Penguindrum
Penguindrum, known in Japan as Mawaru Penguindrum, is a Japanese anime television series produced by Brain's Base. It was written by Kunihiko Ikuhara and Takayo Ikami, was co-directed by Ikuhara along with Shouko Nakamura, with character designs by Lily Hoshino, and was broadcast in Japan from July through December 2011. It follows the efforts of two brothers, Kanba and Shouma, as they attempt to save their sickly little sister Himari from death by cooperating with a magical penguin hat. In the process, they confront their family's dark past.
A two-part compilation film titled Re:cycle of Penguindrum premiered in 2022, with the first part premiering in April and the second part in July.
Plot
A terminally ill girl named Himari Takakura is miraculously saved from death by a strange spirit who resides in a penguin-shaped hat. However, in exchange for extending her life, the spirit tasks Himari's brothers, Kanba and Shoma, to seek out an elusive item known as the Penguindrum with the assistance from a trio of strange penguins.Production
Penguindrum was released in 2011, and has a message about "one of the most bizarre and traumatic events in modern Japanese history", the Tokyo subway sarin attack perpetrated on 20 March 1995, in Tokyo, Japan, by members of the cult movement Aum Shinrikyo. The anime was described as a "tale of a Tokyo still picking up its pieces after this horrific turn of events". Two of Penguindrums characters, doctor Sanetoshi Watase and a schoolgirl Momoka Oginome, are reflections of the terrorist doctor Ikuo Hayashi who was spotted by a schoolgirl right before the attack. Other characters, such as Shoma, Kanba and Himari Takakura, are children of the terrorists who performed the 1995 attack; in the story "they will be forced to account for the crimes of their parents".Penguindrum was inspired by Japanese classical book Night on the Galactic Railroad by Kenji Miyazawa.
Characters
;Shoma Takakura;Kanba Takakura
;Himari Takakura
;Ringo Oginome
;Keiju Tabuki
;Yuri Tokikago
;Sanetoshi Watase
;Momoka Oginome
;Hibari Isora Hikari Utada
;Takakuras' Penguins #1, #2, & #3
;Esmeralda
;Mario Natsume
;Kenzan Takakura
;Chiemi Takakura
Media
Anime
The production of the series was announced in February 2011 in the magazine Kera, before being formalized in April of the same year. The series was produced by Brain's Base, written by Kunihiko Ikuhara and Takayo Ikami, and was co-directed by Ikuhara along with Shouko Nakamura, with character designs by Lily Hoshino. Consisting of twenty-four episodes, the series aired from July 8 to December 23, 2011. Eight DVDs and Blu-ray box sets were released between October 2011 and May 2012.Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series for North America, while Kazé UK has licensed the series in the United Kingdom, Siren Visual has licensed the series in Australia and New Zealand, and Dynit licensed the series in Italy.
Penguindrum's two opening themes are performed by Etsuko Yakushimaru. "Nornir", is used for episodes 1–14, and "Boys, Come Back to Me" from episode 15 onwards. Eight pieces of music are used for ending themes. "Dear Future" by Coaltar of the Deepers is used for episodes 1–12, with a special performance by Yui Horie for episode 10. Episodes 13 onwards use several covers of ARB performed by Marie Miyake, Yui Watanabe and Miho Arakawa as the fictional band "Triple H": "Grey Wednesday" is used for episodes 13, 15 and 18; "Bad News " for episodes 14 and 17; and "Ikarechimattaze!!" for episode 16, "Hide and Seek" for episode 19, "Private Girl" for episode 20, "Tamashii Kogashite" for episode 21 and "Heroes ~Eiyū-tachi~" for episode 23.