:: Pedantic Platitudes ::

:: Friday, February 07, 2003 ::

Gotta love that Japanese humor...

I have found a rather likeable cartoon character by the name of Doraemon, who has his own comic strip and cartoon show in Japan. He is kind of like the Japanese equivalent of Mickey Mouse. Doraemon is a blue robot-cat who has a fourth-dimensional pocket from which he pulls out gadgets to help other people. Usually, however, something goes awry, and hilarity ensues. Nevertheless, everything is resolved at the end, and there is some moral or lesson learned or taught. There's a wonderful analysis of Doraemon here:
http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/heroes/doraemon.html
As it says, Doraemon "transmits a message that transcends every language: the future can be likable, the present is redeemable, and you can be happy even if you're blue." Yay!

Anyways, here's a funny Doraemon scene:

"In another silly story, Nobita (Doraemon's owner) is deeply touched by his teacher's morale-raising lecture, but can't seem to convey the "touching" part of it to anyone else. Doraemon then produces for him a microphone/speaker that makes anything he says deeply inspiring. Nobita of course runs off to show it off to his friends; they are all busy watching the local videotaping of a popular idol. Nobita is determined to inspire and move them more than the celebrity can; unfortunately, he has gotten his microphone switched with a baby's toy, and has to recover it. Finally, with the microphone in his back pocket, he rushes over to his friends to impress them --- but accidently farts while trying to pull the microphone out of his pocket. There is a moment of stunned silence. The last panel shows Nobita fleeing in sheer embarrassment from a mob of pursuing people who are shouting, "What a deeply moving fart that was!" "

:: SL 8:07 AM [+] ::
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