Panda! Go, Panda! Blu-ray+DVD review

In October 1972, the Ueno Zoo received a pair of pandas, commemorating diplomatic ties between China and Japan. This wasn’t the first time this kind of gesture of goodwill had been offered. According to historical records, the court of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) once sent two of the black-and-white bears to Japan as a national gift. As such, pandas not only have a reputation for their childlike playfulness, but they also have come to embody a strong relational bond, with the gifting commonly referred to as “panda diplomacy”.

When Kang Kang and Lan Lan arrived in Ueno, panda fever was ramping up across Japan. Less than three months later, Panda Kopanda (translated as “Panda! Go, Panda!”) arrived in theatres as part of a triple bill. Directed by Isao Takahata, everything from scripting, storyboards, and key animations on the 30-minute short were handled by Hayao Miyazaki. GKIDS’ release of Panda! Go, Panda! bundles the original film with the 1973 sequel, Rainy Day Circus. Pleasingly, the disc comes with several extras that help establish the context of the film, from a 40-minute interview with Takahata as well as a look at Miyazaki’s original image boards.

Revisiting Panda! Go, Panda! still delivers a hearty helping of cheerfulness. While the loose storyline takes about ten minutes to introduce characters and setting, it gradually builds into an entertaining crescendo. Lead character Mimiko is a young girl who is the embodiment of “genki”. She’s perpetually energetic and unwilling to let even the slightest intrusion dampen her mood.

Her parents are inexplicably absent and the grandmother who takes care of Mimiko is called out of town. Across the city, everyone from neighbors to the local police express concern. But the young girl snubs their dispiriting warnings, proclaiming that encountering burglars would be exciting.

Instead, excitement arrives with the appearance of little Panny Panda and his father Papanda. Walking, talking cuddly bears, they make quick friends with Mimiko, moving themselves in. Given the film’s age, the jokes aren’t very sophisticated, finding humor in a panda’s insatiable appetite for bamboo or their inherent laziness. But even if you don’t speak Japanese, the comical inflection of Papanda is poised to produce laughs. Of course, there are several timeless gags. Most noteworthy is seeing a panda bear being stuffed into a commuter train like a salaryman on the Yamanote line.

Much of the joy in a viewing of Panda! Go, Panda! stems from seeing some of the ideas that Miyazaki would develop for My Neighbor Totoro. Like the 1998 film, the oversized, happy-go-lucky panda helps form a surrogate family. Blood ties don’t dominate Miyazaki’s worlds; it’s the bond between nature and a disposed humanity that kindles contentment. Like Totoro, Papanda is less of a nagging parent and more like a considerate friend who supports Mimiko non-confrontation approach to conflict. And Panny isn’t the typical pesky child. While he gets himself into a bit of lighthearted trouble, he can also be quite obedient.

There are also the fleeting moments of Studio Ghibli whimsy. Mimiko habitually performs a handstand when she’s happy. The feat, like the film’s sense of enthusiasm, is infectious, affect those around her. But there’s more than just happy-go-lucky outlook in Panda! Go, Panda! It’s captivating to watch Papanda attempts to adapt into a role as a human father. Miyazaki even flirts with transgression, showing the character unwilling to return to the zoo that he and Panny escaped from.

Panda! Go, Panda! concludes with two surprisingly tense sequences. Largely, Rainy Day Circus follows that formula, with a pair of bumbling circus workers trying to capture a runaway baby tiger. Following a rollicking chase sequence, the short details an intense rainstorm and the flooding that follows. Instead of looking at the high-water level outside their house dejectedly, Mimiko and the pandas marvel at it with innocent wonder. That feeling of relentless optimism makes Panda! Go, Panda! feel rather timeless.

Pleasingly, the GKIDS disc offers a pristine transfer of the original films. Masterfully, image quality has been cleaned up from the previous DVD release, and there’s little sacrifice to picture sharpness. Miyazaki fans will undoubtedly appreciate the extras, which include an all-too-brief glimpse of the 2008 re-release of the films at the Studio Ghibli museum.

Panda! Go, Panda! is now available on Blu-ray+DVD via GKIDS