Mawaru Penguin Drum – 06



I was happy enough when I learned that Yoji Enokido, the writer of Utena would be creating a new original series with Star Driver. But then Penguin Drum came around and completely blew it out of the water. That series just looks normal compared to all of the details that have been stuffed into Penguin Drum. The direction in this episode was once again just brilliant.

Ringos’ background was just wonderful: the direction behind it was amazing and it really showed why she has become obsessed over Tabuki, while at the same time this episode continued to push her story forward with her blatantly creating a house under Tabuki’s floor in order to be with him all the time. It definitely makes her more than just a stalker when her older sister came into the picture, but her actions remain just weird. What’s even weirder is that multiple people chose the project name “M” in this series. As if this couldn’t get any more confusing.

The animation in this episode was also really good. There were some artistic scenes, the camera angles were great and imaginative and full of symbolism as usual. It really seems like a lot of attention has been put into every environment as well, and the music is the same. The individual tracks may not be as good as the individual tracks of No6, but like Utena the music is consistently excellent: the creators made every track stand out.
Rating: *** (Awesome)

14 thoughts on “Mawaru Penguin Drum – 06

  1. Theory time! I think the penguin drum is whatever will fulfill the wish of Ringo if she manages to make everything on the fate diary come true. After all the diary does state that if everything comes true her wish will happen so I guess whatever thsi wish granter is probably the Penguin drum. Which is probably what the hat really wants, and not the diary, hence the instructions to Shoma to make sure whatever the ‘whorebag’ interprets to be the future he needs to make sure it comes true XD.

    In anycase I was surprised at Ringo’s background its a lot more tragic than it appears and completely brings a totally new dimension to her stalker character.

  2. I don’t know if it’s just me but I feel the direction of this episode to be really unsettling. From the shooting scene,till the part where Ringo’s background is explored, the episode seems really chaotic and puts me on the edge(not in a bad way of course). It was until the survival strategy sequence that the trend was broken. Which seems quite ironic to me, eventhough the survival strategy is really out of this world , it really seems to function to keep the characters grounded, in the way that it always disrupts the chaos/miracle worshiping/fate defying/crazy psychoness going on with the characters. The first few episodes have it reminding the brothers that the miracle is not free, and now its reminding Shouma to not get caught up with Ringo’s pace. Just opinions of course 🙂

  3. so does that make the one who possessed himari is momoka ? but the woman with black penguin seems suspicious too. hmm.

  4. Poor Ringo. Her delusions over the last few episodes have been hilarious, but in this episode she seems to completely lose her grip on reality, and I could only feel sorry for her in the sequence at the end. She also seems to have accepted only accomplishing an interpretation of what the diary says, rather than its real meaning.

    The episode was far too short though!

  5. I’m slightly surprised Ringo’s prediction and what happened didn’t get mentioned.

    I got a kick out of the spin for Ringo’s wedding night. Her fever caused Ringo to pass out on top of Shoma struggling to push her off. Technically she fell asleep to the sound of his breathing.

  6. The survival strategy scene seemed really forced in this episode. Like it was just there because it needed to be. I really hope they give some sort of explanation for what’s going on with that because it’s always bugging me. Space, and rockets, and those bears. I mean they’re in the OP, so I assumed they were important in some way… I suppose it’s just the beginning of the series, so there should still be things unanswered…

  7. If what you said is true synkronized, that means that poor Shouma is the “Tabuki replacement” for everything in the diary that Ringo tries to recreate. He was the one who stole her first kiss too….poor dude ;_;

  8. One more “M” in this series: the Metro of Tokyo (which, like many subways around the world, uses an “M” as its logo/to indicate stations). One more part of the subway motif, maybe?

  9. I always like your comments about the anime, but really, I don’t understand how this anime can like you.
    I watch every episode trying to understand something or finding any good plot or idea.
    For me it is an anime absurd, with no plot and for certain verse, dirty and black.
    Maybe I’m older than I wish to be.
    I’m in the T&B public band. lol

    ( An the M could be Mello, since she has a Death note…)

  10. @Esmeralda31 To each their own, but I think this is the best anime of this season thus far and, depending on how it continues and ends, it may well end up one of the classics. Its creative, full of detail, with great character development and its wildly entertaining.

  11. @ Aeralure : ok, I respect other tastes and opinions, but Can You explain me what the plot is? I can say Wild Tiger is a big character because the plot explains a lot of him,in 360 grades, but here? Who are these persons? What is this greatness? Where is the significance???

  12. Esmeralda31 – The story’s about the machinations of Fate/God, whether such a thing actually exists, and if it all means anything. It’s still a mystery why the forces behind the scenes want what they want, which may go some way in furthering this theme. I think the chaos is actually a tool in exploring this theme – to me it implies a lack of order in this universe, but the crazy coincidences and the fate notebook seem to also argue the other way.

    As for the main characters, well, their motivations are pretty clear so far. 1) Brothers: Keep Himari alive. 2) Ringo: Become your sister so everyone can be happy. 3) Etc.

    I don’t know what you’re asking for in terms of fleshing out the characters – the show’s been good at trickling the information down to us about each character, so I’m not sure why you’re confused. They’re not 100% filled in yet, but neither should they be, 6/7 episodes in.

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