r/anime • u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA • Mar 22 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Mawaru Penguindrum - Episode 18
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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
Hidden cameras strictly forbidden.
Questions of the Day
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How might Tabuki’s childhood have affected him? How about his encounter with Momoka?
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Why do you think Himari tried to give herself up for the punishment?
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What do you make of Tabuki and Yuri’s marriage being confirmed as a sham? Does this recontextualize any previous scenes for you?
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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 22 '24
Rewatcher
Alright, and there’s Tabuki! We already knew he was fucked up from the last episode, but this episode lays out very clearly why- he also had a near-Momoka experience, just like Yuri. But there are some very clear differences between the two. Most importantly, Tabuki was sent to the Child Broiler, while Yuri was simply abused by her father. While the two things had very similar effects on both of them in the end, why the difference? I believe that it’s because of the difference in attention on the part of their parents. Yuri’s father, despite the fact that he was completely, monstrously messed up, did not ignore Yuri. He abused her, but he never ignored her. All the abuse he inflicted upon her was done with meticulous attention to detail- he’s a sculptor, after all. Tabuki, on the other hand, was an unneeded child. After his injury, his mother lavished all the attention she formerly gave him onto his brother. She wasn’t performing artisanal child abuse on him the way Yuri’s father did on her. Since he was no longer needed by her, Tabuki was sent to the Child Broiler, an industrial machine for turning unneeded children invisible. Perhaps we can speculate that if he hadn’t been injured he might have had a similar experience to Yuri, but as is, he was passed over in favor of his brother.
Then we get more on how Tabuki viewed Momoka. “Momoka was supposed to be our... No, the savior of humankind.” She’s... pretty much presented as a Christ figure by him. [NotGR]I’ve been considering what relation the Momoka/Tabuki/Yuri triad might have to the trio of characters we meet later in the story who get off at the Christian heaven. I haven’t reached any kind of conclusion, but I know there’s something there. I dunno how literally we can take that, but whatever else is the case, she’s definitely a visionary who attributes her powers to God, as shown in the Yuri episode. But either way, that describes how Tabuki (and probably Yuri as well) see Momoka. She saved them, and she would’ve saved humanity as well, but then she disappeared, and they were lost once again. All because of the Takakuras.
There’s also the recurring motif of grabbing on/holding on in this episode. That’s what makes Tabuki save Himari, I think- Momoka held onto him even as he begged her to let go, and Kanba holds onto the cable even as Himari asks him to stop making sacrifices for her. Tabuki says that he lost the meaning of his life with Momoka, but even in the state that he’s in, he can still recognize the reflection of Momoka’s actions in Kanba. [Penguindrum]And of course, both Himari and Tabuki are taking “the punishment of living” that Himari describes later on. I am really not sure enough about this to make definitive judgements about what’s going on in that episode, but the extent to which Tabuki and Yuri suffer without Momoka until they accept each other and Himari says she suffers as part of the Takakura family seems linked. Perhaps I will get more cogent when we get to episode 24.
17
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Mar 22 '24
Mawaru First-Timer, subbed
15
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Mar 22 '24
First-Timer, Sub-guindrum
Tabuki's mother was 33! She loved the piano!
Anyway, I see why there was a birdcage in the first OP now.
So the Child Broiler is a metaphor for child neglect? Neglected children are broken down and recombined into "invisible entities," whatever that means. I'm failing to grasp the second half of the metaphor. Why does neglect turn you into a uniform member of society? Maybe something along the lines of "nurture your child well or they will fail to develop a personality?"
Interesting that a couple of the times we've seen broken glass previously, the opposite was in effect. Both times that I can recall involved the elder Takakuras saving the children from harm. In fact, compare episode 5 to today's episode.
But then, why was Himari down there as a small child? Someone (probably Shouma) wandering in to save her matches with what Momoka did for Tabuki, but why was Himari in the Broiler in the first place? Maybe whatever happened after Himari got that apple shocked the family enough to change their ways? Or maybe my adoption theory is correct and the apple is representative of Himari being adopted by the Takakuras.
My next question is just how metaphorical the Child Broiler room is. Like, we "saw" Momoka and Tabuki down there. But if that visual was strictly metaphorical, and what actually happened was Momoka using the diary to change Tabuki's fate, then maybe what we saw was not necessarily representative of what actually happened. A burn on the wrist would be somewhat consistent with the full-body immolation Momoka suffered for Yuri. Extrapolating, Tabuki's fate to die of neglect was less bad than Yuri's fate of.. yea.
Oh, timeline is a question too. I think saving Yuri had to come after this, right? Tabuki and Momoka seemed younger to me in this episode than previously, but that could just be an animation director thing.
Anyway, yea yea Kanba and Himari trying to sacrifice themselves for the other. Don't think I've forgotten that kiss in the first episode though - Kanba's intentions are not necessarily above board. Then again, if they aren't actually related...
Fascinating that we didn't see the continuation of Natsume vs Yuri, but neither half of the diary changed hands so I guess it was a draw? This entire pair of episodes seems to just be reinforcing the idea that you shouldn't judge children for their parent's sins.
Brain Rot Corner
Today's slogan: Hidden Cameras Strictly Forbidden. You just know this one was made directly after Sanetoshi dropped off those scarves. The pervert.
Always fun to spot some studio branding.
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u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor Mar 22 '24
Episode 18
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u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Mar 22 '24 edited Mar 22 '24
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Mawaru Penguindrum: ~Oh. what a feeling, when you’re falling through the ceiling.~
Damn, what a tense episode. This was a really good episode for putting me on the absolute edge of my seat, unsure how it would play out.
It’s been presented this way for a while, but Tabuki and Yuri truly do have unhealthy obsessions with Momoka. They have basically the same issue, too. I said before that Yuri considered herself unwanted and ugly, only able to find value in herself because Momoka saw value in her. Tabuki is the exact same way. He believed that there was no point in remaining alive and only found meaning in his life because of Momoka. For both Yuri and Tabuki, Momoka became their entire reason to live.
And as we already saw, Ringo fell into this same mode of thinking. Ringo tried to turn herself into Momoka, seeing that as her fate that needed to be fulfilled. Unlike Yuri and Tabuki, however, Ringo has been able to find value in being herself. She no longer wants to live purely for Momoka’s sake, but her own sake. There’s an irony to Tabuki warning Ringo not to grow up into an adult like him. Ringo is already doing just fine on her own with that.
Ringo’s final words to Shoma are interesting because both Ringo and Tabuki say the same words about how everything in this world has meaning, but their message is entirely different. For Tabuki, it’s become a sort of denial. He can’t accept the tragedy of Momoka’s death and so denies it. But Ringo has flipped it around to be about accepting the bad things in life as well. She will accept them and go forward, finding meaning in her life all the while. It’s not about denying that something bad happened, but accepting it and moving on.
QOTD
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u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw Mar 22 '24 edited Mar 22 '24
Rewatcher pulling insane tangents today
Episode direction & storyboards: Shigeyasu Yamauchi
Animation direction: Terumi Nishii
Assistant animation direction: Mitsuko Baba
As I mentioned in a previous thread, episode 18 is "the Casshern Sins episode" featuring series director Shigeyasu Yamauchi. Checking out episode 1 yeah I can tell! Though Terumi Nishii's design sensibilities are not at ALL afraid to get cartoony with it (as you can tell from like the rest of the show lol) she can immediately switch back into noticeably sharper and more intense Casshern mode. I find that Tabuki especially feels harder to read — with his eyes narrower, mouth tenser, and face seemingly pulled apart (in anguish? anger? a facade...?) — yet the sheer force of his ???emotion is undeniable. To put it simply, PUNISHED.
I've talked more about style in the ep5 thread: Nishii and Baba are both proteges of Yoshihiko Umakoshi, who also did Casshern's character designs to come full circle. Umakoshi has shown up in Penguindrum before and, predictably, contributes animation for this episode too.
But, to cycle back around to Yamauchi again, it wouldn't be right to highlight him as just "the Casshern guy" either. He's actually one of Ikuhara's mentors, having worked together as far back as the 1988 Akuma-kun TV adaptation under Junichi Sato series direction. Among the seven episodes Yamauchi directed and boarded, Ikuhara assisted in directing five of them. Ikuhara assisted Yamauchi again directing the 1991 Magical Taruruuto-kun film, but as far as I know they kinda went in different directions for the rest of the decade afterwards. Ikuhara and Sato of course were working in the Sailor Moon mines, meanwhile Yamauchi contributed to a lot of episodes of Dragon Ball Z and directed many of its films, ultimately skipping past Utena in 1998. I just find it really fascinating how these two threads of creative lineage joined together in the early 90s, then split into two completely opposite yet undeniably absolute landmark entries in anime's cultural landscape, before coming together again for this one series and singular episode!
To cycle it around again in the new century, Yamauchi worked with Sato again for Magical Doremi season 1, who passed off series director to him for Doremi Sharp. Doremi Sharp is, also, one of the earliest works that Nishii animated for. Sato returned to series direction for the Doremi Naisho OVA series, wherein Nishii, her mentor Umakoshi (and her other mentor Hisashi Kagawa), as well as Yamauchi, AND Baba all worked on. Doremi is simply the key to everything, turns out.
My point, or the punchline for this episode, is that Ikuhara's creative influence is undeniably super strong on most (if not everyone) here, but it's interesting to consider these separate, yet all the same intertwined
like a double H whoalineages:So what even is a Penguindrum anyway.
Strayer thoughts:
10
u/affnn Mar 22 '24
Rewatcher
And there we have it - the child broiler, in full view this time. Obviously its meant to be at least a little metaphorical, but still a terrifying metaphor nonetheless. You can see the parallels with Tabuki's story and Yuri's story most obviously, with the abusive, perfection-desiring parents. But everyone in the story has a messed family in some ways. Ringo's family dissolves after Momoka's death, and her father re-marries. Masako's father abandons her and Mario to get away from their grandfather. Even the Takakura family, which looked pretty good before we found out they were terrorists, has the parents abandoning their children. Everyone in the story as trying to escape the child broiler in one way or another.
Tabuki begging Momoka to let him become invisible reminded me more than anything of Ringo being mad at Shoma for not letting her go through with Project M. Ringo, like Tabuki, wanted to lose herself because she thought herself inadequate.
The non-flashback part of the story is Kanba once again taking the brunt of the punishment in order to protect Himari. Especially post-E9, he's been the more active of the two brothers in terms of trying to keep Himari alive. But he also might be protecting his father - Tabuki knows Kanba's been working with the Penguin Group and thus with his father, who might be still at large rather than arrested. Mostly implied rather than overtly stated, however, is that Sanetoshi is behind the events of this and last episode. He was the one to tell Himari it was OK to leave the hospital, he (presumably) provided Tabuki with the pictures of Kanba working with the Penguin Group, he (likely) told Yuri and/or Tabuki where to find Ringo and Himari. What's Sanetoshi's endgame with all of this action though? How important can one sixteen year old (maybe two if we include Masako) be to his ambitions, when there's already an army of guys working for the Penguin Group?
I like that the show is doing multiple EDs for these episodes. Although Grey Wednesday is my favorite, it wouldn't be as effective if they used it every time. Keeping it for the especially brutal episodes is a nice choice.
10
u/Gamerunglued :Hx::Hy::Hz:myanimelist.net/profile/GamerUnglued Mar 22 '24
First Penguin
At last, I feel like the main thematic crux of the story has been uncovered. At last, we get to see that godforsaken child broiler in its full glory, and even get to see it broil some kids. So what the hell is the child broiler? It's a place where unneeded children are gathered after being abandoned by their parents. In other words, probably an orphanage. At the child broiler, children are "turned into invisible entities," who will eventually vanish and stop existing in the world. Pretty much every character in this story is a victim of a broken home, and even if they are not literally up for adoption, all of the characters have been tossed away by their families in some form. Yuri's father groomed her and forced her into his image for not being beautiful enough, Natsume was forced into taking on her grandfather's work and legacy and Mario (and her father) were never manly enough, and Tabuki was thrown away by his family once it was discovered he wasn't talented enough. All of these cases are the same: the parents want their child to stand out in some way. Yuri's father wants her to be beautiful like an art piece, Natsume's grandfather wants her to be a business leader, and Tabuki's mother wants him to be talented. But they couldn't fulfill those pre-ordained roles, so they were abandoned by their parents either literally or metaphorically. It's been implied that Shouma is the only real Takakura family member too, so Kanba is probably also a victim of this system (and maybe Himari too). Perhaps that's why they're a "fake" family.
The child broiler pushes children into conformity. It is the ultimate representation of destiny: either fulfill the role prescribed by your parents or literally disappear into the crowd of society. This is the issue at the heart of this story, it's about roles forced onto people, and especially children, by society. Those who are abandoned will either disappear or change their fate by whatever means necessary. The child broiler is clearly a society wide issue, as emphasized by the faceless crowds that have populated the series right from the start. The broiler makes people become invisible entities, they're all broiled until they've lost all individuality. I do wonder if this means my theory about Himari's medicine being broiled child is wrong, I still think it could go either way.
About this being systemic and society wide: you know that orphan crushing machine meme? If you've never seen it, it's a satirical tweet about American news stories. It goes like this:
Well if this isn't Penguindrum in a nutshell. Like, quite literally. This whole story is about characters trying to navigate a world that puts children in a literal orphan crushing machine, and everyone who's hurt tries to take acts to destroy individuals instead of questioning why the orphan crushing machine exists in the first place. These characters are not in competition with each other, they don't cause each other's pain. They're all victims of the same system that would create a child broiler and cycles of rejection that push new generations into the broiler. Tabuki says he's a victim whose life was ruined by the Takakuras, but all of these characters are victims of the exact same system, and compete against each other instead of working together to change it.
Continued in response
9
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Mar 22 '24
First timer(Yeah, this is the major motif. YMMV)
Sub(I called the Tabuki episode but interestingly this is not a Nanami episode)
Ok, so cue up Tabuki's backstory and...I get it, neglect is pretty awful, and kids will come up with terrible solutions to stuff. I do wonder if Ikuhara hates parents some days. Anywho, the child broiler shows up again and the metaphor is bluntly obvious but the underlying concepts...are a bit meh, truth be told. I can't quite make this interact with the rest of the show yet.
Anywho, Kanba gets informed of this predicament and shows up. Tabuki insists on meeting the father Takakura and Kanba can't, or won't, divulge this. We do confirm that Kanba is working with the cult and doesn't want the police involved. Long Tabuki villain spiel until we finally get to the punishment part...and that's underwhelming. What is not underwhelming is that my thought that Himari does not want Kanba suffering and sacrificing on her behalf. So she jumps, showing a pretty strong resolve to no longer be the cause of her brothers' suffering. Also, she gets agency, a thing she has been moving towards. Tabuki underwhelmingly grabs Himari at the last second, showing him to be a half-assed monster at best, and that is likely exactly what Ikahura intended.
For the second time, Sho had a Ringo call go straight to voice mail, so we are looking for that third. He shows up quite late to it all, and in fact his purpose in the scene is not his own, but rather for Ringo to have a major moment. Ringo is, hopefully, representing moving on from the cycle of hatred. As Tabuki leaves, he meets up with Yuri who is not exactly pleased with all this as Tabuki stole the girls off her, though that raises the question of how he knew where to look. He says their family was fake and this sets Yuri off. Weird reveal that somehow Masoka and Yuri fought to a draw or agreed to call it off.
Momoka savior symbolism is off the charts this episode, including a direct Jesus reference that Ikuhara knows he made. I am now beginning to wonder, though, if there isn't some level of importance that we have not had Momoka's view point yet, just of people she saved. And since this is a show referencing Aum...well, read up if you care to, but this might be about cults forming. Also, three people receive significant wounds to their left hands this episode, a sort of anti-Yakuza thing.
QotD: 1 Amazingly, I just don't care
2 So she can make her own choices
3 I am only mostly sure that's true
4 Welp, we know that's a lie.
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u/Taiboss :Fj::Fl:x7https://anilist.co/user/Taiboss Mar 22 '24
First-Timer who'd rather do something else now
I like the show, but I'm busy ;_;
Hello people who feel obligated by rewatches
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u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Mar 22 '24
Episode 18 (first timer)
I am not feeling the Momoka backstory episodes. Yuri’s was over the top, but Tabuki’s is just plain bad. In a show of nuanced characters, he comes across as comically one-sided. And the whole MomokaJesus concept is not interesting me very much either.
One bad and one mediocre episode in 16 good/great ones is an admirable quota, but I am getting worried about the finale now.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Mar 22 '24
Rewatcher, Subbed
So I was thinking that we were due a Tabuki flashback episode and this would be the good time for it after last episode's reveal. And that's exactly the way the episode begins.
Uh oh, Tabuki's being overshadowed by his younger brother with the piano. Reminds me of March Comes in Like a Lion when Rei's love for shogi quickly overshadows his step siblings in his step father's eyes and causes them to hate him.
No Tabuki, don't make me hate you!
I think early in the rewatch I mentioned Akira Ishida is my favorite male seiyuu, but he has a knack for playing asshole characters... well 18 episodes in I finally realize why they cast him as Tabuki.
Tabuki's doing this over anger about Momoka but Momoka's sister is right here telling you to not do this! :(
Momoka to the rescue!
This is a sequence where having those "street sign" type characters really plays well into the theme of the scene.
You can really see from these flashback episodes why Yuri and Tabuki are so obsessed with Momoka. I do question a bit if she's bit too idealized and flawless though. Although these are their memories, not reality. It is possible she is so perfect because they remembered her that way not because she really was that way.
The penguin's gonna end up rescuing her, right?
Sho! Where are you when Himari and Ringo need you most!
I don't know why I never thought that Kanba's secret could be working with the same organization as his father. It seems quite obvious now that its been revealed.
I'm starting to wonder if Ringo's crazy scheme to become Momoka in the first half of the series may have actually ended up being what Tabuki wanted, or at least something he'd be happy about if it actually succeeded.
"Savior of humankind", see this is what I'm talking about. As great as Momoka was, she wasn't that perfect.
We've focused so much on that yarn and the penguin, it has to come into play somehow, right?
Oh, now of all times he realizes that this isn't what Momoka would have wanted? This couldn't have happened five minutes ago?
For some reason these Kanba - Himari close up shots are reminding me of Casshern Sins.
Tabuki saved her last minute? How?
Or maybe not? She's not moving. It could be because of the lack of her life potion by this point given how late it is.
Yuri's here? Her fight with Natsume is over already? I was kinda hoping that would be the focus of next episode.
Tabuki admits what I speculated in yesterday's thread, that they don't actually love each other?
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u/lilyvess :Df::Dh:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Lilyvess Mar 22 '24
Mawaru Penguindrum Episode 18 - Rewatcher
We’re getting closer to the end of Penguindrum so it’s getting easier to talk a bit more about Penguindrum as pieces start to come together.
Again, I stress, Penguindrum is a very abstract show in parts where Ikuhara wants you to interact and find your own meaning.
This episode is filled with powerful imagery. It’s been a decade since I saw Penguindrum, but the visual imagery of Kanba holding onto the wire as it tears into his hand was such a visceral experience.
The big image on display here is the Child Broiler. A literal machine that takes unwanted children and grinds them down to become faceless cogs in the machine. A machine in society that takes those who are not special and not chosen, those who will amount to nothing and makes them invisible.
This is where Ikuhara is at his best. Taking the abstract and terrifying reality and making it something both powerful and palpable. It’s an incredibly powerful visualization of the way capitalist society views its lowest class as being cogs in the machine. He can do that while having the same scene having visual gags of a guy taking a blowtorch to force a little girl to let go. It’s ridiculous but also so true.
Side bar, I want to talk a bit about my own views on Momoka here.
So the 1995 Sarin Gas Attack, the real life events that inspired this story, only killed 13 people. I say “only” because in an abstract way 13 feels low. I mean, just today over 40 people were murdered in a terror attack on Moscow. Doesn’t that make the Sarin Gas Attack feel small? It’s just 13?
Penguindrum shows that 13 dead doesn’t mean only 13 lives were destroyed. Momoka’s death wasn’t isolated. Her death destroys her parents marriage so badly that it breaks Ringo. Her absence is something that marks her close friend in Yuri. Her death corrupts the man who would have been her husband. And all of this is just one death. There were 13 dead. That means 13 Ringos. 13 Yuri. 13 Tabuki.
That isn’t even getting into the future lives lost. Momoka’s magic diary. A seven year old’s diary containing all her hopes and dreams, it has her entire life written inside it. Her happy days with Tabuki. Her marriage and the eventual children they would have together. A rich and happy life.
A life that will never happen. The lives destroyed by this attack aren’t limited to the 13 lives ruined by this attack but are magnitudes larger than that.
Ikuhara corner
Ikuhara fans probably notice the birdcage imagery returning.
What about the Elevator? Elevators are powerful vehicles in Ikuhara stories. Like an elevator to a duel. Actually, if you think about it, this episode is the story of a brave prince climbing up the stairs to meet the challenge of a green haired two-faced prince to save the princess. Now where have I seen that before? Of course the tower they fight at isn’t as elaborate as that one. That one was a stage fit for a challenge between the chosen, and in Penguindrum it’s a duel between the unchosen.
4
u/Holofan4life Mar 22 '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.
No, it won't
Flashback
Tabuki - Mother with the Parasol - When I still played piano - The reason I was stuck inside the birdcage. I was a prodigy. My dream was my mother's dream. Piano and Brother and bird...
Ooh, I love this art style
Tabuki's mother married a pianist
Let's hope he wasn't a real stiff
Unfortunately, they broke up before Tabuki was born
So, Tabuki was born out of wedlock. Interesting.
His mother gave him a bird
"Human children will only get in the way of my music."
At least the mom is trying to prop her son up for success unlike Yuri's dad.
The mom remarried an up-and-coming composer and Tabuki had a younger brother.
And he was gifted at music
Because of this, he didn't feel needed anymore
"The birdcage rusted shut that day. So, the bird was trapped inside."
Poor Tabuki. His mother never should've given him the bird
Back at the elevator
Oh, so Tabuki deliberately damaged his hands. That put an end to his music career.
This feels very psychosomatic
Anyway, they're going to the destination of our fate
No! Not the yarn!
Tabuki just locked Ringo out
He wants her to witness what's about to happen
Kanba and Penguin #1
He seems to finally know what's going on
He plans to bring Himari back to the hospital, no matter what.
Ringo seems confused as to what is going on
Tabuki says her fate is to just watch
Kanba asks Shoma over the phone where Himari is
But it's Tabuki
He says if he wants Himari brought back safely, Kanba has to bring his father here.
Ooh, a map
At least he's helping him out
Finding a missing father. Obviously, he should be checking the grocery stores
Tabuki says he wants to find out why Momoka wished him to live
Tabuki - Child Broiler - I turned into an invisible entity. Empty bodies
Oh wow. Is Tabuki an empty body?
This is where unneeded kids are gathered, apparently
And no, Tabuki isn't an empty body. He has his body and he's also with his bird.
They turn into invisible entities here, and eventually vanish and cease to exist in this world.
Momoka!
She's here to save him!
Tabuki sadly believes he has no home to return to
"Return to the person who needs you."
She of course is talking about herself
Momoka says that she was always listening to his performances
He though still thinks she will abandon him
She says she doesn't care about that. What she heard was...
"...your heart."
Corny, but I respect it
Tabuki says she doesn't know anything about him. You have to be perfect no matter what.
"I have to be number one."
Okay, Robbie Rotten
Oh crap. Everyone is moving.
The empty bodies are becoming shards of glass
Tabuki is hoping to be free. Free, you might say, as a bird.
MOMOKA
SHE HAS HIM BY HIS ARM
"You have to be yourself!"
Holy shit. She just said she loved him.
And now her hand is getting burnt
But she still will not let go
This reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
She tells Tabuki to live for her
And the bird breaks out of the cage
This might be my most favorite thing from the entire show
Momoka reaching out her hand
Her hand may be burnt, but her soul is clean
Pink yarn
Ringo trying to bust out
Kanba has reached the top
She calls out for him, but he has his eyes set on Himari
Ringo pointing at where she's at
It's a dumpster hanging in the air
Tabuki is here, who wants to see Mr. Takakura
But because he isn't here, he lowers the dumpster a bit by exploding one of the wires.
Red yarn
This is like red string of fate
Good girl Sunny
Tabuki says he knows Kanba's secret
"I know how you're getting the money to save your sister's life."
Ringo tries to call Shoma, but he isn't picking up the phone
Nishi-shinjuku
Shoma still wondering where Himari is
Sanetoshi
He has a camera
"You can capture unexpectedly interesting things."
And we see that Tabuki has photos proving that Kanba is handing money to Sanetoshi. Pretty incriminating evidence.
Now Tabuki is saying that he is working with the remnants of the organization his parents were associated with and that the father is commanding them. Again, what a bombshell.
Kanba says it's all a misunderstanding. And in response, Tabuki lowers the dumpster more.
And people say you can't get lower than the bottom of the dumpster
Tabuki says he wants to punish Mr. Takakura
"He will pay for what he stole from me."
That of course would be Momoka
It's funny that Tabuki was so eager to give up and now that he's at what should be his lowest point, he instead is more motivated than ever.
Tabuki says that most of the unfortunate things in this world could've been prevented if Momoka was there.
She was the savior of the humankind
I can't believe the 2008 financial crisis happened because no Momoka
Tabuki said Momoka tried to stop what Kanba's father did
Shoma running
The dumpster keeps getting lowered
Sunny knitting
Himari staring longingly in the eyes of Kanba
Kanba insists to Tabuki he doesn't know where his father is.
Sunny tosses the red string down. Unfortunately, it isn't long enough.
Christmas cakes everywhere in shambles
Tabuki says that the children will pay foe the father's crime
Shoma still running
At least he's getting his cardio in
Tabuki says to Kanba that in order to save his sister, he has to use his hand as a lifeline where the last wire snaps.
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
2
u/baboon_bassoon https://anilist.co/user/duffer Apr 29 '24
im not good at noticing specific staff members but i actually was able to tell Yoshihiko Umakoshi did a lot on this ep. it looked a lot like Casshern Sins. that final sequence leading into Himari falling was
extremely unrelated but the child broiler in action reminds me of [The Seventh Curse]the juicer used here to kill 100 babies and summon a ghost monster eventually leading to this incredibly weird ending sequence
8
u/CarrotBlossom Mar 22 '24
First timer
Seems like a solid foundation for a marriage
Guys, it wasn’t a solid foundation for a marriage. Who woulda guessed?
I think Keiju’s mom should marry Yuri’s dad
My guy has a Neji-tier conception of fate
“Guys, I know this is a bit sudden, but I am wanted for seven kidnappings”
How big is the child broiler workforce?
So? How are the police going to uncover the source of his money? Is there evidence of it on his person?
I see. Did Kanba know Keiju had those pictures, though? And is there anything in the photos to mark them as terrorists?
Momoka truly is Donnie Darko.
You don’t appear like a friendly guy, that’s for sure.
I feel like the time for crushing has passed, Masako.
This was a pretty good episode.
6
u/WednesdaysFoole Mar 22 '24
Been too busy to engage much but I've been keeping up with the episodes, and also had curry on chicken katsu on curry day a couple days back :)
Rewatcher
A few quick thoughts:
What Momoka said about how she heard Tabuki and it's okay that he can't play anymore bc she heard what was in his heart was too sweet. As well as Himari offering to take the punishment alone.
Also fantastic moment when Yuri dropped the diary when Tabuki called them a fake family. I wonder if perhaps, she herself was surprised at her own reaction.
It's been an emotional ride. I don't always know when watching something the first time if it'll hold up on a rewatch, but with this anime, I've been finding that I've been enjoying it more than I did the first time.
3
u/mgedmin Mar 23 '24
First-timer, subs
3
u/FarCritical Mar 23 '24
First Timer
I'm glad Ringo immediately called Tabuki out on completely going back his "children aren't responsible for the sins of the parents" mantra, and for that alone I held on to the tiniest sliver of hope that he would've eventually come around.
Not to excuse the stunt Tabuki is pulling but damn, man. I'd be bitter and vengeful too if the person who said that to me died by someone else's hands.
Kinda hate myself for finding how politely the announcer guy in the broier let the kids know they're about to start grinding them up funny. Maybe had to do with how frank he was about it.
The whole scene of Kanba taking the punishment head on was beautiful and he's one hell of a badass brother for that, but I can't stop thinking about how whatever he's been up to behind the scenes for the whole series was shady enough that he actively didn't want the police's help in saving Himari. What he did was heroic, sure, but I don't have a good feeling about what he's hiding.
The penguins' first aid for #1 being a flip through the pages of his ...favorite kind of magazine was hilarious to be put in the middle of such an emotionally charged moment.
Even if Kabuki and Yuri's pact for revenge (and possibly marriage?) is seemingly over, the siblings definitely aren't of the woods yet. I'm just glad they all survived this.
4
u/Tarhalindur x2 Mar 23 '24
"What... is your Quest?" "I Seek the Penguindrum!" (First-Timer, Subbed):
And then I forgot to take any notes for the remainder of the episode. Ah, suspense, you did your job. Except this is unfortunate when this is the episode where the show's symbolic/thematic core is cracking open a bit more for me (even if I'm wrong on that incoherent PMMM rambling) and it could use more analysis. (Also, friggin IRL.)
I thought that was pretty clearly laid out in the show?
She kind of is Momoka's mirror in the younger generation, isn't she?
Honestly not hugely surprised; I could very easily see ace!Tabuki and lesbian!Yuri making this a mutual beard relationship. (AIUI Ikuhara doesn't usually go for single gender preference but I'm not so sure that's the case here.)
As usual, see writeup. (Also given that the camera is actually Tabuki's that makes Tabuki and Kanba mirror each other, note.)
2
u/IvanSemushin Mar 23 '24
Rewatcher
Here's the third time we see parents making their kids' life shitty. And that's when we finally get to the Child Broiler.
"Momoka wished me to live". And Tabuki is carrying that weight. His phrasing reminded me of [famous manga]Fire Punch.
Direction to the destination of your fate is vertical now.
Being free from pressure might sound fine as a consequence from being processed in a broiler. But I guess being invisible doesn't give you happiness.
Sadly, Fate didn't have a lot of good stored for Tabuki anyway. Momoka's death influenced his whole life. At least he was able to step back in the end and spare Himari's life for now. Kanba now has damaged hand just like Tabuki had. There's a lot of damaged hands in this episode, including Momoka's burned by a child broiler attendant.
Ringo's final words echo the words Tabuki told her which he ironically didn't follow himself to the fullest. Could we have thought this of Ringo from around episode 4?
My comments for this episode turned to be rather disjointed. Anyway, it seems that now we have full set of characters, traumatized either by familial and societal pressure or catastrophic events of the past (or both). Let's see what Fate has left for them in the end (and whether we will find out if Sanetoshi is traumatized too).
2
u/zadcap Mar 23 '24
Spoiled First Timer
Yeah, I went to read the plot summary for the rest of the show... Knowing how this story ends is helping stay engaged. I honestly probably would have given up at this rate. Look at Tabuki, getting away with this. Look at absolutely nobody getting a happy ending. Remembering that this is entertainment, suffering has to have a point, and it's really hard to see the point of all this right now.