Panda! Go Panda! The Rainy Day Circus 1973 B4 Japanese Speed Poster
This is a Japanese B4 Speed Poster (10.1" x 28.7") for the 1973 Japanese animated short film Panda! Go Panda!: The Rainy-Day Circus (Panda Kopanda: Amefuri Sâkasu no Maki), released in 1973. This film is a sequel to the 1972 original and was created by the legendary duo behind Studio Ghibli: written and designed by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Isao Takahata.
The poster features the main character Mimiko, Papa Panda, Panny (the baby panda), and Tiny the tiger cub, who escapes from a local circus and joins the trio. The plot follows Mimiko and her panda family as they visit a local circus and eventually deal with a major flood. Produced by TMS Entertainment, the film was part of the "panda craze" in Japan during the early 1970s following the arrival of giant pandas at the Ueno Zoo.
NOTE: This work is considered a precursor to later Ghibli masterpieces like My Neighbor Totoro, sharing similar themes and whimsical character designs.