u/Inside_Farmer8985

This isn't intended as a review of the movie or an argument about whether one version is better than the other. It's simply my attempt to analyze Riruru's character arc and explain why my perspective on her changed after revisiting the films. (This is a broad character discussion, not a detailed comparison of every scene in both films.)

Riruru was introduced as an undercover scout from Mechatopia. She apparently tricked Nobita, built the invasion base, and truly believed humanity should be conquered. She wasn't simply evil; she was the product of an unemotional empire centered entirely on interstellar conquest and enslaving organic life.

Then her perspective started to shift.

Nobita helped her without expecting anything in return. Shizuka cared for her despite Riruru's attempts to kill her. Pippo's changed view of humans and the kindness shown by the humans gradually challenged everything she believed about humanity.

Her transformation didn't come from just one person; it resulted from experiencing compassion from those she had been taught to hate.

For me, the moment that defined Riruru was when she pleaded with the General to stop the invasion, knowing she could be executed for betraying Mechatopia. Even after surviving that, she chose to travel to the past with Shizuka and help complete the scientist's reprogramming, fully aware that doing so would erase her own existence.

She willingly sacrificed herself for a world she had only just begun to understand.

To me, what defined Riruru most was that transformation: from an undercover Mechatopian spy into someone who willingly gave up her own existence for the very world she had once been sent to conquer. That is why now I see her as a spy who became a saint through self-sacrifice.

After reflecting on Riruru and comparing her with other Doraemon movie characters, I reached another personal conclusion.

I don't think there has been a greater act of unconditional self-sacrifice in the Doraemon movies. There are other memorable sacrifices, like Buggy's and perhaps Fuko's, but they feel different to me. Fuko had formed a deep bond with Nobita and his friends and had essentially been created and raised by Nobita.

Riruru, in contrast, chose to give up her existence for a world she had only just started to understand. She had every reason to stay loyal to Mechatopia, yet she rejected everything she had been taught because she recognized the value of the lives she had once been sent to conquer.

If Riruru never returns in a future Doraemon story and she very well might not I think this sacrifice will remain the defining moment of her character.

One last clarification: this isn't meant to start a "Riruru vs. Shizuka" debate or suggest that one character is simply "better" than another. My point is only about this specific act of self-sacrifice, not about ranking one character above another. I posted a while back about how I wasn't totally sold on Winged Angels being the absolute best Doraemon movie.Now rewatching both versions more carefully, made me appreciate the story as a whole much more. Earlier, both films were already within my personal top ten Doraemon movie rankings. As I revisited the series, some of my earlier favourites, such as Three Visionary Swordsmen and Diary on the Creation of the World, naturally dropped a few places. As a result, both Steel Troops films—the 1986 original and the 2011 remake—have moved up in my personal rankings.

I first assumed the logarithm expression could be treated as an infinite geometric series and simplified it that way. After that, I moved on to the second condition and assumed those expressions were arithmetic series, so I tried applying the usual sum formulas.

But I think I either skipped an important step, misunderstood one of the conditions, or made a wrong assumption somewhere.

Please help me by kindly explaining the solution fully.

Just for context, in India, Nobita and the Knights on Dinosaurs was one of the last 1979-era Doraemon movies to be released. By the time I watched it, I had already seen most of the other 1979 films and few 2005 era films, so a lot of the recurring ideas and story patterns were already familiar to me.

1.Nobita and Suneo argue about dinosaurs, and Nobita declares he'll prove dinosaurs still exist.(Immediately similar to Nobita's Dinosaur (1980) and its remake Nobita's Dinosaur (2006), and even Nobita's New Dinosaur (2020) which again centers on Nobita becoming involved with living dinosaurs, albeit with a different story.)

2.The movie then settled into regular Doraemon episode-style events before the main adventure begins.

Nobita hides his test papers from his mother, Doraemon uses the Anywhere Hole, the children find a new place to play, Gian accidentally loses Suneo's remote-control airplane, and everything initially feels like an extended TV episode before the larger plot takes over.

3 Suneo is the first one to discover the impossible, but nobody believes him.(Comparable to Nobita's Little Star Wars (1985), where Suneo and Gian are the first to encounter Papi's pursuers before the rest)

4.Suneo goes missing.The story shifts into a rescue mission. (Later films such as Dorabian Nights, Tin Labyrinth, and Nobita's Great Adventure in the South Seas arguably make the "missing friend" storyline better)

5.The gadget that made the adventure possible is suddenly lost or destroyed.The Anywhere Hole is destroyed by a truck.(Another familiar Doraemon adventure pattern.)

6.The gang discovers yet another hidden civilization.They meet the underground dinosaur-descended people, Enriru, Banhou, Roo, and the Kappas. Hidden kingdoms, secret civilizations, and isolated societies appear throughout Doraemon, so this felt like another familiar adventure setup rather than something entirely new.

7.The hidden civilization has plans involving the surface world.Some of its leaders wish to reclaim Earth from mammals. (This reminded me of Kingdom of Clouds, where the Sky People judge humanity's treatment of Earth and its creatures, even considering a Noah's Ark-style reset while preventing Doraemon and the others from returning freely. It also reminded me of Nobita's Diary on the Creation of the World, where the intelligent insect civilization threatens conflict with humans to reclaim land.)

8.The children are not allowed to leave and repeatedly try to escape.(Comparable to Kingdom of Clouds, where Doraemon's group is effectively detained by the Sky People.

It also reminded me of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, where Captain Nemo refused to let Professor Aronnax and his companions leave the Nautilus.)

Then comes the movie's biggest surprise.The journey back to the Cretaceous period, the asteroid impact, and the extinction sequence are genuinely memorable. This is probably the film's most distinctive section because the asteroid extinction is naturally unique to a dinosaur story.

9.But again, Doraemon performs another history-changing intervention.He helps preserve the surviving dinosaurs and establishes the underground sanctuary that eventually becomes the civilization the children had already discovered. (Without a question we are familiar with this)

10.The alternate civilization is ultimately given a sanctuary instead of disappearing.The dinosaur descendants continue living beneath Earth's surface. (This parallels the ending of Nobita's Diary on the Creation of the World, where Nobita and Doraemon invite the intelligent insect people to leave the miniature world and begin living on the real Earth instead.)

11.The adventure concludes with the heroes being publicly celebrated.(Comparable to the endings of Nobita's Little Star Wars (1985), and the 1983 film.)

I don't know whether Japanese audiences view the film the same way. Since many of the comparisons above involve later movies.

But this is how I see this film.

Lastly, if this post came across as overly critical, I apologize.

Sumire Hoshino appears as an adult in at least three Doraemon episodes/specials, she also appears as Perman in cameo appearances, and otherwise Booby/Perman and Peryan themselves show up in Doraemon and Fujiko F. Fujio specials.

These are better viewed as tribute cameos than strict canon.

If you still want to find a logical explanation, I'd recommend watching the Manga Artist's episode in doraemon (pictured above) and people are much smarter to understand what I mean than read my explanation here.

A notable observation is that, the Doraemon series of 2005 remained very loyal to the manga version's characters in terms of design and continuity, unlike the 1979 series which seemed to take some creative license at times. The designs of Adult Shizuka, Adult Nobita, Sumire Hoshino and Mitsuo Suwa had been changed dramatically from their manga counterparts, while the ones in 2005 remain more or less consistent with the original manga.

A bit unrelated, but since Crayon Shin-chan and Doraemon share the same TV channel and animation studio (Shin-Ei Animation), it's worth mentioning that Shin-Ei also gave Nanako Oohara an anime design that differs from her manga appearance.

(I don't know why but I thought this also should be considered.)

While Shizuka's design was finally accurate in mini dora SOS,Nobita still wore glasses(which I personally liked but that's not the topic,it is that the 1979 series took too many liberties).

The Mitsuo comparison is perhaps the most interesting. The 2005 version closely follows the manga by showing him as the same young boy who left for Bird Planet, avoiding any implication that he had returned. The 1979 version, however, depicts him as a handsome adult in ordinary Earth clothing, which visually suggests he returned to Earth and raises continuity questions if interpreted literally. While this may simply have been an anime-original symbolic portrait rather than a deliberate continuity change, it reflects the broader pattern: the early 1979 series was more willing to reinterpret designs and continuity, whereas the 2005 series generally stayed closer to Fujiko F. Fujio's original manga.

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This isn't really a review,it's more of my personal analysis of the 2005 Doraemon series.

I've tried to look at what I think the series did really well, where I feel it became a bit too comfortable, and what I personally think could've been explored more. None of this is meant as hate or as an objective verdict—it's simply how the series comes across to me after watching it for years.

Of course, this is just my interpretation, not an objective truth. So if you see things differently, that's completely fine. Please don't send me to Gian's concert just because we disagree 😅. I'd much rather have a good discussion than a heated argument.

I also know there are quite a few people on this sub who've been analysing Doraemon for much longer than I have, so I'd honestly love to hear their thoughts too. Not just in response to what I've written, but your own observations, analyses, or things you've noticed over the years as well. I think that would make the discussion much more intresting, and maybe I'll even notice things I never thought about before.

I fully acknowledge that the 2005 series achieved a lot and improved many aspects of Doraemon. I genuinely enjoy it, and many of the changes it introduced were, in my opinion, positive ones.

Things I Liked

- The series puts more emphasis on emotional moments and friendships.

- The humor is cleaner and more family-friendly, with much less crude bathroom jokes.

- Supporting characters get more spotlight. Dekisugi, Shizuka's classmates, Gian and Suneo's baseball friends, and other school characters appear more often. This helps the world feel bigger and more alive instead of disappearing for multiple episodes.

- Birthday, Christmas, and other specials offer a break from the usual formula.

- Doraemon and Nobita's friendship feels much stronger than before.

- Nobita's parents have more depth. His dad is not just comic relief anymore, and his mom feels more caring rather than always shouting.

- Nobita is less of a pervert compared to parts of the 1979 series. The sudsen moments of "Shizuka suddenly likes Nobita" are mostly gone.

- Shizuka comes across as more independent. She has her own friends(I mean those friends now appear more) Her friendship feels more natural with Nobita though she cares for him.

- I often feel sorry for Nobita by the end of episodes nowadays, even when he caused the issues himself.

- The art style remains consistently good.

Things I Didn't Like

- I still miss the softer painted backgrounds from the 1979 series.

- The movies typically center on the same core five characters going on adventures. Most fans are used to seeing Nobita bond with the main child, Shizuka with the main girl (if there is one), and Gian and Suneo connect with the stronger, sporty, adventurous, or funny supporting characters. Doraemon stays as Nobita's closest emotional anchor.

- Many episodes start to feel repetitive: Gian bullies Nobita, Suneo shows off, Nobita gets upset, and Doraemon pulls out a gadget. Then off we go.

- There is less gadget-based manipulation on Shizuka now, but it still appears occasionally.

- Some character changes are hard to assess because they are not necessarily better or worse, just different.

- The series relies more on emotional stories. I don't mind emotional storytelling itself, but when nearly every major plot builds toward a similar emotional peak, it starts to feel repetitive.

- I wish we could see more of Shizuka's playful side. It would be fun to watch her misuse a gadget with Nobita now and then before they both have to apologize to Doraemon.

- My biggest concern is the movie formula. Whether it's a remake or an original story, the structure has remained surprisingly similar for over twenty years.

It usually goes like this:

- Nobita faces an everyday problem.

- Doraemon uses a gadget.

- They enter another world.

- They meet new friends.

- A larger threat emerges.

- An emotional peak occurs.

- Nobita wins through kindness, not strength.

- Everyone says goodbye and goes home.

- I still enjoy these movies, but after watching so many of them, they often leave me with a strong sense of déjà vu because the emotional rhythm and overall storytelling structure feel very similar. I might make a separate post analyzing a specific movie to better explain what I mean, since it's easier to show with a concrete example than to describe in general terms.

Even a great formula can become tedious if it is repeated too often. It's like eating your favorite food every single day: you might still love it, but eventually, you'll want something different.

Nature thrives on balance. Even good things can lose their impact through overuse. I think storytelling works the same way. After four or five movies with a similar framework, I start to feel like I've seen it before. The 2018 film stands out the most for me. I thought it was a good movie, but mostly the elements felt like I had experienced a similar thing before.

I would love to see the series take more creative risks while still keeping the emotional core that makes Doraemon... well, Doraemon.

There are also several unanswered questions:

- Where was Shizuka while Nonko played with Nobita?

- Where did Dekisugi come from, and why doesn't he appear in Nobita's childhood flashbacks?

- Why are Dekisugi's parents scarcely explored?

- Where are Jaiko and Sunetsugu in many childhood stories?

- Why didn't Sewashi's relationship with Doraemon and Dorami get more attention?

- I would also appreciate a movie where the main cast carries the entire story without introducing major guest characters. As far as I know, Stand by Me Doraemon comes closest, but it primarily adapts earlier stories. A completely original film centered mostly on the existing cast would feel new.

- I would like to see more family-centered adventures. Unlike Shin Chan, Doraemon seldom lets Nobita's family play a significant role in an episode and never did they have a role in a movie(that Dakke case is different). I believe there is a lot of untapped potential in that area.

There are many counterarguments to this but since the 2005 series 'cured' many 'illnesses' of the 1979, these could have been too.

Now:

I haven't watched enough since the 2017 reboot to form a proper opinion on it, so I'm very sorry if it does not coincide with my findings

Also:

One thing I'd like to clarify before people misunderstand my post.

I do enjoy the story telling style, the idea of friendship and many of the other repetitive items. They are integral parts of the essence of Doraemon. It is only that when something is repeated too often, it becomes predictable.

Plants benefit from sunlight every day. But just because they benefit from sunlight doesn't mean they should receive constant sunlight without interruption—that would damage the chlorophyll. At the same time, that doesn't mean plants no longer need sunlight. Without it, they can't prepare their food. They absolutely need sunlight... but they also need the right balance. And of course, sunlight alone isn't enough for photosynthesis; there are other essential factors too.

That's basically how I feel about Doraemon's storytelling. I don't want the emotional heart or recurring themes to disappear. I just think a little more variety and experimentation could make those same strengths feel fresh again.

Anyway again, these are just my thoughts as a fan. I'm not looking for blind hate or blind praise either. I'd really appreciate a respectful discussion, especially if you disagree. If you think I'm overthinking it or missing something, feel free to tell me. I'd genuinely like to hear other perspectives.

Sorry for my overusage of metaphors.

You must have noticed this many times in the real world. Sometimes a person does a few really good things, and those moments become so famous that people start. seeing them as a much better person overall even though there's a lot more to their story. Sometimes, or maybe even more often, a few bad moments make people remember someone much more negatively than their overall personality deservs.

It happens with all kinds of people, to be honest.

I feel Doraemon, despite being seen by many as just a casual kids' cartoon, and by others as something worth looking at more deeply, touches on several interesting aspects of human psychology. Whether someone watches it casually or is a more dedicated fan, its characters can still influence how many viewers think about people and relationships. The characters are written by Fujiko F. Fujio, of course, but their image among fans is shaped by us. How we remember and talk about them can sometimes become quite different from their overall portrayal in the series.

I honestly think Gian and Nobita get the biggest boost from this effect. They're definitely kind hearted kids deep down, but it makes me wonder: if those big emotional moments weren't so famous, would we see them differently? Their day-to-day actions in regular episodes are usually way messier.

It’s the same for other characters, too. Sometimes a few specific traits or bad moments end up defining their entire reputation in the fandom.

What I wrote here is just my POV, but if you've also noticed it, which Doraemon character do you think is seen much more positively, or much more negatively, because of a few memorable moments?

I'd just like to hear your thoughts, so feel free to share them.

​

After reviewing the squad, I don’t think it’s as simple as just saying, "Play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi."

The bigger question is:

Who would you drop?

- Abhishek Sharma? He is the ICC No. 1 T20I batter, a key player in SRH's 2024 batting overhaul that helped shape India's current fearless T20 style, and he’s coming off another 500+ IPL season.

- Ishan Kishan? He is explosive, has over 500 IPL runs, shows excellent recent form, and serves as a wicketkeeper and leader.

- Sanju Samson? He was the T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament, has more than 500 IPL runs, including two centuries, and is an experienced top-order batter and wicketkeeper.

- Shreyas Iyer? He is India's new T20I captain and just finished a great IPL season.

- Tilak Varma? As one of India's most complete young middle-order batters, he is backed by Gautam Gambhir. He can rebuild or accelerate an innings, offers part-time spin, and comes from the famous 2020 U-19 group that has already produced stars like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravi Bishnoi, and Dhruv Jurel.

- Axar Patel? He is one of India's best utility cricketers, providing balance with both bat and ball.

- Shivam Dube? He is a proven spin-basher, a World Cup winner, and a useful sixth bowler.

Then there’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (15):

- U-19 World Cup winner.

- Scored 175 off 80 in the final.

- Hit a 36-ball IPL century.

- Made 93 off 38.

- Scored 97 off 29.

- Hit 96 off 47.

- Accumulated 776 IPL runs at 48.50 with a strike rate of 237.

- He won the Orange Cap.

- He hit 72 sixes (an IPL record).

- Scored 94 off 29 for India A in a tri-series final.

The irony is that Vaibhav shouldn't compete with the middle order or all-rounders; he’s a natural top-order batter. The challenge is that India’s top order is already full of players who are also tough to drop.

So, what should India do?

Personally, I’d use the Ireland series to experiment. This is a lower-pressure chance to try Vaibhav as a floating batter or even in a finishing role. Against England, I would rotate the squad and give him opportunities at the top.

If Abhishek, Samson, and Kishan keep scoring heavily, then Vaibhav may miss out entirely or one of the most deserving players will have to sit out.

If you were the selectors, what would you do?

- Drop someone? If so, who and why?

- Rotate the squad?

- Try Vaibhav as a floater?

- Or take a completely different approach?

I’m genuinely interested in hearing different opinions because this seems like one of India's toughest T20 selection dilemmas in years.

Ashita mo Tomodachi" (あしたも♥ともだち, translating to "Friends Again Tomorrow") is the eighth ending theme song of the iconic 1979 Doraemon anime series.

This song is underrated. It gave me goosebumps the first time I heard it, and I listened to it every day for a while.
Sadly, the song was never included in the Indian broadcast of the series and was never officially dubbed into Hindi or other Indian languages.

English Translation (in paragraph form):
We are friends. We may quarrel sometimes, become upset, and wear grumpy faces, but deep down we know that being alone feels lonely (and carries the quiet sadness of loneliness). That is why we forgive each other, make up with a smile, and stay together. Friendship is not about never fighting; it is about caring for one another and coming back together after every disagreement. So let us cherish our friends, call everyone together, and look forward to playing, laughing, and creating new memories beneath the bright blue sky tomorrow and every day.
I request everyone to listen to this song. The full version is also available online.

​

Same as the title. What do you guys think?

I tried considering the metaphor angle because I wanted to see both sides of the argument. Still, I can't really believe it's meant that way literally.

​

​

Are such similarities a sign of just a repeated art style or were they meant to be a deliberate hint for the 1979 version to indicate that the character was not Japanese but a foreigner? Please tell me if you also felt the same.

I've been thinking about Gian for a while. Everyone talks about him as just the bully, but that's not the full picture. So here's my view, focusing mainly on the positive aspects. (And Gian's character is evolving more and more with time, I guess.)
Everyday Gian :

He is clearly a bully. He has a short temper, pushes people around, and forces everyone to listen to his awful singing. It’s tough to defend him in daily life. However, most of his behaviour stems from his inability to control his emotions, rather than a desire to be cruel. Gian views the world through the lens of strength: he sees Doraemon as powerful but too soft to be a real threat, while he sees Nobita as weak and harmless. His anger is not planned; it is impulsive and immediate. Suneo, the sly fox of the group, understands this perfectly. He often directs Gian's anger toward Nobita to protect himself. This makes Suneo an enabler.
Unlike Suneo, who thinks in sly, calculating circles, Gian's mind never travels beyond physical dominance. He is incapable of imagining a world where strength isn't the only currency that matters. Because of this simplicity, he never suspects Nobita of serious betrayal, nor can he conceive of Doraemon using his reality-bending gadgets to actually harm his friends, and this straightforward thinking means he never questions the fundamental loyalty of those he considers his own.That is why he throws punches without hesitation.Violence , to him, is just the language of daily life, not an act of malice. Nobita and Doraemon are not just targets to him; they are, in his rough and unspoken way, his people. And he bullies only those he sees as his own or beneath him. This is clear from his relationship with Dekisugi, in my view. 

Clutch Moment Gian :

This changes completely when real danger appears. Outside of daily fights, the local bully becomes a protector and a leader. During crisis or adventure, Takeshi's territorial instinct expands, so the entire world feels like his responsibility. doesn’t ask others to take risks he avoids; he steps forward first. He has confronted unfamiliar bullies who threatened his group, diverted a pride of lions away from his friends, and carried a tired Nobita across a scorching medieval desert without complaining. When Doraemon's gadgets fail or say "sorry, boss," it’s Gian's raw strength and determination that keep the gang motivated. He stopped a mini alien spaceship larger than him with his arms, an orange full sleeve shirt, and sheer will. His adventurous spirit never accepts a "no." This unpredictability in peacetime also means he never abandons his friends when things get tough.

The Man Behind the Fists

This is what makes Gian more than a simple brute. Gian respects his mother, perhaps because her punishments reflect what Gian does to others. Gian is a big brother who would destroy anyone who wishes to harm Jaiko. Gian's protective instinct operates independently of his grudges. Gian might bully and beat Nobita in the morning. But again, by the afternoon, Gian will crush any outsider who tries to do the same. That is Gian: unreliable in peace, essential in crisis. Gian may terrorise his friends daily. Gian weeps if he genuinely hurts them. Gian is a boy whose love is expressed through strength and whose loyalty never fades once given.

Final Thoughts

In a way, Gian is one of Nobita's truest friends. Not because Gian's gentle or perfect, but because when everything is at stake, Gian stands beside him without hesitation. Gian is flawed, frustrating, courageous, loyal and deeply human. That is Gian. Appreciate Gian for who he is.

I recently rewatched the Non-chan episode, "The Girl With the Red Shoes." (Don't ask me why.)

Today, I am not analysing this episode but a pattern. This episode is just a starting point like a door. What lies beyond is how fans weaponise these kinds of episodes, or things that leave some matters unaddressed or unresolved.
I'm from India, and honestly, a lot of what I'm writing here comes from observing our side of the fandom specifically.

Here is a quick recap of the episode: a young Nobita used to play make-believe with a neighbour girl named Non-chan (Nonko). She had brown hair. (Some people suggest she came from a mixed-race or foreign US military family – a group that faced social exclusion in post-WWII Japan.) Young Gian & Suneo made fun of Nobita for playing "girls' games." So Nobita turned on Non-chan, knocked over her toys, & stole one of her red shoes. He felt guilty afterwards and hid, and maybe was away with his kindergarten school's summer camp or something when a week later her family left Yokohama for the United States.

Years later, Nobita used the Time Machine to return the shoe, apologise, & find peace. They exchanged small keepsakes. Back in the present, Tamako scolded him for bringing home "broken old toys", giving the end a very ordinary, unromantic reality check. (This episode ended like regular ones with classic chaos despite Nobita doing no mischief.)

That's it. Non-chan never came back. Really, that should have been the end of it, like dozens of other childhood episodes that pass by without anyone building a shrine.

But if you check certain fan forums, YouTube edits, and Instagram Reels that portray Non-chan as Nobita's tragic soulmate (particularly in India), you would feel like she's Juliet. Many clips here use popular Hindi love songs to turn a simple farewell into an epic romance, with titles like "Nobita's First Crush" or "True Love." Some Indian YouTubers slap those titles on their videos. A few spin dark theories – that she died in America – or try to link her to Seiko Saotome (search: Seiko Saotome Doraemon).

Like, honestly – how the hell do people watch that Non-chan episode and think it's some tragic romance? Love? What love?At that age you don't even get what romantic love is like adults do. You love your parents, grandparents, pet dog, favourite toy, and friend who shares lunch. It's all the kind of pure kid love. Non-chan never said "wait for me" or "I'll marry you someday". She didn't write letters or come back. She just disappeared. And fans made her into some lost soulmate? Because she was the other girl who fit their checklist for a romantic alternative? Please. That's not love. That's people being desperate to ship something. It really frustrates me.

So, why does Non-chan get so much attention?

Simple: she's a blank slate. A one-episode character with almost no screen time. I explored this through the Zeigarnik (you can search for it). In Non-chan's case, the episode ended with Nobita's apology & closure, but Non-chan herself appeared suddenly & vanished forever. The guilt was resolved, yet the girl is gone. That narrative ambiguity not the story but the person keeps certain fans daydreaming. They can't stop imagining what could have been, even though the episode itself is finished. There's a curiosity gap that fans fill with their own fantasies and award her an Infinite Perfection Score (the less you know, the more perfect someone can seem; see my graph).

I tried to illustrate my point with a graph (I used AI for that because I'm not an artist.).
(Disclaimer: The graph is admittedly quite rough and serves only as a visual illustration of the idea.)From next time, I'll just draw it by hand.
Anyways, I plotted fantasy potential & idealisation on the Y-axis & screen time on the X-axis. Less screen time means more room for fans to invent stories about a character. For Non-chan her screen time is almost zero compared to the show's total runtime. (It doesn't reach an extremely small value like limits or dy/dx do, but it's stil quite minimal.) That means her fantasy potential is nearly infinite. But this only turns into actual fanfiction, shipping & viral content when certain fans exploit that potential.

[Other one-episode characters don't spark similar fantasies because it's not automatic. Characters like Yukari (from the Wishing Star episode) or the lady who played with Nobita and gave him a toy car can't be used for romantic framing, so they are never discussed. But Non-chan's story, with its bittersweet elements (a stolen shoe, a sudden move, a childhood apology), easily gets twisted into a "lost love" narrative – something most one‑off characters simply cannot offer. The famous 'Lost Love Trope' (plus 'Childhood Love Trope') does a lot of heavy lifting here. That's what turned a simple farewell into an epic tragedy.

This sadly exposes a tendency in this section of fans: they romanticise & idealise fleeting moments.]

The Non-chan episode carries genuine emotional weight. Separation. Missed chances, regret. The pain of losing someone before you can properly say goodbye. For many viewers, the episode represents childhood friendships, or the people life quietly takes away.I get those feelings. Being emotional about Non-chan's story? That's not the problem.The problem is using that feeling to criticise a character who's actually part of the story.

Now compare that to Shizuka. She has thousands of episodes behind her. Fantasy runs into reality. So these 'fans' turn into her fault-finders. She studies with Dekisugi? Cold. Spends time on her own interests? Selfish. Sets a reasonable boundary? Suddenly she's the villain. Some fans push the bizarre idea that this ten‑year‑old girl secretly calculates every move. This shows how a minor flaw can overshadow everything about a person – especially when the audience wants to percieve it that way. These people focus only on evidence that backs their beliefs. They ignore countless contradictions. For example, fans might highlight moments that fit "Shizuka is selfish" while overlooking many other cases that suggest otherwise. Non-chan seems perfect because she was in one episode. We never see her do anything wrong. (That's real life. We think people are perfect when we don't know them well.)

You see 'gold digger' accusations all over Indian social media. Videos, shorts, comment sections :they call her selfish, opportunistic, manipulative. For what? Normal kid stuff. Studying with Dekisugi. Taking a ride from Suneo. Using Doraemon's gadgets.

Yet the series shows the opposite. She has often refused to join in when Nobita was unfairly excluded. She comforted him during tough times. In the future timeline she chose him even without Doraemon's gadgets or any special advantages. Her choice was based on his kindness & empathy – not wealth or status. The popularity of the "gold digger" narrative says more about internet content culture than about Shizuka herself. Provocative titles, simple stories, exaggerated claims attract clicks. Nuance does not. That's engagement farming, clickbait & ragebait ,cause controversy sells better than accuracy. Because of this, a character with thousands of episodes of growth always gets judged by a few viral memes instead of the actual story. Selective accountability & a clear double standard.

Depending on the video, comment section or fan theory, she's been called: gold digger, unfaithful, selfish, manipulative, opportunist, attention seeker, traitor, fake friend, red flag, toxic, even a secret villain who exploits Nobita while favouring Dekisugi or Suneo. Shizuka gets judged as a person. Non-chan gets imagined as an idea. One is constrained by canon (what actually happened); the other is protected by narrative absence. One is character deconstruction; the other is a blank slate for fan projection. That is Fan Projection.

Then there's Dekisugi. Many accusations against him don't respond to anything he actually does. Across meme pages, comment sections, theory videos & Shorts culture, he's been called: villain, antagonist, show‑off, robot(what kind of conspiracy theory is that ?), psychopath, teacher's pet, fake gentleman, "Nobita's clone (yeah!)", homewrecker & "Shizuka thief". Yet the series rarely presents him as anything other than a polite, hardworking, emotionally mature child. His real offence isn't cruelty. It's his proven ability. He studies without being forced. Succeeds without gadgets. Treats others respectfully. Often behaves more maturely than the rest of the cast. For some viewers – especially those strongly attached to Nobita – this creates an uncomfortable comparison. Instead of asking why Dekisugi succeeds, they turn him into the problem. That's rival demonisation. Also Protagonist Bias: because Nobita is the hero, anyone who makes him look bad by comparison must be a villain.
The result is a strange inversion as one of the most consistently decent characters gets recast as a threat or villain simply because his strengths highlight Nobita's weaknesses.This teaches us that one can't please all.

The "Shizuka thief" accusation looks especially strange next to the "Shizuka in an Egg" episode. In that story Nobita deliberately uses a gadget to make Shizuka fall in love with whoever she sees first (trying to bypass her choice). Doraemon knows this & provides the means (he may have even suggested the gadget; I don't remember that detail clearly). Dekisugi refuses to take advantage when the situation accidentally shifts in his favour. He says that he likes Shizuka but he doesn't want feelings created by a machine. Irony: the character who respects Shizuka's autonomy gets labelled a villain while the protagonist's actions often go unnoticed. Much of the fandom doesn't discuss this episode. They probably dismiss it as "just one episode." But Nobita, after over 2,000 episodes, is rightfully seen as complex. Fans recognise that a single controversial episode doesn't define him. That same generosity disappears for Shizuka & Dekisugi. A few scenes of Shizuka studying alone with Dekisugi become evidence of her selfishness. A handful of interactions portray Dekisugi as a "villain." Non-chan's single appearance (remade countless times) turns into sprawling romantic narratives & tragic‑love theories. The Canonical Double Standard is glaring: Nobita gets evaluated across thousands of episodes & movies while other characters are judged on a few moments ; or in Non-chan's case on what fans imagine rather than what's actually in the story. Selective character analysis.

That selective lens creates a distorted version of the series. A one‑story childhood friend becomes a legendary lost love. A kind, supportive girl becomes a manipulator. A respectful, hardworking boy becomes a villain. The more I looked into it, the less it felt like character analysis & the more it felt like Irrational Fan Projection. It's ironic: some people claim Doraemon was never just a children's show, yet they rely on a childish mindset to evaluate & elevate characters based solely on emotions rather than deeper thinking. The characters most defined by the story get judged least fairly. The character least defined gets idealised most easily. Reality is complicated. Fantasy is simple. Parts of the fandom prefer the fantasy.

In the end, the pattern is hard to ignore. The fandom forgives complexity in characters it likes, exaggerates flaws in characters it dislikes & invents virtues for characters it barely knows. Non-chan becomes a perfect soulmate because almost nothing is known about her. Shizuka becomes a villain because everything is known about her. Dekisugi becomes a threat because he makes comparisons uncomfortable.

None of these conclusions emerge naturally from the source material. They emerge from the audience's own preferences & from certain parts of the fandom.

I had more to discuss, but we don't have enough time to pour so much into one post, & no guarantee everyone will read it all. I'm concluding here. I hope the addressed category of 'fans' of the Doraemon fan club understands my perspective & reconsiders their actions. I also hope people can refer to posts like this in the future to address those who hype or defame these characters.

Thank you.

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

I’m trying to figure out how Doraemon is currently aired in Japan.
Here in India, channels like Hungama and Disney India used to show Doraemon for around 18 hours a day; now it’s more like 12.

Channels like Hungama, Disney India, and Super Hungama (formerly Disney XD) keep airing Shin-chan, Doraemon, and Pokémon for hours every day in India. Each of the three has its home on these channels. There was a time when they used to show specific seasons. For example, in 2021, they aired seasons 3, 7,10, 13, and 17 of the Hindi dub during the summer. Since then, they haven’t mentioned season numbers, so it seems like they follow a specific pattern.

I know that Japan does things differently, but I would love to get a proper breakdown from someone who actually watches TV there.

Specifically: what are the current Doraemon timings? I heard new episodes air on Saturdays – is that still true, and what’s the daily runtime besides that? Do they rerun old episodes regularly, and if so, how – in order, randomly, or in themed blocks? Do they label episodes by seasons at all (like “Season 1”, etc.)? Is the 2005 series the only one shown on TV, or do they ever air episodes from the 1979 series? And what about the movies – do they re-air older films on a schedule, or only on special occasions? For example, when a remake like the 2025 Nobita’s Undersea Devil (originally 1983) hits the theatre, would TV stations show the original 1979 film version around that time? Is there a publicly available weekly/monthly schedule? Any insight would be greatly appreciated – I just want to understand the logic behind Japan’s TV programming for Doraemon. Thanks!⁹