Mawaru Penguindrum 17 - Penguins vs. Octopus(es)

After having spent the last 22 years free of any broken bones I had to go and break ... my pinky. Don't laugh, I know full well how ridiculous the whole situation is.

Beside, it's not like I should complain, there's much worse happening ...

But, back to the topic at hands. Let's start to make theories shall we?

The Takakura 
It's not like I have much to say on the subject this week. Just that we're once again kindly reminded of the fact that things may not be as they seem and it would take just a little push for everything to fall apart. Quite sad.
Second thing I have to note is how worried for the brothers I am. Strangely enough, I'm not at all worried for Himari, but the brothers are a completely different matter.

The evil couple

As we all thought, they're not really married because they love each other, mostly because they hate the same thing, mainly, the Takakura. And Tabuki isn't as nice as he seems to be. Quite obviously again. For that I'm not surprised.
At the same time, and surrounding them and Momoka, they introduced the concept of truth in this episode, and I think that's quite interesting.
I don't know what they really intended by mentionning that tidbit of information about Momoka being maybe not dead and then going on about truth, but I'm looking forward to the explanations (if explanations there will be)

Were other people noting the similarities between that episode and the whole flashback about Yuri? Did you notice they were building a strang tower? I'm almost ready to assume the elevator ride is going to Yuri's old appartment.
Fate is a circle, the place where ultimately everything started for Yuri is the place she has to finish everything. I still wonder where Tabuki stands in that thought.

The Penguindrum. 
And the secret has been revealed, quite obviously again, the diary is not the Penguindrum! Even though she didn't say it clearly, I think it's safe to assume the Penguindrum isn't the diary. But I still do think the diary is necessary to create an alternative to the current Penguindrum.
Because in my theory the Penguindrum is Shoma.

Which would make the most sense if you think about it. Remember, the Takakura mother only gave birth to ONE kid. In this episode Kanba said he couldn't when Boshi-sama mentionned who/what was the Penguindrum and I think he meant he couldn't sacrifice Shoma as long as there is an alternative to save Himari.
Which could also mean that, it's all Momoka's fault and that her Project M actually succeeded and that Shoma is the result.

Mawaru Penguindrum 15 - Freudism paradise

Driven by my hope of finally learning Yuri's secret and, well, learning something, anything really, I jumped right into this week's episode of Mawaru Penguindrum. What I got is, once again, more theories and fail French, which got me wondering, did you understand it?

Yuri
She is once again the Queen of the episode, to the point I start to be a bit sick of her, but nevermind, she's more interesting than I thought.

To start with, I don't quite understand her logic. She wants to revive Momoka, that much is easily understandable, but how?
Why trying to rape Ringo and then not go through with it when she could? Is she trying to get Momoka's spirit to possess Ringo? How does she intend on reviving Momoka in the first place?
Well whatever, to me, this part of the anime lacks some necessary logic.

As for her father, I guess I'll start by saying the obvious : he's a psychopath. He has all the symptoms, the lack of strong emotions, the abuse, the egocentrism, the anti-social behaviour.
I am not really sure about what exactly he did to Yuri, I am wondering about exactly he did to her body (though, if the incredible amounts of phallic objects is relevant, well, he probably raped her), but he obviously messed up with her mind.
And last but not least, whether she's a boy or not, who knows? Yuri is both a girl's and a boy's name in the first place. Also, judging from her father's apparent obsession for ancient greek style art and how Greeks viewed homosexual love as purer than straight (because it's not tainted by the need of breeding) then it's totally possible he wanted to turn her into a boy.


The Takakura 

I wanted to skip the section for today but I wanted to say how cute Shoma's love for Ringo was and how adorable the two idols were with their gifts.
Though it makes me wonder more and more about their relationships and how it's relevant to the plot. Just like it makes me wonder more and more about who Sanetoshi really is and his motives.
I'm still convinced he's in love with Himari/Boshi-sama though.


The diary, Momoka and Tabuki

I bet you wonder why Tabuki is interesting as far as this episode is concerned since he didn't appears. That's exactly why.

Exactly, Tabuki wasn't there, he was supposed to be there, didn't he go to school with Momoka? And if he went there with her in the mornings then why didn't he go home with her at night too?
Where the hell is he?

In any case, hello there Momoka, glad to know you and your pink hair, very natural colour indeed. She somehow reminded me of Haruhi except that Momoka knows she has the power to change the world.
She was the first owner of the diary of Fate, which has the power, not of predicting the future but of changing it and such power comes with a price, so, who did she make disappear/appear for her to loose her life?
I first thought about saving Tabuki's life, but, she nearly died for saving Yuri (and making a building and a person disappear) there's no way she was going to completely die for saving Tabuki, the scale is not as big. So, what has she done? And if she had that power, why didn't she prevent the attack in the subway? Is there another Penguindrum/diary that could have countered her?

Which leads to the next question, is it possible for the Takakura parents' disappearance to be caused by a diary? Could it be Tabuki's doing? He had the diary. He had the injuries. He obviously used it, so, is he the one who wrote everything Ringo was religiously following? Because he loved Momoka, and he wanted to have her back, thus trying to turn Ringo into her dead sister by using his knowledge to his advantage?

In the end and once again all I have is even more questions than when I started. Great Penguindrum. Really great.

Mawaru Penguindrum 12 - After black Tigers come black rabbits

Every week I really look forward to Mawaru Penguindrum, because every week I am mindblown (and let's face it, since the end of Tiger&Bunny and Steins;Gate there's not really anything I look forward to, my Summer 2011 recap post will be depressing -___-)
This week is the same. Maybe even more than usual. I wouldn't devote it a post if it was some minor informations, remember, I'm lazy.

If you're like me you wanted some fantastic revelations about the day when everyone is born. We got them.
(And actually I have one more for you, but, I too, am born on that day. And trust me, it's a bit creepy)

Anyway.

The Takakura

Rushing out of his (very suspicious) workplace, Kenzan Takakura goes to the hospital to see his wife. And, as soon as he is there, initiates the Survival Strategy. (Which may or may not mean he's been in contact with another Hat being, he probably was and I think it's Sanetoshi, but more on that later)
During the ride and before we learn TWO important things.
- When exiting the car and giving the signal for the attack to start we saw two plans of him, two mirrored scenes. So, I believe Kenzan Takakura has a twin.
- When receiving the call from the hospital, and that is of utmost importance, they said ONE child. And he repeating he has A child. Not children. Child. (and even with my very small knowledge of Japanese I can tell it wasn't a translation mistake)

So what does it mean?
First, one of the "twin" isn't Kenzan's. (I thought they didn't look alike ^^). Then, what is the other? The child of Kenzan's twin? A random child picked up on the streets? A clone?
And what about Himari? Is she really Kenzan's child? Is she really related to either of the twin? Is she the result of human experiment?

That leads to another question. What the hell did they do in Antartica? Human experiments?
Did they trigger fate by digging up something they shouldn't have dug? Were they searching for the Penguindrum?

Mary and the lambs

The story of Mary (who is a man in the story) basically tells us that doing something you're forbidden to do will bring consequences. That there are reasons why some things are forbidden.
And that if you really want something you will have to make sacrifices along the way.

First question, who's who?
We can easily figure out for the lamb, we can easily figure out, I think we can fairly assume that "Mary" is in fact Kenzan.
Logically the goddess would be Fate and then the tree would be their mother.
The ashes would be, probably, the Penguindrum, which is apparently a pretty useful tool to keep people alive.
So, in my theory, Kenzan wanted the Penguindrum to save his wife with no regard for others, he probably gave his life for it (see what Kanba tried to do), and I hope unknowingly his daughter life.
Now, what's happening is that Kanba wants to get the Penguindrum at all cost to save Himari, who's herself endangered because his father wanted (and used) the Penguindrum. Kanba is safe but Himari isn't, because they don't have the Penguindrum. Yet. (At the very least, for now Shoma is safe?)

Sanetoshi and the bride of Fate
Back on what I said about Sanetoshi and what Himari said about "returning to her home, the Destination of Fate". Sanetoshi comes from there, thus they're the same kind of being.
Which is why I think Sanetoshi may be one of those who managed to obtain the Penguindrum and that he was previously living inside the Takakura Mother. As such, she might be alive somewhere or the consequences of using the Penguindrum is that these beings completely take over the body they used.
In any case, these beings who obtained the Penguindrum could really be the goddess of the story.
On the other hand I don't believe things are completely finished for Himari and her Hat.
Because Sanetoshi came with both the black rabbits and the apple, he wants to offer an alternative to them.
Which could mean that he's the one behind everything and thus, Fate if you continue on previous analysis.
And then, Himari would be his bride.
And damn is this confusing -____-

March 20th and the diary and Tabuki
*The diary is the only thing that remained from Momoka. What remains after a fire is : the ashes.
I'm now pretty sure, after lots of denial, that the diary is the Penguindrum. Probably just part of it though because if that was that easy Boshi-sama would have won already.
On the other hand, Momoka herself is ashes, Japanese custom is to burn bodies after their death (if what they burnt as Momoka is really Momoka ...)
That makes too many metaphors
*Tabuki has really strange scars on his hand. And he seemed quite without parents during the funerals.
Did he sacrifice them for a purpose? And what that purpose was?
The Penguindrum too? For Momoka's sake? For Ringo's sake?
*March 20th is an important date (aside from being my birthday I mean), it's a turning point.
Not only is it an equinox, the day when night is as important as day, but also the day before the zodiac changes from pisces to ... aries.
That is to say, lambs ...

To sum everything up. My brain is a mess and I'm not even sure if this makes any sense.

Mawaru PenguinDrum 10 - Fate loves me

You may have noticed the incredible amount of posts in this blog during the last days, let me tell you something. Insomnia has only one good redeeming point : more time to blog.
And, while my brain really wants to make a rant post about the end of No.6, it'll have to wait.
Penguindrum's more important.

Mostly because I want to say : I WAS RIGHT! (It happens pretty often with me so you should always be ready for that)
The particular point I was right about that was finally proven in this episode is the existence of another Boshi-sama like being. Say hello to Mario!

Mario has the same hair color as Himari. I'm thus concluding they're related.
I thought at first that he might be his soulmate but she seems to be taller than him so I don't think he is.

I'll be quick to go over the rest of the anime, because there's something else I think is important and I want to share.
- Glad to see Shoma is OK, felt sorry for him when he was poisonned TWICE in less than 24 hours and loved the bondage. Obviously.
- Kanba was adorable, trying not to show he cared for Shoma that much. Or did he have another motive? Something that must be accomplished in which Shoma is absolutely needed? Basically, does Kanba knows more about their fate than he really lets us know? And that may be the reason why he gave the diary back to Ringo.
- Who managed to even grow more on me. She cares for Shoma. It's cute. She's moving on, I'm happy for her.
- Himari finally decided to make her move to catch her soulmate but, who the hell it is?
- Masako's real motive on the other hand escapes my understanding. Is her project M the same as it is for Ringo? Does she need a baby from Kanba? And why Kanba in the first place? Where could we place Yuri and Tabuki in this mess? Does Yuri have a penguin too? Is Tabuki hiding something?
- You may think that Ringo is just as out of place as Yuri in my theory, that she has no Boshi-sama to fight for, but, I think I heard something, Masako's working with someone(s), she couldn't have been there to take the diary at the same time she was talking with Kanba, and it was clearly a man we heard on the phone.
So, I'm not too sure I heard right but I'm pretty sure the voice on the phone was the voice of her father.
There might be more to Ringo's and her family's involvement than they make it out to be.

Hang in there there's more. The whole sequence of Shouma going down the stairs in that strange building/dream.

To be honest I skipped the visuals, they probably have some kind of meaning but I was too concentrated on the music (to the point it's stuck in my head). That dear readers was an excerpt from Dvořák's New World Symphony, which wouldn't be that relevant if it wasn't the 2d movement of that symphony which is commonly sung during funerals.
I don't think the French lyrics are relevant so have the English ones (the relevant ones ^^)

Going home, going home 

I'm just going home 

Quiet light, some still day 

I'm just going home 

It's not far, just close by 

Through an open door 

Work all done, care laid by 

Going to fear no more 

Mother's there expecting me 

Father's waiting, too 

Lots of folk gathered there 

All the friends I knew 

All the friends I knew 

I'm going home 

Nothing's lost, all's gain 

No more fret nor pain 

No more stumbling on the way 

No more longing for the day 

First, note that Kanba is going down, so, it does seem to enforce the theory that he's in the dark side of the twins.
Second, see what I bolded? I'm now pretty sure their parents are dead.
It really got me thinking about Kanba's role in this, if he just had to push Shoma in the right direction, if the role he was determined to play is now finished or if there are several versions of the fate they're supposed to be tied to. In that case, for each Boshi-sama one fate? And everyone of them are going to fight against the others to find the Penguindrum and make their very own destiny win. In that case, having the diary of the adverse "team" is indeed something very useful.
I really can't wait to see how it goes.

Oh and I've wanted to say that since last week but : Sanetoshi really has long eyelashes.

Mawaru Penguindrum 06 : Dead but Alive.

I realized half way through my huge recap bi-weekly post that this was becoming too much, so Mawaru Penguindrum will have its separate post for once.
Beware for major spoilers and character over-analysis. About Ringo, I cannot really do that for the others, yet at least, but I'll be glad if you could at least read what I wrote about her and tell me your opinions?

We finally got a little more informations on the diary and how it works. On the other hand it also shed much more light on Ringo's character and yeah, I love her. And we still don't know the goal of that girl, nor anything really relevant to the Penguindrum. As usual, I'll throw theories out there.

*The diary was Momoka's, Ringo's sister who died a mysterious death, so, Ringo's fate is Momoka's fantasies from when she was in elementary school. She was an extremely precocious child but that's perfectly realistic and thus I accept this explanation. (Ok, that's because I had one too -___-)
That doesn't really give more informations on whether or not it is really the Penguindrum. Nor if it is the only Penguindrum.

*Ringo's family was destroyed over that death, which, once again, is perfectly realistic. And I understand her behaviour much better now. It's logical, her family is suffering because of her sister's death, her family puts her sister's death before her and she becomes almost invisible, or worse, a reminder of the one who's not alive anymore. So, since apparently she feels that her existence is so forgettable, she decides to become another person. Jealousy between siblings is common, fighting for your parents' attention is common, but, how do you compete with someone who's dead? You can't. Either way you'd loose.
So Ringo strives to become her dead sister, to make everyone happy, so that her family will love her and they'll be able to be happy together again.
Except, except that half way through, the focus changed. She wanted to become like her sister so much that she followed exactly everything as she wanted it to be in the future and she was a girl in love, a girl in love forgets everything else and that's how her parents ceased to really exist in her mind, becoming mere concepts.
Hence the plushies.
Want to know something? She needs help. Definitely.

*Is Kanba real? I mean, a previous episode already hinted that Himari was able to create illusions, so I wouldn't be surprised.
Or worse, does someone/thing want to make him disappear and make everyone believe he was an illusion?
Since that girl is getting rid of the memories of him in everyone (help, Maverick is everywhere!)
Maybe the price to pay for the mysterious penguin money he has been given is his existence itself. Bits by bits, with every cent he uses, he disappears a little more from the world?
He wasn't even there during the Seizon Senryaku.

*Last but not least Boshi-sama said something very interesting at the end, she said "another survival strategy"
Does she mean she wants to search for another way to stay alive aside from the Penguindrum?
Or did she mean there were others being like her doing the same?
(Also, hearing her talking about hentai like that and the emphasis on her crotch was priceless ^^)

To leave you with a funny note (See what I did there?) and a pic, which made me laugh despite everything said about Ringo ...