Doraemon (1973 anime)

Doraemon (1973 anime)
Doraemon (1973 anime) logo
Country of origin	Japan
No. of episodes	52 (list of episodes)
Broadcast
Original run	April 1, 1973 (1973-04-01) – September 30, 1973 (1973-09-30)
Season chronology
← Previous — Next → 1979 anime

The Nippon TV-produced Doraemon anime series was a brief and unsuccessful attempt at adaptating the original manga series into anime. It was launched in 1973 on the Nippon TV network and only lasted 6 months. After it was cancelled, Doraemon remained exclusively as a manga until 1979 when TV Asahi produced and broadcasted a much more successful anime adaptation, which continued having new episodes aired until 2005.

The character designs in this anime adaptation appear more stylized than the character designs used in the TV Asahi anime adaption, which were more true to the original manga. It also used a different theme tune, which was possibly influenced partly by the theme tune and music to the original Pink Panther cartoons.^[1]

Cancellation

The show was cancelled because it had very low ratings and that the series was never really popular with neither general viewers or fans of the original manga. Apparently, according to a YouTube member who commented on a rare Doraemon clip from 1973, the creative duo behind the original manga, under the pen name Fujiko F. Fujio, complained about the series while it was still on air, another possible reason why it was cancelled.^[2]

Rarity

It's very rare now to find anything involving the show now other than it existed. All the footage involving the series also was destroyed by an accidental fire sometime after the show was cancelled.^[3]

Internet critique

On the internet video site YouTube, in the comments to a video clip featuring very rare footage of the series^[4], many fans who are old enough to remember the show being on air or just happen to know the show well, talked about the show's many flaws which might be possible reasons to why the show was cancelled after only 6 months. One person said that the series emphasized on humour or "gag sense" way more than it needed and several other people said that the character design for Doraemon was too "plump" for the character (another noticeable change in character design in this anime series was the whiskers being longer, stretching out towards the sides of his face).^[5]

Opening Sequence

The opening title sequence to the series is one of the few surviving pieces of footage of this series that wasn't destroyed by the fire that destroyed nearly all footage of this show, being uploaded onto YouTube in February 2006.

The opening sequence features Doraemon travelling back in time and coming out through Nobita's desk, then to go around Nobita's town with many stunned citizens and animals staring at him as he goes by. It ends with Doraemon placing Gian, who was chasing Nobita around with a baseball bat, on top of a really tall pillar with a gadget he pulled out of his four-dimensional pocket when he then gets completely distracted after running off, panicking from seeing a mouse (which was on a string that was held up by Suneo), which he then walks up a tall building and clings onto a clock, making the hand on the clock sway around as he holds on, with Doraemon still panicking as the opening sequence ends.^[6]

Episodes

# Parts Airing date 01-02 A) 出た!!ドラえもん B) ペコペコバッタ大騒動 April 1, 1973 03-04 A) 屋根の上のすてきな子 B) のび太のご先祖さん April 8, 1973 05-06 A) キューピッドですきすき作戦 B) 弱味をにぎれ April 15, 1973 07-08 A) ねずみに弱い猫もある B) ガキ大将をやっつけろ April 22, 1973 09-10 A) おせじ鏡 B) パパとママの結婚記念日 April 29, 1973 11-12 A) のろいカメラ B) 宝くじ大当り作戦 May 6, 1973 13-14 A) 決闘!のび太とジャイアン B) わたしは誰でしょう May 13, 1973 15-16 A) アベコンベ騒動 B) おばけ屋敷の謎 May 20, 1973 17-18 A) クイック・スロー大作戦 B) のび太は雨男 May 27, 1973 19-20 A) ウルトラミキサー B) ねがい星流れ星 June 3, 1973 21-22 A) ふしぎなふろしき B) のび太のおばあちゃん June 10, 1973 23-24 A) 大リーグ赤バット B) 男は力で勝負する June 17, 1973 25-26 A) ガチャ子登場 B) おしゃべり口べに June 24, 1973

# Parts Airing date 27-28 A) すきすきカメラ B) 天の川でデイトしよう July 1, 1973 29-30 A) へんなロボットカー B) ニコニコせっけん July 8, 1973 31-32 A) おれ署長のだいり B) さあ夏だ！スキーをやろう July 15, 1973 33-34 A) 成績表はいやだなあ B) 自分のかげをつかまえろ July 29, 1973 35-36 A) 潜水艦で海へ行こう B) くっるたハラ時計 August 5, 1973 37-38 A) キャンプ騒動 B) 忘れな草って何だっけ August 12, 1973 39-40 A) クーラーパラソル B) いつでも日記 August 19, 1973 41-42 A) 宿題おばけが出た B) お天気ボックス August 26, 1973 43-44 A) ぼくに清き一票を B) まんが家修行 September 2, 1973 45-46 A) すてきなガールフレンド B) 花いっぱい騒動 September 9, 1973 47-48 A) そっくりクレヨン B) 静香の誕生日 September 16, 1973 49-50 A) 宇宙飛行士になりたい B) まいごマゴマゴ大騒動 September 23, 1973 51-52 A) ネンドロン大騒動 B) さようならドラえもん September 30, 1973

References

1. ^ http://doraemon.wikia.com/wiki/Doraemon_%281973_anime%29
2. ^ http://doraemon.wikia.com/wiki/Doraemon_%281973_anime%29
3. ^ http://doraemon.wikia.com/wiki/Doraemon_%281973_anime%29
4. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_Tzaa4QbV0
5. ^ http://doraemon.wikia.com/wiki/Doraemon_%281973_anime%29
6. ^ http://doraemon.wikia.com/wiki/Doraemon_%281973_anime%29