Penguin Drum - General Discussion

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Jan Jansen

Kanba's penguin is really evil, isn't he?

1. Anyone have a clue what the floating stars mean? They floated across Himari's bedroom at the start of Ep 1. The floated out of the toilet (!) that Ringo just used at the start of Ep 2. They floated across the kitchen scene with Ringo and Himari early in Ep 3 (but NOT across the skunk v. cat bit that interleaves with Himari/Ringo). Are these the same stars that show up as earrings on the Double H/magazine/ED girls?

There's nothing wrong with being a pervert! #1 is a pretty cool penguin.

As for the stars, I don't think it's anything more than a stylistic effect.

[JediNight]

Originally Posted by Malkuth

Not everyone in the world follows an abrahamic religion... and certainly not the japanese

It has nothing to do with following a religion. The Japanese name-drop various mythos in shows all the time.

Appleseed uses Greek mythos. Evangelion used various religious symbolism for no other reason than they said it looked cool. Blue Exorcist. Chrono Crusade. Wolfwood from Trigun. Etc etc...

[4Tran]

Originally Posted by Sides

In the OP there is a black penguin. Do the penguins have magical powers besides being invisible, like shape-shifting ?

I think that they're not really invisible. They seem to work more like the perception filters in Doctor Who: people may be able to see them, but their brains refuse to process that information. That's why Ringo can't feel them normally, but when the sensation was strong enough, she could feel #1 propping her legs open.

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

In any case, I think the series is more about death than about fate. Or more precisely about how death affects people's lives (and their fate?). There is something about death related to Ringo too, but I can't talk about that here for obvious reasons....

For Ringo, the water motif is certainly suggestive. "Unmei" in the show probably means a lot of things, both occurrences and endpoints.

Originally Posted by Isegrim

It means that Ikuhara is a Zukafan. There is this interview from an old Animage issue with him and Enokido, about how he dragged Enokido and Saito to the Takarazuka theater, because he wanted to show them how to use the music. Not to create a parody, but Takarazuka itself.

To complete the circle, Rose of Versailles is partially based on Takarazuka, and Utena is partially based on Rose of Versailles. Ikuhara is not only a Zukafan, but he's obviously a fan of Ikeda Riyoko, the mangaka for Rose of Versailles and Oniisama e.

Originally Posted by Malkuth

Not everyone in the world follows an abrahamic religion... and certainly not the japanese

That may be true of the Japanese in general, but Ikuhara has a tendency of drawing a lot of material from the West. In any case, he likes it when viewers read things into his works, and to do so using their own experiences and preconceptions. It's the reason why he never explains what all of the symbols work.

Originally Posted by miroku2192

Hey guys, without spoiling me, can someone let me know if this is a fun series or not? I kinda watched the first episode (skipped around) and was just "wat"'-ing all over the place.

Penguindrum is the best show currently airing. And you'll like it a lot more if you are receptive to its quirky humor. I think it's also the funniest anime this year as well.

[Malkuth]

Originally Posted by JediNight

It has nothing to do with following a religion. The Japanese name-drop various mythos in shows all the time.

Appleseed uses Greek mythos. Evangelion used various religious symbolism for no other reason than they said it looked cool. Blue Exorcist. Chrono Crusade. Wolfwood from Trigun. Etc etc...

Indeed a tiny percentage of shows, butcher western mythology, like american cartoons

@4Tran: It's one thing to use names and symbols that westerners attach significance to them (like crosses, swastikas, and the like) and another to attach the same significance when you are free from the preconceptions of those cultures.

[4Tran]

Originally Posted by Malkuth

@4Tran: It's one thing to use names and symbols that westerners attach significance to them (like crosses, swastikas, and the like) and another to attach the same significance when you are free from the preconceptions of those cultures.

Japanese anime creators are prone to tossing in random mythology, German words, or the like into their works willy-nilly. But this is Ikuhara we're talking about. He purposefully put in Western-style feminism and references to the German novel Demian into Utena. That, and he lived for a while in the US. Ikuhara is neither likely to put in references because he's unaware of their significance. Moreover, I wouldn't be surprised if the apple will also turn out to be a reference to the Apple of Discord in Greek mythology as well.

Or all of our cherished theories will be dashed by the show itself. If there was no chance of getting humiliated, then it wouldn't be as fun to speculate.

[Luk_008]

I started to watch this show yesterday and it have surprised me a lot.
It has above average quality in all terms (the animation is fine with good colors and the plot seems to be original).

[Malkuth]

Originally Posted by 4Tran

Japanese anime creators are prone to tossing in random mythology, German words, or the like into their works willy-nilly. But this is Ikuhara we're talking about. He purposefully put in Western-style feminism and references to the German novel Demian into Utena. That, and he lived for a while in the US. Ikuhara is neither likely to put in references because he's unaware of their significance. Moreover, I wouldn't be surprised if the apple will also turn out to be a reference to the Apple of Discord in Greek mythology as well.

Agreed, it's just that usually an apple is just an apple, and a snake just a snake... granted probably some weirdo rumbled about their significance when he was in US, but other than that there is no deeper meaning

Originally Posted by 4Tran

Or all of our cherished theories will be dashed by the show itself. If there was no chance of getting humiliated, then it wouldn't be as fun to speculate.

Very true

[sa547]

The transliteration or pronunciation seem to made sense, after a Chinese forumer I know of said that Ping Guo meant Apple, and that's how they call Ringo.

How it struck me? Here: Penguin > Ping Guo > Ringo.

Damn. O_o

[wandering-dreamer]

Originally Posted by 4Tran

For Ringo, the water motif is certainly suggestive. "Unmei" in the show probably means a lot of things, both occurrences and endpoints.

I suggested on another forum that it might be because "umi" ("sea") and "unmei" ("fate") sound similar but that was shot down pretty quickly.

[Nina.Wolken]

My love for Ringo rose of 600% after this episode 5

Spoiler for Fabulous Ringo:

So far it seem like nothing or nobody could stop Himari when she was possessed but Ringo's power is greater than hers, even in her reality :

I was feeling for Ringo, being treaty so harshly and insulted of so many names, but she can defend herself well enough! :3
Though her "fate" was once again compromised. The curry time could have been a coincidence but there it's clearly not. Either Yuri or Tobuki himself of another copy of that diary and follow the same schedule...

Also, please welcome Natsume-sama in the show :
Scarily hot. Hobby : erasing people memory with laser catapult <3

Edit : Does somebody else hear the "Daddy issue" song during the last scene? I-I'm not imagining that, right?

[Woland]

Originally Posted by Nina.Wolken

Edit : Does somebody else hear the "Daddy issue" song during the last scene? I-I'm not imagining that, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVkgdvP3vyY

[Jarmel]

Wouldn't getting dragged at over 20mph leave you a bloody mess?

Either way this was a great episode.

[Blaat]

Fantastic episode.

Spoiler for episode 5:

Kanba = gar and he's selling information about the Japanese government.

But the real highlight was the trash talking by the hat after the usual transformation scene and Ringo hitting back.

I'm guessing that the dark metro line that joins during the eyecatch means we'll get a flashback about the kids past

Originally Posted by Nina.Wolken

Spoiler for Fabulous Ringo:

Scarily hot. Hobby : erasing people memory with laser catapult <3

Err novel spoilers, that has not been revealed in the series it self.

[4Tran]

It's no surprise that this is yet another awesome episode. What does surprise me is how everything seems so fresh and unique. There's still no way to figure out what will happen the next episode except for more awesome.

[Slick_rick]

Best episode so far. The music in this episode was nice, every other scene seemed to have some awesome background music. Some really funny moments and more penguin antics.

Ringo is crazier than ever. I can believe she clawed her way back up that tube. Guess she really took being called a slut, bitch, and a whore by the Penguin Queen a bit personally.

Kanba and Penguin 1 make a great team, saving the day after doing some shady stuff right before. Loved some of Himari expressions while she listened to Sho and Ringo argue.

Sadly no PenguinDrum next week...

[Forsaken_Infinity]

I absolutely loved how Himari is like the silent observer - she pays absolutely no heed to some pretty shady conversation between her bro and her friend happening right in front of her. I can't tell if she is faking it or not but I know for sure that faking that would be among the hardest things to pull off for anyone.
And Kanba is absolutely the man alright. Such a boss.
edit: Actually, he's the real "Fabulous Max"

[Guardian Enzo]

Definitely a step up over last week. A more serious ep with real plot development was needed, IMHO, and I really think the penguin cutaways are much funnier when it's darker stuff they're cut away from.

I definitely feel more empathy for Kanba and Ringo after this week, and Himari was indeed great with those faces during the Shouma-Ringo silliness. And those names Hat-Himari called her - oh, to have been in the writer's room as those were being tossed about...

[Nina.Wolken]

Originally Posted by Blaat

Err novel spoilers, that has not been revealed in the series it self.

I'm not familiar with the novel, at all. It was pretty clear in the episode :

Spoiler for Natsume (ep 05):

1)victim is about to reveal who attacked her
2)Natsume didn't like it and shot her with penguin bullet
3)news on TV report victim doesn't remember anything from previous night

Let alone the fact that Natsume shot her directly in the head, where memory is stocked. It's clear what's her artifact purpose.

Now I wonder if there is a way to get those memories back. Maybe the bullet absorb them instead of erasing them. Would give Natsume an incredible power if she could "stole" people memories to her own benefit : trade them, use them...
I assume she is also after the PenguinDrum (does she want to save someone too?). Can't wait for her confronting the brothers <3.

[Blaat]

^Woah I need to pay closer attention, my bad!

[Kanon]

That was such an amazing episode. It was awesome to finally see someone standing up to the Princess (all that trash talking would have pissed me off too); Ringo is wonderful~
I'm happy Ringo is in on the secret now. I figured she'd find out about it sooner or later, but I didn't think it'd be that soon.

And yes, Kanba is the man. I told you he was boss. His father was a great man as well (in fact, Kanba is trying to follow in his footsteps) which makes it very hard to believe he would abandon his children. Something else has to have happened to him.

Originally Posted by Nina.Wolken

My love for Ringo rose of 600% after this episode 5

Spoiler for Fabulous Ringo:

Though her "fate" was once again compromised. The curry time could have been a coincidence but there it's clearly not. Either Yuri or Tobuki himself of another copy of that diary and follow the same schedule...

Also, please welcome Natsume-sama in the show :
Scarily hot. Hobby : erasing people memory with laser catapult <3

I'm thinking the same regarding Yuri. It's just too much of a coincidence that she's always there to cockblock Ringo at the exact right time.

Natsume is FABULOUS MAX! Horie Yui <3