Doraemon’s latest film, Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Art World Tales, continues its impressive run at the Japanese box office. Released on March 7, 2025, this 44th installment in the beloved Doraemon franchise has captured the hearts of audiences and critics alike, maintaining the number-one position for an impressive five consecutive weekends.
A Masterpiece of Animation and Storytelling
Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales is directed by Yukiyo Teramoto and written by Satoshi Itō. As a celebratory film for the 45th anniversary of the Doraemon movie series, it embarks on a new adventure, this time diving into the world of art. The movie distinguishes itself through its unique setting and engaging narrative, as Doraemon, Nobita, and their friends journey into a medieval Europe depicted within paintings.
Plot Summary:
The story begins with Doraemon and his friends entering a painting that transports them to a medieval European world. Here, they encounter Claire and Milo, residents of the country of Artoria, and Chai, a small winged demon. Together, they are drawn into a quest to protect a legendary jewel from a formidable enemy.
Cast:
- Wasabi Mizuta as Doraemon
- Megumi Ohara as Nobita
- Yumi Kakazu as Shizuka
- Subaru Kimura as Gian
- Tomokazu Seki as Suneo
- Kotono Mitsuishi as Tamako Nobi (Nobita’s Mama)
- Yasunori Matsumoto as Nobisuke Nobi (Nobita’s Papa)
- Misaki Watada as Claire
- Atsumi Tanezaki as Milo
- Misaki Kuno as Chai
- Kouji Suzuka as Pal
- Miki Fujimoto as Queen Arturia
- Mikio Date as King Arturia
Music:
The film features the theme song “Sketch” and the insert song “Kimi no Yume o Kikinagara, Boku wa Waraeru Idea o!” (An Idea That Makes Me Smile Comes to Me, While I Listen to Your Dreams!)” performed by Aimyon.
Box Office Success
Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales has not only won the hearts of viewers but has also achieved significant commercial success.
- Opening Weekend: The film debuted at number one, selling 571,000 tickets and earning 702,817,200 yen (approximately US$4.78 million) in its first three days.
- Second Weekend: It continued its reign, selling 467,000 tickets and earning 576,198,400 yen (approximately US$3.85 million), bringing its total to 1.14 million tickets and 1,406,502,300 yen (approximately US$9.41 million).
- Fifth Weekend: The film earned 323 million yen (2.18 million USD) with 263,000 admissions, which secured its top spot for the fifth consecutive weekend.
- Cumulative Gross: As of April 7, 2025, the film has grossed 3.7 billion yen (25 million USD) with 3.17 million tickets sold.
- Franchise Ranking: This performance makes it the ninth top-grossing film in the franchise since 2000, surpassing the 32nd film, Nobita and the Island of Miracles—Animal Adventure (2012).
- 2025 Ranking: As of April 8, 2025, Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales is the fourth highest-grossing film in Japan for the year 2025.
Historical Context
The longest a Doraemon movie has remained at number one was Nobita’s Chronicle of the Moon Exploration, which held the top spot for six consecutive weekends in 2019. Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales has a chance to match or surpass this record in the coming weeks.
Critical Reception
The film has garnered positive reviews, praising its animation, music, and heartwarming story.
Other Films in the Japanese Box Office
While Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales has dominated the box office, other films have also made their mark in 2025:
- Cells at Work!: This film held the number-one position for the first four weeks of 2025 and is currently the highest-grossing film of the year in Japan.
- Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX: Beginning: This anime film has also performed well, reaching a cumulative total of 3.34 billion yen (22.3 million USD).
- HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle-: This “interactive film” has climbed to sixth place in its seventh weekend, reaching a cumulative total gross of one billion yen (6.76 million USD).
Looking Ahead
Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales continues to captivate audiences with its charming characters, imaginative story, and stunning animation. Its ongoing success at the Japanese box office is a testament to the enduring popularity of the Doraemon franchise and its ability to resonate with viewers of all ages. It remains to be seen whether it can surpass Nobita’s Chronicle of the Moon Exploration and claim the title of the longest-running number-one Doraemon film.
