Fuuko (フーコ, Children of Wind) (known as Spinny in the USA dub) is a character from the Doraemon manga and anime series, who appear in the manga chapter and anime episode Typhoon Fuuko. She also appears in Doraemon: Nobita and the Windmasters as one of the main characters while as a minor character in 1979 anime and 2005 anime series. She is a wind spirit.
Story
- Note: The following content is from the namesake chapter from the manga as well as its adaptations in 1979 and 2005 anime series.
Fuuko in the manga.
Upon Nobita's insistence where he wanted to raise a pet after seeing Shizuka taking care of hers, Doraemon gave him the artificial typhoon in his possession. Nobita subsequently named the activated typhoon Fuuko and adamant in raising it despite Doraemon's warning of what she capable of. Indeed, despite being a loyal pet like what Nobita wanted, Fuuko was too powerful to be kept around, especially considering collateral damages she unwittingly caused through her sheer presence alone.
Even so, Fuuko's growing might proved crucial in overcoming a massive typhoon which approached Japan. Unwilling to let her master and friends injured because of a disaster worse than her, Fuuko set out to neutralize the typhoon with her aerokinetic powers. She managed to save Japan at the cost of being destroyed in process.
- Note: The following content is from the 2003 movie and as such, it doesn't apply to the aforementioned chapter from the manga and the episodes of the same name from the 1979 anime series and the 2005 anime series.
Fuuko in her doll form.
In the film, Fuko is one of Mafuga's parts that were split by Noajin in order to seal the demonic beast. After Noajin sealed the most dangerous and evil part into red egg deep within the volcano of the forbidden island, the other two were also sealed along with Uranda's body in his tomb. However, both eggs were revived thanks to the Storm and the Arashi Tribe's attempt to revive Uranda. Both eggs each went on their way, very, very far away.
Later, after the storm calmed down, one of the egg is found (tripped) by Suneo when he attempts to play with his toy car, results in the shell breakage and a wind-like spirit emerges from it and also Suneo's toy broken. The spirit then flew away with Suneo chased after it. It later noticed Nobita licking his ice cream and took a like to it. As he refused to share his ice cream, the spirit steals it from him and begins to taste, only to be frozen momentary because of the coldness, and drop the ice cream. Unfortunately, some of the ice cream fell on Gian's head and Gian, thinking that Nobita did it, attempts to punch him but the spirit came to rescue by using its wind power to blow Gian away into a nearby trash can. Feeling bad, it then attempted to follow and give back Nobita his ice cream (that fell on the floor) with Nobita running away in disgust with Suneo who witnessed the spirit's power in the distance and followed them.
At Nobita's house, Doraemon is quite surprised in the spirit's appearance and discovered that the spirit is something akin to a "child of typhoon". While they were researching the spirit starts to create a mess in the room, including pulling out Nobita's failed test papers. In an attempt to calm it down, Nobita gave it the name "Fuuko" which means "child of wind" with Doraemon questioning the feminine name choice. When Nobita's mother starts to notice their actions, Doraemon suggests Nobita release Fuuko with the latter suggests the other way and pleads to keep her. Left with no option, Doraemon brought out Adjustable Size Stuffed Toy Camera which Fuko can wear to conceal her identity. After choosing "Dorakokko" as her costume, Fuko then put the costume on and helped Nobita and Doraemon clean up the room. They escape the house before Nobita's mother reaches there with Bamboo Copter, not noticing Suneo on the street looking for him which Suneo doesn't notice them either.Abilities
Fuuko's doll form in the manga.
Both iterations of Fuuko possessed the power over wind, often manifested in form of a deceptively powerful twister around themselves. At full power, they can disperse a massive typhoon at the cost of their own lives.
It's worth to note Fuuko's iteration from Doraemon: Nobita and the Windmasters — both the film and its namesake manga storyline in Doraemon Long Stories — was the strongest thanks to her supernatural origin, specifically a fragment of Mafuga. By consuming hot air as the source of sustenance and power-up, she can spin at high speed and overcome even the might of the partially reformed elemental dragon.
Trivia
- Her name comes from Fuuko (風子), meaning child of wind. This may also be a pun on the creator Fujiko F. Fujio's name as well.
- Fuuko is one of the few characters other than the main characters to appears in four Doraemon media. (The manga, the 1979 anime, the movie and the 2005 anime).
- Fuuko, tied with Underwater Buggy, Sonya and Chai are the only protagonists that die at the end of the movie.