🎬 Doraemon: Nobita and the Knights on Dinosaurs (1987)
Part of Doraemon Movies
Doraemon: Nobita and the Knights on Dinosaurs is a 1987 Japanese animated science fiction film and the eighth feature-length entry in the long-running Doraemon movie series. The film is a direct adaptation of the eighth volume of the Doraemon Long Stories manga series, which was written and illustrated by the original Doraemon creator, Fujiko F. Fujio. This film holds a special place in the franchise's history, as it was the last Doraemon film to have its screenplay written by Fujiko Fujio before the duo officially split later that same year.
The story follows Nobita, who stubbornly insists that dinosaurs still exist somewhere on Earth. After being ridiculed by his friends, he and Doraemon use a gadget to search for them, only to discover a vast, hidden subterranean world where dinosaurs have evolved and a civilization of dragon-riding knights exists. The adventure blends classic Doraemon humor with a surprisingly epic fantasy narrative, taking the gang deep beneath the Earth's surface for a journey filled with danger and discovery.
Upon its release on March 14, 1987, the film was a massive commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing animated film in Japan for that year. It continues the tradition of the Doraemon Long Stories adaptations, which began in 1980, by expanding a single manga volume into a full cinematic experience. The film is remembered fondly for its imaginative setting, combining prehistoric creatures with medieval chivalric themes, and remains a classic entry in the extensive Doraemon filmography.
Doraemon's Long Tales, also known as Doraemon Long Stories, is a manga series that expands upon the beloved Doraemon universe created by Fujiko F. Fujio. Unlike the regular Doraemon comics, which consist of short, self-contained episodes, this series presents full-volume, continuous narratives that send Nobita, Doraemon, and their friends on epic adventures through science fiction and fantasy landscapes. The stories were originally serialized in CoroCoro Comic magazine, with the first volume, Nobita's Dinosaur, launching the series in 1980.
The series was initially illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio himself, who completed the first sixteen volumes before his passing in 1996. Following his death, the mantle was taken up by Shintaro Mugiwara and Yasunori Okada, who continued the tradition of crafting longer, more complex tales for the characters. These manga volumes served as the direct source material for the annual Doraemon feature films released in Japanese cinemas from 1980 through 2004, creating a unique synergy between the printed page and the silver screen.
Doraemon Long Stories holds a special place in the hearts of fans, as it allowed for deeper character development and more intricate world-building than the standard series format permitted. The stories often blend educational elements about history and science with the whimsical, gadget-driven fantasy that defines Doraemon, making them enduringly popular with both children and adults.
The Doraemon film series is a long-running collection of animated feature films based on the beloved manga and anime franchise created by Fujiko F. Fujio. Beginning in 1980 with 'Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur', the series has become an annual tradition in Japanese cinema, with new installments released almost every spring. These films typically follow the titular robotic cat from the 22nd century and his young friend Nobita Nobi as they embark on extraordinary adventures across time, space, and fantastical realms, often utilizing Doraemon's ingenious gadgets from his four-dimensional pocket. While the original manga and television series focus on everyday slice-of-life scenarios, the movies expand the narrative scope, introducing higher stakes, epic journeys, and environmental or moral themes that resonate with family audiences. The series has evolved through different eras of animation and storytelling, with many early films being direct adaptations of manga storylines, while later entries explore original plots and even reimaginings of classic tales. This enduring collection has cemented Doraemon as a cornerstone of Japanese popular culture, with the films consistently drawing large audiences and contributing to the character's status as an official cultural ambassador of Japan.
