Hayao Miyazaki is a film legend who has created a plethora of amazing animated titles that have gone on to be regarded as some of the best films of all time. It's no wonder why anime fans constantly try to watch every and any animated film he's released in order to understand his creative mind. But if only Miyazaki fans knew that there was one film that they probably haven't seen yet!
As reported by CBR, Panda Go Panda! - Rainy Day Circus, the follow-up film to Miyazaki's collaborative project Panda! Go Panda!, is one of the few films that most Miyazaki fans don't know about. This is because the 1973 film has since been buried under the weight of the popularity that films like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and other Miyazaki films have garnered.
Panda Go Panda! - Rainy Day Circus to re-release in Japan
Another reason why the film is considered rare is due to the fact that it is a children's anime, meaning those who may have been young enough to watch it may not remember it. After all, with the anime film being hard to locate it's natural that people forget it if they can't rewatch it when they want. Fortunately, there will be no more forgetting, as Panda Go Panda! - Rainy Day Circus is returning for a lucky bunch to watch!
As reported by the media outlet, this 1973 Hayao Miyazaki film will only be available to screen at Japan's Akihabara UDX theater on Saturday, May 25. Fans who are lucky enough to screen this film will have the special opportunity to hang out after the re-release to hear the discussion between Studio Ghibli's Yu Honda and film researcher Seiji Kano about the film.
Tickets are available to purchase until Thursday, May 23.
Panda Go Panda! - Rainy Day Circus is perfect for My Neighbor Totoro fans
Panda Go Panda! - Rainy Day Circus is a story of found family and the fun that can come with being a part of a new and interesting collection of people. It's also perfect for those who love movies that include adorable animals who have very human traits.
Read more on the official synopsis here (via Academy Museum):
"An early collaboration with Hayao Miyazaki, Takahata’s two Panda! Go Panda! films were made at the height of Japan’s early 1970s panda craze. The first film follows free-spirited redhead Mimiko, whose resemblance to Pippi Longstocking is surely not accidental, as she discovers a baby panda asleep in the bamboo grove near her house. [...] In The Rainy Day Circus, the panda family adds a new member, big-eared baby tiger Tiny, and embarks on a journey to rescue an entire train of other circus animals."Academy Museum
See this and more in the trailer for the rare film below!
Hopefully, Panda Go Panda! - Rainy Day Circus will be available for all fans to watch in the near future. Until then, if you're in Japan and are near the Akihabara UDX theater, be sure to purchase a ticket to avoid missing out on this title!