Doraemon the Movie "Nobita and the Great Mermaid Battle" Review: A moving story of undersea adventure and friendship

Doraemon the Movie: Nobita and the Great Mermaid Battle - The Charm and Emotion of the 30th Anniversary Movie

■ Public Information

The Doraemon movie "Nobita and the Great Mermaid Battle" was released on March 6, 2010, and is the 30th film in the Doraemon movie series. It was distributed by Toho and each episode is 99 minutes long and has a complete story. It is based on a manga by Fujiko F. Fujio and directed by Kozo Kusuba. It was produced jointly by Fujiko Productions, Shogakukan, TV Asahi, ADK, ShoPro, and Shinei Animation, and the copyright belongs to ©Fujiko Productions, Shogakukan, TV Asahi, Shinei, ADK 2010.

■ Story

The 30th Doraventure is a blockbuster about the legend of the mermaid! Nobita and Doraemon were playing around with real fish swimming in a town at the bottom of the sea with imaginary water. Then, they find Sophia, a mermaid princess who came to Earth 5,000 years ago. Doraemon and his friends go to the world of the sea with Sophia... They put on a mermaid suit and have a fun sea adventure, but suddenly they are attacked by a mysterious giant moray eel. They are saved in the nick of time, but then Shizuka-chan is kidnapped by someone... Doraemon and his friends learn about a mysterious legend about the "Mermaid Sword" in the mermaid palace where Sophia lives. Then, a fierce battle between the mermaids and the monster fish begins over the sword...

■Explanation

The Doraemon movies were first released in 1980 with "Nobita's Dinosaur". They are released every March, and in 2010 they will finally celebrate their 30th anniversary. This is the longest-running movie series in the history of Japanese animation. The generation who grew up watching Doraemon are now parents and are going to the theater with their children. The total audience numbers from the first movie to the 29th movie "Nobita's New Space Exploration Chronicle" released last year was a record 89 million people. It is truly a work worthy of being called a monumental milestone in the history of national family movies. In 2005, the cast and staff were renewed. Even after the new Doraemon movie series was renewed, it has recorded stable audience numbers. Even after 30 years, Doraemon is still a character that is running in the present.

The memorable masterpiece to mark the 30th anniversary is "Nobita's Great Mermaid Battle". It is a great adventure story set in the deep sea world where mermaids live. The director is Kozo Kusuba, who has been the general director of both the TV and movie since the 2005 renewal. The veteran director who has worked on many anime such as "World Masterpiece Theater" has finally taken the helm of the 30th anniversary work with a young production team. The screenplay is written by best-selling author Yuichi Mabo, who also wrote the original story for the movie "Amalfi: Rewards of the Goddess" (09). This is his third time writing a screenplay for the Doraemon movie, and he is finally taking on an original feature-length film. The 30th anniversary of the movie marks the beginning of a new legend of the Doraemon movie. Let's go on Doraemon's great adventure that transcends time and distance, adults and children alike.

■Cast

The cast includes Wasabi Mizuta as Doraemon, Megumi Ohara as Nobita, Yumi Kakazu as Shizuka, Subaru Kimura as Gian, Tomokazu Seki as Suneo, Kotono Mitsuishi as Mum, Yasunori Matsumoto as Dad, Chiaki as Dorami, Shihoko Hagino as Dekisugi, Rie Tanaka as Sophia, Mayumi Iizuka as Haribo, Hidenari Ugaki as the police officer, Naoki Kusumi as the driver, Maru Tamari as Mii-chan, Fumito Yamano as Buiking, Kendo Kobayashi as Tragis, Yoichi Nukumizu as Professor Mejina, Sakana-kun as Sakkana, and Miki Maya as Ondine.

■ Main staff

The original work is by Fujiko F. Fujio, the script is by Mabo Yuichi, the chief animation director is Asano Naoyuki, the art director is Koga Toru, the director of photography is Katsuyoshi Kishi, the editor is Kojima Toshihiko, the sound director is Tanaka Akiyoshi, the sound effects are Itokawa Yukiyoshi, the music is Sawada Kan, the chief producers are Masuko Sojiro and Sugiyama Noboru, the director and storyboard artist is Kusuba Kozo, the director is Kimura Nobukage, the character design is Kaneko Shizue, the animation directors are Kurio Masahiro, Chiba Yumi, Takatsu Osamu, Takano Aya, and Yaguchi Hiroko, the animation inspection is Suzuki Maria, the color design is Matsutani Sanae, the color specifications and inspection are Takahashi Megumi and Tanaka Rika, the finishing touches are Nonaka Sachiko, the 3DCG supervisor is Kifune Tokumitsu, 3DCGI The director is Fukuda Hiroshi, special effects are by Hoshiba Yutaka, animation cooperation is by Vega Entertainment, bonus footage is by Teramoto Yukiyo, Sugizaki Satoshi, Masuzumi Michiko, production administration is by Sugino Yuki, Hattori Takahiro, Miyazawa Eitaro, production managers are Kawanishi Mariko, Hirokawa Koji, Yokota Ippei, Okano Takanori, Nagata Yuichi, Kikuchi Tatsuya, Ito Takanori, Takahashi Sayuri, production desk is Nakajima Susumu, assistant producer is Araki Motomichi, producers are Ogura Kumi, Sumida Maiko, Fujimori Takumi, Yamazaki Ritsuji, Okura Shunsuke, and produced by the "Doraemon the Movie" Production Committee (Fujiko Productions, Shogakukan, TV Asahi, Shin-Ei Animation, ADK, ShoPro).

■ Related works

This film is related to the Doraemon TV series. The TV series depicts the daily life and adventures of Doraemon and his friends, and the film version will have an even larger scale story.

■ Theme songs and music

The opening theme "Make Your Dreams Come True, Doraemon" was written and composed by Katsuhiko Kurosu, arranged by Kaoru Okubo, sung by Mao, and chorused by Himawari Kids. The ending theme "A Place to Go Home" was written and composed by SoulJa, and sung by Thelma Aoyama. The inserted song "You Who Came From the Distant Sea" was written by Tetsuya Takeda, composed by Yasuo Sato, arranged by Takao Konishi, and sung by Tetsuya Takeda.

■ Evaluation and impressions

The Doraemon movie "Nobita's Great Mermaid Battle" far exceeded expectations as a 30th anniversary production. The story is a grand adventure based on the legend of the mermaid, and it is a perfect blend of visual beauty and moving developments. In particular, the scenes depicting the underwater world are colorful and have the power to draw the audience in. It also depicts the characters' growth and the depth of their friendship, making it enjoyable for both children and adults.

Director Kozo Kusuba has used his years of experience to expertly guide the story, balancing visual appeal with emotional depth. Screenwriter Yuichi Mabo has taken on the challenge of creating an original feature-length film, depicting the world of Doraemon from a new perspective. The acting by the cast is also excellent, especially Rie Tanaka's voice as Sophia, bringing out the mysterious charm of the mermaid.

Music also plays an important role, and Kan Sawada's composition enhances the atmosphere of the story and stirs the emotions of the viewer. The theme song and insert songs are also impressive, and the lyrics and melody of "Make My Dreams Come True, Doraemon" in particular resonate in the heart, symbolizing the theme of the movie.

■ Recommendation points

This movie is highly recommended not only for Doraemon fans, but also for families and anime lovers. It has the following points that make it especially appealing:

• Epic Story : An epic adventure based on mermaid legend that will be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
• Beautiful visuals : The scenes depicting the underwater world are rich in color and have striking visual beauty.
• Emotional developments : The story depicts the characters' growth and the depth of their friendship, with many touching scenes.
• The appeal of the music : Sawada Kan's music, theme songs, and insert songs add excitement to the story and stir the emotions of the viewer.
• 30th Anniversary Film : This film has special value as it commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Doraemon film series.

■ Summary

The Doraemon movie "Nobita's Great Mermaid Battle" is a wonderful work worthy of the 30th anniversary. It is a wonderful blend of many elements, including a magnificent story, beautiful images, moving developments, and attractive music. It is highly recommended not only for Doraemon fans, but also for families and anime lovers. Experience the new legend of Doraemon through this movie.