As kids, we were all captivated by Doraemon. Whenever we got home from school, we would rush to turn on the TV, even arguing with our parents over the remote, just to see the heartwarming moments between Nobita and Doraemon. To Nobita, Doraemon was a reliable friend and a safe haven.
But what would happen if Doraemon were late and Nobita took his own life? It’s a shocking thought, isn’t it? That was my reaction when I watched the first episode of the newly released anime, Takopi’s Original Sin. You might wonder why this question popped into my mind—let’s explore it further.
1. What is the plot of Takopi’s Original Sin?
Takopi’s Original Sin takes place in 2016. Nnu-Anu-Kf, an alien from the Happy Planet, crash-lands on Earth with the mission of spreading happiness. After escaping the authorities, he encounters Shizuka, a 9-year-old girl who is mercilessly bullied by her classmate Marina. Her mother is an escort, leaving her to deal with the daily trials of life alone at a young age. She only finds comfort in her dog, Chappy.
One day, the alien stumbles upon Shizuka. Noticing that he resembles an octopus, she affectionately names him Takopi. Determined to help her, Takopi decides to use his planet’s Happy Gadgets to bring some joy into Shizuka’s life. So far, it seems like things will get better for her, right?
Takopi, a pink alien from Planet Happy on a mission to spread happiness. With tiny limbs and a heart full of kindness, Takopi looks like a character straight out of a picture book.
However, it becomes darker when Marina intentionally provokes Chappy, resulting in a bite that leads to the dog being taken by animal control.
In her despair, Shizuka resorts to one of Takopi’s gadgets to end her own life. Realizing the severity of what has happened, Takopi uses another gadget to travel back in time, hoping to change the course of Shizuka’s life for the better.
2. How does Takopi’s Original Sin relate to Doraemon?
We are all familiar with the plot of Doraemon. Nobita Nobi is a ten-year-old Japanese schoolboy who is kind-hearted but struggles academically and often gets bullied.
One day, a blue robot cat named Doraemon was sent from the 22nd century by Nobita’s future great-great-grandson, Sewashi Nobi, to care for Nobita so that his descendants could have a better life. Doraemon has a four-dimensional pocket in which he stores gadgets to aid Nobita whenever he faces a problem.
After reading the plots of “Takopi’s Original Sin” and “Doraemon,” you may notice some similarities between the two.
- Takopi closely resembles Doraemon in that both characters have a mission to spread happiness. Takopi aims to improve Shizuka’s life, just as Doraemon strives to make Nobita’s life better.
- Both Doraemon and Takopi have a variety of gadgets to aid the protagonists.
- Nobita and Shizuka share several traits; both are academically underperforming, unlucky, and physically weak, often struggling with sports and facing bullying from their peers.
However, the comparison takes a dark turn, leaving many Doraemon fans feeling as though they received a punch to the gut.
3. Why is Takopi’s Original Sin a darker version of Doraemon?
Just like Doraemon’s gadgets were designed to ease Nobita’s pain, Takopi’s gadgets had the same intention; however, they only made Shizuka’s situation worse. After being beaten up by Marina at school, Shizuka used Takopi’s magical ribbon—intended to help reconcile friends after a fight—to take her own life instead.
Takopi felt guilty because Shizuka died after he broke a rule. He did not understand what part of Shizuka’s life led her to take her own life. At that moment, he used the happy camera that could rewind time to when he had taken a picture. Takopi decided to follow Shizuka in order to understand her sadness and try to alleviate it.
Takopi was a gentle soul—innocent and pure-hearted—yet he found himself in a harsh and unforgiving world. Concepts like sadness, bullying, trauma, and suicide were all unfamiliar to him.
4. What if Doraemon and Takopi’s Original Sin had the exact same plot?
Comparing Takopi’s plot, we might wonder, “What if Nobita had taken his own life, and Doraemon couldn’t save him?”
We know that Nobita shares a strong bond with his friends Gian, Suneo, and Shizuka. Although he faces bullying from Gian and his sidekick Suneo, they have always stood by him during tough times. However, if Doraemon had arrived later or if Nobita had taken his own life during his teenage years, everything would have changed dramatically.
Nobita’s lineage would have ended with him as the last of the Nobi family, meaning Sewashi Nobi would never have been born, and Doraemon might have ended up with a different owner altogether.
In contrast, the events in Takopi’s Original Sin unfold in the present, so it’s unclear how Takopi might influence Shizuka’s fate. In Doraemon, however, everything is intertwined, as Nobita’s grandson foresaw their past and sent Doraemon to change the fate of Nobita.
5. About Takopi’s Original Sin
Takopi’s Original Sin is a Japanese web manga series written and illustrated by Taizan 5, published on Shonen Jump+ from December 2021 to March 2022.
In 2016, Nnu-Anu-Kf, an alien hailing from the Happy Planet, crash-lands on Earth in order to spread happiness to others. After escaping federal authorities, he comes across Shizuka, a 9-year-old girl who is bullied relentlessly by her classmate Marina and only finds solace with her dog Chappy. Shizuka, noting that he resembles an octopus, names the alien Takopi.
Takopi decides to use his planet’s Happy Gadgets to help Shizuka, but after Marina intentionally gets bitten by Chappy in order for him to be taken in by animal control, Shizuka uses one of Takopi’s gadgets to commit suicide. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Takopi uses another gadget to travel back in time, hoping that he can improve Shizuka’s life.
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