Doraemon ( ドラえもん )

If you live and grew up in any part of Asia, chances are you know by heart who this cute talking blue robot, Doraemon, is. He is Asia’s most popular anime icon, having been on TIME: Asia cover and selected as one of the 22 Asian Heroes (the only anime character selected!), where Doraemon was referred as “The Cuddliest Hero in Asia”.

I guess Doraemon is such a well-known manga and anime character in Asia to date, even the mangaka who created him, Fujio F. Fujiko, had died back in 1996. Probably not because Doraemon makes a lot of cool moves and actions like Naruto or Bleach (and how popular these two anime series are in North America), but because everything in Doraemon is a kid’s fantasy of the real world. Many children in Asia growing up watching Doraemon and growing up with him. So it was so dear to their hearts.

When I was a kid, I read Doraemon manga as well as watched Doraemon anime quite as much as I sucked lolly pop (well, I guess). But since Doraemon was first published in 1969, when I hadn’t even been born yet, I never read the very first chapter of Doraemon. Until just now.

All I knew the whole time of my childhood of reading Doraemon manga and watching its anime was that Doraemon was a robot from the future that was sent to help Nobita in present, in which Nobita was a boy who was always in for troubles in his everyday life.

On the first chapter of Doraemon that I just read online just a while ago, only now I know how Doraemon met up with Nobita. It brought back memories of childhood.

So, this is for those who have fond memories of Doraemon as manga and anime icon, and those who haven’t known but yet to learn about this blue robot;

Doraemon Theme Song

Konna koto ii na
dekitara ii na
anna yume konna yume ippai aru kedo

This sort of thing is good
I wish I could do it
that sort of dream, this sort of dream, I have many of them but

Minna minna minna
kanaete kureru
fushigina POKKE de kanaete kureru
sora wo jiyuu ni tobitai na

All of them, all of them, all of them
he grants my dreams
he grants my dreams with a mysterious pocket
I want to fly freely in the sky

(Hai! takekoputaa!)

(Here! Bamboo-copter!)

AN AN AN
Tottemo daisuki
DORAEMON

Ah ah ah
I love you very much,
Doraemon

Shukudai touban shiken ni otsukai
anna koto konna koto taihen dakedo

Homework, school duties, exams and errands
because that sort of thing and this sort of thing are awful

Minna minna minna
tasukete kureru
benrina dougu de tasukete kureru
omocha no heitai da

All of them, all of them, all of them
he helps me
he helps me with a convenient tool
look! a toy soldier

(Sore! tototsugeki!)

(Here! Attack!)

AN AN AN
Tottemo daisuki
DORAEMON

Ah ah ah
I love you very much,
Doraemon

Anna toko ii na
iketara ii na
kono kuni ano shima takusan aru kedo

That place is nice
I wish I could go
this country, that island, there is many of them, but

Minna minna minna
ikasete kureru
mirai no kikai de kanaete kureru
sekai ryokou ni ikitai na

All of them, all of them, all of them
he makes me able to go to them
he uses a gadget of the future to grant my wish
I want to go on a world trip

(Ufufufu… doko demo DOA!)

(Ehehehe… Anywhere Door!)

AN AN AN
Tottemo daisuki
DORAEMON

Ah ah ah
I love you very much,
Doraemon

AN AN AN
Tottemo daisuki
DORAEMON

Ah ah ah
I love you very much,
Doraemon

Clannad is quite popular as anime, I think. I’ve just so far read the manga only up to chapter 2 so I really can’t say much, but it’s pretty interesting.

So my review is going to be short since it would only base on the 2 chapters of Clannad that I have read. ^.^

I’m normally not too much of a fan of this kind of manga. Romance is not what I always look for for a manga series, so I didn’t have that much of expectations for Clannad. But it turned out pretty sweet. The story is about Tomoya Okazaki, a third year student, who has a pretty much ordinary life, until one day on his way to school he met a girl named Nagisa Furukawa who he caught talking to herself. It turned out that Nagisa is a repeated student who’s a year older than Tomoya.

Since the meeting, they befriended each other, and Tomoya is helping Nagisa with a lot of things.

I still have a little bit more to catch up, but so far, the only thing I had to complain is the group that did the scanlations for this manga series. The translations are, believe me, just terrible! It’s like a direct translation without the sense of story flowing. If you plan on reading the manga and plan to read it online, I suggest that you go watch the anime instead. There would be a better translation done by fansubbers.

OK, it’s Katekyo Hitman Reborn! again today. I’ve read up to chapter 60, titled “A Dare Of Courage” by now.

Probably by now I gotta say I have changed my mind about a few bits of Katekyo Hitman Reborn manga series. I still quite like this manga. Like I said previously, it’s a fun read. But what I don’t quite like at this point is how the mangaka keeps on introducing new characters without significant development of existing characters.

Now I think that the manga actually targeting people below the age of 16, probably. Older readers would find it interesting and not boring if the expectations are average, and not too high. For those who actually hoping for more actions and nerve-wrecking plots will likely to get disappointed. Katekyo Hitman Reborn is for easy read. An easy read while waiting for a bus to school, or when your getting ready to sleep at night.

I’m not sure about the anime though, since I haven’t watched it (I probably will in just a while). But reading the manga, I think it would probably be more interesting watching the anime.

Have you watched Katekyo Hitman Reborn anime? Tell us what you think!

Have you been following Katekyo Hitman Reborn! alias Reborn! ? If you haven’t, let’s see what it’s all about!

THE STORY, AS EXCERPTED FROM THE MANGA

A home tutor decided to come to the home of a junior high kid, Sawada Tsuna, who was spending a dull life. The name of this home tutor was “Reborn!”. He looked like a baby, but his real job was a high-class hitman. His reason for coming from Italy to Japan was to make the 10th heir of the mafia family, Vongola! If you are willing to die for it, you can do anything! So, Tsuna’s life risking study days began to start!

THE STORY, IN MY OWN WORDS

Sawada Tsuna was kind of a loser in his junior high school. He was called a “no-good Tsuna” all the time by his peers. He flunked every test and exam. He sucked at sport and made every team he was in lose everytime. The only reason he went to school was because of a girl, named Kyoko, whom he had a big crush on. His life was pretty much a mess, until a private home tutor was hired by his mom to teach him privately at home.

It turned out that this home tutor, was not a regular home tutor. His real job was a high-class hitman, whom, was instructed by the famous Italian mafia leader of Vongola family, the 9th Generation Leader, to come to Japan to especially search and train Tsuna to be the next 10th Generation Leader of the mafia gang.

Tsuna, who had no idea of this mafia gang and family, constantly denied to be the 10th Generation Leader. But since his mom had allowed the home tutor, alias hitman, whom name was “Reborn”, to live in their house until Tsuna’s grades went up, Tsuna was trained by Reborn, both for academic and mafia kind of stuff with crazy and merciless methods.

Along the way, they gather candidates for the mafia family and subordinates for Tsuna.

MY REVIEW

Starting last night, I have read up until chapter 20 which titled “Eat And Run”. What can I say, this manga is a good fun. It’s quite a fun read. If you love a fair amount of comedy (as what most Japanese manga surely have) and a little bit of actions plus school setting and some crazy plots, you’ll probably like this manga. Katekyo Hitman Reborn! has a little bit of those mixed together.

For once, if you are someone who like actions but don’t like reading something so tense like Berserk, but also don’t feel like reading Naruto or Bleach kind of stuff, then read Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Reborn! is suitable for all ages. But in my opinion, for those who craves for quick plot and story development would probably get a bit tired of the story. For me, all the characters introductions were put pretty well, starting from the beginning of the story. But up until chapter 20 (I know it’s still too early to decide), I would want to see “how” Tsuna would actually benefit from the will-bullets afterwards when he isn’t shot by it and had to face a situation.

So far (as what I am currently reading), I haven’t seen yet that Tsuna actually “being trained” by Reborn. What I see is Reborn came and benefit Tsuna from his will-bullets and spice/improve Tsuna’s life with that. More like in the manga Doraemon, where Doraemon’s present is to help improve Nobita’s daily life.

Tsuna wouldn’t be getting shot by Reborn everytime he had to do something for the rest of his life, especially when he officially becomes the 10th, is he? So it would be nice if by now we started seeing that Reborn’s bullets actually make Tsuna realize of his true strength and start acting by it rather than the bullets.

But still, like I said, “chapter 20″ is still too early to decide on anything. So I’m gonna continue on reading.

My favorite character? Gokudera-kun. Why? He’s acting all tough and all but actually he’s funny! ^.^

Have your say about Katekyo Hitman Reborn manga or anime? Leave your comments!