An Introduction to 

Famous Japanese TV and Movie Characters


by Nancy Leek
 

Did you know that many of our most popular cartoon and movie characters come from Japan?  Some of these you probably know, and some you've never heard of, but they are all very popular in Japan.  You can read about popular Japanese manga (comic books) and anime (cartoons and animated movies) here.  Then read about these six favorites below and decide which one is your favorite!
 
 

Astroboy
Totoro
Godzilla
Pikachu
Doraemon
Sailor Moon

 

Astroboy

Astroboy is as famous in Japan as Superman is in the United States.  His name in Japanese is Tetsuwan Atom, which means "Mighty Atom."  He was created as a comic book character in 1951, and was the first animated cartoon on Japanese television in 1963.

His story begins when Doctor Boyton's son Toby dies in a car accident. Dr. Boyton, a scientist, creates Astroboy to replace his son Toby. When Astro is first built, Doctor Boyton wants to keep him a secret. But people eventually find about him and he becomes a hero.

Since he is a robot, Astroboy has many amazing powers. His eyes turn into powerful search lights, and his ears magnify his hearing by one thousand times. He is very strong, his fingers turn into powerful lasers, and his leg turn into rockets so he can fly. Like Superman, he rescues people in trouble and saves the world from evildoers.  His adventures have continued for 50 years in comic books and on television.

Totoro

Satsuki and her little sister Mei move to the countryside with their father, a professor, so they can be near the rest home where their mother is recovering from an illness.  As little Mei explores the woods she finds a trail of acorns, and then a little "totoro," a forest creature that only children can see.  Later she and Satsuki meet the big Totoro, who is large, furry, and friendly, and lives inside a giant camphor tree.

As they wait for their father's bus to arrive in the rain, Totoro joins them.  His bus, which arrives first, looks like a cat with eight legs and windows.  Later when Mei tries to visit her mother in the hospital by herself, it is Totoro and the Cat-bus that help Satsuki find her.  Together they visit the hospital and see for themselves that their mother is getting well.

The movie "My Neighbor Totoro" was made in 1988.  It is the most popular of many animated films made by the Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki.  There are shops in Japan devoted to Totoro merchandise where you can buy all things Totoro---handkerchiefs, necklaces, lunchboxes, games, and much more.

"My Neighbor Totoro" is a delightful family film.  It is available in English on video in the US.


 

Godzilla

Godzilla has been King of the Monsters for almost 50 years, since his first movie in 1954.  In this first movie, Godzilla was a hibernating dinosaur on an island.  He was awakened by atomic bomb tests and the radiation mutated him into a 50 meter tall monster bent on destruction.  After a devastating rampage through Tokyo, he was destroyed by a secret weapon developed by an eccentric scientist.

Even though Godzilla seemed to die in the first movie, he came back for many, many more rampages through Tokyo.  He has appeared in over 20 movies, battling other monsters like Mothra and Monster Zero.  Godzilla even got a comical baby son in one movie!

Many of these movies are available on video in the US.  An American Godzilla movie was made in 1998, and Godzilla has also had his own TV cartoon series.  There are also books and comics about Godzilla.  He is truly the monster that cannot die.


 

Pikachu

Pikachu is the star of the popular Pokemon cartoon series.  "Pokemon" is short for Pocket Monster, and there are lots of them. The Pokemon story follows a boy named Ash and his companion Pikachu.  Pokémon are creatures of various size and special powers.  Ash is a boy who wants to become the world's greatest Pokemon trainer.  He receives his first Pokemon from Professor Oak, who gives him Pikachu—a rare Pokémon with the ability to literally shock with his electric  personality and power.

Together Ash and Pikachu travel the Pokemon world, battling other Pokemon teams and capturing new and different Pokemon.  As the slogan says:  Gotta catch 'em all!

Pokemon has been wildly popular in both Japan and America.  The TV cartoon started it all, but there are also movies, comic books, toys, and video games.  Everyone seems to have his own favorite Pocket Monster!


 

Doraemon


Everybody in Japan knows Doraemon.  His face is seen everywhere, on candy wrappers, on pencil boxes, and even on postage stamps.  He started out in a comic book in 1969, and he has been in TV shows and movies as well.

Although he looks like a blue cat without ears, Doraemon is actually a robot from the future, sent to help Nobi Nobita.  Nobita is a hopeless loser, a little kid with glasses who can never get anything right.  Doraemon has been sent by his great-great-great grandson to keep him from making mistakes.  Out of his belly pocket Doraemon can take all kinds of wonderful gadgets from the future like the Wherever Door that takes you wherever you want to go, the air gun that produces a pulse of air to knock out your enemies,  the personal copter (a little beanie that you stick on your head) which lets you fly, and the Gulliver Tunnel, which lets you shrink.

Using these gadgets leads Nobita into all kinds of funny situations as he tries to become smarter, more popular, or more helpful to his parents and friends.  "Doraemon" is lots of fun, very silly, and very Japanese.  Every year there is a Doraemon movie. Nobita becomes the hero, saving the rest of the gang from bullies and bad guys, with a little help from Doraemon, of course.

Doraemon has never been on TV in America.  Maybe someday we'll see why the Japanese love Doraemon.

Sailor Moon


Usagi, also known as Serena, is just an ordinary klutzy teenage girl until one day when she helps a black cat.  The cat turns out to be a talking cat named Luna, who gives her the power to become a super-hero.  Her special powers help her in her quest to fight evil and to find the "Moon Princess". With a locket Luna gives her, Serena turns into "pretty soldier" Sailor Moon. Over time, she discovers other Sailor Scouts and a young man named Darrien, or Tuxedo Mask.  Together they fight the forces of the Negaverse.

The plots are very complicated, and all the characters have several names.  This is definitely a series for girls who like magic, romance, and adventure.  It was created for Japanese television in 1992 and ran for several years.  It has been very popular on TV in the US.

Sailor Moon's outfit is a cute and colorful version of a Japanese junior high school girl's uniform.  All Japanese students wear uniforms.  The girl's uniform looks like a navy blue sailor suit with a middy collar, bow, and pleated skirt.