Doraemon
ドラえもん
First published in 1969, Doraemon tells of a robotic cat who travels from the 22nd century to help a struggling boy named Nobita with his daily problems.
What is it?
Nobita struggles in school and constantly finds himself in trouble. Then Doraemon, a cat-shaped robot from the far future, appears and pulls impossible gadgets from his pocket to save the day. Each story follows Nobita getting into a new mess with one of these tools. The series blends humor with lessons for children.
By the numbers
It appeals to both children and adults across generations. In Japan it is recognized as a national character icon. Three anime TV series aired (1973, 1979, 2005). It won the 1982 Shogakukan Manga Award for children's works. Success spread across Asia and beyond, with films and games following. In 2008 the Foreign Ministry appointed it Japan's first anime ambassador.
Where to start
The series is complete at 45 volumes. Over 1,300 Doraemon stories are collected in the single-author complete works.