Japan's robotic cat "Doraemon", center, and Nobita, right, are greeted by Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura after Komura named Doraemon as Japan's first Anime Ambassador at the foreign ministry in Tokyo, March 19, 2008. Tokyo counts that Doraemon will promote Russia's-Japanese relations.
Photo: AP
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The RoboCat Diplomacy
During the recent APEC summit in Lima, Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso presented to Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev a gift for his son. It was the radio-guided flying blue robot cat named Doraemon. In Tokyo, they are currently deliberating whether to introduce a new character to the cartoon, whose prototype will be Russian president’s Neva Masquerade male cat named Dorofey. The project is being viewed as a vital move toward improving the relations of Japan and Russia.
Ilya, the son of Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev, is fond of Japanese cartoons, and the blue RoboCat named Doraemon is his favorite anime character. A source with Japan’s Foreign Ministry said they had learnt the anime taste of Medvedev’s son far back in summer, when arranging the G8 summit in Hokkaido. Medvedev’s wife Svetlana, who arrived in Hokkaido together with her husband, was pleasantly surprised to receive a toy Doraemon for Ilya. Exactly Svetlana Medvedeva suggested creating a joint cartoon, where Doraemon will star together with Russian cat Dorofey.
Official Tokyo evidently favored the proposal. Prime Minister Taro Aso is famous for liking comics and any manifestation of the national pop-culture. In March, Japan’s Foreign Ministry appointed Doraemon an anime ambassador, and its image could be used in promotion campaigns overseas.
The stumbling block is the copyright owners for Doraemon that aren’t particularly enthusiastic about introducing an outside cat to the cartoon, and Mr Aso didn’t mention the joint project in time of the Lima summit. Nevertheless, the idea is still alive, according to the sources, at least the prime minister personally handed over a consolation prize for Ilya Medvedev, the radio-guided blue Doraemon of the latest model.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Nov. 26, 2008
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