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(http://i.imgur.com/xbaU9.jpg)
輪るピングドラム: Mawaru-Penguindrum
artist source (http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=21519679)
Current status: Episode 23 and isn't it electrifying~?
This is a thread for discussion of the craziest show of the 2011 summer lineup, Mawaru Penguindrum, which airs every Thursday. I foresee that there's quite a bit of room for discussion of this series, given that several people here are watching this, so I feel this merits its own thread. Let's talk about the series and theorize like crazy.
Do note, spoiler warning is in full effect here, in both directions; friends who haven't watched up to the latest episode might encounter unmarked spoilers, even as much as this thread should try to keep everything important in spoiler tags. There is such thing as the "recent posts" function, after all. Theories should also be marked in spoiler tags just in case.
Useful links:
Official website (http://penguindrum.jp/)
Penguindrum wiki (http://penguindrum.wikia.com/wiki/Mawaru_Penguindrum_Wiki)
Ongoing novel translation project (http://ninteenpointzerofour.wordpress.com/penguin-drum/)
Right, I think that's it. Let's initiate the survival strategy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVfHcFwpsFc), folks!
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Episode 11 wasn't nearly as mindscrew as episode 10, thankfully. I don't think my mind could have handled much more of that.
By the way, Kero Tabuki = the greatest moment in anime history.
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I have been in love with this show ever since it started, and it keeps getting more and more crazy as it goes. <3
Sooner or later, I should post the list of recurring themes and theories I've collected so far in here.
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WELCOME TO ROCK N ROLL NIGHT
WELCOME TO ROCK N ROLL FIGHT
I'M JUST A ROCK N ROLL MAN
WE'RE JUST A ROCK N ROLL BAND
ORETACHI HA MICHINARI NI
HASHIRITSUZUKETE KITA
HYOUSHIKI DARAKE NO MICHI WO
TOBASHITSUZUKETE YUKU
IKUTSUMO NO MACHI WO NUKE
UTAITSUZUKETE KITA
FUNUKE YAROUTOMO WO AORITSUZUKETE YUKU
NAGAI NAGAI FUYU GA TOKETE MO KAZE GA FUKU
IMA MO IMA MO HAGESHIKU KAZE GA FUKU
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By the way, Kero Tabuki = the greatest moment in anime history.
Wait what? Kero Tabuki scared the crap out of me. ;-; That nightmarish face he was giving Ringo was terrifying, especially after she decided she didn't want to sleep with him and he still came after her. Brr. :<
Sooner or later, I should post the list of recurring themes and theories I've collected so far in here.
We haven't stayed up talking and theorizing for hours for no reason, dude. Go for it. /o/
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We haven't stayed up talking and theorizing for hours for no reason, dude. Go for it. /o/
Sure, just gotta organize it a bit. I shall edit them in later.
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Wait what? Kero Tabuki scared the crap out of me. ;-; That nightmarish face he was giving Ringo was terrifying, especially after she decided she didn't want to sleep with him and he still came after her. Brr. :<
I thought it was hilarious. Then again, this is coming from the same kid who laughed his ass off at all the bugs in the King Kong remake.
Edit: To be more specific, I meant just that "kero" sound he made when she turned him down.
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Wait what? Kero Tabuki scared the crap out of me. ;-; That nightmarish face he was giving Ringo was terrifying, especially after she decided she didn't want to sleep with him and he still came after her. Brr. :<
mte, he was being creepy as hell
I enjoyed the gratuitous violence though.
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Sure, just gotta organize it a bit. I shall edit them in later.
All right, here's what I have written down:
Recurring themes, and potential symbolism, if any so far:
Stars seem to show up a lot, especially in the earlier episodes.
Fate, of course, is a recurring theme.
Apples - the universe. See episode 1, around 5:32.
Penguins - a link to the subconscious? (see below)
95 - reference to the 1995 sarin gas attack
Subways - reference to the 1995 sarin gas attack
Fairy Tales; Plays - I've been seeing these as symbols of delusion-- Ringo's, especially.
Drowning - Early on, there seemed to be a lot of arrows pointing toward this. Honestly, I included it because of
the Utena Movie
.
Cockroaches: Corruption beneath the surface of things. Apples also rot from the inside out.
Food; Oral fixations: There is a lot of food in this series, and I don't think one episode goes by where someone isn't eating something.
Animals - penguins aside, there seem to be quite a few animals showing up in this series, especially
the hunting trophies at Masako's house.
Two of the more solid theories we had while watching:
Just as Ringo sees herself as the reincarnation of Momoka, Shouma and Kanba are reincarnations of the terrorists who caused the sarin gas attacks. Note how
Shouma blames himself for Momoka's death, even though he, Kanba, and Ringo herself were born on the same day, the day of the attack.
. Also, note what Shouma's penguin is doing the whole time near the end of episode 11 (this also makes sense with the following theory)...
Aside from episode 1 and when Shouma and Kanba attach cameras to them in episode 2, the Takakuras don't seem to notice their penguins, even though they are ever-present around them-- not only that, but at times, they sort of reflect the personalities of their owners. In this sense, the penguins could sort of symbolize the subconscious minds of their owners. For example. Kanba is shown to be a playboy of sorts, #1 is a pervert. Shouma is certainly superego-oriented, #2 is constantly seen spraying the cockroaches early on. If cockroaches symbolize corruption, it can be sort of seen as Shouma being the one trying to hold everything together. #2 is also the one that is always, always eating something-- could it show a deeper selfish/gluttonous side of Shouma? #3 tends to do Himari things. Esmerelda (Masako's penguin) mimics Masako's not-so-romantic approach to Kanba with #1. In tandem with the previous theory, note what #2 is doing on the subway while Shouma and Ringo are talking. Keeping all of this in mind, I think it's important to keep an eye on the penguins at all times, as they could give cues to what their owners might be thinking, but not actually saying.
Thoughts?
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Well, I definitely think you're on to something with the penguins thing, and at this point the Sarin Gas Attacks theory is as good as confirmed. I'll be sure to keep a close eye on the penguins in the future episodes.
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I pretty much watched all 11 episodes this past week, and now I'm kinda obsessed with this show. I can't even remember the last time I've been so excited about an anime. :V
Just as Ringo sees herself as the reincarnation of Momoka, Shouma and Kanba are reincarnations of the terrorists who caused the sarin gas attacks. Note how
Shouma blames himself for Momoka's death, even though he, Kanba, and Ringo herself were born on the same day, the day of the attack.
. Also, note what Shouma's penguin is doing the whole time near the end of episode 11 (this also makes sense with the following theory)...
Another theory I heard that actually seems kinda plausible is that The siblings' parents were members of Aum Shinrikyo. Which could also explain their mysterious disappearance.
Aside from the love potion thing (I'm surprised it actually worked), what wierded me out the most in this episode was the whole scene with Yuri. She definitely knows way more that she is letting on.
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Another theory I heard that actually seems kinda plausible is that The siblings' parents were members of Aum Shinrikyo. Which could also explain their mysterious disappearance.
I'm currently leaning more towards this as well. Ringo seeing herself as Momoka's reincarnation works because she was born the day Momoka died, so she could think the soul passed right on to her. With Shouma and Kanba, they were born the day of the attack, but as far as I am aware none of the terrorists died that day, so they wouldn't be able to consider themselves reincarnations.
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Aside from the love potion thing (I'm surprised it actually worked), what wierded me out the most in this episode was the whole scene with Yuri. She definitely knows way more that she is letting on.
or she's just awesome
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Another theory I heard that actually seems kinda plausible is that The siblings' parents were members of Aum Shinrikyo. Which could also explain their mysterious disappearance.
Mm, maybe. An alternate version I came up with is that It's not Kanba and Shouma, it's their parents. Maybe they weren't terrorists, but perhaps they were... I dunno, rushing into the hospital for Chiemi to give birth and displaced Momoka at the hospital?
Wait. No. Never mind, even better: One ambulance, two emergencies, and guess who gets in?
Of course, there's also the million-dollar question: How does Himari fit into all of this? Especially with what we learned in episode 9. Sanetoshi, particularly. There's a library out there with all of Himari's thoughts and life experiences? Wut.
In regards to episode 11: I honestly don't see why Yuri's lack of a freaked-out response is so suspicious. People have different reactions to shock, and not expressing any emotion and trying to take things in stride is one of them. Especially since Yuri must have known that something was Definitely Not Right, freaking out might have been counterproductive to discovering what was the matter. Also, she's an actress-- controlling her emotional reactions is part of her skill set.
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Mmm, I'm not sure about the theory about
Kanba and Shouma's parents being one of the terrorists.
On the surface this seems plausible, but when you think about it, this would mean they'd be on the run, and not only would that displace Himari (if not outright nix her birth), but everyone was shown to at least for about 10 years live together as a happy family.
As for me, I'm not one who likes to overthink shows like this in the middle. I find it more fun to be taken along for the ride, so I shall loyally wait for the next episode. :3
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Oh yeah, I forgot that Himari is the youngest of the three. That makes this theory implausible then, yeah.
In that case it's really most likely that Momoka died due to some event that made it in turn possible for Kanba and Shouma to be born without problems.
As for Yuri, she's an actress. I'd imagine she's capable of controlling her emotions very well, so the way she reacted is quite possible for her.
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95 - reference to the 1995 sarin gas attack
Subways - reference to the 1995 sarin gas attack
I thought of this while I was watching it. even if so far nobody has been able to quite work out the details or how it fits into the story, I think the theory is worth holding onto, at least until next week where we'll hopefully learn more. besides, nobody has come up with any other explanation for the numbers and location afaik.
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Mmm, I'm not sure about the theory about Kanba and Shouma's parents being one of the terrorists.
On the surface this seems plausible, but when you think about it, this would mean they'd be on the run, and not only would that displace Himari (if not outright nix her birth), but everyone was shown to at least for about 10 years live together as a happy family.
True, though it's possible that they managed to keep their involvement a secret for a while and someone found out.
Regarding Yuri:
Her lack of showing surprise was interesting, and could have several explanations, but I was also referring to the fact that she somehow knew that Ringo was in love with Shouma. That seemed out of the blue, since iirc the only time she saw the two of them together was on that bird-watching trip when they were both at each other's throats. It made me wonder if she might have been stalking the two of them this whole time.
I was also thinking of the possibility that Yuri is the motorcyclist who stole the other half of the diary in ep. 8, but I remembered that we saw her in the apartment right before that happened
I'm having trouble judging what deserves a spoiler tag and what doesn't. :ohdear:
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True, though it's possible that they managed to keep their involvement a secret for a while and someone found out.
Did we ever get a reason for why little!Himari had to leave school in episode 9? I don't think we did. I am wondering now if they weren't two perfectly normal Aum Shinrikyo members who were caught up in the anti-Aum Shinrikyo feeling after trying to hide their membership for the longest time. Think socialists in the United States and the Red Scare.
Her lack of showing surprise was interesting, and could have several explanations, but I was also referring to the fact that she somehow knew that Ringo was in love with Shouma. That seemed out of the blue, since iirc the only time she saw the two of them together was on that bird-watching trip when they were both at each other's throats. It made me wonder if she might have been stalking the two of them this whole time.
Some people are just really perceptive and good at picking up on things that the observed themselves don't realize, I suppose. Additionally, episode 4 proved that she's relatively possessive of Tabuki (not to the level of Bitch in Sheep's Clothing that those morons at TVTropes think, though-- being a little possessive isn't particularly remarkable for someone in a relationship), and Ringo's constant hanging around him (remember the curry bit in episode 3?) might have made her think a little bit deeper about it. 'sides, what harm could come in guessing? The worst that could happen is Ringo denies her burgeoning crush on Shouma
adamantly. I may not think Yuri is remotely evil, but that's not mutually exclusive to thinking that she is very calculating.
I'm having trouble judging what deserves a spoiler tag and what doesn't. :ohdear:
I like to err on the side of caution, myself, but it's up to you.
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Did we ever get a reason for why little!Himari had to leave school in episode 9? I don't think we did. I am wondering now if they weren't two perfectly normal Aum Shinrikyo members who were caught up in the anti-Aum Shinrikyo feeling after trying to hide their membership for the longest time. Think socialists in the United States and the Red Scare.
Interesting idea.
Considering how, at least to me, it looked like her two friends were having quite the condescending looks on their faces when she left, that might be an explanation. They didn't seem sad or anything as would be expected if Himari had left due to sickness.
Also of note is that scene we saw in Sanetoshi's books with Himari and some boy sharing an apple. I'm still wondering about the situation there, since it looked like either a shelter, with all the people sitting around, or, in light of Ruro's theory, a detention centre maybe?
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Oh, and also one other thing, because I forgot to address it earlier.
I was also thinking of the possibility that Yuri is the motorcyclist who stole the other half of the diary in ep. 8, but I remembered that we saw her in the apartment right before that happened
There's more than one Penguin faction
, remember?* Warning, the third is a potential spoiler. (http://i.imgur.com/5xgaM.jpg) Anyone notice how Kiga looks so similar to the Pingroup label, just with half its face shaded? (This part isn't a spoiler, it's in the OP.)
*And more than one Project M.
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There's more than one Penguin faction
, remember?* Warning, the third is a potential spoiler. (http://i.imgur.com/5xgaM.jpg) Anyone notice how Kiga looks so similar to the Pingroup label, just with half its face shaded? (This part isn't a spoiler, it's in the OP.)
Wow. I cannot believe I had overlooked that detail until you pointed it out. :V Which explains something else I was wondering about: why Masako's penguin
looks different from the others.
Edit:Also of note is that scene we saw in Sanetoshi's books with Himari and some boy sharing an apple. I'm still wondering about the situation there, since it looked like either a shelter, with all the people sitting around, or, in light of Ruro's theory, a detention centre maybe?
I don't quite remember, but was that the same room with the big 'Child Broiler' sign in it? The sign made me think it was an incinerator or something similar. Himari was technically dead during that scene, so maybe it's some kind of portal to the afterlife?
I should probably watch that episode again sometime. It had a lot goin on.
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Edit:I don't quite remember, but was that the same room with the big 'Child Broiler' sign in it? The sign made me think it was an incinerator or something similar. Himari was technically dead during that scene, so maybe it's some kind of portal to the afterlife?
It was a scene with child-Himari, iirc, so it should be one of the real past events that Sanetoshi read about in the books. I don't remember that sign though, might have totally overlooked it wherever it came up :O
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Edit:I don't quite remember, but was that the same room with the big 'Child Broiler' sign in it?
Wait, WHAT? Okay, I definitely need to re-watch that episode, I remember the scene you're talking about but I do NOT recall seeing that sign. Wow.
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I... do not recall this either. What the hell? D:
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Here's the shot I was referring to, (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/171/mawarupenguindrum0920.png/) for anyone who doesn't want to skim through the episode again.
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Just rechecked within the episode before I saw this post. Goddamnit O__O
That's... I don't know what to make of it O__O
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......what.
Damn it, Ikuhara. D:
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Random idea time:
I wonder if Himari's soul mate from that Child Broiler sequence might be Mario. They are both kids that share the same fate of being possessed by the penguinhat after all, which also means they both died, which would work with the idea that was mentioned earlier in the thread that the Broiler room represents some kind of hell or purgatory.
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Here's the shot I was referring to, (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/171/mawarupenguindrum0920.png/) for anyone who doesn't want to skim through the episode again.
Oh wow.
You know, I can't help but think that in many ways, this will be like Utena, in that we'll never get a straight answer on a lot of these questions. Most other stories give in and spill the beans in a revealing episode near the end, but I am not entirely sure we'll get that from Ikuhara. ^^' He's perfectly comfortable leaving us uncomfortable in ambiguity, so...
Still, I get the feeling that going back and rewatching every episode is going to gain so many new dimensions of symbolism before we reach the bottom of this particular rabbit hole.
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This series will definitely be worth a rewatch, though I will wait till it's over for that. I already noticed a number of things that completely eluded me the first time I watched in the single minute of Ep9 I checked earlier. I can't even begin to imagine how it will be to watch everything again once we have answers. As much answers as we will get, anyway, since yeah, probably a lot gonna stay open at this rate.
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Insert songs/OST do want for this series when they're released, love how they're performing classic songs like Daddy's Shoes. Also, finally remembered to order for the first of the Penguindrum novels when I was preordering the blu-rays, according to Ikuhara, there are going to be a total of 3 volumes. Loving the anime so far too, definitely glad it's a 2 cour series.
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You know, I can't help but think that in many ways, this will be like Utena, in that we'll never get a straight answer on a lot of these questions. Most other stories give in and spill the beans in a revealing episode near the end, but I am not entirely sure we'll get that from Ikuhara. ^^' He's perfectly comfortable leaving us uncomfortable in ambiguity, so...
That's honestly a lot of the fun of this series, I like that deliberate vagueness and openness to interpretation.
Also, any word on when Nornir (the OP) will be released as a single if it hasn't already? I'm kinda looking forward to it.
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That's honestly a lot of the fun of this series, I like that deliberate vagueness and openness to interpretation.
Also, any word on when Nornir (the OP) will be released as a single if it hasn't already? I'm kinda looking forward to it.
Single is coming out October 5th in Japan last I checked, so about another week.
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Aww. I thought it was supposed to be out by the end of the month.
Oh well, I love Dear Future so much more than the OP anyway. :*
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The only time I paid attention to the OP was when I was first watching it for all its crazy symbolism.
Until I looked at the lyrics near the end, when the Kiga apple appears, and the lyrics go "Mou sugu kimi ga ai ni kuru you na ki ga shite"
I want to say it was totally unintentional, but with Ikuhara... ???
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Oh, good! I'm glad there's a release date for the single. I was a little worried, considering it took like years to get all of the Utena music out on the market.
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Just saw ep. 12.
The first half of the episode pretty much went as everyone expected
. The second half... I can't even begin to describe.
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episode 12
I hear my brain cells exploding as I try to make sense of this
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Just wrapped up episode 12.
GAH CLIFFHANGERS CLIFFHANGERS GAH
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Episode 12.
.____________________________________.
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I...
Uh.
:ohdear:
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Okay, so I think we can say that
while it's definitely heavily referencing the Aum-incident, the incident in the series is not the *same* (bombs instead of gas etc.), thus I guess there lies the explanation for how the parents will be able to continue family life after it for a while. Maybe noone found out the responsible organization, or at least the members.
As for the rest of the episode... what the heck. Also, SAAAANEEEETOOOOSHIIIIIIII. What's that bastard up to again?
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Okay, so I think we can say that while it's definitely heavily referencing the Aum-incident, the incident in the series is not the *same* (bombs instead of gas etc.),
Yeah, I did definitely notice that. It was mentioned that all they managed to find of Momoka was her diary, which doesn't make sense if it was a sarin gas attack-- it's not like sarin gas incinerates the victim or something.
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Hm, my gut tells me there's a possibility that
Momoka isn't actually dead if they never found the body, which would put a huge wrench in the whole "Ringo is her reincarnation" and Project M business.
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Also,
Mrs. Takakura apparently only gave birth to one boy that day,
if we take it at face value. The cynical part of me thinks that they're gonna use it to justify Kanba/Himari-cest,
but we'll see.
I found the lamb story
pretty interesting. Seems like Mary would be Mr. Takakura, the lambs are the siblings, the rabbits are that shady company/cult/whatever that he worked for, and the stealing of the ashes would be the bombing. So what might be that 'mystical apple tree' that Mr. Takakura risked his children's well-being over? And the Goddess as well? It also showed that Shoma might not be completely right in the head either (which is nice, because he's been the least interesting character in the show up till now imo)
lol at the terrorist attack being codenamed 'Survival Strategy'
All the stuff with Kanba, Penguin Himari and pink-haired dude still confuse the hell out of me
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Also, Mrs. Takakura apparently only gave birth to one boy that day,
if we take it at face value. The cynical part of me thinks that they're gonna use it to justify Kanba/Himari-cest,
but we'll see.
Actually, I think it's the reverse. I think Shouma's adopted, and Himari is Kanba's biological brother, which is still incest.
Speaking of, ALL THOSE SEXUAL METAPHORS AND THAT MOANING
, oh my god. But the BGM during that scene was just soooooooo good. Ikuhara, why do you do this?
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...
......
.........
:getdown:
And I think the connection between the penguins and their owners is pretty much confirmed now.
Also, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the dark bunnies have something to do with the attacks. That still makes me laugh every time I see it. Dark bunnies. Pfft.
One last thing from me: Discontinuity in the diary and what actually happens. In Momoka's diary, she ends up marrying Tabuki if I'm not mistaken, but they were both in Elementary school when she died. Thus, either she was making it up/dreaming about her future, it's her actual fate and she'll either return later on to marry him, it's her actual fate and someone screwed it up, or it's not actually her diary but something put there by someone else. After all, why would a regular diary survive bombings like that, when its owner didn't?
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I just marathoned the show up to episode 12, and I have to say I have not experienced pacing as mad as this since Gurren Lagann. I'll stay away from theorizing and whatnot, but I'll definitely say that with just the tiniest of tonal change (they'd just need to remove the Stripping Disco Princess), this show could be one of the most horrifying things in years, with its extremely thorough and usually straight take on the awful shit people do to each other, and the consequences thereof. Definite kudos to the writers there.
Also, to the spoiler-bar talk upthread: consider that sometimes a penguin is just a penguin. Knowing anime it's probably not, but it's what I'm subscribing to for the moment.
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Actually, I tentatively take back what I said about the dialogue in episode 12
possibly hinting that Shouma is adopted
. According to some other Penguindrum fans I hang out with, the dialogue is very careful to not specify either. Japanese doesn't force that dialogue to assign a single or multiple term to that conversation, so it sounds like a single boy is born but the dialogue is noticeably, awkwardly, very careful to NOT confirm that.
Anyway, IS IT THURSDAY YET?
EDIT: On a less spoilery note, I wonder if/how the antarctic discovery photo in episode 12 is connected to everything. It's worth noting that the photo of the team was of the 36th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition that discovered Yukimarimo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukimarimo).
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naked loli in my brainbase anime
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According to some other Penguindrum fans I hang out with, the dialogue is very careful to not specify either. Japanese doesn't force that dialogue to assign a single or multiple term to that conversation, so it sounds like a single boy is born but the dialogue is noticeably, awkwardly, very careful to NOT confirm that.
I was already wondering about that, but I'm not fluent enough in Japanese yet that I could've made a call on it. Yeah, when the father says "otokonoko" it can mean any unspecified number of boys. I don't share the notion that it was "awkwardly" put in the phrase. It may be awkward for people like us who are used to having words clearly be singular or plural, but given that the father was on the receiving end of the conversation and confirming information the other person gave him, not giving it himself, the way he used the most unspecified term seems pretty normal to me. If he had been telling someone else about the birth, it would have been awkward to not mention some kind of plural, but given the situation it's more of a clever move on part of the writer to use it like that.
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Soooo, episode 13.
My main reaction is once more: SAAAANEEEETOOOOSHIIIIII! What are you up to, you bastard?
Also random thoughts: Could the girl that appeared to Sanetoshi be Momoka? It would certainly fit in with the way all characters are linked somehow. And depending on how you interprete that scene where he sends the girl off, it kinda seems like she is the one possessing the penguin-hat. So that would mean that it's possibly Momoka possessing Himari whenever she turns into the Princess.
Also what the heck happened to Tabuki as a child to cause those scars on his fingers? O__O
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Well, certainly interesting to see Sanetoshi's character and motivations being developed. And I appear to be wrong about
Ikebe's role in things
, although this could change with further revelations.
Also, new ED. While it certainly captures the recent shift in the series's tone, it'll take a while for it to grow on me like Dear Future did.
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Another thing I find interesting is how Shouma and Ringo's relation has their roles pretty much flipped 180 by now.
Ringo has come to terms with the fact that she is not Momoka and won't become her, at least that's how it appears right now, all thanks to Shouma's efforts. But now it's Shouma who is going mental with the guilt for what his parents did and Ringo is the one who tries to comfort him.
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I don't think the Princess of the Crystal is Momoka is the clairvoyant girl. Momoka is probably the clairvoyant, but considering the Princess was asking Sanetoshi about the girl, she probably isn't the Princess as well. What's worth mentioning as well is that in saving Himari's life, it's possible he also saved the Princess. Looked like it was pretty obvious that the Princess was dying as well. The medicine administered is probably something akin to the Princess' power as well. If apples are the universe and the universe is fated, then the apples are fate too. Medicine was totally in an apple. Apples were everywhere this episode.
If you look at Momoka's portrait and compare it to the running girl they're pretty much the same. The sixteen years ago thing (again) is obviously on purpose too. Why weren't they going to be together? Because they both knew she would die. Momoka didn't want to accept the fate of her death and rejected her abilities. This is visualized in how she hides in a bookshelf space, then takes her shoes off. The Princess has evidently shown little interest in Ringo, but she was attempting to get Momoka's diary. Of "fate". What's likely happened is that Momoka put together a diary of what she imagined her life to be if she wasn't going to die, in an attempt to twist her fate. This is why it's continued much past her death, and thus Ringo attempting to follow it to "become Momoka" is very fitting. When she died, Momoka had gotten on the train later that day. It's obvious now that she did this to try and avoid what she thought to be where she would die, although it still happened. Immediately after that revelation the woman says "Luck wasn't with her". The Princess points to the diary being the Penguindrum because she knows Momoka is the clairvoyant and it's one of the only remaining things she possessed when she died, and is a testament to changing fate.
Now that I think about it, it's quite possible that Momoka didn't die, and managed to avoid her own death, which is why the diary was left behind and why there was no trace of her. What's fun is that if that were the case, Tabuki "not believing" Momoka is dead would be right, and he does in fact say it again this episode, that he "still can't believe it happened". Also in that scene, mark the importance of one black cat walking, then three following in line, then another single cat. The three cats are then shown behind the frog, and leaving.
I like how in the ED, Himari is shown twice, and Shouma and Kanba's hand are shown at the end, Kanba's being darkened and red.
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Ah, I see, that clears up a few points. I really don't pay enough attention at times :V
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Watching episode 13 last night, for whatever reason the only thing I was really able to concentrate on was Sanetoshi's fabulous boots. Good god, I want a pair just like them.
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Episode 14......
Heavily implied that Yuri is a hermaphrodite, revealed that she has the other half of Momoka's diary, and she's pushing for the Ringo -> Momoka thing again.
Another thing I find interesting is how Shouma and Ringo's relation has their roles pretty much flipped 180 by now. Ringo has come to terms with the fact that she is not Momoka and won't become her, at least that's how it appears right now, all thanks to Shouma's efforts. But now it's Shouma who is going mental with the guilt for what his parents did and Ringo is the one who tries to comfort him.
More of this too, with Shouma outright pushing her away now.
Damn, do i feel sorry for Ringo.
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Damn, do i feel sorry for Ringo.
Indeed ;___;
And now we're in for Yuri yuri :V
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I'm sure all the Utena fans burst out laughing when stepping into THAT CAR led to THAT KIND of scene.
Vroom vroom it up, let's go for a ride in the Yuri car~
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I'm sure all the Utena fans burst out laughing when stepping into THAT CAR led to THAT KIND of scene.
Vroom vroom it up, let's go for a ride in the Yuri car~
~*~Fabulous Max~*~, indeed~
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I'm sure all the Utena fans burst out laughing when stepping into THAT CAR led to THAT KIND of scene.
Vroom vroom it up, let's go for a ride in the Yuri car~
~*~Fabulous Max~*~, indeed~
Well, apparently Yuri is more than just her name. And RIngo isn't the only one who wants Ringo to be Momoka~
Also, Fabulous Max should word filter to ~*~Fabulous Max~*~.
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This episode was extremely fabulous max. I think I was going through three different theories before the episode was over. This is just fantastic.
At first, the way Yuri was talking made it seem as if she was Momoka somehow. The way she could "see" things, that only one person could be her soul mate (Tabuki), her soul mate one day disappearing (later obviously Momoka), her acting as Ringo's sister, her being Tabuki's classmate, fated, so on so forth, right up until dialogue making it obvious she isn't. Once this is revealed, Yuri being the motorcyclist was also made obvious and I took much joy in having it be revealed right after I figured it out. Surprise yuri was a real curveball though. All cool though, drugged naked Ringo was so delicious.
Kanba is goddamn badass and has now renewed my faith in his previously quite flat character; I could see how the train scene would unfold right up to him dodging the bomb pointblank. What's very very likely is that both Kanba and Masako are being manipulated. This episode is the first in which they reveal Sanetoshi is who's calling Masako, and the fact that he is "helping" Masako while also "helping" Kanba, it's pretty clear he has motivations involving Momoka as well. Seeing as the life-giving medicine is of a similar vein to the Princess' abilities, Sanetoshi seems to be directly in the middle. Sanetoshi and Masako both acknowledging that Yuri ("that woman") has the other half of the diary means that every character is now intertwined, which is fucking glorious. In addition, Kanba is selling himself on multiple ends now; both his life (人生) and his life (生命) are being taken... Masako seems to be directly opposed to the group Kanba is working with. Ergo, it's very possible the group is also related to Sanetoshi. As an aside Masako also mentioned that Kanba might have ulterior feelings for Himari which has been hinted at a few times already.
Himari's jealousy of Hibari and Hikari is also becoming quite apparent.
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At first, the way Yuri was talking made it seem as if she was Momoka somehow.
Yea, that's what I thought too. The dialogues before the reveal was so misleading. >_< Yuri was acting unrealistically nice to Ringo back then with the love potion frog thingy, which I thought would've made sense if Yuri was Momoka somehow...
:o
Things sure got much more serious compared to back when they were stalking the stalker Ringo.
For a while I actually find the whole Ringo arc pretty boring but the story went I don't even know what it's trying to do since the kidnapping ordeal, while being AWESOME.
-
I'm usually all for yuri but I hope someone stops them.
These feelings I don't understand them
-
GAAAAAAAHH SO MUCH PLOT REVELATION IN ONE EPISODE
SO MUCH DETAIL
I AM WINNER
I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH
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And then Penguindrum became Princess Tutu!
Yuri's Project M is all but stated to be Project Momoka.
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Dear god, Yuri's father made my stomach fucking twist into knots. What a horrible, horrible person.
That said, Momoka is an incredible friend. It's understandable to see why Yuri wants her back. Even if she's completely insane. :x
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There is just so much going on, every episode a pile drive to the brain. x_x This show is such a roller-coaster, and I love it.
To say what isn't on everyone's minds, I wonder what Masako wants with the diary? And even more alarmingly, what does the Princess of the Crystal want? Especially since this girl comes "at the end of their fate?"
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Oh, and also, who else caught the screen grab in the middle of the two halves of the episode? There's a big turn in the track coming up. Oh boy, gotta wonder what's around the bend...
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This series loves to give my mind seizures
AND I LOVE IT
In all seriousness I have never Hated a character as much as I hated Yuri's dad, because seriously. That's just plain horrible. No wonder Yuri's so messed up.
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re: Yuri's dad,
how did an asshole like him ever reproduce with a willing female? what a jackass. Momoka was such a wonderful friend. ;_; Yuri, you were and are beautiful.
And I think we're supposed to come to the conclusion that it was the Destiny Diary's payment for a change in fate that killed Momoka, not the terrorist attack proper. Or maybe she knew her end was coming and decided to throw away her increasingly shrinking chances of living in exchange for one last change of fate. But what was it?
I'm willing to bet on that upcoming turn in the tracks to start leading us down the road to finding out.
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re: Yuri's dad, how did an asshole like him ever reproduce with a willing female? what a jackass.
I have this horrible, horrible feeling that... well, she wasn't willing. I wouldn't put it past that despicable bastard. Especially with the symbolism and implications with what he was doing to Yuri. -_____-
Momoka was such a wonderful friend. ;_; Yuri, you were and are beautiful.
And I think we're supposed to come to the conclusion that it was the Destiny Diary's payment for a change in fate that killed Momoka, not the terrorist attack proper. Or maybe she knew her end was coming and decided to throw away her increasingly shrinking chances of living in exchange for one last change of fate. But what was it?
I'm willing to bet on that upcoming turn in the tracks to start leading us down the road to finding out.
She really was a wonderful friend. Goddamn it, Ikuhara.
Anyway, my theory with Momoka's death, because she died on the day Ringo was born, is that something went wrong while her mother was giving birth, or that Ringo herself was failing to thrive after she was born (and therefore would have died), and Momoka sacrificed herself to change their fate.
Since the Diary's effect makes it so no one realizes what happens when fate is changed, I think it is implied in the characters' minds that Momoka died in the terrorist attack, but how would a gas attack make it so nothing is left of her while the Diary remains? Sacrificing herself for her mother or sister's fate, however...
:ohdear:
EDIT: Oh, on a lighter note: I love the new OP. Though, it's a bit of a shame that Nornir only just grew on me a week or so ago. :x
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Remember, they were explosions, not a sarin attack. Her uh being on fire and/or just plain vanishing isn't out of the realm of probable, and likely the 'punishment' doesn't have much to do with the physical world anyways, it just engulfed and vanished her. The diary would obviously stay in tact.
Honestly though this episode threw so much that I can't catch enough to wind into an actual theory yet. I might have to rewatch.
The only thing I'm fairly positive on immediately is Sanetoshi double-ending both Kanba and Masako. Kanba's payments to Sanetoshi include his own "life" (time/effort, not force as it was with the Princess). The people he's working under are related to Sanetoshi, but the payments are made to Sanetoshi. He probably doesn't need the money at all. Masako on the other hand is in at least phone contact with Sanetoshi to receive hints about where the diary can be found, yet all of Masako's antagonists are also related to Sanetoshi. It's probable Sanetoshi wants the diary. The serum Sanetoshi uses is probably not medicine, but instead a source where the fate-changing power can be used. The Princess of the Crystal's power is also this power, as well as the Diary. They all change fate, and it's only become clear now that saving Himari and Mario use the power to change fate. There are many theory branches I can almost reach from here, but again this episode was packed.
-
Also, I'm just going to go out on a limb and guess that
by the end of the series, fate will have changed so that the explosions became the gas attacks. After all, while I'm not 100% sure because of the weird angle, I'm pretty sure that the "tower" turned into Tokyo tower. Again, not 100% sure (if not for the whole Momoka living in Japan thing, I'd say that it was actually in France and they just spoke Japanese instead of French) but that's my guess, at least. After all, this does all take place in Tokyo.)
-
re: whatever it is
Yuri wants to keep hidden
, spoilers for Utena the Movie in the second spoiler:
I'm wondering if it's not something her father did to her-- a permanent and very visible scar or set of scars (or, if you really wanted some black comedy, a scar in the shape of a penguin).
I can't help thinking of Anthy's carved-out heart cavity in the Utena movie.
-
Huh, it just hit me.
The revelation that Momoka's diary changes fate when written in suddenly brings a whole new perspective to everything that is written there. Could she have been messing with Tabuki's fate too?
Speaking of, it seems that Tabuki is the only person in the anime who isn't in on the conspiracy surrounding the diary (well, besides Himari). We just learned all of Yuri's motives, I wonder if Tabuki will get his own episode soon?
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Ah,
today's Survival Strategy made my day.
Even still, pineapple Natsume is the best thing ever.
Anyway, that last dream, I... I just... I don't know what to make of all that. Weird crap is going down, and I'll leave it to somebody else to analyze.
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The Princess of the Crystal is a top-notch troll, second only to Ikuhara himself. That ending theme.
Also, her camera can drive women to orgasm!
On that note, I'm so ridiculously happy to have Rock Over Japan back. Been too long since we last heard it.
-
I'll be throwing out more textwalls once I watch 17, but I'd like to just mention we really needed an episode for Masako. Meanwhile, Kanba, as expected, is essentially swan-diving off the deep end.
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Holy shit, this episode.
Masako vs. Yuri standoff scene was awesome, that music <3
Tabuki's in on the whole thing after all. And he's snapped, so much for forgiving the kids O__O
Also the end to the Survival Strategy sequence. Uhm....Kanba? O__o
Gonna look forward to Drake's analysis on all of this.
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Although the penguins make for pretty obscure hints, first thing I noticed is that both penguins get marauded by the octopus. At the hospital, #2 just munches on it while #1 takes the initiative and tries to chop it up. #1 then gets tired and gets caught. Then both #1 and #2 are caught, and #3 saves them both. Hint hint, nudge nudge. Also I realized in episode 10 Himari's friends say they're bound together by fate, and therefore the subway skits they do might be directly associated with her rather than just general notes. This episode having "somebody is targeting you" is a pretty blatant support for this.
As it was leaning towards, the Penguindrum isn't exactly the diary. This seems to be the first time the Princess has faltered, so it's a pretty blatant "nope". This in itself is pretty hilarious; most of the series is focused around the diary, and if it turned out to be nothing more than a diary that Momoka just happened to write in, that would be incredible. The fact that the Princess is well again serves me to believe that the medicine is either kindred to the Princess' power (to transfer life/change fate) or the medicine affects the Princess and she in turn keeps Himari alive by taking Kanba's life. However, obviously since she wants the diary, she has some motive that is yet to be explained. When hinting that ignoring the Penguindrum would lead to the loss of who's important to them, it's neat because Himari isn't necessarily that person. Ignoring the Penguindrum might mean Kanba would die quickly, and there's a possibility that if someone else obtains it, that will lead to losing who's most important (it's probably Himari, but I'm just leaving myself open). That in particular would support the Princess wanting to foil Sanetoshi, which would also fit with "why would you save her?" when he saves Himari, since she houses the Princess and they're against each other etc. Finally the Princess once again flips a table by saying "it" is something of Kanba's, since it isn't immediately obvious what "it" could be. I for one have no clue; it might as well be Kanba's wang.
I pretty much figured Tabuki knew more than he seemed back when Ringo talked to him last. About the Tabuki-Yuri talk, I just find it a bit ironic that they're claiming they're the only ones who know the diary's true power, when the diary itself might not have necessarily ever done anything (especially since the Princess hints at the diary not being the Penguindrum). This is also the first time Yuri has ever really expressed that she doesn't like Shouma whatsoever. From the sound of it, they both seem to think that Momoka attempted to circumvent the bombings and she died using the diary. However, I can't really believe that just yet. When Sanetoshi talked about Momoka, he said she rejected him; likely because he thought he could see the optimal path for the world, but it infringed on Momoka's values. Right now though, Episode 13 is even more confusing now than it was before. Sanetoshi talking to the Princess about Momoka seems to imply that the Princess is Momoka (and thus he's challenging her), while the presence of two hats implies the Princess could be controlling both Himari and Mario. Sanetoshi now seems to have control over both Kanba and Masako, so there's the direct contrast of Sanetoshi and the Princess again. In 13 he told her to "watch" as fate unfolds to see if it can be changed. Then there's the whole child broiler thing, Momoka vanishing during the bombings, what would the purpose of the diary actually be if it doesn't contain any power, etc. We also don't know if there's a relation between Sanetoshi, Yuri and Tabuki, since they aren't shown to have been with each other despite knowing Momoka. Does Sanetoshi actually love Momoka? The Princess? Bah.
Hospital scene again, Kanba and Shouma head out to leave, octopus comes back. Hint hint. The bear-eating-fish and penguin-eating-octopus probably means something, but I can't pin it (it's probable the bear is Ringo and the penguin in Himari, though). The rest of the episode seems to be dedicated to Yuri and Tabuki attempting to take down the Takakuras, but honestly that's pretty confusing too. Initially, Tabuki said he didn't harbor a grudge. I mean, obviously having Yuri be stopped by Masako when it was pointing to her being the main threat the whole time was a nice literary feign, but it's still odd. It would be pretty great if the winner of the gunfight was Masako, and Yuri, being hit with the balls, would forget about the diary, or something.
Also, I'm now almost thinking that Tabuki is leading Ringo and Himari away from Yuri. During their talk it was exceedingly obvious that Yuri wanted to exact revenge, but Tabuki didn't. If he truly believed that the children don't deserve punishment, then he should have picked up on Yuri's hostility and may be attempting to save them, which may or may not be supported by him calling Yuri, and her not answering would give him the clue that she was about to do take action, so he intervened and found them first.
Again though that isn't necessarily true and he could totally be ready to shoot Himari in the face, but whatever.
-
Yuri versus Natsume with flower petals flying everywhere
was absolutely amazing. :*
-
Holy hell what an episode.
So now we finally have Tabuki's past, and info about the organization Kanba is working with. Things are coming together.
I had almost forgotten about the scars on Tabuki's hand, had always wondered where those came from.
He saved himself *barely* from being the most horrible person (character-wise) in the show in the end, by saving Himari. Though I don't even want to think about the physics of that whole scene with the wires, those were way out in fiction land.
Symbolism gauge went to max during the Child Broiler sequence. So from how I see it it's a place where kids that have something special or that their parents have high expectation for go to when they can't fulfill the expectations, to become normal, "invisible", people like most everyone else.
-
The anime has lots of interesting concepts and ideas
Looks like the child broiler from episode 9 makes it's appearance again, and it seems that children in there have no future and are condemned to suffer a horrible fate. From what we have seen, they can be saved two ways; Sanetoshi's fruit of fate, and Momoka's fate transfer. The interesting thing is that Momoka's grace is based on self-sacrifice and Christ-like love, and is pretty much eternal with no strings attached, compared to Sanetoshi's, which are temporary and vulgar, requiring many many payments that lead to nowhere (hence the black rabbits and the Faustian deals). I think the war would be a small-scale clash between the two powers over Himari's fate, and that Kanba's decisions will be critical in it.
There are also two variations on the fruit or fate, the natural ones with the Pingroup logo bestowed onto the world that drop randomly out of nowhere (possibly from the World Tree), and which signifies 'natural' fate, and the artificial ones with the syringe logo manufactured by Sanetoshi, which signifies fate bought with a price. The doctor in episode 1 and the miracle of Himari living longer than she should under his care, for example, were all miracles in the conventional sense which required nothing from anyone, while his replacement in Sanetoshi exacted huge prices for distilling that miracle (natural fruit of fate) into reusable syringes that gave temporary certainty of life (but as the Princess ironically says, her eventual death is still a certainty). This also fits in nicely with the "Mary and the Little Lamb" story; when the natural fruit of fate stopped falling from the World Tree, Mary turned to the two black rabbits instead for their artificial fruit of fate, and had to pay the appropriate payment for defiling fate.
Sanetoshi's point is probably that no matter how people try and defy their fate, whether it be through Momoka's power or his manufactured fruit, the intricate web of petty human concepts such as mutual bitterness and revenge will cause them to conform to their original fates anyway, as is the case in Tabuki and Yuri, who do not have the strength to move on and forge new relationships, even with each other (metaphorically dead). Momoka's wish is that people can be saved in some way through selflessness, forgiveness and mutual love, and it seemed that way with how she saved Yuri and Tabuki and had times of bliss which could not have happened if they had died anyway. Kanba's sacrifices will thus be judged; Sanetoshi probably thinks that his actions are all a joke which will probably lead to nowhere but the destination of his fate, while Momoka's view (maybe embodied through the Princess) is that through self-sacrifice (the PenguinDrum), Kanba can actually save Himari from the clutches of fate.
As for the PenguinDrum, these from episode 9 are totally it; the epic zoom and everything at the end of the flashback says all.
(http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/5125/drum1.th.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/52/drum1.png/)
(http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/5332/drum2.th.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/846/drum2.png/)
It could just be a tambourine though.
-
While
that tambourine could totally be the Penguindrum, I have no clue what the Ocarina is for. Penguinocarina? I suppose it's not too far-fetched, they have animal-shaped pendant Ocarinas for kids. But that's a Transverse, so who knows?
-
All right, finally caught up on Penguindrum 18 and 19 both at once with Donut and Matsy...
Masako is extremely cool. I really think it's awesome that she was able to casually walk into their house and turn the Takakuras' world upside down yet again.
Speaking of: the hypothesizing about adopted Takakura siblings is right, at least in part. Am I cynical for thinking that this is all set up only so Himari and Kanba won't be blood-related? >__> I mean, incest has never gone over well in Ikuhara works (see Utena).
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All right, finally caught up on Penguindrum 18 and 19 both at once with Donut and Matsy...
...and my head is still spinning. What did I just watch? @_@
Masako is extremely cool. I really think it's awesome that she was able to casually walk into their house and turn the Takakuras' world upside down yet again.
Speaking of: the hypothesizing about adopted Takakura siblings is right, at least in part. Am I cynical for thinking that this is all set up only so Himari and Kanba won't be blood-related? >__> I mean, incest has never gone over well in Ikuhara works (see Utena).
Not really, but I think I would have been equally and simultaneously surprised and not surprised either way. After all, in the end of 19, it is shown that it only shows Shouma and Himari-- which is the Takakura, and which one is Kanba related to, if at all? After all, according to Mr. Takakura, when Mrs. Takakura gave birth, he made mention of 'it's a boy' and not 'twin boys' or whatever. Who knows-- maybe none of them are blood relatives.
Or, random theory-- Kanba and Himari are blood relatives, Shouma is not. This is just a guess made by connecting blood type with soul compatibility or something-- note that during survival strategies, Shouma is always sent down the trap door, and Kanba always stays to initiate the survival strategy-- whatever that implies. Just a thought.
EDIT: Also, the ED is so catchy~
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Kyu. @.@
-
Once again I'm going to have to rewatch it because we just opened a whole new can of worms; I'm starting to wonder how this is going to resolve in only five episodes.
-
When all of Penguindrum is finished airing (should be around end-of-the-year holidays), I'm going to see if I can't organize some kind of marathon run over a week-- maybe four episodes each day for six days, depending on how different the time zones are-- and watch it straight through from beginning to end. Bring snacks and straitjackets.
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When all of Penguindrum is finished airing (should be around end-of-the-year holidays), I'm going to see if I can't organize some kind of marathon run over a week-- maybe four episodes each day for six days, depending on how different the time zones are-- and watch it straight through from beginning to end. Bring snacks and straitjackets.
I'd definitely support this. EDIT: Given that I'm going home for the holidays and have various family events to attend, I might not be available for this until January.
I'm getting the feeling the Child Broiler
is going to be fairly integral to the resolution of the plot and I'm expecting some sort of twist like "everyone's adopted".
-
First of all, the music in the CB sequence was beautiful. Can't wait for the Penguindrum OST <3
On the episode: So Shouma is the only "real" Takakura, is seems to me. Whereas Kanba seems to be of the Natsume family? Well damn.
Kiga's goals are noble, but if bombings are their method of reaching them... yeah, nice dilemma there.
-
It looks like they're leading up to
a conflict between Shouma and Kanba over Himari's fate.
If that's the case, it'll be definitely be interesting to see,
Also, past Himari
creeps me the hell out.
-
Ikuhara, why do you hate
kittens? First there was Nanami, now Sun-chan. :[
-
Today's PenguinDrum is absolutely heart-breaking, in that it partially addresses the main criticism people have with the anime;
unlike the previous episodes where nothing really happens in the present (e.g Shoma gets hit by a car but nothing happens, Himari dies but is resurrected immediately with little fanfare) and everything happens in the past, huge things with huge consequences actually happen to the characters this time. And in hindsight, everything that had happened in the anime beforehand seemed to be building up to these tragedies, as if the situation of the Takakuras were teetering on the edge for a long long time.
. I have full confidence that the ending will not disappoint.
It's also interesting that there was a huge emphasis on clocks this episode, whether they be stopped (in the bar) or rewound (in the Takakura house), which represents Kanba's mindset of being trapped in the past
.
-
God damn. Everything about this episode hit like a metric ton of bricks, one after the other.
Love the new ending theme, hope it sticks.
And what the hell, Kanba? Okay, now karma's gonna get you, big time.
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While waiting for subs for episode 22, I found this (http://i.imgur.com/PhypM.png) fun little game of Bingo, Penguindrum style... made four months ago (http://ninteenpointzerofour.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/pingo/#comment-7597).
Some of these actually became true!
Edit: Subs are out. IT'S THAT TIME OF THE WEEK AGAIN
(http://i.imgur.com/kySUV.jpg)
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So uh... Episode 22.
Masako, I love you and you're a badass and all, but what the flying fuck are you doing?!
While waiting for subs for episode 22, I found this (http://i.imgur.com/PhypM.png) fun little game of Bingo, Penguindrum style... made four months ago (http://ninteenpointzerofour.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/pingo/#comment-7597).
Huh. Now that Kanba has been shot, we are one off from a bingo, here. o____o
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Masako, I love you and you're a badass and all, but what the flying fuck are you doing?!
Like I said, Masako felt like she owed Kanba her life, literally. He totally wasn't worth it, but that didn't matter. She still owed him, so... Honor before reason and all. He did just kill some cops in front of her, though, so...
Also: http://app.zio3.net/pdboard/?t1=%E5%9B%9E%E6%83%B3&t2=flashback&t3=&t4=&t5=&t6= You, too, can make your very own Penguindrum-style flashback! Phone call sound not included.
From top to bottom, the fields are:
Title
Subtitle
Name (e.g. Hakurei Reimu)
Time (e.g. Eight years ago)
Place (e.g. The mansion in the middle of the lake)
Event (e.g. That fairy didn't have any answers for me, so I've come here. Is this...)
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Caught up with Penguindrum, since I had some issues that kept me from watching it on ~*Penguindrum Thursday*~
My god, the Penguindrum may very well end up being love after all, from what Tabuki said to Yuri. Considering this series, playing that trope straight may actually be profound.
Masako, I admire your resolve, but have you ever heard the tale of the farmer and the viper? Kanba has fully embraced the curse; I really don't think he will be able to redeem himself for all he's done. The most mentally balanced character of the lot is still overcome by a childhood illusion after all...
And holy wow, things are resolving themselves quickly. o.o Still, I can't bring myself to believe there's only two episodes left; there's still far too much left to cover. Unless of course, Ikuhara plans to leave all this stuff up the audience. >_<
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Masako
sacrificing herself for Kanba is pretty much just another example of the mutual sacrifices between many characters in the show, so it didn't seem that surprising that Kanba saved Masako, only for the latter to save Kanba, due to their pasts attachments, with both of them ending up grievously hurt
.
This resonates throughout the entire series, Momoka saved Yuri and Tabuki, only for the latter to waste their lives away in revenge trying to save Momoka in the present; Himari sacrifices herself in order to save Kanba, who has already sacrificed himself, doing horrendous things in order to save Himari, etc.
. This sort of destructive 'love', which is probably close to what Momoka stands for, must seem very amusing to Sanetoshi who claims that there is nothing of value in love except kisses. In general, they all seem to be hurtling their way to self-destruction, through the cruel twists of past commitments and fate which bind them together. Hopefully the noble sentiments of the characters will manifest themselves into some happier ending than what is occurring now.
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[00:04] <Kyuruminut> Whoa
[00:04] <Sakana> I approve
[00:04] <Kyuruminut> o_O
[00:04] <~Matsuri-Sunrise> o__________o
[00:04] <~Sakura-Rurouni> O_O
[00:04] <~Matsuri-Sunrise> what
[00:04] <Kyuruminut> D:
[00:04] <Sakana> That was mean
[00:04] <~Sakura-Rurouni> what the f
[00:04] <Sakana> O__O
[00:04] <Kyuruminut> D: D:
[00:04] <~Matsuri-Sunrise> wait a second
[00:04] <~Matsuri-Sunrise> what
[00:04] <Kyuruminut> D8
[00:04] <Kyuruminut> Wha
[00:04] <Kyuruminut> What
[00:04] <~Sakura-Rurouni> I..
[00:04] <~Sakura-Rurouni> what
[00:04] <Kyuruminut> WHAT
[00:04] <~Matsuri-Sunrise> what just happened...?
[00:05] <Kyuruminut> I...
[00:05] <~Sakura-Rurouni> did Ikuhara just mindfuck us BEFORE THE OPENING CREDITS EVEN BEGAN
[00:05] <Kyuruminut> Have never been blown away so quickly
[00:05] <~Matsuri-Sunrise> ...apparently!
[00:05] <Sakana> I know which part I have to rewatch again once we are through
[00:05] <~Matsuri-Sunrise> yeaaaah
[00:06] <Kyuruminut> I love how we're all speechless
[00:06] <~Sakura-Rurouni> that is totally going into the Penguindrum thread
EPISODE 233333333333333333
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Episode 23:
We have learned that Ringo does not know how fire works.
Also, our track is reaching a dead end. A destination of fate?
-
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
-
Also random thoughts: So that would mean that it's possibly Momoka possessing Himari whenever she turns into the Princess.
:]
Seeing the two penguinhats as halves of Momoka, similar to the halves of the diary, it's likely that it will be vital for them to be brought together for ~*~miracles~*~ to happen. Which will probably also negate the need for the diary.
Also, Kanba has always wanted to... knock Shouma out? Well, everyone has some weird fantasies I guess :V
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Only one episode left?
(http://i.imgur.com/q09wK.jpg)
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Dawn of the last day
22 hours remain.
(http://i.imgur.com/JLAQS.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/04Ed9.jpg)
Seizon's greetings!
SO THE PENGUINDRUM FINALE IS TODAY.
I HOPE EVERYONE IS AS EXCITED AS I AM.
Additionally, I hope everyone is also listening to the Triple H Mawaru Penguindrum Character Song Album like I am! It is Fabulous Max to the core. It's got the full version of Rock Over Japan, for starters~
And also, while this in no way replaces the marathon I have planned from post-Christmas to pre-New Years', I have had the fortune of finding that someone else has had an equally awesome idea! For people who have nothing to do tomorrow and want to blow their minds out with the force of a thousand washing machines at once (or just GET HYPE GET HYPE), I present the Complete Mawaru Penguindrum Marathon Livestream December 23rd @ 9:00AM MST (http://www.livestream.com/animeblackfox). More information here (http://aquapainter.tumblr.com/post/14600274980/complete-mawaru-penguindrum-marathon-livestream) if you would like to join in!
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I am in. :D I can think of no better reason to get up at 8:00 in the morning on vacation than to blow my brains to smithereens.
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oh man what an ending.
Dat music. Especially that music.
Dat Penguindrum.
Dat Kanba
Those screams.
Those self-sacrifices.
Those two kids from episode 1.
Kanba is the best brother ever. Also, mission accomplished.
Things that I wanted and got:
SEIZON SENRYAKUUUU
Mario actually speaks.
Brotastic ending.
I was expecting an IKUHARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! ending, but I got a Good End instead. A little bittersweet, but good nonetheless.
Series started off a bit slow, but really picked up towards the end. I'm satisfied with this ending.
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I am in. :D I can think of no better reason to get up at 8:00 in the morning on vacation than to blow my brains to smithereens.
I'll try to get there, depends on how early I can get up tomorrow. Might be a bit late, but don't want to miss it for anything.
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I really can't express myself right now. Floodgates are open, I'm covered in tears. This was just, man. Marathoning the last five episodes probably wasn't the smartest idea, this is just too much for me to handle. It's been an electrifying ride.
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Twas late to the livestream, but somehow made it before the last episode aired. Mind fucks all around.
生存戦略、忘れないよ。
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Lily Hoshino's endcard for episode 24. (http://www.zerochan.net/912870) Spoilers!
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Double posting be damned.
I... feel so weird. While I was watching the last episode, I felt fine even while Kanba was desintegrating and Shouma was being immolated
, but now that I think about it two days later, now it brings me almost to tears. What is this.
Oh, right. The message from Kanba and Shouma at the end: "If we die, let's agree to send a message to someone we care about."
... ;____;
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Double posting be damned.
I... feel so weird. While I was watching the last episode, I felt fine even while Kanba was desintegrating and Shouma was being immolated
, but now that I think about it two days later, now it brings me almost to tears. What is this.
Oh, right. The message from Kanba and Shouma at the end: "If we die, let's agree to send a message to someone we care about."
... ;____;
I felt absolutely nothing when Kanba was disintegrating, because if anyone of the three Takakuras deserved 'punishment', it was him. I don't understand why Shouma and Kanba deserved to be punished for what their parents did, or why Himari was to be punished either, but Kanba followed in their terrorist footsteps. Karma's a bitch and he had it coming.
On the other hand, even though I was interrupted at the worst time (when Shouma took the sacrifice in Ringo's place) and it put me in a terrible mood, I found it to be incredibly moving when I watched it a second time. Throughout the entire show, neither Ringo nor Shouma seem to ever get a break from horrible shit happening to them, and I was somewhat sad to see Shouma burn in the end, but I was even more sad because he really did love Ringo as much as she loved him, and I felt horrible for her, as well as Himari, who saw Shouma as her soulmate. While I'm completely happy to see Ringo and Himari together in the end, I felt horrible knowing that they had forgotten Shouma and Kanba in the end, even as Himari read that note. Even if she didn't remember, it brought her to tears, and that was.... argh. I liked the message that you don't have to be related by blood to be a happy family.
Utena spoilers -> I must say, I do like that the ending reminds me of the Utena TV series ending, in that Shouma and Kanba aren't dead after sacrificing themselves for Himari, but still gone from their memory, replaced as the children from the beginning of the series. The only difference is that in the end of Utena, Anthy remembers her, and goes to find her. I am hoping Penguindrum gets a movie with an alternate "good end", much like Utena did. I want to see Sanetoshi burn in punishment, not the Takakuras (Kanba aside, depending on if he pulls the same terrorist shit again). I'd like to see all three Takakuras together again, fate averted.
Overall, I loved Penguindrum. Even though I had my doubts that the ending would be rushed and not very good, Ikuhara executed it very well.
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Gah, being sick over the past few days has caused me to neglect a few things.
Now, to gauge interest. Who is interested in a Penguindrum marathon over the course of this week? 24 episodes lends itself to 5 days with 5 episodes (the last day having 4), 6 days with 4 episodes, or 4 days with 6 episodes. All of these have different day commitments and time commitments, so I will put it up to scrutiny along with a test of interest.
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I vouch for six days with four episodes. Keeping in mind the inevitable chatter that would follow each one, this would bring upwards of two and a half hours per day, which is enough time to keep the energy flowing without us getting tired.
Naturally, I'm in no matter what we choose. >:D I'll bring the straitjackets.
EDIT: Gah, I kinda wish I hadn't posted so soon. Now nobody will see the advertisement! D:
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I'm fine with whatever you choose. I'd love to come along, if you're able to accommodate me. Just a heads up that I won't be available for New Year's Eve due to attending a major family event, so I don't know if that affects plans any.
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EDIT: Gah, I kinda wish I hadn't posted so soon. Now nobody will see the advertisement! D:
And now they will!
Gah, being sick over the past few days has caused me to neglect a few things.
Now, to gauge interest. Who is interested in a Penguindrum marathon over the course of this week? 24 episodes lends itself to 5 days with 5 episodes (the last day having 4), 6 days with 4 episodes, or 4 days with 6 episodes. All of these have different day commitments and time commitments, so I will put it up to scrutiny along with a test of interest.
I'm in no matter what, because I wouldn't miss this for anything. 5x5 sounds good, but I'm flexible. Preferably at late night, since my family has a thing for interruptions >.<
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Ah, yes, and we'll also need to worry about timezones. All of us are in various parts of northern America so far, so it doesn't seem like a big deal as of yet. But that's still two hours of difference between Matsy and Donut, for starters. Are you fine with that?
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It has never bothered me before. However, it may present a problem for our friends on the other side of the pond :x
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I have no problems with that.
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As long as we're all on vacation, we can find a time. If they're across the big tub, we can do it in the morning or early afternoon. /o/
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All right, then. I'm finishing up the arrangements (namely, location), but for now, I shall put the tentative date of our marathon's first day tomorrow in the evening, at around 10:00 PM MST, episodes 1-4.
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Sounds good to me. I just hope you all don't mind a potential couple pause breaks on my end.. :x
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Considering the long breaks we've had during other attempts at something like this, I don't think a few pauses will pose any notable inconvenience.
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As with the others, I am a-okay with this arrangement. Let's enjoy ourselves tomorrow. :D
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All right, in about two hours and fifteen minutes, we shall converge on #penguindrum on irc.lunarnet.org. Matsy is holding down the fort for me at the moment (thank you kindly, Mats). It has to be Lunarnet, as the imagery is perfect (http://www.lunarnet.org/). Hope to see you all there!
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Due to various circumstances that render a few of our watchers...well, unable to watch tonight, tonight's marathon of episodes 7-9 is canceled. We will pick up again when it is possible.
[ruro]So is Dec 31's. No one should be watching Penguindrum on New Years' Eve.[/ruro]
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Hm, will probably join in too, if that is okay. Always wanted to rewatch the final two-thirds of the anime.
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Sure, everyone is welcome if they can make it. We start up again tonight.
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Tonight, our marathon came to a fabulous max conclusion!
Two convenient links for later, both extremely spoilery:
Final Pingo board (http://i.imgur.com/Q1OJl.png) (we counted Sanetoshi as the Prince of the Crystal, but it's not necessary to get the Double Pingo)
Delicious Apple Calculation (http://i.imgur.com/uy15B.jpg) (However, Affinity pointed out that this may be wrong, because it was Shouma that shared with Himari first; Shouma in the ep 24 flashback stated that he had someone precious to him, and that someone had to be Himari.
)
And this is the final note from the series that shall stick with me for years to come: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=end52UCO8t8
Thank you to Donut, Matsuri, Affinity, and TAC for watching with me. ^_^
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It's been a good time. Thanks for watching with me, as well. :)
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I should be the one thanking you, this has been an absolute blast to end 2011 and start 2012 on.
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Kyu-hu. ^_^
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Much thanks for organizing this wonderful marathon for a wonderful anime. Will definitely be in for more.