Two Family Films from Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata of Studio Ghibli Source: Discotek Media Official Site: ghibli-museum.jp/panda (Japan)
PANDA! GO PANDA!, one of the early works of Studio Ghibli co-founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, will be released on Region 1 DVD by Discotek Media on April 17th. The DVD includes both short anime movies: PANDA! GO PANDA! (????????, Panda Kopanda, 1972) and THE RAINY-DAY CIRCUS (???????? ????? ???, Panda Kopanda: Amefuri Circus no Maki, 1973). In 1972, the Chinese government loaned a pair of giant pandas to Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, sparking a wave of "panda fever" across Japan. The craze inspired Hayao Miyazaki (MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, SPIRITED AWAY), who created the premise, wrote the screenplays, and did character designs, layouts and key animation for the PANDA! GO PANDA! films. Both movies were directed by Isao Takahata (GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, POM POKO) and produced by TMS Entertainment, Ltd. They were released theatrically in Japan as part of the "Toho Champion Festivals", where they screened as co-features with Godzilla movies. In PANDA! GO PANDA!, cheerful Mimiko has a very strange family for a little girl -- a Panda for her Papa, and his son, Panny, calls her Mom! Join this happy family and their many adventures! When Panny follows Mimiko to school, he must pretend to be a teddy bear so Mimiko won`t get into trouble, but everyone wants a cute Panda! Despite his efforts to behave, Panny causes trouble in the school kitchen, and now the whole school is after Panny! In THE RAINY-DAY CIRCUS, Panny makes a new friend, Tiny, a baby tiger who`s wandered off from the circus. Getting Tiny back to his mom becomes the first adventure, but after a hard rain, the whole town is flooded and Mimiko, Papa Panda and Panny must rescue Tiny and other animals from the trapped circus train! Script by: Hayao Miyazaki Character designs by: Hayao Miyazaki Music Composer: Masahiko Sato Directed by: Isao Takahata DVD: Region 1 SRP: $14.95 Release date: April 17, 2012 Discs: 1 Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 - 4:3 Full Frame (OAR) Audio: 2.0 Japanese, English Subtitles: English Running Time: 75 Minutes
