Stand by Me Doraemon

Growing up in Asia (not Japan), Doraemon's face was everywhere. Lunchbox, pencil, utensils, and notebook to name a few. But I had never read the manga series nor TV series from the 70s. Out of nostalgia, I looked for a handful of anime from my childhood. This movie showed up as one of the top results. I expected t watch only few minutes, but it stuck. Yes, _**Stand by Me Doraemon**_ is unapologetically sappy and emotionally manipulative, but with high production value and solid character development, it almost felt like, dare I say it?, a Miyazaki production (albeit low rent). Yes, it lacks the subtlety, patience, and depth of Miyazaki production, but the heart is in the right place. The story is written by a co-director **Takashi Yamazaki**, a Japan Academy Film Prize (the country's highest award) winning writer and director of _**Always: Sunset on Third Street**_. Much like _**The Peanuts Movie**_, the filmmakers carefully and successfully balanced the spirit of Doraemon, while injecting modern take to draw in older and foreign viewers.