a Japanese treat filled with red bean paste, which is often used to make Doraemon do things he is otherwise reluctant to do. Speculations led to dorayaki being the origin of his name. However, it was revealed in one of the manga that his name originates from a Japanese word for "stray cat", dora neko, and the -emon ending which is part of traditional Japanese names, as seen also in, for example, Ishikawa Goemon.
Nobita is another main character of the series. He is a fourth grader in Tokyo and an only child. He wears glasses, a red or yellow polo shirt with a white collar, and blue shorts. Nobita's character flaws are endless. He is lazy, uncoordinated, dim-witted, frail, plain-looking, unlucky, and bad at sports. Nobita's normal day consists of arriving late to class, scoring zeros on his exam, getting yelled at by his teacher, being bullied by classmates Jaian and Suneo, falling into curbside rain gutters, being chased by dogs, and getting yelled at by his mom for refusing to do his homework. However, his flaws and struggles are what drive the storyline. Nobita does possess some unique talents such as his unrivaled marksmanship and string figure weaving. Although Nobita is frequently portrayed as being cowardly, he has a strong sense of justice and will sometimes risk his life to help save others or entire civilizations, which is shown in full-length stories. Nobita sometimes accidently or deliberately goes into the Shizuka's House Bathroom while Shizuka is having a bath.
Shizuka, usually called Shizu-chan or Shizuka-chan, is a smart and kind girl who is the object of Nobita's affections as well as his future bride. She bathes every morning, noon, afternoon, and evening, which leads to numerous accidental bath scenes. She is also known for taking piano lessons unwillingly, which is sometimes used as an excuse for declining to hang out with Nobita. Her true passions are sweet potatoes and the violin, in which her playing is as bad as Gian is at singing.
Main characters
Fujiko's friends say that every main character represents elementary school student archetypes Fujiko noticed in his own school days.
Fujiko's friends say that every main character represents elementary school student archetypes Fujiko noticed in his own school days.
Doraemon
Doraemon is the robot cat sent back in time by Sewashi to aid Nobita. Doraemon originally had ears but they were bitten off by a robot mouse back in the 22nd century. As a result, he developed a morbid fear of mice, despite being a robotic cat. He also has the tendency to panic during emergencies, characterized by him frantically trying to pull out a very much-needed tool from his pocket (this 4-dimensional pocket is probably the best form of hammerspace), only to produce a huge assortment of unrelated household items.Of all the Doraemon characters, Doraemon is the only one to have physically changed since the manga began. At first, he was predominantly blue, with a blue tail, a white stomach, and flesh-coloured hands and feet. He also stooped, and had a body much larger than his head. In later issues, he had a smaller body, white hands and feet, and a red tail.
In "The Doraemons" story arc, it is revealed that Doraemon's original paint color was yellow. After getting his ears gnawed off by a robot mouse, he slipped into depression on top of a tower, where he drank a potion with a label having letters that resembled "sadness". As he cried for a long time, the yellow color washed off and his voice changed due to the potion. He was later greeted by his sister, Dorami.
Doraemon weighs 129.3 kg (285 lbs) and his height is 129.３ cm (4'3"). He is also able to run at 129.3 km/h (80.3 mi/h) when scared, and jump 129.3 m (424.2 ft) when threatened. He was manufactured on September 3, 2112 (12/9/3), at the Matsushiba Robot Factory (マツシバロボット工場, Matsushiba Robot Factory?).
Doraemon's favourite food is dorayaki (どら焼き, dorayaki?), a Japanese treat filled with red bean paste, which is often used to make Doraemon do things he is otherwise reluctant to do. Speculations led to dorayaki being the origin of his name. However, it was revealed in one of the manga that his name originates from a Japanese word for "stray cat", dora neko, and the -emon ending which is part of traditional Japanese names, as seen also in, for example, Ishikawa Goemon.
Nobita is another main character of the series. He is a fourth grader in Tokyo and an only child. He wears glasses, a red or yellow polo shirt with a white collar, and blue shorts. Nobita's character flaws are endless. He is lazy, uncoordinated, dim-witted, frail, plain-looking, unlucky, and bad at sports. Nobita's normal day consists of arriving late to class, scoring zeros on his exam, getting yelled at by his teacher, being bullied by classmates Jaian and Suneo, falling into curbside rain gutters, being chased by dogs, and getting yelled at by his mom for refusing to do his homework. However, his flaws and struggles are what drive the storyline. Nobita does possess some unique talents such as his unrivaled marksmanship and string figure weaving. Although Nobita is frequently portrayed as being cowardly, he has a strong sense of justice and will sometimes risk his life to help save others or entire civilizations, which is shown in full-length stories. Nobita sometimes accidently or deliberately goes into the Shizuka's House Bathroom while Shizuka is having a bath. 
Shizuka, usually called Shizu-chan or Shizuka-chan, is a smart and kind girl who is the object of Nobita's affections as well as his future bride. She bathes every morning, noon, afternoon, and evening, which leads to numerous accidental bath scenes. She is also known for taking piano lessons unwillingly, which is sometimes used as an excuse for declining to hang out with Nobita. Her true passions are sweet potatoes and the violin, in which her playing is as bad as Gian is at singing. Takeshi Goda
Takeshi, usually known by the nickname Gian (Giant), is big, strong, and quick-tempered. His nickname might mean giant. He usually wears an orange shirt. He is known for his confidence in his terrible singing and cooking. He regularly subjects the neighborhood children to horrendous singing recitals, which is sometimes combined with his homemade dinner. Many of the stories revolve around Nobita and his friends' efforts to avoid Gian's concerts.
He also frequently steals other children's toys and books under the pretext of "borrowing" it, unless the toy is damaged. However, he still has a strong sense of justice and comradeship, and will not hesitate to help Nobita and his friends when they are in real trouble, which often occurs in the movies. Although he bullies the other children (mostly Nobita), he is terrified of his mother, who runs the local grocery store. He founded his own baseball team named after himself. Although Nobita is often blamed for the loss against the baseball team's rival, the "Tyranos", Gian and Suneo still force Nobita to play because they do not have enough players.
Gian has a younger sister named Jaiko, whom he adores.
Takeshi, usually known by the nickname Gian (Giant), is big, strong, and quick-tempered. His nickname might mean giant. He usually wears an orange shirt. He is known for his confidence in his terrible singing and cooking. He regularly subjects the neighborhood children to horrendous singing recitals, which is sometimes combined with his homemade dinner. Many of the stories revolve around Nobita and his friends' efforts to avoid Gian's concerts.He also frequently steals other children's toys and books under the pretext of "borrowing" it, unless the toy is damaged. However, he still has a strong sense of justice and comradeship, and will not hesitate to help Nobita and his friends when they are in real trouble, which often occurs in the movies. Although he bullies the other children (mostly Nobita), he is terrified of his mother, who runs the local grocery store. He founded his own baseball team named after himself. Although Nobita is often blamed for the loss against the baseball team's rival, the "Tyranos", Gian and Suneo still force Nobita to play because they do not have enough players.
Gian has a younger sister named Jaiko, whom he adores.
Suneo Honekawa
Suneo is the braggart who parades his material wealth in front of Nobita. He is often seen with Gian, who he bullies Nobita with; he actually hates Gian very much, so helping Gian to bully Nobita is probably to avoid suffering the same fate himself. Several stories start with Suneo showing off some new video game, toy, or electronic device his family has bought, or him needing Doraemon's help. He has an extensive knowledge of science, and he is a talented artist and designer. He also has a younger brother Sunetsugu , who was adopted into his uncle's family in New York.
In some scenes, Suneo is seen as a narcissist who loves to stare at himself in the mirror while telling himself that he is the most handsome guy in the world. He is still a bed-wetter and needs to wear diapers when he sleeps, despite being in the fourth grade. He considers this as his secret weakness, and according to his mother, it is his only weakness.
Minor characters
Jaiko
Jaiko is Giant's younger sister who would have been Nobita's wife in the future had Doraemon not intervened. She first appeared in the first story, before the introduction of Gian. Her name Jaiko is usually considered a nickname, but Fujiko never gave her a real name.
Jaiko goes by her amateur mangaka pen name Christine Goda , and sometimes submits her stories to publishing companies for prizes.
Suneo is the braggart who parades his material wealth in front of Nobita. He is often seen with Gian, who he bullies Nobita with; he actually hates Gian very much, so helping Gian to bully Nobita is probably to avoid suffering the same fate himself. Several stories start with Suneo showing off some new video game, toy, or electronic device his family has bought, or him needing Doraemon's help. He has an extensive knowledge of science, and he is a talented artist and designer. He also has a younger brother Sunetsugu , who was adopted into his uncle's family in New York.In some scenes, Suneo is seen as a narcissist who loves to stare at himself in the mirror while telling himself that he is the most handsome guy in the world. He is still a bed-wetter and needs to wear diapers when he sleeps, despite being in the fourth grade. He considers this as his secret weakness, and according to his mother, it is his only weakness.
Minor characters
Jaiko
Jaiko is Giant's younger sister who would have been Nobita's wife in the future had Doraemon not intervened. She first appeared in the first story, before the introduction of Gian. Her name Jaiko is usually considered a nickname, but Fujiko never gave her a real name.
Jaiko goes by her amateur mangaka pen name Christine Goda , and sometimes submits her stories to publishing companies for prizes.
Hidetoshi Dekisugi
Hidetoshi is Nobita's classmate and rival for Shizuka's affections. He always gets perfect scores on his tests, but never shows off his abilities. He willingly helps Nobita whenever he has philosophical or scientific questions. His name literally means "brilliant over-achiever", and his last name is a pun on dekisugiru, which means "over achieving".
Hidetoshi is Nobita's classmate and rival for Shizuka's affections. He always gets perfect scores on his tests, but never shows off his abilities. He willingly helps Nobita whenever he has philosophical or scientific questions. His name literally means "brilliant over-achiever", and his last name is a pun on dekisugiru, which means "over achieving".
Dorami
Dorami, also known as Dorami-chan, is the younger sister of Doraemon. Strangely enough, they were siblings due to the fact that they shared half of the oil from a can. She lives in the 22nd-century Tokyo with Sewashi, Nobita's great-great-grandson. She is yellow where Doraemon is blue, and she has ears that look like a large red bow. She likes melonpan and she is afraid of cockroaches. She is also shown to be more advanced than Doraemon. She sometimes visits Nobita with a time machine.
Sensei
Dorami, also known as Dorami-chan, is the younger sister of Doraemon. Strangely enough, they were siblings due to the fact that they shared half of the oil from a can. She lives in the 22nd-century Tokyo with Sewashi, Nobita's great-great-grandson. She is yellow where Doraemon is blue, and she has ears that look like a large red bow. She likes melonpan and she is afraid of cockroaches. She is also shown to be more advanced than Doraemon. She sometimes visits Nobita with a time machine.
Sensei
nobita's homeroom teacher. He is a very strict man and is impatient with Nobita, often sending him to stand in the hallway. His real name is unknown and he is only referred to as "Sensei", but in the NTV anime his name is given as Ganari .
Kaminari
An old man who lives next to a vacant lot in which Nobita and the gang often play baseball. They often accidentally throw baseballs, rocks, and sometimes even one of Doraemon's gadgets through his window, subsequently breaking it and knocking over his prized bonsai. The children refer to him as Kaminari-oyaji , because everytime this happens he shouts so loud that they all scatter. Kaminari is his
Tameru Kaneo
Tameru tends to accompany Suneo and Jaian. He has a friend whose name is not mentioned, and both of them are always seen together. Kane wo tameru, the way his name is read in Japanese, means "to save money" in Japanese.
Tameru tends to accompany Suneo and Jaian. He has a friend whose name is not mentioned, and both of them are always seen together. Kane wo tameru, the way his name is read in Japanese, means "to save money" in Japanese.
Mini-Doras
Mini-Doras are actually gadgets of Doraemon. They are mini versions of Doraemon, each with a different color. They can think and feel for themselves, and communicates with Doraemon through the "Mini-Dora" language. They act as helpers for all sorts of jobs, such as repairing the internal mechanism of Doraemon.
Nobita's family
Nobita's family
Tamako Nobi
Tamako is Nobita's mother, who is usually seen scolding Nobita, or sending Nobita on errands, but is shown that she loves her son very much.
Nobisuke Nobi
Nobisuke is Nobita's father and a laid-back salaryman. Nobisuke is very considerate of Nobita, often seen arriving home from work to soothe Tamako's anger directed at Nobita. He is also shown to be unable to drive or quit smoking, has a poor memory and sometimes he arrives home very drunk. He was once an aspiring art student.
Nobisuke is Nobita's father and a laid-back salaryman. Nobisuke is very considerate of Nobita, often seen arriving home from work to soothe Tamako's anger directed at Nobita. He is also shown to be unable to drive or quit smoking, has a poor memory and sometimes he arrives home very drunk. He was once an aspiring art student.
Sewashi
Sewashi is Nobita's great-great-grandson who sent Doraemon back to the past to look after Nobita. Sewashi was the person who first bought Doraemon in 2112 when Doraemon still had ears and was yellow.
Nobisuke
Nobisuke is Nobita's son, who is named after Nobita's father. He is a much better athlete than Nobita and is sly. He did not hesitate to beat young Nobita when young Nobita tried to stop Nobisuke from running away from home.
Doraemon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Doraemon is a Japanese manga series created by Fujiko F. Fujio (the pen name of Hiroshi Fujimoto) which later became an anime series and Asian franchise. The series is about a robotic cat named Doraemon, who travels back in time from the 22nd century to aid a schoolboy, Nobita Nobi. The series first appeared in December 1969, when it was published simultaneously in six different magazines. In total, 1,344 stories were created in the original series, which are published by Shogakukan under the Tentōmushi manga brand, extending to forty-five volumes. The volumes are collected in the Takaoka Central Library in Toyama, Japan, where Fujio was born.
Doraemon was awarded the first Osamu Tezuka Culture Award in 1997.
Doraemon is a Japanese manga series created by Fujiko F. Fujio (the pen name of Hiroshi Fujimoto) which later became an anime series and Asian franchise. The series is about a robotic cat named Doraemon, who travels back in time from the 22nd century to aid a schoolboy, Nobita Nobi. The series first appeared in December 1969, when it was published simultaneously in six different magazines. In total, 1,344 stories were created in the original series, which are published by Shogakukan under the Tentōmushi manga brand, extending to forty-five volumes. The volumes are collected in the Takaoka Central Library in Toyama, Japan, where Fujio was born.
Doraemon was awarded the first Osamu Tezuka Culture Award in 1997.
History
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In December 1969, the Doraemon manga appeared simultaneously in six different children's monthly magazines. The magazines were titled by the year of children's studies, which included Yoiko (good children), Yōchien (nursery school), and Shogaku Ichinensei (first grade) to Shogaku Yonnensei (fourth grade). By 1973, the series began to appear in two more magazines, Shogaku Gonensei (fifth grade) and Shogaku Rokunensei (sixth grade). The stories featured in each of the magazines were different, meaning the author was originally creating more than six stories each month. In 1977, CoroCoro Comic was launched as a magazine of Doraemon. Original manga based on the Doraemon movies were also released in CoroCoro Comic. The stories which are preserved under the Tentōmushi brand are the stories found in these magazines.
Since the debut of Doraemon in 1969, the stories have been selectively collected into forty-five books published from 1974 to 1996, which had a circulation of over 80 million in 1992. In addition, Doraemon has appeared in a variety of manga series by Shōgakukan. In 2005, Shōgakukan published a series of five more manga volumes under the title Doraemon+ (Doraemon Plus), which were not found in the forty-five Tentōmushi volumes.
In December 1969, the Doraemon manga appeared simultaneously in six different children's monthly magazines. The magazines were titled by the year of children's studies, which included Yoiko (good children), Yōchien (nursery school), and Shogaku Ichinensei (first grade) to Shogaku Yonnensei (fourth grade). By 1973, the series began to appear in two more magazines, Shogaku Gonensei (fifth grade) and Shogaku Rokunensei (sixth grade). The stories featured in each of the magazines were different, meaning the author was originally creating more than six stories each month. In 1977, CoroCoro Comic was launched as a magazine of Doraemon. Original manga based on the Doraemon movies were also released in CoroCoro Comic. The stories which are preserved under the Tentōmushi brand are the stories found in these magazines.
Since the debut of Doraemon in 1969, the stories have been selectively collected into forty-five books published from 1974 to 1996, which had a circulation of over 80 million in 1992. In addition, Doraemon has appeared in a variety of manga series by Shōgakukan. In 2005, Shōgakukan published a series of five more manga volumes under the title Doraemon+ (Doraemon Plus), which were not found in the forty-five Tentōmushi volumes.
The Cuddliest Hero in Asia
article from www.time.com
DORAEMON may be Japan's cutest export, says Pico Iyer, and his relentless optimism inspires a continent
You've seen him, even if you don't know his name. And if you've seen him, you've been warmed—even inspired—by his energized air of optimism. That bubble-headed creature with a broad smile, a paw raised in greeting and a disarming blueness beams down at us not only across Japan but on the streets of Hanoi, in courses at American colleges, in cinemas in Hong Kong (where he chatters away in Cantonese). Yes, he sells fireworks, adorns postage stamps, blinks as a cursor on Sony PCs and appears in movies about the Dorabian Nights. But more than that, he transmits a message that transcends every language: the future can be likable, the present is redeemable, and you can be happy even if you're blue.
For many years now the Japanese have given us all snazzy machines and elegant styles; their animE and manga designs are so globally compelling that the hip trans-Atlantic music group Gorillaz uses animE figures as virtual front men, and Disney's Lion King was said to have been inspired by the masterful cartoons of Osamu Tezuka. Athletes like Ichiro Suzuki and Hidetoshi Nakata are increasingly electrifying international sporting arenas with their blend of smooth craft and high efficiency. But none of Japan's cultural exports, it could be said, has the warmth, the companionable charm or the zany humanity of the 22nd century cat who has a gadget, if not quite an answer, for everything.
Doraemon lives in a world indistinguishable from our own: his weekly TV shows and annual movies have him inhabiting a typical street in a typical Japanese (and therefore quasi-Western) neighborhood. His best friend, Nobita (the name means knocked down), is a classically helpless, bespectacled fourth-grader who is always being bullied by classmates and shouted at by mother or teacher. Like any good buddy, Doraemon accompanies his pal to baseball practice, sits by his side as he wrestles with his homework and tries to protect him from evil-eyed Suneo and the lumbering Gian. Unlike most best friends however, Doraemon sleeps (as Nobita lays down his futon on the floor) in a closet. His time machine is, well, to be honest, in a desk.
Like the most immortal of such characters, in short—one thinks of Snoopy or Paddington Bear—Doraemon comes with a personality and a history. He weighs 129.3 kg, his height is 129.3 cm and his birthday is Sept. 3, 2112. He has a favorite food (dorayaki—sweet bean paste sandwiched between two small pancakes) and a little sister, Dorami, who is yellow and has ears and long eyelashes (a cousin, perhaps, of Hello Kitty). While Japan's idoru, or mass-produced pop stars, often seem as generic as machines, the country's animated characters, like Doraemon, have the bigheaded individuality of real rebels.
Part of Doraemon's particular appeal though, is that, like Hanna-Barbera's irresistible Top Cat and Yogi Bear, he is ready to take on every situation—and likely, somehow, to get it wrong. Each time Nobita is being afflicted, Doraemon will reach into the fourth-dimensional pocket in his stomach and pull out a takekoputa (flying device) or a dokodemo door, which allows them to go anywhere. But the two can only fly low over the suburban houses in the neighborhood, and the dokodemo door often takes them to the places they most wish to avoid. The reason Doraemon is blue, according to the most recent accounts, is that a robot mouse bit off his ears, and he was so rattled by his girlfriend's ensuing laughter that he turned a little turquoise. The suspicion persists, in fact, that in the realm of 22nd century cats, Doraemon is something of a Nobita.
There is a distinctly Japanese quality to all this, in the ingenuity of the Doraemonic gizmos (all portable), his determination to put a bright face on things and never to give up, and even in some of the little cat's idiosyncrasies (one of his machines allows him and Nobita to watch Shizuka-chan, the little girl who is the object of Nobita's affections, in the shower). At heart, Doraemon is profoundly human: it's the very essence of his charm that he has a girlfriend—a small cat called Mi-chan—but she always seems a little out of reach.
Indeed, Doraemon's crossover appeal may be best appreciated if you set him next to the other cartoon figure that Japan has long made ubiquitous. Hello Kitty seems to have no reason to exist other than to be cute. Utterly adorable, often clad in pink and entirely passive, she seems to represent what little Asian girls are told to be in public. Doraemon, by comparison, is as tubby and twinkling as a salaryman after one too many beers. Hello Kitty, after all, has no mouth and never moves; Doraemon seems often to be all mouth, and in every 30-minute episode of his show, is to be seen worried, chortling, goggle-eyed, at peace or pounding on the floor in frustration and then calmly dipping his paw into a bag of cookies.
Scholars of the form may place him in the distinguished line of Astro Boy, Osamu Tezuka's early-'60s creation, who had 100,000-horsepower hydraulics in his arms, searchlights in his wide eyes and a nuclear fission generator in his chest. While Godzilla and Gamera, for example, were nuclear age mutants who showed how science could turn on us, Doraemon (like Astro Boy) offers a more hopeful and benign version of technology. Others might liken his impact not just to that of PokEmon but to the Totoro of Hayao Miyazaki, the visionary animator-craftsman whose ravishing Hiroshige dusks and ecological parables are so commanding that Disney bought the U.S. rights to all his work. But, really, Doraemon belongs in a category of his own: not just a companion (like Winnie the Pooh) and not just an icon (like Mickey Mouse). While Bart Simpson says and does what all of us fear to do, Doraemon does what we dream of doing. As Donald George, the global travel editor of Lonely Planet Publications, says, following a video showing of Doraemon in Oakland, California: "He represents a wonderful combination of innocence and imagination—and you come away with that childlike feeling that anything really is possible. It's the same feeling I get when I travel."
The other part of the Doraemon legend that has made him an evergreen source of nostalgia in Japan for three decades now (or, in a country of fads, 300 fashion spin cycles) is the story behind the story. Most of the country knows the heart-tugging tale of Hiroshi Fujimoto, who created Doraemon in comic-book form in 1969 and then recruited his old elementary school classmate Abiko Moto to work with him (when Fujimoto died, in 1999, it was front page news). And Nobuyo Oyama, who gives Doraemon his voice, is such an institution that she regularly appears on Japanese TV as a performer in her own right. As Japan transforms itself weekly to try to find its place in the modern world, Doraemon is one of the few constants who can bring a grandma in a kimono and a yellow-haired teenager together; so far, he's outlasted 17 Prime Ministers.
Does that make him a hero, you might ask? A hero, in Joseph Campbell's formulation, is an archetypal figure who leaves home, overcomes obstacles and in some way speaks to the universal feeling inside us that we can do more than we are doing and become better versions of ourselves. By that criterion, the sometimes blundering but always triumphant cat with the irrepressible gleam in his eye more than qualifies. He takes the very condition that we associate with melancholy—being blue—and makes it smile.
You've seen him, even if you don't know his name. And if you've seen him, you've been warmed—even inspired—by his energized air of optimism. That bubble-headed creature with a broad smile, a paw raised in greeting and a disarming blueness beams down at us not only across Japan but on the streets of Hanoi, in courses at American colleges, in cinemas in Hong Kong (where he chatters away in Cantonese). Yes, he sells fireworks, adorns postage stamps, blinks as a cursor on Sony PCs and appears in movies about the Dorabian Nights. But more than that, he transmits a message that transcends every language: the future can be likable, the present is redeemable, and you can be happy even if you're blue.
For many years now the Japanese have given us all snazzy machines and elegant styles; their animE and manga designs are so globally compelling that the hip trans-Atlantic music group Gorillaz uses animE figures as virtual front men, and Disney's Lion King was said to have been inspired by the masterful cartoons of Osamu Tezuka. Athletes like Ichiro Suzuki and Hidetoshi Nakata are increasingly electrifying international sporting arenas with their blend of smooth craft and high efficiency. But none of Japan's cultural exports, it could be said, has the warmth, the companionable charm or the zany humanity of the 22nd century cat who has a gadget, if not quite an answer, for everything.
Doraemon lives in a world indistinguishable from our own: his weekly TV shows and annual movies have him inhabiting a typical street in a typical Japanese (and therefore quasi-Western) neighborhood. His best friend, Nobita (the name means knocked down), is a classically helpless, bespectacled fourth-grader who is always being bullied by classmates and shouted at by mother or teacher. Like any good buddy, Doraemon accompanies his pal to baseball practice, sits by his side as he wrestles with his homework and tries to protect him from evil-eyed Suneo and the lumbering Gian. Unlike most best friends however, Doraemon sleeps (as Nobita lays down his futon on the floor) in a closet. His time machine is, well, to be honest, in a desk.
Like the most immortal of such characters, in short—one thinks of Snoopy or Paddington Bear—Doraemon comes with a personality and a history. He weighs 129.3 kg, his height is 129.3 cm and his birthday is Sept. 3, 2112. He has a favorite food (dorayaki—sweet bean paste sandwiched between two small pancakes) and a little sister, Dorami, who is yellow and has ears and long eyelashes (a cousin, perhaps, of Hello Kitty). While Japan's idoru, or mass-produced pop stars, often seem as generic as machines, the country's animated characters, like Doraemon, have the bigheaded individuality of real rebels.
Part of Doraemon's particular appeal though, is that, like Hanna-Barbera's irresistible Top Cat and Yogi Bear, he is ready to take on every situation—and likely, somehow, to get it wrong. Each time Nobita is being afflicted, Doraemon will reach into the fourth-dimensional pocket in his stomach and pull out a takekoputa (flying device) or a dokodemo door, which allows them to go anywhere. But the two can only fly low over the suburban houses in the neighborhood, and the dokodemo door often takes them to the places they most wish to avoid. The reason Doraemon is blue, according to the most recent accounts, is that a robot mouse bit off his ears, and he was so rattled by his girlfriend's ensuing laughter that he turned a little turquoise. The suspicion persists, in fact, that in the realm of 22nd century cats, Doraemon is something of a Nobita.
There is a distinctly Japanese quality to all this, in the ingenuity of the Doraemonic gizmos (all portable), his determination to put a bright face on things and never to give up, and even in some of the little cat's idiosyncrasies (one of his machines allows him and Nobita to watch Shizuka-chan, the little girl who is the object of Nobita's affections, in the shower). At heart, Doraemon is profoundly human: it's the very essence of his charm that he has a girlfriend—a small cat called Mi-chan—but she always seems a little out of reach.
Indeed, Doraemon's crossover appeal may be best appreciated if you set him next to the other cartoon figure that Japan has long made ubiquitous. Hello Kitty seems to have no reason to exist other than to be cute. Utterly adorable, often clad in pink and entirely passive, she seems to represent what little Asian girls are told to be in public. Doraemon, by comparison, is as tubby and twinkling as a salaryman after one too many beers. Hello Kitty, after all, has no mouth and never moves; Doraemon seems often to be all mouth, and in every 30-minute episode of his show, is to be seen worried, chortling, goggle-eyed, at peace or pounding on the floor in frustration and then calmly dipping his paw into a bag of cookies.
Scholars of the form may place him in the distinguished line of Astro Boy, Osamu Tezuka's early-'60s creation, who had 100,000-horsepower hydraulics in his arms, searchlights in his wide eyes and a nuclear fission generator in his chest. While Godzilla and Gamera, for example, were nuclear age mutants who showed how science could turn on us, Doraemon (like Astro Boy) offers a more hopeful and benign version of technology. Others might liken his impact not just to that of PokEmon but to the Totoro of Hayao Miyazaki, the visionary animator-craftsman whose ravishing Hiroshige dusks and ecological parables are so commanding that Disney bought the U.S. rights to all his work. But, really, Doraemon belongs in a category of his own: not just a companion (like Winnie the Pooh) and not just an icon (like Mickey Mouse). While Bart Simpson says and does what all of us fear to do, Doraemon does what we dream of doing. As Donald George, the global travel editor of Lonely Planet Publications, says, following a video showing of Doraemon in Oakland, California: "He represents a wonderful combination of innocence and imagination—and you come away with that childlike feeling that anything really is possible. It's the same feeling I get when I travel."
The other part of the Doraemon legend that has made him an evergreen source of nostalgia in Japan for three decades now (or, in a country of fads, 300 fashion spin cycles) is the story behind the story. Most of the country knows the heart-tugging tale of Hiroshi Fujimoto, who created Doraemon in comic-book form in 1969 and then recruited his old elementary school classmate Abiko Moto to work with him (when Fujimoto died, in 1999, it was front page news). And Nobuyo Oyama, who gives Doraemon his voice, is such an institution that she regularly appears on Japanese TV as a performer in her own right. As Japan transforms itself weekly to try to find its place in the modern world, Doraemon is one of the few constants who can bring a grandma in a kimono and a yellow-haired teenager together; so far, he's outlasted 17 Prime Ministers.
Does that make him a hero, you might ask? A hero, in Joseph Campbell's formulation, is an archetypal figure who leaves home, overcomes obstacles and in some way speaks to the universal feeling inside us that we can do more than we are doing and become better versions of ourselves. By that criterion, the sometimes blundering but always triumphant cat with the irrepressible gleam in his eye more than qualifies. He takes the very condition that we associate with melancholy—being blue—and makes it smile.
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