Anime, like all forms of media, fills all sorts of genres and niches. Above all, anime is a media used to tell stories. But there are certain stories that you simply can’t describe from first glance. In recognition of the anime-related articles that my colleagues Andrew and Ashley wrote, I thought I might present my own tribute to the art form.
But here's something that you might not have heard about before. There is an original anime released in 2011 called Mawaru Penguindrum. Now, that is one bizarre title to wrap your head around. Mawaru Penguindrum is a strikingly unique and deceptive anime that would probably make it onto your list of strangest anime that you will ever see.
The story revolves around three siblings of the Takakura family: two brothers named Kanba and Shouma, and their terminally ill sister, Himari. One day, Himari is given permission to leave the hospital to spend a day with her brothers at the aquarium, where she collapses and is later pronounced dead. While Kanba and Shouma grieve her death at her bedside, Himari is suddenly revived and possessed by a foreign entity residing in the penguin hat that she bought at the aquarium souvenir shop. The unnamed entity forces the brothers to search for a mysterious “Penguin drum” in order to keep Himari alive. To help them in their quest are three blue penguins that are only visible to the Takakura family. To top it off, their only clue is hidden in the pages of the diary that a girl named Ringo Oginome holds, but she also has her own hidden agendas.
Golly, is that a weird plot or what?
Let’s take a closer look the main characters for a moment. Kanba is the oldest of the Takakura family and he is the resident playboy, known for his charm and confidence. Shouma is the younger twin brother of Kanba. In contrast to Kanba and his reckless tendencies, Shouma serves as his foil, putting more thought into how their actions can affect others. Himari is the youngest, a little ray of sunshine despite her weak disposition. Finally, Ringo is the girl that seems to hold the key to everything that transpires.
Ringo, in particular, is a very unusual character and during the first half of the series can come off as… well, creepy. Like the kind of creepy that send shivers down your spine. She is obsessed with following the entries written in her diary to an unhealthy and extreme degree. Because of that, there are some things that Ringo does that make her irredeemable to some viewers.
Ultimately, Ringo becomes one of the most developed characters in the series. I’d love to talk more about her role, but that’s something you would have to see for yourself first.
If there is one thing that I would have to warn people of before diving into this anime is that Mawaru Penguindrum does not hold your hand as it progresses through its plot. I will mention here that if you were looking for something with a straightforward and direct plot, then you had better shift gears because Penguindrum does not hold back with its countless layers upon layers of symbolism. In fact, there are reviewers out there who dedicate time into dissecting the copious amount of hidden messages that Penguindrum throws at you.
Of course, that can work as a double-edged sword: there’s a large faction of people who love the anime and another faction that considers it to be an incomprehensible mess. I’ll admit that the over-saturation of symbolism can be exhausting to watch. But if you are the kind of person who finds it intriguing and fun to figure out themes and imagery, then this will be the anime for you to binge over the winter break. It will easily be one of the richest anime in terms of symbolism and surreal presentation.
The visuals are probably another element that makes this particular anime stand out. Compared to other modern anime, the art style is very reminiscent of older 90’s anime. This is due to the influence of the infamous director, Kunihiko Ikuhara, whose last major work was Sailor Moon R and Revolutionary Girl Utena. The colors are bright and vivid, complementing the stylistic elements, such as simplistic depictions of the background characters, floating stars, and penguins.
Yes, adorable blue penguins. These penguins typically serve as comedic relief, but even these cute little creatures themselves are another symbol for you to deconstruct.
Because symbols are the main basis used to drive the plot, it would be worth mentioning a few of them that are present from the first episode—without going into spoilers, of course. There are penguins, trains, apples, and the string of fate. Right off the bat, the theme of having predetermined fate is recalled quite often with flashbacks of the characters’ past. Shouma, Kanba, and Ringo provide different interpretations of fate as something for the audience to mull over, both as plot device and its manifestation in the characters.
To go along with that, apples are heavily used symbols in Penguindrum. Apples and their relationship to destiny is pretty significant in literature as both a symbol of knowledge and sin. I’ll even throw out there that the name “Ringo” can be translated literally from Japanese to mean "apple" in English.
The music of the series is something noteworthy as well. The composer, Yukari Hashimoto created a variety of tracks that help emphasize the range of emotions of the anime, such as soft melancholic piano accompaniments, upbeat comedic tracks, and enigmatic tones for the more serious episodes. The opening and ending themes are also filled with hints that you can use to help dissect what is going on behind the scenes.
Mawaru Penguindrum is certainly not a run-of-the-mill anime. It explores the inevitability of fate and how the past can haunt you. It has a kind of complexity that makes it stand out from the crowd, though it can feel clunky and convoluted to some. And to be honest, it probably isn’t the kind that you would want to watch with kids, mostly because there are some scenes that are very sexualized; nothing explicit, but something to watch out for. Overall, Penguindrum is something that defies anime norms. It is the story of family, revenge, love, and the futility of humanity's efforts against destiny.
I initially took the leap to watch Penguindrum out of curiosity. By the end of it, I got so much more. It must definitely be…fate.
*stamps* Destiny.
