Enjoy the taste of a Hayao Miyazaki movie classic.

In 1985, Studio Ghibli was founded by anime directors Isao Takahata, Hayao Miyazaki, and producer Toshio Suzuki. The three had known each other long before that, though, with Takahata and Miyazaki having previously worked on a number of projects together, including the 1972 film Panda Kopanda (“Panda! Go Panda!” for overseas audiences), with Takahata working as director and Miyazaki in charge of the screenplay, layout and scene design.

Though that film predates the founding of Studio Ghibli, the company likes to keep its associations with it alive by releasing related merchandise through its affiliated retail chain, Donguri Kyowakoku. Now, the retail chain is selling what might just be its best Panda Kopanda collection yet, with items to warm both our bellies and our hearts.

▼ The collection begins with the Panda Kopanda Cookie Can Rainy Day Circus Cookies (2,970 yen [US$19.04])

This product brings to life the characters and circus setting from Panda! Go, Panda!: The Rainy-Day Circus, which was released in 1973, a few months after Panda Kopanda.

Inside the circus tent, you’ll find character cookies in the shape of Pan-chan and Tora-chan, otherwise known as Panny and Tiny to overseas audiences.

▼ One of the most exciting products in the lineup is the Panda Kopanda Yasashii Curry (850 yen).

Inspired by the curry that appears in the film, this retort curry pack errs on the sweet side so it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. The word “yasashii” translates as “gentle” so you can rest assured that this curry will be nice and easy on the stomach.

▼ Anime curry, ready in minutes with a quick heating in the microwave or a pot of boiling water.

Making this meal even more sweet is the free original sticker that comes with it. There are four types to collect, with each one distributed at random.

The best way to eat a Japanese curry is with a deep plate, and for this curry, there’s no better choice than the Pandako Panda Nakayoshi Curry Plate (3,080 yen).

With Tora-chan and Pan-chan waiting to greet you at the bottom of the bowl, you’ll be tempted to gobble up the curry just to see them.

▼ When you’ve finished your meal, you’ll see the characters have too.

▼ And on the reverse side, the characters can be seen with their noses in their bowls.

Now that you’ve got your curry and your curry plate, you’ll need a spoon to eat your meal, and there are three to choose from.

▼ For big pandas, there’s the Papanda Wooden Spoon (1,980 yen)

For those who can’t decide whether they want big spoonfuls or small, there’s a middle option called the Mimiko Wooden Spoon (1,320 yen)

▼ And for smaller mouths, there’s the Pan-chan Wooden Spoon (990 yen).

Channel your favourite character with their designated spoon, which is beautifully decorated with their face and name in English on one side…

▼…and the Panda Kopanda (パンダコパンダ) Japanese film title on the other.

▼ Moving away from the dining table, we have the Papanda Caribiner (2,200 yen)

▼ This handy object can be used to hold your keys…

▼…or simply attached to your bag or lanyard for a pop of fun and whimsy.

▼ The opening arm to use the caribiner is as cute as Papanda himself.

▼ Finally, we have a trio of table buddies that are designed to help you with your posture.

▼ Priced at 3,850 yen each, we have Papanda…

▼ …Pan-chan…

▼…and Tora-chan.

These soft plushies will keep you sitting straight and prevent you from slouching while you work.

The way they hang off the edge of the table makes them seem as if they’re about to spring to life!

▼ Cute face-on, and butt-on too.

With a collection as good as this, it’ll be hard to choose which items to go home with, but you won’t want to dilly dally as they go on sale at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online, in limited numbers, from 10 a.m. (JST) on 18 January.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku 
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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