Two decades ago, the world was a different place. It lacked advanced technology, but that world was rich with extraordinary stories that have since faded from history. One would be a tale authored by Michiaki Tanaka, a student of the renowned comic artist Fujiko F. Fujio. Inspired by a vision to “unite the world through friendships between people from different countries,” Michiaki authored a spinoff of his teacher’s original series. Fujiko F. Fujio’s original series Doraemon revolves around a cat robot named Doraemon who returns to the past to help a lazy and lucky boy from experiencing daily troubles. On the other hand, Michiaki’s spinoff traces Doraemon and other six cat robots’ adventures in past, future, and supernatural worlds. Though the other six individuals were once crucial to Doraemon’s school life, they have been lost in time and are now unfamiliar to most Doraemon fans. Let’s get to know the seven cat robots and explore several hypotheses for why they faded from the Doraemon legacy.
The group of seven cat robots is undoubtedly led by Doraemon. Each member possesses a distinct personality, unique skills, and quirky hobbies that reflect their home country. Doraemon, the kind-hearted leader from Japan unites the group. Dora the Kid, a hot-headed but good-hearted American cowboy, excels at shooting targets with his air cannon. From China, the shy yet intelligent Wang Dora masters Kung Fu. Possessing the greatest physical strength among the seven is Spain’s El Matadora, a passionate and romantic socialite. The team also includes Dora Med III, a gifted Arabian magician who can see the future and Brazil’s Dora Rinho (pronounced Rinyo), a speedy but forgetful soccer star. Lastly, we cannot forget the quiet and introverted Dora Nichov (pronounced Nikof) from Russia who is a movie star who can transform into a werewolf. Their adventures ranged from solving bizarre school mysteries to confronting a phantom thief in a labyrinth in a floating castle in the sky. The seven cat robots wield the Bestfriend Telecard, a gadget that could summon them in times of need. But ultimately, their true power was the unbreakable friendship that brought them together.
How could a concept so creative and enthralling as the Doraemons simply vanish from stardom? Die-hard fans have proposed two main theories to explain this: production and authorship issues. In their short movies and several related books, The Doraemons was incorrectly credited to Fujiko F. Fujio, who is the original creator of Doraemon, rather than its actual author, Michiaki Tanaka. Fans’ second theory to the fall of The Doraemons’ popularity was the mass change of the production team in 2005, where animators, voice actors, directors, and storyboarders were replaced. This change extinguished hopes for a remake, due to a possibility of the new crew having different creative visions from the former. As a spinoff of Doraemon, The Doraemons’ themes, such as grand adventures and everlasting friendship were perceived as contrasting with the futuristic, slice-of-life atmosphere of the original series by some fans. The Doraemons’ sudden fall serves as a subtle reminder that some of the most beautiful creations are sometimes tragically short-lived, even if they seem everlasting at the time. Yet, their legend endures. To this day, a minority of fans petition for a remake, uploading old DVD recordings to the internet as digital memorials. Their appreciation proves that the message of friendship and justice the seven embodied is truly undying.
The Roar 