Penguin Drum - General Discussion

[Arabesque]

Originally Posted by gsilver

That, in no way, diminishes my interest in a Kyubey plushie.

The only thing Kyubey related I want to ever have is the Kyubey marshmallows, so I could watch as the little critter boils and melts in my hot chocolate.

Penguin plushies FTW!

[kk2extreme]

WTF did I just watch?

[Reckoner]

Originally Posted by kk2extreme

WTF did I just watch?

Something fabulous.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Arabesque

Yikes the thread moved on quicker than I thought but still no duckroll?

I know . I'd love to hear his thoughts on the first episode.

[Forsaken_Infinity]

Regarding that Kiss attempt at the end... I don't view of it as a betrayal of Himari by Kanba. It felt to me a natural action instead.

First off, nothing's wrong with Incest as a plot point. Whether or not you condone with Incest IRL is a non-issue and shouldn't stop you from at the very least watching fiction with Incest as an element. If you didn't watch Koi Kaze because you couldn't handle the topic, it's only your loss. FYI, Koi Kaze doesn't condone or condemn incest. It simply gives you as mature and as objective a treatment of the subject as you will find in anime. Sure the age difference had me cringing thanks to my personal biases but it remains one of the most mature anime I have ever watched.

Besides, it was quite clear that both the brothers were in love with Himari but Kanba was the one who had something done to him by the Penguin Empress or whatever that is. I do think he was still in conscious control of himself but something was still done to him, metaphorically or otherwise. Perhaps that scene was just a metaphor for his uneasiness and limits being broken or perhaps it was literal.

Doesn't matter either way. Because sneaking a kiss on his sleeping sister is how someone troubled by his love for his sister would go about it ._. The scene and the abrupt ending was all very well done on the director's part. It had just the right build up. Absolutely wonderful.

I do wonder what Sho's reaction will be like though... given that I got some major Yandere vibes from him :s

Oh and if I got the preview right... Next episode will be from Himari's POV and she was saying something along the lines of how she loves the concept of fate and believes in it? ._. That's a delicious contrast from her nii-chan.

Either way, this is going to be one hell of a story and I can't wait for the next episode.

[Reckoner]

Not that I particularly raised any issue with the end of the episode, but perhaps I can say a little for those I know who are bothered by it...

First of all, I understand that many people are wary of this subject because for one thing, it's been a relatively common anime trope lately. Not only that, but this subject is not often treated with the respect and maturity that this sort of subject needs to be presentable and respectful.

People don't like seeing something which is treated by taboo by most as condoned or even lauded. Not simply that they think it's OK in real life, but that this subject persists in anime and gives way to more acceptance of something that they really think is unacceptable.

Personally, I don't raise any issue with it at the end of the episode because this show does give the respect and maturity the subject deserves, SO FAR. It's not trying to condone or laud anything, and really the first episode was fantastic.

[Slick_rick]

Well, lets be honest Ikuhara's past works have done anything but laud incest. In Utena one such relationship was the epitome of sickening and the rest were all shown as dysfunctional on many levels.

I'd don't know where he'll take the relationships yet but for the most part I doubt it'll go into some sort of idealized relationship between the siblings. Seems the opposite of what I expect of him. He does dysfunctional too well.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Forsaken_Infinity

I do wonder what Sho's reaction will be like though... given that I got some major Yandere vibes from him :s

How so? I didn't pick anything like that from him myself. In fact, he seemed more level headed and thoughtful than Kanba to me. He also seemed less self absorbed, and a little more empathic towards Himari. For instance, the "Himari-day" was his idea.

Regarding the incest, I see it more like a plot development regarding the issue of genetics, including the "survival strategies" thing, than a possible romance. Besides, if you pay attention to the scene at the aquarium, when Kanba received that call from one of his girls, there was no reaction whatsoever from Himari, no apparent jealousy or anything like that, she was smiling and her expression didn't falter one bit. That tells me that she doesn't love his brother romantically.

Now, if Kanba's feelings are a result of whatever the penguin girl did to him, then it's all part of the sacrifice (payment) in exchange for her sister's life. Since she is a representation of fate, what she took from Kanba is, in a way, the possibilities of his future. This ties with "survival strategies", since the probabilities of genetic defects and mutations in the offspring due to inbreeding would lower the chances of survival, effectively taking a toll on your future, your fate.

If that's the case, the incest here is not romantic fluff, but rather a plot element used to explore the dynamics between genetics and fate.

[ZODDGUTS]

Never doubt in Ikuhara. :P

[Sorrel]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

How so? I didn't pick anything like that from him myself. In fact, he seemed more level headed and thoughtful than Kanba to me. He also seemed less self absorbed, and a little more empathic towards Himari. For instance, the "Himari-day" was his idea.

I don't see the yandere either but I wouldn't call Kanba self-absorbed in the least. Aside from offering up his organs, he did seem to try taking on the role of a responsible big brother by considering all the things they had to take care of when Himari first died.

If anything, I really liked how the first episode shied away from shoehorning the brothers into Red Oni Blue Oni roles.

Oh, hay Chuchu.

[Nina.Wolken]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Now, if Kanba's feelings are a result of whatever Ringo did to him, then it's all part of the sacrifice (payment) in exchange for her sister's life.

Very interesting idea, didn't consider what "Penguin Queen" did to him could have play on his feelings. I had directly assumed Kanda always had this attraction toward his sister.
What bother me is why Shou didn't pay anything since he wished at least as strongly as his brother, for all we know, to save Himawari...

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by ZODDGUTS

Never doubt in Ikuhara. :P

The Sailor Moon reference is amazing. I wouldn't say no to an Utena one appearing in the future! Maybe Chu-Chu.

[ZODDGUTS]

But she already appears in the opening!

[DonQuigleone]

This is some pretty funky stuff in a first episode, I'm liking.

Regarding the incest thing, I think that was caused by the Penguin Queen (whatever her name is), as in the weird cyberspace place she can be seen taking Sho's heart after initiating survival strategy.

What I'm wondering about is the conversation the 2 kids were having about the apple being a gateway between two worlds or something, anyone know what that's about?

Also, the 3 girls that passed by Kanda & Friend may also end out being significant.

Anyway, I'll be watching this.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Sorrel

I don't see the yandere either but I wouldn't call Kanba self-absorbed in the least. Aside from offering up his organs, he did seem to try taking on the role of a responsible big brother by considering all the things they had to take care of when Himari first died.

I didn't think that he was trying to be responsible there. For me, it seemed more like a facade. Moreover, when he said "it was her fate" it seemed like rather then coping, he was giving up or something.

Anyway, I said he was a bit self-absorbed because he seemed a bit too desperate to get her sister's attention, but in contrast, wasn't paying her enough attention to pick up on her moods and stuff. Shouma, on the other hand, seemed to be more aware of how she was feeling and listen to her a bit more too. After all, he's the one who proposed Himari to take a day to do whatever she wanted, which makes her really happy somehow. Also, he immediately realizes she's staring at that family at the aquarium and knows how's she's feeling about it. All in all, he's a bit more empathic towards her I think, and seems less concerned about getting her attention than Kanba is IMO.

Both are interesting character though. And since Kanba has a bigger role (or so it seems) I suppose it makes sense that he has some more personal issues to deal with than her brother.

Originally Posted by Sorrel

If anything, I really liked how the first episode shied away from shoehorning the brothers into Red Oni Blue Oni roles.

Actually, to me, their interaction had a bit of this trope to it.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Welp, this show has one critical flaw that's going to keep me from following it for now and that is that I have no idea at all where it's going or what type of show it's planning on being. I can definitely talk about what happened in the episode, but tying it together would be completely impossible.

Let's see...I can say this is yet another show this season that has a certain style about it, the other being Kamisama No Memouchou. In fact both shows have a strange female character as their hook and snappy dialogue to go with it all, but at least with that show I had an idea of what it was going to be about by the end. I can honestly say I haven't seen a show that has left me this confused as to it's intended direction in a while....I think I've made that point many times, but again I'm having trouble finding stuff to talk about that I know for a fact is relevant, but not obvious. There's no inbetween here.....

Let's see again...well the art style definitely combines aspects of animation from the modern day and from the 90's in it's character design and overall look. Ummm...there's penguins, though I'm not sure if I was supposed to laugh at them or just be confused.....seriously nothing...no hints whatsoever.

I guess I should also talk about the sequence at the end, because anything that has to do with Revolutionary Utena and Ikuhara seems to have one of these. Star Driver had one too and it was equally as flashy and got about the same reaction in sudden uncontrollable laughter when things got all fabulous and their was some sassy posing and clothes flying off. Yep....that sure was a crazy sequence.

So....yeah....I can't see myself following this actively when I have literally no idea what to expect nor can form anything at all from the first episode to take away from me, so I've got to put this on hiatus and let it develop a clear direction from here before I decide to pick it up. In the meantime Kamisama No Memochou will play the role of the stylish animation and snappy dialogue series that I follow this season.

edit: Oh yeah there was one other observation, the uniform that the one distinguishable group of schoolgirls were wearing bore a striking resemblance to Sailor Jupiter's outfit form Sailor Moon.

[Suzuku]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin Sama

Welp, this show has one critical flaw that's going to keep me from following it for now and that is that I have no idea at all where it's going or what type of show it's planning on being. I can definitely talk about what happened in the episode, but tying it together would be completely impossible.

...that's kind of the point of watching the show in the first place.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by Suzuku

...that's kind of the point of watching the show in the first place.

What the fact that I don't know if I like it or not? That doesn't really sound like a huge selling point to me.

[Suzuku]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin Sama

What the fact that I don't know if I like it or not? That doesn't really sound like a huge selling point to me.

No...watching to see what happens is the point of watching something in the first place.

Putting something on hold because you can't figure out the themes in the first episode is ridiculous and subverts the whole point of watching a show. You're basically just saying you don't want to wait weeks to find out what happens next so you're just going to wait until it develops further and spoil yourself. I wouldn't have a problem with your personal decision to do something asinine, but you're somehow levying it as criticism against the show which is just insane.

[Reckoner]

Originally Posted by Suzuku

No...watching to see what happens is the point of watching something in the first place.

Putting something on hold because you can't figure out the themes in the first episode is ridiculous and subverts the whole point of watching a show. You're basically just saying you don't want to wait weeks to find out what happens next so you're just going to wait until it develops further and spoil yourself. I wouldn't have a problem with your personal decision to do something asinine, but you're somehow levying it as criticism against the show which is just insane.

Chill out dude. All he's merely saying, which perhaps could have been worded better, is that he basically doesn't know whether to commit or not to this show due to lack of avilable information about it. If he doesn't know whether he'll like it or not, why commit to something that you might dislike when you may also not have that much free time?

If he hears good things down the road about the show, which is 25 episodes so plenty of time, then it may encourage him to just watch it later. If it goes down the toilet, then he'll be better off not having started in the first place.