Panda! Go Panda!

blissfire Nov 24, 2016

7

Story Little orphan Mimiko is left alone when her grandma has to leave, but instead of being sad, is cheerful and quite capable of taking care of herself. A baby panda and his panda papa wander into Mimiko's yard and she ends up adopting them as family. It's a cute little tale of constructing your own extraordinary found family and keeping it. Kind of wish-fulfillment for the kindergarten set. Animation The animation is so charmingly old-fashioned I was smiling right from the dancing pandas in the beginning credits. It's simple and not overly detailed, but works well as a children's film. Sound The audio has a bit of that scratchy sound of old films and records, but that adds to its charm. The "Panda, Papanda, Kopanda" song is incredibly repetitive, but shockingly not annoying! Definitely something you would imagine kids loving to sing along with. Characters The characters are pretty one-dimensional, but it's a film for young children, so that's to be expected. There are no villains and everyone is likeable enough. Overview This probably would have been my favourite thing if I'd seen it when I was four or five. I like kids' shows that don't end with a depressing "lesson" about giving up the magic - Mimiko keeps her magical, unrealistic life, as she should. A good watch when you want something relaxing and nostalgic-feeling.

angelsreviews Aug 6, 2013

6

This is such a cute little story like My Neighbor Totoro. It’s pretty much about a young girl who ends up getting a father in a Panda and his little child. The whole thing feels a bit odd though, and Papa Panda feels rather awkward to the point that I feel like crying out ‘RAPE!’ since he feels a lot like pedo bear. The little panda is alright though, since he is way too cute and doesn’t really do anything wrong. I’m not sure about the cute little girl, Mimiko. She for some reason likes to stand on her hands and show her panties all the time. Everyone around her gets weird-d out by the panda’s but even when they first show up, she was alright with them. I really wonder what her Grandmother is thinking when she gets all the letters from her granddaughter talking about being with pandas and tigers. I would be scared to death for her. The animation is really playful and not that detailed. Perfect for a child’s show from 1972. Everything does this odd squash and stretch thing and sometimes don’t keep their shape all to well. The backgrounds are much more detailed then the characters. Some artwork is looped a bit as well and consistency is broken many times. The English voices are ok though again, Papa Panda feels awkward to the point I want to call out rape. Other voices are so-so. I really do like Mimiko’s voice though; it is pretty perfect for this odd girl.