Penguin Drum - Episode 18 Discussion / Poll

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm getting a seriously bad feeling about Shouma - or rather, I've had one for a long while but the events at the end of the episode (and the preview voiceover) really have "bad flag" written all over them. At some point he has to stop being an observer and become a participant, and he clearly places zero value on his own life.

Well, he doesn't participate and is ineffective because he places no value in his own life. He will stop being an observer only after getting over his self-loathing. The key to this is Ringo, of course.

Anyway, next episode should be good for Shouma. Maybe we'll finally see him overcoming his issues.

[Triple_R]

Superb directorial skill displayed in this episode.

I really liked how certain characters were framed, and how certain scenes were executed, in this episode.

It flowed very nicely, and felt like a first-class theatrical production. This anime really does know how to do character drama exceptionally well.


Now, I was slightly disappointed with a couple elements due to knowing about a certain novel spoiler. I also thought that the Yuri vs. Natsume conflict could perhaps have had better follow-up/follow-through. Still, those are my only complaints pertaining to this episode.

9/10 for an emotionally rich and satisfying Episode 18 that really hit a lot of great notes.

[shmaster]

There are four high lights to me in this episode.

1. Tabuki's flash back. Casshen reference and all I know. But that children shredder really drives the point home.

2. ISSHIDAAAAAA!!!!! IS FAAAAAABULOOOOUUUUS MAAAAAAXXXX!!! Despite I have grown tired of his voice, his acting is still superb when he puts his gas into it.

3. The sibling in Shouma's arm. Has anyone made a wall paper for that shot yet? I absolutely need one.

4. Yuri dropped the diary. She dropped the diary to use that hand to slap Tabuki. Can I take that as a sign the two has avoided the bad end flag? It really provided some sense of salvation to those two people who have been consumed by vengeance.

[Haak]

That was heartrendingly beautiful. Everything about this episode was just perfect.

[Sides]

Seems like the parents/guardians of all the characters are kind of messed up. Overall a good episode and a great follow up to last weeks.
Kind of disappointed that we did not see the outcome between Masako and Yuri's fight. But seeing both of them being near the building site, I can only assume that it ended up in a tie.
Shoma seems to be left out quite a lot, somehow I have a bad feeling about this. The piano brand made me laugh, by the way, nice way to put an ad for the company.

[JPZ]

18 really was the best so far

[-Sho-]

Great episode great show.

Anyway , Yuri's father & Tabuki's mother would have been a great couple....

Holy shit the "Child broiler" metaphor. Momoka was really a little goddess.

And as usual , Shouma always late (except for Ringo) but he can't be everywhere.

[Haak]

Originally Posted by -Sho-

Anyway , Yuri's father & Tabuki's mother would have been a great couple.....

During that bit I actually couldn't help but wonder if Tabuki's mother left Yuri's father.

...but that wouldn't make sense...

[Soliloquy]

This anime was already easily the best for me this year but with this episode, I think it easily secured my anime of all time. Still 6 episodes to go and the production went extremely strong on previous episodes, I would expect the epic closer.

[Lota]

Wow... This episode was just amazing. Mind-blowing. Even though I had read the novel, seeing the actual thing was just incredible. It was like an emotional rollercoaster, spent half of the latter part of the episode half-crying and the other just smiling (more like almost laughing), happy that everything turned out well Really pleased with this episode.

Tabuki Tabuki Tabuki... even though what you were doing was wrong, you sure looked good doing it He was really handsome in this episode, I couldn't help but stare. Though I feel sorry for him, you know, given his childhood, how he was saved by Momoka and lost her again... And how he just couldn't let her go and move on with his life. And, while it's wrong, I do understand his reasons for doing what he did. I'm just happy he saved Himari in the end. And I hope that Momoka doesn't come back, and if she does, I hope she doesn't show up in Yuri and Tabuki's life ever again. Both of them love her and her coming back would make things too difficult. Yuri already understands that she won't accomplish anything with revenge, and the scene between her and Tabuki at the end of the episode showed me that she's already on her path to salvation (and that she cares about Tabuki). I just hope that after this episode, Tabuki will be as well. Together, I think they can escape from their endless circle of hate and finally let go of Momoka, move on and be happy. I hope Ikuhara gives them a happy ending. They deserve it.

As for Momoka... I don't think she's a saint. There must be some sort of catch there. There is one thing that I have learned from Utena about Ikuhara's characters: no one is absolutely good, and if they seem that way, it turns out they're insane or something... So I think there's more to Momoka than her cute appearance and saint-like behaviour.

After this episode, I love Kanba even more. I have even wormed up to Himari a little bit more! And, this is the turning point for Shouma...

And the art, OH GOD THE ART.... It was just beautiful. I loved the directing, loved how the scenes were executed, loved the seyuu... this episode looked more like a work of art than just a normal episode.

Anyway, this week's episode was really something. Everything was just... perfect. Now I just can't wait for next week's episode! >.<

[Kanon]

They marvelously handled Tabuki's character. Unsurprisingly, he is as emotionally scarred as Yuri is. He may think he is a monster, but there is still hope for him, as his action in this episode have proven. A real monster would have let Himari die. Tabuki is simply human, a human who has eventually been taken over by the dark emotions that have been boiling inside him for years. Finding out Kanba worked for his father is probably what pushed him over the edge.

Originally Posted by Lota

As for Momoka... I don't think she's a saint. There must be some sort of catch there. There is one thing that I have learned from Utena about Ikuhara's characters: no one is absolutely good, and if they seem that way, it turns out their insane or something... So I think there's more to Momoka than her cute appearance and saint-like behaviour.

I agree. She comes across as too much of a saint for it to be true. There has to be something more to her. I'm not implying she is secretly evil, only that she was not doing everything she did out of pure altruism.

[Kirarakim]

Originally Posted by Lota

As for Momoka... I don't think she's a saint. There must be some sort of catch there. There is one thing that I have learned from Utena about Ikuhara's characters: no one is absolutely good, and if they seem that way, it turns out their insane or something... So I think there's more to Momoka than her cute appearance and saint-like behaviour.

You know after watching this episode this is what I thought too. Actually for some reason I feel Momoka might not be happy about the sacrifice she made in the end.

After this episode, I love Kanba even more. I have even wormed up to Himari a little bit more! And, this is the turning point for Shouma...

Unfortunately I don't think the anime conveyed that this was a turning point for Shouma very well...well hopefully in episode 19.

And the art, OH GOD THE ART.... It was just beautiful. I loved the directing, loved how the scenes were executed, loved the seyuu... this episode looked more like a work of art than just a normal episode.

I agree gorgeous looking episode. We have Yamauchi Shigeyasu to thank for that.

[YayPepsi]

I finally got around to watching the sub - twice in a row in fact. And I sobbed both times. ;3; Himari's speech was so sad...that poor girl. I've always loved Himari from the very beginning and she went through a lot of growth in this episode.

Now she finally knows some of what Kanba's been doing for her. I'll be interested to see what she does from now on. I wonder if she'll continue to accept her medicine, even though she knows that the way he's making money is shady? She said she wanted him to live for himself, so she may not be willing to take it anymore. On a related note, I wish he had said "I want to live for you!" louder. I imagined him yelling it in the novel, but in the anime he murmured it softly. I hope she heard.

[Haak]

Originally Posted by Kanon

I agree. She comes across as too much of a saint for it to be true. There has to be something more to her. I'm not implying she is secretly evil, only that she was doing everything she did out of pure altruism.

Actually I would genuinly like Momoka to be a pure and genuinly altruistic saint since I rarely see those type of characters handled this well.

[Nina.Wolken]

Originally Posted by Lota

As for Momoka... I don't think she's a saint. There must be some sort of catch there. There is one thing that I have learned from Utena about Ikuhara's characters: no one is absolutely good, and if they seem that way, it turns out their insane or something... So I think there's more to Momoka than her cute appearance and saint-like behaviour.

Agreed. Since I still believe Momoka is the PoC, I'm convinced she isn't completely and genuinely goodhearted. Or is it that she isn't anymore?
Like Kirarakim said, maybe she turned utterly bitter (PoC personality) after dying. Because she didn't realize before that her life was at risk? Because she thought the diary would warn her or protect her in some way? Well, she does look extremely confident, borderline arrogant when she shows up to save Tabuki If she thought she could play God and change destiny every time she wanted, I can see how her own death took her aback.

Now, was she scheming something when she decided to save Tabuki and Yuri? No idea really. I find the idea interesting but I can hardly imagine why she would have done that. What would have been the benefit for her apart from gaining two obsessive (psycho?) followers? Oh wait...

[eplipswich]

Hmm...I wonder if Momoka's secret diary powers have anything to do with Sanetoshi? Or is it that Momoka is gifted with these powers in the first place? If so, how?

I think other than Momoka, the biggest mystery right now is Sanetoshi himself. We don't really know anything about him yet. His background, past. Nothing. We don't even know if he is a human or was a human. I would think everything about him will be revealed late into the story.

Who knows? Maybe Sanetoshi was even controlling Momoka before she is "supposed" to die and her objectives? Hmm...a big mystery...


And yes, I definitely hope for Shouma to toughen up, and for Ringo to be his pillar of support ^_^

[Utsuro no Hako]

In case anyone still doubts the Momoka=PoC theory.

Spoiler:

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Haak

Actually I would genuinly like Momoka to be a pure and genuinly altruistic saint since I rarely see those type of characters handled this well.

Agreed. I really like how she's been handled as a savior-type character so far.

That being said, there's already an easy way to give Momoka a darker dimension: Explicitly confirm that her and the Penguin Queen are one and the same.


If Momoka and the Penguin Queen are one and the same, then I think Momoka is perhaps highly displeased with what became of the people she saved, and is probably upset that Kanba is still associated with the people who committed the 1995 attacks, it seems.

[klare]

as expected, Tabuki also went thru hardship during childhood and somehow saved by Momoka, and Momoka is really cool there, weird timing for confession tho...

at the end of the eps, i nearly wanna scream to them "faster go to the hospital!"

[PNGO]

Man I love that ending song! It fits so perfectly!!