More than 50 years after its debut, the classic anime Panda! Go Panda! (“The Adventure of Panda and Friends”) is making a surprise comeback in Japan, filling the panda-shaped void left after the country’s last giant pandas returned to China. 🐼✨

Created in 1972—the same year pandas first arrived at Ueno Zoo—the film was directed by anime legend Isao Takahata, with story concepts by Hayao Miyazaki, and is often seen as the adorable predecessor to My Neighbor Totoro.

Thanks to streaming and renewed panda nostalgia, the film has become a hit again, proving this cozy panda classic still knows how to make generations smile.