'Doraemon' a hit in China despite tensions with Japan

Beijing, June 3 (IANS/EFE) The latest Doraemon movie about the lovable cosmic Japanese cat with a magic pocket has become the top grossing movie of the week in China despite tensions between the governments and people of the two countries over territorial and historical disputes.

China Film News reported on Wednesday that "Stand by me Doraemon", the new film about the robot cat and his friend Nobito, debuted to $39.2 million in China last week.

The Doraemon movie was the most watched movie of the week despite releasing on Thursday, May 28, with almost double the collections of "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" that is on its way to becoming the highest grossing movie in China.

The 3D animated film that made its debut in Japan in August last year is the first Japanese movie to make it to Chinese theatres since 2012 when diplomatic relations between China and Japan reached a new low.

In 2015, tensions over historical matters have added to those arising out of territorial disputes with China commemorating in a big way the 70th anniversary of Japan's invasion during World War II and urging Japan to acknowledge the atrocities committed in the country during the war.

Doraemon is one of most well-known figures of Japanese popular culture within the country and outside it and has been airing on Japanese television for over 35 years.

--IANS/EFE

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