Summary
Stand by Me Doraemon 2 is an emotional ride, which deals with coming-of-age issues with care and love.
This review of Stand by Me Doraemon 2 is spoiler-free.
When I was a kid, I used to switch between the TV channels to watch appropriate anime shows. At that time, Doraemon was always my least favorite among them. As a pretty obedient parent’s boy, I always became frustrated with Nobita’s callousness. The boy is lazy, doesn’t take any responsibilities, and flunks in the exams all the time. For me, those are the signs of bad boys and my ideology of becoming an obedient boy didn’t allow me to follow Nobita’s actions. After 16 years, I am now grown old, and my worldview drastically changes from that. At that time, I stumble upon Nobita again, only to reinvent the character through the emotions of maturity.
Stand by Me Doraemon 2 portrays this maturity with care and precision. Based on the short films Doraemon: A Grandmother’s Recollection and The Day When I Was Born, directors Ryuichi Yagi and Takashi Yamazaki successfully make Nobita an evolved character breaking the callous and awkward persona.
The story revolves around the day of Nobita’s birthday when he gets scolded by his mom for not showing his exam result to her. Saddened by that, he complains that his parents always scold him and is suspicious that maybe he is not their real son. Suddenly, he finds a family album, where he finds her grandmother’s photo. Nobita reminisces how caring his grandmother is towards him and begs Doraemon to go to the past to see her again. When they get there, his grandmother recognizes Nobita and tells him about her wish to see his bride. Moved by that Nobita and Doraemon go to Nobita’s future, where the marriage ceremony of Nobita is held. But, after they get there, they find that the adult Nobita flees so they set on an adventure to find him.
Despite churning my childhood memories, this film is not only for children. To completely delve into it, a certain level of maturity is needed. The deep emotional connection with the family and the issues of growing up are profoundly showcased by the creators. With the pinch of science-fiction, the themes of disillusionment, friendship, the importance of family and accepting our own self are profoundly showcased with utmost sincerity. I cannot hold my tears back towards the end of the film as it gets too personal.
As I don’t follow much anime and also haven’t watched the previous film, I had many doubts about Stand by Me Doraemon 2. But, after watching it on Christmas Eve’s afternoon, I can’t say anything but to recommend it to everyone.
You can stream Stand by Me Doraemon 2 exclusively on Netflix.
