Reviews of “Panda! Go Panda!” (1972) and related work
- Document: “Panda in Process” (1982/1994)
- Document: “Panda! Go Panda! Creator’s Message” (1994)
“Panda! Go Panda!” (1972
)
Ōtsuka Yasuo (animation director), Takahata Isao (director), Miyazaki Hayao (writer).
An orphaned little girl sees her grandmother off at the train station and prepares to live alone for a while, which doesn’t bother her. She finds two pandas, who have not so much run as strolled away from the zoo, and let them move in.
Children’s fable. Shallow and naïve, with cheap animation.
References here: Ghibli movie titles, “Princess Mononoke: The First Story” (1980), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), “What the Scenario Means to Me” (1989).
moving picture Japanese production animation fiction
‣ “Panda in Process” (1982/1994
)
Miyazaki Hayao (writer).
Read in Starting Point.
A statement of intention and a very brief production history.
References here: “Totoro Was Not Made as a Nostalgia Piece” (1988), Starting Point: 1979–1996 (1996/2009).
text document non-fiction Japanese production
‣ “Panda! Go Panda! Creator’s Message” (1994)
Miyazaki Hayao (writer).
Read in Starting Point.
At the time it was thought that children liked flashy, noisy films. But we thought that fun and excitement are best found in the small moments of everyday life.
References here: My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Starting Point: 1979–1996 (1996/2009).