Paint the town blue

Doraemon, Japan's most lovable anime character, has arrived in Shanghai.

A total of 100 life-sized Doraemon models with different gestures and facial expressions are standing in two lines along the Madang Road of Shanghai Xintiandi, the city's entertainment landmark.

Hailed as the largest exhibition featuring Doraemon in the Chinese mainland, the 100 Doraemon Secret Gadgets Expo revives the nostalgia of Chinese post-1980 and even post-1990 generations when they waited before the television screen to watch the popular cartoon.

In the popular Japanese manga series, Doraemon is a robot that traveled back in time from the 22nd century to help a hapless boy Nobita Nobi with every kind of futuristic gadgets imaginable.

The earless blue cat-like robot has a magic pocket from which he takes out gadgets and devices to punish bullies and to make the boy's wishes come true. More than 1,000 gadgets have been developed since the cartoon was created in 1969.

In the current exhibition, each of the 1.2-meter-tall Doraemon is equipped with a different bizarre gadget. The Bamboo Dragonfly, for example, is a bamboo propeller that can be attached to the head and help one fly anywhere. The Memory Bread is the dream gift for academically poor students: Put the bread on one's textbook and then have the bread, and the content of the textbook will be engraved in your mind.

Alongside the alfresco exhibition, there's a collection of Doraemon Secret Gadgets in the basement of Xintiandi Style Mall, showcasing more than 30 of the secret gadgets that appeared in the cartoon, such as the time machine and the pink anywhere-door - a door that enables people to go to wherever they want to.

The expo draws crowds of visitors, mostly young fans of Doraemon.

Chen Mei, a 22-year-old student from Shanghai Normal University, visited the expo as soon as she learned about it.

"I fell in love with Doraemon and the cartoon series since I was a little child," Chen says. "The blue cat is so cute. I guess it is a dream of every child to have such a lovable and powerful friend."

Ten cutting-edge Chinese designers who are fond of Doraemon have been invited to design 10 creative gadgets for the expo. Among them are: Put the photos of two strangers in the Interpersonal Toaster and the two people will immediately fall for each other. Pull the trigger of Good Mood Cloud and stay under the cloud to become instantly happy no matter how sad you initially feel.

Scattered throughout the mall, you will also find five classic scenes of the original cartoon, such as When Nobita and Doraemon departed and The Night before Nobita's Wedding.

There are all sorts of tie-ins with the mall's restaurants and stores where you can have Doraemon's favorite snack - the Dorayaki or bean paste cake, cuddly Doraemon dolls, limited edition T-shirts and Doraemon-themed souvenirs.

Access to the Secret Gadgets Museum and exhibits inside the mall is free, but to have an up close and personal contact with the 100 life-sized models, you'll need a coupon, according to organizer of the expo.

You can also order a souvenir gift box for 50 yuan ($8.14), which includes a coupon, through the Ticket Star (phone number: 800-820-7910), or spend at least 58 yuan at designated retail shops in the mall and exchange a coupon with the receipt.