Although I'm a Takahashi Rumiko fan, I've only ever read the first volume of the original manga and only really watched a few random episodes of the anime. From what I could tell, this special stuck pretty close to these as far as a two-hour special possibly could. Yes, it would of been nice to have some more sophisticated effects (like, maybe a CG panda instead of a panda suit) but really...it felt like watching a manga to me so I guess that means success in this case! The cast is pretty awesome (mostly familiar faces) and I felt it was enjoyable overall (if not somewhat eye-roll inducing). You just have to go with it. If you are a BIG fan of the original you probably will hate it (isn't that usually the case?) but casual fans and newbies alike will probably find something to like.