Mawaru-Penguindrum (2011– )

A terminally ill girl is revived by a magical penguin spirit. In return, her brothers are sent on a quest for the mysterious 'Penguindrum'.

Stars:

Ryohei Kimura, Subaru Kimura, Miho Arakawa

Cast

Series cast summary:
Ryohei Kimura	...	Shouma Takakura (6 episodes, 2011)
Subaru Kimura	...	Kanba Takakura (6 episodes, 2011)
Miho Arakawa	...	Himari Takakura (6 episodes, 2011)
Marie Miyake	...	Ringo Oginome (5 episodes, 2011)

Storyline

A terminally ill girl is revived by a magical penguin spirit. In return, her brothers are sent on a quest for the mysterious 'Penguindrum'.

---

Plot Keywords:

penguin | anime | female protagonist | back from the dead | destiny | 

---

Taglines:

I'll show that fate can be changed.

---

Genres:

Animation | Comedy | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

8 July 2011 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Rolling Penguin Drum

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brains Base

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ringo's sister is named Momoka. Momoka in Japanese for "peach girl."

---

Crazy Credits

At the end of each episode there is an illustration of one of the characters, in a position hinting at something in that episode or a forthcoming episode.

---

Soundtracks

"Nornir"
Composed by the Etsuko Yakushimaru Metropolitan Orchestra

User Reviews

I am a rock 'n' roll man...

Not so fresh off the heels of the brilliant Revolutionary Girl Utena, Kunihiko Ikuhara comes out of hibernation for another strange story with serious implications. Through the fight over a mystical diary that slowly reveals the darker pasts of all involved, Mawaru Penguindrum considers the issue of fate and determinism, as well as questions of family and responsibility.

The show's visual style is fantastic, and if nothing else it's a feast for the eyes. However, there's also a lot of substance here too. A twisting (perhaps even convoluted) plot and a surreal sense of humour keep Mawaru Penguindrum from being a philosophical treatise, but even so it's a show with serious ambitions that are mostly fulfilled, and a series that deserves a lot of thought. It doesn't quite reach the transcendent levels of Utena, but it's still one of the best anime series of the year.