One of Japan’s most beloved stars meets one of Japan’s most beloved characters.
It’s a big year for Doraemon: he’s celebrating his 50th anniversary, and his 40th movie — Nobita’s no Shin Kyoryu (Nobita’s New Dinosaur) — came out in theaters earlier this year.
And, as one of Japan’s most famous 2D characters, he’s got a lot of real 3D celebrity fans. One of these is none other than Naomi Watanabe, who participated in promo for Doraemon’s big year by dressing up in one of the most adorable cosplays we’ve ever seen.
▼ Her blue hair buns are Doraemon’s tiny ears! How much more creative can you get?
Her look includes Doraemon’s signature red collar — well, three collars if you count the ones keeping her “ears” in place — red lips to mimic Doraemon’s blue-and-red palette, and a red circle on the back of her dress for Doraemon’s tail. She even has dorayaki (a pancake-like snack filled with red bean paste) earrings, which is Doraemon’s favorite food!
If you’re wondering why Naomi Watanabe is one of the celebrities promoting the new movie, it’s because she played a part in it! She provided the voice of the character Natalie. It’s not a leading role, but it’s a pretty big deal to be a part of the Doraemon franchise.
▼ We think she could make a pretty convincing female Doraemon, though.
Fans and netizens absolutely loved the clip of Watanabe taking a nap with her Doraemon doll:
“This is adorable!”
“I love the dorayaki earrings. The red collar motif ribbons holding her hair in place are amazing, too.”
“That look suits her.”
“She makes a cute Doraemon!”
In the second Instagram post we linked, Watanabe said she’d someday love to be able to play the role of Dorami-chan — Doraemon’s younger sister. Whatever she ends up doing (even if it’s another Lady Gaga parody), we’re sure she’ll nail it!
Sources: Neto Labo, Instagram/@watanabenaomi703
Top image: Instagram/@watanabenaomi703