Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
“Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales,” the latest installment in the 45-year “Doraemon” film franchise, will be released across China on May 31, coinciding with International Children’s Day celebrations.
Actors dressed as characters from “Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales” pose with audience members at the film’s China premiere in Beijing, May 25, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Today Pictures]
This 44th “Doraemon” film, directed by Yukiyo Teramoto, follows Nobita, Doraemon and friends as they enter a mysterious painting via Doraemon’s gadget. There they discover lost Princess Claire and winged demon Chai from the medieval European kingdom of Artoria. After returning with her from the painting to 13th-century Artoria, the group faces a time-traveling art thief who unleashes a monster from a painting, endangering the kingdom and its people. Together, they must fight to save Artoria.
In this new film, the beloved “Doraemon” franchise explores painting as its central theme for the first time, delivering stunning visuals and emotional depth in the much-anticipated summer family adventure. The film brings masterpieces by Van Gogh and Monet to life as a “living art gallery,” where Doraemon’s gadgets meet classical art in a fusion of imagination and beauty.
“Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales” is the fourth “Doraemon” film directed by Yukiyo Teramoto, who made history as the franchise’s first female director with 2007’s “Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s New Great Adventure into the Underworld.” The voice cast features series regulars Wasabi Mizuta, Megumi Ohara, Yumi Kakazu, Subaru Kimura and Tomokazu Seki, with music by Takayuki Hattori and theme song “Sketch” by Aimyon.
“Doraemon,” adapted from Fujiko F. Fujio’s iconic manga and globally successful anime series, features a futuristic robotic cat who uses a variety of gadgets to help schoolboy Nobita navigate life’s challenges while learning valuable life lessons.
A promotional display at the China premiere of “Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales” in Beijing, May 25, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Today Pictures]
The film series made its theatrical debut on the Chinese mainland with “Doraemon: Nobita’s Dinosaur” in 2007. A new installment has screened annually since 2015, maintaining a decade-long theatrical streak. The 3D animated “Stand by Me Doraemon” (2015) remains China’s highest-grossing series entry with 529 million yuan, while 2024’s “Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Earth Symphony” earned 131 million yuan.
Since its release in Japan this March, “Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales” had dominated the Japanese box office for six consecutive weeks and grossed $32 million. It was first shown in China at the 15th Beijing International Film Festival in April, with tickets selling out instantly. The film was quickly approved for Chinese theatrical release and premiered in Beijing on May 25, with many audience members calling it the best “Doraemon” film in years.