Doraemon Movie 21: Nobita no Taiyou Ou Densetsu

This is how you write a strong character with his flaws and overcomings! The way the movie wrote Prince Tio, the way he is given his status, his circumstance, and his age, and how he grows and learns by meeting Nobita, was marvelous. Tio also looks just like Nobita, and this is a crucial point in the plot as well as the character development as they are designed to be foils to each other. I also appreciated the interplay between the adventure and everyday life, like how Tio interacts with Nobita's mom, or how he fights with Gian. Gian gets a good dealof shining moments in this film. And some memorable points in the movie get rehashed in the climax, like how they reprised the soccer scene. There are a few really small details that feel inconsistent, but nothing to distract me from enjoying the movie or ruin the flow. The flamenco-style soundtrack was really nice, as well as the visuals and the way they used color/lighting during different parts of the movie (e.g., the sunset, some of the darker scenes, the climax). Overall, this is one of the stronger Doraemon films, and definitely one of the strongest post-Fujimoto Doraemon films in the franchise. The main guest character was well thought out, and the plot was simple yet nuanced enough to be intriguing without confusing the audience.

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