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Old 2011-10-10, 21:36   Link #21
DSPaul
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
The whole "survival strategy" phrase, combined with the recurring animal symbolism, puts me in mind of r/K selection theory in biology. Basically, this approach classifies different species as either r-strategists (who have a large number of offspring, thus increasing the chance that a few will survive) and K-strategists (who have fewer offspring, but spend more time and effort caring for them.) Penguins, like humans, are heavy K-strategists; they lay only one or two eggs at a time, but focus heavily on caring for them after they hatch. Rabbits lean more towards r-strategy than most mammals, although they're still K-strategists compared to, say frogs.

One of the main themes of Penguindrum seems to be love -- particularly familial love. We think of love and self-sacrifice as entirely selfless; from an evolutionary standpoint, however, that isn't quite true. The instinct to take care of our offspring evolved because it increases the likelihood of our genes surviving after we as individuals die. Altruism towards close kin serves the same purpose.

From a strictly Darwinian perspective, the "purpose" of life (insofar as there is one) is simply to make more life. Himari is a "destined bride" because her genetic purpose is to reproduce. Kanba's incestuous feelings are taboo, not because of any higher moral principle, but because inbreeding increases the risk of genetic disease. I suspect that the show is going to end up touching on the questions this raises: Are love and self-sacrifice a connection to a higher spiritual meaning? Or are they just mindless instincts? Is the "destiny" we keep hearing so much about a matter of divine will, or of genetic determinism?
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