Las aventuras de Panda y sus amigos

This short film from Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, who would go on to create Studio Ghibli, is centred on seven year old Mimiko. When the grandmother she lives with goes away she must live alone for a while. She isn't frightened though. When she returns home to her house in a bamboo grove she is surprised to find a panda cub, which she names Pan-chan (Panny in the subtitles), outside. She quickly befriends him. Shortly afterwards the cub's father, dubbed Papa, turns up and they form a somewhat unlikely family. We then get fun antics as Panny follows Mimiko to school and the authorities turn up looking for Papa and Panny.

I suspected this would be even more aimed at children than 'My Neighbour Totoro' and 'Ponyo'; perhaps it is but it is so charming that is can be enjoyed by all ages, much like those two films I mentioned. The film might not have the detail of Ghibli's films but it is clear that the style is developing already; most obviously how Totoro looks quite similar to Papa Panda. There are only three main characters, of which only Mimiko and Papa speak, they are a lot of fun to watch as they interact with each other and get up to mild antics... I was particularly amused by Panny's troubles at school. Overall I thought this was utterly charming; a great way to introduce very young children to the delights of anime as well as being a lot of fun for any fan of Miyazaki and Takahata.

These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.