[Triple_R]

To defend Shouma a bit, I'm not sure what can realistically be expected of him given the circumstances.

I mean, we're talking nothing less than serious urban warfare here, with Kanba now the notorious leader of the terrorist side of that. Episode 21 made it clear that Shouma is no physical match for Kanba, let alone for Kanba and his entire organization. And Shouma has already tried reasoning with Kanba, and that didn't work.

For all the speculations that Shouma would be the main main protagonist in the end, maybe that's not going to be the case after all. The current situation simply seems beyond him to me.

That might change. Shouma could rush off to where Kanba is, and try one more time to talk him out of his madness, and that might actually work this time. But barring that, or Shouma getting his hands on some sort of magical plot device, it's hard to see what Shouma can reasonably be expected to do here.


Now, as for Kanba, I more or less agree with these two posts...

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

I'm no longer rooting for Kanba to be redeemed. He doesn't deserve redemption. No amount of manic obsession with a theoretically worthy cause can justify the actions he's taken. Kanba simply uses people and throws them away for what he sees as a noble goal.

If he lives, Ikuhara has created a pretty nihilistic universe here.

Originally Posted by Forsaken_Infinity

It's more about the degree of redemption imo. There's no way Kanba can go back to being a happy-go-lucky playboy Aniki again. But that he can see the errors of his ways, be forgiven at least by his "family" (no bloody way anyone else would, could or should) and repent in some way is possible and for me, that's still redemption.

I find it fascinating, and laudable, how Ikuhara has turned Kanba from the cool and suave proactive protagonist to an increasingly insane yet decently competent antagonist. What's particularly laudable here is how this hasn't felt jarring to me. It actually fits. Probably because it was foreshadowed so well, and the core of Kanba's character (and his motivation) has been consistent.

Nonetheless, my appreciation for Kanba the character doesn't mean I want his coldly destructive and murderous actions to be downplayed and easily forgiven. It's fine if his family, and perhaps even Ringo, forgive him a bit for this (I can imagine a scene where Shouma, possibly accompanied by Ringo, visit him in prison, and he makes up with his brother there), but that's it. Any character redemption beyond that would seem out of place to me now, and might leave a bitter taste in my mouth for the reasons that Guardian Enzo mentioned.


In any event, Episode 22 was another excellent one. It wasn't quite as awesome to me as Episode 21 was, but it was still very very good. The character drama in this anime is truly top-notch, and the action scenes are often amusingly surreal yet also appropriately dramatic and intense.

There's probably no anime currently airing that I'm more eager to see the conclusion of than this one. Mawaru Penguin Drum has truly been an exciting and memorable viewing experience.