Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.5

Penguindrum: Collection 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

Some questions may not have easy answers.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 22, 2012

The legendary Stephen Sondheim gave the equally legendary Elaine Stritch one of her finest musical theater moments in the original 1970 Broadway mounting of Company, when Stritch’s character Joanne, a hard drinking cynic with nary a kind word for anyone, lets loose late in the second act with one of Sondheim’s best loved songs, “The Ladies Who Lunch”. As Joanne tears into the elite women who surround her (a class to which she obviously belongs), she pauses for a moment to ask, “Does anyone still wear a hat?” in a reference to a bygone age of elegant apparel styles for polite society. That’s a question that may have some appropriateness for the oddly endearing anime Penguindrum, but it’s a quandary that should be far down the list on most viewers’ minds, as this is one of the more resolutely philosophical anime in recent memory, one which gets into all sorts of thorny debates about existence, fate, free will and other issues that have provided grist for the mill for countless sermons and indeed for whole theological movements. In an idiom that often seems to be comprised of cut and paste “artists” who cobble together shows out of previously offered ideas, characters and even out and out plotlines, Penguindrum is, if nothing else, absolutely unique and wonderfully distinctive. That may not translate into easy accessibility or, frankly, even absolute entertainment value, but for those who are looking for something more than a bit unusual and who are willing to confront some of the deepest questions that have challenged the greatest minds (and hearts) of Mankind from time immemorial, Penguindrum is one of the most bracing anime experiences of the past several years, and maybe since the dawn of animation itself.

We’ll get to the hat wearing situation in a moment (as well as answering Joanne’s immortal question), but there are more pressing issues that Penguindrum virtually dives into from the first moment, none of which is more pressing than the question of why death can come to those too young to even be considering their own mortality. This is something that perhaps is hitting home more than it even typically would due to the recent tragic school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, and while of course one can’t even begin to compare an anime, no matter how well done, with the real life horror that unfolded in that school, in a way the basic idea is the same: how could a Divine Being “allow” something as tragic as the unfair death of a young child happen? The airwaves have been full of pontificators much wiser than I am talking about God’s gift of free will that “permits” irrational people to do unthinkable things, but in the case of Penguindrum when little girl Himari Takakura’s life comes to an untimely end, it’s due to disease, not the hideous behavior of some unbalanced soul. So who is to blame in a situation like that? Wouldn’t it in fact be whatever immutable entity is “in charge” of creation?

This would already seem to be an incredibly “weighty” anime that might not have a lot of pure entertainment value, but Penguindrum is actually delightfully daffy in its own way, especially after Himari surprises her twin brothers Kanba and Shoma by suddenly spontaneously resurrecting from her hospital gurney where she’s supposedly just died, albeit in a “possessed” form since she is—wait for it—wearing a peculiar little penguin hat her brothers had just gotten her at the zoo before her demise. The spirit which inhabits little Himari tells the brothers that she will extend Himari’s life if the brothers are able to retrieve a mysterious “penguindrum”. The next day, the brothers receive an equally mysterious package which turns out to contain three bizarre little blue penguins which can evidently only be seen by them. Obviously, Penguindrum verges on the surreal once these elements come into play, and while there are some very serious issues roaming around in the background of this series, there’s also an almost playfully childlike ambience about it as well, creating a rather peculiar, but very enjoyable, dialectic.

Back on the “serious” side of things, the brothers soon get involved with a girl named Ringo, who is haunted by the long ago death of her sister, and whose diary serves as a template of sorts which Ringo at least believes spells out her future. This is yet another fascinating if somewhat discursive attempt to illuminate various ideas about fate and destiny, something which Penguindrum returns to again and again in various guises. Also running parallel to these ideas is another potent examination of the manner that memory helps to define an individual’s state of being, something that is toyed with when a kind of science fiction element enters the fray and various characters start getting their memories erased. Through it all, the series manages to avoid being overly portentous if for no other fact than a gaggle of ridiculous little blue penguins are running around helping get things done.

Penguindrum’s creator Kunihiko Ikukara may not exactly be a household name outside of the anime fan community, but he did participate in one of the most fondly remembered anime that even non-anime fans have at least heard of, Sailor Moon. Later he forged his own path with a series that, much like Penguindrum, is so unique as to almost defy description, the often brilliant but at times somewhat confusing Revolutionary Girl Utena. Utena at least could be seen within the context of the somewhat standard magical girl trope, but Penguindrum is another matter entirely. While it continues Utena’s flirtation with the surreal, as well as mixing together allegory and folklore in a rather heady brew, tonally this series is a far different creature than Utena and may also be in its own way even more intellectually provocative. Like Utena, it is a series which virtually defies easy description, but in my estimation at least, that’s a good thing. There are far too many anime that can be summed up by simply reciting a laundry list of other anime that share the same characteristics. You’d be hard pressed to find anything even remotely like Penguindrum, and that is perhaps its crowning achievement.

Penguindrum: Collection 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Penguindrum Collection 1 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Sentai Filmworks with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.78:1. This is a brilliantly colorful series, one that almost looks like a carnival explosion of bright hues, and that element pops magnificently in this high definition presentation. Line detail is exceptionally sharp and well defined and the distinctive character designs also look great. The frame is often quite "busy" and typically will include explanatory text that pops up for just a moment (including some kind of unusual "meta"-commentary on what's going on), so those who don't read extremely quickly may want to have their remotes handy so that they can press the pause button. As the series moves into the later episodes in this first arc, things get both more surreal as more tinged with a sort of proto science fiction aspect, and some very cool quasi 3D elements help make the visual appeal all the more alluring.

Penguindrum: Collection 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Penguindrum Collection 1 features lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mixes in both the original Japanese and in an English dub. Both mixes are relatively identical, though the Japanese is perhaps just slightly less boisterous in terms of the effects mix. The series probably wouldn't have been drastically improved with a surround mix, as a lot of the proceedings are relatively quiet and dialogue driven. Fidelity is excellent and prioritization is also top notch. The English voice cast is very good, handling the tonal modulations very well. Dynamic range isn't huge, but there are a few outbursts here and there that both tracks handle effortlessly.

Penguindrum: Collection 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Clean Opening Animation (1080i; 1:32)


• Clean Closing Animation (1080i; 1:37)


• Japanese Promos (1080i; 2:07)

Penguindrum: Collection 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I won't pretend to have understood everything that happened in this first set of Penguindrum episodes, but in the long run, that's just another reason that this anime is so fascinating and compelling. Completely distinctive in terms of content, character and its non-linear storytelling style, Penguindrum is one of those rare anime that pretty much demands that the viewer actually pay attention. Add to that its visual flair and its resolute refusal to shirk from some of the thorniest questions to ever confront the human race and you have one of the most consistently intriguing anime in recent memory. Himari proves that, yes, someone does still wear a hat—but that there are consequences to actually putting it on. Highly recommended.