Panda Go Panda

This is a goofy movie. I first saw it late at night at an anime convention as a teenager, and had I been given any food or drink by strangers I would have thought I had been drugged. This movie is a little on the bizarre side. That being said, when I had a child and he got to an age where he could watch movies, this is one of the first titles I bought. I love Miyazaki. This is a great film for young kids. It doesn't teach any obnoxious lessons, it is pure entertainment, and as it is two films, it can be broken up so your child isn't vegging out in front of the TV as long. Also, my son was irrationally obsessed with trains when I bought this, so part two with the amazing unstoppable train was a huge hit. I like this film, and none of the voice acting is as annoying as say, Mei from Totoro.

I got to watch it again after not seeing this movie for 16 years. I had watched it Japanese dub with English subs at the time so it was interesting to watch it in English Dub as well this time. My kids love pandas so they thought it was a good movie and like to dance to the theme song.

These films were definitely designed for younger kids, but for Miyazaki fans who are young at heart, they are simply charming. They also act as a kind of overture to his later masterpieces, and it is interesting to see elements in Panda pop up in a glorious film like "My Neighbor Totoro." Highly recommended.

This movie's bitrate is quite a bit lower than on the Japanese release (approx. 5 megabits per second on average compared to 7) but it's excusable considering that it's on a single-layer disc and has to fit the movie, the 40-minute interview with Isao Takahata, and about 20 minutes of other special features. Panda Go Panda isn't a movie that has many fast-paced action sequences, so it's really not an issue when watching it.The only true problem is that the authoring house set the aspect ratio flag incorrectly for the 13-minute "Panda Go Panda Exhibit" special feature, so the video appears vertically stretched in a 4:3 ratio instead of the player converting the natively anamorphic video into widescreen like it should. Depending on what DVD player and TV you have, you may be able to force the video into a widescreen format by using an adjustable "zoom" function. Even if you can't, the movie itself and the major bonus feature (the Takahata interview) are natively 4:3 full-screen, so they aren't affected by this issue. When you take into account that Eastern Star is a relatively small label, I'm willing to give them a pass in this instance.Before you think about skipping this release and getting the somewhat techinally superior Japanese release, remember this: While the Japanese release has a higher video bitrate as well as English audio and subtitles for the main feature, its extras lack English subtitles. Also note that it costs about $50, which is about 3x what I paid for this release from Eastern Star. As for the previous US release from Pioneer/Geneon, it's long out-of-print and doesn't have any substantial extras. Even if it were available at a reasonable price, I'd rather own this release instead.All said, considering that I didn't have any hope of ever getting Panda Go Panda at a reasonable price after Pioneer/Geneon went out of business, I give a sincere tip of the hat to Eastern Star for rescuing the license to this and putting out a very good DVD. Thumbs up!

Disclaimer: I’m a huge Miyazaki fan and I am obsessed with all things panda. I love this movie, but I am the first to admit the plot line is super weird. TL;DR - grandma leaves 8 year old home alone for several days to attend her husband’s funeral, and an escaped zoo panda moves into the house and becomes the girl’s surrogate dad. SO WEIRD. It’s probably not for everyone. But the Totoro fans out there will like Papa Panda, as he shares many of Totoro’s defining characteristics and personality traits.

Love Ghibli films and this is a very cute addition to the collection. This is NOT a full length film, but a 2 episode DVD. Its a sweet story about a little girl and the 2 pandas that become her family. It's geared for younger kids, so don't expect a sweeping epic like "Howl's Moving Castle" or "Spirited Away" etc. but it is a great starter for younger, just starting out Ghibli fans! I would say an audience age range of 3-8 (but the adults will enjoy watching along).This is the ENGLISH DUBBED VERSION, not just Japanese with subtitles.

Folks, this is pure Showa-period (1970s Japan) kids' entertainment by the master animator Miyazaki Hayao who did this movie for his own children. If you enjoy anime this is a good example of when it was starting to emerge as a serious form of entertainment in Japan. My 5 and 9 year old daughters love it, so you can see who the audience is. Finally, it's good, harmless, simple fun, and is a movie and story that you won't have to worry about letting your kids watch -- a genuine G-rated movie. Highly recommended.

My 6 and 3 year olds love this. Has that Ghibli power that makes kids sit down and be quiet for 90 mins.

I bought this for our baby girl for her first christmas. Ive seen this movie before and loved it. Very happy with the seller and the quality. Thanks!

大人がみても楽しめます^_^2歳の子供も楽しくみています！！

All the family go mad for this dvd. It's two episodes on one disk, we broke our last dvd (maybe wore it out) so this was a replacement. If you like studio ghibli films, Japanese animation or pandas you may love this.A young girl stays behind to stay at school while her grandma goes away, she is full of fun and adventure and meets a daddy panda and his son who are looking for a new home.In ep. 2 the little girl, baby panda and papa panda find a circus has come to town and meet some new friends.I especially recommend for ages 2-6 but my 8 yr old sometimes still watches too.

Le premier Miyazaki, une perle!! Un dessin animé pour les plus petits mais aussi avec une seconde lecture pas déplaisante pour les adultes fans du genre et de l'auteur!

Love this! Perfect for a three year old. Not as much action and flashing lights in front of the screen. Cute story line, and creative characters. Predates Totoro.