Doraemon

Perhaps the most famous manga character in all of Japan is Doraemon. Almost the equivalent of Mickey Mouse in the U.S.

What is DORAEMON? It is a humorous children's manga and later a TV series about a boy named Nobi Nobita. Nobi is so unlucky, weak and lazy that his descendants had to send the family robot back in time to help him out.

That robot is Doraemon and his four-dimensional pocket produces any number of futuristic gadgets and devices meant to help Nobita become something other than a complete failure in adulthood.

Though smart and caring, Doraemon has his own faults, and his partnership with Nobita produces both triumphs and disasters, hilarious situations and occasional poignant moments.

Nobita's friends include the class bully nicknamed Gian presumably based on the word "giant", the class rich kid Suneo who usually acts as Gian's lieutenant and the gentle and smart girl Shizuka.