More than a decade before co-founding Studio Ghibli, Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki helped create a humble children's anime called Panda! Go Panda!. Later this month Tokyo's Akihabara UDX Theatre will host a special one-off screening of his upcoming film Panda Go Panda!Rainy Day Circus.

Released in 1973, Panda! Go Panda! Rainy Day Circus is one of the earliest pre-Ghibli projects written by Hayao Miyazaki. As detailed by Natalia, the event is being organized by Dreampass, a popular Japanese website where fans can petition to have older films shown in theaters. The Akihabara UDX theater will screen the film on May 25. Following the show, Studio Ghibli animator Yu Honda and acclaimed film scholar Seiji Kano will take the stage together to discuss the film and the legendary anime icon who contributed to its creation. Dreampass will continue to sell tickets for the screening through May 23.

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Before Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki worked as an animator for Toei Animation and more

During the early years of his animation career, Hayao Miyazaki worked as an animator for Toei Animation. He later also worked for Fuji Television Network and Nippon Animation, helping the studios create popular series such as Heidi, Girl of the Alps (1974) and Marco: From the Apennines to the Andes (1976) – both works cited as childhood favorites by acclaimed film director Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, The shape of water). In 1972, Miyazaki teamed up with director Isao Takahata (Horus: Prince of the Sun, Only yesterday) to write the script for Panda! Go Panda!, a 30-minute film produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha (TMS Entertainment) and A Production. A year later Miyazaki returned to write the film's sequel Rainy Day Circus.

The plot of Panda! Go Panda! & Rainy Day Circus, the spiritual predecessors of My Neighbor Totoro

Panda! Go Panda! revolves around Mimiko, a young girl who lives alone next to a bamboo forest. One day, a father panda and his baby panda wander into her garden. Delighted, Mimiko invites them in. After spending a fun day together, Mimiko decides to join Papa Panda's family. In Rainy Day Circus, A small tiger named Tora-chan appears alone in the trio's house. Realizing that this means the circus has come to town, the family runs off with their new companion. As they arrive, the sky fills with clouds and it begins to rain. However, this does not dampen the group's fun. The films have a lighthearted, light-hearted tone that is very reminiscent of the fan-favorite film. My Neighbor Totoro, which Hayao Miyazaki wrote and directed. Papa Panda still has a toothy grin that can make viewers very attentive Totorotitular creature.

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GKIDS, the North American distributor of Studio Ghibli, has acquired the licensing rights to Panda! Go Panda! in 2022 – 50 years after the film’s Japanese premiere. In honor of the franchise’s 50th anniversary, GKIDS has gifted Ghibli lovers with new HD remasters of both films, releasing them as a single 75-minute film. In addition, the company has also given Panda! Go Panda! a brief theatrical run in North America. While Panda! Go Panda! is not currently available to stream, the shorts can be rented or purchased digitally via Google Play and Prime Video. Viewers in the US and Japan can stream the Studio Ghibli films on Max. Netflix streams the films for viewers in Canada, Europe, the UK, Africa, Australia, and several other major territories.

Source: Natalie in comics