Written by Jack Herbert

The magic blue cat from space

Doraemon, the star of countless manga, TV shows, computer games and movies since his birth in 1970, is a blue robotic cat from the future.

His mission is to make a success of Nobita, a lazy, bullied boy living in a poor Tokyo suburb. Despite Doraemon having a magic pocket, from which he can pull any amazing gadget, Nobita's incompetence makes this task almost impossible.

Although the stories are simple and the animation is basic, Doraemon's wistfulness and humanity has caught the imaginations of Japanese people for generations.

The story was never resolved, as Doraemon's creators broke up in 1987. It has been suggested that Nobita is an autistic boy who has been imagining Doraemon and his other friends all along. Understandably, this angers die-hard fans.