This is the 45th Doraemon film. While the last three entries were original stories, this one is a remake of the 1983 film Doraemon: Nobita no Kaitei Kiganjou. With this, all of the first seven films have now been remade. Review Summary: This film brings a story from over 40 years ago back to life with modern visual technology. The underwater adventure feels dynamic and visually impressive. It’s clearly an enjoyable film for children. The story itself remains almost identical to the original. However, I felt that the characters’ emotions were not explored deeply enough, and the world itself was sometimes hard to follow. (+) Beautiful and Impressive Visuals Irewatched the original film for the first time in a while, and the visuals of this new version were overwhelming in comparison. The animation is smooth and vibrant, bringing the story to life in a way that feels fresh and engaging.
Since the original story is strong, simply remaking it for a modern audience already gives the film value. This was also the first Doraemon movie to be released in 4DX in Japan, and I especially enjoyed the sensation of riding in the buggy.

(+) Charming Details
I appreciated the small but charming touches, such as Shizuka wearing a sailor-style dress and Doraemon carrying a dorayaki-shaped backpack. These little details add to the film’s appeal.

(-) Unclear Emotions and World-Building
The emotional portrayal of the underwater people and buggy feels somewhat weak. As a result, the film’s message doesn’t come across as strongly as it could. The world-building is also a bit difficult to follow.
That said, I also feel that telling this story within a 100-minute runtime is inherently challenging.

Final Thoughts:
It’s simply an enjoyable film, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.

Reference:
Tsutomu Shibayama, who directed many Doraemon films, passed away in March 2026. The original version of this film was his directorial debut. I wonder if he had a chance to see the remake before he passed away. I’m grateful for his many years of contributions.