On the eve of International Children's Day, Doraemon, the cute blue cat with belly pouch full of magical gizmos, hit cinemas in Shanghai, sparking waves of nostalgia among the 20- and 30-somethings who grew up reading the comics and wishing they could have a friend like Doraemon.

Based on the long-running Japanese cartoon series, the 3D animated film Stand by Me Doraemon, premiered in Japan in 2014 to mark what would have been the 80th birthday of the character's creator, Fujiko F. Fujio (born Hiroshi Fujimoto), who died in 1996.

Unlike previous Doraemon movies, the new film is based almost entirely on old comic book storylines. Nevertheless, the countless familiar plotlines have been sewn together seamlessly to create a bigger, better story that closely follows the comics.

A poster of Stand by Me Doraemon Photos: CFP

The movie opens with Doraemon, a robotic blue cat from the 22th century, popping up in Nobita's desk drawer on one random evening in 1969. Doraemon announces that Nobita's great-great-grandson sent it back in time to spare the clumsy, lazy and all-around hopeless boy from the bad marriage that ends up undermining not only his own future, but that of all of his descendants.

Doraemon's job is to help Nobita to improve school and stand up to bullies by providing him with all manner of cool stuff from his bottomless belly pouch.

Many classic Doraemon devices make an appearance. There's the take-copter, a small air vehicle that allows its wearer to fly at speeds up to 80 kilometers per hour. There's the time handkerchief, which reveals the past and future of an object, and an invisibility cloak.

After learning that Nobita has a crush on his classmate Shizuka, Doraemon tries to help him to win her heart. One day Nobita decides he wants a glimpse into his and Shizuka's future. Doraemon pulls out a Time TV, a device which allows the viewer to see a scene from 14 years in the future. Nobita sees that the grown-up Shizuka got lost while climbing a snowy mountain. To save the girl and win her heart, Nobita travels to the future with the time machine and grows to a young man with the help of time handkerchief. Nobita and Shizuka navigate a series of dangers together and in the end, she agrees to marry him.

Returning to the reality, Nobita delightedly flies high into the air with the take-copter while Doraemon watches him on the ground with tears in his eyes. With his task completed, Doraemon has 48 hours before he must return to his world.

To let Doraemon leave without worrying, Nobita starts to live on his own. He stands up to the bullies, but ends up beaten black-and-blue. On the night Doraemon leaves, it stands by the wounded Nobita saying goodbye to him.

The next morning Doraemon is gone. The desk drawer is open, revealing a pile of neatly folded bedding, as if Doraemon had never been there.

The film appeals to nostalgic adults rather than children new to the series. Although the scene where Doraemon leaves Nobita is predicable and childish, it still managed to move many in the audience to tears, especially those in their 20s and 30s.

Doraemon remains in the collective memory of children who used to wait in front of the television for the animated series to start after school.

However, as time passed, these children have grown up into adults who have to cope with the difficulties in life alone. This time, however, there's no Doraemon to pull out some magical gizmo to help them.

Although Doraemon and Nobita never get older, their audience has. Their Doraemon has gone. That's why the film resonates so well with the audience.

Stand by Me Doraemon is first Doraemon movie in 3D. Although the characters are computer generated, many of the setting are designed with actual models and miniatures, including the streets, living room and the study.

These sets add a level of realism to the fantastic world of Doraemon.

The characters have also been redesigned. Doraemon and Nobita in particular have emerged more lively and cute. The 3D animation makes facial expression more vivid and objects more realistic. One can almost feel the soft texture of Shizuka's dress.

Although the 3D presentation makes the film quite different from past Doraemon movies, fans won't be disappointed.



Everyone's a Critic

Yi Lingying

24, Student

"I think Doraemon was a dream in our childhood and a memory in our adulthood. I appreciate that I had Doraemon in my childhood. I was moved to tears when I saw Shizuka bid farewell to his father. It reminds me of my own parents, who have been devoted to me all these years. I definitely recommend that my friends see this film in the theater. I also recommend that they watch the Japanese version. A good dub accounts for 50 percent of this film's success."

Shi Jingjing

22, student

"Doraemon is not merely a story of adolescent struggle, but one of courage, determination and friendship. When I watched Doraemon as a child I was only fascinated by the amazing devices and wished I could have a Doraemon, especially before an exam. Now, however, I pay more attention to the friendship between Doraemon and its friends."

Li Kai

21, student

"Doraemon was one of my favorite comics when I was a child. I knew how the story ended from the comics, but the film still managed to wring a few tears out of me. It does a good job linking different parts of the comics together, forming a circle of how Doraemon comes to Nobita and how it leaves. Although the characters in 3D were a little bit different, it didn't stop me from enjoying this film. On the contrary, the characters look more vivid and alive on the big screen."