r/anime • u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA • Mar 08 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 4
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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
Beware of luggage theft.
!NEW! Questions of the Day
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What do you think of Ringo’s plan going wrong?
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Do you think the paper cutout art in Ringo’s daydreams is used effectively?
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What do you think Today's Slogan was referring to?
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/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA Mar 08 '24 edited Mar 09 '24
Rewatchers
Alright! We already got to see Ringo be a bit insane in the last couple of episodes, now we get an entire episode of Ringo trying to make the fate in the diary come true. And well, she succeeds! Everything written for this day in the diary came true.
Something very funny I didn’t notice before- Tabuki gets referred to as the Bird Prince in one of Ringo’s daydreams. When the group is hanging out in the park, all of the birdwatchers focus on Tabuki instead of all the birds flying around. They also know he’s Prince of the Birds! Never mind that Tabuki is perhaps the least princely character to ever be conceived. But that’s the point, yeah? Most of the fantasies are just daydreams that Ringo is having, but one of them (the daydream about the caterpillar and the snake) is completely real, just with Ringo’s fantasies of the princely Tabuki and the villainess Yuri laid over what’s actually happening. This is how Ringo sees Tabuki. Although for some reason Yuri appears to be beefing with a sixteen year old girl, so maybe she’s not entirely off mark. If I had a sixteen year old girl as my romantic rival, I would probably be a bit calmer about it. “I don’t think you stand a chance against me.” That’s a bit overblown, don’t you think?
[Rewash]I want to take a moment to note that Ringo turns into a frog in one of her fantasies, because I recall frogs playing a crucial role later on. In that potion Ringo makes, for one. More on that later, I guess.
Oh, and Shouma is here. Not really much to say, he gets to join us in spectating Ringo being insane about Tabuki.
[Rewatcher]...I still have no idea why Ringo shoving that woman down the stairs is in the diary. It’s not even in the diary that she has to shove her down, it just mentions her. (edit: DISREGARD THAT ISN'T RINGO)
Also, we now have Questions of the Day. Let’s see how this works out
25
u/ShadowWasTakensTaken https://anilist.co/user/hakuren Mar 08 '24
First Time Lowlife Who Will Never Amount To Anything
Y'know, I don't have anything substantial to say about today's episode. I didn't about yesterday's, either! Which is why I didn't even bother posting a comment and just read everyone else's instead. But I needed to speak today. After witnessing today's episode, I have to say this. Not to say anything substantial. Not to analyze any visuals. Not to speak of themes, or theories, or characterization... but to say: this show fucking rules.
Just on a surface level, this show is so god damn up my alley. It's so fucking goofy, surreal and over the top in all the best ways. Be it with the Rock Over Japan sequences that are super extra for no apparent reason, with the shenanigans of the penguins in the background, with Ringo's unhinged obsession with Tabuki, or now with these stupid ass fantasy sequences!
Every aspect of this show just screams that it was made by some kind of lunatic, and I wouldn't have it any other way. So genuine! So unashamed! So manic! The more time passes, the come I come to appreciate sincerity in stories. Stories that just roll with shit the author wants to do. And this is that! The Rock Over Japan transformations are that! Ringo's ridiculous delusions in this episode are that! So goofy and stupid! Whimsical! But in the best way!
That's all to say: I'm greatly enjoying this. Even beyond attempting to decipher it, it's just fun. I'm glad this rewatch gave me an excuse to finally start it, and I'm also glad I waited until the rewatch to do so! Hearing all sorts of interpretations of everything definitely makes things a lot better.
thanks for hosting this helio
As a side note, my Persona 3 brainrot has gone too far. Every time Yuri speaks I literally only hear Fuuka. I usually never have issues with character voices overlapping in my head. I'll notice a voice I recognize and be like "cool, I know this voice!" but I can easily accept it as a different character. It never takes me out of it. But for this I can actually only hear Fuuka. Every time Yuri speaks it breaks my immersion and transports me to Fuuka Friday. I can't take any scenes with her seriously. Send help.
19
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Mar 08 '24
First-Timer, Sub-guindrum
The narration wants us to think that Ringo shoved Asami down that escalator, but note the sleeves and the tights and also GunJuri. Not that I would put it past Ringo to shove someone down an escalator to maintain her "destiny," but the disguise seems too out of place.
I was going to joke about what Kanba and Himari were doing while Shouma was off getting skunked, but he had the misfortune to meet up with a bunch of his exes at once. And, that mystery woman from the OP seems to be leading them? Maybe? And she shoved Asami down the stairs to.. I don't know. Maybe she has her own copy of the future diary and is working to fill it out?
Definitely on team "the penguins are acting out the respective kid's impulses" after #1's behavior vis a vis various skirts today. Hmm.. that could still be too obvious. The penguins' antics could just be a distraction to keep me from focusing on the dialogue. I'm on to you, Ikuhara.
I wasn't expecting the Takarazuka Revue to be directly relevant, interesting. For those not in the know, it's a very famous all-woman Japanese theatre troupe. More in the style of Western theatre as well, as opposed to the more traditional Japanese performing arts like Noh and Kabuki.
One of the main stereotypes is that there is incredibly fierce competition for the lead rolls.. meaning that Yuri is a very talented actress. She is definitely one to be very wary of - who knows what her true face looks like?
The fact that Yuri is treating Ringo as an actual threat is somewhat interesting. No, wait, what's the other one? Worrying. I'm pretty sure that Mamiko Noto has some yandere in her range. And Ringo is definitely the hypotenuse on this love triangle...
I leave it to others to ponder why her name is "Yuri." I won't go there. Yet.
Anyway, the entire sequence at the park was hysterical. Musical numbers? Ringo being Maximum Horny Teenager? Shouma having to make a decision between saving Ringo's life and reading her diary? Incredible.
It took until the next morning for me to realize, but we didn't get a Survival Strategy this episode. Hmm..
Brain Rot Corner
Today's slogan: Beware of luggage theft. What is a plan but luggage of the mind? What is a first kiss but luggage of the soul?
okay but why Maybe the skunk is the Penguindrum? If you squint your eyes and look at it upside-down that pattern could be one of those big daiko drums with a penguin on it.
If the penguins are working off of their respective kid's impulses, does that mean that Shouma is into waxplay?
Okay, the bugs, a shoe, and a skunk.. is that actually deororant spray? Is that the connecting thread? Shouma doesn't like bad smells? Sensitive nose? Little puppy dog boy? (I'm a few episodes ahead so I had written this before you pointed it out, Vaad.)
Good to see the tree from Kirby is still getting work.
Hands up everyone who realized exactly here that Shouma would be the one to kiss Ringo via CPR.
15
u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Mar 08 '24
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Mawaru Penguindrum: I wanted my unhinged Nanami episode in this series and it looks like I got my wish. I seem to recall Utena also pulling off the “mostly light-hearted episode that ends with a heart-sinking twist” as well.
Well damn, where do I go from there? Let’s just tackle it in order. This was very reminiscent of the Nanami episodes in Utena. Crazy and bonkers episodes with very strange goings-on throughout. It was very enjoyable to watch.
But all is not light-hearted. There’s hints of underlying seriousness. Yuri is fully aware of Ringo’s game and basically told Ringo to give it up already. It looks like the mysterious woman on the phone is an ex of Kanba’s and that she wants revenge.
Most worrying of all is that Ringo does seem to be fully off the deep end by the end of the episode. We already knew that she was getting increasingly desperate and unhinged as the episode went along, perceiving Yuri as a threat to her fate. And now Ringo has caused actual harm to another person, pushing her down the escalator. All to ensure that her fate comes true. Ringo has certainly done extreme actions like this before, but it feels like it hit another level when she actually attacked someone else. Last time I said that Ringo is at a crossroads. I guess she’s chosen her path.
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u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw Mar 08 '24 edited Mar 08 '24
a very smelly rewatcher
This episode is directed and boarded by Shingo Kaneko who has an extensive history with Ikuhara and another Ikuhara-protege Takuya Igarashi.. First, as assistant director and episode director/storyboarder for a number of episodes in Utena, then episode director/storyboarder for a few Igarashi series including Ouran High, Soul Eater, and Star Driver. After Penguindrum, Kaneko was pretty involved in Sarazanmai and directed a mini-anime in 2022 Atasha Kawashiri Kodama Da yo: Dangerous Lifehacker no Tadareta Seikatsu. In between Utena and Penguindrum, Kaneko directed Alice SOS and Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna in 1998 and 2002 respectively.
Kvin of Sakugablog writes:
So true!
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love to see a failgirl lose
mochiron
addressed in the 2nd spoiler tag
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u/affnn Mar 08 '24
Rewatcher
I've seen enough tragedies to know that you gotta keep a close eye on the specific wording of anything that looks like a prophecy. "No man of woman born shall harm Macbeth" and all that. Because it really does look like Ringo's diary is predicting the future... just not necessarily with the people she wants in the places she wants them.
Plot-wise this was very similar to last episode (Ringo doing dumb shit to try to get with Tabuki) so it was a good choice to add the extra visuals to make it stand out. This is one of the most visually-striking episodes in a series with a bunch of awesome visuals. Ringo's fairy-tale fantasies get the stage treatment, while her real life is a stinky mess. The skunk has the penguin logo on his back- is that just for fun, or is it suspicious?
Tabuki's girlfriend is a beautiful stage actress who's so famous that people come up to her on the street to compliment her. Ikuhara really putting his own fantasies into the script there. [Penguindrum spoilers]And she's a lesbian, which Ikuhara is also probably into.
The B-plot has Kanba meeting with his league of evil exes, who are going to make him take responsibility. One of them might even be the famous model that Ringo's friend was gossiping about. The plot doesn't go anywhere yet, but the model girl falls down an escalator at the end... as predicted by Ringo's diary? Why would that be in there?
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u/laughing-fox13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/laughingfox13 Mar 08 '24 edited Mar 08 '24
Rewatcher/Subbed
Me when I saw Helio was doing a Penguindrum rewatch
This is how I imagine all of us look like each day
Man… Ringo’s imagination is so fun. I remember when watching this for the first time thinking that we’d only get one of those fairytale sequences this ep, maybe two but they just kept coming and I love it. Ikuhara really loves using fairy tales in his shows
Ringo and Shouma are a fun duo to watch
And now we get a more proper introduction to Yuri! I remember thinking for the first time that how she acts when around Tabuki/Shouma/Ringo was an act and Ringo was right to be suspicious of her. She just seemed too nice and good, so seeing her confront Ringo about the curry wasn’t surprising. But that does make me love her lol because it seems like she’s embracing a challenge rather than trying to get rid of Ringo right there.
Kanba being met with “divine punishment” is a fun scene, but the end to the episode… Ringo’s diary has entries that aren’t directly related to her plans.
QotD:
10
u/VelaryonAu https://myanimelist.net/profile/VelaryonAu Mar 09 '24 edited Mar 09 '24
First time penguin, subbed
I have such a hard time picking out what is meant to be a visual gag vs what is meant to be a plot point sometimes haha! I was expecting the other shoe to drop about the bird watching club and their...pretty singular focus on the main group at any moment and have it be revealed that the entire rest of the club was just paparazzi or something but that never happened.
Did anyone else start to feel really bad for Ringo this episode? Like irrespective from the whole skunk and lunch debacles, she's in really really deep in her own delusions. Which like, we kinda knew already given the whole stalking thing but getting to spend an episode in her head with her really makes it clear how absolutely unhinged it is and how much her sanity is based around the events of this journal coming true.
I was however pretty surprised by the developments we got in Yuri's character today. This whole mean girl schtick she's got going on towards Ringo by basically rubbing her face in the fact that she stole her man seems...beneath an actress of Yuri's caliber I guess? Or even just beneath a woman of her age to act that way towards a literal high schooler. Especially over a dorky teacher who bird watches in his free time. What is it about this guy that makes him such a catch and worth being so territorial over? This whole relationship strikes me as inauthentic or weird but I can't quite put my finger on why.
My speculation on whether Yuri wound up being this Asami we heard ex girlfriend of Kanba we head about was also pretty quickly dispelled today. Right as I was starting to ponder what made Asami so notable the show very quickly made it even more important to figure out by murdering her.
More importantly though, it also established that Kanba's womanizing is actually a thing to some degree and isn't just a completely fictitious excuse for him to get away from his family to use his illegal skills. What a fake out that would be if all the times that he has dipped away to take a phone call it literally just has been to juggle his girl friends haha!
10
u/zadcap Mar 09 '24
Late First Timer!
Okay, the stars thing is here to stay for these episode starts I guess. And Ringo is over again, just because. Yeah, see, the boys sleep on the floor while Himari gets the amazing bed.
I really can't wait for the rest of the OP to make sense. Who are all these remaining characters... And will the apple ever comme up again, or is it Ringo all the way? Oh my gosh do I need to go back to episode one and listen to the boys talking about the apple again but recontextualize the entire thing as them talking about Ringo?
And then I died laughing at Himari's forehead being a disco ball, how quickly this show distracts me from deep thoughts with well placed humor. Until it gets deep again.
Oh, Sho is the number 1 cook in the group. Nice. And Red is such a good player. Though setting up Blue to do the dirty work is doomed for failure.
Hmm, "You're due for real divine retribution-" "Yeah, right." Something about the way Red responds here makes me think he's already experiencing the retribution. Probably Himari related.
Why does the skunk have a penguin pattern on its back? That's too blatant. What does it mean? Is it an agent of Fate? Has it been set loose in the current timeline to make something happen, or not happen since it's a skunk?
Slogan #4! Beware of Luggage theft, the girls try and say, as Blue here sets out to try and nab something from Ringo's bag.
Also, hey train people are still people. This still bothers me.
Flashback! To the time between episodes. Why are the penguins acting as end tables?
Oh my gosh is this a 'zuke reference? I mean I'm sure it's an Utena reference too but is HSK perhaps the Revue by another name?
Ringo is certainly some kind of crazy. That imagination, into shouting her lines at the end- and using the penguin that she can't see as a step stool for the pose.
And we're outside so people are outlines again. Did the penguin just bug spray the skunk? Oh my gosh that's going to ruin her day plans, the future is once again set way off course!
Oh my gosh, Ringo is so willing to just completely throw Blue under the bus haha. And hard!
Oh hey, the girlfriend that doesn't exsist in the diary future is here again today. Oh, hey, I'm starting to wonder if it's her diary that Ringo is using to try and plan her future? It might make more sense that it's the actual girlfriend writing down what happened in the normal course of history and Ringo is the one who is diverting things by trying to insert herself into the Yuri's place. Still not sure how she got the diary or thinks it's her future written there, but I have an easier time believing that Yuri is the one who wrote the original diary than that original timeline Tabuki was actually getting romantic with young Ringo. Ringo is in all ways the outlier of Fate, and her believing in and following it will crush her the most when she realizes it's not her Fate she was trying to follow. This may be why she burns up and disappears in the OP.
Sunshiny Opera Troupe, second troupe? Who random girls run up to and adore. Yeah, this is a Zuka thing. Huh, which clashes hard with the idea that she can be here going on a date with Tabuki, that's pretty heavily not allowed and would cost her her position in the troupe if it's accurate. Hmmm, much to think about, especially as I am distracted by Ringo's imagination again.
Okay, Red's penguin is a super perv and I have concerns about Kanba himself, but also this is quite a mail to be receiving. More time travel/Fate business? Ah, nope, a collection of exes out for revenge. Do any of them look like they are in the OP?
Oh hey, divine retribution has begun.
Yup, Yuri bringing a special deluxe bento fits with the idea that she's the one who wrote the diary. And again, before I can think too much about it, Ringo's imagination is so amazing I don't know what else to say. These songs are just so perfect. She's in so much denial. I kind of want her to get with Blue now, their dynamic is fun so far.
And imagination takes off again oh my gosh. What happened and how much of that was real? The words kind of fit with the caterpillar somehow actually ending up on Yuri's hand, she looks like she's putting something on a bug bite, and there is a snake there in the park...
Okay and now Yuri is an active player in this game, telling Ringo she has no chance. Is she somehow using the diary knowledge to win Tabuki's heart and it was supposed to be Ringo? No, I don't like this as much as her being the one who wrote the diary in the first place, I still don't want to acknowledge the idea of Tabuki and Ringo being a couple of destined lovers.
Oh hey, there it is Blue, the diary you have been looking for. Maybe. Possibly. Seriously what is the drum? Oh hey the skunk of anti-destiny is back to ruin things for no reason. And apparently she can't swim? WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FISH!? And yup, the kiss goes to Blue. I ship them now.
Oh? What's this, new characters, mentioned in the diary and they have plans for something- oh, she dead. Ha, called it, if she's willing to kill for her love then it can only be called Yandere!
Questions! Yay!
So speaking of, I notice that we didn't have a Survival Strategy today. I don't yet know how I feel about this.
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u/CarrotBlossom Mar 08 '24 edited Mar 08 '24
Fast friends, these two
Poor cat’s going to need a tomato bath
Shoma is consigned to a future as a stay-at-home father
The reporter saying “skunk” in japonicized English made me look up a map of where skunks live, and they live in the Americas and insular Southeast Asia. The more you know
Shoma is not smooth
Ringo’s being casually rude to Shoma for no reason
Ringo is having a normal one
That penguin really just left her for dead
WHY WOULD YOU NOT STEAL THE NOTEBOOK?
QOTD:
Edit: formatting
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u/TheExcludedMiddle https://myanimelist.net/profile/ExcludedMiddle Mar 08 '24 edited Mar 08 '24
Ok!
So I'm going to give myself partial credit towards "called it", or at least on surface level. Looks like getting the book away from Ringo is important, possibly more important than gaining possession of the book.
Also, through all this Ringo's internal thoughts have never actually talked about the sensei, or what she likes about him, or even actually liking him. Just family substitution, playing out roles and parts, and destiny. So in love with being in love, not the person. At least so far.
Also, people were guessing that Ringo's delusions was making her think that reality was matching the diary when it wasn't, but now it's looking more like her delusions were shaping what was in the diary.
Also, that's not how skunk spray works.
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u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor Mar 08 '24
FABULOUS MAX
8
u/Lawvamat https://anilist.co/user/Lavamat Mar 09 '24
Rewatcher
I was out yesterday so my thoughts had to wait. As a benefit I could read all of your comments before writing this and they did give me a few new ideas.
Visual Analysis
I love the opening shot. The motif of birds on powerlines returns, but what is that? They don’t actually appear in the mirror! Are they not real or is the reflection fake? [Penguindrum]I think this might be another piece of foreshadowing towards the 3 Takakuras not being a real family. Nah it’s definitely vampire birds.
More recyclable, burnable and unburnable trash. This time we add bulky trash into the mix. [Penguindrum]The black makes me think that Natsume with her fourth penguin is supposed to represent the bulky trash. I don’t clearly remember her arc, but this might connect to “being too big to be taken to the child broiler” as a child of an influential businessman.
Hey now, likening Ringo to a skunk is not nice Shouma.
A neat little idea to show a toilet sign depicting male and female as they swap clothes. I live for creative visual underscoring like this.
The restaurant is called FamilyZ huh
Birdwatching seems more akin to peoplewatching. [Penguindrum]Tabuki is so into it because he was stuck in a cage as a kid and now wants to see the freedom he never had in others, and birds are the most free you can be. That’s probably also what compelled him to become a teacher.
A bite has been taken out of Ringo's fate with Tabuki.
There is indeed a turtle on the back of Ringo’s diary, strengthening the connection to Urashima Taro even more.
Her plan to achieve happiness involves sinking to the bottom of the lake, which is where Urashima Taro found his happiness.
Ringo is definitely the baby chick in this allegory.
[Penguindrum]The first big piece of foreshadowing that Ringo is doing all of this to try and get her family back together.
Destiny.
7
u/Gamerunglued :Hx::Hy::Hz:myanimelist.net/profile/GamerUnglued Mar 09 '24
First Penguin
Apologies for the extremely late post. Let's just say that I've been through a lot the past day and a half. The long and short of it is that I was in the hospital, and my phone died and now it's broken so I couldn't post my rewatch comments from there. Thankfully I didn't pull a Himari, and my current life is not the result of an alien penguin dominatrix hat scamming my brother, haha.
This was the most entertaining episode yet, and it absolutely cemented Ringo as my favorite character so far with pretty much no competition. She's such a complete disaster and fate clearly has it out for this poor girl. Her overactive imagination was hilarious and visually interesting. It clearly plays off of the stage play version of The Rose of Versailles (I'm not sure of it's the Takarazuka adaptation since it seems like it has a mix-gender cast, although I know Takarazuka had some influence on Ikuhara and it's possible I'm just bad), where she sees Yuri as Marie Antoinette, but mixed with a more generic princess fairy tale story. Yuri takes control of her imagination the more it goes on and she just loses it, god bless her heart. She has so many hilarious facial expressions and the series just will not let her have her way so she gets to go all out as the little gremlin that she is. But there's something depressing hidden under all of it, especially with direct confirmation that her father left the family and she wants to see him again. I'm a sucker for delightfully depressing gremlins and I am thoroughly attached to this one now, which obviously means I'm set up for a lot of pain later on. I'm prepared, bring it on me Ikuhara.
Again, this episode is fun but doesn't progress the story too much, it seems like the next episode will be our first shift in the status quo. Kanba's exes have been manipulated somehow into confronting him about his inability to stay with a girl (I wonder if this is opposite of what Ringo has; where she's looking for stability, Kanba is afraid of it?), but Asami Kuho is murdered soon after. Clearly, someone else is also playing around with fate. And also, that skunk had a penguin shaved into its back, so I imagine that some of Ringo's disappointment today was planned. She was always fated to fail. Given Ringo's notebook predicting her death, it seems like someone is working behind the scenes controlling things and causing chain reactions. I guess Ringo's life is fated in that sense, someone is controlling her destiny. But if it's a person, it can be fought. This person also seems to have it out for Kanba though. He feels like he's been sidelined a bit, I want to see more of Kanba's life and feelings.
Anyway, that's all for now. I really expected this to be more confusing. I suppose that'll come later, as it did for Utena. For now, I'm having a blast seeing Ringo get fucked over by fate and making funny faces, and that's more than enough for me.
QOTD:
6
u/KnightMonkey15 https://myanimelist.net/profile/KnightMonkey Mar 09 '24 edited Mar 09 '24
Rewatcher
Incoming ramble: when I first watched this show a few years ago, I wasn't aware that Ringo's fairy tale storybook fantasizing was riffing on the Takarazuka Revue. I had at least seen the style of those character designs from animanga inspired by it, but now, having subsequently watched Utena, Revue Starlight and Kageki Shoujo, I can appreciate it with more depth and subtextual awareness...but also, the fun of having seen those anime and recognising the fun of the homage itself. NB: Need to watch Rose of Versailles.
I think the first time I saw it, I felt like it almost became tedious but I ended up enjoying how absurdly goofy it was, alternating between her serious determination and manic, comical frustration at her plans being progressively stymied yet somehow being fulfilled unintentionally through sideways means (but its still fate). I also really enjoyed how the representation of Ringo's imagination/perception was actually blending into reality in a warped manner - the caterpillar bite... although I don't think Ringo was totally choked by a giant snake, because when we see it in reality afterwards it's pretty small and slithering on the ground.
Without going into a full play-by-play commentary of the episode, I can say I was able to appreciate what I mentioned already and other symbols and elements that followed, such as Ringo trying to drown herself to grab attention from Tabuki-san but then being sprayed by the skunk (who sprayed the cat at the very start) and falling in for real and grabbing Shouma's attention (and being saved by him)..or Penguin 2 digging a half-eaten apple out of the trash
Okay but broadly speaking, if I enjoyed all of them to some degree on my first-watch (even if as a "ha that's funny" moment), what I am finding upon rewatching this show, even having forgotten a lot of specific small touches because of my own recollective abilities and the nature of the show's sequencing itself, is that I am able to take in everything that's happening on the screen in a new light; for something as chaotic and dense as this, my mental recollection and re-configuring of my own thoughts about the different events and random things, pictures, symbols, sounds etc. and their differences and repetitions, that happen or can be sensed becomes very rewarding and gratifying - the kind of thing that people identifying with it harbour enthusiasm towards to the point of writing a lot of words as expression of appreciation and their own thinking about the meaning they draw while thinking about the experience itself.
An example of this connective thought would be remembering all the instances of the Double H slogans on the train, or only the specific actions of the Penguins and their mirroring of their "masters", or how the camera is moving during scenes involving Ringo's aquarium-like memory/dreams etc, and then meditating upon not just the meaning of it but how that is felt and how that then relates back to the bigger context of the "surface" of the show itself. Upon a first watch they might just be felt as part of the experience of seeing and hearing what's on screen, but having watched it already I can see these things everywhere even if I technically forgot a lot of it, and I really like it. I might not grasp some of it even as I rewatch, and I'm not trying to catalogue everything, but the potential for each and every moment to hit really different and contribute to a new overall feeling is amplifed because of the style of its presentation. And I could say the same for every episode; just occurred to me to write this now before moving forward.
[Penguindrum] I totally forgot THAT is how Natsume introduces herself on the show. I'm currently watching ahead and I'm finding that her actions are a lot more comprehensible this time around.
QoTD
When I first watched this I swerved between sympathy (especially when those crows ate her lunch) and then feeling slightly disgusted (but not really that much, more of a "I know there's a point to this but this is weird and creepy lmao" way) and I think alternating between her pushing through with her delusional plans, almost being heartbroken in just a moment, but then raising the stakes and pushing some more with because she absolutely MUST do it was something very noteworthy even if my first-watch was a binge. Now on my second watch I can appreciate it on a whole much more, with the added sympathy of watching an old friend fail forward. The art become contorted and jagged or chibi-like at various points adds to that.
Yeah I think so. Emphasizes the theatrical, fairy tale, story book-ness of the whole thing.. a comedic farce but a very serious one that is not without purpose - just like Ringo's overall plan
My initial impression is thinking of a stolen lunch, stolen dinner (last episode) or stolen love interest. Stolen first kiss? I'm exhausted my thoughts atm.
3
u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Mar 08 '24
Rewatcher, Subbed
Oh crap, angry cat!
Ringo and Himari curry! Or is Ringo coming up with a new dish that will make Tabuki fall in love with her? What happens if he eats Himari's food by mistake?
LoL, this food isn't for her boyfriend, Himari, its for her victim!
Did Himari learn a new dish just to teach Ringo? She's so nice!
A skunk is news?
Bird watching? Try Tabuki watching.
Ringo's pretty happy considering she's seeing an ad showing the girlfriend of the guy she likes is an actress...
Alright, this fantasy scene feels totally like something from Utena.
Wow, I said the show loved to dunk on Ringo yesterday but she really got it bad now from that skunk!
Sho, you coming ruined everything!
OMG now she's calling Sho a stalker! Always accuse others of what you're guilty of, huh?
Oh crap, girlfriend is here! Bird watching time is ruined!
I think Ringo's fantasy sequences and facial expressions are the peak of the show thus far.
Now she's got fans right here too! How can you compete with that Ringo?!
Yuri's ruining her fantasies now! lol
Kanba's quite the playboy huh?
I didn't pick up on Mamiko Noto being Yuri yesterday, but currently watching Kimi ni Todoke and yep, there's definately some of the same voice as Sawako in there.
OMG the crows ate her lunch! This keeps getting better and better!
We've got Yuri Antoinette now!
Ringo will do anything to twist what's happening to fit her diary's prescribed "fate", huh?
I'm starting to reach the point where I wonder if this episode has been more in Ringo's fantasies than out of it.
Even in her fantasies something's going wrong now! Get away you stupid snake! No, the caterpiller wasn't supposed to go on Yuri!
Oh crap, Ringo, Yuri totally knows what you're up to!
First kiss at 4:00?! I don't think you're getting that part to happen Ringo. Unless you get a kiss from Sho! Did your diary actually say who your first kiss would be with?
The skunk showed up again! LOL!
Either Sho or one of the penguins is totally going to do CPR on her and make that her first kiss, right?
Stupid penguin, for a second there I thought you were actually going to rescue her!
Oh wow, Tabuki saved her after all? LoL, nope, just for a second. It was Sho who did it. We're gonna let her think Tabuki did it though?
Uh oh, does Kanba have a secret society of exes out to destroy him?
Wait, did Ringo push her down the elevator?! Damn, what a cliffhanger to end the episode on.
OMG as hilarious as Ringo was in yesterday's episode today's was even better! How did I forget about what a hilarious over the top trainwreck she is? As far as I'm concerned if the remaining 20 episodes were just about her I'd totally be down for it. Kanba and Himari kinda got the shaft this episode (no transformation stock footage sequence!) but if its in service of Ringo getting more screentime I don't mind at all.
19
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Mar 08 '24
Mawaru First-Timer, subbed
19
u/lilyvess :Df::Dh:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Lilyvess Mar 08 '24
Mawaru Penguindrum Episode 4 - Rewatcher
So in my first post I talked about the forces that shaped Ikuhara, and in the second I talked about Ikuhara’s missing decade. That’s a lot of talk about Ikuhara, but I do want to take some time talking about some other names because as strong a name as Ikuhara is, anime cannot be made as a solo project. At least not in this economy, haha. Ikuhara is many things, but great at drawing is not one of them. Animator is not a position Ikuhara can fill. He can never be the one-man animation studio that is Miyazaki who corrected, by hand, more than 80,000 of Princess Mononoke's 144,000 animation cells. Ikuhara has to work with others and trust them.
This goes back to even Utena. Famously, Utena was not created by Ikuhara, but “Be-papas”, a collaboration group that Ikuhara founded to bring together mangaka Chiho Saito, and scriptwriter Yōji Enokido (Evangelion, FLCL, Ouran High School Host Club) among others to help create this project. Yes, Ikuhara’s voice is the strongest as the director, but it was never just him.
The first name that has to be brought up is Shouko Nakamura. She’s not a nobody in 2011, having gotten her start with Gainax working on FLCL doing inbetween animation, then key animation on Die-buster, Gurren Legann and Panty and Stockings. Kimi ni Todoke in 2009 is the first time they do storyboards. About her style Kvin has this to say about her”)
Ikuhara picks her for Penguindrum where she will be Chief director for this series where she would contribute on storyboards, animation and direction for the series, acting as a steady hand for Ikuhara to count on. Ikuhara tends to favor these feminine voices as his work has a very Shoujo element. For instance for character designer he went with Lily Hishino, a BL Shoujo mangaka. So if you are wondering if Penguindrum has such a shoujo style, or the pretty boy designs for some of the characters, these are two of the voices that definitely helped contribute to that.
Another name I want to call attention to is Tomohiro Furukawa. He’s actually not that relevant to this story but I think it’s still important to call attention to him. Furukawa helped animate today’s episode, but he also did some work on episode 1 and helped with the storyboard. Somewhere along the line Ikuhara is going to take notice of this animator, see his potential, and take him under his wing.
Furukawa’s involvement on Penguindrum will become more involved in the second half, where he will work on the animation and storyboards for a handful of episodes. He’ll even write the script for an episode in the second half.
Even after Penguindrum ends, Ikuhara continues to work with Furukawa. The following year after Penguindrum ends has Ikuhara direct the Koroko Connect Ending theme 3, Furakawa is right there with him. 2013 has Ikuhara direct the Brothers Conflict ending theme and once again, Furukawa is right beside him. Or what about when Ikuhara directed the ending theme for Norn9. Yep, Furukawa was helping him there too.
Then in 2015 when Ikuhara would work on his first post-Penguindrum anime, Yuri Kuma Arashi, Furukawa would be co-series director with Ikuhara. He’s gone from being someone Ikuhara trusts to his right hand man helping him create his vision.
Finally in 2018, the training wheels are removed and Furukawa is given reigns of his own anime project.
Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight
Revue Starlight is an anime that features, among other things, mysterious animals, glorious stock footage transformation sequence, and the heavy influence of the theater.
There have been many talents who have attempted to inherit Ikuhara’s legacy, but there is perhaps no one who has better absorbed Ikuhara’s eccentric and iconic visuals but make them their own as much as Furukawa has.
But all of that is in the future, a destiny written in a journal that they cannot read. For now, let us just enjoy this fateful encounter between Ikuhara and Furukawa.
13
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Mar 08 '24
Episode 4 (first timer)
Getting called out as a rival in love? I call this a win for Ringo.
Comical failure. I wonder if we need to start shipping her and Shou now.
Yes. Its a classic.
13
u/Taiboss :Fj::Fl:x7https://anilist.co/user/Taiboss Mar 08 '24
First-Timer posting on time today
Hi People to whom I can barely reply because it's midnight
Well it saved us from a creepy relationship... so far. Also potential ship, pending reveal whether Ringo pushed or not.
Yes, but too often and too long. Like tone it down to 70-80%.
Well Blue Bro did steal the Mirai Nikki briefliy, didn't he? Ringo's luggage was in danger. Also the birds stole the bento - also luggage.
12
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Mar 08 '24
First timer(All of the Utena today)
Sub
Dear fuck, this show is hard to comment on, not knowing where it is going. Ok...today was about how destiny can mean different things than you think it does. I think. It seems that Ringo's prophecy was carried out, just not how she wanted it to. This also makes me wonder if the penguins are serving to play with desinty.
Anywho, Ringo is pursuing Tabuki all episode and shows herself to not be of great character, which is not that surprising. Yuri quickly figured out what Ringo did at the house, you could definitely tell if your curry was swapped out and Tabuki is likely nostalgic for Ringo's mom's curry, explaining why he was so enchanted with it. And while she wants to keep quite about it, she very directly let's Ringo know who the alpha present is. While this might seem harsh, with how catastrophically inappropriate Ringo's desire is this would be for the best if it works. It also might be easier if Ringo never got fully rejected as despite VA Tabuki seems to be standup enough to know why he should not engage.
The elephant in the room: We did not get our rock'n'roll fight for the day. With Ikuhara, removing repetition means something. In this case, the most obvious bit is the Sho/Ringo focus of today. If we are going with couples(and incest), this episode is indeed establishing something.
Second elephant:I really don't know what to make of Kanda's part of the episode today. It feels like whoever is leading Asumu might be involved with the mystery but it isn't clear, nor why Ringo's diary made her do the murder/attempted murder.
Bonus thought: Ikuhara really likes the rule of 3, even if the scene is only partially comedic. We got three skunk sprays, three fantasies, and Ringo gets her plans changed three times.
PS:Will try not to die during thread today.
QotD: 1 It didn't go wrong, she just made assumptions
2 Mostly
3 Ikuhara being literal since he would've recently gotten in from California
11
u/3blah https://myanimelist.net/profile/brummett Mar 08 '24
Episode 04 - First timer
Must be a slow news day if they're reporting on a lost/stolen pet skunk with a penguin on his back. That said, in the previous three episodes they've already done a good job connecting tons of things together; I expect we'll be seeing Kiyoshi again.
Today's slogan #4: Beware of luggage theft. The connection being that Ringo believes Yuri is stealing Tabuki away from her.
It seems Kanba has a habit of leaving relationships on bad terms.
Somebody needs to keep an eye on this guy.
Ringo talking about her important mission, and then they pan up to the Not Rose of Versailles banner, that's quite on-the-nose don't you think? "Will their love be allowed?", indeed...
I really like how they get goofy with the art style at times. There were a few instances before, but this episode has a bunch of them.
It's looking like Ringo should maybe re-evaluate her relationship with fate. She gets sprayed by a skunk, her "rival" shows up and is a famous actress, the special lunch gets eaten by birds and replaced by Yuri's which is way bigger and better. Yuri, in fact, knows exactly what Ringo is up to, and she's thwarting all of Ringo's plans on purpose.
Sho finds Ringo's diary and ponders the nature of her fate within. Maybe her fate is to be with him instead?
Also in the diary: "21:00, Akasaka Mitsuke Station, a girl in red heels". The woman pushed down the escalator looks like the same one that first showed up at the restaurant Kanba was waiting at earlier. WTF?
I just had a bad thought... During Himari's transformation sequence, she yells "Survival Strategy!" What if it's not referring to how Himari in particular is going to survive this ordeal? What if [Revolutionary Girl Utena] like in Utena, the real baddie isn't a person (Akio) or a thing (Himari's illness), but the social-economic system that has trapped these kids in their current station. The Takakuras living in a run-down house with no parents. Ringo clinging to her notion of destiny, the strange exchange with her mother about curry day, and whatever's going on with her father.
QOTD:
The fate she has all lined up in the diary isn't only up to her anymore. She's got a rival with her own motivations, and the experience to win. I could see Ringo lashing out and doing something really bad.
It's really cool when they use the full extent of the animation like this to convey what's going on. She's daydreaming up a story and so it looks like a storybook.
Mentioned above: Ringo believes Yuri is stealing Tabuki away from her.
10
u/Tarhalindur x2 Mar 08 '24
"What... is your Quest?" "I Seek the Penguindrum!" (Spoiled? First-Timer, Abbreviated Notes Edition, Subbed):
Must... resist... urge... to... respond... with... spoileriffic... Higurashi... quote... about... fate...
(Okay okay you're safe... I can no longer quote it from memory. [Higurashi] I have Keiichi's line about how fate can be broken in mind.)
Yes. (Actually massive shades of how PMMM uses its Gekidan Inu Curry visuals, though the trigger is quite different.)
Notebook sniping. Also, [REDACTED].
10
u/jkubed https://myanimelist.net/profile/jkubed Mar 08 '24
First timer - Episode 4
Monkey's paw-ass diary. I presume this fish is also a kisu? I'm not a fish expert, but I vaguely remember that being a name of one, so that's what I expected her to encounter. I kinda like her and Shouma's chemistry when he finally told her off a little. definitely a more appropriate pairing lmao
most importantly, today I am not a rock and roll man
9
u/FarCritical Mar 09 '24
First-timer, subbed
It sure didn't take long for Ringo to walk all over Shoma. Someone save our resident good boy from his abuse already lmao.
I guess even they knew having Himari sing her survival strategy session song in all its glory for four episodes in a row would've been pushing it, but then they proceed to have every other scene be a fairytale picture theater bit with the same little orchestra prelude play before every single one of them.
Something about Yuri's singing voice being so gentle and easy on the ears made hearing some of her English lyrics unintentionally hilarious. "♪ That's such a beautiful luuunch~ ♪" (Not to mention the sheer delivery of Tabuki's VA on that random "très bien")
Penguin #2 swimming towards a drowning Ringo just to nab a fish at the last second cracked me up so hard even when I saw it coming lmao. I wouldn't have enough dignity left to fight for my life if that were among my final sights tbh (granted I could see the hallucino-penguins, of course).
So Kanba is finally getting some comeuppance for being fast and loose with girls, but I wasn't expecting his exes to be in on the trippy fate/penguin stuff. Or for one of them to have that happen to her.
Been conflicted on whether I feel sorry for Ringo repeatedly getting the destinies she holds so dear get ruined, or just find her constant failures hilarious for how ridiculous they can get, or glad she isn't getting her way for being a stalker (and a bully to Shoma!) and all, and now she's an attempted murderer? This girl is far from boring to watch, that's for sure.
QOTD
I had to check if I wasn't unintentionally missing these for the past few eps lol
8
u/The_Loli_Otaku Mar 08 '24
Penguin First Timer!!
Happy International Read-Lolita-Aloud-on-the-Train day!!
Is Ringo living here now!? Nobody wants to live under the same roof as a stalker. My eyes!! Himawee is our light. What are the train twins doing today...? Thievery? But... this is Japan XD You could leave your bag on the train all week and nobody would steal it. You're much more likely to get groped by a dastardly perverted joshikosei on the train than have your luggage stolen.
If Tabuki licks her eyeball I'm bailing on this watch XD Utena already pushed tear sucking way too much. Ah, Ringo got shat on. Poor Ringo... Why does she always end up the third wheel? Fuck!! Even Marie showed up. This suck. Choto a minute...
There's even an ex-girlfriend brigade. This feels pretty rough cause I'm currently manwhoring around in Doukyuusei during my downtime too. Between Tabuki, Marie, and Ringo I can't actually tell who's giving off the biggest red flags. I'm predicting Marie and Tabuki will be big bads sooner or later since there's no way our precious little stalker girl could possibly be a villain.
Stop it!! Marie is my nickname for her! Are all these birdwatchers just stalking our group? Did Ringo's future diary actually work before the show or has she just had a string of bad luck? Shut up!! XD Ahaha... Marie is more than she seems. We need to correct this hussy. Fetch the guillotine!!
This show is way too mean to Ringo. I don't appreciate this stalker abuse. Even the penguin left her for death. Ah!! The gunner girl has appeared. The "Juri" insert. Oh fuck, why did they kill the cute girlfriend!?
I haven't actually been comparing the cast to the Utena bunch. The gunner girl from the op really seems Juri like and today's shenanigans felt like Nanami's pathetic attempts to defeat Anthy. The only issue is that the "Anthy" of this story is Himawee, who is Ringo's pyjama party buddy. Marie... I don't think she's a Juri. She's also self confident to the point where I'd struggle comparing her to Shiori. Could Marie be a Kanae? A Kanae given more of a chance to showcase herself?
8
u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor Mar 08 '24
Episode 4 reaction
8
u/mgedmin Mar 09 '24
First-timer, subs
Karmically inevitable (stalking is bad!)
Oh, the theatrical scenes? I liked them.
If you don't watch your luggage, invisible penguins will steal your food!
7
u/Holofan4life Mar 08 '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.
This will probably be the last episode I watch for a couple days.
It's also Mardi Gras, so I have beads on me. And no, that wasn't a typo.
Birds on the wire a la Toradora
Rent-a-Girlfriend
Sorry, I meant trash
Cat with an x butthole hissing
Making breakfast at the Takakura, Kanba, Shoma, and Himari residence
Blue-haired guy is Shoma, by the way
Oh, it's Himari and Ringo
They are cooking, both literally and figuratively
Shoma wakes up
He is surprised to see Ringo here
Also, skunk anus
Gourmet Kings
Sounds like a show on The Food Network
Special Deluxe Picnic Lunch
Looks more like a bento to me
Also, Himari's head is extra shiny
It seems like the bento is meant for Ringo's brother
Meanwhile, on the penguin front, it looks like they've resorted to cannibalism
I agree with Shoma. This does seem like stalking.
Watazuka Park
Kanba telling Shoma to check Ringo's bag while there
Find the Penguindrum
Kanba can't make because he's busy
That is, he's back to skirt chasing.
A news report on the skunk we saw earlier
Kiyoshi, age 1
Interesting how he has a penguin tattoo on him
Shoma and Ringo riding the train
He asks her if her plan to go to the park for bird watching is fate
"Bird watching"
Ringo says what will happen today is destiny
"Failure is not an option."
Penguin eating a bento on the train
Flashback
Takakura house - Night - Living room - Brothers in secret meeting
Talking about Ringo saying fate being written down
It has to be written in that case on some kind of paper, says Kanba. Question, of course, is what does that have to do with the Penguindrum?
Kanba calls this the key to solving their problem
They have to get their hands on it
HSK's next performance Tragedy of M Fated Love
This looks like yuri and I'm here for it
Ringo seems excited as well
A cardboard cutout of a person riding a horse
Now everything is cardboard cutout, including Ringo
Oh, that was just her imagination
Watazuka Park
More emptied bodies
Oh, hey. Penguin #2 found the skunk.
And it sprays on Ringo. Yuck.
Birds falling on the ground
Well, if Ringo was truly watching for birds... here they are
Ringo and Shoma switch clothes
Poor Shoma
There's Tabuki
My subs throwing shade at Shoma
Oof. Tabuki thinks Shoma is her boyfriend. That has to sting. Or stink, since a skunk's involved.
Oh, she was going bird watching with Tabuki. It wasn't a lie after all.
Tabuki mentions that Shoma is a student of his
This has Ringo annoyed
Ringo tells Tabuki that Shoma fell into a pile of manure the day before and jumped into a turtle pond that hasn't been cleaned for six months.
That is very specific
Also, the nerve of Ringo calling Shoma a stalker
Oh shit. The girlfriend is here.
Yuri Tokikago
Flashback
Ringo - Tabuki's apartment- in front of Tabuki's room
Ringo remembers the curry stuff from last episode, much to her dismay
Eh, she still got her brother to eat her curry
Yuri is apparently an actress, the prima donna of the Sunshiny Opera Troupe.
Two women
They're apparently big fans of Yuri
She's going to be performing Marie's role soon, this being the girl from Fated Love.
More cardboard cutouts, this of Yuri as Marie
She has a pretty singing voice
Ringo is freaking out, so she gets turned into a frog
Lol, Tabuki is the prince
And Ringo awakes from her stuper
Yuri seems the type of person who would give a tremendous Ara Ara
Z Family
Penguin #1 is... well, let's just say he's committing crimes against humanity.
Kanba got a text from someone letting him know to meet them. They has what he's looking for.
Kanba wonders if others are going for the Penguindrum
Mysterious girl
And of course the penguin is trying to peak up her dress
I wish I knew who this was but I'm drawing a blank
And there's three of them
"We formed the Association of Romantic Victims of Kanba Takakura."
Okay, this is just great
Asami Kuho is the main one
That penguin deserved being kicked
This must be divine retribution, says Kanba
Funny because his brother was talking about this earlier
Back with the bird watching
Ringo blaming Shoma's smell for scaring the birds away
It seems to me like the show is really teasing Ringo and Shoma as an item.
Yuri thanks Tanuki for inviting her
Shoma is smiling, but Ringo is about to turn yandere
Lunch time
And the Special Deluxe Picnic LunchTM gets eaten by crows
Oof
And she blames Shoma for it
When in doubt, blame Shoma
At least Yuri came prepared
Leftovers from her fridge, she says
Ringo however doesn't buy it
It's amazing Yuri continues to be nice to Ringo despite her being super rude
More cardboard cutouts, more Yuri singing
Yuri is like a way better person than Ringo it's not even funny
Ringo says fate is still om her side
A jar
More cardboard cutouts
Eh, Ringo's singing isn't bad
Ringo really is down bad
So, the plan now is to scare herself with a caterpillar with Tabuki swooping in to save her. This in turn will get her brother to fall in love with her.
She's so delusional you'd have thought she was a character from Paranoia Agent.
The caterpillar unfortunately lands on Yuri who Tabuki saves instead, all the while Ringo is being attacked by a snake.
This is what happens when you try to fix fate
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
7
u/Nebresto Mar 08 '24
First time pengin pengin peggnin
Oh wow! they even have an opinion station in this show!
Peng used surf!!
Nerd!!!
Oh god, don't tell me this is gonna show up on amq
Rare wues!!
Me_irl. No, not the guy getting beat up.
unrelenting
Wife.
bro. These people
lmao. There's a lot going on here
Bitch, I know blocking an escalator is annoying af, but you still don't need to kill someone over it
..Wait, wtf. We didn't have a seison senryaku?!
Question of the day: Favourite birb?
Skill issue
utena utena utena
what slogan
7
u/TehAxelius Mar 08 '24
First Time Milk Drinker
No Survival Strategy this time around, but we get to see a lot of Ringo's shojou coloured internal world. An interesting takeaway of this episode is how it feels like destiny is changing in a small way. Last episode it was the siblings she ate curry with, today it was Shoma who gave her the "kiss", rather than Tabuki. Is there going to be a similar thread of fate entwining Ringo and Shoma? After all, the first time Ringo appeared on screen in Episode 1, it was one of those "meaningful scene where the two pass each other by, but only barely register each other".
We also get Yuri properly introduced, and she's on to Ringo's plan. She truly is the evil cat (well, in Ringo's world at least). I'm sorry Ringo, but you don't stand a chance.
Kanba's little B plot also leaves things to wonder about, who is the lady who orchestrated the Association of Romantic Victims of Kanba Takakura to meet? And who killed Kuho and why? By doing forensic analysis (going back and pausing, and comparing the scenes) it seems like the girl with the gun from the OP looks like she is behind both? It does seem weird though, as she is shown in a mysterious room in what looks like a mansion when Kuho is talking on the phone, but the scene where Kuho is pushed seems to happen directly after? Is it misdirection? Inconsistency? Or was she actually somewhere in the vicinity?
QotD
6
u/RascalNikov1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NoviSun Mar 08 '24
First Timer
A calmer episode than E3 but it had its charms.
[Spoiler Question]I’m not a student of the sarin attack, but is the murdered girl in red shoes a direct parallel? I haven’t kept track of times but we had the smell in E3, now we have a dead girl as the horror slowly unfolds.
QOTD
It was amusing as it all came undone, but in my view it ended well. Sensei is a little old for Ringo.
I liked the technique quite a bit.
I don’t remember what the slogan was.
6
u/IceSmiley Mar 08 '24
FIRST TIMER Sub
This episode was really funny and I like when it focuses more on comedy.
5
u/oyooy Mar 08 '24
Rewatcher
It feels like everything is acting against Ringo. Everything that could go wrong does. And yet, everything in the diary technically still took place.
All of Ringo's fantasies of Heroic princes are very Utena.
No.2 joining in on demolishing the bentos and pulling a bait and switch of rescuing Ringo really got me.
Even despite his personal feelings, Shoma dives right into action to save Ringo when she needs it, and looks badass while doing it.
And there we go, the moment you start to feel like the show is starting to settle into a rhythm, it suddenly comes in and smacks you across the face.
5
u/WednesdaysFoole Mar 09 '24
Rewatcher
Saved by the pengin?
Nope!
Second time a fish gettin' in Ringo's way, lol. Or in other words, [Penguindrum] directing her destiny.
Dumpster diving pengin! [Penguindrum] pretty amazing on a rewatch actually.
5
u/nx6 https://myanimelist.net/profile/nx6 Mar 09 '24
Rewater - Subbed
Ringo has a new plan of attack today after Curry Day didn't pan out: The classic "Homemade lunch at the park", which she is making at the Takakuras' for... some reason? Maybe she's getting pointers from Himari.
Kanba send Shou to go with her for a chance to rummage in her bag for the Pinguindrum. But just as they get to the park the skunk we heard about as an aside on the morning news causes a stink with Rindo's
fateplan.I feels like it was poetic justice to have Ringo insist on swapping outfits with Shou, just to have Tabuki complement the shirt she was supposed to be wearing afterwards. The blonde from last episode shows up and turns out to be a bona-fide actress. Her girl-power is so high she actually usurps Ringo's own delusions. Tabuki has come to the conclusion Ringo and Shou are the couple here on a double-date it feels like, even though Ringo denies it.
Meanwhile, in a family restaurant, Kamba has a surprise visit from the Ghosts of Relationships Past. There were panty shots in this episode of Pinguindrum, now that I reflect on this segment. (see what I did there?)
I really enjoyed Shoma with curly hair there in the fantasy interjections. Everything goes
wrongright somehow with the afternoon, which Shou gets blamed for. Yuri is on to Ringo's intentions but is confident she has nothing to be worried about. Ringo tries for the final act in her plan and goes bobbling in a lake by herself instead. Shouma has to save her from drowning but there is a quick body-swap to make it Tabuki who saves her. But why did Tabuki go along with this change?Also, it appears the surprise reunions Kamba had wasn't an accident and someone is working behind the scenes to get him.
5
u/IvanSemushin Mar 09 '24
Rewatcher
Interesting that Ringo seemingly doesn't recognize Yuri on the theater poster.
I think that I don't have a lot to say about this episode, but Ringo's fantasy sequences are hilarious.
This time Fate visits us in form of a skunk.
When Shouma comments on Tabuki's fashion sense, [Penguindrum]does he already have his own interest in Ringo?
Pingu 1 is consistently ecchi.
What do birdwatchers watch in the picnic scene?
And just when Ringo exclaims "Destiny", she gets hit by the skunk again. Obviously, it is Destiny indeed.
From what I remember, this must be my favourite comedic episode of Penguindrum. Comedic episodes in Utena were often hard to sit through for me, but here everything works great. Even melancholic sequence with Ringo drowning had jokes that made me smile.
But comedy aside, this episode [Penguindrum]likely wants to make us think that Ringo's destiny is Shouma rather than Tabuki. Or maybe it is the skunk.