* Story Highlights
* Japan creates government post to promote animation, appoints robot cat
* Blue and white "Doraemon" character named "anime ambassador"
* Foreign ministry to show "Doraemon" films at Japanese diplomatic missions
TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Japan has created an unusual government post to promote animation, and named a perfect figure Wednesday to the position: Doraemon.
Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura appointed the popular cartoon robot cat as "anime ambassador," handing a human-sized Doraemon doll an official certificate at an inauguration ceremony, along with dozens of "dorayaki" red bean pancakes -- his favorite dessert -- piled on a huge plate.
Komura told the doll, with an unidentified person inside, that he hoped he would widely promote Japanese animated cartoons, or "anime."
"Doraemon, I hope you will travel around the world as an anime ambassador to deepen people's understanding of Japan so they will become friends with Japan," Komura told the blue-and-white cat.
The appointment is part of Japan's recent effort to harness the power of pop culture in diplomacy. Japan also created an International Manga Award last year under comic enthusiast former Foreign Minister Taro Aso, who likened it to a "Nobel Prize" for an artist working abroad.
Manga, the name used for Japanese-syle comic books, often combine complex stories with drawing styles that differ from their overseas superhero counterparts, particularly in their emphasis on cuteness.
This year, the ministry plans to arrange showings of a Doraemon film in Singapore, China, Spain, France, and at other Japanese diplomatic missions around the world.
Doraemon, through voice actress Wasabi Mizuta, promised Komura that "Through my cartoons, I hope to convey to people abroad what ordinary Japanese people think, our lifestyles and what kind of future we want to build."
Created by cartoonist Fujiko F. Fujio, Doraemon is a Japanese cultural icon and is popular around the world, especially in Asia. The robotic cat travels back in time from the 22nd century and uses gadgets such as a "time machine" and an "anywhere door" that come out of a fourth-dimensional pocket on his stomach to help his friends, allowing them to travel anywhere and to any time they wish.
Astro Boy, another cartoon icon, was named last November as ambassador for overseas safety.
Can't argue with that I suppose...everyone I knew watched and enjoyed doraemon at some point, irrespective of their opinions for or against anime in general. I don't think people even consider it "anime" as such...
I do know how to spell
AniThyng is merely the name I gave to what became my favourite Baldur's Gate II mage character
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It's Japan. That should be all the answer you need.
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Admiral Valdemar wrote:Haha, The Onion cracks me up. Cool as it is, this is totally improbable even for Japan...
ummmm, the story's on cnn
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What bullshit. Waashu would have been a more qualified pick.
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Doraemon is a very well-known and popular manga in Japan. It's the equivalent of Calvin and Hobbes or Simpsons, and the author was considered a Japanese hero, if I'm thinking of the right series and author.
I'm surprised they didn't pick a character that was better known to Western audiences, e.g., Son Goku from 'Dragonball Z' or Tsukino Usagi/Sailor Moon.
Those gun nuts do not understand the meaning of "overkill," and will simply use weapon after weapon of mass destruction (WMD) until the monster is dead, or until they run out of weapons.
They have more WMD than there are monsters for us to fight. (More insanity here.)
Probably because Dragonball Z and its fans are intensely annoying. LOL FREEZA PWNS U!!!111
Seriously though - appointing a fictional character to a government position is stupid on a level that even the land of Dubya would shy away from. It's relatively harmless, but... God damn it is a retarded waste of time and money.
About those attacking making Doraemon a government official...isn't it part of Japanese culture (kawaii), that many westerners would consider 'childish' see
I do wonder how much of what we Americans hear about Japanese culture is genuine, and how much is exaggerated garbage. A lot of it sounds... very synthetic. Like some crazy art student's idea of a foreign culture that a bunch of people just decided to take up.
Gullible Jones wrote:Seriously though - appointing a fictional character to a government position is stupid on a level that even the land of Dubya would shy away from. It's relatively harmless, but... God damn it is a retarded waste of time and money.
Oh, I don't know, Jones. You'd think that the occupants of Jesusland would want their pixie to be in charge of their country.
LOL. I bet there's a lot of pissed off Japanese right now. As if people needed even more of a reason to think of Japan as "that place what makes all the crazy cartoons full of tits and gore for pimply teenagers".
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Sidewinder wrote:I'm surprised they didn't pick a character that was better known to Western audiences, e.g., Son Goku from 'Dragonball Z' or Tsukino Usagi/Sailor Moon.
I dunno, you do realize doraemon has pretty much universal appeal across east asia, not just Japan, and also cuts across gender lines, right?
I do know how to spell
AniThyng is merely the name I gave to what became my favourite Baldur's Gate II mage character
Gullible Jones wrote:Probably because Dragonball Z and its fans are intensely annoying. LOL FREEZA PWNS U!!!111
Seriously though - appointing a fictional character to a government position is stupid on a level that even the land of Dubya would shy away from. It's relatively harmless, but... God damn it is a retarded waste of time and money.
You're getting worked up for no good reason - obviously there are very real government officials behind the mascot, and obviously this has financial benefits to the Japanese entertainment industry? I hate to have to repeat myself, but of all the characters they could have chosen, Doraemon is probably second only to Hello Kitty in sheer pervasiveness across demographics that ordinarily will never come within 10 feet of anime.
I do know how to spell
AniThyng is merely the name I gave to what became my favourite Baldur's Gate II mage character
"
- PeZook
PRFYNAFBTFCP
