Mawaru Penguindrum

RedUmbrella · 2012-06-29 09:20:31

Grey Wednesdayyyyy!!!
Always Grey Wednesday. <3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4dmBZdRjLY

Except I can't actually find a version with the real intro x.x

Last edited by RedUmbrella (2012-06-29 09:20:57)

Iota · 2012-06-29 22:03:03

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Kana · 2012-06-29 22:07:41

I'm sorry... I prefer

Iota · 2012-06-29 22:22:36

that isn't an ED though xD it's okay....meh

Kana · 2012-06-29 22:24:47

Oh well.. I like that song... C:

Iota · 2012-06-29 22:35:39

Daddy's Shoes also, omgsldkfjd

RedUmbrella · 2012-06-29 22:36:00

Iota wrote:

Daddy's Shoes also, omgsldkfjd

^^^^^^

Also whichever ones from the new ost volumes ;-; ;-; ;-;

Last edited by RedUmbrella (2012-06-29 22:36:28)

EvanFingerstyle · 2012-09-16 02:17:11

ALRIGHT SO Datniel, you asked me to talk about this once in a while if I wanted to and stuff so yeah I will.

Disclaimer/Excuses: I watched all of this in one sitting with a friend. We did take a break after Episode 12 to play Melee because I was falling asleep and needed some waking up, but other than that, I had to try to retain as much as I could from scarfing down the whole thing in one go.

I haven't read most of this thread yet and I didn't read that blog entry until now, but I knew what you told me about the heavy symbolism in the show so I really did my best to keep an eye out for stuff the entire time.

Also, it's funny because with the scene with the two kids talking about the universe, my friend and I were all like "Dang, the things kids talk about these days." But by the epilogue, we were all like "OHHHHHHH SHHHHHHHIIIII-" when you see them again, and it's made 100% clear who they are and what they're talking about xD.

Spoiler

TL;DR

Problems/Questions for the Show

SPOILER! Moodkills.
Episode 12: Why all of a sudden lambs to represent the Takakuras instead of penguins?
Episode 18: HOW DID TABUKI CATCH HIMARI IN TIME? WHAT.
Episode ?: How did Momoka and Tabuki magically appear in a lush green meadow after being in the Child Broiler just 2 seconds ago?
Big Plot Point That I Should've Gotten But Didn't: Why did Shouma's parents have to blow up the subway?

One thing that I didn't particularly enjoy was overuse of the penguins. I mean, I freaking loved them at first, and honestly, I still do, but they do kill the mood sometimes (dat bug spray <3).

Just to clear things up: my problem isn't the penguins in general. In fact, their adorable antics are what smoothed out some of the rough edges (I'll touch on this in a sec). But they did kind of detract from the drama that I was begging for in some scenes. However, it really is a minor point. The penguins don't ruin the "home-run-smack-you-in-the-FACE-tear-jerkers".

Now, about the rough edges. There was something so perfect about the penguins being regulars in the show that made the rest of the fantastical phenomena seem a lot less misplaced. I truly never felt that there was anything completely random, especially not to the point where I'd want to drop the show or anything like that. Except for this.

Anyways, taking a step back from the "subtextual" realm of things, there were a few things logically that I felt were a little unsettling for me.

IIRC, they made the connection to Adam and Eve very apparent in Episode 12, when they brought in the Mary and the Three Lambs myth that Shouma explains to Ringo (by the way, she's my favorite character). It's that scene where Himari dies… again. And Sanetoshi is offering them the medicine for (I believe) the first time.

So, why would the producers all of a sudden connect the Takakuras to lambs, even though the penguins were supposed to be their representatives? Especially since the black bunnies from the Mary and the Three Lambs myth very clearly fulfill the role of the Sanetoshi trio (him, along with his two shapeshifting kiss-up cohorts).

Now for more nitpicking. In (I think) Episode 18(?). This is the one where Tabuki threatens to kill Himari on top of the rundown construction site, and forces Kanba to hold onto the rope to save her. My only problem: HOW DID TABUKI SAVE HIMARI? Like, seriously. Go back and watch that, because there is no logical explanation for that. And I am not going to accept the fact that the scene was just supposed to be symbolic and so the writers could abandon all logical sense. While there are obviously the ever-present symbols and themes, that scene was clearly meant to be taken literally, and it's made evident via the shots and lighting, which are very representative of a cold and harsh reality (there's a lot of dark clashing colors IIRC).

Yet another thing that bothered me was the scene where Momoka saves Tabuki from the Child Broiler. First off, it's freaking terrible. Like, seriously; WHO WOULD EVER COME UP WITH AN IDEA TO BUILD A CHILD BROILER. TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE.

Anyways, IIRC, after Momoka holds on for a really long time, (despite the freaking torch burning her wrist) all of a sudden, they fall off and land in a beautiful landscape of lush green hills and meadows. I don't even.

Did Momoka have time to rewrite fate at that instant? If she did, then why wasn't it shown onscreen? What would be the purpose of not showing it on screen?

Honestly, with the way the lighting was set up, how there were grey blobby figures being cut up, and the dreamy lighting of the green fields, I wouldn't be against the scene being entirely symbolic. I then concluded that the entire Child Broiler might be a symbol.

And there's an obvious connection between the scene where Momoka saves Tabuki and Episode 18, where Kanba saves Himari. Tabuki decides against killing Himari because he sees the exact same determination and self-sacrifice in Kanba that he saw in Momoka when she saved him. It's also funny because both scenes didn't seem to have a logical progression of events. However, the Episode 18 one I thought was painfully obvious that it was not a dream world, whereas the one with Momoka and Tabuki was a little more ambiguous.

But now that I'm done nitpicking, this brings me to more questions for serious things. What is the Child Broiler? Is it meant to be taken literally? I still think it's a symbol, hence the Momoka & Tabuki scene. However, this possibility is also supported in the scene where Shouma saves Himari from the Child Broiler, because there is no way that giving someone an apple is going to save them from being sent down a conveyor belt to be sliced to bits.

I thought it was just a demonization of an orphanage. Since Tabuki was cast away by his mother for losing his piano ability, and Himari was just abandoned by her parents, presumably. That would explain how Shouma could save Himari from the cruel fate of "becoming invisible and abandoned in the Child Broiler", because he took her into his family. But I feel like this is too much of a shallow read. Thoughts anyone?

Lastly, this is actually significant to the plot, and it isn't just me nitpicking (it's me being unobservant):
…Why did Shouma's parents bomb the subway in the first place x_x?

P.S: OMG I even tried to edit and cut that down as much as I could without losing what I wanted to say. Ugh. I'm so bad at this.

P.S.S: I have a habit for nitpicking minor details. As you can tell, I didn't really touch on major plot points, symbols, or anything like that in this post. Usually I find the most important stuff to be obvious to the viewer, which is ironic because then it leaves less important stuff up for discussion x_x.

Last edited by EvanFingerstyle (2012-09-16 02:27:27)

RedUmbrella · 2012-10-14 02:18:54

I can't remember how I came across this in the first place, but apparently there's gonna be some sort of sequel/spinoff/somethingsomethingorsomethingidk. Ikuhara has this project called Penguinbear, that he mentioned in August. And I thinkkkkkkkkk I'm extremely excited. I think >_> I have depressingly high hopes for it, but I know I shouldn't, cause sequels are often bad ;3;

http://penguinbear.com/

http://ninteenpointzerofour.wordpress.c … nguinbear/

(I'm not sure where people got this art from, but it's super cool imo .-. )
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/penguinbear

Also Evan, I just read your post, and maybe when this develops maybe, it'll maybe answer your questions maybe. Maybe.

Spoiler

Last edited by RedUmbrella (2012-10-14 02:25:43)

Iota · 2012-10-14 20:35:56

Evan somehow I never saw that post or responded at all, sorry ;_________;

I'll do so like.....soon, remind me xD or just skype if you still care ROFL

Ferris Wheel · 2013-03-25 13:47:10

I've just finished watching this anime. I've never been so confused and perplexed in my entire life.
I'm trying to organize the actual events of the plot in my head, but I just don't know where to begin.
I feel stupid.

EDIT: With the internetz as my guide, I get it now smile
Not all of it, of course, but at least I get the plot. It's so non-linear, which makes it quite a brain-teaser to follow and understand.

This helped a lot:

Spoiler

Last edited by Ferris Wheel (2013-03-25 14:42:24)

RedUmbrella · 2013-03-25 16:50:59

Mmmmmmmmmm best anime ever ever ever~ <3

#176 2012-06-29 09:20:31

Re: Mawaru Penguindrum

#177 2012-06-29 22:03:03

Re: Mawaru Penguindrum

#178 2012-06-29 22:07:41

Re: Mawaru Penguindrum

#179 2012-06-29 22:22:36

Re: Mawaru Penguindrum

#180 2012-06-29 22:24:47

Re: Mawaru Penguindrum

#181 2012-06-29 22:35:39

Re: Mawaru Penguindrum

#182 2012-06-29 22:36:00

Re: Mawaru Penguindrum

#183 2012-09-16 02:17:11

Re: Mawaru Penguindrum

TL;DR

#184 2012-10-14 02:18:54

Re: Mawaru Penguindrum

#185 2012-10-14 20:35:56

Re: Mawaru Penguindrum

#186 2013-03-25 13:47:10

Re: Mawaru Penguindrum

#187 2013-03-25 16:50:59

Re: Mawaru Penguindrum

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