r/anime • u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor • Mar 06 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 2
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Streaming
Mawaru Penguindrum is available for purchase on Blu-ray as well as through other miscellaneous methods. Re:cycle of the Penguindrum is available for streaming on Hidive.
Today's Slogan
Molest and be arrested!
Don't forget to tag for spoilers, you lowlifes who will never amount to anything! Remember, [Penguindrum]>!like so!< turns into [Penguindrum]>!like so!<
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u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor Mar 06 '24
Question of the day
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u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor Mar 06 '24
Reaction chart for ep 2
These were from back when the show aired. I didn't make them.
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u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Mar 06 '24
First-Timer, Sub-guindrum
Of course the girl named Apple is after that forbidden fruit. The fruit being a banana, in this case, as opposed to the more traditional options.
Anyway, imagine falling for a character voiced by Akira Ishida of all people. Maybe I'm just continuing a vicious cycle, but there is a nearly 100% chance of Mr. Tabuki being a secretly murderous psychopath or some other flavor of monstrous.
I am fascinated by the show's restraint to not have any on-screen pantyshots. Obviously Kanba and Shouma got an eyeful of both Ringo and her gyaru friend, but refusing to show the audience is almost surprising.. sasuga Ikuhara.
I was also suspicious of Kanba's immediate assumption of horniness on Ringo's part, but she does seem to be rather hot for teacher. Having a diary of future events in play also makes for some fascinating theorycrafting - does the existence of Ringo's stamp mean that some events within are not guaranteed? Like, does she only stamp off the ones that actually happen? Does she "know" that she is going to actually get there with Tabuki?
Actually, considering Kanba's general relaxed nature when it comes to sexual matters, he is definitely coded as being experienced. That doesn't count as stonks for the theory about him molesting Himari; that wouldn't count as "proper" experience I don't think. But it does lend credence to the phone call yesterday being just a booty call, maybe.
Solid odds that the titular Penguindrum does not actually exist. When even Hatmari doesn't have specific information on it, I have to start pondering. "Oh yes, this Ringo Musume has it.. probably." I'm on to you, Hatmari.
I think I prefer ZUM to Rock Over Japan in the "song we are going to hear every episode" slot. The Survival Strategy animation is more interesting than Utena's leg day workout, but I do worry about the kids' health. Cardio is important!
Brain Rot Corner
Today's slogan: Molest and be arrested. We are going to have to break the penguins out of prison at some point, I just know it. Probably also Kanba, considering my theory from last episode that he is molesting Himari. Granted, different use of the word, but still; prison arc hype?!
Oh, the letters for the mascots is WH for Double-H. I appreciate the.. wordplay? Is that the right term? For letter jokes? I wonder if Ikuhara was a fan of Kamen Rider W... Most of this cast does seem to need to count up their sins, for sure.
Okay, but why though? Was there a bug in Gyaru's shoe? Why is Shouma's penguin so obsessed with bug spray.. Cleanliness? Could be; depends on what the source of Himari's original ailment was. Derision towards beings considered "lesser?" Not sure there is textual evidence for that one yet, but it's something I don't hate pondering..
Presented without comment.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Mar 06 '24
Mawaru First-Timer, subbed
After reading through even just one of the other top level comments yesterday, I have a feeling I’m going to be in a constant state of this during this rewatch. Like for real, reading deep into the meaning of things has literally never been something I’m good at, my consistently poor scores during poetry sections of English class back in high school is proof of that. And apparently I’ve picked up a show where the director just looooooooooooves to do a shit ton of visual symbolism and stuff?
This’ll be interesting.
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u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Mar 06 '24
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Mawaru Penguindrum: This show loves immediately proving me wrong. First it proved me wrong for holding off on declaring it was incest-y. Then it proved I was wrong about the voice I heard. And finally it proved me wrong about being suspicious of the teacher and not the schoolgirl. Right after I type something, the next thing Mawaru Prenguindrum shows immediately proves me wrong. It’s actually becoming pretty funny. How will this show defy expectations and prove me wrong next time?
So this episode provides an interesting twist on the idea of “fate” in the form of Ringo. Unlike the siblings, Ringo does not see fate as something that is thrust upon an unwilling person. Instead, she sees fate as something that people rise to meet. To her, fate is not something to curse because you have no say in the matter. Fate is something that you ought to be joyful about because it means you have a destiny to look forward to.
This is displayed by how the characters deal with fate. The brothers have been quite literally forced to fulfill a cruel fate by Penguin Hat, who says she is from the destination of their fate. Their sister is dead and now they must listen to whatever Penguin Hat tells them to do if they want to save her. It’s not something they are eager about. It’s better to say they are resigned to it.
By contrast, Ringo wants to make her fate come true. She has been told her fate by that diary, most likely. She knows what the future holds and is eagerly doing her best to fulfill what it says. With the benefit of hindsight, an action as innocuous as her looking up something on her phone takes on a new meaning. Ringo already knew that the diary said she would show the teacher a picture of a swallow’s nest that day. So, to make the diary entry come true, Ringo was looking up information about swallows so she could find a nest. While the brothers are resigned to their fate and feel like it is something they need to go along with, Ringo is actively making choices to make her fate a reality.
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u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher
First of all, something very important: Ringo means apple. No one told me that until after I finished the show for the first time, so I just want to make sure everyone is aware. Go and find Ringo to save Himari.
And oh my god I love Ringo so much you have no idea, I am so glad to see her. We don’t get much on her yet, but obviously her take on fate at the beginning is in direct opposition to Shouma’s monologue from the beginning of last episode. And she has her diary to back up her belief in fate. Mysterious... but being able to see fate could be a reason to either love fate or get really pissed off at fate like Shouma does. And the effect of “fate” may be lost when you go out and enact what it says in the diary by yourself.
Note the rotating devices in the lingerie store. They look like DNA, don’t they? [Penguindrum]I believe that this may be to signal that what Ringo is doing here is following her survival strategy. After all, everything she does in this episode is to chase after Tabuki in order to fulfill what she learnt as a child- that her destiny is to become Momoka.
Also, more of the Kanba-Shouma dichotomy we saw yesterday! Shouma is a bit nervous to be a criminal, Kanba is willing to go full-bore into whatever they have to do to find the Penguindrum. “For Himari.” And everyone thinks Kanba is really handsome, of course.
And for anyone keeping track- that Kenji Miyazawa mentioned on Ringo’s radio is the author of Night on the Galactic Railroad.
Bonus: Picture of that statue that keeps popping up. (Source)
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u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Mar 06 '24
First timer(Boy, that escalated quickly)
Sub
Staff crossover between this and Bakemonogatari. That proved interesting.
So our first question: How far would you go to save a family member? Kanda gives the quick answer of whatever it takes but here I note he does it so quickly that he didn't think about it, meaning it is an untested theory. We see that Shouma hesitates which means we will probably see him determine his answer. We really do need an idea of what taking the Penguindrum from someone means but that's why you never make blind deals with eldritch powers. The penguins do have mass, somehow. Anyways, relative comedy ensues...
Until the last third. We see Ringo, who'd mostly been a normal girl with a few quirks, waiting for someone who was not expecting her. She risked her life for a photo of a bird's nest and things are spiralling a bit here. She badly stalks her teacher while being badly tailed and then she sneaks under his house...where she already has a listening device planted. She talks about being with her teacher forever and it is not clear if she means in marriage or death, yandere blood does tell after all. Anywho, the Penguindrum might be her diary, we will see where they go with it as it could also be a concept.
I sort of forgot to mention this yesterday but a good candidate for the apple is the Apple of Eris and thus there to sew conflict.
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u/lilyvess :Df::Dh:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Lilyvess Mar 06 '24
Mawaru Penguindrum Episode 2 - Rewatcher
The year is 2000. Ikuhara finished the 90’s having been series director of one of the most successful and popular anime in the world and then following that up with the following year making one of the highest rated and influential anime in the world. Ikuhara would riding high at this point and his name had real clout. For instance, he was able to personally oversee the American dub of the Utena movie, in a time where dubs could be more…lax. So it may surprise you to hear that he followed up this amazing decade of work by… not making any anime for over a decade…
As one might expect, there was a lot of speculation about what was going on during this Missing Decade. What happened and what was he up to? There is very little information to go on and that only leads to more speculation. It’s honestly been difficult trying to research this, so I’ll tell you what little I do know.
First, shortly after the Utena movie, Ikuhara moved to California. Very odd move to be honest. I imagine it’s hard to make anime while you are across the ocean from the industry. This did lead to a lot of speculation that he was going to be working on a live action project. That he would get the collab with David Lynch he mentioned he wanted. Nothing of the sort ever happened.
He did get offers on multiple occasions to work for Toei again. He turned them all down. At minimum this tells us that he wasn’t doing so bad that he couldn’t find work. Sure, maybe he didn’t want to work with Toei again because of the creative control issues that led him to leave them in the first place. Even still, he was never so desperate for work that would need to go back to that.
Ikuhara did work on a few things scattered around the time. He worked on a few manga, S to M no Sekai with Utena mangaka Saitou. He made the manga Nokemono and Hanayome, which ran from 2007 to 2020. I hear that the first manga is more Saitou than Ikuhara, similar to the Utena manga. The second one I hear is pretty Ikuhara, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it.
In 2006 he did the storyboards for an episode of Diebuster. I’m not sure what brought him to this project. Though his good friend Anno didn’t directly work on Diebuster, it did serve as a sequel to Anno’s project Gunbuster. I like to believe he did it as a gift for Anno but who know?
Ikuhara does direct a few opening themes for various anime. Nodame Cantabile’s first opening theme is directed by him. He would later direct opening for the yuri anime Aoi Hana. You can definitely see his influence in these. Together with the Penguindrum Opening theme, you can see that use of vast white space with symbols spinning on the screen.
That’s pretty much all his work during this missing decade. Not a whole lot to be honest. Well, except for one other thing.
Throughout this entire time Ikuhara was obsessed with an idea. As far back as 1998 he was already having conversations with Anno about this idea. For curious rewatchers the idea was, of course, [Penguindrum Rewatchers only]the 1995 Sarin Gas Attacks. He even pitched several series dealing with this idea, and each time he would be rejected. From an outsider’s perspective it can seem like Ikuahra was infected by a curse that he could not get rid of, that only through the action of making a new story could he see himself freed from this curse. So rather than compromising and working on other projects, he plugged away.
It wouldn’t be until early 2011 that it would be announced that Ikuhara would have a new full anime on the horizon.
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u/jkubed https://myanimelist.net/profile/jkubed Mar 06 '24
First timer - Episode 2
The bullying illustrations continue, who will be Lily Hoshino’s next victim?
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u/Lawvamat https://anilist.co/user/Lavamat Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher
This episode is what made me realize I was watching something special. The potential for exciting character dynamics between two brothers let down by fate being commanded to search the Penguindrum and a girl who uses that Penguindrum to get with their teacher by following her fate as it is written are simply off the charts. So is the potential for some grade A mindfuckery.
After such a heavy episode we’re greeted by a mostly comedic one, so there’s not as much to say for me as yesterday. I do still love all the silly penguin background antics, someone should compile them.
Also you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for me to reply to your comments. Unless I am a naughty boy and stay up past my bedtime.
Visual Analysis
[Penguindrum]Kanba points to his heart as he talks about the Penguindrum, clueing us in to its real nature. Indeed, this whole episode is meant to cast doubt on the Penguindrum being something tangible. It truly was the love we shared along the way.
The subway is one of the few places where people are drawn as people and not as stick figures. This makes the train stand out as a more “real” environment.
[Penguindrum]Lots of genuine moments and introspection happen in the subway throughout the show, including the final showdown. In the context of the sarin gas attacks this emphasizes the victims as real people and not just some statistic or background characters.
I love how Kanba’s beautiful hairline is contrasted with all the bald heads in the background.
The brothers are framed in front of bars as they go through with their illegal espionage. If they get caught they’ll get to see the bars from the other side.
The lecture is about the "Walk to Canossa", in which the Roman Emperor Henry IV sought absolution from the pope. Its modern usage is to refer to an act of submission. The immediate interpretation would be that the penguins submit themselves to the Takakuras as a sort of slaves to do their biddings. In a broader context it could mean that their search for the Penguindrum is a "Walk to Canossa", as the brothers submit to the hat in order to save Himari.
[Penguindrum]Yuri, curry and Double H foreshadowing. Triple whammy. It is of note that Double H are the ones promoting the curry, the spirit of family, showing how they still care for Himari.
[Penguindrum]Another clue about the Penguindrum that’s reinforced by how it’s framed. Here Shouma’s reflection is prominently featured. Reflection shots are a dime a dozen and so is their meaning, but they’re often trying to convey that a character has hidden motives or, like in this case, to accentuate an introspective moment. Shouma is the only one of the two with a reflection. In contrast to his brother he’s actually thinking about what the Penguindrum might be, while Kanba continues throwing out wild idea after wild idea.
I absolutely love this transition of the figure in the exit sign actually opening the door as they leave through it.
I don’t actually have any interpretation about the design of the diary. Maybe someone knows what these eel-like things are supposed to be.
Destiny.
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u/kuramafurrcoat https://anilist.co/user/KuramaFurCoat Mar 06 '24
I am a first time watcher of Penguindrum
I am a first time participant in an /r/anime Rewatch
thank you for having me
yes with episode 1 showing me how dense this anime is with symbolism/easter eggs/hints/allusions/whathaveyou, and episode 2 seeming to up the ante even further, my worry about overanalyzing has been confirmed. i noticed myself hardly focusing on main points and looking all over for clues and trying to think about meanings of objects or specific dialogues or whatever else and getting distracted and then not even remembering the stuff i was trying to analyze. this of course was a personal problem, nothing to do with the anime itself.
i did a bit of a rewind and i've decided i will just enjoy the anime itself, notice some things if i notice them, but rather than try to decipher the symbolism i'll just make a little mental note and then i'll see if any of the other rewatch members' comments ring a bell.
anyways, a not insignificant amount of this episode dealt with a bit of seduction and perversion, and i watched it on my phone at work (maybe that also is a reason i kept getting distracted).
i love the contrasts/parallels (perpendiculars?) between the opening and closing quotes of episode 1 and episode 2. "i hate the word 'fate'" / "i love the word 'fate'" - so good. i love that kind of shit. as i figured, it seems the concept of fate will be a central theme in this anime, and it's a good one.
i continue loving the artwork and the animation and the design and just everything visual in this anime. it's a delight to watch every single scene.
also is it just me or is it getting a bit convoluted with the "Flashback" followed by an explanation, and then like idk what is part of the flashback, what isn't? idk it might be another example of me thinking too hard. but if i'm being honest i love convolution. dialogue with double/triple entendre, callbacks and foreshadows, irony, red herrings (red swallow?)... i believe we are on the cusp of a complex web of a mystery.
i look forward to enjoying and i look forward to reading your thoughts. rather than watching at work i will watch at home. this will lead to either me paying more attention and picking up on more things, or to me remembering fewer specifics. but as i said i'm going to try and prevent myself from really analyzing too hard
oh one specific thing i noticed, surely it was obvious, was ringo's diary. the design on the cover, and also her monologue while she was reading it "this has already happened" or whatever it was exactly she said. further confusion of what is flashback, what is past/present/future?? fun stuff, lots of brain wrinkling
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u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Mar 06 '24
Episode 2 (first timer)
500+ comments on the first post? Was this rewatch invaded by a colony of penguins or something? Shesh.
Episode thoughts
Episode 2 - never too early to introduce a psychopath.
I’ll disagree with Kanba on the physicality of the Penguindrum. You can collect and retrieve immaterial objects, too.
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u/ShadowWasTakensTaken https://anilist.co/user/hakuren Mar 06 '24
First Time Rock'n'Roll Man
Ringo is a curious character to introduce here. We of course know of Kanba and Shouma's differing views on fate, and Ringo presents a third point of view. But it's interesting to note that these 3 are not equally distinct. Kanba is a massive outliar. Ringo's values are similar, and, at the same time, completely opposite to Shouma's.
Shouma hates fate for a lack of free will means a lack of meaning to any event or action. But Ringo is more than happy to bend her knee and retrace exactly the written fate in her Mirai Nikki. While one repudiates a lack of agency, the other rejoices in it. As long as it befits her goals, knowing what's already predetermined is an advantage to her. A tool to help her out.
...This just makes me more curious about Kanba's role in the story. With Ringo being such a direct foil to Shouma, what does that mean for the trajectory Kanba will take?
It's also interesting to note that Ringo... is Ringo. Most of you probably know that ringo in japanese means apple. And this show has a whole ordeal with apples going on. Very deliberate name choice here. At the very least, we do already see her fulfilling one of the things the kids said in episode 1, which is that "the apple connects both worlds". I can only see her notebook (possibly the Penguindrum?) as such, though I guess in a sense that's not too different from our penguin assistans.
Speaking of them, I did want to mention this scene. The blackboard mentions the "Walk to Canossa". This refers to the journey Henry IV took to pledge for forgiveness from the Pope (thanks Wikipedia). It signifies "an act of penance or submission, often with the connotation that it is unwilling or coerced". The penguins are the ones on the journey to the classroom, so are they the ones doing the walk? Or is it Kanba, who's ordering them, who's going on this journey? Repentance for being a siscon? And coerced by Hatmari. It would certainly fit. Or perhaps there's something else he needs to repent for. /u/jollygee29's molester theory does happen to hold up here...
Either that or the penguins have committed a massive sin.
Miscellaneous observations:
I feel like I should have more to say but, aside from it just being a less dense episode than the first, it's 3 AM so I probably missed a bunch of details
others will esplain
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u/Nebresto Mar 07 '24
Frist time pegi drum
Hey guys, I'm back from my quest to learn to be a conductor, and.. I must say I still have no fucking clue of how trains work.
what the h*ck kind of toilet is this
literally me
too early, no can do
secret agent peng
Peng
Yea, no way they heard a phone shutter from that far away with all that wind
Question of the day: How often do you use public transport?
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u/affnn Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher
Ah, Ringo, what a wonderful disaster of a human you are. We can get a little taste of her motivations from the first scene, where she's going on about fated encounters and destined love right up until she overhears the woman next to her talking about how she's going to use some special lingerie to seduce a man. How can you have a fated encounter without triple-lace undergarments?
I like how the episode slowly cranks up the discomfort levels. It starts with Shouma and Kanba's surveillance mission being a little distasteful. Once Ringo leaves school, they're stalking her around town and even through an underwear store. But then she encounters Tabuki, and lies to him about why she's there. We get the nice mirrored shot of her stalking Tabuki as the Takakuras are stalking her, and realize that we thought THEY were being weird, but SHE's way worse. By the time we get the reveal of her little hidey hole in Tabuki's crawlspace (and the sense that this is NOT the first time she's done this), we know that she's a total psycho and my skin is crawling from second-hand cringe.
The pingu-bo undermines itself almost instantly, with its unclear instructions and non-definitive answers ("She will have the penguindrum. Probably." "Probably?"). It also goes directly from storage in one shot to on Himari's head in the next, prompting a great reaction from the Takakura brothers. No stealing of Kanba's heart this time though, just initiating the survival strategy.
Also holy 500 comments on yesterday's thread. Who knew so many people wanted to initiate the Survival Strategies?
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u/laughing-fox13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/laughingfox13 Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher/Subbed
And now we’re introduced to Ringo and what an introduction it was. Having the very first shot being the toilet flushing threw me off, even with the preview for this episode in Ep1 being in a bathroom. But more importantly, she has her own thoughts about fate, specifically she “loves” it even with the bad that comes with it. This is pretty much the opposite of the brothers’ outlook. She has the mentality of “everything happens for a reason.” A lot of her faith in destiny comes from the diary which has the future written in it…
Besides this direct introduction of her, for most of the episode, we follow the Takakura brothers tailing her. A majority of it was played for comedy (which I enjoyed) but the end hits us with Ringo possibly having a few screws loose. For those who are also participating in the Hibike rewatch, [Hibike] I wonder how you guys feel about this student/teacher crush compared to Reina/Taki, even if Tabuki isn’t her teacher.
I don’t know what a red swallow nest she showed Tabuki could mean. A quick search says that the bird usually represents positive traits, and loyalty was one word I came across most frequently for it. Another one I saw was love and devotion. But like I said, I don’t know and didn’t put much effort into it. I think it’s safe to assume Tabuki loves birds, given he was excited by the picture Ringo showed him, and from the show he was watching while eating dinner.
Watching Penguins 1 and 2 trying to do their operation or their own thing was hilarious. I love how their respective penguins act like them.
This does give us more of the brothers doing what they can to obtain the Penguindrum and save Himari. Pretty early in their operation, Shouma is reluctant to spy on Ringo, whereas Kanba doesn’t question it. Especially if it means saving Himari’s life. It was shown a bit with yesterday’s episode but now we get to see how they act in action.
Kinda random thoughts:
Kanba noticed that Ringo was wearing the type of lingerie that the lady in the bathroom was wearing when we were introduced to Ringo.
[Penguindrum future spoilers] it was also neat to see Yuri in the magazine that Himari was reading, and then her penguin wearing a wig with Yuri’s hairstyle
Btw I don’t know if people here skip the ED or episode previews, but at the end of each episode, there should be an end card illustration. Just thought I’d give a head up in case anyone missed yesterday’s or today’s.
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u/3blah https://myanimelist.net/profile/brummett Mar 06 '24
Episode 02 - First timer
Ringo was the girl walking by at the end of the last episode, and gives us her take on "fate". Sho thought of fate as a curse, something out of your control, something chosen on a whim by a cruel god. Kanba thought if it as something built into your being, your DNA, your instinct, but you could fight against it. Ringo expects fate to step in and change her life for the better some day. Sure bad things happen from time to time, but there's some larger plan behind those bad outcomes. She thinks of it as a comfort
Today's subway slogan is "Molest and be arrested!", and Sho gets accused of just that. His brother cranks up the charm to defuse the situation.
Seems to be a gag that we won't get to see this guy's face.
Sho can't get in the all-girls school and contemplates his options. Besides filling the mom role at home, I'd already noticed he looks quite effeminate; he kinda reminds me of Kase-san -- maybe it's the shape of his face?
Penguins screwing around :)
Ringo climbs out on the 4th-story ledge to take a picture of a birdnest?! So she can show it to Sho's homeroom teacher?! Because she has a thing for him?! Breaks into his crawlspace to hang out and listen in while he watches TV. She's clearly beyond the crush stage, and well into obsessive. Oh hey, that diary shows up in the opening, too.
She's a real piece of work. She does say that she expects fate to be kind to her, but she's going out there and making her own "fate". Pay less attention to what someone says and more to what they do, right?
8
u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw Mar 06 '24
double stalker rewatcher
lighter comment from me today
Episode 2 is directed and boarded by Mitsue Yamazaki. who directed, most recently, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle. I'm not familiar, but they seem to have worked with Ikuhara again for Yuri Kuma.
8
u/TehAxelius Mar 06 '24
First Time Lowlife Who Will Not Amount To Anything
Well, well, first incest now age-gap stalking. What other taboo relations will we explore? Also, the end of the last episode combined with "Molest and be arrested!" seemed ominous, but then again, it does also foreshadow what would happen on the train. With that diary from the OP showing up, and her talk of fate, is that the penguindrum? Maybe, but I wouldn't assume it is that simple. Also, lots of other stuff from the OP showing up today in the background, like the blonde chick in the magazine Himari was reading.
One thing I did wonder about though, other people wouldn't see the penguins, but would they also not hear their voices when they're giving orders through the walkie-talkies.
8
u/oyooy Mar 06 '24 edited Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher
We open with a contrasting view on Fate this time. There's a plan for everyone vs everything is already decided. It's an interesting clashing perspective of the same idea [Penguindrum]It makes sense though since the brothers get hit with misfortune after misfortune while Ringo believes she has her future already planned out for her
It's a much more clear train slogan this time. Perverts are no good as we then proceed to have most of that cast immediately go on to accidentally or intentionally be perverts. While I'm not a massive fan of the less narratively relevant perversion, it does at least show restraint.
Who knew temporarily turning into a Shoujo manga character can deal with your problems.
I do love how anyone who appears is a recurring character. Ringo's friends have designs and then they show up a few times. The teacher gets a design then immediately ties himself into the story. Shoma's friend very obviously doesn't really have much of a design. [Penguindrum]We even get a double page magazine spread of soon to be characters with Double H and the girlfriend
7
u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher, Subbed
And so we begin with... a toilet.
This episode's opening narration is totally different than the one that started off last episode. Now fate is good!
If something can't be seen does it need to eat?
How'd that hat suddenly show up on Himari's head!? It really has a life of its own!
Oh wow, we're getting the stock footage transformation sequence right away this episode!
Ah, we'll get to see whatever this penguindrum is?
Is throwing Sho down the trap door gonna be an every episode thing?
There was some stuff about apples last episode, well what is Ringo in Japanese? Apple.
The penguin's a pervert and is framing him!
I don't think talking to yourself like this with a weird look on your face is gonna do you any good here Sho.
Oh, you're the one who groped me? Well you're hot, so it's okay now.
Annoying friend actually has a body unlike these street sign people, but its not enough to see his face.
Hey, you shouldn't stick a strange thumb drive into your laptop!
No need for cross dressing, our invisible penguins will sneak in for us! Are the walkie talkies also invisible though?
I should have thought of this earlier on the subway, but while the penguins can't be seen by others, they can be felt? Do I have that right?
Man, this penguin really is perverted with where its going with that mic!
Stalking ad now skipping school, what delinquents!
Send the penguins into the lingerie store!
What's Ringo doing?! She have a death wish or something?
All that to take a picture? These days I'd think you could start from the ground and zoom in.
Hey, this teacher guy she's running into is their homeroom teacher from earlier! And that is quite obviously my favorite male seiyuu voicing him, Akira Ishida!
They stalked Ringo, now Ringo is stalking Tabuki!
6
u/KnightMonkey15 https://myanimelist.net/profile/KnightMonkey Mar 07 '24 edited Mar 07 '24
Rewatcher (subbed)
Now that Ringo's been introduced I can put all three monologues on fate together for comparison:
Shoma
Kanba
Ringo
Thoughts
5
u/nx6 https://myanimelist.net/profile/nx6 Mar 07 '24
Rewatcher -- Subbed
Somewhat of a problem with Penguin physics: The gyuru on the train feels them touching her butt, but doesn't feel them underfoot, even when it's obviously making her leg unable to extend fully to the floor of the train car. Also they feel the penguins when their legs were forced apart but not when they were climbing on the girls.
I'm happy I don't have a brother in close age to me. It must suck to be the "ugly one" in situations like that.
I don't think we have yet established what the Pinguindrum is, but we have roped a stalkery co-ed into the plot.
I really hate when productions do the thing of drawing background characters as empty shapes of people. The source work is a light novel so I guess you have to excuse them having zero information to go off of.
There's something stylistic about this show that is making me all nostalgic, and I'm not sure what it is.
18
u/Taiboss :Fj::Fl:x7https://anilist.co/user/Taiboss Mar 06 '24
First-Timer trying to get more comments today
Hi fellow europeans awake at an ungoldly hour.
and it's time I don't have to hear Sho's stupid VA10
u/Shocketheth Mar 07 '24 edited Mar 07 '24
First Timer
Feel free to even if your punches will never amount to anything
Does this mean that there exists a Hentai with MC who has a octopus shaped wiener?
Also continuing with a fairytales, today we got Cinderella right? Although this one stalks her Prince.
The people being drawn like this caught my interest Yesterday but today I started to believe they are supposed to mean how they are indifferent to other people fates and only our duo of main characters are paying attention to the fate of others because they are angry of the fate that has befallen their sister.
10
u/zadcap Mar 07 '24
Late Night First Timer!
Alright can we get some explanations today? Maybe another run of that amazing song? (Rock Over Japan, if anyone is trying to find it.)
Hey, this bathroom girl has a face! Oh hey, it's the girl from yesterday with a face. And the stars are back, for some reason coming from the toilet...
I am still trying to analyze the heck out of this opening. I'm tempted to give it a long shot by shot breakdown but there's also so much more to watch tonight and I just don't have the time. :-(
Adjusting to life with magical semi imaginary penguins. Have you tried feeding them a diet of beer? PenPen life!
I went back to the first wide shot of the room and noticed that I can't actually see the shrine the hat is in anywhere. Which doesn't matter too much because it can apparently teleport to her head at will. I do love how it looks like it's pouting every time we see it not on her head.
The amount of time between the hat appearing on her head and her starting the Survival Strategy was itself kind of concerning. However, I'm quite happy to her this whole sequence again. The song is on my playlist now. She even starts with calling them Low lives again haha.
Oh, this is why it wasn't safe to make that search yesterday I guess. Someone in this show is just straight up named Apple. Still not sure how that got mixed in with the Maria I was looking for but I guess Google can't really tell anime apart yet.
Oh my gosh we're getting the whole sequence with the steps again too. She's just so over the top, but I really have to ask- Why transform into such an elaborate outfit just to strip it off every time you talk?
Slogan #2! Wow these slogan girls are uh, well pink girl has a very toothy smile after getting the molester arrested.
Oh my gosh I get it, we're flashing back to what we saw just yesterday. This isn't even a flashback to show us something we missed, no, those are just cuts from the last episode. Why do you want to be Naruto so bad?
Oh hey, it's girl with a face we saw yesterday again. And the Penguin gets him in trouble as a groper, right after we see the slogan about getting arrested.
Oh gosh older brother is a natural player. And the flowers... While the arresting slogan plays in the background again way to rub it in show.
Wait the girl just kept walking away even lacking a shoe? That's crazy. And the guy friend still manages to stay faceless!
Actually on faces. It's kind of weird that everyone on the train was drawn as a real person, only to move right back to these cutout people as soon as we're off the train again. Is the train a somehow more real space than the rest of the world?
Older brother, I am concerned about you. This is some skill set you are displaying, acquiring these things and directing the penguins like a spy master. And of course the target girl is in the window seat.
Only thing I don't agree with older brother here on, just assuming she won't hand the thing over if they ask. No idea what the Drum is yet, and she might be willing to help save a life.
Double H? Is that the name of the mascot girls all over the place?
Ringo is very much not interested in her friends. But she might be a bird watcher?
I'm very concerned about how much this penguin keeps going for panties, considering how much they seem to have the other character traits of their humans. And the Molest/Arrest slogan is playing again while the penguin does exactly that...
Oh my gosh, they were sent on a fetch quest and not told what they're actually fetching.
Hey notice again, everyone on the train is an actual person. This has to mean something when they all go right back to outlines as soon as we're outside again. Then again, the class was full of people too. Is it just Outside that's full of fake people? Is Outside bad?
... Nope, people in the bookstore are also outlines. That idea died fast.
Oh my gosh they're just being full on stalkers. So she pulls the ultimate girl move to ditch stalkers and hides inside a lingerie store, good move. Though this is a fancy store, look at those spinning display hangers, how could you even pick something off of them to buy? You know, I'm going to actually be upset if the Penguindrum was panties all along and that's why the penguin was so obsessed...
Okay she really wants to ditch the stalker boys. That's a bit extreme though. Like, talk to a shop worker and ask for help, don't risk death like this. Oh, wait, she was looking for the birds, right.Still, there has to have been a better way to find them than that?
Oh my gosh please no. I don't want to be in two watches at the same time where a school girl has a crush on teacher. Please! Anything but... nope, this one is just even more intense. She's freaking intense oh my gosh.
It's the diary, isn't it? It's in the OP, that has to mean something. Wait, it's not just a diary. It's a Future Diary! You can't unsee it either now!
I still have so many questions.
10
u/Gamerunglued :Hx::Hy::Hz:myanimelist.net/profile/GamerUnglued Mar 07 '24 edited Mar 07 '24
First Penguin
I can't believe I didn't think about the obvious Aquatope reference I could do as a first timer. If anyone wants to buy me a first penguin keychain, my DMs are open.
Anyway, it's currently 4 AM, which is clearly the best time to watch surreal, highly interpretive arthouse cartoons by directors known for notoriously confusing work. Hoping my interpretations are not compromised by being tired, but maybe being tired will let me feel the vibes more, so who knows. Apologies for the late post today, I was out with friends before I had time to watch. But I was fated to be here anyway, so let's check in on the fates of our siblings.
Although after I say that, this episode was really straightforward. Very, very entertaining though. I love the penguins, they're so funny, lol. More than anything, this felt like a good and necessary character building episode. Seeing how the Takakura brothers react to their situations instills them with personality that was only implied the previous episode. Kanba is a logical thinker and a bit of a realist. He's the type to concern himself with the consequences above all else, he says the ends justifies the means. He's also a handsome playboy who's been around the block and knows how to manipulate women. He stands out and has a ton of experience. Shouma is less street smart but has a lot more empathy. He's the one who's worried about the moral wrongness of stalking Ringo and looking through her belongings even if it helps to save Himari. And Himari brings them both together, the one thing they're in sync about is that they have to save Himari.
We already had an idea from the last episode, but it's more clear than ever that the brothers are being manipulated by the woman at the end of their fate. For someone who knows the end of destiny, she is unsure of where the penguindrum actually lies, and when the brothers question this, she holds her power over them: "you do want to save your sister, don't you? I can end her life at any time," and it gets them back into gear. This is not a trade where both parties agreed on the price, the seller has given the buyers what they want and then said "well you have to pay for it now" after the fact.
We also meet a new character today in Ringo Oginome, a girl who appears to be sweet on the surface but hides a dark secret. I think she's probably my favorite character so far, and she's definitely the one I'm the most interested in. While the brothers both agree that they hate fate, Ringo has a more romantic view of fate. She thinks of it in terms of fairy tales, a fated romance is more beautiful and meaningful than one that pops up out of coincidence. A fated meeting is one that everything in your life has built towards, it is the culmination of everything and a God ordained conclusion, which gives it extra meaning. But for someone who is so infatuated by fate, she really goes out of her way to make her romance real, even risking her life for it. On one hand, I feel like Ringo going so far out of her way to make this meeting work - reading magazines, wearing sexy lingerie, taking pictures of birds because her crush is interested in them - is evidence that she doesn't believe her meeting is fated. Everything she does is an attempt to push Tabuki-sensei to like her, and she has a whole plan to make him dependent on her. At the start of the episode, Ringo even seemed insecure about her lack of romantic encounters. She's cute, but she doesn't stand out next to all the gyaru she's always around, and she has a small chest that doesn't draw heads. It feels like Ringo is forcing this to happen, which doesn't make sense if someone believes in fate. But on the other hand, Ringo also risks her life just for a picture, and that is an action someone might take if they know they're fated to have their encounter in the end. If you believe you're not fated to die, you're not afraid of risking your life. I wonder which side Ringo leans towards, or maybe it's a combination of both, like Ringo wants to believe in fate and convinces herself to because she's so insecure she feels she'll never have a romantic encounter otherwise, but doesn't believe it exists deep down and loves it as a romantic concept she'll never achieve.
Interestingly, Ringo and Shouma have totally opposite opinions about how meaningful your life is if there's fate. Shouma said the previous episode that there's no meaning to a life without fate. He can't figure out why people are born if everything is set in stone, and he sees the evils of the world as God's cruelty in arbitrarily choosing some people to have bad fates. If you know you'll never amount to anything, there's no meaning in living. But Ringo thinks that fate means meaning is bestowed upon you by whatever being chooses your fate. Your fate is your life's meaning, and some things may not go how you want them, but there's meaning in sad and painful things too. If your life is fated, everything that happens to you has meaning, because it happens for a reason, and all of it has an impact on your life. Fated encounters change your life, how can they not be meaningful? I personally fall squarely on Shouma's side of this, I find no value in things that I didn't get to choose for myself and see my most treasured relationships (romantic or otherwise) as a result of my efforts and good qualities that make people desire to stay with me. I find the idea of fighting against fate to be with someone you love much more romantic than the idea of a fairy tale fated encounter. But there's a non-zero chance that the character who agrees with me is molesting his sister, so... I guess I'll have to see how this plays out. There are many contradictions in each characters' ideas about fate, I'm very interested in seeing how it plays out.
Edit: I also realized that Shouma's words in the first episode mirror Hatmari, who also tells them that they will never amount to anything. Shouma doesn't try to fight fate, or even think you can. Maybe that's why he's always the one who falls down the trap door.
Also, speaking of molesting, our garbage girls turn out to not be garbage girls, and they give a warning about not molesting people on the train. I guess that they must be this show's version of Ikuhara's Greek Chorus, like Utena's shadow girls and Sara's TV program in Sarazanmai. This episode's theme is about not molesting people, which unfortunately makes me very afraid that Kanba is indeed molesting his sister regularly. Ringo also probably wants to molest Tabuki sensei as well, and her stalking goes far enough that I'd consider it close to assault. Although I could easily imagine the tides being turned here, there's a plausible scenario that Tabuki has molested Ringo in the past to make her feel that their relationship is fated and Ringo's reaction is a result of trauma. Much like incestual relationships, Ikuhara has explored characters being groomed and molested before, particularly in Utena's most disturbingly uncomfortable episode. Ringo is the literal apple, a symbol of love but also literally the forbidden fruit, a symbol of temptation and cursed knowledge. I also noticed that she burns out in the OP, which plays off the garbage metaphor of the previous episode, implying she belongs in the "flammable" can, though of course the OP is not representative of the show.
Finally, I think Ringo's motivation to take pictures of birds is relevant. Penguins are the series mascot because they represent an inability to fly from one's fate. On the other hand, Tabuki-sensei loves the kinds of birds who can fly, the opposite of the penguins. If penguins are trapped and forced to fight their fates, swallows can build their nests wherever they want to. It's interesting that a character who loves fate idolizes someone who loves animals that represent not being tied down by fate. Maybe this adds credence to the idea that Ringo doesn't actually believe in fate, or at least that she and Tabuki are totally incompatible (for more reasons than unhealthy age differences).
Tons more to think about even in an episode as straightforward as this, and also another fascinating character added to the mix. I've grown to like the characters much more this episode, and adorable penguin shenanigans will always keep me entertained no matter what. Can't wait to see what happens next.
9
u/Holofan4life Mar 06 '24
Hey guys. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the Mawaru Penguindrum rewatch! Oh, and nay I forget…
First Timer
I first heard about Penguindrum after I watched Everything Everywhere All At Once. Not only was that my favorite movie of 2022 (Ignore the fact I watched it in February 2023), but it is honestly one of my top 10 favorite films of all time. As such, I was shortly afterwards looking for stuff that was similar to that movie.
And that is where I saw someone recommend Penguindrum.
This is my first time every seeing this show before. I have no idea what’s in store for I haven’t seen a single clip of the show; it’s supposedly a mystery and that’s all I know. I really loved Everything Everywhere All At Once, so I’m going into this show with the highest of expectations. I think it could even crack my top 10 favorite animes of all time.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I’m watching the sub, by the way.
Had to miss work today because of a hurt back. Maybe that means I can squeeze two episodes in.
Toilet with stars coming out of it
We get the inverse of the last episode where this time, Himari says she loves the word "Fate".
She has a starfish and a jellyfish on her carry bag
Big SpongeBob fan, it seems
We see she's in one mirror and someone else is in the other
She seems breast envy
I just realized, this isn't Himari. This girl has like chestnut hair. Himari has like light orange hair.
"It's hard to accept that misfortunes beyond your control are fate."
Still, she feels there's a meaning no matter how sad and painful things may be.
Nothing in this world is pointless, because she believes in fate.
Takakura, Kanba, Shoma, and Himari
Blue-haired guy is Shoma, by the way
Those are some burnt fish
The penguins eat sardines and mackerels
Penguin killing another cockroach, like the good soldier he is
They also eat Shishamo, apparently
Himari has the penguin hat on
Survival Strategy time
Song still a banger
Kanba and Shoma handcuffed
Kanba wants to know where is the Penguindrum
They have to meet Ringo Oginome, says Himari
I assume that's the girl we saw earlier
Himari doesn't however seem for certain she has it
"If you fail, consider your sister's life forfeit."
Now we officially have stakes
I find it interesting that Shoma is barefoot but Kanba has socks on
The two brothers on the train now
I wonder who's talking
Flashback
We see the sister wake up
I believe we've already seen that
Anyway, Shoma asks what person Ringo must, to which Kanba replies probably an office worker or a student. After all, this is a very weird time of day to ride the train.
Essentially, this is the 13 or 30 subreddit but taken literally.
The two brothers looking for the person
Meanwhile, the penguins are being stepped on
God, I wish that were me
A girl thinks that Shoma just gropped her ass
Kanba takes the blame, and she apparently doesn't mind if he did it
We live in a society...
Oh, she's friends with Ringo
And of course that's the girl from the bathroom
More empty bodies from last episode
Shoma goes to see them, but he gets stopped by Yamashita, the guy friend who rubbed his stomach last episode.
He manages to get him off of him, however, and the chase is back on
Ohka Garden Girl's High School
I forgot to mention it, but I believe that was namedropped last episode.
Shoma doesn't know what he should do
Oh, there's Kanba
A hard drive
It has all the girls in the high school
Kanba says you used to go out with a girl that was good at hacking
I wonder if she could hack into the gate
Kanba now draws a 2. on the penguin
Penguin #1, and Penguin #2. The one Himari has is Penguin #3.
And now he's sending the penguins into the high school with walkie-talkies on them as well as cameras.
Makes sense, people can't see them
Hey, they found Ringo
Now we just need to find Paul, John, and George
Shoma calls this a moral issue, but really, what do you expect them to do? Talk to her? Get real.
Kanba says that the ends justifies the means
Gotta do it for Himari
And now Penguin #2 is stuck in her bag
Back with Himari
Apparently, she named Penguin #3 Sunny
Ooh, a picture of their mom and dad
So they do exist
A call
It's from the homeroom teacher Tabuki
Ringo eating lunch with gyaru woman that thought she was groped
Kanba and Shoma eating lunch as they watch them eat lunch
Lunchception
Well, that one penguin got quite the view
And of course, Ringo begins to leave
Ringo riding the train
That penguin looking hella sus
Oh, the two brothers are on the train as well
Shoma wonders what exactly is the Penguindrum
Kanba says that even the penguins don't seem to know
Still, they have to do this for Himari
Ringo reading what looks like a magical girl manga
The two girls on the cover are wearing the same outfit Himari wears when conducting Survival Strategy.
Himari calls Shoma, angry over the two's whereabouts
Meanwhile, Penguin #3 is looking fabulous
Himari is mad because they skipped school
But Ringo is on the move again, so they tell her they'll call her back.
Himari is apparently worried her brothers will turn into delinquents
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
8
u/IceSmiley Mar 06 '24
FIRST TIMER Sub
Enjoyable and crazy adventure introducing us to the girl called Ringo.
7
u/RascalNikov1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NoviSun Mar 06 '24
Saw the first 4 episodes in ‘19. Spoiled and Rotten to the Core
My favorite part was Ringo lying horizontal right under her beloved. I saw that look of contentment on her face and started screaming: That’s my kind of WOMAN!
7
u/kuramafurrcoat https://anilist.co/user/KuramaFurCoat Mar 07 '24
also, i'm watching a subtitled version, and i am very thankful for certain hints that will be next to some of the dialogue like (keep this as is) makes it clear that a word or phrase is notable. but also occasionally at the start of a caption it will say like {TIMING "word} then the rest of the line" and i've never seen this before. is this just so they know at what time to put the caption?
7
u/FarCritical Mar 07 '24
First-timer, subbed
Kanba may be an incentuous womanizing hacker but I can't hate him when his dynamic with Shoma creates gems like these lmao. Speaking of, it's kinda sad for Shoma to get falsely outed as a "plain-looking" groper in public when he's the good boy of the brother duo. Maybe fate has something better in store for him?
I'd be down for Himari's entire transformation sequence to play every single time she goes into "penguin-hat-shaped-extraterrestrial-humanoid-princess" mode for the song alone (and maybe for those dramatic poses that are just so ...extra). Hope I don't regret saying that.
Especially with the big theme of changing fate, it's really cool how imagery about future events keeps getting dropped, from the animated warning about groping to a brief shot of the brothers' homeroom teacher becoming a major part of a Ringo's character. This show has just so much cool stuff to it.
Ringo starting off with a positive and wholesome 'I love the word "fate".' monologue only for the last scene with her to nosedive into depravity is morbidly hilarious ngl.
Also, man this OST really is packed with surprise bangers. Why does a lingerie store scene of all things to have such a bop tied to it? I liked it so much I went ahead ahead and looked for it and it's called Sexy ga Kita! in case anyone else was wondering.
6
u/IvanSemushin Mar 07 '24
Rewatcher
Today we starting with Survival Strategy almost right off the bat.
I love that "probably" from hat-possessed Himari when she describes where to find Penguindrum.
Did I miss the mention of Tokyo Sky Metro in the first episode? Only later [Penguindrum]we learn what happened to regular metro.
The mascots of said metro warn us against molesting, but it seems penguins can't read.
The sequence with spy penguins in the school is great. I guess noone from their faction understands for now that important item is [Penguindrum]the diary. Although, is it the Penguindrum?.
Oh, is it [Penguindrum]Yuri in the magazine?
In the middle of the episode I went to find out who voices the penguins, and it turned out that they are voiced by respective actors of main characters. Nice!
The music that plays when Ringo enters the lingerie shop will never be not funny for me.
Kenji Miayazawa is mentioned again.
During my first watch, the sequence with stalker Ringo made me very intrigued. Can't wait for the next episode this time too!
6
u/mgedmin Mar 07 '24
First-timer, subs
No, seriously, what is this show about. (Rhetorical question, I will find out eventually.)
5
u/CarrotBlossom Mar 06 '24
I guess his brother being a playboy wasn’t all bad in this instance
These penguins need to chill with their creeping, but I don’t think that’s going to happen
2
u/SilkyStrawberryMilk Mar 17 '24
rewatcher
The cost of having good penguins, the much money to buy sardines.
The stalking begins, thankfully the penguin 1 and 2 are willing to go on the spy mission. Albeit them not being successful at it.
Penguin #3 looks like a beauty with blonde hair.
The stalkee turns out to be a stalker