Mawaru Penguindrum (END) – 92 points

“When shit finally got real”

Mawaru Penguindrum is about three siblings who gets revolved around by something they like to call “fate”. Himari died of sickness but was brought back to life by a penguin hat they bought at the aquarium. The penguin hat now demands that they obtain the “Penguindrum” so that Himari could live.

Of course this is like the easiest to understand what Penguindrum’s plot is. Frankly no one can probably really state how the plot of Penguindrum works (except Ikuhara I guess). What’s worse is, unlike Revolutionary Girl Utena who builds up on patterns, Penguindrum builds up on non-patterns (what?). Its very unconventional, unpredictable and unbalanced.  For example, the transformation sequence was a weekly thing until Ringo varied it by defying the penguin queen (also almost killing Himari by accident). Then the whole show started revolving on Ringo and her “sister” which weirdly was the main plot of the first half. Then they started ignoring her to focus on some side characters. One time, it even seemed like Ringo was more important than Himari. The plot really went tipsy but the strange thing is. . . I LOVED IT. I love how unconventional, unpredictable and unbalanced it is. I love how they focused so much episodes on Ringo which was frankly the best episodes of the series. I love how the show always manages to bring something different to the table. In that sort of sense, this series rocks.

The series is also crazy awesome when it comes to its animation. They make wicked sets, varied background designs, and different art styles all together. This keeps changing in each episodes. In a weird way its like a Shaft animu that makes sense and no meguca derpmation.

The characters are good but they don’t have that touch that makes them lovable characters. There’s nothing in Kanba, Shouma or Himari that can make you say “oh I love them” especially when comparing it to character-centric anime like Steins;Gate or Anohana. Of course Ringo is an exception. All those episodes really paid off on her. She made me smile, made me freak out, made me question myself, and made me see a new side to stalkers. Also some of the side characters have really nice ante.

All in all, what can I say? Mawaru Penguindrum is definitely the best anime that aired all through summer; it had a lot of things I wish an anime would be. So with this review over, here comes my awesome rating scale!

Rating:

Execution: 38/40 (Almost flawless- in a very twisted way)

Engagement: 28/30 (Probably the only anime in Summer and Fall that made me download the night it aired)

Characters: 16/20 (Not the best but Ringo and a few side characters make up for it)

Production: 10/10 (Most creative this year.)

Overall: 92/100

 

Epic Masako – BADASS IMOUTO OF THE YEAR

BADASS IMOUTO OF THE YEAR.

(If Penguinqueen doesn’t count)

Mawaru Penguindrum – 20

Notes taken while watching the episode:

The three siblings aren’t actually related at all (kinda like Momoka, Tabuki, and Yuri).

Shouma found Himari (Not Kanba as we anticipated since the beginning of the series)

Kanba is Masako’s brother

What I’m speculating:

The dad is also Masako’s dad.

Nothing else really. Its hard to speculate on an anime that’s very unpredictable.

 

The thing that I guess I liked the most in this episode, is the cute relationship of Shouma and Himari. Though I kinda lol’d how they’re speaking of such difficult terms when they’re fucking kids.

Well with that out of the way. . .

I’m dropping on blogging Chihayafuru and Fate/Zero. I’m just totally dissatisfied with the few posts I’ve made with these two series. Maybe with this I can concentrate more in actually making a proper Penguindrum post; which admittedly is a lot of fun to talk about.

Don’t get me wrong though, I love F/Z and Karutashoujoanimu.

I LOVE PENGUINDRUM

Fucking awesome plot twists. MINDBLOWN every week.

*excuse to not write a proper post.

Mawaru Penguindrum – 18

Tabuki doesn’t fit as a GOOD villain. There’s no interesting twists or anything, its just some sort of revenge without any proper build-up for us. I felt bad for the Kanba, Shouma and Himari, you really see what they have to cope up with as their payment for their parents’ bad deeds.

The episode itself looked amazing though. I love the Yumekui Merry-type of art style inserted (courtesy of its director) and the character designs seems more lovely than usual.

Also I wanted to see more of Yuri VS. Masako.

Thoughts on Mawaru Penguindrum

Again its another show that I haven’t been able to watch in 720p as much as I want; its kind of a shame since everything that’s happening as of late in Penguindrum is just so damn awesome.

Character Status:

Masako: She’s not really evil; she’s just dumb. I kinda like her motivations the best out of all the diary seekers, since she just wants to cure Mario. Sure she’s a creepy stalker, but an awesome one at that.

Yuri: Seeing the latest episode (17), she hasn’t gone down the hole as a certain someone. I’m very creeped out though that she tried to rape Ringo, moreso that she might be a transversite (though very unlikely). Her anger to the Takakuras is somehow justified but she’s not the one I’m worried about. . . Her epic confrontations with Masako though is just awesome.

Tabuki: I knew it; I FUCKING KNEW IT! He’s the scary one. You kinda suspected that he was hiding something since he is the closest one to Momoka, but the fact that he’s so composed to what’s happening as of late is just bordering on creepy. I definitely got it correct when he revealed in this episode that he plans on ending Himari.

Ringo: The first half of the show made us feel that she’s the craziest character, but the lesser role she has as of late really toned her down. It also helps that she’s in love with Shouma, which I find really cute. “I’m Shouma’s stalker now” DÁWWWW.

Shouma: Its safe to say he’s the most normal character in the series. No weird gambits, no hidden desires; he really just wants to protect Himari. I got a bit pissed at him when he started going all emo at Ringo but he did repent at it.

Kanba: We still don’t know much about Kanba until now. What the show tells us is that he loves Himari “the incest way” and he’s part of those masked men who will change the world. He also has a past with Masako and not just someone being stalked, and with what the OP indicates, his path is different with Shouma’s and Himari.

Himari: She’s our naive main character, but her penguin hat ver. makes you think twice on what Himari really is. In what I can infer, her sickness is her being the sheep chosen by the curse of which their dad paid for doing terrorism. The hat on the other hand has some sort of relationship with Dr. Sanetoshi and Momoka. I do love that she’s very foul-mouthed.

Dr. Sanetoshi: He’s the variable of the series. What he wants will probably solve a lot of questions in Penguindrum. What is revealed so far is that he wants to change the world, from the screwed-up now, to a better tomorrow. Also its somewhat inferred that he loves Momoka.

Momoka: Another variable in the story, its revealed that she uses the diary to switch fates. We know what she did with Yuri’s, but what we don’t know is what she did with the terrorism. Did she disappear so that there would be less damage on the terrorism or did she fail?

So I think that’s basically everyone. I am so intrigued with this show, that its probably of legendary status as of now. I just can’t wait on what happens every week!

Mawaru Penguindrum – 14

I THINK THE WRITERS OF THIS SHOW ARE ON DRUGS.

.

.

.

. . .In a good way though I think.

Subway Sarin Incident – Where Mawaru Penguindrum revolves

As stated in episode 12 of Ping Duramu, the parents of the siblings were terrorists. They apparently caused a train incident causing Momoka’s death. In relation to the Sarin Subway Incident, which happened 16 years ago, its a complete match (also adding to the fact that the subway in Penguindrum shows the number 95). And in that day itself, Kanba, Shouma, and Ringo were born.

Are we enlightened now?

So unto the Mary had a little lamb story, my take on it is that in atonement for the father’s sin on the Apple Tree (somehow the symbolism of him taking the apple (I take it as a symbolism of him having the ability to do what he did), is the sin itself or something) causes God/Fate to choose one of the sheep (Shouma, Kanba, Himari) to be cursed. In this case Fate chose Himari in which leads to her demise.

The meat though is how the hat, the pink hair guy, the bunnies (co-terrorists?), or even the stalker-girl and her brother relate to this. My guess would be that the hats are owned by those who got cursed/the terrorists’ children and that they are trying to find the Penguindrum (is it really the diary, is it?). The pink hair guy himself is probably fate.

So in the end it really twirls around on what happened on that day itself? I really have a new appreciation of Ping Duramu in this episode.

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The non-intelligent part of this post:

OH MY GOD HIMARI DIED! :((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

Mawaru Penguindrum – 11

95 bottles of beer!, you take one down, pass it around-

Penguindrum’s in a roll with more plot revelations than ever. So when Momoka died, Ringo was born, but the reason for Momoka’s death is because of Kanba and Shouma’s birth. So who the hell got that? And there’s even Kanba and that Stalker girl with the cute penguin which I don’t know what the hell to make out of.

Project M = Project Momoka = Project Maternity = Project Mario = WTF?

As much as I’m confused with the recent turn of events, I can’t help but like this series more and more. The artistic direction started flaunting itself since Episode 9, and is really quite the visual candy. They toned down Ringo’s weirdness (People were seriously freaked out with her) and made her more. . . humanly I guess (it still goes in line with her character, its not like she changed or anything but we finally don’t have to see her putting frogs on Shouma’s bac- oh what the fuck am I talking about she fucking face planted herself with a frog this episode).

I’m beginning to think that Survival Strategy is more of just a symbolism in itself. It sort of dictates what the main character’s are supposed to do, kinda like Ringo’s diary. Even in today’s episode, its used to clear out Shouma and Ringo’s intention. That’s quite a genius idea in my opinion.

Rating:♥♥♥♥