While the Doraemon television series is synonymous with episodic comedy and whimsical gadgets, the annual theatrical movies are where the franchise truly shines as a cinematic powerhouse. Since the release of Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur in 1980, the feline robot from the 22nd century has headlined over 40 feature films, becoming a staple of Japanese cinema and a rite of passage for generations of children.