Remember when we said Star Wars and Studio Ghibli had a secret project in the pipeline… Well, it’s already here and it isn’t what we imagined at all- in a good way, of course. It seemed likely that it would be Star Wars related, but we had no idea what was coming. The brand new animated short simply titled Zen- Grogu and Dust Bunnies is completely hand-drawn and features music from the wonderful Ludwig Goransson, The 3 minute short is available to stream on Disney+ now and it is wonderful.
Zen- Grogu and Dust Bunnies actually debuts on Disney+ on the third anniversary of The Mandalorian, so it seems fitting this this short revolves around our precious little Grogu. The short follows Grogu who is suddenly visited by a group of dust bunnies. Studio Ghibli fans will recognise the dust bunnies (also known as Susuwatari) from My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away. It’s literally the perfect crossover.
Like we said, it isn’t what we expected but it is still incredibly cute. While very short, it perfectly captures that Ghibli aesthetic and applies it to one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe. What’s interesting is that this is their first collaboration with Star Wars. There have been other collaborations with a variety of Japanese animation studios through Visions, and the second season of Visions will be going global instead rather than staying strictly in Japan, but a partnership with Studio Ghibli could open many unique doors. Could this be the beginning of something rather special?
Have you watched Zen- Grogu and Dust Bunnies? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Zen- Grogu and Dust Bunnies is directed by Katsuya Kondo and is available to stream now on Disney+.
