Stand by Me Doraemon 2 Review: A Heart-Wrenching Time Travel to Grandma & the Wedding

If you thought the first Stand by Me Doraemon left you reaching for tissues, prepare for a full-on ugly cry. The 2020 CGI film Stand by Me Doraemon 2 (directed by Ryuichi Yagi and Takashi Yamazaki) doesn’t just retell a classic story—it rewires the emotional core of the franchise.

This is where the movie becomes a brilliant farce. Young Noby has to become his adult self using the Anywhere Cloak and a "Body Swap" device to stand in at the wedding while trying to find the missing groom. The CGI is a massive upgrade from the 2014 film. Backgrounds look like detailed physical dioramas—soft, warm, and textured. Character models are smoother, especially Doraemon, whose robotic eyelids and fur texture feel tangible.

Noby (Nobita Nobi) misses his late grandmother, who doted on him when he was a toddler. After seeing a ragged stuffed bunny she repaired for him, Noby is overcome with guilt and longing. He commands Doraemon to take him back in time via the Time Machine.

The standout scene? Noby walking through the snow as a child, holding his grandmother’s hand. The lighting is melancholic yet golden, capturing the fleeting nature of time. 1. The "Failing Hero" Trope Unlike Western heroes, Noby is a coward, a bad student, and physically weak. Stand by Me 2 doesn't fix him. It argues that you don't need to be perfect to be loved. His grandmother loves him because he is a crybaby, not in spite of it.

When Doraemon finally asks, "Do you still want to go back to the future?" and Noby answers, you realize this isn't about a robot cat or gadgets. It is about accepting your flawed, messy self.