Anime / Doraemon: Nobita and the Haunts of Evil

Poster for the 1982 adaptation

Poster for the 2014 remake

The one with the hidden kingdom of talking dog-men. Also when Nobita finally gets a new pet.

Doraemon: Nobita and the Haunts of Evil is a 1982 animated film, the third in the Doraemon Film Series, based on the entry of Doraemon's Long Tales of the same name.

Nobita and friends are discussing the possibility of uncovering any unexplored new lands and hidden kingdoms, itching for another adventure and thinking the most likely being in Africa. Along the way, Nobita adopts a stray puppy which follows him home, which his mother Tamako actually allows him to keep after said puppy helps her find her missing handbag. His lifelong wish of having a dog granted, Nobita then names the puppy "Peko" and plays with it, but it turns out there's more to Peko than it seems.

The anime receives a remake in 2014, Doraemon: New Nobita's Great Demon—Peko and the Exploration Party of Five.

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Doraemon: Nobita and the Haunts of Evil contain examples of:

• 10-Minute Retirement: Later on their first trip in Africa, Gian continuously screwed over by the wild animals around his surroundings after Doraemon made him wear the invitation mantle while his friends are driving them away with Doraemon's gadgets. It goes to the point that Gian decides to initially call it quit on their adventure... until a mysterious figure of King Bauwan's statue shows up in his room and encourage him to continue the journey while give him a map to the sacred place, reigniting his spirit to keep going in the process.
• Adaptational Modesty: Peko / Prince Kuntakku in the anime gets clothes when arriving in Bauwan. In the manga the prince remains nude all the way until the final scene.
• Adaptational Weapon Swap: The story ends with a lengthy final battle where the future selves of Doraemon and gang travel to a few hours ago to help their past selves, with future!Doraemon leading their present selves into the statue of King Bauwanko while future!Nobita and friends take on Daburanda's army. In the original manga, Nobita gets the Power Gloves granting him Super-Strength allowing him to pummel enemy mooks, while Shizuka gets the Shrink Light turning enemies into doll-sized versions of themselves. The 1982 anime and 2014 remake swap their equipment around however, so Shizuka is the one punching enemy mooks while Nobita gets to shrink his attackers. The movies' distribution of weapons also mirrors an earlier scene where the gang rescues Gian from a series of wildlife attacks, during which Nobita uses the Shrink Light and Shizuka uses the Power Gloves in all versions.
• All Just a Dream: After Peko is officially welcomed into the Nobi residence, Doraemon and co. enter a swampland by boat, and encounter a dinosaur... that turns out to be a robotic tour guide for an amusement park, prompting Gian and Suneo to scold Nobita for an adventure that isn't. Then Nobita wakes up, realizing that he dreamed the whole sequence all along.
• And I Must Scream: The fate of Prince Kuntakku in the backstory - after Daburanda assassinated the King of Bauwan, his soldiers, led by Saberu, had the Prince hunted down, stripped of his armour and clothes, and then sealed in a casket dumped into the Zambezi River. Luckily the casket broke and Kuntakku made it to civilization, before he gets picked up by a Japanese sailor and made his way to Tokyo and eventually becoming Nobita's new pet.
• And the Adventure Continues: The adventure ends with Nobita and friends returning safely to Japan, and then going back in time, this time with an array of gadgets and weapons, in order to reinforce their past selves.
• Artistic License – Biology: In the original film, the pride of lions that attack the group consists of mostly males and a few lionesses, despite prides being essentially harems with one or two males surrounded by females. This is fixed in the remake, where the pride has only one male.
• Awesome Moment of Crowning: When Prince Kuntakku finally, finally earns his crown and his title as the true King of Bauwan in the ending.
• Big Bad: Lord Daburanda, who usurps the throne, murdered the King, and have Prince Kuntakku thrown into the Zambezi River before taking over the kingdom.
• But Now I Must Go: Prince Kuntakku must bid Nobita and all his friends from the human world goodbye at the end of the adventure, for his duty lies with his people. It's far more emotional and touching in the remake than the originals.
  Nobita: Should you ever come and visit, [tearing up] I promise, I'll get you all the sausages you ever want..."
• Canine Companion: Much of the story's first half revolves around Nobita getting a new dog, a friendly stray which Nobita names "Peko", until it's revealed Peko is actually Prince Kuntakku of Bauwan, a hidden kingdom of sentient dog-men.
• Cargo Concealment Caper: Doraemon and gang befriends Chippo, a peasant boy from Bauwan currently under citywide curfew. Chippo, posing as a farmer transporting hay, helps the gang travel around the city by sneaking them in his hay cart.
• Chased by Angry Natives: After Doraemon and gang gets rescued by a friendly native tribe, they're warned by the tribe's leader to "stay out of Bauwan, no matter what". Gian insists that they continue their journey, for they "do not fear any challenges"... this unintentionally pisses off the superstitious natives, who believe anyone who disrespects the legend of Bauwan will curse the village and are NOT welcomed. Cue Doraemon and gang fleeing in panic.
• Co-Dragons: Daburanda, the Big Bad have two dragons, the Evil Genius Professor Kos and Saberu, leader of his personal army, forming a Terrible Trio rulling Bauwan with an iron fist.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: The final battle flips this around repeatedly. When future!Doraemon and friends arrive to help their past selves, future!Nobita and gang, armed with various gadget and weapons, easily rips their way through Daburanda's forces. And then, Daburanda unveils his war machines, turning the battle around. But later Doraemon and gang, including future!Doraemon, managed to activate the statue's heart, reviving the statue of King Bauwan I who then effortlessly destroys the war machines.
• A Day in the Limelight: While the story still focused on Nobita and his bond with Peko / Prince Kuntakku, Gian gets his own spotlight in this movie as he's the one who received the map to Bauwan from a mysterious figure and leads the adventure, on top of showing more of his struggles throughout the journey. He even the last person who bids goodbye to Prince Kuntakku.
• Delayed Reaction: In the heroes' initial adventure, Tamako asks Nobita where he's going, with Nobita saying "Africa" in response. By the time she catches on what he just said, Nobita has already left.
  Tamako: Come back before dinnertime! *Beat* Africa?
• Evil Genius: Professor Kos, the supervisor behind recreating the war machines of Bauwan in order to facilitate Daburanda's invasion, gleefully overseeing the mass production of flying warships, fire-breathing carriages and assorted weaponry.
• Face Fault: Thrice in the remake, thanks to Shizuka. And it's hilarious.
  • When Gian gathers the gang around for their second trip to Africa, giving them the Rousing Speech that amounts to, "Be a man!"... only for Shizuka nearby to comment she isn't one. Cue Doraemon and the boys (and Peko!) face-faulting.
  • After crossing the plains of lions, the gang are discussing about the kingdom of Bauwan getting closer and closer. Shizuka naively asks if Bauwan has a bathroom, because she's looking forward to taking one - cue another group face-fault.
  • When Doraemon uses the Loaning Phone gadget so everyone can feed themselves and stave off starvation for a day, Shizuka then asks for the gadget... to pre-order a bath for herself. Third face-fault incoming.
• Foreshadowing:
  • An earlier scene had Gian making a head-count of their excursion into Africa, and an unknown voice reports "five!" even though Gian hadn't counted himself yet (Nobita - "One!" Doraemon - "Two!" Shizuka - "Three!" Suneo - "Four!" Unidentified Voice - "Five!"). That unknown voice was none other than Prince Kuntakku, then assuming his disguised identity as Peko.
  • If you look at one scene, you can see the skyscrapers behind the Anywhere Door as the heroes first enter Africa. This was a hint that the parallel versions of the heroes will come to fight Daburanda's soldiers.
  • Prince Kuntakku displays mannerism that even well-trained dogs might not exhibit, even while posing as "Peko".
    • The morning following his official adoption into the house, he runs past the dining room... and washes his face in the bathroom sink the way a human does, which shocks and impresses Nobita.
      Nobita: This dog has some good manners.
    • While Doraemon and Nobita look through some photos being sent through the photo-printing receiver, he expresses interest in looking through the thousands of images non-verbally despite Doraemon and Nobita both feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of pictures instead of taking a walk, only for Nobita to turn off the machine forcibly walk him anyway. Then he sneaks back inside the house on his own and turns on the photo receiver to look through the mountain of images when Doraemon and Nobita take a nap in the park.
      Doraemon: This is the first time I see a dog like this.
• Franchise Codifier: More or less for the Doraemon's Long Tales and Doraemon Film Series. Moments of Early-Installment Weirdness has been ironed out, The Team (consisting of Doraemon, Nobita, Shizuka, Gian and Suneo) dynamic has been formed, the personalities of various characters fixed, the gang gets to kick ass using Doraemon's gadgets and stop some impending apocalyptic threat. Future movies tends to follow this template, barring some exceptions.
• Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Inverted during the final battle, in which the boys use ranged gadgets like the Small Light, Air Cannon, and Shock Gun, whereas Shizuka uses Super Gloves to beat up Daburanda's forces. (However, in the manga Nobita is the one who uses the Super Gloves while Shizuka uses the Small Light instead.)
• Hard Light: The holographic projection of the giant dog-statue from Kuntakku's ring is solid, and can create firebolts for scaring away a pride of lions. It's a single-use only feature, however, after using it to drive away the lions Kuntakku pretty much keeps it aside, probably because as a weapon it consumes too much energy rendering the ring useless.
• Help Yourself in the Future: In the Darkest Hour of the story, with the heroes cornered by Daburanda's army, they are suddenly reinforced by future selves brought by Shizuka, using Doraemon's Loaning Phone gadget by promising that after defeating the villains and going home, they'd go back in time and return to support themselves.
• Hypocritical Humor: When Doraemon has to use the Anywhere Door for the third time (with Nobita, Suneo, and Shizuka each borrowing it once), Gian proclaims loudly out of sheer frustration that that he'll beat up anyone who next asks for the Anywhere Door, only for Shizuka to tell him upon returning via the Anywhere Door that his mother is angry at him and wants him to return soon, prompting him to ask for the Anywhere Door as well.
  Nobita and Suneo: Have you ever heard of someone going home in the middle of an expedition just to see his mommy?
  Gian: [sporting Luminescent Blush] Shut up!
• Innocently Insensitive: While Nobita and Doraemon are conversing with Shizuka and Dekisugi about the possibility of going on an adventure, with Peko (pretending to be a normal dog) by Nobita's side, Dekisugi states that "every land that could be explored, has been explored" oblivious to the fact that Peko is the Prince of a hidden kingdom of dog-people. He ends up unintentionally ticking off Peko who then barks at him, much to Dekisugi's confusion. (This scene is Adapted Out in the remake.)
• Keep the Reward: While making their way to the heart of King Bauwan I's statue, Doraemon and friends stumbles across the treasure vault, a small chamber full of diamonds, gold and precious jewels, which they promptly ignore (except for Suneo, who has to be dragged away by Gian). Late into the end of the story after Prince Kuntakku gets crowned the rightful king of Bauwan, he gratefully offers his treasure to Nobita and all his friends from the outside world, but they turned his offer away (reluctantly, in Suneo's case), saying it's better for him to rebuilt Bauwan and help the suffering citizens after dethroning Daburanda's tyranny.
• Living Statue: The giant guardian statue of King Bauwanko I turns out to be a living rock mecha, which "after it's heart moves" it will come to life and defend Bauwan in the kingdom's darkest hour, which it did in the finale smashing up Daburanda's war machines. The applicability of the trope varies, though; in the manga the statue has a life of it's own, but in the more recent anime Peko / Prince Kuntakku have to pilot it manually.
• Misplaced Wildlife: In the manga, at least. When Doraemon and gang are exploring the African wildlife, one of the panels shows a Hoatzin, a bird native to the Americas instead of Africa.
• Mokele-Mbembe: Nobita's Nightmare Sequence has him and the gang getting attacked by a Mokele-Mbembe, which turns out to be a robot taking them to a theme park.
• Nature Tinkling: In the manga and first movie adaptation, Nobita, Gian, and Suneo do this during the expedition, prompting Shizuka to borrow the Anywhere Door from Doraemon so she can use the bathroom at home. (The remake Adapts Out the scene of the boys peeing.)
• Never Smile at a Crocodile: One of the hazards Doraemon and gang had to face, crossing a section of the Zambezi river which is infested with hungry crocodiles. Doraemon brought a vessel which they can steer through safely, but thanks to Gian leaving the helm unannounced, they end up crashing and overturning, and nearly devoured if not for the timely arrival of some friendly tribespeople.
• No Time to Explain: In the climatic finale, future!Doraemon said this to present! Doraemon word-for-word in regards to making their way to the statue's heart.
• Obfuscating Disability: While posing as a stray dog in the streets of Tokyo, Kuntakku would pretend to be a normal dog, and communicate with barks. He reveals his ability of speech after Nobita and gang survived the Valley of Hell.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Due to feeling shame for putting his friends in danger, Gian stops being his Hot-Blooded self and becomes cool and calm for the majority of the journey until the climax of the movie. Shizuka even comments he has become a different person because of it.
• Or Was It a Dream?: Gian believes he had dreamt the giant statue appearing in his bedroom one night and giving him directions to Bauwan, but after he wakes up he finds the map leading to Bauwan in his hands. Turns out that was Prince Kuntakku (then called Peko and assuming the guise of a common house pet) appearing to convince him into making the trip.
• Pragmatic Adaptation: The original adaptation had some... unflattering depictions of Indigenous peoples of Africa. The 2014 version makes them more acceptable to modern views.
• Prophecy Twist: The Prophecy of Bauwan states "Ten Heroes of the Outside World would Save Bauwan"... but the heroes consisting of Nobita, Doraemon, Suneo, Gian and Shizuka total to only five. That's because the other five are their future selves.
• Punny Name:
  • The name Nobita gave Kuntakku after adopting him as a pet, "Peko" (Japanese for "empty") - because Kuntakku seems to be hungry with an empty stomach all the time.
  • There's also a minor Bauwan dog soldier named Bernard in the 2014 anime. He's a St. Bernard (what'd you think?).
• Rule of Three: As the tribe leader explains to Doraemon and gang, the journey towards Bauwan will cost three lives (or in layman's terms, contain three obstacles for trespassers)
  • The lion-infested savannah, plains filled with savage beasts that devour anyone that approaches,
  • The Valley of Hell, a spooky abyss which is rumored to be haunted,
  • And the mysterious Land of Bauwan, which no mortal had stepped foot into.
• Secret Pet Plot: Nobita's new pet, Peko, is originally a stray who tails him back home, which Nobita's afraid to keep due to his mother forbidding pets (leading to some quick hijinks with Nobita trying to hide Peko unsuccessfully), but Tamako finally gives in when Peko finds her missing purse for her. And then it's revealed that Peko is actually an intelligent Talking Animal from a kingdom of andromorphic dog-people posing as a stray.
• Small, Secluded World: Bauwan, a kingdom populated by sentient, talking dogs neatly tucked in the heart of the African continent. With the Bauwan statue seen as a legend by African natives.
• Spared by the Adaptation: A non-death example. In the original movie, the gorilla that attacks Gian gets beaten up by Shizuka wearing the Super Gloves. In the remake, Shizuka just grabs the gorilla by the legs, swings it around, and throws it into the air, before catching it and sending it fleeing.
• Sword Fight: When present!Doraemon and gang are making their way to the statue's heart just as their future selves are busy fending off Daburanda's forces, Nobita as usual starts lagging behind, just as a second platoon of soldiers led by Saberu catches up. Doraemon then tosses the Sword of Denkomaru to Nobita. Cue epic sword battle. In the first movie adaptation, the main sword fight happens between Saberu and Peko while Nobita holds off the other soldiers using the Sword of Denkomaru.
• Talking Animal: Prince Kuntakku, Lord Daburanda, Princess Spiana, Professor Kos, basically all the inhabitants of Bauwan, are talking dog-people. Which Nobita and gang have no problem understanding even without the Translation Konyakku.
• Truer to the Text: The remake restores many scenes that the original movie changed from the manga.
  • Like in the manga, Peko remains nude for most of the remake, unlike the original movie where he starts wearing clothes after returning to Bauwan.
  • In the original movie, the heroes can't use the Anywhere Door anymore when it gets eaten by crocodiles. In the manga and remake, it is chopped up by Kaminari after he discovers it at the vacant lot.
  • In the original movie, Peko challenges Saberu to a duel when the latter threatens Nobita. In the manga and remake, Nobita defeats Saberu by himself with the Sword of Denkomaru.
  • In the original movie, the heroes realize they need to save the Princess from Daburanda after the final battle because future Doraemon remembers at the last minute. In the manga and remake, they find out by interrogating a captured Professor Kos.
  • The manga and remake show the heroes having a feast (and Shizuka taking a bath) in Bauwan after the villains are defeated, to keep their promises to the Loaning Phone. This scene was cut out of the original movie.
• Uncertain Doom:
  • In the movies, Saberu is last seen either falling through the machinery of King Bauwan I's statue (in the original) or having fallen unconscious in a collapsing chamber (in the remake). In the manga, he is last shown falling down some stairs after being defeated, but not in a way that would suggest he was killed.
  • In the original movie, Professor Kos is not seen again after his ship explodes. Averted in the manga and remake, which shows him captured and interrogated by the heroes.
• The Usurper: Daburanda forcefully took over the throne by killing the King of Bauwan, and had the Prince Kuntakku captured alive before sealing him in a casket and throwing him into the Zambezi River. He then creates a false report of the King and Prince dying in a hunting accident, having their fates covered up and puts himself in ruling position, followed by a Tyrant Takes the Helm as Daburanda's atrocious rule had the denizens of Bauwan suffering and living in fear.
• Warrior Prince: Kuntakku was the prince of Bauwan until Daburanda took over, and he's a very capable fighter on his own. As soon as he made it back to Bauwan with Nobita and friends, he immediately plots to overthrow the tyrant to liberate his people.
• Who Is Driving?: When the gang is on Doraemon's boat, and crossing the Congo river. Gian was supposed to be steering, but briefly went on deck to join the others in taunting some crocodiles. Doraemon (Or Suneo in the remake) said this trope word-for-word before the boat hits a rock.
• Woken Up at an Ungodly Hour: After the gang's first unsuccessful expedition to the land of Bauwan, Gian decide to call it quits, only to be awakened in the middle of the following night by the hologram of Bauwanko materializing in his bedroom, who then instructs him to continue the mission while dropping a map to Bauwan. Gian actively wonders if he dreamt the whole thing, but the next morning he found the map on his blanket.
• Would Hit a Girl: He doesn't actually do it, but Gian (increasingly frustrated by the others "ruining the mood" of the expedition by using Doraemon's gadgets) announces that he'll beat up anyone who next asks for the Anywhere Door after Shizuka borrows it for a bathroom break. He soon has to eat his words when Shizuka tells him that his mother is looking for him, and he realizes that he's the next person to need the Anywhere Door.
• You Can Talk?: This is the gang's reaction to Peko being able to speak, and is a humanoid dog to boot.
• Your Size May Vary: Prince Kuntakku, while assuming the role of an ordinary stray dog in Tokyo, is pretty much the size of a regular dog. But when the adventure reaches Bauwan there are several scenes where he's noticeably taller, even the same height as Nobita and the other human characters (mostly in long-distance shots). His height in a bipedal stance occasionally varies as well.

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