Latest news with #Doraemon
Tokyo Weekender
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Tokyo Weekender
Tamiya Chairman Shunsaku Tamiya Dies Aged 90
On Tuesday, Tamiya Inc. announced the passing of its chairman and former president, Shunsaku Tamiya. The man who helped turn the plastic model company into a globally recognized brand died on July 18, aged 90. A private funeral service has already been held in accordance with his wishes. The company added that it will release information about potential memorial events in the coming days. Tributes came pouring in from around the world following the announcement. Among those to pay their respects was Takashi Namba, the mayor of Shizuoka city, where Tamiya was born. 'I would like to express my deepest sadness and heartfelt condolences,' said Namba. 'He developed the company into a global brand for plastic models and was the driving force behind making Shizuoka city a 'city of models.' I truly respect him.' Remembering Shunsaku Tamiya Born in 1934, Tamiya started making model cars at a young age and was instantly hooked. 'You can't understand how excited I was to see the model I made running. I was in the fifth grade of elementary school when the war ended. I made the motor myself using dry batteries and I was so satisfied when I hooked it up and started swinging it,' said Tamiya at a Shizuoka hobby show last year. Tamiya joined the family-run business, then known as Tamiya Shoji LLC, in 1958 after graduating from Waseda University. Appointed head of the product planning division two years later, he initially focused on wooden designs, before Tamiya shifted to plastic model manufacturing. The company started to attract global attention in 1968, when it participated in the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany for the first time. Taking over from his father as company president in 1978, Tamiya helped turn the family business into one of the world's most well-known model kit companies. Some of Tamiya's most famous products include its first electric-powered radio control led (RC) car, the Porsche 934 Turbo model, released two years before he became president, and the and the fast Mini 4WD racers, introduced in 1982. Nobuo Tamiya, the husband of Shunsaku's granddaughter, took over as president last year. Discover Tokyo, Every Week Get the city's best stories, under-the-radar spots and exclusive invites delivered straight to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy . Related Posts Dragon Ball Creator Akira Toriyama Passes Away at Age 68 Noriko Ohara, Voice of Doraemon's Nobita Nobi, Passes Away at 88 Princess Yuriko Dies Aged 101
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
‘Doraemon' days a distant memory for voice actor Ruhaiyah Ibrahim
Some of the popular animated series dubbed by Ruhaiyah Ibrahim and her peers. PETALING JAYA : Ruhaiyah Ibrahim, the voice behind the Malaysian version of ' Ruhaiyah Ibrahim, the voice behind the Malaysian version of ' Doraemon ', still remembers her heyday as a voice actor – when she was so busy, she sometimes had to spend nights at the studio. The 58-year-old recalled how she and her fellow actors would work up to three shifts a day to complete hundreds of animation and drama series from countries including Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Turkey. 'Back then, we were like a 'voice factory'. Dubbing projects never stopped; sometimes there weren't even enough voices to go around. 'If the audience liked it, they would write letters of praise in the newspaper. Not like now, where everything is through social media,' she told FMT, adding that she would earn up to RM7,000 a month circa 1996. Sadly, this is now a distant memory. Ruhaiyah admits the voice-acting world is no longer as vibrant as it used to be: projects are nearly nonexistent, productions are increasingly limited, and many voice actors struggle to stay afloat in the industry. Ruhaiyah still recalls spending nights in the studio with her husband and children. She herself has not been called to record for Doraemon – a character she embodied for almost 30 years – in a long time. 'The longing is still there. Sometimes, if someone asks me to do the Doraemon voice at a wedding, I'll do it. I would feel shy, but if it makes someone smile, I'm OK with it.' Ruhaiyah also lent her voice to other popular animations like 'Dragon Ball', 'Sailor Moon', 'SpongeBob SquarePants', 'Detective Conan', 'Naruto', 'Crayon Shin-chan', 'Robocar Poli', 'Avatar', 'CatDog', and 'Tom & Jerry'. Another voice actor, Charl Fitri – the voice of Tarzan in the animated TV series – is also struggling to maintain his place in a shrinking industry. The 48-year-old's talent was discovered by Ruhaiyah in 2004 when he casually attended a voice-acting audition. Despite having had no background in the arts, he proved his abilities and became one of the main voices for children's programming at the time. Charl and Ruhaizah reminiscing on the good old days when voice acting was in high demand. He has voiced characters such as Tarzan, Papa Nobita, Mr Pink (the duck in 'Kung Fu Panda') and King Julien ('Madagascar'), and also served as the narrator for the Malay-language version of 'National Geographic' documentaries. His deep, commanding voice once made him a top choice for action and adult male roles. But now, opportunities are increasingly scarce, and Charl admits he has to work harder to grab whatever openings are available. 'These days, I do all sorts of things – conduct voice training, host events, and record voiceovers for ads and digital content,' he shared. Even though the industry no longer favours them, Ruhaiyah and Charl believe that, given the right opportunity, veteran talents still have plenty to offer. 'We are not chasing fame. But if we once made people laugh, cry and learn, then our voices still deserve a place,' they concluded.
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
‘I'm not done being Nobita,' says voice actor Azizah
Azizah Mat Jais deeply misses Nobita, a character she voiced for over 30 years. PETALING JAYA : After more than 30 years of crying while being chased by Giant and pleading with Doraemon, After more than 30 years of crying while being chased by Giant and pleading with Doraemon, Azizah Mat Jais is not ready to let go of voicing Nobita, the bespectacled boy who would constantly get into trouble. For the past two years, the 76-year-old artiste has not been called to reprise the character owing to health issues. But she is now back on her feet and keen to get back into the role. 'I'm not done being Nobita. We've become one. When someone else voices Nobita, audiences notice. They look for me, and that really touches my heart. It shows that people still remember and care,' she told FMT. For those who grew up watching cartoons in the 1980s, the voices of Nobita, Doraemon and their friends surely evoke cherished memories. For Azizah, voicing Nobita was more than just a dubbing job – it involved a deep emotional connection to the character, one that she believes still exists. 'As long as I still have the spirit, I can bring the character to life like I did before,' she said. Malaysians still have a soft spot for Doraemon and the bespectacled Nobita. Azizah recalls being moved when the original Japanese production team insisted the voices of Nobita and Doraemon remain unchanged over the years, even as other performers came and went. 'Other voices could be replaced, but not Nobita's and Doraemon's. The production team requested that our original voices be retained; they wanted the same sound, the same soul.' Azizah has lent her voice to many other popular shows including 'Oshin', 'Crayon Shin-chan', 'Dragon Ball', 'Naruto', 'Teletubbies', 'SpongeBob SquarePants', 'Detective Conan', 'Robocar Poli', 'Avatar', 'CatDog', and 'Tom & Jerry'. But like other voice actors, she has had to faced the harsh realities of low pay, lack of recognition, and an industry that seems to be closing its doors on new talent. Fellow artistes Ruhaiyah Ibrahim, who voiced Doraemon, and Charl Fitri are also fighting to survive in an ever-fading field. Nevertheless, Azizah harbours dreams of returning to the mic as Nobita. 'An actor's voice may change, but not the soul,' she stressed.
The Sun
15-07-2025
- The Sun
Sarawak customs seize RM1 mln Doraemon-shaped ecstasy pills
KUCHING: The Royal Malaysian Customs Department in Sarawak successfully intercepted a drug smuggling attempt involving ecstasy pills shaped like the popular cartoon character Doraemon. The pills, worth RM1 million, were concealed inside Vitamin C bottles. Sarawak Customs director Norizan Yahya stated that the operation led to the seizure of 5.23 kilogrammes of the illegal substance during an inspection at a courier company in Sibu on June 20. Surveillance conducted over three days showed no one came forward to claim the suspicious package. Further examination revealed 12 plastic bottles labelled as 'Vitamin C 1000 tablets' containing aluminium packets filled with the Doraemon-shaped pills. The drugs, believed to be ecstasy, were smuggled via air courier from Peninsular Malaysia. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries severe penalties, including the death sentence or life imprisonment with a minimum of 15 strokes of the cane. – Bernama
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Takopi's Original Sin (episodes 1–2) review (when cute goes catastrophically wrong)
Source: Crunchyroll. You know those anime that lull you into a false sense of safety with big round eyes, floating mascots, and sparkly OP music? Takopi's Original Sin is not one of those. It pretends to be. Oh, it tries. There's a pink, doughy alien who talks like he swallowed a happiness manual. There's a lonely little girl. There are gifts, rainbows, and even something called a ' happy camera. ' But then it sucker-punches you in the soul. Episodes 1 and 2 of Takopi's Original Sin , now streaming on Crunchyroll, are not here to comfort you. They're here to dig up all your buried trauma, set it on fire, and hand it back to you in pastel wrapping paper. And yes, this emotional rollercoaster will continue with episode 3 dropping on Friday, 11 July 2025 at 8:30 pm IST — and every Friday after that. Set a reminder, and maybe keep a therapist on speed dial. Takopi's Original Sin Episode 1: 'To You in 2016' Source: Crunchyroll. The series kicks off with Takopi , a squid-shaped alien from Planet Happy, crash-landing on Earth with a single mission: to spread joy. Within minutes, he's stumbling into the life of Shizuka , a quiet, expressionless schoolgirl with more emotional baggage than a therapy circle. She's bullied, neglected, and practically invisible to everyone around her — except Takopi, who decides she needs his cosmic care package ASAP. And for a brief moment, it works. A magical ' Happy ribbon ' boosts her confidence and makes her feel seen. But this isn't a feel-good arc. What follows is one of the most shocking twist endings in recent anime memory: a suicide that completely redefines the tone of the series. That's right. Episode one ends not with a sparkly life lesson, but with a silent scream that echoes long after the credits roll. It's haunting. And brilliant. And somehow... still adorable? How? Takopi's Original Sin Episode 2: 'Takopi's Salvation' Source: Crunchyroll Takopi is determined to undo the trauma he (accidentally) enabled. Enter the ' Happy camera ' — a device that lets him time-travel and fix mistakes. The problem? He doesn't understand pain, boundaries, or, well, humans in general, his version of help is pure chaos in bubblegum form. As he rewinds time, he tries to 'save' Shizuka by inserting himself into her life again — only this time, armed with awkward cheer and shiny gadgets. The bullies don't exactly appreciate the alien interference. One stabs Takopi in the eye. Literally. And still, he insists: 'Let's all be friends!' Bless his squishy optimism. Takopi might look like a distant cousin of Doraemon — a round, robotic helper from another world with an infinite gadget pouch. But where Doraemon fixes things with calm logic and good timing, Takopi stumbles through grief with no clue what sadness even is. He's Doraemon if you stripped out the tech support and gave him an emotional blindfold. What's working (and working hard) Source: Crunchyroll Visual whiplash: The art swings between Studio Ghibli softness and grim realism. Pastel skies and chunky lines meet dark alleyways and blank stares. It's jarring — and totally intentional. Sound design: Sparse music, lots of quiet — the kind of silence that makes you realize you're holding your breath. When the score does hit, it hits hard. Brutal honesty: The show doesn't flinch from its themes: bullying, neglect, suicide, the limits of empathy, and how good intentions can pave roads to hell — or heartbreak. Character writing: Shizuka isn't just a victim — she's complex, unpredictable, and heartbreakingly numb. And Takopi? He's both comic relief and tragedy in a single, blinking eye. Final verdict: Source: IMDB A pastel-dipped panic attack you won't stop watching Takopi's Original Sin is that rare breed of anime that looks like it should be airing after school — but should come with a trauma warning instead. The first two episodes pack more emotional weight than entire seasons of fluff anime. It's heavy, it's horrifying, it's oddly wholesome — and it'll keep you coming back, morbidly curious and low-key crying. Remember, next round of pain drops on Friday, 11th July at 8:30 pm IST, and every new episode lands on Crunchyroll every Friday at the same time. Friday night plans = sorted. And possibly emotionally ruined. Recommended for: Fans of Made in Abyss, Wonder Egg Priority, or Oshi no Ko. People who can handle their heartbreak cute. Anyone who enjoys staring into the emotional abyss while being hugged by a squid. Also read| Black Clover Season 2 in production after 5 years with trailer coming soon
