Penguindrum: 3 Symbols That Help Explain It

This video looks at three symbols in the Mawaru Penguindrum anime that can help deepen your appreciation of the show and understand it better. A simple kitchen fan hides a menacing secret; numbers on a subway hide a connection to a real-life terrorist cult; and the music in the show hints at a lost future that can never be recovered. Once again, there are massive spoilers in this video, so I highly recommend watching Penguindrum first!
Previous Video: "Penguindrum - 3 Tips for Understanding It"
• Penguindrum: The 3 Tip...
Penguindrum & Aum Shinrikyo Article: "What Penguindrum Can Teach Us About Extremism" by Vinicius Marino Carvalho
www.animenewsnetwork.com/feat...
Chapters:
00:00 Symbolism in Penguindrum
00:41 1st Symbol: Fans and the Child Broiler
03:18 2nd Symbol: Aum Shinrikyo
06:12 3rd Symbol: Triple H
08:30 What's Next, Outtake
WHERE TO STREAM:
Stream Penguindrum on HiDive:
www.hidive.com/tv/penguindrum
COPYRIGHTS
Penguindrum
© ikunichawder/pingroup
Revue Starlight
© Project Revue Starlight
Call of the Night
©2022 Kotoyama, Shogakukan/
Call of the Night Committee
Images:
Public Security Intelligence Agency, "PSIA officers raid an Aum Shinrikyo facility."
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
NorthAfricanArmsDealer, "Aum Shinrikyo symbol"
creativecommons.org/publicdom...
United States Public Health Service, "Description of Aum Shinrikyo sarin truck. From Proceedings of the Seminar on Responding to the Consequences of Chemical and Biological Terrorism."
Public domain under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.
Hide1228, "Tokyo Metro 10000 series and Toei Subway 6300 series trains at Musashi-Kosugi Station."
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Music:
Parallel Synthesis by | e s c p | escp-music.bandcamp.com
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Open Space by | e s c p | escp-music.bandcamp.com
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
After The Rain by Tokyo Music Walker | / user-356546060
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
#penguindrum, #mawarupenguindrum

[@rosebride5620]

There's an interview with Nasu Kinoko about Ikuhara from 2017 "what shapes my shapes my soul", the part where he talks about Penguindrum and his thoughts on the finale, he said something about Sanetoshi that has stuck with me since then: "He represents those who were never loved unconditionally. He’s a parallel to Momoka-chan, who loved everyone unconditionally. The two did meet, but Momoka said “But I’m going now” and went off somewhere, leaving Sanetoshi-sensei behind. He should have cast away his pride and said “I’m coming too!”, allowing himself to be loved. But being unloved for years was the only thing he had pride in, so he couldn’t yield that. Even after all that talk about love, he prioritized his self-preservation." In another part of the interview he also talks about how Ikuhara's villains are the most evil but also the most pitiful, and this quote encapsulates it perfectly.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Interesting stuff on Sanetoshi. I like that idea of him rejecting love at the end out of pride and following his own survival tactic instead. Thanks for posting that.

[@madeliefynana]

Love seeing people talk about Penguindrum. I personally also think the child broiler is some kind of representation of Japanese orphanages/orphans, since they are treated "less" within Japanese society.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

I still get surprised every now and then about the attitude towards adoption in some anime, especially some of the older ones.

[@ariarcos1256]

Thank you very much yet again! I never noticed the family house fan! Thank you for pointing it down! I totally loved your analysis of this masterpiece. I don't recall if I mentioned this before, but the anniversary films have already been released along with their recopilatory BD's ! Finally Momoka is shown as the Princess of Cristal. The films also depicted her meeting with the young version of Kanba and Shoma. On the other hand, the opening theme shows her princess version letting go of the cult's plan instead of her diary of destiny (just as Ringo does the same in the second OP theme). She also is dancing in circules (like stated in the first OP theme: Nornir). Sadly the video cut of said OP has already been removed from youtube as its was only time-limited released. In a way, I guess the changed version of her dress means that Himari was momentarily protected by her through it, a thing that we kind of already knew. As for the train reference, it is also mentioned that it connects with Night on the galactic railroad, thus Shoma is a Giovanni who gets to same place as Campanella (Kanba). There is so much to say about this anime symbols, personally I find it so valuable and interesting because of that. Lastly, after Sarazanmai, to me in it also connects thematically with the rest of Ikuhara's works, but maybe I am reading too much into things. I loved the message of hope resulted from all of them. Thank you again for everything!

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, Ari Arcos. Glad to hear the films have been released on Bluray. I like that idea of Shoma as Giovanni and Kanba as Campanella. I love that there are so many little details with this show that keep rising to the surface!

[@nehmee_]

Glad you made another video on Penguindrum! Found your channel from that video 3 months ago! It's always interesting to learn new things about one of my favorite shows, it felt like everything went over my head at the time I watched it so these analysis videos are constantly educating this dumb brain of mine! 😅

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, nehmee. I love checking out those analysis and theory videos, too, especially for something as complex as Penguindrum. So being able to add a couple more videos to that pile has been pretty fun.

[@kaz6556]

glad i watched this one before leaving a comment in your previous video. i felt like covering the importance of subways and stations without adressing the attack of 95 was kinda pointless. great video dude subscribed and waiting for that call of the night video

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, Kaz. I shot the Call of the Night review today and just finished cutting the video; now I have to add anime clips and do the sound mixing. I want to release on Halloween, but it will be close . . . shouldn't be too much longer, anyway.

[@MakoKanoGato]

Thanks for making this, I absolutely adore this anime ❤

[@HORSEMANFOREVER]

Fantastic video, glad to see you doing more on Penguindrum! It's a show with some incredible depth, and you did a great job of pointing out some details i wasn't aware of - I knew it was inspired by the '95 subway attacks, but had no idea there were so many layers to the references.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks! I couldn't believe how much of the show could be explained by the terrorist links when I started doing the research; it was like I had never even watched the show before.

[@asshrimpleasthat799]

Loved this, thank you for your follow-up! IMO these are the two best videos out there to prime people who want to approach this work. I’ll add an interesting tidbit relevant to this video: Shouma’s monologue is a direct quote from an interview with an Aum member.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

What?! How did I miss that? That adds such an extra dimension to that scene. Thanks. My goal with these videos was to make an intimidating show more approachable, so I hope you're right that they can help prime people to relate to Penguindrum a little more.

[@jimii_47]

Really nice review. I totally missed the fan reference.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, Jimii. I didn't notice the fans for years, and then it just clicked all of a sudden.

[@nicoleturkowski]

Great video

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, Nicole!

[@jenny_azoth]

again with the same gas attack and cult i swear my life is an ikuhara anime lmao throw me in the broiler kidding aside this was great, thank you for the video

[@littleorphananimeYT]

If your life is an Ikuhara anime, I do *not* want to trade places 😆 Glad you liked the video.

[@jenny_azoth]

lmao me neither, I'd rather share the fruit of destiny than that :3

[@narneir]

Hey nice catch on that ending bit, although to add a little more to it. The two endings you are talking about with Triple H all getting ready. That song is called "Dear Future" by the band Coaltar of the Deepers. The first one you heard is preformed by them, while the second one is preformed by Yui Horie, who plays Masako Natsume in the anime. (Spoiler Below) And while I know this can come off as wish fulfillment, you can possibly argue that those endings could show the world at the end. Himari could have joined and actually been apart of the group making it Triple H again in their new world. I mean the song is called Dear Future. Sorry just a dumb theory. But the ending could show what the new future holds for Himari

[@littleorphananimeYT]

I didn't know one of the singers played Natsume as well. I like that idea of the three girls reforming Triple H in the new timeline, although it might be tough since Double H already exists there. It seems as though Himari has never met Hibari and Hikari at the end, but I suppose they could meet, become friends, and eventually add Himari to the group.

[@TylerSkylionChilders]

The ED with the "droning guitars" is by Coaltar of the Deepers. But the rest are branded as Triple H. A track from the band's Best Of.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ7WXoCChcdmj7M Sorry, I don't mean to sound like I'm coming off all stuck up. I like this band quite a bit, along with Yakushimaru Etsuko, the performer for the two OP.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks for pointing that out: anyone who gives their time and talent to a show deserves credit for their work (unless maybe it's EX-ARM levels of bad . . . )

[@michaelmiky11]

Love both of your videos on Penguindrum. You had some very good insight. Do you have any thoughts on the Christian parralels? Some are less obvious than others, but they include: Sanetoshi = Satan Momoka = Jesus Diary = Bible Penguindrum/Apple = Sacrificial Love

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, Alyosha. I'm not sure how interested Ikuhara is in Christianity, but I do know that Night on the Galactic Railroad has some direct Christian references, so it wouldn't surprise me if Penguindrum included some as well. When I think of any biblical parallels, I tend to think more about Adam and Eve because of the apple and Shoma and Himari's origin story. Using something that has symbolized sexuality (the apple) as the key to sustaining life and breaking out of one's cage would be a very Ikuhara thing to do.

[@michaelmiky11]

@@littleorphananimeYT Yeah you're right, the Adam and Eve parallel is there too. I don't completely understand what he is trying to convey there, especially regarding the "unfair punishment." But regarding the Apple, I don't see that linked with sexuality or sin here. Ikuhara seems to exclusively use the Apple in the way it's used in Night On The Galactic Railroad, where it symbolizes sharing and the limitless power of love. The boys in episode one say the apple is a "link to the afterlife", and a reward for those who chose love over all else. This is embodied by Momoka and Shouma and Kanba in the end, where they sacrifice themselves for love.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

@Alyosha Oh I agree that the apple is not used as a symbol of sexuality in Penguindrum. I was talking more about how the apple was a sign of sexuality in medieval interpretations of the Adam and Eve story. Your explanation sums up nicely how the apple was used in Penguindrum.

[@michaelmiky11]

@@littleorphananimeYT Yeah sorry, I misread your comment. I'm unfamiliar with medieval interpretations of the apple, but then again I'm not well read on medieval works.

[@TheApsodist]

Alyosha, if you have watched Utena, and then Penguindrum, it seems pretty clear that Ikuhara is familiar with Christianity. To me Penguindrum is like a retelling of the Gospels, divorced from explicit Christian imagery, as if Ikuhara is trying to reach those who might otherwise shy away from religious content. However he slips many, many references... For example, when Ringo says, "let's share the fruit of fate," she poses in the shape of a cross. So too when Momoka steps into the child broiler. Also, evidently Ikuhara is familiar with Dostoevsky considering one of the episodes are named "Crime and Punishment for you and me." Also, the episode about Momoka's story, suprise surprise, is titled "Saviour of the World." The Princess of the Crystal's line is an allusion to original sin (listen, you lowlives who will never amount to anything...) In fact original sin is talked about pretty explicitly in the show. That life on Earth is a punishment, that there is but one way to salvation: Love; that is, Imitation of Christ; that is: sacrifice.