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