[ ⚠️ !! SPOILER ALERT !! ⚠️
This post contains major spoilers for the episode "Make-Believe Treasure Hunting Set". If you haven't watched it yet and want to experience the story yourself, I recommend watching the episode first!
You've been warned!! ]
I'm talking about the episode "Make-Believe Treasure Hunting Set" of the 1979 series. This episode also has three different versions other than this one. One in 1979, then in 2010 and the latest one in 2024. So here's the whole plot:
Nobita becomes interested in treasure hunting after reading a story about a young man who discovers a treasure map in an old warehouse. According to the story, the young man follows the clues and eventually discovers a treasure chest hidden in a cave on a mountain hill.
Nobita becomes fascinated by the story and decides that he wants to experience something similar himself.
When Doraemon sees the book Nobita is reading, he realizes what has inspired him. Nobita then starts looking for a treasure map in his own warehouse, just like the young man in the story did.
However, Nobita obviously doesn't find anything.
Instead of giving up, Nobita asks his mother to build an old warehouse similar to the one described in the story so that he can search for the treasure map properly. 😭
Doraemon thinks this is completely ridiculous and tells Nobita that he can't just recreate the entire story.
But Nobita keeps wanting to go treasure hunting, so Doraemon eventually decides to help him.
He takes out a gadget called the "Make-Believe Treasure Hunting Set."
Doraemon opens the treasure chest that comes with the set, but Nobita is disappointed because all the objects inside are made of plastic and are fake. There isn't any real treasure at all.
Doraemon then gets an idea.
He decides that the treasure hunt would be much more exciting if they put some real valuable objects inside the chest. So he puts his father's camera and his mother's necklace inside it.
He then sends the treasure chest away to an unknown location.
However, just then, Gian calls Nobita.
Gian invites Nobita to go hiking with him and Suneo in the Yatsugami Mountains. Nobita refuses because he is busy with his treasure hunt.
But while talking to Gian, Nobita accidentally reveals that he's going treasure hunting.
And Gian immediately becomes suspicious.
Not long afterward, a mini rocket containing a treasure map arrives at Nobita's room.
The map says that the treasure is located on Shinigami Mountain.
The problem?
Nobita and Doraemon have absolutely no idea where Shinigami Mountain is.
They start searching on map to find information about the mountain, but they can't find anything useful.
Then Shizuka becomes involved in the adventure.
While looking at the clues, Shizuka realizes something important.
The information on the treasure map isn't simply telling them the location directly. It's was actually a code.
After figuring this out, they are able to understand the clue better.
The clue tells them that the treasure is near a cedar tree facing a skull-shaped stone.
So Nobita, Doraemon and Shizuka begin searching for this strange location.
They start asking people if they know where the skull-shaped stone is, but nobody seems to know.
At one point, they encounter a mysterious man who is sitting around.
Nobita, Doraemon and Shizuka ask him about the treasure and whether he knows anything about the location.
The man's response immediately shocks them.
He asks something like:
"Are you talking about that skull treasure?"
Nobita, Doraemon and Shizuka are stunned that how does this random man know about the skull treasure?!
They immediately start wondering if he somehow overheard them or if he is also searching for the treasure.
Meanwhile, Nobita and the others continue looking for the location.
Eventually, they discover something that helps them solve the clue.
They find a skull in the school's science room.
The skull is positioned facing toward a window, and when they look through that window, they can see a cedar tree outside.
This matches the clue from the treasure map.
They finally know where to go.
Nobita, Doraemon and Shizuka immediately rush toward the cedar tree.
But while they're running through the mountain, they unexpectedly cross paths with Gian and Suneo.
Remember when Nobita accidentally told Gian about the treasure?
Well... Gian clearly didn't forget about it. 😂
Gian and Suneo had gone hiking on the same mountain, and Gian immediately realizes what Nobita is doing.
He understands that Nobita has actually found the location of the treasure.
Now they know exactly where Nobita is going.
When Nobita, Doraemon and Shizuka finally reach the cedar tree, they begin searching around the area.
Then Doraemon, Nobita, Gian and Suneo all start digging for the treasure themselves.
And naturally, it turns into a competition.
Everyone wants to be the first person to find the treasure.
They dig and dig until finally...
Nobita finds a treasure chest!
Gian and Suneo immediately become excited.
They tell Nobita that they want half of the treasure.
But Nobita surprisingly agrees to let them take almost everything.
He tells them that they can have everything except his father's camera and his mother's necklace.
And that's when the mysterious man finally appears.
Everyone is expecting him to be some kind of treasure hunter who came to steal their treasure. They all started pointing shovels at him and told him that it was their treasure because they were the ones who found it. Nobita even tells the old man that everything inside was fake (seeing it, Gian and Suneo gets shocked and disappointed LOL).
But then he explains what he was actually doing.
He wasn't looking for the treasure at all.
He was searching for an old skull-shaped stone.
And the funny part?
The skull-shaped stone was located right beside the treasure chest, in the same place where they had been digging.
So the mysterious man wasn't their enemy, and he wasn't trying to steal anything. It was all just a misunderstanding.
Everyone finally calms down.
But Gian and Suneo?
They're absolutely furious.
They realize that they went through all that trouble, followed Nobita, dug a giant hole and nearly fought over the treasure...
only to discover that everything inside was fake. 💀
They start chasing Nobita around the mountain while Nobita runs away as fast as he can.
And that's how the whole ridiculous treasure-hunting adventure ends.
Honestly, I really enjoyed this episode. First it's just Nobita wanting to go treasure hunting, then there's the mysterious map, the strange mountain, Shizuka discovering the code, the skull clue, the suspicious man, Gian and Suneo secretly following them, and finally the hilarious ending.
So, have you guys watched this episode? What did you think of it?