Doraemon sparks controversy after Thai ritual ‘breaks tradition’ to stop animal cruelty

Doraemon made headlines after a plush toy of the character was used in a Thai ceremony to help avoid animal cruelty.

Amid record-high temperatures and a lack of rain across the country, residents of three villages in Nakhon Sawan province gathered in late April for a “rain-making” ritual.

As per The Straits Times, the tradition calls for a cat to be paraded around affected areas, with its cry said to be a “harbinger of immediate rain.” However, hoping to avoid undue stress on an animal, locals used a plushy of Doraemon.

Doraemon is the most popular anime cat in the world. First introduced 1969 and created by the famed artist duo, Fujiko Fujio, he’s been winning the hearts of fans for decades, remaining a childhood staple even today.

However, while many have enjoyed the viral image of the Doraemon soft toy held in a cage — it’s been viewed more than 16 million times on X/Twitter — some people had a problem. The tradition, known as the Hae Nang Maew Ceremony, is reported to require a female cat. Doraemon is male, so critics asked that the locals used Dorami instead.

Dorami is Doraemon’s sister and comes from the future just like him. She often visits her brother and Nobita using the time machine.

“This was by far one of the silliest things I’ve read this morning… I do hope they get rain though… and don’t sacrifice real cats,” one user reacted. “Why not both Doraemon and Dorami. Either way it’s hilarious,” another wrote. “People on this platform underestimate how popular Doraemon is in Asia. Especially South and Southeast Asia,” a third posted.