Mawaru Penguindrum: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''Because, ever since that day, none of us had a future. The only thing we knew was that we would never amount to anything. ''|'''The opening narration of the first episode'''}}

 

 

The story follows the three siblings of the Takakura family: fraternal twin brothers Kanba and Shouma, and [[Ill Girl]] Himari. Their parents are gone, and they live in a small bungalow alone. Poor Himari dies during a trip to the aquarium in Ikebukuro; while Kanba and Shouma grieve over her death, she is suddenly brought back to life by a mysterious entity (one who apparently resides in a souvenir hat purchased at the aquarium) who offers them a chance to extend Himari's life for a price: to bring her the "Penguindrum."

 

{{tropelist}}

* [[Abusive Parents]]/[[Parental Neglect]]: A major theme in the show; the majority of the older characters have a screwed up childhood because of them.

* [[A-Cup Angst]]: Ringo, though it only comes up as a minor note in her introduction. (And considering her design, it's a sort-of informed flaw.)

** In episode 14 {{spoiler|Yuri attempts to rape a drugged Ringo because she looks a lot like her lost love, Ringo's dead sister Momoka. It is ambiguous if Shouma got there in time to stop it; her lines at first implies that he didn't, but later she contradicts it.}}.

* [[Babies Ever After]]: The point of {{spoiler|Ringo's Project M}}, since {{spoiler|Ringo believes that carrying and giving birth to Tabuki's child will be the corollary to her dreams of getting her broken family back together; however, as we see in episode 8, the lengths she will reach to be impregnated by him are NOT portrayed as okay, but as a sign of how unstable and desperate she is. }}

* [[Badass Grandpa]]: Masako's grandfather was a [[Boisterous Bruiser]] [[Large Ham]] corporate CEO obsessed with manliness and power. His misguided attempts at getting frail Mario follow in his footsteps made him a decidedly [[Abusive Parents|abusive individual]].

* [[Bed Trick]]: {{spoiler|During Ringo's [[Attempted Rape]] of Tabuki, she disguises herself as Yuri.}}

* {{spoiler|[[Cain and Abel]]}}: After episode 21, {{spoiler|Kanba is shaping up as a [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] Cain with Shouma as a [[Break the Cutie|broken cutie]] Abel.}} There's a sort of subversion, too, as when this trope sets in, {{spoiler|Kanba tells Shouma that they're not brothers anymore.}}

* [[Cassandra Truth]]: Shouma tries to tell Himari's doctor and later Ringo about the powers of the penguin hat, with no success {{spoiler|until Ringo sees that Himari's life really does rely on the hat's presence}}.

* [[Chekhov's Gunman]]: If the end credits are anything to go by, the pink- and blue-haired cartoon girls who have been appearing in commercials and on merchandise will make an entrance as actual characters and members of the same faction as Himari's possessor. {{spoiler|Now revealed to be two childhood friends of Himari which shot to fame as a singing group!}}

* [[The Chikan]]: Yukina (Ringo's ganguro best friend) mistakes Shoma for one in episode 2.

* [[Do-It-Yourself Theme Tune]]: Episode 10 features a cover of the ending theme by [[Yui Horie]] (Masako).

** The ending themes from the second half of the series are songs from the band ARB done by Triple H.

* [[Dress Hits Floor]]: {{spoiler|Ringo}} at the beginning of episode 8.

* [[Dying Declaration of Love]]: In the final episode, {{spoiler|Shouma gives this to Ringo before succumbing to his [[Heroic Sacrifice]].}}

* [[How Do You Like Them Apples?]]:

** Apples show up in both credits sequences; [http://moesucks.com/2011/07/09/mawaru-penguindrum-ep-1-youre-hot-then-youre-cold/ casual analysis] would imply a "[[Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (novel)|Snow White]]" allusion.

** Ringo's name also translates to "apple".

** Sanetoshi appears in episode 12 carrying an apple emblazoned with an icon resembling one of his medicine ampules.

** {{spoiler|Masako-disguised-as-a-nurse}} refers to Ringo as Shoma's girlfriend in episode 10, and he denies it again.

** And {{spoiler|Yuri}} asks Ringo ''again'' if Shoma is her boyfriend in episode 11, which she also denies.

* [[Shirtless Scene]]: Shoma provides this in episodes 4 and 7.

* [[Shout-Out]]: So many that they needed [[Mawaru Penguindrum/Shout Out|their own page]].

** {{spoiler|The two fights between Yuri and Masako in Episode 14 and 17 might just qualify as well. Episode 17 even has [[Feather Motif|feathers]] and [[Flower Motifs|rose petals]] fly about while the two engage in a verbal battle and later begin shooting at each other with weapons. '''[[Ham-to-Ham Combat|With absolute glee]]'''.}}

* [[Widget Series]]: Oh dear ''Lord'', yes.

* [[World of Symbolism]]: Unsurprising considering [[Revolutionary Girl Utena|the director]]. It's uncertain if some things, particularly the Child Broiler ({{spoiler|a factory where unwanted children are sent to be forgotten about--i.e., crushed down and reconstructed into generic nobodies}}), are actual phenomena or are simply some kind of strange representation of something else. The Child Broiler has evidence for being a real place, but at the same time it's such a bizarre concept that it's difficult to suspend such disbelief.

* [[Yamato Nadeshiko]]: Shoma counts. He's a [[Supreme Chef]] and does most of the household chores. In fact, one episode has Kanba and Himari calling him the perfect [[Housewife]].

** Himari, to a lesser explict degree. She takes after her mom Chiemi.

** Tabuki's girlfriend/fiancée Yuri also veers towards this by episode 14, {{spoiler|trying to rape Ringo because she resembles her older sister and Yuri's childhood friend/crush Momoka so much. She too has an extreme [[Freudian Excuse]] behind her actions.}}

** {{spoiler|''Tabuki'' is shown to have some whiffs of this as well, as of the end of episode 17 and the whole of episode 18 -- he actually ''tries to kill Himari'' to punish the Takakura family for the death of Momoka. Again, he has an extreme [[Freudian Excuse]].}}

[[Category:Anime of the 2010s]]

[[Category:Anime]]

[[Category:Mawaru Penguindrum]]