Wikipedia

Doraemon (character)

Doraemon(Japanese:ドラえもん)is a fictionaltitle characterin the Japanesemangaandanimeeponymous series of the same namecreated byFujiko Fujio.Doraemon is a maleroboticearlesscatthat travels back in time from the 22nd century to aid a preteen boy namedNobita Nobi.

Doraemon
Doraemoncharacter
Doraemon as depicted in a major portion of the series
First appearance1 December 1969
MagazineShogaku Yo-nensei
Doraemon (1973 TV series)
Created byFujiko Fujio
Portrayed byJean Reno[1]
Bruce Willis[2]
Voiced byKōsei Tomita(1973)
Masako Nozawa(1973, 1976)
Nobuyo Ōyama(1979–2005)[3]
Kazue Takahashi(1980, yellow)
Chisa Yokoyama(1995, yellow)
Wasabi Mizuta(2005–present)[4]
English
A.J. Henderson (1985–1996)
Hossan Leong(2002–2003)
Mona Marshall(2014–present, US dub)[5]
Sarah Hauser (2015–2016, UK/Hong Kong dub)
In-universe information
SpeciesRobot cat
GenderMale
AffiliationNobi family
RelativesDorami(younger sister)
BirthdaySeptember 3, 2112
HometownTokyo

An official birth certificate for the character gives him a birth date of 3 September 2112 and lists his city of residency asKawasaki, Kanagawa,the city where the manga was created.[6]In 2008,Japan's Foreign Ministryappointed Doraemon the country's "anime ambassador".

Creation and conception

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Doraemon was originally conceived by Hiroshi Fujimoto following a series of three events. Firstly, when searching for ideas for a new manga, he wished that a machine existed that would come up with ideas for him. Secondly, he tripped over his daughter's toy. Thirdly, he heard cats fighting in his neighborhood.[7]

The name, "Doraemon", can be translated roughly to "stray". Unusually, the name "Doraemon"(ドラえもん)is written in a mixture of two Japanese scripts:Katakana(ドラ) andHiragana(えもん). "Dora" derives from "dora neko"(どら miêu,stray cat),and is a corruption of nora (stray),[7]while "-emon" (in kanjiVệ môn) is an old-fashioned suffix for male names (for example, as inIshikawa Goemon).

Characteristics

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Doraemon's physical appearance changed as the manga progressed. At first, he was predominantly kingfish color, with a blue tail, a white stomach, and flesh-colored hands and feet. He also stooped, and had a body much larger than his head. In later issues, he sported a smaller body, white hands and feet, and a red tail — the appearance most identified with him today. In the 1995 short film2112: The Birth of Doraemon(as well asThe Doraemonsstory arcset in the Robot School), it is revealed that Doraemon's original paint color was yellow, and had a more high-pitched voice than his current counterpart. After getting his ears gnawed off by a robot mouse at the 22nd century Nobi's residence, he slipped into depression on top of a tower, where he erroneously drank a potion labeled "sadness" instead of "happiness". As he wept, the yellow color washed off and his voice changed due to the potion. As a result, he developed a morbidfear of micedespite being a robotic cat. Doraemon often becomes enraged when he is mistaken for a raccoon dog due to his missing ears, which is arunning gagin the series.

Doraemon is considered a substandard product because many of his robotic features (i.e. radar whiskers and cat-calling bell) malfunctioned after production due to an accident in the factory while he was being built. Due to this malfunction, Doraemon did not do well at the robot's school and during the final presentation show, he performed badly and nobody wanted to hire him, until baby Sewashi pushed the button. His parents were a bit reluctant, but since Sewashi liked him, they hired Doraemon, and he took care of him until Sewashi himself sent him to the past to take care of Nobita. Despite this, Doraemon shows a lot of intelligence and common sense. Whenever he hangs out with his friend, Mii-Chan (a cute street cat), he calls it 'important work' as an excuse for not doing chores that Nobita's mother asks him to do. As a robot, Doraemon can be programmed to complete a task by pushing a button on his nose, and can even shut down if his tail is pulled. In a few episodes, Doraemon has been shown to be in danger of factory-resting,[8]or being on the verge of breaking.

Doraemon's favourite food isdorayaki(どら thiêu き)(known as "fudgy pudgy pie" in the first revision of the English manga, although it has since been reverted back to "dorayaki", "yummy buns" in the English dub, and "dora-cakes/bean jam buns" in other versions), a Japanese treat filled with red bean paste. While it might explain the origin of his name, it was revealed in one of the manga chapters that his name originates from the Japanese wordnora neko(のら miêu)for "stray cat", and the-emon(Vệ môn)ending which is part of traditional Japanese names, as seen also in, for example, Ishikawa Goemon.[9][10][11]

Appearances

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Doraemon

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Doraemon is sent back in time by a young boy named Sewashi Nobi to improve the circumstances of his great-great-grandfather, Nobita, 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. This culminates in the burning down of a future business he sets up which leaves his family line beset with financial problems. In order to alter history and better the Nobi family's fortunes, Sewashi initially wanted to send a super-robot to protect Nobita, but with his meager allowance he could only afford an imperfectly-made factory-rejected toy: an anthropomorphic robot cat called Doraemon.

Doraemon was created on 3 September 2112 by the Matsushiba Robot Factory(マツシバ • ロボット • công tràng).[12]He has a fourth-dimensional pocket(Tứ thứ nguyên ポケット)from which he pulls out food, money, medicines, desserts and most of all, gadgets from the future. The 1995 short film,2112: The Birth of Doraemon,shows his original appearance; when he was first manufactured, Doraemon had ears and was painted yellow, but he turned blue after sobbing because rats ate his ears.[7]According to the 1995 short film, he is coated and scented with eggs, which gave him the yellow skin color.[13]

In other media

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French actorJean Renoportrayed Doraemon in several live-action television commercials throughout 2011 and 2016. The advertisement's were created byToyotaand depict the series' characters two decades after they "grow up".[1]

Doraemon appeared at theTokyovideo showcase at the2016 Summer Olympics closing ceremonyinanimeform with his fellow anime characters Nobita, Shizuka, Gian, Suneo and other famous Japanese characters such asCaptain Tsubasa,Pac-Man&Hello Kitty.He later appeared at the video where he helped prime ministerShinzō Abe(dressed up asMario) by planting aWarp PipefromShibuya CrossingtoMaracanã Stadium.[14][15]

Reception

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In terms of popularity the character has been compared toWalt Disney'sMickey Mouse,[16][17][18]and the character is considered to be an iconic figure in Japan.[19]The character has received criticism in mainland Chinese media outlets where they considered Doraemon to be a politically subversive character and that it was a tool of Japan's “cultural invasion".[20][21]

In 2019, a resolution was made in thePakistan assemblyto ban Doraemon claiming that it has "harmful impact on children".[22]One of the reason cited by the lawmaker is the depiction ofNobita's interactions with Shizuka at school,which he labelled as incompatible with Pakistani and Muslim culture.[23]

In his bookJapan Pop: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture,author Timothy J. Craig wrote, "Though Doraemon is himself a high-tech product, he possesses an endearing personality that captivates young audiences. He is both a full member of Nobita's family and an intimate friend to Nobita and his companions. Portrayed in this way, Doraemon represents the optimistic view of the relationship between technology and humanity."[24]: 296 

In a survey conducted by theOriconin 2007 among 1,000 people, Doraemon was ranked as the second strongest manga character of all time, behind onlyDragon BallprotagonistSon Goku.[citation needed]

In 2008 the character of Doraemon was appointed as an "anime ambassador" to help promote Japanese anime worldwide and in 2013 Doraemon was considered to be the most popular character among Japanese children in a survey held by Video Research Ltd, a position the character had held in the survey since June 2009.[25][26]OnThe Wall Street Journal'sJapan Real Time, Toko Sekiguchi called it "arguably the most beloved cartoon character in Japan".[27]GoogleJapan utilized Doraemon in itsGoogle Doodlefor 3 September 2009, in celebration of the character's 40th birthday.[12]

In 2012,Hong Kongcelebrated the birthday of Doraemon 100 years early with a series of displays of the character.[28]

PoliticianOsamu Fujimurais known as the "Doraemon of Nagatacho" due to his figure and warm personality.[29]Sumo wrestlerTakamisugiwas nicknamed "Doraemon" because of his resemblance to the character.[30] ESP Guitars,has also made several Doraemon shaped guitars.[31][32]

During 2014, Doraemon was featured on the cover of all 51 magazines published byShogakukan.[33]

References

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  1. ^abLoo, Egan."Movie Star Jean Reno Plays Doraemon in Live-Action Ads".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on 24 May 2019.Retrieved18 April2021.
  2. ^Loveridge, Lynzee."Actor Bruce Willis Crashes Into a House as Doraemon in TV Ad".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on 22 September 2022.Retrieved18 April2021.
  3. ^"Doraemon/Danganronpa Voice Actress Nobuyo Oyama Suffering From Dementia".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on 16 July 2018.Retrieved13 May2015.
  4. ^"Doraemon Voices Confirmed".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on 24 September 2015.Retrieved13 May2015.
  5. ^"Mona Marshall, Johnny Yong Bosch Lead Doraemon Cast".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on 2 February 2017.Retrieved25 January2017.
  6. ^"Doraemon receives residency in Japan city".The China Post.Archivedfrom the original on 6 September 2017.Retrieved2 January2015.
  7. ^abcHui Min, Chew (23 December 2014)."Why Doraemon is blue and 4 other things you might not have known about the cat robot".The Straits Times.Archivedfrom the original on 28 March 2015.Retrieved2 January2015.
  8. ^"ドラえもん".www.tv-asahi.co.jp.Archivedfrom the original on 3 September 2022.Retrieved31 January2022.
  9. ^"Online dictionary of manga and video games in Japan: doraemon".Docoja.com:8080. 8 August 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 9 December 2022.Retrieved17 November2012.
  10. ^"elanso võng trạm điều chỉnh".Elanso.com. Archived fromthe originalon 2 March 2012.Retrieved17 November2012.
  11. ^"Just how many gadgets does comic cat Doraemon have?".Kyodo World News Service. 1 April 2004.Retrieved19 February2009.Doraemon, whose name derives from "doraneko," meaning "stray cat" and "-aemon,"[dead link‍]
  12. ^ab"Google.co.jp's Homepage Celebrates Doraemon's Birthday".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on 5 June 2019.Retrieved29 January2015.
  13. ^2112: The Birth of Doraemon
  14. ^Palazzo, Chiara (22 August 2016)."Shinzo Abe emerges from a green pipe disguised as Super Mario during Rio Closing Ceremony".The Daily Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 22 August 2016.Retrieved22 August2016.
  15. ^Samuelson, Kate (22 August 2016)."Shinzo Abe Dresses as Super Mario for Rio Closing Ceremony".Time.Archivedfrom the original on 22 August 2016.Retrieved22 August2016.
  16. ^Kagawa, Marcie (25 June 2014)."Doraemon hitting U.S. airwaves this summer".The Japan Times.Archivedfrom the original on 28 April 2016.Retrieved2 January2015.
  17. ^Bricken, Rob (9 May 2014)."Japan's Most Beloved Anime Character, Doraemon, Is Coming To The U.S."io9.Archivedfrom the original on 22 May 2015.Retrieved2 January2015.
  18. ^Schodt, Frederik L. (2011).Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga.Stone Bridge Press. p. 361.ISBN978-1-933330-95-2.Retrieved2 January2015.
  19. ^Ashcraft, Brian (15 October 2014)."Iconic Anime Character Painted on Buddhist Temple".Kotaku.Archivedfrom the original on 16 July 2018.Retrieved2 January2015.
  20. ^McCurry, Justin."Doraemon a character of subversion, claim Chinese media".The Star.Archivedfrom the original on 20 October 2017.Retrieved2 January2015.
  21. ^PIAO, VANESSA (29 September 2014)."A Warning in China: Beware the 'Blue Fatty' Cat".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 7 April 2019.Retrieved2 January2015.
  22. ^"PTI wants Japanese cartoon series 'Doraemon' banned".Dawn.4 April 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 10 February 2023.Retrieved6 September2020.
  23. ^Yuji Kuronuma (6 October 2016)."Doraemon under attack as a bad influence on children in India, Pakistan".Nikkei.Archivedfrom the original on 18 June 2021.Retrieved2 March2024.
  24. ^Craig, Timothy J. (2000).Japan Pop: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture.Routledge.ISBN0-7656-0561-9.Retrieved2 January2015.
  25. ^Yamaguchi, Mari."Doraemon appointed Japan's first ever cartoon ambassador".The China Post.Archivedfrom the original on 3 March 2016.Retrieved2 January2015.
  26. ^"Anime News: Doraemon named the most popular character among children".The Asahi Shimbun.Archived fromthe originalon 2 January 2015.Retrieved2 January2015.
  27. ^Toko Sekiguchi (26 March 2013)."Godzilla Loses Top Spot to Kittybot Doraemon".Japan Real Time.The Wall Street Journal.Archivedfrom the original on 30 March 2013.Retrieved28 May2015.
  28. ^West, David (13 August 2012)."Hong Kong Celebrates Doraemon's 100th Birthday (Early!)".Neo.Archived fromthe originalon 16 July 2018.Retrieved18 July2016.
  29. ^"Noda chooses 'Doraemon' as chief Cabinet secretary".The Asahi Shimbun.2 September 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved29 January2015.
  30. ^Sharnoff, Lora (1993).Grand Sumo.Weatherhill. p. 216.ISBN0-8348-0283-X.
  31. ^"ESP X Doraemon".ESP Guitars.Archived fromthe originalon 3 September 2013.
  32. ^"ESP X Doraemon".ESP Guitars.Archivedfrom the original on 18 June 2006.Retrieved26 December2014.
  33. ^"Doraemon Takes Over Shogakukan Covers".Anime News Network.4 March 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 7 December 2018.Retrieved2 January2015.
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