Do we like them?

Do we like Doraemon?

A character from Doraemon (1969–present)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Yes, we'd back him. He's loyal, endlessly patient and generous with his gadgets, and his flaws (a temper, a sweet tooth for dorayaki) are only small ones.

Doraemon is a robot cat from the 22nd century. He is sent back in time by Nobita's descendant to look after Nobita, a kind but lazy and unlucky schoolboy. Doraemon lives in Nobita's house and carries a four-dimensional pocket full of futuristic gadgets. The series began as a manga by Fujiko F. Fujio in 1969, and anime and films followed.

Most stories follow a pattern. Nobita is bullied, fails a test or wants something he can't have, and Doraemon pulls out a gadget to fix it. The gadget usually backfires, and Doraemon has to help clean up the mess. He is warm and loyal, but he can lose his temper, and he is famously afraid of mice and fond of dorayaki.

We score him 9 out of 10 because he keeps trying to make Nobita's life better, and he teaches Nobita to grow instead of just handing him wins. He also looks after the wider group of friends, and he's brave in the film adventures. He loses a point for the gadget mishaps and for sometimes enabling Nobita's laziness.