Update: the 46th film in the Eiga Doraemon series, Nobita's Steam-Powered Time Machine, was announced on July 24, 2026. According to the announcement, it is set in Victorian London, directed by Rushio Moriyama, and scheduled to open in Japan on March 5, 2027. The sections below look back at the two milestones that came before it, films 44 and 45.
Ever since the historic theatrical debut of Nobita's Dinosaur in 1980, the annual Eiga Doraemon franchise has stood as a beloved springtime cultural ritual for millions of families across Japan and broader Asia. Spanning over four decades with more than forty feature-length productions, the robotic cat from the 22nd century has transcended ordinary children's entertainment, generating over $1.2 billion in cumulative worldwide box office revenue.
1. Film 44 "Picture World Story": Unleashing Imagination in the Kingdom of Artoria
Released in spring 2025, the 44th feature film - titled Eiga Doraemon: Nobita no Esekai Monogatari (Doraemon: Nobita's Picture World Story) - was helmed by celebrated anime director Kazuaki Imai and penned by acclaimed screenwriter Satoshi Suzuki. This prestigious project was selected by Shin-Ei Animation and distributor Toho to spearhead the 45th-anniversary celebrations of the theatrical franchise.
The storyline transports Nobita, Doraemon, Shizuka, Gian, and Suneo into the mystical realm of Artoria through an enchanted picture frame. Partnering with a courageous native girl named Claire, the quintet must safeguard the world's sacred art jewel from an ominous force bent on erasing all color and emotion from reality. Director Imai - widely praised for his visual masterpieces Nobita's Treasure Island (2018) and Nobita's New Dinosaur (2020) - once again delivered breathtaking watercolor landscapes and soaring orchestral themes, propelling the film past 4.3 billion yen at the domestic Japanese box office.
2. Film 45: Reimagining the Sci-Fi Masterpiece "The Subaquatic Citadel"
Building on the creative momentum of Film 44, Toho and Fujiko Pro officially unveiled the 45th entry in the saga: Eiga Doraemon: Shin Nobita no Kaitei Kiganjō (Doraemon: New Nobita and the Subaquatic Citadel). The film serves as an ambitious remake of the 1983 cinematic milestone, adapted from the fourth full-length manga volume created by master mangaka Fujiko F. Fujio.
Unlike the lighthearted whimsy of recent standalone adventures, The Subaquatic Citadel is celebrated by critics as one of Fujiko F. Fujio’s most mature and philosophically profound narratives. Exploring deep-sea ruins within the Mariana Trench, the story delves into the ancient confrontation between the peaceful Mu Federation and the militarized Atlantis empire, overseen by an automated apocalyptic doomsday system named Poseidon. The sentient amphibious buggy car and its selfless sacrifice in the name of friendship remain one of the most heartbreaking and enduring sequences in anime history.
3. Balancing Original Screenplays With Reverent Classic Remakes
The core mechanism sustaining Doraemon’s longevity is Toho’s ingenious alternating strategy between two creative pillars: reimagining beloved retro classics (such as Nobita's Great Adventure in the Antarctic Kachi Kochi and Nobita's Little Star Wars) alongside bold, original high-concept screenplays (such as Earth Symphony and Sky Utopia).
These modern remakes do not merely replicate vintage hand-drawn storyboards; they reconstruct pacing and emotional beats for contemporary audiences. Utilizing state-of-the-art 3D lighting, nuanced acoustic design, and subtle thematic modernization, the films address urgent global conversations - ranging from environmental degradation and oceanic conservation to the ethical limits of artificial intelligence. As a result, parents who grew up with the franchise during the 1980s share a deeply poignant connection with their children inside the theater.
4. Phenomenal Box Office Resonance Across Southeast Asia
Beyond Japan, Doraemon holds an unmatched commercial and sentimental stronghold across Southeast Asian cinema markets, particularly Vietnam. Since theatrical distribution expanded nationwide, annual Doraemon releases have consistently set record-shattering box-office benchmarks for Asian 2D animation.
Industry trackers including Box Office Vietnam report that recent theatrical installments regularly cruise past 140 to 150 billion VND (over $6 million USD), out-earning major Hollywood studio tentpoles during comparable release windows. The enduring affection from audiences affirms that Fujiko F. Fujio's core philosophy - grounded in boundless curiosity, empathy for the underdog, and the innocent courage of childhood friendship - remains a universally transformative narrative force.
Sources: Toho Theatrical Distribution, Shin-Ei Animation, Anime News Network, Box Office Vietnam. Imagery copyright belongs to Fujiko Pro, Shogakukan, TV Asahi, Shin-Ei, and ADK.