DOKAN 6/Dokan 06.iso/Webs/www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/file-archive/p-kopanda.review

Internet Message Format | 1998-09-05 | 5KB

Date: Sat, 20 Jul 1996 19:20:25 -0700
From: "Eric J. Henwood-Greer" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Panda Kopanda review

Finally, here it is:)  The Panda Kopanda review!  (I watched it about a
week ago so some of my thoughts may seem a bit fuzzy, and the usual
warnings of my reviews should be taken in affect for this, as it probably
well get pretty rambly)

For those who don't know, Panda Kopanda and Panda Kopanda and the Rainy
Day Circus, were two 30 minute featurettes, directed by Takahata and
written by Miyazaki, that were released theatrically int he early 70's.
I have heard some say they came out on TV and not theatrically, but,
though the video is pan and scan, in some scenes like the credits it's
obvious you're missing some of the picture on either side (ryo-san, do
you know before)?

The main interest for this film for Ghibli otakus, and the one that's
made it rather infamous among fans who haven't watched it than other obscure
Miyazaki/Takahata anime is that it's often called a Totoro prototype.  It
definetly is, but the two films are so vastly different, and I don't
think PK would appeal to all fo the same audience of Totoro.

Both featurettes start with similar credits, and the same song.  this is
one of the most infectious songs I have /ever/ heard, not so much for
it's beat, or even memorable melody like many anime songs, but for it's
simple, child-like tune and easy to remember chorus of "Panda Kopanda
Kopanda" (repeat ad finitum:) ).  The opening sequence for both PK and
Totoro (which are basically the same, with individual, brightly colored cards,
with the credits and around the credits, cute [often adorable] pictures of the
films lead cahracters in funny poses, etc) stike me as quite similar,
and I think it must be because this song in a way reminds me of the
compartively far more complex "Sampo" (the OP for Totoro of course).  And
the actual drawings remind me as similar, I guess they're in a similar
style to the cutsiefied (almost super deformed) Mei and the animals in
the Totoro OP.  Also PK's starts with a row of bouncily aniamted Pandas
who join together and explode (as it were, though I mean explode
abstractly:) ) to reveal the title, much as the Totoro's bounce and turn
into the characters for the title of Totoro, and in both OPs near the
middle we see the bouncing characters again briefly.

Anyway that basic plot is that Meiko's grandma is leaving to visit some
friends, and must leave little Meiko by herself (!!).  Meiko is quite
small, I guess around Mei's age, and reminds me of Pippi Longstocking,
both with her red hair and pig tails (tho they don't stick right out like
Pippi's) the fact that she lives alone and her playful attitude when
trouble or problems occur.  Myabe she was a remnent left from Takahata
and Miyazaki's ill-fated Pippi feature?

After finally prsuading her Grandma to leave, and seeing her off on the
train, Meiko returns home to find by her house a tiny, baby panda.  It
turns out he's alive (Kopanda), and they quickly become friends and then
big Panda arrives.  And he's big:)  But very friendly, and he becomes as
it were Meiko's surrogate father while her Granma's away, and Meiko
becomes something of Kopanda's mother, although she truly seems to be
mother for the big Panda as well.  Many really CUTE adventures, and
little scenes happen between them, then Meiko's policeman friend sees the
panda and is afraid it seems that he's dangerous to Meiko.  But in the
end of course it ends happily with a
reprise of the song:)  The sequel, Panda Kopanda and the Rainy Day Circus
is quite similar, with Grandma away (unexplainably) again, but this time
with a circus arriving (complete with a cute baby Tiger who becomes fast
friends with Kopanda), and a rainy day that rains so much that the rain
floods up to Meiko's house, and with Panda's help she saves the Circus
animals who are trapped in the circus train under water.

Both short films are incdrible innocent fun to watch:) The second being
the better of the two overall (in fact I think my memories of the first
are clouded and overshadowed by the second).  The aniamtion style will
tell you from the start that it's quite different from Totoro.  Imagine
all of Totoro animated int he style that it's opening is done in and you
begin to get the picture.  No pains are taken to making backgrounds or
anythign look realistic, and Meiko almost has an agressive tho compellign
cuteness:)  (Whenever she's really happy she stands on her hands with her
legs int he air stretched right out, something Kopanda often tries to do
and finalyl sucessds in doing,a dn Panda himself tries on numerous
occasions to disastrous results.  The baby Tiger can do it too but by
standing on his tail [CUTE:)] )  The story really is quite
straightforward and complex, I don't see how any real meanings could be
breathed into this, it's just *fun*.  I think this may be what Miyazaki
had in mind for his original plan of Totoro which would be for
preschoolers and be quite short.  Because of these reasons I don't think
it has the adult appeal Totoro does, tho it doesn't suffer the fate of
many things for kids here, in that adults can enjoy it even by themselves
and not feel embarassed or insulted by it:)  Oh, one more Totoro
comparison, Kopanda, Meiko and even the little Tiger jump and "stick"
onto Panda much like the girls do to Totoro

"Panda Kopanda, Kopanda...."

Eric