6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Mimiko, a seven-year-old girl, is left home alone after seeing her grandmother off on a trip. Returning home, she discovers a pair of pandas — Panny and his father, Papa Panda. Mimiko quickly becomes friends with the pandas and the three form a surrogate family, partaking in numerous adventures in the process.
Director: Isao TakahataForeign | 100% |
Anime | 86% |
Family | 17% |
Short | 6% |
Comedy | 1% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.36:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
English, English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Looking to make something adorable and approachable during the panda craze of the 1970s, director Isao Takahata and writer Hayao Miyazaki dream up a pair of short films in 1972’s “Panda! Go Panda!” and “Rainy Day Circus.” The tales are directly aimed at a young audience open to the primary- colored world of a little girl and her adventures with two pandas she befriends, giving the production opportunities to play with slapstick and cuteness overload as they cook up mild activities for the characters. There’s defined weirdness here that’s perhaps best left unexplored, but kids are almost guaranteed to enjoy the endeavors, which go out of their way to deliver spirited antics with broad personalities.
The AVC encoded image (1.36:1 aspect ratio) presentations for "Panda! Go Panda!" and "Rainy Day Circus" retain their bright, pleasant artistry for this release. Colors are clear and appreciable, delivering crisp primaries with the cartoon atmosphere of the feature. Mimiko's orange hair is a highlight, along with the balance of black and white on the pandas. Animation textures are retained, and the source is in good condition.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA English mix provides a sharp listening experience for both short films, offering crisp voices and comfortable emphasis with dialogue exchanges. Scoring selections and theme song repetition is also clear, with defined vocals and instrumentation. The original Japanese track is present as well, and age is more obvious, with a slightly muddier quality.
Both shorts are meant to delight children, and that's the extent of the entertainment value, with the production playing with broad reactions and bright colors, working to remain loveable, nothing more. There's charm in such a simple artistic approach, and the animation is delightful, but there's a limit to such hyperactivity, and both shorts find it quickly.
2018
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