Tamagotchi: The Movie

***Tamagotchi: The Movie*** (えいがでとーじょー! たまごっち ドキドキ! うちゅーのまいごっち!? *Eiga de Tōjō! Tamagotchi Dokidoki! Uchū no Maigotchi!?"*, lit. "Appearing on Film! Tamagotchi: Heart-Throbbing! Lost Child In Space!?") is a 2007 Japanese animated film produced by OLM's Team Kamei division. It is the first Tamagotchi feature film ever produced, officially based on the digital pet franchise jointly created by Bandai and WiZ. It is directed by Jōji Shimura of *Pokémon* and written by Aya Matsui of *Boys Over Flowers* and was released in theaters by Toho on December 15, 2007, and on DVD on July 23, 2008 in Japan. It was the 2009 American-English animated film sound recording directed by Don Bluth Just Like The 1988 Film The Land Before Time.

The movie was dubbed & released by Madman Entertainment on June 1, 2009 in English in both Australia and United Kingdom. It is followed by a sequel, *Tamagotchi: Happiest Story in the Universe!*.

## Plot

The movie starts off with Mametchi finishing his new "Transporter Machine". At the same time, Tanpopo goes off to deliver a forgotten item to her mother. Tanpopo and Mametchi are both about to become older siblings. Memetchi and Kuchipatchi arrive at Mametchi's house just in time to see Mametchi try out his invention. Several events result in the aim of the Forwarding Machine to go off course, and Tanpopo is brought to Tamagotchi Planet.

The next day, Tanpopo goes to school to learn with the Tamagotchi children. During science class, an explosion kisses the room into smoke and darkness. Almost everyone is fine, but Mametchi crouches on the floor in fear. Later, Mametchi explains that he has been afraid of the dark ever since he got trapped in a hole one time. He fears he will be an embarrassment to his little sibling. Mametchi built the Transporter Machine to bring himself his own private sun to give him light. Mametchi vows to begin experiments to make a little sun for himself.

One day, Mametchi and Tanpopo stay home. Papamametchi gives Tanpopo a key that will take her back to the time when she was forwarded to Tamagotchi Planet. After several more events, the egg bounds out the window, rolls down the street, and eventually falls into a bundle of balloons that end up caught on the top of One Tower. Soon all of Tamagotchi Planet is watching Mametchi try to save the egg. Mametchi, Tanpopo, and Memetchi are all trying to save Mametchi's younger sibling, and Kuromametchi saves all three of them, using Kuchipatchi as a trampoline.

Soon, the egg hatches into Mametchi's sister, Chamametchi. A montage of events follow, as Chamametchi grows to kindergarten age, while Mametchi finally succeeds in creating "Mamesunnitchi", a little sun that will follow Mametchi everywhere and always provide him with light. The real Tamagotchi Planet sun, Sunnitchi, witnesses this. Soon after, the rocket for Tanpopo is complete. Mametchi says he wants Tanpopo to stay for the birthday celebrations for the King, and both Tanpopo and Mametchi's parents agree.

The next morning, it is dark outside. Sunnitchi is nowhere to be found, and thus Tamagotchi Planet has no light. Mametchi and the others find this odd, but go to school anyway. During more preparations, a sneezing sound is heard, and the Tamagotchi Planet inhabitants are violently thrown into the air. It is soon discovered that Tamagotchi Planet caught a cold due to having no heat. Mametchi and Tanpopo overhear Principal Mimizu explaining that Sunnitchi left a goodbye note, apparently because Mametchi created a new sun. Mametchi takes this to mean that the whole situation was his fault.

That night, Mametchi sneaks out of the house with Mamesunnitchi and enters the completed rocket. Suddenly, Tanpopo, Memetchi, and Kuchipatchi appear, eager to help. They give Mametchi the manual, and he is able to start up the rocket. Chamametchi sneaks aboard at the last minute, and they are forced to take her with them.

As the passengers enter space, Papamametchi and the other scientists appear suddenly on the video screen and demand that they return. When Mametchi tells Papamametchi about how he is taking responsibility for his mistakes (just like with the egg incident), Papamametchi reluctantly agrees. The scientists had developed medicine for the Tamagotchi Planet, and the pill was mounted on top of the rocket. They have only one medicine capsule, and only one chance of administering it. Before Mametchi can fire the pill, Chamametchi jumps into his lap at the last moment, dislocating the rocket's trajectory. Though it appears they have failed at curing Tamagotchi planet, Tamagotchi World is able to absorb it with its runny nose.

At this point, Mametchi is about to go in search of Sunnitchi, but the rocket is sent spiraling away, and outside of radio contact. Mametchi finally reaches the breaking point and rails against Chamametchi when she asks to talk to Papamametchi and Mamametchi, yelling at her to be quiet, and that she is to blame for always following him around and not listening to him. Tanpopo tells Mametchi he said too much, and takes Chamametchi into another room to comfort her. Mametchi and the others join Tanpopo and Chamametchi for several minutes, where Mametchi and Chamametchi make up, and Tanpopo now knows what's in store for her when her younger sibling is born and is no longer afraid of that responsibility. Suddenly, however, the ship shakes violently, and they return to the command center to find that there are all sorts of objects flying towards them. They suddenly realize that they are drifting towards a black hole, and Mametchi is stricken with fear.

Mametchi attempts to fire the rocket, but the ship can't escape the pull of the black hole. Suddenly, communications with the Tamagotchi Planet are restored. One of the scientists (Professor Mametchi) notices that the black hole is actually a sleeping Blackholetchi. The only way to save the passengers is to wake Blackholetchi up. Mametchi activates the loudspeaker and everyone on the ship screams out, trying and awaken Blackholetchi. A meteoroid slams into the ship and blocks the loudspeaker so that no sound can come out. In desperation, Mametchi and Tanpopo put on spacesuits and try to dislodge the meteoroid. With the meteroid dislodged, Memetchi, Kuchipatchi, and Chamametchi started shouting at Blackholetchi again. Soon, all of the people on Tamagotchi Planet join in. Mametchi is finally able to overcome his fear of the dark, and joins in the call to awaken Blackholetchi.

Chamametchi starts screaming for Blackholetchi to wake up once more, and soon Tamagotchi World himself makes a loud cry. This finally reaches Blackholetchi, who awakes from his slumber. Mametchi is heard calling out from within Blackholetchi, and the universe's largest Tamagotchi apologizes and returns them to the ship. Communications are once again cut off; the inhabitants on Tamagotchi World note that the rocket has used up all of its fuel, and there is no way for the rocket's passengers to return. Mametchi's connection is restored, and the passengers have returned home. Sunnitchi, brought them all back to Tamagotchi Planet. Sunnitchi explains that he just left to go on a hot springs tour.

The celebration for the King's birthday begins, and there is a parade through Tamatown. Halfway through, Papamametchi and Mamametchi find Tanpopo and tell her that Cometchi is about to fly by Tamagotchi World, willing to take Tanpopo back to Earth. Hastily Tanpopo, Mametchi and his family, Memetchi, and Kuchipatchi go to the meadow to meet Cometchi. Tanpopo finally opens up the bag that she was supposed to be taking to her mother, and sees it is the dress that she had worn when she was a newborn. Chamametchi cries that she doesn't want Tanpopo to go, and a tearful farewell follows, with the Tamagotchis promising to never forget her.

Tanpopo is back at her desk in her room, at the exact time before she was forwarded to Tamagotchi Planet. She wonders if it was all a dream, until she sees the key she was given. Just then, her mother calls, and Tanpopo tells her she's about to deliver her bag.

## Distribution and receipts

The film was released in Japanese cinemas on 15 December 2007. The film finished in third place among the most popular films in the first week with approximately 1 117 182 dollars cashed out, beating other animated films released in the same week as Surf's Up King of the waves (sixth place) and the Simpsons movie (16th place). After the festive period grossed about $6 000 000. The film was released on DVD in Japan on 23 July 2008. The film grossed a total of 7 000 000 dollars. The film was released in anglofonici countries on 1 January 2009 exclusively for the home video. Italian release year is unknown, it is assumed between 2009 and 2011, also in Italy the movie was only released for home video. Was released in theaters by Taiwan and Hong Kong insummer 2010.

## Distributor

Trans World Entertainment

MarVista Entertainment (Non-US)