Penguin Drum - Episode 23 Discussion / Poll

[mellomarie]

this was definitely an action-packed episode.

i kinda hate what happened between sho and kanba though--"always wanted to do this to you?" seriously? so kanba never felt anything brotherly toward him?

also it's hard to take sanetoshi as a villain seriously when i DON'T UNDERSTAND HIS MOTIVATIONS. i get that it's some type of game, that he finds humans inferior---but considering that he died 16 years ago, he was human too right? or at least, the same as momoka?

i really liked the sho x himari scene--i don't think himari views shoma in a romantic light but i also don't think she likes kanba in that way too.

but as the consensus stated, the shiptease in this show is off the chain. i'd rather solid development than hinting at everything under the sun. like poor ringo, she nearly made me bawl trying to smother the diary.

i liked how the diary wasn't the real penguindrum. i'm also suprised at how momoka the hat used a different voice in this episode than when she's PoC. curious...

finally, i'm not sure how they're going to redeem kanba. it's disappointing because i definitely felt like his love was self-sacrificial in the beginning, but now? he's on a raging war path over a girl WHO IS SUPPOSED TO DIE. poor natsume for example, yeah kanba had the widened eyes and everything but it wasn't as profound and she didn't sway him at all.

btw are there two episodes or one?

[zeando]

Originally Posted by mellomarie

also it's hard to take sanetoshi as a villain seriously when i DON'T UNDERSTAND HIS MOTIVATIONS. i get that it's some type of game, that he finds humans inferior---but considering that he died 16 years ago, he was human too right? or at least, the same as momoka?

btw are there two episodes or one?

from some of his phrases in this episode it may be possible(someone said on myanimelist) he was one of the invisible ones, the ones abandoned and loved by no one, so or he's simply getting revenge on the world which rejected him, or in some twisted way he thinks to be able to change it in a world where no one become invisible, but taking some/many lives in the process

the total episodes are 24 (at least from myanimelist), so the next should be the last one

[YayPepsi]

i kinda hate what happened between sho and kanba though--"always wanted to do this to you?" seriously? so kanba never felt anything brotherly toward him?

A lot of people on some other boards think that Kanba really meant "I've always wanted to hug you." Because he shot him with a Kiga ball and not a bullet, it was a misdirection. Also, if he was going to shoot him, he could have done it from a distance - he didn't have to get that close to him. I think it makes sense, Kanba always pushes his siblings away so he probably was never as affectionate with Shouma as he wanted to be. On the other hand it could mean some other things - I've always wanted to restore your memory, I've always wanted to take Himari from you...ect.

[Utsuro no Hako]

Originally Posted by mark1246

Hey i just wanted to know if anyone notice that in the middle of the comical there that train sequence that move from 1 episode to another after half time break when you see the white orb moving from 1 episode to another

NOW i saw that it was moving to Ep 24 but then there was another White orb left!! What could this BE!?!?!?!

Episode 25, and OVA?

what are your thoughts ?

Doesn't mean anything -- there has to be a 25th station, otherwise there wouldn't be anywhere to advance to in the final eye-catch.

Well, that and ...



... the eye-catches are based upon the Marunouchi Line, which is where two of the real life sarin attacks took place.

[ars89]

Oh man, fantastic. I gave up long time ago on guessing what would happen. Think a lot has been foreshadowed though. Still no idea how it will end. So the real Penguindrum is still out there!

[ookamigirl]

That sensei pretend guy is pretty dangerous.
Since Kan is desperate to save Himari, it makes it even worse.
Flashbacks were kinda nice.

[mellomarie]

Originally Posted by zeando

from some of his phrases in this episode it may be possible(someone said on myanimelist) he was one of the invisible ones, the ones abandoned and loved by no one, so or he's simply getting revenge on the world which rejected him, or in some twisted way he thinks to be able to change it in a world where no one become invisible, but taking some/many lives in the process

the total episodes are 24 (at least from myanimelist), so the next should be the last one

hmm all of those are good ideas. to be perfectly honest though, i like the first one the best--i'd rather him have a selfish, personal motivation than simply trying to "cleanse the world" or something that abstract/philosophical. i would sympathise with him more.

one more episode thank you!

Originally Posted by YayPepsi

A lot of people on some other boards think that Kanba really meant "I've always wanted to hug you." Because he shot him with a Kiga ball and not a bullet, it was a misdirection. Also, if he was going to shoot him, he could have done it from a distance - he didn't have to get that close to him. I think it makes sense, Kanba always pushes his siblings away so he probably was never as affectionate with Shouma as he wanted to be. On the other hand it could mean some other things - I've always wanted to restore your memory, I've always wanted to take Himari from you...ect.

oh that's a sweet interpretation. i'd had a sneaking suspicion that it as a double meaning of sorts, but kanba's mannerisms and total disregard for people made me hesitant to look too much into it. either way, i'm hopeful that they'll be together again but how believable it may be is still up in the there.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Utsuro no Hako

I don't know why everyone thinks Momoka lied about the Penguin Drum. All she's ever said is that RIngo's the key to finding it.

She was lying right there. Ringo was never the key to find the Penguindrum at all. Momoka was just using her own sister to distract Sanetoshi.

[Tjfarmer]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

That's a lie in and of itself. Ringo was never the key to find the Penguindrum at all. Momoka was just using her own sister to distract Sanetoshi.

We don't really exactly know what the Penguindrum is yet, so how do we know Ringo has no relation to it whatsoever? We know it involves Kanba and Shoma in some way, but there's nothing saying it can't involve anyone else.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Tjfarmer

We don't really exactly know what the Penguindrum is yet, so how do we know Ringo has no relation to it whatsoever?

Momoka said the penguindrum is something that relates to both Shouma AND Kanba, and Ringo has nothing to do with Kanba.

Let's face it, Ringo was a misdirection. And even if it was necessary to deceive Sanetoshi, it was still a pretty dick move from Momoka, specially since Ringo's her own sister.

[Guardian Enzo]

If I'm to guess at Ringo's role in the final episode, it's that she'll fulfill her destiny to bring someone back from death - but it won't be Himari (as she thinks) but Shouma. And it won't be through a magic spell, but through love.

I really like Himari, and she's very much the innocent lamb in all this. She’s been pulled back from death by Ikuhara so many times it’s become a sort of self-parody, and she’s being used as a premise to commit terrible crimes and waste many lives. She’s ready to let go, and I think Shouma is ready to let her go. Though she’s kind and pure of heart and has committed no wrong that I can see – a lamb, indeed – I think the truest ending for this story is if everyone stops trying to hold onto Himari’s life and lets her move on. One of the themes common in many of the other works MPD alludes to is that death is not necessarily a bad thing, indeed, in the Buddhist view it’s a perfectly natural part of existence. It’s the unreasoning attachment to the flesh – both that of the soul who doesn’t want to let go, and of the others in their life who refuse to let them go – that creates bad karma and unhappiness. I’ve come to like Himari very much, but I hope the lesson of the final episode is that of acceptance, and that everyone she leaves behind makes peace with that – as she already seems to have done herself.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

If I'm to guess at Ringo's role in the final episode, it's that she'll fulfill her destiny to bring someone back from death - but it won't be Himari (as she thinks)

The sad thing is that she wasn't really thinking that at first. Even after Yuri tells her she could use the diary to save someone by changing fate, Ringo explicitly states she never thought about doing such a thing.

It's only after Yuri mentions that Momoka must have left her the diary for a reason that Ringo begin to entertain the thought of using it to save Himari. She begins to think she should do it because that was what Momoka supposedly wanted her to. Did she (and Yuri) misunderstood Momoka, or was this also part of Momoka's plan?

[Dop]

At this point I'm not even going to attempt to speculate on what happens next and how it all ends.
All I do know is that it's going to be electrifying....

[Kirarakim]

I was thinking maybe the difference in personality between Momoka and Penguin Hat Momoka is because the sweet "pure" Momoka we have been seeing was always from someone else's perspective (Yuri & Tabuki).

I am not saying Penguin Hat Momoka is a bad person but the real Momoka might not be as pure as Yuri and Tabuki picture her to be from their childhood memories.

Just food for thought!

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

the real Momoka might not be as pure as Yuri and Tabuki picture her to be from their childhood memories.

I don't know. The Momoka talking to Shouma seems pretty different than the PotC anyway, so it sill doesn't make much sense.

[Kirarakim]

On another note there are 25 stations not 24? What does that mean?

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

I don't know. The Momoka talking to Shouma seems pretty different than the PotC anyway, so it sill doesn't make much sense.

I recall this old episode of the original Star Trek where Capt. Kirk was split into two: His darker, more aggressive, but more reckless half and his lighter, more calm but emotionally weaker half.

Maybe something similar happened to Momoka - Her darker and/or more wrathful side (she definitely has this, as she was going to wipe out Sanetoshi entirely) went into Himari's hat, and maybe her softer side went into Mario's hat.


Even the best of people tend to have a darker and/or more aggressive side to them, so this would fit for me.

[Kirarakim]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

I recall this old episode of the original Star Trek where Capt. Kirk was split into two: His darker, more aggressive, but more reckless half and his lighter, more calm but emotionally weaker half.

Maybe something similar happened to Momoka - Her darker and/or more wrathful side (she definitely has this, as she was going to wipe out Sanetoshi entirely) went into Himari's hat, and maybe her softer side went into Mario's hat.


Even the best of people tend to have a darker and/or more aggressive side to them, so this would fit for me.

Yeah this idea actually makes a lot of sense to me.

I read another theory that Momoka's spell or whatever was split into Kanba & Shouma. I'm not sure how that would work but that would be an interesting twist. But it looks like even if they are not biologically related they might be twins in a more spiritual sense.

Either way there is certainly a lot of duality going on in this series.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Even the best of people tend to have a darker and/or more aggressive side to them, so this would fit for me.

The explanation that the PotC was a bitch because she was only "half" of Momoka doesn't add up because in this episode Momoka didn't sound aggressive or dark when she talked to Shouma, and she's still only "half" of Momoka.

The only reasonable explanation for her behavior as the PotC is that she was putting on an act. But if that's the case we need to know why.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

The explanation that the PotC was a bitch because she was only "half" of Momoka doesn't add up because in this episode Momoka didn't sound aggressive or dark when she talked to Shouma, and she's still only "half" of Momoka.

The only reasonable explanation for her behavior as the PotC is that she was putting on an act. But if that's the case we need to know why.

Here's an alteration of my theory then.

Momoka was split. Part of her went into Himari's hat, and part of her went into the diary itself.

When the diary was burned to ashes, that freed the half of Momoka that was in the diary, and enabled the two halves to rejoin in Himari's hat, hence the change in personality for the PotC.