MY NEIGHBOR BABY YODA

Studio Ghibli Meets Star Wars in the Cutest Three Minutes of the Year

In honor of Disney+’s third birthday, “My Neighbor Totoro” makers Studio Ghibli created the cutest present: a short film starring Baby Yoda.

Three years ago, our lives changed forever: We met Baby Yoda. Disney+ launched on Nov. 12, 2019, with the Star Wars TV series spin-off The Mandalorian premiering alongside it. In theory, the show is about the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal)—but from the moment that pint-sized version of Yoda appeared, the show became all about that adorable little dude.

To celebrate that auspicious day, Lucasfilm has released a special short all about Baby Yoda, exclusively on Disney+. But this isn’t just a Baby Yoda romp pulled from the set of The Mandalorian. “Zen — Grogu and Dust Bunnies” was produced in collaboration with one of the most talented, storied, creatively successful studios in film: Studio Ghibli. The result is a stunning, charming, incredibly adorable three-minute treasure.

There’s not much to this hand-drawn film, admittedly. Grogu (Baby Yoda’s real name) is meditating, using the Force to levitate off the ground as he becomes one with his inner spirit. Soon, he’s interrupted by a big-eyed, bouncing set of “dust bunnies,” or susuwatari, as they’re known in Japanese. These sprites are iconic Studio Ghibli characters, appearing in the films My Neighbor Totoro and the Oscar-winning Spirited Away.

What follows is an impressionistic, kinetic dance between Grogu and the dust bunnies, as the little Jedi attempts to escape these little nuisances. One gorgeous shot finds Grogu leaping ahead, trying to put more space between himself and the ensuing sprites; when he stops to see if he’s lost them, one dust bunny slams right into his face, knocking him down onto his back. It’s a beautifully illustrated, fluid sequence, right in keeping with the palpable energy that defines Ghibli’s best-known works.

Further distinguishing this cute short is its unique look. This isn’t simply a work of hand-drawn anime; director Katsuya Kondo employed a style reminiscent of Japanese calligraphy, shodo, for “Zen.” The characters are drawn with thick brush strokes, minimal coloring, and upon a background that looks like traditional rice paper. Kondo borrows from authentically, historically Japanese artistic convention for Ghibli’s contribution to Star Wars canon; it’s strikingly brilliant stuff.

Perhaps most importantly, this short is Grogu at his utmost cutest. The final shot is the little green dude making peace with his new sprite pals, after they present him with a peace offering: a pretty flower. After all, if Ghibli is known worldwide for anything, it’s for the studio’s ability to interweave the fantastical with the adorable. That’s a little reductive—movies like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Castle in the Sky are more than just cute. They’re among the most evocative, well-constructed, uniquely satisfying films ever made, regardless of medium. But they are also pretty darn cute, as is my guy Baby Yoda.

If you have three minutes—and you absolutely do if you’ve made it all the way down here—you owe it to yourself to watch this peaceful, perfect little short. Do it for Baby Yoda.

Allegra FrankDeputy Entertainment Editor

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