Each one of us has had his/her own list of favourite cartoons. Be it guilty pleasures or mainstream cartoons, we had the entire television schedule memorized. That one cartoon that was played before school and the one after school; our routine was fixed and our loyalty and love for the cartoons never wavered.
Our social lives (whatever social life a kid can have) started to revolve around them. Be it playing make-believe games related to the characters or video games on the series, watching cartoons was the Netflix of kids. Along the way, cartoons knowingly or unknowingly shaped us into who we are today and they continue to impact every generation no matter how many years pass by. Amongst the cartoons, one stand out has always been of the Japanese Cartoons.
Japanese Cartoons gave us memories and content to converse about even today. Cartoons like Shin Chan, Doraemon, etc stand strong even today. Let’s go on a nostalgic trip down memory lane for everyone who knows these cartoons and see if your favourite cartoon made the list.
Doraemon 
A friend like Doraemon has been on our wish lists for the longest of times. Anything that came out of the 3D pocket of Doraemon was a creative genius and left us wanting for more. Be it the time machine or the bamboo copters, one of the gadgets all of us would like to have is the anywhere door. Doraemon made us realize the importance of friendship and trust while also shaping us into responsible citizens by showing bullying in bad light.
It is hard to forget Gyan always troubling Nobita, Nobita bursting into a puddle of tears, Suneo’s boastful attitude, the diligent Degisuki and the sweetest Shizuoka. As kids, our judgement of fellow classmates was often guided by these characters. The show touched upon the most sensitive topics with the utmost ease and made it so that any 5-year-old could understand what’s right and what’s wrong.
While almost every episode started with the awe of a new gadget, it ended up showing us how Nobita misused it and cried for help showing us that excessive use of anything is dangerous. While we may not understand these impacts when we were kids, Doraemon sure gave us surprises and plenty of laughs.
Shin Chan 
Shin Chan resonated with every kid’s life. While the adults may not have always encouraged us to watch this show, it still ended up being one of the favourite hits. Shin Chan, a notorious child ended up doing one mischief or the other. The hilarious episodes and movies made us literally roll on the floor laughing.
While many of the cartoons may have been fun to watch only as children, Shin Chan is that one show which everybody can watch without being bored irrespective of the age. As an audience, it is easy to relate with a lot of traits of the Nohara family.
Ninja Hattori 
“Ding ding ding ding ding ding” was the original Ninja's call and Ninja Hattori, Shishimaru and Shinzo being the original ninjas that won over out hearts. While Kenichi, an 11-year-old kid struggled in studies, Ninja Hattori always found ways to make his life easier. No cartoon is complete without a rival, and Hattori found rivalry with Amara who pretended to be a regular school kid. Before high school dramas came out way, Ninja Hattori provided us with all the plot twists, drama and gossip for the next day in school. It showed us the importance of friendship and acceptance. Kenichi's family accepted the ninjas in their household and treated them like their own. It unknowingly made us more accepting of others around us.
Kiteretsu 
Kiteretsu made “nerds” popular before we found out about the “nerd’s candies. Kiteretsu always had something or the other thing that he wanted to make or invent. Kiteretsu introduced us to interesting scientific concepts and crazy as it seems, it led so many kids to be creative and encouraged us to find solutions to common problems around us. While Kiteretsu may be highly intelligent, his human emotions were never discouraged by the show. Kiteretsu was a helpful, kind school kid who just happened to be a genius!
Perman 
Perman got us interested in superheroes. Perman revolves around Mitsuo who is chosen to be a perman by the aliens trying to maintain peace in the Galaxy. Mitsuo being the first Perman and the leader of Permans, was the closest to having his identity revealed than any other perman. Perman shows us how wanting to please others no matter what it takes leads us into trouble. It shows us to accept who we are and to be yourself!
Pokémon
Pikachu and Ash have been friendship goals throughout the series. Pokémon is a series which revolves around a Pokémon trainer and his experience in the Pokémon world. Never letting us down, Pokémon is so deep-rooted within us that we’re ready to play the simulated version in real life too! Pokémon shows us how not every competition is cut-throat and making friends even during a challenging period is important. It introduced us to the completely new Pokémon world and led us into its many mysteries. It still remains a show that we can watch any time, any place.
Japanese Cartoons have had their fair share of influence over our lives. Although we didn’t realize it then, it ended up teaching us many morals and life lessons. It not only immerse you into their worlds but also made sure that you knew what was right. The way they convey these messages is where the simple beauty lies.
As children, these cartoons became a part of real-world and as adults, they act as a getaway to some childhood fun, school time conversations and a bunch of negotiations with our parents to watch just 5 extra minutes of our favourite cartoons.
- Written by Sunidhi Shende
- Edited by Maitreyi Mehndiratta
- Image Sources: Pinterest, Facebook, Flickr and Wayfair.ca
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