For millions of viewers across Asia and beyond, Doraemon has long been more than an animated series. Created by legendary manga artist Fujiko F. Fujio, the Japanese franchise introduced generations to a blue robotic cat from the future who helps a well-meaning but struggling schoolboy named Nobita using imaginative gadgets and gentle life lessons. While the series remains active internationally, a major chapter recently closed when Doraemon stopped airing on Indonesian free-to-air television after more than three decades, marking the end of a defining era for millennial audiences who grew up with the show as a weekend ritual.
Doraemon Ends Its Historic Run on Indonesia’s RCTI After More Than Three Decades
Doraemon first appeared on Indonesian television around 1989 or 1990, becoming a consistent presence on RCTI (Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia). For approximately 35 to 37 years, the anime occupied a familiar place in Sunday morning programming, dubbed in Indonesian and widely appreciated for its themes of friendship, perseverance, and imagination. According to publicly accessible schedule data from RCTI’s official streaming service, RCTI+, episodes of Doraemon disappeared from the broadcast lineup starting December 29, 2025, and remained absent through at least early January 2026.
The end of the broadcast occurred without a prior on-air announcement or an official statement from RCTI. Multiple Indonesian news outlets and verified social media updates subsequently confirmed that the long-running television run had concluded. No replacement program or alternative local broadcaster has been identified so far, and there has been no formal clarification regarding whether Doraemon will return to Indonesian television in a different format or platform. The silence surrounding the decision has underscored how sudden the transition felt for viewers who associated the series with family time and childhood routines.