Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 24 (Completed)

Going into its final instalment, Mawaru Penguindrum has an absolutely colossal amount to sort out of its tangled mess of plot threads and concepts - can it really squeeze everything into under twenty-five minutes?

The answer is, ultimately, "kinda".  Offset against some ill-explained flashbacks which sees Shouma and Kanda imprisoned in boxes as children, this episode is effectively the final showdown of fate itself - is it time for Himari to pass away, will Kanba's plot to save her at huge cost to the wider population succeed, or can someone else save the day?  While Shouma concentrates simply on avoiding the atrocity Kanba is about to unleash, the arrival of Ringo on the scene changes things, as she seeks to transfer Himari's fate on to herself.  Sanetoshi is convinced that she isn't in possession of all of the "spell" required to do so - he's obviously not a fan of Double-H, who have in fact provided her with just that.

So, as the episode shifts into full-on visual spectacle mode, the question effectively becomes one of who will accept whose fate - a question to which the answer it, quite simply, love, with the two Takakura "brothers" both effectively taking responsibility for the respective girls they've bonded with the most, accepting and transferring their fate into the process to spare Himari and Ringo from death.  Not that this is exactly the end for Shouma and Kanba, mind you - perhaps it's only the beginning for them as all is resolved and well in the world come the end of the series, aside perhaps from Sanetoshi's eyeing another opportunity to engage in his plan.

I suppose the first thing to say about this episode is that it was a visual tour de force - striking and with an oddly fascinating juxtaposition of the beautiful and macabre that's often difficult to pull off but worked almost flawlessly here.  That aside, it's at least a little soothing to see this shows finale boiled down into such a simple concept - ignoring the horribly contrived fact that one person's fate suddenly became two for the purposes of plot convention, what was delivered here was essentially a story of love and self-sacrifice saving the day in a concept lifted directly from Night on the Galactic Railroad.

Is it enough to assuage my frequent complaints about this series of late?  Yes and no, to be honest.  As series finales go this did a passable job and at least drew a line in the sand as to the show's ultimate goal and aims, but where does that leave the rest of the series?  There's no doubt that Mawaru Penguindrum had plenty to say, which makes it that much more a shame that so much of it was either drowned in a sea of flashbacks and symbolism or worse, delivered via heavy-handed allusion - this show's world is one where most men are either greedy and/or vain, and the Child Broiler as a socio-political allegory on the treatment of unwanted children felt like the work of a pretentious high school art student in particular.  It's this that has ultimately left me disappointed with Mawaru Penguindrum - it had so many wonderful ideas to play with but overcooked the most crucial while ignoring others entirely.  So it goes that the show's penguin humour was run into the ground while some prominent elements were ignored or left unexplained and character's personalities were turned on their head to the point where you wondered whether each episode was written by someone who hadn't read the script properly the week before.

Ultimately, Mawaru Penguindrum did plenty of things of which it should be proud - it provided some of the year's better episodes of anime outright when it was on form, visually it was always inventive and simply the fact that it's an original work striking out from a lot of more predictable output should be commended.  It's this final point that probably makes me such a harsh critic of the series however - after promising so much, the fact that a large portion of the show teetered on the brink of the incomprehensible does damage to the idea that intelligent anime can reach out to the masses, and in a year when the likes of Madoka Magica, Un-Go and Steins;Gate have turned clever concepts into far, far better and more accessible series, that can only lead to me marking Mawaru Penguindrum as a brave disappointment which fell well short of the lofty goals it set itself.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 23

As we reach the penultimate episode of Mawaru Penguindrum, we begin with a flashback.  Wait, that isn't really news is it, it would be more comment worthy if we didn't begin with a flashback, right?

Anyhow, after exploring the showdown between Momoka and Sanetoshi on that fateful day in 1995 which seemingly put paid to both of their lives, it's back to the present day to find that Himari isn't dead just yet, but she isn't far off shuffling from this mortal coil either.  After last episode's drama, the same can be said for Natsume, until her death is avoided by a bit of "magic" from the ghostly Sanetoshi.  How can he achieve this?  It's best not to ask questions, to be honest...

Of course, Sanetoshi's trickery is more than enough to convince Kanba that the only way forward for himself and, more importantly, Himari is to wreak the destruction within his capable hands, but first he must destroy the diary which stands between this plan and success - a simple enough task, as he snatches back Himari from the hospital before luring Ringo into a position where the diary that has been oh-so important during this series is destroyed utterly.  Only Shouma can stop his "brother" from treading down the path upon which he is well and truly set, but can he do it?

Given how all over the place a lot of the series, and its second half in particular, has generally been, it's no shock to see these closing episodes scrabbling to tidy things up - we're still no closer to an answer to the core questions posed early on in the show, and we now seem to be residing in a world of ghosts and the like (which isn't much more of a stretch than bodily habitation and Penguindrums I suppose), but "things" are happening, I guess.  The trouble is that it's hard to care any more, such is the good will that this series has frittered away week after week with its increasingly convoluted and scatter-shot story-telling.  Indeed, what or who are we even supposed to care about any more?  Himari has been killed or close to it too many times now, the original point of the series is lost, and even Sanetoshi's musings on the human condition feel forced into the confines of the show's structure, like an over-sized Christmas present shoe-horned into... well, a small box.  It's going to take one hell of a finale to rescue this anime, that's for sure.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 22

Remember Double-H, the band that would have been Triple-H had Himari been involved with them?  Well, they turn up to offer Himari a present as this week's Mawaru Penguindrum begins in return for the scarves they received from her.  But where is Himari?  Is this idol duo even vaguely important to the plot?

While the answer to the second question seems to be "no", the first question is rather simpler to answer, as Himari remains with Kanba primarily in the hope of convincing him to stop whatever nefarious scheme he's currently involved in.  Of course, this is easier said than done - no matter how much Himari conveys her belief that it's okay for her to die, and certainly preferable to the suffering of others and in particular Kanba, her "brother" simply won't listen.  Indeed, so swept up is he in his mission that he might not even be around to learn of her sister's eventual demise.

In many ways, this episode is the tale of two sisters, as Natsume also tries her best to dissuade Kanba from his current course of action as the police net closes in around him with alarming speed.  It seems as if Kanba is beyond saving however, as he happily destroys both life and property with abandon, with a view only to achieving his goal no matter the cost.  At least, it appears this way until Natsume's life is put in danger, leading to a split second decision which proves that her brother isn't completely a lost cause, even if it threatens to be the last action that he ever takes...

With so much still seemingly left to cover, it's amazing that Mawaru Penguindrum is still toying with new ideas (witness Shouma's post-credit appearance in captivity) alongside all of its other twists and turns - very much a case of brinkmanship with just a couple of episodes to go.  It seems that Ringo's diary, the Penguindrum and half of the show's plot are in danger of being torched and discarded so that the series can focus on some of its other key elements - a shame then that it's the less interesting elements that are getting all of the screen-time, with this week's instalment in particular feeling more like soap opera than anything else.  It remains an interesting show certainly, but every week I become more convinced that its early outings pulled the wool over my eyes while it slipped a very different, arguably braver but undoubtedly clumsier series under my radar.  There's still just about enough time for it to prove me wrong, of course...

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 21

When there are surprising revelations aplenty around, you can always rely on tabloid journalists to start sniffing out every last morsel of a story.  So it goes that this twenty-first episode of Mawaru Penguindrum sees just such a journalist sticking his nose into the Takakura family's business, starting with Ringo and then moving on to the siblings themselves.

Of course, we call them siblings but in a biological sense they are anything but - we already knew that Shouma and Himari aren't related by blood, and this week's instalment confirms our suspicions from last time around that Kanba isn't directly related to either his brother or sister either, proving to be another adopted child after the death of his true father.

It's Kanba's actions that really prove to be the centrepiece around which this episode revolves however, as we delve deeper into where his money to treat Himari is coming from, finally revealing the truth about his father's whereabouts into the bargain.  Thanks to that aforementioned journalist, by the end of the instalment Shouma cuts off ties with his "brother" entirely, before doing likewise with Himari - does anyone now have the power to stop the single-minded monster which seems to have been created in the image of Kenzan Takakura?  And what of Sanetoshi and the emerging truth about his own past?

If nothing else, I have to hand it to this week's Mawaru Penguindrum for dishing out a few surprises to keep the series spinning on its axis on almost a weekly basis at present as it takes great delight in shaking things up as frequently as possible.  The trouble is, the sheer number of twists and revelations almost makes it feel as though the show is making things up as it goes along in the hope of reaching a satisfactory climax - it certainly seems to have lost interest in everything that made the early episodes of the series so engrossing, and when a story loses interest in its own plot that can never be a good thing.  There are still plenty of positive things to be said about the series, and I continue to hold out hope for a fitting (if surely slightly rushed now) ending, but I can't help but couple that with a touch of negativity about this show to some degree compared to what it perhaps could have been, had it been shorn of some of its heavy-handed over-reliance on certain concepts and socio-political mutterings.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 20

Last week's Mawaru Penguindrum did its darndest to turn things on their head, outing Himari as an adopted daughter of the Takakura family rather than a biological part of that unit while positioning Shouma as her saviour and "soul mate".  A cat has well and truly been set amongst the pigeons, to put it mildly.

It's this revelation which reverberates heavily through this episode - most directly in Shouma's inability to keep up the happy family façade any longer (something which Kanba also struggles with) while also heaping pressure upon himself as the sole person capable of being punished for his family's sins.

Much of the rest of the instalment is delivered via flashback, as we see through Shouma's eyes his initial meeting with Himari and the friendship which develops as they spend time together before Himari is snatched away to face her end at the hands of the heavy-handed metaphor that is the Child Broiler.  Of course, as we now know Sho rescues her from this fate, yet it's Kanba who continues to fight for her physical well-being in the present day against the backdrop of an organisation which claims to fight for the have-nots of the unjust world they purport to live in.

There's certainly a lot to pick up on and mull over from this week's episode, which makes the most of the surprise of last week's episode to fill in some more of the many, many blanks on show within the structure of the series.  Yet again however, this leads to more questions, whether it's about the righteousness of the Kiga group (whose cultish obsession belies a devotion to tackling the inherent unfairness not just of society, but of the world), thoughts about love which effectively encompass the age-old "better to have loved and lost" argument within its own framework, plus Kanba's exact place in the Takakura family and by extension exactly how Natsume fits into the picture given the way she and Kanba refer to one another and those around them here.  It seems as if there shouldn't be time to ask more questions at this juncture but it feels like Mawaru Penguindrum is determined to keep as much as it can up in the air until the very end, which will promise an end to the series that is either a disaster or a spectacular success.  As for the subject of the show's title.... Penguindrum?  What Penguindrum?  Perhaps it's as false as the ability to change the world that Revolutionary Girl Utena promised...

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 19

Having failed in his bid for revenge, it seems that Tabuki has done a runner, but in the aftermath of that intense scenario we do get confirmation of a couple of things that had felt somewhat obvious from recent episodes - firstly, that Kanba is still in touch with his parents despite his protestations last week, and secondly that Tabuki and Yuri's relationship was only forged under the shared memory of Momoka and nothing more.

With all of that out of the way, this episode quickly moves on to the joyous return home for Himari, as she gets to enjoy a lavish meal with her brothers and Ringo to celebrate the occasion.  All is not quite well in Himari's world however, as she's come to the inevitable conclusion that her illness is incurable despite its current remission, while her heart seems to be wavering about something else entirely - something that Sanetoshi seemingly can't help with.

Things are about to get a whole lot worse for Himari however, as she finds herself visited by Natsume - after visiting Sanetoshi herself with regard to the importance of the diary of which she owns half, she seems to have redoubled her efforts to win back Kanba's love.  While Himari and Natsume talk at crossed purposes for a while, Natsume's love for Kanba finally comes out into the open - it isn't the only thing either, as Natsume suggests that Himari isn't even officially part of the Takakura family at all.  Is this really truly?  It seems impossible, but with Natsume threatening to force the truth into Himari's eyes so it appears in her own volition, as we pay another visit to the child broiler and find out both Himari's true origin as well as her saviour.

After such an emotive instalment last week it was always going to be tough to keep things moving along at that level, and despite its best efforts at shocking the viewer its revelations all felt too cold and calculated to really generate any organic emotions from myself around them.  Perhaps it's simply that the series had done too good a job of subtly hinting that Himari isn't the sister she initially seemed to be to Shouma and Kanba, while similarly the knowledge of Kanba's link to his parents and the truth of Tabuki's relationship with Yuri all felt too predictable to bring anything more than a mild "yeah, that figures".  After spending so long setting up and teasing so many questions, I can't help but wonder whether Mawaru Penguindrum has spent so much time toying with my emotions and expectations that it's proved to be counter-productive in the long-term by rendering me immune from any real surprises - either way, this week's episode had only a fraction of the impact I'd wager it was designed to.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 18

In perhaps the biggest twist to its tale thus far, last week's Mawaru Penguindrum saw Tabuki turn from Mr. Perfect Good Guy into the villain of the piece.  But what are his intentions?

Before we deal with this, the episode begins to a flashback through Tabuki's own formative years - born to a mother obsessed with both pianists and people of talent, that obsession saw young Tabuki put under immense pressure to develop a relevant talent of his own, leaving him to give up playing the piano when a younger, prodigious brother appeared on the scene.  This decision let to his abandonment entirely by his mother, seemingly condemning him to disappear into the ether before interference from Momoko saved him.

Given this back story, it's no surprise that Tabuki wants vengeance upon Momoko's killer, leading to his kidnapping Himari in the hope of persuading Kanba to bring the Takakura family's father to him so he can enact this revenge.  The flaw in his plan is that Kanba knows not of his dad's whereabouts (at least, so he claims despite his suspicious behaviour of late) - so who will take the punishment for Momoko's demise?  Or will Shouma or even Ringo save the day?

As episodes go, this was easily the best Mawaru Penguindrum has had to offer for quite some time, bringing to the boil a mixture of tension and grief in a tumultuous exploration of human emotions and with a sprinkling of social commentary thrown in to proceedings to boot.  Somehow this instalment manages to provided all of these things without being over-bearing in its delivery of any of them, using the strengths of its characters to create its dilemmas and concerns rather than introducing them artificially.  Quite frankly, it was all rather emotionally draining for the viewer even if it did bring us yet more questions and surreal, inexplicable moments to ponder - hopefully though, this is the springboard that the remainder of the series can push off from, even if it feels like I've been saying that intermittently for some time now.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 17

Oblivious to the cost of the drugs (and whatever expense they incur to Kanba) that have saved her life and then some, episode seventeen kicks off with a bright, healthy Himari looking towards finally being discharged from hospital.  Is this perhaps the end of any concerns about the Penguindrum, spouted via that silly hat?

Of course not, as the possessor of Himari crops up to remind the two brothers of, even if the main object of her interest these days seems to be Kanba for reasons that we still don't know of entirely, such is the man's mystery.

Speaking of mystery, this week's instalment wastes little time in introducing yet more of it to proceedings, inserting Tabuki into the list of people within the "inner circle" that know about Momoka's diary, and seemingly hinting at an uneasy co-operation between Tabuki and Yuri with regard to it - the latter clearly has revenge in mind when it comes to dealing with the Takakura family, while Tabuki preacher the opposite.  Whether he practices what he preaches, however, is another question as the end this episode sees him leading Ringo and Himari towards the latter's "punishment".

With yet more revelations, twists and turns this week, I can't quite shake the feeling I have at the moment that Mawaru Penguindrum is simply making things up as it goes along - every time it feels as though we're getting somewhere, something crops up to push the finishing line further outside of our grasp.  Luckily, the series continues to do this with enough of a sense of fun and intrigue to make it bearable, but in the process it has lost some of the fascination and energy which made the early episodes of Mawaru Penguindrum seems to jaw-droppingly incredible.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 16

Given that she's been an important part of the series for a little while now, I suppose it's about time that Masako Natsume got an episode largely to herself to delve into her particular background a little more - an what an "interesting" episode it is too....

In short, this week's instalment gives us a window into Masako's current place at the head of her "clan", and perhaps more importantly how she came to be there - left in the care of her grandfather on account of her father not agreeing with his own dad's way of doing things and moving away, Masako becomes determined to pave the way for her father's return no matter the costs.

At least, that's the plan in her head, although in reality her attempts at removing her grandfather from his role prove to be little more than dreams.  Ultimately however, this company president engineers his own downfall by preparing his own blowfish (don't try this at home kids) - or does he?  Perhaps he lives on within the body of the sickly Mario.  More importantly however, the question remains as to just what is expected from Masako by the ever-mysterious Sanetoshi, and although we get a few glimpses of Masako's formative relationship with Kanba there is still much yet to be learned as to his shadier dealings.

This rather strait-laced synopsis however hides an episode which was utterly, utterly bizarre and more than a little surreal - it played some of its aspects for comedic purposes with glee, including a somewhat twist take on its "survival strategy" motif and Masako's attempts on her grandfather's life, to the point where this almost felt like a filler episode for a while before the realisation sunk in that important plot points where also being made here.  The problem here is that so layered in whimsy and dream sequences is this episode, that come the end of it you're not entirely sure what you should and shouldn't extract from it - this is, perhaps, the point but it's a little hard to swallow from a series that already occasionally threatens to become impenetrable on account of its numerous unanswered questions, while its light-hearted nature threatens to trivialise some of the potency of the show's story in places.  I just hope this is a one-off, rather than this series picking up more of Revolutionary Girl Utena's bad habits...

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 15

With Yuri suddenly thrust into the limelight as a major player in the increasingly crazy world of Mawaru Penguindrum, where next for this series?  Indeed, what else could possibly happen to poor Ringo over the course of the show?

Having been drugged by Yuri as she seeks to take advantage of her as a replacement for her love of Momoka, Ringo still has her wits about her enough to phone Shouma, even if it is only to babble nonsense at him.  However, it's this which allows Sho to realise that he is, in fact, in the same inn and right next door to Ringo and Yuri's room - a hugely contrived occurrence even by this series standard, but it does allow him to break up this pair's "coupling" in a decidedly clumsy way.

With this all over (for now at least), it's time to take a flashback into Yuri's childhood - a youth ruled over by her artist father who insists that both his former wife and daughter are simply too ugly for his creative genius to put up with, leading to a violent and abusive childhood that leaves Yuri both physically and emotionally scarred.  Believing her father's words that she's an "ugly ducking" who can only be made beautiful by his artistic proclivities, it's a chance meeting with Momoka that shakes (if only slightly) these ideas of who and what she is.  Not only does Momoka ultimately claim that she can "shift" or otherwise change people's fates thanks to the diary that she owns, she even goes as far as to do so to save Yuri from death at the hands (or rather, chisel) of her father despite it causing her injury in the process.  It seems that Yuri's fate wasn't the only one changed by Momoka either, which lends a different angle to her disappearance compared to what we already know of her fate.

Ignoring the horrible clumsy and downright stupid introduction of Sho as the saviour of Ringo (how badly plotted was that?!), the introduction of Yuri's past backs up her emergence as a major character nicely, and perhaps more importantly it really brings the importance of Momoka's diary back into focus - not only with regard to its power, but also in terms of what that power has been used for by Momoka to date.  Just who else did she save or otherwise change the fates of, and is that really tied into her death/disappearance during the terrorist attack carried out by the Takakura sibling's parents?  Again, we're only left with more questions come the end of this episode even as other quandaries are answered - if nothing else, this is an anime series that takes great enjoyment in keeping us guessing, but I can live with that as long as keeps up with these more interesting elements to its story.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 14

We haven't really seen much of Yuri during the course of this series so far beyond her place as the "arch-enemy" of Ringo in her pursuit of Tabuki.  However, it appears that we're going to be seeing a lot more of her during the second half of this series.

Indeed, this episode even begins with quite the revelation, as we see Yuri in bed with another woman; another lover and her co-star in the play she is currently enrolled in.  Although this is also the moment where we see Yuri put an end to this relationship, it sets the tone of the truth about her partnership with Tabuki, while also suggesting that there is far more to Yuri than meets the eye, an ugly side to her that we've not yet seen.

Meanwhile, Yuri isn't the only one troubled by her lot it seems - Shouma refuses to do anything but ignore Ringo after learning that her sister was killed as part of his parent's terrorist attack, asserting that even his existence is only hurting her without realising Ringo's true feelings towards him.  Kanba, on the other hand, continues to do whatever it is he does to finance the medicine required for Himari's continued existence - work which puts him into direct conflict with Natsume as she tries to prevent him going about his business, even offering to pay for Himari's treatment herself.

Ultimately though, it's to Yuri that we return, as she picks up a distraught Ringo from the city and takes her away for a "girl's night out" to help her forget her sorrows.  At least, that's what she claims as her modus operandi - in truth, her desires are far more nefarious, as Yuri reveals her own friendship to Ringo's sister Momoka while admitting that her marriage to Tabuki is simply a requirement of the hands of fate in her mind.  Come the end of the episode, it seems that it's no longer Ringo who desires to be Momoka as much as it is Yuri who desires her to become so, no matter the lengths she must go to as she chases that cause.

After some arguably frustrating episodes of Mawaru Penguindrum of late, this feels like something of a return to form for the series - yes, it's still piling up answered questions by the minute, but Yuri's emergence on the scene as a major part of what's been going on is a tantalising and fascinating one.  On the other hand, we are at least moving closer to an understanding of Kanba and Natusme and what both bonds and separates them, with a suggestion that they are effectively from rival families with some shared underground interests - quite the Romeo and Juliet couple, if only in Natsume's eyes.  So, with things seemingly becoming altogether more threatening as we move through this latter half of the series, my interest has been well and truly restored by this week's events.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 13

Having had her life saved (or at least extended) by the "magical" penguin hat over the course of the series, is this really the end for Himari as her brothers and Ringo watch on helplessly?

Perhaps not, courtesy of the appearance of a mysterious doctor who goes by the name of Sanetoshi - a man who also happens to be the same mysterious man we met in the library back in episode nine.  Sanetoshi arrives bearing apples/phials of "medicine" which are as equally mysterious as their provider, but prove to be the means to reawaken and bring life back to Himari... but at what cost?  Both Kanba and Natsume seem likely to be those who are now indebted to this man, who we learn little about other than the fact that he seems to be attempting to test and perhaps even change the universe as it pertains to the concept of fate.

Meanwhile, this episode is also set against more flashbacks surrounding the Takakura family, and focusing upon the day the sibling's parents were taken into police custody, turning the lives of their children upside down as a result.  As our present day brings us to the tenth anniversary of the replacement subway system constructed after the incident brought about by the Takakura's, will history be repeating itself, or is Natsume's desire to crush related to something different entirely?

Once again, Mawaru Penguindrum provides an episode which continues to revel in teasing us as it refuses to explain Sanetoshi's appearance in little more than the vaguest of terms, while concentrating a lot of its time on flashbacks which we could probably have extrapolated for ourselves - it's hardly shocking to think that the Takakura sibling's life was thrown upside down by the arrest of their parents, nor the affect this might have had on Himari.  Perhaps the most notable element of this episode (aside from Himari's "resurrection") is that the end of this week's instalment felt almost like it was writing Ringo out of the story, bringing her some kind of peace in her own battle against fate and seemingly putting her on a more even footing.  Her diary, of course, remains at large, and it seems that we'll be introduced to yet more individuals in the search for its missing half - hopefully the series won't forget to close the myriad other questions its posed while doing so.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 12

With another brief monologue on the subject of fate to kick off proceedings, Mawaru Penguindrum reaches its half-way stage with a very real example of the ties that bind at least some of its characters together as it continues the discussion from last week's episode.

After Ringo revealed the fate of her sister and how it ties into not only the day of her birth but also those of Shouma and Kanba, we now learn exactly why Shouma suggested that Momoka's death was all his (or rather, his family's) fault.  In short, the Takakura siblings parents were directly responsible for the subway attacks which resulted in the death of Ringo's sister and many others as some of the higher-ups in the organisation which planned and carried out the bombings (as they seem to be depicted here despite the obvious correlations to the Tokyo sarin gas attacks).

The exact relevance of this is pushed to one side somewhat however, as Himari collapses once again - this time, it seems that even her penguin hat isn't enough to revive her.  Cue an emergency trip to hospital and a rather long-winded story about Mary and her three lambs from Shouma.  While it seems that nothing will save Himari from her fate this time, it doesn't stop Kanba trying in what seems to be a transfer of his life force to Himari's "parasite" - it appears that it isn't the first time he's done this either.  Is this really the end for his sister though?  It seems that way, but who knows what other tricks this series has up its sleeve...

Another episode brings us even more questions rather than answers, with references to black rabbits abounding while Kanba's past seems deeper and darker than ever in itself.  I am beginning to worry that we're looking at a series that's all style and no substance on account of its constantly side-stepping big issues, but hopefully the second half of the series can start delving into things a little more deeply rather than piling on more and more flashbacks and chunks of back story.  Until it starts to do so, I have to admit that my interest in the series is beginning to wane a little as it becomes increasingly impenetrable, but the time seems ripe for some far more interesting stuff so I shall still be eagerly awaiting next week's episode.  Except I'll be in Nottingham next Friday, so chances are I won't be able to watch it for a while.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 11

After Natsume's games brought her very much to Kanba's attention last week, it seems that it's time for our wannabe lothario to pay her a visit in the hope of finding out what she's really after.

As has now become pretty much Mawaru Penguindrum, what he does find out doesn't really provide any obvious answers to what's going on.  What is clear however is that, just like Ringo and Tabuki, Natsume is intent upon stalking Kanba as part of her own "Project M", courtesy of an infatuation that seems to go back some time into both of their pasts.  Of course, this isn't just about Natsume, as we're introduced to Mario's, Natsume's very own penguin hat-sporting director of survival strategy.  Who is this girl?  We have no real idea, but what we do learn is that Natsume seems, in fact, only to be in possession of half of Ringo's highly-sought diary.

Speaking of Ringo, it seems that even the loss of her diary won't put a stop to her own "Project M", as she sets out on her latest hair-brained scheme to win over Tabuki - another frog-centric plan which, incredibly, actually works, setting Tabuki into raptures over his new-found "princess" and filling Ringo's heart with joy... or does it?  Despite her assertions that she wants, nay must, win over Tabuki for the sake of her lost sister, her heart appears to be wavering somewhat, and as Tabuyki's lust grows even greater to the point where Ringo has to flee, Yuki's return brings the answer of just why Ringo might be hesitating at this critical moment.  Finally, as the episode comes to a close, we get a little closer to what might be the core tenet of the series - an incident in 1995 that caused the death of Ringo's sister Momoko, on the same day as the birth of both Ringo and the Takakura brothers.  Take your pick from the two major incidents which rocked Japan in real-life that year, although the allusions throughout the series to date suggest that the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway is the incident in question.

If nothing else, Mawaru Penguindrum certainly seems to be enjoying its sense of mystery, dealing out facts and plot points in a decidedly miserly fashion to keep us guessing and leave almost everything in a decidedly uncertain state.  Not that this is a bad thing - it continues to do enough to keep my interest, even if it is deliberately dancing around anything which might give us a major clue as to what's going on in a suitably stylish manner.  With the half-way point of the series hitting next week though, perhaps this will be the moment where the show really moves on to its next level?  It can't dally around for ever surely, fun though that might sometimes be...

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 10

After its deviation into the weird and wonderful world inside Himari's dreams last week, we now return to our scheduled programming to catch up on Sho's fate after his little "incident" a couple of episodes back.

The good news for all concerned is that, somehow, Sho has survived being hit by a car with nary a scratch on him, much to the relief of both his siblings and Ringo, the latter of whom of course feels rather guilty about the whole affair given the events leading up to the accident.  Although Sho is alive and well however, he isn't quite out of the woods yet, as malicious forces are at work deep in the hospital's basement...

The force in question is, of course, Natsume - having gotten her hands on part of Ringo's mysterious diary by force, she now swings into action with a plan to retrieve the rest of this all-important tome, drugging and kidnapping Sho and using him as a hostage in return for the diary.  While Ringo is all set to give up her precious chronicle of fate immediately, Kanba has other plans as he considers the importance of the diary to Himari.  However, Kanba's plan to bluff Sho's captor out into the open backfires immediately, leading him on a far from merry wild goose chase which seems intent on delving into some long-buried memories of him, while Ringo is successfully targeted and forced to hand over the diary.  But what is Natsume's relationship to Kanba, what's her take on Project M, and exactly how many penguin hat-wearing "survival strategy" co-ordinators are there?

Although Ringo's part in this story and her own version of "Project M" are clearly still far from over, it now at least feels that the series is moving deeper as it shifts towards its next level.  More specifically, our eyes now seem to be turning squarely upon Kanba - after his intriguing actions throughout the series ever since the "takeover" of Himari's body, it now seems as though a particular element of his past as it pertains to Natsume is about to trouble him.  But are Natsume's goals her own?  From the end of this episode is seems as if she, much like Kanba and Shouma, is working to protect and assist someone else as she works towards her own "Project M".  The questions about what's going on within Mawaru Penguindrum certainly continue to pile up, but as long as they continue to do so in this well-paced, slick and stylish manner, I certainly have no complaints, especially now the series feels ready to kick on and move away from the danger of repetition inherent in its previous tight focus on Ringo.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 9

Despite leaving us with that cruellest of cliffhangers (or cruellest strokes of fate, if you prefer) last episode, this week's Mawaru Penguindrum seems in little rush to further pursue the well-being of Sho as its attention shifts to other matters.

Indeed, this entire instalment is an introspective opportunity to shift through the life and key emotional points of Himari as we enter a rather Alice in Wonderland-esque dream - rather than a rabbit it's a penguin than we follow into the depths of a world that seems normal on the surface, but hides something rather more unusual behind it - a massive, monolithic library of... well, of who knows what?

What we do know is that the curator of this library, whoever he may be, has access not just to many books but also many of Himari's memories, and it's this ability that allows us to delve into her back story.  The story in question is a tale of a trio of girls determined to become idols as children - a dream which binds which them, but also a dream which causes Himari to become needlessly selfish (in that way that only kids can) towards her mother, in turn leading towards an inadvertent accident which leaves her mum scarred.  While this event only reinforces the bonds between the three childhood friends as they stand up one another even under pressure, Himari's inability to attend school leaves her cut cruelly from this trio to watch from the sidelines as they achieve everything that they ever dreamed of and more.

What does this story mean to the grander sentiments and concepts of Mawaru Penguindrum?  Despite leading to some further questions on the meaning of fate, who knows?  We never really get to grips with this mysterious library curator and his true identity, nor do we really learn anything about the being which possesses Himari (this is a dream after all, can anything that we do see in this episode be trusted?) and come the end of the instalment it feels like we've been pencilling in minor parts to the background of the show's doodle rather than anything incredibly significant.  This leaves me a little unsure as to how I feel about this episode - it was stylistically slick and interesting enough, but perhaps it was a little too forced and sterile in its telling of Himari's past and too wilfully obtuse in the structure of its dream world, to the point where it feels rather like something was missing from the experience.  Maybe I simply need to watch the episode again and pay more attention (it has been a long week, after all), but my impatient nature is shouting at me that the immediacy of things like Sho's situation, Kanba's machinations and Ringo's current state are all more important than what we saw here.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 8

Despite all her other failures to date, it appears that Ringo is about to take the direct action required to bring her so-called "Project M" to bear as this eighth episode of Mawaru Penguindrum begins - but, once again, fate ironically conspires against her.

Put simply, Ringo's intentions to get herself forcibly pregnant by Tabuki fail quite simply because he isn't there - indeed, in a further slice of bad news for our favourite stalker, he has in fact moved out of his home completely to take up residence in a new apartment with wife-to-be Yuri.  On top of all this, the world seems to be rather enjoying punching Ringo in the gut as she stumbles across her father at the aquarium just as he proposes to his girlfriend - a proposal which, of course, she readily agrees to.  Whichever way you look at it, Ringo's idea of being part of a proper family have never been more distant.

While Kanba suggests that it might be the time for more drastic action to wrest Ringo's diary from her grasp, Ringo herself still remains unwavering about her fate and what it will ultimately bring her - cue a visit to Tabuki's new residence with a "celebratory" cake which happens to be drugged, which she plans to use to (and let's not be churlish about saying this) rape him.  Once again though, nature and misfortune conspire to put paid to her plans as Yuri returns home early and leaves her to take flight with Shou, who finally confronts her about what she's trying to do in no uncertain terms.  While this argument almost leads to the loss of Ringo's diary, the resulting scenes could be about to bring us a very different kind of loss altogether...

Although you could certainly make an argument that following Ringo as she stalks Tabuki has been dragged on for a little too long now, it somehow manages to remain both entertaining and fascinating as it goes about its business - Ringo herself is oddly likeable no matter how dark her intentions (or maybe it's just me), and her comment on Shou and Kanba's relationship with Himari and what they really want from it is an interesting window on the series that suggests that perhaps they aren't so different to Ringo after all.  All that said, and putting aside Ringo's various delusions (which almost threaten to become an unnecessary distraction), it's hard for our thoughts about this episode to focus on anything but its cliff-hanger - a cruel twist of fate perhaps that could either change nothing or having major ramifications upon the series going forward.   Looks like we'll have to wait another week to find out which one it's going to be...

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 7

We now know the background to Ringo's obsession with Tabuki and what she believes is the eventual goal laid out in her "diary of fate" - so, with that information in hand, it's back to watching everyone's favourite stalker going about her business.

As she continues to camp out below Tabuki's house, it seems as though Ringo might finally have made some progress, as she receives an e-mail from him inviting her out for a night at the theatre.  Is this her big chance to go on a date with her beloved?  Well... not quite, given that the pair are (of course) both guests at the behest of Yuri Tokikago, meaning that not only does Ringo have to put up with a couple of hours of decidedly corny acting, but she also finds Yuri accompanying them both to a meal after the performance.  Still, at least putting up with all of this does land her an invite to a forthcoming party being held by Yuri, although even this is tempered by the fact that she's told to bring Shou along with her.

Naturally, this is no normal party, but an event held by Yuri to not only announce her retirement from the theatre, but also to announce her engagement to Tabuki.  Cue shock from Ringo as she realises that the "killer whale" that is Yuri has now well and truly snatched her man.  Not that Ringo is going to give up at this point however - far from it, as she concocts an odd but ultimately fruitless occult scheme to win Tabuki back, before deciding to resort to even more desperate measures come this end of this episode; on that count at least she seems to be in sync with the equally debased train of thought coming from Kanba, who himself seems to be drawing himself ever deeper into this whole "Penguin Drum" business.

While this episode progresses the show's current plot and story arc another step forward, perhaps more importantly it does so in a hugely entertaining fashion, full of visual flourishes and tight, snappy scripting that make it a joy to watch as it goes about its frequently daft business.  It's at times like this where I almost don't care where Mawaru Penguindrum is headed, because its heady mixture of slapstick penguins, crazed yet oddly slightly lovable stalker and put-upon brothers is simply so enjoyable to watch.  If it can keep that up without jumping the shark in terms of its core concept, then I can only see my love affair with the series to date continuing.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 6

We might have had a week's break from Mawaru Penguindrum, but that intervening period has suddenly done nothing to temper Ringo's fate-based delusions as we reach episode six of the series.

First and foremost though, Kanba finds himself the object of unwanted attention from the mysterious Natsume - as we saw last episode, the "girl in the red heels" Asami was the subject of an assault from her supposed friend, and here we soon realise that this attack has wiped Asami of any memories she might have of Kanba.  As he digs a little deeper into who sent him the message claiming that they know what he's looking for, so a further couple of members of his "fan club" (or rather, former fan club) are given the same treatment, with a blow to the head courtesy of Natsume's rather unique brand of weaponry putting paid to their memories of Kanba.

Elsewhere however, our focus leans heavily upon Ringo as she sets out on her latest crackpot plan to ensnare Tabuki, or "Project M" as she likes to call it.  It's left to the hapless Shou to help Ringo in this task with the promise of a look at her diary as a reward, although it appears that this particular brand of assistance requires little more than a ludicrous amount of heavy lifting as Ringo prepares herself to spend her first night with Tabuki in her own inimitable fashion.  Unfortunately for Ringo, her usual delusions are supplemented and aggravated by the fact that she's coming down with a fever, although rather importantly this does allow us a rather significant window into her past - it's thanks to this we learn that Ringo has (or rather had) an older sister named Momoka, and due to the trauma of her death upon the family and said older sister's own relationship with Tabuki before her passing we seem to have found ourselves the root cause of Ringo's desire to be with Tabuki.  Put simply, she wants to become her sister in the hope of reunited her family and ensuring that fate as she sees it for those around her comes to pass.

While we're getting fewer and fewer snatches of penguin-led comedy as Mawaru Penguindrum goes on, it's certainly weaving an intriguing web in its stead.  Ignoring the entirely pointless "survival strategy" segment this week (it felt like an excuse to fill some time), we now have a complete handle on Ringo's mindset, which itself raises an interesting question - is Ringo anything to do with the Penguindrum at all, or just a damaged girl following her own decisions about what the right thing to do for her family is?  The climax to the episode (namely the mention of Project M by Natsume) suggests not, but the flashbacks we see posit Ringo as creating her diary of fate by herself - is she simply being helped along somehow in the same way that Himari's life is prolonged by the weird entity within her hat?  Beyond that, we know even less about Natsume and her mission, although it seems fair to assume that she may well be in competition for the Penguindrum.... so many questions, and so much time left to answer them, but it's fair to say that I'm still hooked by this series and more than a little curious about what it's trying to achieve.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 5

After turning around a largely comedic episode via quite the unexpected twist at the end of its previous instalment, this fifth episode of Mawaru Penguindrum soon brings us up to speed with the fate of "the girl in the red heels" - she's certainly well and truly alive and kicking, but it seems that she saw a little too much for the liking of her "friend", the decidedly odd Natsume.

Aside from that particular offshoot, this week's instalment is set against the backdrop of a flashback to nine years previously, as we see a young Himari suffering gravely from a fever while a typhoon rages overhead.  With no ambulances available to take care of their daughter, Himari's father takes matters into his own hands by braving the storm to carry her to hospital on foot - a decision aped by Kanba which almost leads to disaster, but eventually all's well that ends well.  This particular story serves as an anchor for Kanba's behaviour throughout this episode, most pertinently as he learns that the house he and his siblings reside in is likely to be sold by his uncle, splitting up the remainder of their family as a result - of course, this all ultimately boils down to money; money which Kanba somehow manages to acquire via an unknown medium, but one which seems to tie into numerous other aspects of the series in some shape or form.

Of course, all of this isn't to say that Ringo's part in proceedings have been forgotten - after a "date" with her father (which intriguingly ties Ringo in to the same aquarium which provided Himari's "magical" hat), she sets out looking for another date with destiny as it relates to Tabuki, only to have her dream well and truly crushed underfoot on this occasion with no redemption in sight.  As she walks dejected through the soaking rain, she happens across Shou and Himari who invite her to dinner, bringing about a heated argument between Shouma and Ringo as the former tries to get hold of the latter's diary - as the truth comes out about the whole affair, so Ringo is drawn into the "survival strategy" in a chain of events which almost have disastrous consequences.

Given how that light-hearted fourth episode suddenly turned decidedly dark as it came to a close, it's no real surprise to see the entirety of this week's instalment entering similar territory, albeit of course not without the comedic flourishes of our team of invisible penguins couple with the general absurdity of much of the situation.  Equally as unsurprising is that we're left with even more questions and very few answers as this episode goes about its merry business - we still no nothing about Natsume or her red-shoed friend, Kanba seems to have some very interesting contacts we know jot about, and Ringo's diary of fate feels like something of a mystery even to her.  Hell, even Himari's father's jacket seems to tie in to the show's penguin theme.

Once again, all of this is wrapped up in what is very much a compelling package; visually striking and with the unnerving ability to juggle death and comedy penguins at the exact same time as it gleefully throws information and occurrences at you and then dares you to make sense of them.  It also knows how to deliver its set piece moments - sure, the "survival strategy" scenes and largely lazily repetitive, but then all of a sudden Ringo turns this week's outing into that technicolour netherworld on its head, while even the vital struggle between cycling Kanba, cute penguin and articulated lorry proved to be surprisingly tense viewing.  Is Mawaru Penguindrum still the best show of the summer?  You know what, it probably is.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 4

So, Himari is now friends with Ringo - a twist of the fate of which this series is so fond that at least makes life easier for Shouma and Kabna when it comes to following their "target".

Indeed, come this fourth episode of Mawaru Penguindrum the two brothers have Ringo's plans laid on a plate for them, as she looks to Himari to help her plan a bird-watching "date" with Tabuki and, more importantly, create a suitably fabulous lunch to win him over with.  While Kanba seemingly has other fish to fry, it's left to Shouma to accompany Ringo for the day in the hope of finding out more about the Penguindrum.

Unfortunately, pretty much all Shouma finds out during the course of this "date" is that the entire world seems to be conspiring against Ringo's plans, whether it's an escaped skunk, hungry crows or pesky caterpillars.  Still, even all of these setbacks don't appear to halt Ringo's enthusiasm for her task, and despite Tabuki being accompanied by the beautiful Yuki Tokikago and summarily ruin all of Ringo's well-planned delusions she still follows her "destiny" through to the bitter again with the aim of getting a kiss from Tabuki by 4PM.  She certainly gets her kiss at the prescribed time, but unbeknownst to her it isn't from quite the party she was expecting....

As another episode drifts by in a largely entertaining but faintly ridiculous fashion, we still really aren't too sure where Mawaru Penguindrum is actually heading - Ringo's diary remains something of a mystery, and one which gains distinctly malicious overtones as this week's instalment draws to a close.  If nothing else, it seems that fate is binding Ringo, Kanba and Shouma together in some intriguing ways that don't look likely to become any simpler any time soon.  Still, that's fine by me as I continue to be amused by our slapstick trio of invisible penguins, and even Ringo's disintegrating delusions had some comedy value to them - even if any deeper analysis of fate and destiny all proves to be for naught, we can't say that the journey along its various stops so far hasn't been fun.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 3

Despite spending the whole of the last episode tailing Ringo Oginome in the hunt for this so-called "Penguin Drum", it seems that Kanba and Shouma still aren't exactly convinced of the true identity of the being which possesses their sister via that rather adorable hat - indeed, even drinking a bunch of milk won't convince them, leaving said hat no choice but to briefly kill Himari again to make her point.

That done, it's time to set out in pursuit of Ringo again, while the girl within their sights reveals another frighteningly overbearing obsession of hers - curry.  It seems that her latest plan is to feed the man she loves (and the man she stalks) Tamaki her curry as part of her strategy to find love and happiness with him.  The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, after all.

Having missed Ringo as she sets off for school, Shouma and Kanba do the next best thing - they break into Ringo's apartment for a snoop around, only to be caught out by her return which leaves them both hiding behind her sofa.  Eventually she leaves, curry in hand, for the home of her unrequited love.... and a meeting which quickly ruins her plan.  Rather, it somewhat ruins her plan, but at her mad and delusional best Ringo somehow manages to twist things in her favour both mentally and physically, before a decidedly bizarre accident featuring a fish, a penguin and curry leads her to the home of the Takakura family.  But where next for Ringo's supposed "destiny", and what of the Penguin Drum?  Hell, what is the Penguin Drum?

Certainly, this particular episode of Mawaru Penguindrum raises more questions than it answers - in short, we still don't really know what's going on, what Ringo has to do with any of it or what is likely to happen next.  Thankfully, the light-hearted treatment of these wholly mysterious elements as they toy with the concept of fate is half of what makes the series fun - the other half being the show's spot-on sense of slapstick humour, particularly as it pertains to those ever-wonderful penguins (who steal every scene here as always) and their equally oddball owner who, if all else fails, could easily find a part in Arakawa Under the Bridge.  I guess at some point I'll start demanding answers to all of those questions, but for now I'm more than happy for this series to carry ploughing its colourful, nicely animated and incredibly amusing furrow.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 2

Kanba and Shouma might have their sister alive, kicking and completely healthy thanks to the mysterious extra-terrestrial-cum-hat that has somehow taken over her body to initiate its rather bizarre (and overly showy) "Survival Strategy", but I would wager neither brother had realised just what a pain in the backside their payment for this miracle would be.

As the legs on the ground in the search for the mysterious "Penguin Drum" of the show's title, the brothers first task presented to them is to follow a girl named Ringo Oginome who is purported to be in possession of said item.... at least, she might be.  Possibly.  Who knows, you can't expect a penguin-alien-hat thing to know everything now, can you?

Anyway, off traipse our two brothers to trail Ringo, backed up by their adorable penguin helpers who absolutely and unequivocally steal the show from beginning to end as their invisibility to everyone outside of the Takakura is put to good use as Ringo goes to school, makes a trip to a lingerie shop and does some bird watching.  It's here that we reach a twist in the tail, as the normal and seemingly innocent Ringo's darker and downright creepy side is exposed - is this anything to do with the Penguin Drum or are we just being dragged along on an intriguing but ultimately fruitless wild goose chase?  This story arc isn't over yet, so we shall have to wait and see where this particular track is taking us.

While I'm sure I should be caring about some of the deeper implications of this episode, be it Ringo's proclivities or her particular take on the role of fate and destiny in her life and how that compares to those of the Takakura brothers, all I really have to say about this episode is that its trio of penguin helpers are the most adorably hilarious thing I have ever, ever seen.  Simply every scene in which they appear is stolen by these cute little critters as they waddle about whilst acting goofily and generally being pretty rubbish at whatever objective they are tasked with, and I absolutely love it.  It's almost as if someone has delved into the recesses of my mind, pin-pointed exactly what will make me shout "Awwwwwww" out loud between bursts of hysterical laughter, and then distilled it into animated form just for me.  Yes, other stuff happens in this episode and all that, but who cares - give me episodes of cute little penguins trying to do undercover work and I'm utterly smitten.

Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 1

Is it wrong to watch an anime series just because it has the word "penguin" in the title, and because a certain 'blogger happens to think that penguins are awesome as they're his favourite animal?  Well, if that's wrong then I don't want to be right, and it just so happens that my bizarre selection criteria seems to have landed me one of the summer season's most intriguing offerings.

After an introduction which rails against the cruel hand of fate, we're introduced to three siblings - Kanba and Shouma Takakura, and their little sister Himari.  As these three go about their business of cooking breakfast and the like, it seems as though we have ourselves a happy, perfect sibling unit - however, we're clearly missing an elephant in the room; an elephant we're soon filled in on as we flashback to a diagnosis of an incurable illness for Himari while leaves her only months to live.

Despite this, our trio seem cheerful enough as they head off for a day at the aquarium to treat Himari on a day they all do whatever she asks - a day which seemingly ends in tragedy as she collapses and later dies in hospital.  Or does she?  As the brother's argue amongst themselves about their response to Himari's fate, so their sister springs back to life - not just alive, but perfectly healed, even if she does spout some decidedly odd things on her return to the land of the living.  While all this forgotten in the midst of this happy event, the bizarre arrival of three frozen objects marks the start of an odd turn in this trio's lives...

Well, that to say about this first episode of Mawaru Penguindrum?  I'm not too keen on aspects of the art style, aside from a spectacular sequence which looks... well, it looks as if SHAFT animated it to be quite honest), but aside from that this is clearly not the kind of series that is made to be discussed after a single instalment.  The introduction of the show's titular natural submarines is hilarious and adorable at the same time (the little critters deserve a series of their own), but just what kind of anime are we looking at here?  Your guess is as good as mine, but it looks as though Kanba and Shouma have work to do for their new "queen", and heaven only knows what that will involve... lots of penguins I hope.  Lots and lots of penguins.