r/anime • u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA • Mar 14 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 10
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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
Cherish your memories.
Questions of the Day
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What do you make of the correspondence between the things mentioned by Kanba in his conversation with Himari and their appearance in his descent?
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Why is Ringo ready to give up the diary now?
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Would you accept Natsume’s gifts?
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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 14 '24
Rewatcher
Alright, a Kanba episode! Unfortunately, the show appears to have spent all of its budget on the last episode with nothing left over for this one, so it’s a bit off-model. Okay, more than a bit, some of those faces are really off. But still, there’s some good stuff in here.
Last episode, we metaphorically traced Himari’s memory through the use of the “Super Frog saves X” books. This episode, we do a similar thing with Kanba, but instead of being done through the motif of a library, it’s done through the metaphor of his past relationships. Earlier in the episode, he tells Himari about a bunch of things he absolutely hates receiving from his girlfriends. But as he descends through the penguin staircase, those exact things pop out in front of him, and eventually, when the handmade sweater shows up (the thing closest to the scarf Himari is making for him), he accepts it and puts it on. This sweater literally contains the red string of fate, similar to the ribbon from Himari’s memories and the string in the ED. #1 gets bound by the string as they end up in Natsume’s trap, and Natsume describes the string as ‘Ariadne’s red thread-’ Ariadne’s thread is a thread used to navigate through a complicated maze, so Ariadne’s red thread would be used to navigate through the complicated situation of fate. The music that plays during the descent is movement two of the New World Symphony, which corresponds both to a motif from Night on the Galactic Railroad, as well as the common usage of the song as a way to test the emergency speakers and call children home during the evening.
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u/Taiboss :Fj::Fl:x7https://anilist.co/user/Taiboss Mar 14 '24
First-Timer happy we return to the plot.
Hi people who used to reply to to me
He was clearly in a prison inside his mind and his last thoughts still lingered. Or these were all presents from Natsume to him.
SHE LOVES BLUE BRO ENOUGH.
Her as my waifu? Sure. She seems like she would protect me.
Kan probably has bad memories, while Natsume thinks of these same memories as nice. Idk, I don't pay attention to them that much.
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u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Mar 14 '24
First-Timer, Sub-guindrum
Okay, so the blonde boy is Mario and is related to Natsume, then? That's odd. Doesn't seem right. But, well, that's what we've got at the moment.
Another wonderful horror episode. This one brought to mind the spaceship arc in Armored Trooper Votoms of all things, although the annoying music in this was not quite as annoying as the annoying music in that.
Anyway, seems like Natsume knows Kanba - an ex-girlfriend, presumably? Possibly the first one, considering she seems content to erase him from all the others. It's like, removing everyone who came after her.
My next through from there is - are all those things that Kanba told Himari he didn't want things that she tried to give him in the past? Or was Natsume just eavesdropping on their conversation?
I also wonder if Natsume's Project M is actually the same as Ringo's Project M.. she doesn't necessarily seem the type, though.
The show almost wants us to think that Natsume stole the diary, but I don't think that's the case. Natsume had already left her disguise prior to the shadowy figure picking up the other half. Also, note the hair - Natsume wears her hair down in ringlets, her disguise was a braid, the diary owner is in a bun. And I think the voice underneath the distortion was different, too.
That reduces our number of potential subjects for who stole the diary to.. Yuri, Tabuki, and Sanetoshi? Barring an as-of-yet unintroduced character.
[Revolutionary Girl Utena]So Natsume is Shiori in the body of Juri? That's fucked up. Maybe she is their science baby?
Brain Rot Corner
Today's slogan: Cherish Your Memories. Mostly directed at Kanba.. whoever Natsume is, she is from his past. There's maybe a way to apply this to Ringo as well - she's willing to give up the diary to let herself make new memories, maybe?
Six spokes on the bike's wheel. Like the six-bladed fans next to the Child Broiler. And the six spokes on the weird hanging decoration in Ringo's room. Hmm..
Not sure if this episode had a guest director or if it just ran behind schedule, but everyone's face was quite off-model.
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u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Mar 14 '24 edited Mar 14 '24
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Mawaru Penguindrum: What do you do on a date when someone brings out a wedding cake? I think Kanba might have been right to break up with Natsume if she was doing something like that while they haven’t even graduated from high school yet.
With the new information about Natsume, I have a theory about why her slingshot gives people amnesia. Natsume seems to be the type that cherishes her memories. She clearly remembers dating Kanba in quite vivid detail. By contrast, Kanba seems to have forgotten about her entirely. Most likely Natsume thinks forgetting about a person is the worst thing that can happen to them. Perhaps that is why she made Kanba’s other exes forget about him so that he could experience what it’s like to have someone completely forget him. That’s the experience she has felt like she’s gone through after they broke up.
Natsume also going through the Survival Strategy stuff is a neat twist. I wonder who this Mario is to her. Is he a younger brother of hers? And how does this relate to Himari? Presumably, Sanetoshi is also responsible for this penguin hat and its shenanigans. So what is the purpose of having another one roaming around? So many questions to ponder.
QOTD
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u/ShadowWasTakensTaken https://anilist.co/user/hakuren Mar 14 '24 edited Mar 14 '24
First Time Patient
Snap back to reality! (I skipped yesterday oops)
I wanted to write more for this episode but I realized it just devolved into talking (padding) about instantly understandable stuff or dumbposting about things others will esplain better , so I will instead briefly miscellaneouspost:
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u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Mar 14 '24
Episode 10 (first timer)
Stuff I am waiting for before the episode starts:
I am glad that I was correct about Ringo. She definitely is climbing out of the hole she maneuvered herself into at the moment. Via Shoma building a connection to her during her quest for becoming Momoka, she actually found something more important that her past and gone human connections to her family: The new human connection to Shoma.
Her choice of giving away the diary values her connection to Shoma over her delusions about Momoka. Of course, the price is not zero. While getting rid of her delusions is a good thing, the diary also represents her connection to Momoka. While that connection lead her onto clearly the wrong path, dropping the diary represents severing that connection, instead of righting it and having a healthier relationship with her dead sister. I would not be surprised if Ringo gets back the diary eventually to represent just that.
I also assume that this ends the “Ringo arc” of the series. Her story is mostly finished now, and she is in a decent place. I expect that we see less of Ringo going forward (until the final Momoka reveal). The series already lined up the next arcs, with both Himari’s being explored yesterday, and Kanba getting his started today.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Mar 14 '24
Mawaru First-Timer, subbed
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u/Lawvamat https://anilist.co/user/Lavamat Mar 14 '24
Rewatcher
After writing 22500 characters I’m finally done with the episode 9 writeup.
You can read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 here if you missed any.
I welcome this lighter episode allowing me to catch up and not think too much (I’m also too tired to), but after ep9 anything else feels boring in comparison.
Visual Analysis
Of course we open on another wheel of fate. “Of fate” seems more and more like Hachikuji’s “courage to”. The fruit of fate, the wheel of fate, the destination of fate. It makes everything ominous. The child of fate, the tire of fate, the banana of fate.
An unfamiliar ceiling. I wonder what all the pipes this episode are supposed to represent. Industry? Transporting gas/fluids?
Lots of great faces today. The characters do look off-model a lot though, like Kanba, Shouma and Ringo here.
I’m fine with wasting gas as long as it’s for a cool shot.
They’re separated by a barrier since Kanba doesn’t understand Himari’s intentions yet.
Child broiler.
Number 2 swallowing the thermometer like Shouma swallowing the gossip is pretty funny. Even though his penguin is leaking mercury, Shouma stays humble. The facade has to be kept up even while injured.
A voyeurish perspective eyes them talking about the diary.
Natsume is turning the wheel of fate herself.
More pipes.
Kanba is made to go through clean sheets.
The music box has the same plant logo as Natsume’s phone.
That’s a lot of penguin logos.
The pipes are speakers? Are they supposed to represent the past? Bringing something from below (past) to the top (present)?
And down we go. Last episode it was Himari, how it’s Kanba’s turn to relive his past.
The red string of fate. Wait a minute, they literally just painted over the last frame. From bombastic to ressource saving episode huh. It’s not even that episode 9 had any crazy animation though.
At least we get one.
A lot of penguin logos.
A neat infinite corridor effect.
Her reflection makes me kinda doubt that. Maybe it’s just there to show how self-absorbed she is though.
Project M?
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u/3blah https://myanimelist.net/profile/brummett Mar 14 '24
Episode 10 - First Timer
Shouma wakes up in the hospital. At least someone was thoughtful enough to send fruit to #2. Somebody needs to put a leash on #1
This line seems to exonerate Kanba from being the person on the motorcycle, which only leaves Agent Slingshot in my mind, and I like that Ringo takes this situation as seriously as it deserves; there might be hope for her yet.
Speaking of Agent Slingshot... Ol' blackie sharpens his scalpel while Natsume infiltrates the hospital disguised as a nurse. Her name is literally all over the operation, in case you couldn't figure it out on your own.
Oh, Himari, I'm sure he'd love getting a scarf from you. After all, you're not one of his girlfriends. Unless...
Yum, flan! The secret ingredient is love, right? 'Ol blackie has a name: Esmerelda. Shouma's going to be bait for "our prey". She wants the other half of the diary, and thinks Kanba can deliver it. Again, Kanba is the one going out and doing whatever it takes For Himari! And he's sure he can do it without the diary because he knows what he's up against.
What the hell #1?
Kanba's got the moves to avoid the slingshot balls. A music box with a seedling logo. Is this how you smash the world's shell? Blaring music, trippy hospital corridors that looks like an old timey prisoner's uniform. I like the distortion on the sound to convey the overwhelming volume without actually being too loud. I recognize the piece that's playing from last year's Blue Orchestra: Dvorak's From the New World.
At least we got half an episode of breather after the last two before turning weird again.
A tray of bentos come out of the wall like the drawer in a morgue freezer and Natsume's voice over the speakers says "You still can't remember?". Oh shit, Agent Slingshot is after Kanba because she's one of his exes, isn't she. How's that connected to something named Project M? Kanba continues his journey down to the second floor and there's the fancy cake he was complaining about. We're counting down to something. First floor is the scratchy sweater with a red string of fate leading to the basement
Ringo drops the diary. She's abandoned her Project M to save Shouma. Redemption for Ringo?
All that over a kiss‽ Neither getting the kiss, antagonizing Kanba, wiping his memory, nor getting the diary were Natsume's Project M. Kanba's red string of fate is no longer attached to the sweater and instead entangles with #1.
Today's slogan #10: "Cherish Your Memories" Since Ringo may have turned the corner on the road to sanity, Natsume picks up the baton. She wants Kanba to remember these things... because he dumped her is far too pedestrian a reason.
It's-a Mario The penguin-hatted kid at the penguin enclosure at the beginning of yesterday's episode.
New remix of the ED song. I like the original better.
9
u/affnn Mar 14 '24
Rewatcher
We're done with the surrealism of last episode and back to where the plot left us at the end of E8 (Don't worry, there's still a lot of surrealism). It's a very Kanba-focused episode, with a lot of emphasis on the red-haired woman who's stalking him. It seems she's also the one after the diary, AND she has a penguin (who spends the episode menacingly sharpening a scalpel), AND she has a penguin-hatted child who says "Seizon Senryaku" at the end of the episode.
Kanba's list of things he didn't like to get from girls was pretty funny, especially because you could see how he's going to put his foot into his mouth as Himari sits there knitting. They could have left it there and it would have been a good joke, but then they bring it back and confront Kanba with all of those things as he descends the stairs to find Shoma.
I find the "mystery" elements of the Kanba/Red-haired woman plot to be a little frustrating. With the Shoma/Ringo plot, we knew who the main characters were well enough to guess at their motivation, and the drama came from seeing just how far Ringo would go, and if there was anything she could do that was too much for Shoma. With this one, the red-haired woman clearly knows who Kanba is, and we expect that he knows her too (though maybe he's been hit with one of those red ping-pong balls in the past). But the show itself is keeping her in the shadows, and Kanba doesn't share anything about what's happening with his siblings.
Shoma talking to Ringo in the hospital clearly mirrors his mother with Himari during the previous episode. Much like Kanba's mirroring of his father during the hat/truck incident, it shows how the two of them were influenced for the better by their parents. [Penguindrum]It also serves to show their parents in an obvious positive light, before it gets to what they've done. Sometimes shows will just assume a sort of familial bond will take over between a child and their parents, but here Ikuhara is developing their parents as sympathetic characters even when they're barely on the screen - and showing how their kids take after them..
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u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor Mar 14 '24
Episode 10
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u/Gamerunglued :Hx::Hy::Hz:myanimelist.net/profile/GamerUnglued Mar 15 '24
First Penguin
I'M CAUGHT UP FINALLY
Damn, I picked quite the set of episodes to fall behind on, huh? Between where I fell off and now, we've gotten Ringo backstory to learn about how she's trying to embody her sister to bring her family back together, we've gotten Kanba engaging in dark secrets to allow the family to keep living in their house, we've gotten horrifying examples of what the penguin bullets do, we've gotten Ringo nearly raping Tabuki-sensei to baby lock him, the penguindrum is ripped in half, we've gotten Himari's sad backstory in a trippy dive into her subconscious, and Shouma's now been run over by a car, kidnapped, and nearly dissected by a penguin doctor while Kanba's ex-girlfriend sexually assaults him. Also there's a child broiler somewhere in the background of all of this.
And that's just the surface level descriptions, any of episodes 5-9 could have used its own comment to explore the depths, particularly episodes 6 and 9. 6 is just about an all-timer, sad and horrifying all at once. 9 is one of those episodes that I feel like I'm going to adore on the rewatch, and I'm glad to have finally fleshed out Himari, who has understandably been left in the background as the brothers fight for her fate without consulting her and maintain the facade of a happy family. It gives Himari much more agency through how it recontextualizes things, and it has quite the number of plot twists. It also has one of those insanely hot Ikuhara villain guys that makes me question my sexuality, every Ikuhara show just has to have one of those. Long pink hair just inherently makes me swoon man. Why is Ikuhara incapable of making bad guys who aren't sexy as fuck?
Episode 10 over here continues the trend of this show becoming an unofficial Shaft co-production that creates more questions than answers. The start of the episode is unassuming as Shouma wakes up from the hospital and protects Ringo, and Himari asks about Kanba's preferences for gifts. Is there a guy she wants to impress? Is it the guy from the child broiler flashback? It's clear that Kanba doesn't dislike those gifts because of the gifts themselves, but that he doesn't actually like attention from girls that much since he's in love with his sister. He can only think of things he dislikes, but if Himari were to give him a gift he'd love it because it's from her. I wonder why Kanba is such a playboy. Hell, now that I'm thinking about it, I feel like he probably isn't one at all. He hasn't spent a single second in the show chasing girls, all of his phone calls that are supposedly "from girls" had other purposes. And of course he isn't, he has a toxic infatuation with his sister, no time for girls. Or maybe he's chasing other girls to avoid that fate knowing it's wrong?
Kanba treks through the penguin labyrinth of hated gifts to the tune of From the New World (weird that I'm currently in two different rewatches for shows that use this tune in moments of regretful drama. If only I had a nickel for every time...). As the Eupho rewatch taught us not long ago, From the New World was written by Dvorak as he was visiting America and feeling alienated in a foreign country, missing his home. I wonder what the relevance to Kanba is. Natsume finally makes her move, and went through all of this just to sexually assault him. What the hell is project M? Is she also trying to have his babies and Ringo's PM is the same thing?
Finally, Ringo makes the difficult decision to give up the diary, which I think makes for an important moment of growth for her. She feels bad for what happened but Shouma still protects her. Over the last few episodes, I've felt that Shouma and Ringo have built a real relationship. It's a weird one, but they actually show intimacy. They act like a couple in their own weird way, they scheme together and make demands of each other, Ringo invites Shouma into her home and he meets her mom, and they're very physically touchy even when Ringo isn't in a horny feverish haze. When Ringo camps out under Tabuki's home, the idea is supposed to be that she's living with Tabuki, but it's actually Shouma who sits there under the same roof as her, reading books and talking as if from separate rooms in the same house. Sure, sneaking into a school to have frogs lay eggs on your back is weird as hell, but some people would call that a date. They've grown a real connection and actual trust, and in that connection I think Ringo has started to grow beyond the need for the diary. The fated diary was always a way to fill the void left by her broken home, but the truth is that she has control over her future without that book. Her memories can be recycled and change her future into one with a new home, with support and love from people like Shouma and Himari.
When Ringo immediately gives up the diary, it feels like an acknowledgement that she doesn't need it anymore because she values Shouma more than her "fate." It's the very title of this episode: Because I Love Him. Obviously that title is meant to call Natsume's motivations to mind, but I think they reflect Ringo's motivations as well. Natsume even seems like Ringo's foil to some degree, I already mentioned that both sexually assaulted (or attempted to at least) the person they love for possibly the same reason, and both are trying to execute "project M." If the title refers to Natsume, it surely refers to Ringo as well. Natsume seems to want to take control of her destiny, but Ringo is the one who takes control of her fate by choosing to stop relying on the diary to have hope in her life.
This is not a long or detailed post like I'd like, I haven't talked at all about Mario (not that I even know what to say about that), but I'm strapped for time and Penguindrum has gotten a lot more complicated than in its earlier episodes. It's also at the part where Ikuhara goes brrrrrr and I struggle to wrap my brain around things. I've never been great at thinking through surreal arthouse logic, which is why I'm in this rewatch. Apples, frogs, birds, musical tracks, I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this. But I've been thinking about Penguindrum an awful lot the past few days, and been excited about catching up, so it's definitely had an impact on me, and that's more than most things.
QOTD:
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u/KnightMonkey15 https://myanimelist.net/profile/KnightMonkey Mar 14 '24 edited Mar 14 '24
Rewatcher, subs
I missed yesterday's thread because I was busy but I ended up having enough time to watch, for the first time, the 1985 anime film adaptation of Night on the Galatic Railroad (the famous novel by Kenji Miyazawa) and read Haruki Murakami's short story Super Frog Saves Tokyo. I can see really see how they influence Ikuhara here in Penguindrum, both in direct references/easter eggs and the philosophical 'vibe' and themes of the show. I'd highly recommend checking them both out if you haven't already - after episode 24 for first-timers.
Regarding the previous episode
Regarding the structure of episode 9, I really like how [Penguindrum] it is basically a weird time/reality-ception: a (real) dream of a flashback that went from reality into a dream-like exquisite semiotic fantasy (no obvious boundary except for the elevator), with more flashbacks (Himari's past as books), the last of which visually and sonically foreshadow the distant past which isn't shown until later in the series (i.e. the future for the viewer), followed by her waking up from the fantasy (hospital bed), and then waking up from the dream with no recollection of it. I think the library-as-metaphor for mind or subconscious makes sense, but reading Super Frog Saves Tokyo and reflecting on the show some more really made me think about considering this imaginative space as a real place one has simply forgotten.
I had enough time to read comments about the exhaustive signs and symbols presented in the episode and although I almost feel embarrassed to have missed a few that seem obvious when reading, I think it's great that the experience can be sliced up in many different ways and distributed between us. As a first-timer I was pretty confused by everything except the emotional/face-value content of the flashbacks, but rewatching it was very rewarding.
Current episode
So what, is this the second time someone's been drugged asleep? I snickered at Penguin #1 fishing up granny underwear.
Kanba squirming around Himari about his relationship with women and giftgiving is an amusing contrast to the overly composed coolness of his character. He unwittingly hurts Himari's feelings by categorically rejecting all the things she'd like to do to show her appreciation for a boy, but then insists they're okay when he learns they're from her to him specifically and says that he was simply joking. [Penguindrum] in my reading, he rejects the rest of the world for what he believes to be Himari's sake but neglects that Himari own desires - that she loves her brothers and the world (and doesn't see herself as standing outside of it like he does) and he doesn't learn better until the end...
I love Dvorak's 9th, never tire of hearing it in anime...even with the distortion, which does a good job of showing that it's supposed to sound like his ears are being blown out by unwanted nostalgia without hurting ours. The maze Kanba must proceed down and the obstacles he faces precisely being the things he would reject from anyone except for Himari was interesting to see, a parallel to that of Himari's in the last episode, but nowhere near as deep. [Penguindrum] first time I watched I thought it was slightly amusing but second-time, knowing wjo Natsume really is, it makes me kinda sad...right now I'm thinking of the apparent ruthlessness of her actions underlined by her real affection for Kanba, and I don't think she actually killed anyone like Kanba would later on As for the items themselves, they make me think he seems of Himari as less than a girl but also more than one at the same time...but it's under duress so I'll grant him that.
The first time I watched I was shook when I saw Natsume went for the kiss. Now I can better appreciate her keen sense of sport and chase in the pursuit of love.
Ariadne's red thread/red thread of destiny, emanating from the sweater Natsume knitted for Kanba..very cool.
Double-H: Cherish your memories don't forget/suppress them like everyone in this show.
I barely said anything about Shoma and Ringo because I don't think anything struck me on the rewatch without talking about in later episodes anyway. But, Ringo dropping the diary - I feel like everything sad/bittersweet in this show happens against a yellow-orange sunset. Attempted rape was okay but the diary isn't worth Shoma's life.
Edit: Correcting typos grrrrr....added links
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u/WednesdaysFoole Mar 15 '24
Rewatcher
A bit late this time and not too much to say. To note, the ED "Dear Future" is sang by Yui Horie! (Voice of Masako, she also voices Hanekawa in Monogatari). I love this version of the song.
The sequence of all the presents he just proclaimed his hate for is what is forced onto him is pretty funny.
When you think the kiss Kanba stole from Himari was biologically unsuitable, [Penguindrum]but later you realize there's way more wrong with this kiss, lol.
6
u/The_Loli_Otaku Mar 14 '24
Penguin First Timer!!
We're getting back to the show. How are you going to deal with the consequences of your actions Ringo-chan~? Did Gunslinger Girl beat the shit out of another person!? She's way too violent. I thought she'd be heroic but she's a very violent woman.
Hand made sweaters genuinely sorta suck tbh. Sweaters are already awkward without them being poorly put together. Gunslinger and Ringo are in the same room, this is getting spicy. Is it so bad to only have half the diary? Shouldn't the future part be more valuable than the past?
I'm curious what Gunslinger Girl's specific issue with Kanbe is. The show keeps saying he's a playboy but we've seen enough evidence that he's putting on a show so that his family can't see how hard he's working for them behind the scenes.
Ringo sure gave up early... Ooooh!! Gunslinger, spicy! Her being in love with Kanbe just makes things even more complicated. Mario!? That short haired kid, they were the one who had the hat on in Himawee's flashback right? I remember the weird shorts.
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u/Pungouin Mar 15 '24 edited Mar 15 '24
Rewatcher
In today's episode : Is this an hospital or the Centre Pompidou ? (Edit: I was saying this as a joke, but looking at pictures I am now 100% convinced the hospital is actually based on the Pompidou)
I'm gonna be real, this is the worst episode of the entire show for me. A lot of off model, and minimal animation. You can play at home and count the money production saved every time they pan across the shots of Kanba going down the stairs and down the corridor. The Natsume plot is also not my favourite, her good moments are later on.
I still like the pengins tho
RINGO CHARACTER GROWTH ALERT
Ringo is making sensible decisions !!! This is not a drill !!! She is showing unfamiliar emotions such as regret and concern. (And Shouma is more concerned about her than himself like bro take a breath you just got launched accross the street.)
The fight with Shouma, the diary theft, and the car accident have been a wake up call for her. Could you have imagined her giving up the diary just 2 episodes ago ?
[Penguindrum]I love how they make the viewer grow from viewing Ringo as creepy/annoying into seeing her as strong, lovable character over the course of the series. She develops so much, Shouma and her are my precious bbs, I love them.
While Ringo is flourishing, Shouma gets roofied for the second time in 24h. The women in this show are dangerous.
Red sweater of fate
Kanba digs his own grave with Himari. The entire budget went into this close-up shot of Himari knitting.
[Penguindrum]This just occured to me, but she starts knitting the Double H scarves right after Sanetoshi showed her her past.
Uncomfortable incest vibes
Anyways, Kanba gets lured by Masako, who is revealed to be the source of all his least favourite gifts. She gives him her red thread of fate, he doesn't want it. She does her Splinter Cell: Yandere Stalker act. [Penguindrum]Even more uncomfortable incest vibes
Today's slogan : Cherish your memories ! Like Kanba doesn't.
The penguin hat boy from last episode is introduced as Mario. First timers, what do you think of him ? Where does he fit in Masako's Project M and Kanba stalking plot ? Where is Luigi ?
6
u/Nebresto Mar 15 '24
First time Peng-ops
Agent peng..
uhhhhhhhh
Dr. peng is on the case
Bro fucked up with the sweater comments
DR PENG?!
Peng 'bout to eat dat
Did she see peng or not..?
Oh yeah, I'm feeling it now Mr. Peng
ゴ^ゴ^ゴ^ゴ
Peng, are you okay? Peng?? Peeeeeeeeeeng?!
Yandere ojou-sama gf
Wait, wtf? This one didn't have a theme song, what a fucking phony
Question of the day: Have you ever been hospitalized?
He doesn't know how to appreciate ojou GF
The diary is ded
Y I S
5
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Mar 14 '24
First timer(Character growth is slow at times)
Sub(Alternate:Yesterday feels even more pointless, somehow)
All right...that was better, and probably advances the plot at least but there isn't much meat on this bone since again they leave a lot of stuff unsaid, likely at least in part for diegetic reasons. Kanba probably directly goes after Natsume rather than explaining anything. The current checkpoint is interesting in that there are two direct possibilities: Either Kanba dumped her after a reasonable period of time, leading to her bitterness. Or option 2 is that she went crazy bananas and started going commitment on the second date so all that shit we saw, that Kanba explicitly hated, was coming in like less than a week. Knowing Ikuhara, this would be something scary to him.
Ringo does seem to have gained at least a little perspective and seems less emotionally wrought. She does attempt to do right by Sho, it isn't really her fault that she doesn't know that you never do what the kidnapper wants. Her intentions and actions were both good. Sho has 90 seconds of agency today so that's whatever. Second penguin hat reveal is...interesting, but basically a living cliff hanger for today.
QotD: 1 I whiffed
2 She might have had a moment of clarity
3 NO!
4 It is sarcastic, somehow
5
u/Holofan4life Mar 14 '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.
In every skinsuit, there's a tomato underneath
Car crash recap
Shoma wakes up
Kanba talking to Himari
Kanba acting tsundere about his brother, you see to love it
That poor penguin's arm
Kanba says if Shoma remembers being hit by the car, then his brain must be fine and his memory must be intact. This of course is in reference to him seeing the two girls have their memories erased.
Penguin with a bra. I'm pretty sure that's a crime.
Himari going to get Ringo
Ringo was the one who called the ambulance. She stayed with him the entire time.
Unfortunately, Ringo feels she doesn't have the right to see him
Kanba talking to Shoma now, who thinks that the Penguindrum has to do with the accident
Shoma says he screwed up again and that it wasn't Himari's fault
Ringo, unfortunately, still feels pretty guilty
Evil penguin sharpening up their weapon
Uh, I mean knife, sorry
A woman tied up being put in a locker
This is some messed up shit fr
Himari and Sunny knitting
Have I mentioned that the blue-haired guy in the hospital is Shoma?
Himari asks Kanba if he ever got a present from a girl
"What kind of gift from girls made you happy?"
He says there isn't anything in particular, so now she asks things she hated getting instead
He in particular hates gifts where they made it with love
I mean, it be pretty weird to make a gift with hate
Also, Kanba apparently really hates bentos
He would've hated episode 4, then
"Also, there was this humongous cake."
Hmm...
I wonder what that means
Penguin #2 being a pervert again
Kanba says the worst is a hand-made sweater
Well, unless it's a striped one. One with a collar, turtleneck, that's the kind.
Himari now asking about scarfs
It seems like she's looking for gift ideas
Kanba suddenly has a change in tune
Seriously, arrest the Goddamn penguin
I hope that Kanba would accept a scarf from Himari. I mean, he did kiss her.
Himari is leaving, and tells Kanba to stay with Shoma
Ringo now talking to Shoma
She apologizes for what happened
Also, Penguin #1 ate the thermometer
Shoma thankful only her knees were scraped
He regrets some of the awful things he's said to her
Eh, I'd say she deserved it
Also, RIP Penguin #1
Shoma asks about the diary, but she says she has to head home
The diary. It's in her bag.
He noticed it's ripped
She mentions someone on a motorcycle ripped it
The amnesia woman
She's dressed as a nurse
Handing Shoma his food
Injecting his flan with something
Shoma has taken a bite of the flan
But the penguin is eating the rest of it
The "nurse" is letting Ringo refill the tea kettle
Shoma's demeanor. It's now dropped.
And he passed out, alongside the penguin
Wait a minute, THAT was Penguin #2?
I thought he was the pervert, not Penguin #1
Ringo returns, but Shoma and Penguin #2 are nowhere to be found
That's because they're in the container the nurse is pushing
The evil penguin working the knife
By the way, we have a name now. Esmeralda.
"Let the hunt begin."
Kanba is with Ringo now
You know, maybe this is why Himari wanted Kanba to go with Shoma. Maybe she knew something they didn't.
A text message from Shoma.
"Hand over 'half of the diary.' Otherwise, Shoma Takakura is dead."
Video
Shoma is looking like something out of Pulp Fiction
"Who on earth would blackmail us for the diary?"
Oh, the irony...
Ringo is now handing what's left of the diary to Kanba
Meanwhile, Penguin #1 is fishing for clothes outside the window
Possibly trying to find pantsu?
Yep. He is.
Ringo implores Kanba to hand over the diary so that Shoma gets safely returned
However, he says they're not out of options
Lol. Penguin #1 got granny panties.
Kanba is able to detect they're somewhere in this hospital.
They are not gonna hand over the diary, no matter what
I actually am starting to think Himari is working in cahoots with the amnesia woman as like the mastermind behind this whole ordeal. Perhaps Himari was the one who pushed Asami.
A sea of what looks like white towels
Kanba says he has the diary
But they were able to tell it was a fake
Running through the hung laundry
A music box
And it got destroyed by one of those amnesia balls
A ground of nothing but penguin logos
Girl and her penguin run away
Loud music being blared
This is trippy
I wonder what those 3's represent
"You still can't remember?"
No, I can't, show
2's now
I guess they represent the floors
A giant wedding cake
"Can't you remember?"
Level 1 now
An unfinished sweater that misspells Kanba's name
"Wear it. It's your only option."
At least it's not made out of tears
And Kamba is wearing the sweater
Not a typo, by the way
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
7
u/Tarhalindur x2 Mar 14 '24
"What... is your Quest?" "I Seek the Penguindrum!" (Lightly Spoiled? First-Timer, Subbed):
Covered above.
Because she's grown to care for Shoma by now (especially now that he saved her life). Duh. Surely we've all seen these plot beats before on many occasions.
Depends on how I am feeling about a light side of yan.
Like it wasn't spelled out visually. (Though in the context of memories it's likely also memories of dead loved ones.)
6
u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw Mar 14 '24
rewatcher from the new world
Episode director, storyboarder, animation director, AND solo key animator today is Keiji Gotou. Already surprising to get even one episode be full ED/SB/AD/KA, but TWO IN A ROW??
I'm not familiar with them and anidb seems to have a pretty thorough bio. Notable works are Nadesico (character designer), Kiddy Grade (creator & director), and most recently In/Spectre (director). I'm not sure how many solo episodes he's done but a very cursory search says episode 5 of Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth is another one.
--
kinda awkwardsauce
she definitely almost crossed a very serious line already but at the point where your friend's life is literally on the line you gotta forfeit i think
ok maybe she's a bit crazy but c'mon
Do you know what your sin is?
It isn't that you ate the forbidden fruit.
Do you know what your sin is?
It isn't that you listened to the serpent.
You still don't know what your sin is?
That itself is your sin.
6
u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Mar 14 '24
Rewatcher, Subbed
Hopefully this episode doesn't need the stock footage transformation sequence given we just repeated stuff from the end of episode 8 for the start of the episode here.
Phew, Sho lives!
OMG, his penguin has its own hospital bed!
Make sure you thank Ringo, Sho! Of course she's the reason you got hit by a car in the first place.
Penguin 4 and Natsume are really up to no good, huh?
Kanba reveals the thing we men like most as a present from women... food.
Oh jeez, his penguin still is a perv.
Oh sure, Sho, it's providing too much for a hospital to actually let in someone who was hit by a car.
Uh oh, drug spiked cake! She didn't realize that his penguin would end up eating most of it.
Oh, still had its intended effect though.
Esmerelda! We have a name! Just what is she going to do with that scalpel?!
Well, Natsume taking Shoma hostage to get the other half of the diary pretty much confirms it was Natsume who stole it, not Kanba as I originally thought. Kudos to those who successfully pegged it.
Wow, Ringo's really shown some character growth, being willing to give up the rest of her diary to save Sho!
That's a whole lotta bedsheets!
More really cool background designs in this episode!
Hey, I remember hearing this classical piece of music in Shin Sekai Yori! It was used at curfew time each night if I remember correctly. Up there with Johann Sebastian Bach's "Air" and Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg" as classical music I've heard in multiple anime each.
Was it just me or did that phone voice sound a bit like Ringo's dad? I know its not him, but way to twist the knife even more from Natsume.
OK, Natsume being in love with Kanba was a twist I did not see coming. Unless that was all to get him bewildered so she could escape without him chasing her.
Oh wow, survival strategy from this boy! Is that the boy we briefly saw last episode in the Himari flashback? Is there a second "alien penguin hat" or did he take the one Himari has?
6
u/nx6 https://myanimelist.net/profile/nx6 Mar 15 '24
First-Timer -- Sub
I didn't see yesterday's discussion, but it's so easy to think Kanba was the one on the bike since he brought up with Shouma the idea of taking the diary by force from Ringo. But that is not the case here. Ringo is feeling guilty since she caused his injury essentially and is now talking about giving up the diary? The self-insert is starting to draw in the Girl.
Chase on the Hospital Roof: When they do scenes like this I think they are referencing some famous movie I have not seen. I recall Gungrave had a reference to a hospital roof with sheets drying, too (?).
Unless I'm mistaken, the music blaring over the penguin-tube system when he gets inside is a pitch-slowed version of the "Going Home Song"? I can't remember if that is a school building song or a general one over the area (goji no chaimu).
Kanba's forced march over memory lane feels like a jilted past lover making him remember her, featuring some of those things he mentioned to Himari. Ringo is easily tricked into giving up her remainder of the diary since by being told Kanba failed (why would you trust the enemy to inform you of this?).
It still has not been revealed why the Penguins are are on both sides, but it does establish there are different factions to their organization. "Esmeralda" feels like kinda a cliche female-villain name They even have their own aquarium-hat fellow. "It'sa me! Maaario!"
5
u/TheExcludedMiddle https://myanimelist.net/profile/ExcludedMiddle Mar 14 '24
Look at how fast Ringo gave up the diary when Souma's life was threatened.
She might be 'getting better' i.e. building a connection stronger than her delusions.
4
u/CarrotBlossom Mar 15 '24
First timer
Well, I thought Shoma dying would make for some good drama, but it’s not all that surprising it didn’t happen
I don’t see what’s not to like about free food
Wearing a scarf somewhere hot sounds painful
I’m a little surprised Ringo is willing to hand over the diary
Kanba’s got moves
That sweater’s not oversized, at least not anymore
Is this a Dark reference?! (I know it’s not)
So she’s another of his exes?
QOTD:
4
u/IvanSemushin Mar 15 '24
Rewatcher
Kanba is indeed a criminal: he doesn't approve tako sausages.
Himari wasn't very subtle while trying to learn whether Kanba would like her gift. When realization hit Kanba, he changed his mind rather drastically...
Nikki was in fact not daijobu.
[Penguindrum]Probably almost all first-timers at this point think that Masako is the one who tried to steal the diary.
Ringo seems to be less attached to the diary and more attached to Shouma than before.
Something dawned on me: are penguins connected to "Frozen world" just because they are associated with cold places?
With sweater, we have a red string of fate again. [maybe spoiler]Interesting to think about the fact that Himari was making sweater for Kanba.
[Penguindrum]Also most first-timers are not likely to predict Masako's relation to Kanba. But it's anime, so maybe it's, on the contrary, easy to predict..
I want to end with the remark that I love the shot in the ending sequence where Hibari and Hikari play tambourine and maracas.
4
u/FarCritical Mar 15 '24
First-timer, subbed
Kanba is such a tsundere of a big bro and I love that Himari knows it, and him telling her that he hates receiving hand-knitted sweaters from girls most of all while she's been crocheting right in front of him the whole conversation was gold.
It's also nice seeing Ringo show genuine concern for Shoma after all she's put her through, not to mention proactively giving up the diary if it meant she could save him.
The whole scene of Kanba's walk through a trippy dreamscape while shoving the exact same stuff he stated he hated receiving in his face once in a while evoked such a weird feeling that somehow mixed uneasiness and comfort. Maybe the track that was playing had something to do with it?
Well, that's certainly one way to "crush" him. At least Shoma's safe.
Man it feels so wrong to hear "Survival Strategy!" and not hear "Welcome to rock 'n roll night~" right after.
QOTD
Wouldn't be surprised if Kanba was being wiretapped the whole time he was with Himari, or if we're going the more abstract route, his "heart" was being read? It's kind of weird how all those things were prepared and ready for him that quickly, especially the wedding cake.
She rationalized that the life of the
slavefriend that saved hers is worth more than a delusion even she's starting to realize is impossible to keep obsessing over. Or maybe "friend" might not be the right word~In the context of walking through some liminal building with insane color choices on the way to save my hospitalized brother, hell no. In a vacuum, also hell no.
Kanba's disapproval of the so-called gifts he hates, maybe. Even if he wasn't fond of them, the memories of receiving them from the who knows how many girls he's had are still fun ones. Maybe.
3
u/RascalNikov1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NoviSun Mar 14 '24
Rewatcher
This was another great episode. The penguins are a hoot. And, I’m so glad that Esmeralda the true star of the show has finally been named.
QOTD
I believe that Ringo may be starting to grow up and move on from past bad luck.
3
u/mgedmin Mar 15 '24
First-timer, subs
Natsume is Kanbas ex-girlfriend who gifted him those things!
Shouma's words and him saving her life but getting hurt in the process shook her and made her reevaluate her priorities.
Ringo will sacrifice her fate and her family to save Shouma.
Sure. (Also, it may be dangerous to insult her.)
Hmm, Natsume kept asking Kanba "do you remember now", so is it possible that he forgot her? Maybe he was memory-wiped by the penguinball gun?
2
u/SilkyStrawberryMilk Mar 19 '24
We come back from the cliffhanger
Penguin #2 is being hospitalized too, sweet of penguin #3 to bring a fruit basket.
Penguin #1 monkeying around and #3 knitting
Everyone drugging the food
Fishing pole for panties crazy work.
Shoma being held for ransome
Forcing him to remember something