Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan

In this movie, Nobita and his friends all want to run away from home, so they run away to... the Pleistocene Epoch 70,000 years ago, before humans lived in Japan. The film starts out pretty strong. The premise itself is an intriguing one that provides insight into each of the main characters: it's not rare to see Nobita or Gian getting in trouble with their mothers, but why might spoiled Suneo or responsible Shizuka want to leave home? And what about Doraemon himself, who often takes on the role of a guardian figure for the kids? Connecting this story concept with the dispersal of humans into Japan is also a very creative idea. It's quite fun to watch the protagonists set up their own secret base in the Pleistocene. Unfortunately, the primary conflict is where the film falters for me. The main characters barely contribute to defeating the villain other than unwittingly leading the time police to his hideout, which felt extremely unsatisfying. They don't even get to successfully escape from the hideout by themselves. So enticing premise aside, I've always found this story disappointing.

There's been a lot of buzz on Twitter about the best Doraemon movie, and while most of my followers are all about "Nobita's Great Adventure into the Underworld," I've got to say, "Nobita and the Birth of Japan" is the real standout for me. A lot of the time, Doraemon's gadgets make you think, "When would you ever use this?" But the ones in "Birth of Japan" are different. They're very practical compared to other movies. For example, there's a gadget that, when you plant a radish, it grows into a radish with curry rice or pasta inside, and another that connects directly to underground water and natural gas. Every time I go camping, I can't help but wish I had those! The movie also has a great educational aspect. It introduces you to the fact that 70,000 years ago, Japan was connected to China by land, and animals like crocodiles and rhinos roamed there. Many people might not know this, and it's fascinating. Plus, it offers a fun take on the question, "Where did the Japanese people come from?" The core of Doraemon is a robot cat from the 22nd century showing off advanced technology in the present. So what happens when you take this tech to the prehistoric era? It looks like magic, turning Doraemon into a figure with god-like abilities. In this way, the villain, Gigazombie, and Doraemon are doing pretty much the same thing. In the original manga, Gigazombie is from a century further in the future than Doraemon, which explains why Doraemon is outmatched. Sadly, this isn't shown in the anime, so it's unclear why Doraemon loses, which is a bit of a letdown. The second half of the movie feels a bit rushed. The showdown with Gigazombie could have been fleshed out more. Personally, I think it could have been two and a half hours long and still been great. But I get that making it longer might lose the younger audience's attention, which is always a challenge for kids' movies. "Birth of Japan" balances nostalgia and freshness perfectly. However, Nobita's actions are often questionable. Creating Peg, Gri, and Draco, then abandoning them and moving them 2000 kilometers to an imaginary safari park seems really irresponsible. It's almost as cruel as Gigazombie burying the Tsuchidama alive. Speaking of which, the Tsuchidama used to scare me as a kid, but now they seem kind of adorable. It's funny how your perspective changes over time. The charm of "Birth of Japan" hasn't faded with age; if anything, it's deepened. It remains a special movie for me among all the Doraemon films. "Nobita and the Birth of Japan" is undoubtedly the best Doraemon movie ever made.