50-year-old Japanese comic series Doraemon a smash hit in pandemic

Pandemic-induced school closures saw Japanese children discover the charm of the 50-year-old popular comic series Doraemon, which proved a smash hit this year, according to its publisher.More than 5 million comic books and other publications featuring the robotic cat were printed in the 12 months to November, Shogakukan Inc. said Friday. Of the 45 volumes of the comic books, Volume 1 logged sales of more than 11,000 copies in March alone, a single-month record in the 21st century.In Japan, most elementary, junior high and high schools were closed between March and May due to a surge in coro…READ FULL ARTICLE