Art of Doraemon
/Doraemon is an animation series produced by Shin-Ei Animation in 1979. The anime was based on the homonym manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko Fujio. After a brief first attempt at an animated series in 1973 by Nippon Television, Doraemon remained fairly exclusive in manga form until 1979 when the newly formed animation studio, Shin-Ei Animation (now owned by TV Asahi) produced an animated second attempt of Doraemon.
This series became incredibly popular, and ended with 1,787 episodes on March 25, 2005. In Asia, this version is sometimes referred to as the Oyama Edition, after the voice actress who voiced Doraemon in this series. Celebrating the anniversary of the franchise, a third Doraemon animated series began airing on TV Asahi on April 15, 2005, with new voice actors and staff, and updated character designs. This version is sometimes referred to in Asia as the Mizuta Edition, as Wasabi Mizuta is the voice actress for Doraemon in this series. In 1980, Toho released the first of a series of annual feature-length animated films based on the lengthy special volumes published annually. Unlike the anime and manga (some based on the stories in select volumes), they are more action-adventure oriented and have more of a shōnen demographic, taking the familiar characters of Doraemon and placing them in a variety of exotic and perilous settings.
Nobita and his friends have visited the age of the dinosaurs, the far reaches of the galaxy, the depths of the ocean, and a world of magic. Some of the films are based on legends such as Atlantis, and on literary works including Journey to the West and Arabian Nights. Some films also have serious themes, especially on environmental topics and the use of technology. Overall, the films have a somewhat darker tone in their stories, unlike the manga and anime. Doraemon has come to be considered a Japanese cultural icon and the manga is one of the best-selling ones in the world. Awards for Doraemon include the Japan Cartoonists Association Award for excellence in 1973, the first Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga in 1982, and the first Osamu Tezuka Culture Award in 1997. In March 2008, Japan's Foreign Ministry appointed Doraemon as the nation's first "anime ambassador." A Ministry spokesperson explained the novel decision as an attempt to help people in other countries understand Japanese anime better and to deepen their interest in Japanese culture. The pictures on this page are a collection of artworks created for the series, and the movies.
THE STORY
Nobita is a young boy who suffers from poor grades and frequent bullying. In order to improve the life of his descendants, the robotic cat Doraemon is sent back in time by one of those descendants to protect and guide Nobita. Doraemon has a pocket from which he produces items known as "gadgets", which range from toys and medicines, to technology from the future…
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