Penguindrum: The 3 Tips You Need to Understand It

You can find my other Penguindrum video here:
"Penguindrum: 3 Symbols That Help Explain It"
• Penguindrum: 3 Symbols...
Description:
Penguindrum can be a confusing and weird anime, but it's one that's absolutely worth the effort. With these three tips, you'll have a much clearer understanding of the show, whether you've seen it before or you're going in for the first time. Not only will you know more about what Himari says when transformed, but you'll understand the main conflict of the show, and know why Penguindrum is all about love. Just know that you've got some massive spoilers ahead of you in this video!
Chapters:
00:00 The Three Tips
00:56 Tip 1: The Main Conflict
02:29 Subways and Changing Destinies
03:27 Tip 2: Himari's Words
05:11 Tip 3: It's About Love
06:24 Penguindrum Is a World of Broken Relationships
08:35 Conclusion
Where to Stream:
Stream Penguindrum on HiDive:
www.hidive.com/tv/penguindrum
Stream Revolutionary Girl Utena on Crunchyroll
beta.crunchyroll.com/series/G...
Stream Revolutionary Girl Utena on Funimation:
www.funimation.com/shows/revo...
Penguindrum
© ikunichawder/pingroup
© 1997 BE-PAPAS/CHIHO SAITO/SHOGAKUKAN • SHOKAKU • TV TOKYO.
Tokyo 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/...
In The Air by | e s c p | & stixthule | escp-music.bandcamp.com
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
#penguindrum

[@iseetheendisnear2416]

I think great artists make confusing things like this so that other great artists can feel like kids watching a show for the first time again, then coming back to rewatch and understand/appreciate it deeper - much like meeting and getting to know an interesting person

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Well said. I agree that a lot of the most creative artists often seem to be making content with each other in mind, and if the general audience can appreciate it too, then that's a bonus.

[@nigelthornberry5375]

I always loved and remain obsessed with the show's use of penguin imagery --- and the show's connection to Radiohead's OK Computer. Both make heavy use of transportation and traffic iconography as metaphor. On the album's cover is an obscured pedestrian symbol that reads "lost child", a symbol that they sometimes used on the kick drum during their ok computer tour. The "lost child" is a concept in psychology used to frame the coping mechanisms kids learn when growing up with abuse -- take it out on others, take it out on yourself, or dissociate from it entirely. The lost child describes the adult who has chosen dissociation as their survival strategy. A very effective tactic when they were a kid, but once they grow up and enter society they end up appearing cold and/or awkward around others. Also in the first three minutes of the show: "Look at the penguins! They're such good swimmers!" "Yeah, but they're kinda awkward on land."

[@littleorphananimeYT]

You could make an argument (maybe you just did?) that almost everyone in the show is either being abused or suffering from the effects of abuse. The whole show looks at how these lost children all try to find different ways to cope. Interesting idea.

[@thewalrus45]

If you have Pink Hair in a Ikuhara show you are ether A. a main character who's super expectional or B. Dead All Along and actually like a memory ghost thing or C. kinda both.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Yep, that about covers it 😆

[@dawnr4971]

More Penguindrum! It’s great hearing about my favorite never talked about anime in such a thoughtful and smart way !

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks! I did make one other Penguindrum video which you can see here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4LMfoytZtumgJY It's always great to see that other people love this show, too

[@optimisticDuelist]

I've been thinking obsessively about this show since it came out on broadcast, and I'm extremely impressed with both your insight and your skill at explaining it quickly and clearly. This video is immediately unbelievably precious to me. Thank you.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Wow, that's very humbling: thank you for the kind words. No one around me has seen Penguindrum, so I love being able to connect with other people who've been fascinated by this show. 👍

[@optimisticDuelist]

@@littleorphananimeYT It feels so tough to find people who connect with it, even among Utena fans! Until Sarazanmai it feels like Ikuharas reputation, and by association earnest intellectual engagement with his work, kind of went on the downswing for a while. Doesn't help that while I consider them both every bit as revolutionary and moving as Utena, Penguindrum and Yuri Kuma are both more immediately abrasive and challenging *and* harder to unpack and understand without bringing your own understanding and research into the cultural background that informs them to the table. I think about this stuff a ton, I've done videos on Utena and Sarazanmai, but Yuri Kuma and Penguindrum feel so intimidating to me as an analyst and creator specifically because they're so dense that I struggle to know how to make a video that isn't just straight up four hours on them or something, and I have bills to pay in the meantime!!! So I really mean it when I say the brevity here is really impressive, I struggle a lot with overwriting so I find it kind of admirable and inspiring even just on those grounds alone--and the video even hit me with some ideas I hadn't considered, like just how much the entire thing is a deconstruction of notions of family!

[@littleorphananimeYT]

I know what you mean about thinking it would take a four hour video to do some of the Ikuhara shows justice. I've often thought that if I wanted to do a full deep dive on Penguindrum, it would have to be a 24-video series, one on each episode, going practically shot-for-shot in several places. It was only when I got the idea to talk about three tips that could help people out and just stick to those that I thought I could make this video.

[@traebarringer3438]

Another great “survival tactic” for understanding Penguindrum is watching Donny Darko and reading the pages from the book of time travel in the special edition. It’s not accidental that the antagonist is a “manipulated dead from the future symbolized by black rabbits” exactly like Frank is, and Frank’s greeting to Donny mirrors the “I hereby inform you that you two shall amount to nothing.” Line. It’s fabulous max.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Never thought about that, but I will say I cracked up thinking about switching the rabbits in those shows 😆

[@shinkamui]

so like you said theres this dimension of their destiny being death but also i read it as momoka talking about the boys’ pasts you see as the show goes on, basically all the characters get a full childhoot therapy course right? we see the illusions of the present being peeled away by the constant barrage of flashbacks. Not only they find themselves in their past events but they also find themselves in their parents theres this huge question pondering in the air the entire time of what you’re gonna do with your parents’ legacies. Some embrace it, soem deny it, some move past it. kanba walks in their shoes while shouma gets to be punished by their choices. The end of the road of destiny was the road their caretakers walked and isnt that so relatable in a way? from personal experience i remember my dad being unreasonably mean and angry at waiter staff and the shame of that. And today i compensate almost without thinking. I feel shame deep in my stomach just for sendinng a burnt dish back, instinctively. Isnt that just the story of shouma just in a way less intense way? i love the phrasing of “survival strategy” that momoka uses. Because in a lot of abusive or dysfunctional homes, that is the life of the children. To come up with a bunch of such strategies. That might or might not come back to bite us later in life when we need better ways of going through life. and the way we take back out life- the way we do it in therapy at least, is at the road of our destiny in the past

[@littleorphananimeYT]

That is an excellent way of looking at the series: it's true that we get a flashback of pretty much every main character as a child (except maybe Sanetoshi), and they all have to work through those traumas from the past. Great post. Your comment about your dad reminded me of a friend I had in college who was pretty condescending to restaurant servers, cashiers, etc. I don't think he even realized it: it was just natural for him. But it was always embarrassing when he did it, so we stopped hanging out.

[@librarian4life]

Thank you both for sharing your story and commentary. If I may bend your ear for a moment, when my father was going through terminal cancer my bf at the time broke up with me for being 'too depressed'. It was a bitter pill to swallow, as they say. After the fact, I was actually inspired by rewatching Utena to dye my hair pink (now you see where this is going?). Suddenly, the world treated me differently. I mean, I would walk through the grocery store and passersby would smile at me different, people seemed to have such a positive reaction simply because I had a pink mohawk. I am not suggesting I had the 'power to change destinies', but sometimes the littlest change can make the world of difference--like being kind to waiters. It is a 'difference that makes a difference', as they say in philosophy. Though my father has since passed, and my mohawk is now it's natural color, I reflect more fondly on that time in my life knowing I had some power to change the narrative I was experiencing, even if was simply changing my hair color. And Utena was the inspiration. Art does change lives. Moreover, people can change others' lives (an implicit notion within the prior statement). I thank and appreciate you both.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

I was worried that your story was going to end up like, "People started treating me like an outcast because they couldn't understand my new hair color," but it sounds like your experience was much more positive and empowering. Great comment.

[@blopablopapapa]

Penguindrum is my all time favorite anime yet I still to this day, learn new stuff about it every once in a while. This analysis was amazing!!! It really helped me understand a tad more about such confusing anime. Love this video! And thanks!!! I'd definitely love to see more Penguindrum content from you. Maybe I can learn some new stuff again!!!

[@littleorphananimeYT]

One of the things I love about Penguindrum is that you can learn something new every time you see it. Glad you liked the video; the next upload for the channel is going to look at a few more details in Penguindrum, so hopefully I'll have that ready by the end of the week.

[@atarigangmember6587]

i'd def say having knowledge about aum shinrkyo, what they were reacting to and the societal fallout after the attack is important to getting what the series is going for

[@littleorphananimeYT]

I agree--that's one of the things that I would put in a second video. Full disclosure, I loved this show for a decade and only found out *last year* about the cult, the subway attack, and its connection to Penguindrum.

[@shuuichissaihara]

This is my favorite anime of all time yet there's little no videos analyzing this anime or talking about it I appreciate any video that discusses penguindrum took me 3 rewatches to fully understand this anime lol

[@littleorphananimeYT]

I think it's a masterpiece, but it's definitely not for everyone. Glad to hear from someone else who loves the show.

[@gicchi]

I’m happy that a lot of people still talk about Penguindrum. Thank you! This is a well-made video

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thank you, I appreciate that. It seems like most of Ikuhara's anime still have a strong community around them, which is nice to see.

[@ViktorL2000]

It's ironic that I'm watching this video a month after I watched Penguin Drum

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Hopefully it was still fresh enough in your mind. I'm glad Penguindrum is still getting new viewers.

[@miyaricebowl]

Thanks for the video. I really appreciate it. I’ve been thinking about this show for what I know are years now, and it now baffles me that I never could interpret Himari/Momoka’s words when she transformed/possessed her. I think you’re actually spot on. Here’s hoping we get to see the movie soon, if we’re a little lucky Sentai will license it somehow. P.S.: You have a new subscriber 😃

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, Santiago! Welcome aboard. I'm also hoping Sentai licenses the films soon. I do wonder if it might take a bit longer than normal, though, if they want to use the original English dub actors.

[@Khichira2012]

This is quite an underrated anime, but in my opinion one of the best!

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Agreed. It's one of my favorites

[@spacemonke2937]

I would like to clarify that the place where Momoka and Sanetoshi comes from is not the afterlife, but Hole in the Sky Central Library, which contains seemingly infinite versions of every book ever written. In the movie Momoka introduces herself as Head Librarian and Sanetoshi wears a librarian uniform. The place seems to exist outside of regular time and reality and ressembles the occult concept of the Akashic Records, there is ground for saying Ikuhara is into this stuff just from looking at Utena, but in this case the clue is the tablet with the Seven Social Sins inscribed in Devanagari that stands outside the library. If you wonder about the link between hinduism and the Alchemy stuff from Utena, the answer is probably Carl Gustav Jung, who studied both traditions. This is also the reason why Akio and Anthy look the way they do. Hermann Hesse, who was inspired by Jung, is quoted as the Student Council rides the elevator, the name of the song being played "The Name of God is Abraxas" is the final sentence of the quote that is left unsaid by the characters.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

I agree that the Hole in the Sky Library is more a location out of time and space rather than some kind of afterlife (if it was the afterlife, it would probably be a *lot* more crowded). No matter the nature of the place, though, the anime does establish that Momomka and Sanetoshi are dead. I do think you're spot on about the library's similarities to the Akashic Records, and I enjoyed reading the connections you made that brought Utena into the discussion.

[@milenayashkina8641]

I thought when Himari said "you two shall amount to nothing," that was in reference to being subjected to the circumstances they were born into, i.e. poverty and being the children of literal terrorists, so their futures already didn't look too bright. Plus it's also foreshadowing because Kanba eventually ends up working for the very terrorist organization his parents were part of and Shoma doesn't really have a purpose in life due to his circumstances and rejects Ringo's love and gives up on saving Himari. I think this is also a greater critique of capitalism and how people in poverty are already left behind in life which makes it hard for them to amount to anything, hence why they ultimately amount to nothing. It's easy for them to go down the wrong path just to make ends meet or survive. Great analysis btw, and plz make more Penguindrum videos!

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks for the comment, Milena; I enjoyed your take on Penguindrum as a commentary on capitalism. I think that line about amounting to nothing is serving multiple purposes, including referencing the Takakura's circumstances (as you point out) and showing people what future they have in a world where so many kids are destined for the child broiler.

[@nevamoore5192]

I remember liking this show as a teenager even though I didn't understand half of what was going on. Thank you for the flashlight. I'm gonna rewatch it and see if I can find some clarity this time.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Nice. I hope you enjoy the rewatch.

[@reflesh8802]

What an anime! Just finished it and it's to great and confusing. I definetly plan to rewatch it at some point with these tips in mind

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Congrats on finishing the show for the first time. I remember just being in shock for a few days as I couldn't stop thinking about the ending and the show overall.

[@reflesh8802]

@@littleorphananimeYT Same, been thinking about it quite a lot for the last few days, its too good

[@zoeocon]

i love any and all penguindrum videos, this one included!!! thank u for making this, especially now that the movies are both out im sure people will be interested in watching the show, especially with how confusing it can be haha :)

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, Zoe! I'm also hoping that the movies will get more people to watch the original series (and hopefully Sentai or whoever will license the movies for streaming).

[@randyho8128]

Hey this was an interesting take on Penguindrum, especially that bit with the pink hair and the subways as a metaphor for fate.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, Randy. I like that the pink hair seems to be more than just a stylish design choice and might actually signal special powers or a special fate.

[@HORSEMANFOREVER]

Brilliant video! I never even considered the point you brought up about what Himari/The Princess of the Crystal meant with "the place of your destiny". You mentioned you had more ideas for Penguindrum videos, and personally I think you should make more Penguindrum videos if you still have more ideas - it's one of my all-time favorite anime series, and your take on it was well-thought out and articulate.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, Pastamaniac! I've been thinking about the show for years, so I have plenty to say. There seem to be quite a few Penguindrum fans hanging around still, so a second video is a definite possibility.

[@whimsicalVanilla]

Thank you so much! I've been trying to understand penguindrum for SO long, but have never found good analysis about it before. I had no problem understanding (most of) Yuri Kuma and had found a great episode-by-episode analysis of Utena, but so much of penguindrum always seemed to evade understanding.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Glad you found some use out of this. It took me so long to make any sense of this show, but I loved it even when I had no idea what was going on.

[@pleasehelp1390]

Great vid! Instant sub, you explain things very well!!

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks! One of my goals is to explain things as clearly as I can, so I appreciate that.

[@ariarcos1256]

Awesome video! I absolutely want another one from this marvelous masterpiece! Specially after the Re:cycle movie release for its anniversary

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, Ari. I agree that this show is a masterpiece. I did end up making another Penguindrum video after this one: you can check it out here kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4LMfoytZtumgJY

[@cadenrichter6]

Man you deserve more views for these, I wish YT pushed this style of content more, and I can tell you've done your best to make it concise and fit in the 10min mark... keep it up! love these

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, Caden. You're right: I do try to keep most of these under 10 minutes. Some of the original scripts get cut down by as much as one third.

[@VirginiaZaldivar]

What an incredible analysis!

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks! I appreciate that.

[@PandaJerk007]

Fun to hear you explain this! Not only is the show confusing, but it was so long since I saw it. The only part I really remember was the reoccurring segment where Himari talks to her brothers in that weird realm and it has some catchy music.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks! When you talked about the "weird realm with the catchy music," I knew instantly what you meant; that part has always stood out to me, too.

[@PandaJerk007]

@@littleorphananimeYT yeah those parts are so fun :) I'd still wanna rewatch Penguindrum someday if I get the chance, but your video is cool for sure!

[@chocoearly]

Wow, I just found your channel and you’re so underrated! Your videos are amazing! I would love to watch your analysis on Utena as well!

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, I appreciate hearing that, ChocoEarly. My main take on Utena is that it is much more focused on romantic love and the pressure that society places on women to play an unrealistic, idealized role in romantic relationships. We root for Utena from the beginning because she chooses her own path, but I think the change that Anthy undergoes is perhaps even more important (since she is constrained to be the symbol of a perfect, pure, and innocent woman). If I do make a video on Utena, it will probably have to be next year, unfortunately (my schedule is brutal from late September through the end of the year, so covering a three-cour anime might be a bit much). I do have another Penguindrum video planned for the end of the month, though, so hopefully that's something to look forward to.

[@chocoearly]

@@littleorphananimeYT I agree with you 100% here, both the dominant male characters in Utena (Akio and Touga) try to force Utena to conform to the submissive and meek stereotypical role of the female protagonist (like in most Shoujo manga and anime) But Utena ultimately breaks free of them and also manages to "revolutionize the world" by initiating a change in Anthy, the personification of the ideal woman. It also has a very dominant theme of growing up, letting go of the past and moving forward, which is the main theme of the movie. I'm definitely looking forward to the new Penguindrum video! Also I love your point about how pink-haired characters in both Penguindrum and Utena have the power to change the world, I can't believe I never noticed that until now lol

[@carloscastropizarro]

Great video. Thanks.

[@asshrimpleasthat799]

This was excellent, thank you! One of my all-time favorite series. Would love to see a follow-up at some point

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, it's one of my faves, too. I've got a follow-up with three more tips planned that I'm hoping to release on Sept 30 (with a short review of Uncle from Another World about a week before that).

[@asshrimpleasthat799]

@@littleorphananimeYT That’s awesome, I’m really looking forward to it! Same with the other one- I’ve been on the fence about checking that series out so I’m interested in hearing your impressions

[@3Lkinjasha]

Thank You!!!

[@littleorphananimeYT]

You're welcome. 👍

[@HRain-kv1iu]

Great video! Thank you for sharing this, it really helped me get more out of the series. I just have one question, if this story is about love then why put Shoma and Kanba through all those trials? I mean I feel like since the start both the brothers would've done anything to help himari if they were given an opportunity to without any trouble. I mean, what was the point?

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. One of the most important changes in the show is the one that Himari undergoes towards the very end. For almost the entire runtime of the series, she plays the part of the perfect, idealized little sister, but that's not who she is. It is that idealized version of Himari that Shoma and Kanba are so devoted to at the beginning of the show. They care deeply about her as a person as well, but for much of the show their goal is to get Himari healthy so she can go back to being the person that holds their fake family together. Check out the brothers' expressions in episode 1 when Himari says that the miso soup is just like the one their mom used to make: she's lying, but it's the lie that Shoma and Kanba want to hear, so they are grateful to her for reaffirming their delusion of a perfect family life. (If she were telling the truth, the brothers would not have acted surprised and delighted at her comment about the soup). Everyone in the story starts out with something fake or inauthentic about their identity, and by the end they have to confront and discard the lies that they tell themselves. This process can be painful and requires courage and sacrifice. Shoma and Kanba had to go through those trials because they had to strip away all of the lies and learn exactly who they were and who Himari was, not just the idealized roles of brother or sister that they had been playing. That's how I understand it, anyway; let me know if you have a different take.

[@user-vn5fg1zo5q]

The analysis of the wonderful ੭ ੭ ᐕ). Ikuhara's themes are often love in its purest form. It's a lot easier to understand once you understand that.

[@user-vn5fg1zo5q]

May I translate this video and repost it to bilibili? It will not be used for commercial purposes, only for discussion by those who like the work. Thank you!(*^▽^*)

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Good point: love is a main theme in pretty much everything he's done

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Yes, you can translate it.

[@lolyoutoobe]

My mind is blown by the himari words part. I never thought of that 🤯

[@littleorphananimeYT]

That was the main inspiration for the video: I wanted to talk about the whole show, but especially about what I thought Himari was saying.

[@Elektrochoke]

You should watch Utena, I’d love to hear your comment on it.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Someone else asked my opinion on Utena about a year ago, so I'll post what I told them here: "My main take on Utena is that it is much more focused on romantic love and the pressure that society places on women to play an unrealistic, idealized role in romantic relationships. We root for Utena from the beginning because she chooses her own path, but I think the change that Anthy undergoes is perhaps even more important (since she is constrained to be the symbol of a perfect, pure, and innocent woman)." Let me know if that fits with your take on Utena, or if you have some other insights. It's a great show.

[@bkm1104]

놀라운 설명입니다

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks, I appreciate that (assuming Google translate got your comment right :)

[@alyxsander]

I always thought the crystal queen calling them both that they will never amount to anything was actually more because And spoilers They both give up the apple of fate to save Himari and disappear. They even show the grinder from the child broiler and Kanba is turning into glass shards.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

That's an interesting idea: it implies that Momoka would perhaps have more knowledge of the future than I had originally thought. In a show where "destiny" is such an important theme, it could make sense that one or more characters might have a clearer view of what that destiny is. That would make me wonder about the two boys at the end, though, and what parts of their former identities (if any) would transfer over. Were they recycled (or "re:cycled") from nothing, or is there some shard of themselves that they carry with them?

[@littleorphananimeYT]

As a bonus, see if you can catch where I call Momoka by her sister's name. That's the type of quality you can expect from this channel 😆

[@robynsegg]

7:20... I thought Yuri's father was also... yuck... sexually abusive to her on top of the physical, and emotional abuse. Was I wrong? 🤔

[@littleorphananimeYT]

I've had that thought, too, but I couldn't really find any evidence of it. The way I took it was that her mother left her father, and since Yuri looked so much like her mother, part of what her father was doing was trying to chisel away any physical reminder of his former wife. When the father talks about being able to "love" Yuri, I didn't think he meant it physically. I hope that's the case, anyway.

[@thewalrus45]

That is the implication Ikuhara was going for I believe