Doraemon is a multibillion-dollar franchise of manga, TV anime, features, and merchandise. It has captivated fans across Asia, becoming one of Japan’s most popular animated franchises.
Hiroshi Fujimoto was inspired to create the character after tripping over his daughter’s toy, hearing cats fighting in the neighborhood, and wishing for a machine that could help him with housework.
What is Doraemon?
Doraemon is a cat-like robot from the future who helps an elementary school boy named Nobita. He has a nifty 4-dimensional pocket that can provide him with a variety of gadgets. He also has radar whiskers and a bell that calls for cats. However, trouble seems to follow Nobita everywhere he goes. He often forgets his homework or gets sidetracked by hanging out with a cute street cat.
The anime is famous for its unique character designs, which were created by Fujiko F. Fujio and intended to appeal to a worldwide audience. The characters were not meant to represent any particular ethnic group, but instead to serve as archetypes that are found in all cultures. The show has been broadcast on TV Asahi since 1979 with solid ratings throughout the years.
In addition to Doraemon, the show features a number of other interesting characters. One of these is Gian, who is a rich child whose habit of bragging often lands him in trouble. He hangs out with Suneo, Shizuka and Doraemon a lot.
There is also a young girl called Dorami, who likes melonpan and is scared of cockroaches. She is savvy in using the gadgets and can communicate with Doraemon through the “mini-dora” language. The show also features a couple of sly criminals called Jamako and Debuko, who are always up to mischief.
Doraemon in Korea
Doraemon is one of the most popular characters in Asia. It started as a Japanese manga and became an animated series. It revolves around a robot cat from the 22nd century who goes back in time to help a hapless boy named Nobita Nobi. Doraemon is able to travel through time thanks to his secret gadgets. He has a pocket that looks like a cross between a kangaroo’s pouch and Mary Poppins’ magic bag, which he uses to pull all sorts of futuristic gadgets from.
The character is so popular in South Korea that many of its students know who Doraemon is even if they’ve never seen the show. The character is featured on television and in movies, and it’s also used for a lot of marketing and sales campaigns.
The 39th film in the franchise, ‘Doraemon: Nobita’s Chronicle of the Moon Exploration’, was set to be released in South Korean cinemas in July. But it’s been pushed back indefinitely due to the ongoing trade war between Japan and South Korea.
Doraemon in Japan
For more than a generation, Doraemon has served as the nation’s unofficial cartoon ambassador. Since 1979, over 1700 15-min episodes have been broadcast and each summer at least one full-length theatrical movie is released.
Despite Japan’s famously dark history of technological disasters (Haiwa-murasaki, Nagasaki and Fukushima), in Doraemon the future is shown to be a place without fear or enslavement. This is largely due to the character Doraemon, who acts as a constant source of wise-cracking advice for Nobita and other characters in the show.
The earless cat robot carries all sorts of futuristic gadgets in his four-dimensional pockets and uses them to help Nobita with everyday tasks. But his main purpose is to make Nobita a better person and each episode often ends with Nobita relying too much on the gadgets and learning a lesson.
In addition to Nobita, Suneo and Gian, Doraemon also has several recurring characters such as Shizuka, the schoolgirl with a talent for drawing, and her sister Dorami. Each of these characters represents a different aspect of Japanese society and culture.
Doraemon in Vietnam
Doraemon is an integral part of the childhood of many Vietnamese children. It was dubbed in Vietnam in 1979, and has since remained one of the most popular shows in the country. The anime series has even been adapted into several movies and has become an essential cultural icon of Vietnam.
The franchise has become so widespread that there isn’t a single person in the land of the Rising Sun who doesn’t know about it. The impact of the show is comparable to Sesame Street’s on American culture. In fact, it is so popular that in 2008, the government designated Doraemon as an official anime cultural ambassador.
In addition to the animated series, there are also a number of books and manga based on Doraemon. The characters are also well known for their gadgets and inventions, which have helped them solve various problems in the story. In addition, there are numerous merchandising products related to the franchise.
In recent years, the popularity of the character has increased significantly in Vietnam. This is mainly due to the fact that there are more Vietnamese people traveling abroad. In addition, many of the country’s young generation has become interested in Japan and its culture.
