Passage of time: Doraemon's dimension

" Do you know why are eyes placed at the front?

To look forward. " - Nobita in Doraemon

When i was younger (i like using the comparative adjective 'younger' because it tells that i'm still young; instead of 'young' because then, it means i am already old) almost every night before i snoozed into dreamland, i would read Doraemon. Sometimes, i might finish the whole book. There is something about Doraemon that is so engrossing, so appealing that i sometimes wished i was there to be in the fantasy land.

What makes me enjoy reading Doraemon comics are the characters. Seeing how Doraemon helps Nobita, Nobita takes advantage at Doraemon's helping hand, and simply the journey of them together through ups and downs of life sell this comic like none other. Nobita struggles with his study and come home to the lecture of his mother, time and time again getting zero for his tests. Doraemon hails from another world, out from Nobita's drawer, and has since then became his friend, brother, and family. His friends, Sinyu and Giant, at some point, are fun to read. Giant and his singing 'talent' behind the bully never fails to show the softer side when it comes to his mother and sister. He shows respect and obedience to his family. Sinyu, on the other hand, is a rich kid with a boastful attitude, and it is entertaining to see at times when his action bites back. Sizuka, Nobita's girlfriend and future wife, portrays a loving and caring character. Chong Meng makes special on and off appearances and he plays Nobita's rival over Sizuka. In the evenings, they meet at the neighbourhood field and play baseball, and see how everybody runs whenever the ball strikes the glass window of one of the nearby houses. Sometimes, they go over to someone's home and play cards, or to celebrate an occasion. They walk to school together, or sometimes walk on their own and meet them on the way to school. I admire their friendship so much that i would want to live in their neighbourhood. The creator has definitely designed a setting for the comic that blends perfectly well with great characterization of the characters. Simply amiable!

The story of how i grew attached to Doraemon is elusive. I can't remember when it started but i'm pretty sure that it has something to do with a visit to the newspaper stand in the market. One stall in particular sold Doraemon comic books in Malay. Since i can't read Chinese and i don't find any English versions around, the stall became my target week after week. It was because new edition of the comic books would hit the store and i would be there to grab one myself. Like Nobita. I remembered it was Rm 4.50 per book. Then after breakfast, i would lie on a couch and start to read the book, page after page. At bookstores which sell Doraemon comic books, i would visit that section and spend time flipping its pages. Again, like Nobita.

The comic books offer a wide range of stories. Some stories made me laugh non-stop like the microphone which can captivate the attention of others or the one when a chair was throw out the window at a special reversal hour-glass story, while some stories are just tear-jerking. One i can still remember is Book 6's last story when Doraemon needed to leave Nobita and Nobita fought with Giant to prove to Doraemon that he can stand on his own two feet. I needed Book 7's first story to recover. Another was a story that brought Nobita back in time with his grandmother, who reignited his spirit to stand up after every fall. The stories are inspiring and has great inventions- though some might not seem plausible. I'm literally translating some of them to English from my own interpretation- Door to Anywhere (Pintu Sesuka Hati), Flying Bamboo (Buluh Terbang), Diminishing Lamp (Lampu Pengecil), all from his little pocket (saku).

What inspired me to blog about Doraemon in this third installment of Passage of Time was the chat i had with my friends about it. It brought me back to childhood and how amazing those times were. The times of innocence. And Doraemon has definitely taught a lesson or two about life and about people. I read them before i sleep. I read them in my toilet.

There are movies made for Doraemon and TV series based on the comics. There are games on Doraemon. But still, the comic books are my favourite. Drawn in a very circular geometry, Doraemon is undeniably a cute and cuddly cat robot. A cat who fears mice (or mouse). And funny how he never wins at 'rock, paper, scissors'.

Unlike other Japanese comic books, Doraemon has something special that i can associate to and with. And it is Doraemon, Nobita and his friends that i will always talk about.

Have you been into Doraemon's dimension? Share with me. wc11 excuses himself to dive into another Doraemon comic book once you see the full-stop at the end of this sentence.