[Analysis] Mawaru-Penguindrum

Mawaru-Penguindrum marks the return of Kunihiko Ikuhara after twelve years of absence frome the anime’ scene; famous for being the director of the “R” series of Sailor Moon and, in a particular way, to be the father of Shōjo Kakumei Utena the cult anime that led him to success, and also the only one that he has ever written. Having dedicated several years to minor works in the animation’ scene, he comes back in the limelight with his second work. Ikuhara will be able to create a work equal or better of Utena or will be crushed by the boulder of his first creature?

Synopsis

The Takakura’s siblings, the two male twins Kanba and Shōma and their beloved and fragile little sister Himari, live alone in a bizarre shack of wood and sheet metal. A beautiful day they go to visit the aquarium and Shōma buy a souvenir to Himari, a cap in the form of a penguin, but shortly after she collapses and dies. In the morgue however Himari revives; the miracle is accomplished by the cap, who’s possessed by a mysterious entity known as “Princess of the Crystal” which grips a pact with the two brothers: the entity will be able to continue the life of Himari if in exchange the two boys will find the Pingdrum (ピングドラム Pingudoramu), a mysterious and not better specified object. In the search are flanked by a trio of quirky penguins, invisible to anyone unless the three brothers.

Critical Review

As it was for Utena also Mawaru-Penguindrum has left many people grope in the darkness of its plot full of metaphors, quotations and references of every kind and culture. Of course for many people the gags of the “superdeformed” penguins and the director’s curriculum are enough to shout “It’s a masterpiece”, while those who are not interested in even the penguins has denigrated the work without the slightest argumentation. What is the reason of all this? Well, it is very simple actually : Ikuhara does not have the gift of perspicuity. His works if seen sunk in the couch, with a packet of chips in a hand and a coke in the other one, will totally result incomprehensible or, moreover, crazy. Surely Ikuhara has put several keys of reading inside the anime, but taking into account what is currently the japanese animation’s audience, he could make Mawaru-Penguindrum surely less cryptic. Having said this, let’s go in order to analyse, point by point, this work starting from the concept at the core of the entire work : “unmei” (destiny).

Akai ito…unme

Ikuhara has taken over the chinese legend of the Red String of Fate, which is widespread in Japan. Based on this legend Ikuhara wants to focus his work on the concept of predestination, on the annihilation of the people’s free will over their lives. Nothing new here, the author however gives a peculiarity to this concept: the total absence of the usual romance that accompanies this legend and countless works inspired by it. In fact the predestination in Mawaru-Penguindrum is extremely negative, represented as a real curse. The two protagonists, Shoma and Kanba, are the perpetrators’ sons of the terrorist attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995 (the number ’95 that often appears in the saga has just referred to this historical event).

The Destiny according to Ikuhara

Most likely Ikuhara is an atheist. Why do I say this? Certainly not because Shoma repeatedly say “God is mean!”, rather it is the exact opposite. Behaviors, personalities and habits of each individual character in the anime are caused and affected by the characters’ choices, and not from God. Shoma and Kanba were cursed by the attack caused by their parents, not from God; Himari was doomed for the “Children Broiler” because she had been neglected by their parents and therefore deemed useless to society; Ringo becomes a psychopathic stalker due to her parents’ divorce; the fear for his mother’s authority led Tabuki to break down all the bones of his hand and become a vengeful person and totally insecure about himself; Yuri is “yuri” (lesbian) because of his father (the man who harassed her) she hates and fears the opposite gender. In the end, the same terrorist organization accomplishes this attack because the world was now totally rotten: the society (not God) chose who could survive on the basis of their usefulness, who did not appear useful was destined for the “Children Broiler”, a machine that literally blend children considered worthless by the society. For Ikuhara fate doesn’t exist, but the meanness of man surely exists.

The Spinning-Penguindrum and the Senzon Senryaku

Let’s start with the question that has tormented the majority of the audience: what is the Penguindrum? We have all seen that is represented by a red apple, the fruit that has most impressed the human imagination since ancient times. Surely the apple represents the sin committed by the protagonists’ parents and paid by their sons; as it happens in the biblical Genesis that Adamo and Eva eating the apple they commit the original sin and they are punished by God with the exile from the Eden, punishment that the Christians (children and descendants of Adam and Eve) all must now suffer. Another meaning, less obvious, that can be given is that of the old English ballad Thomays the Rymour, so the apple as the prize of immortality that would explain how the Penguindrum will raise and keep alive Himari, despite his deadly disease.

The mawaru of the title (spinning in English), the strategy of survival (Senzon Senryaku) and the red thread of the destiny are tightly tied among them. We know that Shoma and Kanba have to pay the punishment of their parents that consists of seeing their beloved sister Himari die of a terrible illness. We also know that Himari is not their real sister, not even Shoma and Kanba are real siblings. Why are they related then? Because of the Penguindrum and its spinning (turn) of course. It’s the Penguindrum that weaves the thread of destiny. All of this can be deduced by the last wedge given to us to complete the puzzle of the plot: the flashback scene in the final episode. Kanba and Shoma are locked up in the two distinct cages without water nor food. To testimony their compromised destiny there is the symbol of the terrorist organization branded around the two cages. Kanba, when every hope seemed gone, found an apple (Penguindrum) within its cell, while Shoma doesn’t find anything inside of his one. Why Kanba and not Shoma? Probably because Kanba belongs to an influential family (well inserted in the society) in which the only “rotten apple” was his father, disowned by the whole family because he was a terrorist. Shoma on the other hand, is the son of the leaders of the terrorist organization, not counting that after their death, he became an orphan, then useless to the society and doomed to the “Children Broiler”. Kanba at this point decides to save Shoma from his fate, giving him half of his apple. Later, Shoma will do the same for Himari giving to her half of his half-apple to save her from the illness. This is the reason why the three of them share the same fate, just because they share the same apple. 

What is the strategy of survival then? It is the only way to cure Himari permanently from her illness. To achieve this it’s necessary that the Penguindrum is fully recomposed after the numerous partitions made during the anime. Obviously, in the last episode, after the flashback mentioned above, Shoma and Kanba restore their memories, and with them also the Penguindrum is restored, which they give it to Himari to save her life. This image (thanks to whoever designed it) shows all the “spinning” of the Penguindrum, in case someone had not comprehended all of its steps.

Ginga Tetsudō no Yoru

Which Japanese animation’ enthusiast doesn’t know Galaxy Express 999 of Leiji Matsumoto? Well, the anime of Matsumoto takes over the novel A night on the train of the Milky Way (Jap: Ginga Tetsudo no Yoru) by Kenji Miyazawa. This novel has not inspired only Matsumoto, but it’s also a source of great inspiration for Ikuhara too. Perhaps you got a question in your head now: Kenji…where have I heard this name in Mawaru Penguindrum? I’ll help you with a quote :

[A dialogue of two children]

Child 1: So the apple is the cosmos itself, a cosmos in which you can hold in your hand, an object that connects our world with the other.
Child 2: Another world?
Child 1: The world in which Campanella and other passengers are headed.
Child 2: But sorry, this thing got to do with the apple?
Child 1: In other words, the apple is also a reward for those people who have chosen to die for love.
Child 2: Yes, but if you die everything ends.
Child 1: No, that is not the end! Kenji wants to say that it is from there that everything will start.
Child 2: I do not understand.
Child 1: Is a love story, but how do you not understand?

Still nothing comes to mind? Well, this is the dialogue that two children (Kanba and Shoma) have at the beginning of the anime and re-mentioned at the end of the last episode. Yes, that’s right, Ikuhara told us the ending of the anime in the first episode (this made me immediately think of the similarity with the Oedipus the King by Sophocles, but I will deepen the matter in a special paragraph). I certainly can’t state that Mawaru-Penguindrum is a reinterpretation of the Miyazawa‘s novel, but I can affirm that the basic structure of the two works is pretty much the same, let me give you some examples :

1. 

   The appearances of Shoma and Kanba are based on those of Giovanni and Campanella, the protagonists of A night on the train of the Milky Way. Not only for the color of their hair, blue and red. Like Giovanni, Shoma is a rather quite character, who cares very much for others. Kanba instead is similar to Campanella, born in a rich family and grew up as a caring person with a great spirit of sacrifice. From the very beginning, the personalities of Shoma and Kanba are in contrast, but like Giovanni and Campanella, they have always shown great concern for one another.
2. The parable of the “Fire of the Scorpion”, which symbolizes the spirit of self-sacrifice for the common good. The fire that envelops Ringo in the end really represents this, clearer than this way.
3. The train in the novel of Miyazawa proceeds towards the afterlife, in Mawaru-Penguindrum it’s represented as a train wrapped in a surreal atmosphere, with its interior covered by countless symbols of the terrorist organization or with the number ’95. Furthermore, it’s not accidental that every episode is called “station”. In fact, in the last episode, or metaphorically the last station, Shoma and Kanba die, just to symbolize that that one is their last stop, the afterlife.
   
4. Also the ending is a reference to A night on the train of the Milky Way. Mawaru-Penguindrum ends with the same buddhist teaching, according to which the existence is a cycle of births, deaths and rebirths. As a matter of fact, the children of the dialog that I mentioned above are Shoma and Kanba, who are born again in another life.

The legacy of Utena

Obviously Ikuhara doesn’t forget to leave his trademark, in fact there are many references to Utena. I will describe only those of greater importance :

• Momoka is perhaps the most obscure character of Mawaru-Penguindrum, a very important character to the plot, kept in the background deliberately by the author. Then, knowing that the character of Sanetoshi is the representation of a “fate already written” it’s obvious to think that his nemesis, Momoka, represents the “free will”. What is not explained are her supernatural powers: are they magical? The only explanation I’ve reached is that Momoka is a tribute to Utena. Momoka is the transposition of Anthy in Mawaru-Penguindrum, so a witch. In fact, both Momoka that Anthy sacrifice themself to protect those who they love, but fail to complete their goals, leaving their beloved cursed.
• Another clear homage to Utena takes place in the 17th episode when Tabuki, Ringo and Himari take the elevator. The purpose of Tabuki is similar to the vast majority of the characters who take the elevator in Utena: vengeance. In Utena the characters take the elevator to seek the power to revolutionize the world, but in the end they only have their own world “revolutionized.” Exactly what happens to Tabuki.
• Obviously also the deadly visions of Ringo (the fairytale-drawn ones) are a clear homage to Utena; also the character design of the same Yuri is another clear homage.

Why Penguins ?!

The paragraph’ title speaks for itself: why penguins and not another animal? There will be a reason if the word “penguin” is also in the title of the anime. Obviously this is a ploy, a compromise. To keep high the attention of the audience the director has opted for a sort of fanservice, a “kawaii” one instead of an “ecchi” or “mech” one. Fortunately for us, Ikuhara has tried to give a purpose to these penguins than the only mere fanservice :

1. The first and also the easiest one to guess is the fact that the penguins take on the traits of their respective owners. The penguin of Kanba, for example, is a “Don Giovanni”, the Shoma’ one instead is always doing the house chores and he’s a food lover. And when Himari is about to die, the penguins seems to fade away like her.
2. The second purpose is to make the narration less boring. During the scenes in which the dialogues are very long, there are always penguins in their eccentric activities totally disconnected from the speech, this makes the whole thing less serious.
3. After all, I still have not answered the initial question. Why the Penguins? Any animal could perform these same functions, but it’s Ikuhara in an interview to give the answer to the question:

Penguins have wings but they cannot fly; they can swim but can’t stay underwater for too long. In this case, where they come from? Are not common animals (mammals) like cats and dogs. They are birds that do not resemble that much to the birds. The idea is that they seems to come from another world and have no place of belonging has lit my imagination.

Exactly the same fate of the children doomed to the “Child Broiler”.

“Oedipus the King” and the Greek tragedy

Take this paragraph with a grain of salt, this is my own assumptions without any firm basis. I wanted to put it anyway because I find it quite interesting and not too preposterous.

The background setting of Mawaru-Penguindrum has strong similarities with the Greek tragedy, particularly to the Oedipus King by Sophocles. We have a tragic hero, a future already written, and even a chorus that helps us to understand the more cryptic parts of the plot.

The traits of the tragic hero are :

• Hamartia : The flaw or a mistake that leads the tragic hero to his ruin. The love that Kanba have for his sister led him to ruin.
• Hybris : Great pride and arrogance. Kanba obviously.
• Anagnorisis : It consists precisely in the hero’s effort to understand his fate during the whole tragedy. Exactly what happens to Shoma and Kanba in the last episode.
• Peripeteia : The reversal of the hero figure. Kanba becomes the antagonist in the end of the anime.
• Nemesis : A Predetermined fate. In the first episode Kanba and Shoma already know that they won’t become anybody.
• Catharsis : The name says it all. It obviously happens in the end when the two brothers die.

Interesting as many of these traits are common to both Kanba e Shoma, probably because they share the same fate. Also, some of the aforementioned features are common to Sanetoshi too. His affection for Himari has brought him to the downfall (hamartia), it was him who sent the scarfs crafted by Himari to the Double H, getting them go to visit her house, and then to give their new album to Ringo, which contains the last sentence of Momoka’s spell.

Speaking of Double H, have you ever paid attention to what they do in the screens inside the trains? Go to check them.  They are leading the audience through the anime, sometimes contributing to give sense to some of the most incomprehensible scenes. This is the chorus; also in Greek tragedy the chorus is done by a couple of dancers.

Afterword

I think I have analysed the anime in almost its entirety. I write “almost” because in works such as this, full of the author’ soul and mind, is a difficult task to analyze every little facet. After this article I can say that Mawaru-Penguindrum is simply a masterpiece, one of those few anime that are comparable to a novel of literature. Surely it hasn’t the depth of a Proust‘ novel and do not even reach the peaks of the animation achieved by Anno or Konaka, however is one of those works from which transpires the thoughts of the author, to put it briefly it is a work that can be defined ART.