Penguin Drum - Episode 12 Discussion / Poll

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by TheEroKing

I hope they troll us with trying to predict Kanba is not related by blood and then throw a curveball revealing that it's actually Sho who was adopted and also Himari's fated one. I refuse to believe they would kill off Himari just like that, she should be back in the next episode.

If one the twins is adopted, it's probably Shouma. If it was Kanba, all his speech from episode 1 about fate being a bitch because he can't be with his sister would feel so pointless. IMO there's meaning to Kanba struggling against fate both because he can't be with Himari and because he wants to keep her alive. If you take the incest out of the picture is like he's losing half his motivation.

It would be a lot more poignant, ironic, and even a bit cruel (which isn't a bad thing) if Shouma was the adopted one, considering he only loves Himari as a sister.

All that said, Kanba is not "good enough" either way, and Himari's fated one is most likely Mario, so the possibility of one of the twins being adopted seems more like a smoke screen than anything else to me.

[EroKing]

One way or another Shouma will most likely learn about Kanba's feelings for Himari and that would be the start of some epic drama >.>

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

I got the sense that Ikuhara is slightly fictionalizing the Sarin gas attacks and not referring to them literally, so as to avoid some unnecessary and uncomfortable complications for the production. But it's too early to say yet.

Here's the referenced passage from "Night on the Galactic Railroad":

Ah, the tale about the red scorpion. The scorpion realizes that rather than dieing a pointless death, it would have been better to offer himself to the weasel (to be eaten!). Basically this tale is about altruism. I wonder if it's a reference to Shouma, since he's the closest we have to an altruist character in this show. Then again, maybe the show interprets this in a totally different way

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Ah, the tale about the red scorpion. The scorpion realizes that rather than dieing a pointless death, it would have been better to offer himself to the weasel (to be eaten!). Basically this tale is about altruism. I wonder if it's a reference to Shouma, since he's the closest we have to an altruist character in this show. Then again, maybe the show interprets this in a totally different way

I thought the reference was to Kanba trying to give his own life so that Himari could live. That's the most literal interpretation, anyway.

Too many references and metaphors tied together. The scorpion story, black bunnies, and a "Mary Had a Little Lamb" that sounded a lot more like Adam & Eve.

[creb]

I hope she stays dead, yet can't see that happening unless the speculations I've seen are completely off-base regarding her and Mario.

Now we get to speculate who's adopted! Kanba being adopted would make too much sense, so that's immediately suspect (would certainly explain why he's all lovey-dovey over his "sister"). But, maybe it's supposed to seem too obvious so we're tricked into thinking it's Sho!

The father was doing his own survival strategy. Which would mean something if I had any idea what the survival strategy means in the context of this show, beyond a hazy idea it may have to do with keeping Himari/Mario alive when fate is decreeing they should be dead.

I wonder how Tabuki scarred his fingers that badly. And at such a young age too.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

I thought the reference was to Kanba trying to give his own life so that Himari could live. That's the most literal interpretation, anyway.

But that's like raping Mayazawa's novel, you know. I mean, it's the total opposite to his message.

But who knows.

[gsilver]

Death is cheap in fiction, and I'm fully expecting Himari to come back in some form next episode (though how/why is a little unclear... What is Sanetoshi doing in the world of the living?), but I would find it more interesting if they continue without her.

[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by gsilver

Death is cheap in fiction, and I'm fully expecting Himari to come back in some form next episode (though how/why is a little unclear... What is Sanetoshi doing in the world of the living?), but I would find it more interesting if they continue without her.

I don't expect we'll see her for some time; half the episode was spent on her death and explaining how the hat can't revive her anymore. You don't do an episode like that and then turn around and revive the character anyway.

[Blaat]

Excellent episode.

Originally Posted by Forsaken_Infinity

Like holy hell. I am speculating that Sho is their child while Kanba is the outsider. Someone the parents knew, obviously.

I honestly think its Sho (and personally suspected that since the first episode) Kanba looks like his father, Himari looks like her mother and Sho looks like neither of them. Besides if Kanba is really their cousin (or not related at all) that would be such a cheap cop-out in the incestuous relationship, there is no way they're going to do that.

[Nikkan]

So if Momoka "died" when she was a kid...

Spoiler for spoiler:

Who wrote the diary?

[Tokkan]

With all the supernatural bullshit, I'm expecting it to turn that Kanba and Shoma used to be one person but got split in two.

[vansonbee]

Originally Posted by Yumii-chan

So if Momoka "died" when she was a kid...

Spoiler for spoiler:

Who wrote the diary?

Why do you doubt Momoka wasn't the one who wrote the diary? She and Tabuki (4-6 grade) was old enough to take care of the classroom pet, so they should be old enough to write a diary.

[Nikkan]

Originally Posted by vansonbee

Why do you doubt Momoka wasn't the one who wrote the diary? She and Tabuki (4-6 grade) was old enough to take care of the classroom pet, so they should be old enough to write a diary.

Spoiler for diary:

Because the whole series up until now have showed Ringo reading out of the diary and trying to do the same things. This includes first kiss, moving in together, having sex and last but not least getting pregnant (aka Project M - Maternity)

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by vansonbee

Why do you doubt Momoka wasn't the one who wrote the diary? She and Tabuki (4-6 grade).

This episode reveals they were in second grade (06:09), so they were 7 years old or so.

[vansonbee]

Originally Posted by Yumii-chan

Spoiler for diary:

Because the whole series up until now have showed Ringo reading out of the diary and trying to do the same things. This includes first kiss, moving in together, having sex and last but not least getting pregnant (aka Project M - Maternity)

Ringo interpretation of her sister diary can explain those. ^

Does anyone recall if the diary said exactly to have sex or was it Ringo's wacky interpretation?

"Pregnant part" on the other, I think Momoka knows that mother's carry babies in their stomach and she wants Tabuki to be the father.

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

This episode reveals they were in second grade (06:09), so they were 7 years old or so.

I'm having doubts they're in 2nd grade, because they're to young to ride a subway by themselves (not sure if its a norm in Japan).

[Warm Mist]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

I wonder if it's a reference to Shouma, since he's the closest we have to an altruist character in this show.

I don't think this is the case, since the Scorpio's Flame is the way PoC addresses Kanba's "soul" or whatever it was, and I also doubt Shouma is an altruist (well, maybe he is the closest thing we have, but I'd never associate altruism with him). To me he looks really, really messed up, taking the weird as fuck smiling on this ep and his penguin actions, plus the fact we don't know even a single bit of his backstory (we know some of the events that defined Kanba's and Himari's personality, and we know the full story for Ringo, but we've got nothing like that for Shouma).

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by vansonbee

I'm having doubts they're in 2nd grade, because they're to young to ride a subway by themselves (not sure if its a norm in Japan).

Doubts about what? It's written there in Tabuki's school badge/tag.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Shergal

I don't think this is the case, since the Scorpio's Flame is the way PoC addresses Kanba's "soul" or whatever it was, and I also doubt Shouma is an altruist (well, maybe he is the closest thing we have, but I'd never associate altruism with him).

But Kanba is even less altruist then him. For instance, Kanba would have never bother to save Ringo. Shouma did it twice. Now I understand there's a chance Ikuhara doesn't give a fuck about the real meaning of the reference, and he's just using it at a superficial level.

Originally Posted by vansonbee

To me he looks really, really messed up, taking the weird as fuck smiling on this ep and his penguin actions, plus the fact we don't know even a single bit of his backstory (we know some of the events that defined Kanba's and Himari's personality, and we know the full story for Ringo, but we've got nothing like that for Shouma).

Just because we don't know anything about him doesn't mean he's a lot more messed up than Kanba or Himari herself. I think you're taking all the nonsense going on in /a/ about Shouma too seriously. And I don't remember no smile in this episode. Shouma is just a kid with pretty low self-seem due to his belief that he has no right to be born due to what his parents did in the past. That's all we got for now.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Blaat

Excellent episode.I honestly think its Sho (and personally suspected that since the first episode) Kanba looks like his father, Himari looks like her mother and Sho looks like neither of them. Besides if Kanba is really their cousin (or not related at all) that would be such a cheap cop-out in the incestuous relationship, there is no way they're going to do that.

Agreed. Kanba looks a lot like a his father (same eyes, similar facial structure) while Shouma looks nothing like either of his parents. Furthermore, as Kazu-kun already mentioned, removing the incest component from Kanba and Himari's relationship would make all his speeches about fate rather pointless.

That was a great episode. I wasn't too surprised that the parents were responsible for the terrorist attacks since we had already speculated about it last week. I'm more confused about their motivations. They seemed to think it would bring peace to the world... err, how would a terrorist attack bring peace? Are they just fanatics? I'm eager to learn more about them. Both of the parents appeared to be great people in the flashbacks.

Was anyone else intrigued by the scars on Tabuki's fingers? I had never noticed them before. It looks like his fingers were reattached. Did he lsoe a bet against Hyoudou or something? Ringo = Momoka's reincarnation; Tabuki = Kaiji? At any rate, it looks like he might a more important player than I thought.

The scene where the Princess of Crystal tries to take the Scorpio's flame was beautiful and very erotic (naked with knee socks! WOOOOOOO!!).

So now we've got no only penguins, but black bunnies. PoC made it sound like their arrival was a big deal, but it just seems they're just Sanetoshi's assistants...?

[Warm Mist]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

But Kanba is even less altruist then him. For instance, Kanba would have never bother to save Ringo. Shouma did it twice. Now I understand there's a chance Ikuhara doesn't give a fuck about the real meaning of the reference, and he's just using it at a superficial level.

My point is, the reference was in the name of Kanba's soul. I don't really know what Ikuhara thinks of it and why he put it there, but I don't think it refers to Shouma.

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Just because we don't know anything about him doesn't mean he's a lot more messed up than Kanba or Himari herself. I think you're taking all the nonsense going on in /a/ about Shouma too seriously.

I'm not stating he is Hannibal Lecter , I'm just saying we got a glimpse of the other characters' past and events that shaped their way of living, but we didn't got that for Shouma. You know what they say, leave the best for last...
Maybe he isn't a lot more messed up than Kanba or Himari, but I wouldn't think of him as a rather sane person for the time being. It's just speculah, we'll se how it turns out.

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

And I don't remember no smile in this episode. Shouma is just a kid with pretty low self-seem due to his belief that he has no right to be born due to what his parents did in the past. That's all we got for now.

True, that are the facts.

Spoiler for Also, for the smiles...:

Maybe it doesn't mean anything or it was just an animation error (I hope this isn't the case), but those are clear smiles to me.

[Nina.Wolken]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

It would be a lot more poignant, ironic, and even a bit cruel (which isn't a bad thing) if Shouma was the adopted one, considering he only loves Himari as a sister.

Would it really matter if Shouma wasn't blood related with Kanba and Himari? They were raised together, he loves them, Takakura parents aren't around anymore... Might be a bit of a shock but after everything they went through, who cares whose son he really is .

Now problem could arise eventually if he was to cross path with one of his real sibling and fall in love and consume it. Why not a twin for example... Oh Ringo? Hello, I'm looking at you. Let's screw up your life a bit more in the second half of this anime

Ikuhara seems well determined to go all the way (literally and figuratively) with the incest trope in MawaPen. If he doesn't achieve it with Kanba and Himari, he might as well do it with characters we didn't suspect to be blood related...