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「Mでつながる私とあなた 」 (M de Tsunagaru Watashi to Anata)
“You and I are Bound by M”
So it looks like I wasn’t completely off the mark when I had my doubt’s about Ringo’s diary. I wasn’t banking on the older sister angle, but the name Momoka does put a new perspective on the peach “destiny” stamps seen before. (“Momo” means “peach” in Japanese.) It also made Ringo’s “mission” of reliving her sister’s life seem like a case of OCD more than anything else. Her obsession seems to stem from her childhood understanding that Momoka was more loved and her belief that “becoming” her older sister would make everyone happy again. I’m willing to chalk that up to her way of coping with her sister’s death, especially since the flashback where Ringo’s parents, Satoshi (Tachiki Fumihiko) and Eriko (Fukami Rika), were talking about Curry Day and how it coincides with both Ringo’s birthday and Momoka’s death anniversary did come off like some twisted fate; however, I don’t know if I could say the same for how Ringo fell in love with Kenju simply because he and Momoka were going out before. That’s pretty messed up, right down to the way she fulfilled Momoka’s “first night” with Kenju.
For now, it’s hard to say whether Ringo’s diary is a red herring for the penguin drum, but the thought did cross my mind after learning that the fourth penguin seen in the opening belongs to Masako. The new girl is definitely making herself out to be an antagonist of sorts — especially with the laser-sighted penguin balls she used to erase Asami, Yui, and Chizuru’s memories of Kanba. She continues to maintain a mysterious air around her, as I still have no idea what she’s after. I’m actually quite curious about her role in all of this will be. At the moment, she looks intent on getting back at Kanba, but the sight of her penguin suggests that she’s deeply rooted in the penguin drum stuff — more so than Ringo anyway. If it wasn’t for “Himari’s” insistence on getting Ringo’s diary, I would’ve already started suspecting that Masako actually possesses the penguin drum. That’s one of the reasons why I’m on the fence about the diary being the highly sought-after penguin drum. Another one is the fact that Ikuhara is behind this original series, so I can’t see the story being as straightforward as we’re initially led to believe.
Admittedly, I’m not even sure where to start speculating, since the sight of Ringo’s parents as her stuffed animals even had me wondering if that was symbolic in some way. Like with every episode so far, scenes like that continue to raise questions faster than answers are given, leaving me uncertain about where we’re going from here. I will say that I’m intrigued by the possibility of a Shouma x Ringo pairing though, given that Ringo’s feelings for Kenju are very artificial. As humorous as they are together, I’d like to to believe that it isn’t all just a tease.
Preview & End Card
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divine! you live! 😀 thanks for continuing to cover penguindrum
the poll is still ongoing, we haven’t lost yet
Bet Shouma’s gay though. Possibly for big brother, wouldn’t surprise me.
if Kanba is gay, he wouldn’t have kissed Himari on the mouth in the first episode… which hasn’t been mentioned even once since then.
best anime of the season XD
Ikuhara’s an unusually honest director. Since you said earlier that you hadn’t seen the Utena series, I’m unsure why you say what you do about him being behind the series. He doesn’t have much use for red herrings. He creates his complexity from multi-layered symbolism and references amid thickly-tangled human relationships. But when he shows the audience an object and tells us it’s important, he’s not lying.
Ikuhara’s too good to rely on red herrings and other cheap story tricks. I was afraid he’d learned some during his stay at UCLA. I suppose time will still tell but there is a very excellent chance that either the diary or what is written in the diary is what the hat wants (which raises very interesting questions about the hat’s connection to Ringo/ the shared imagery of the aquatic life/ the past-present-future).
Really, watch the Utena series when you can.
I’m losing interest in this anime for some reason. It looks beautiful, but somehow I find it rather boring? Maybe boring isn’t the right word. I can’t put my finger on what is wrong, but I don’t feel compelled to watch the next episode. There’s a lot going on in this episode but story somehow does not interest me. The jokes feel a bit tired for me as well, I guess it’s just not my thing?
I’m voting for Idolm@ster and Mayo Chiki for continuation of blogging. So i’m guessing I’m kinda like you losing interest on this show
I feel the same way mate. I know it’s good and all but it’s lacking that certain hook for me to look forward to each episode.
I feel the same way. I like the plot so far but the pacing is a bit too slow. Some parts of this episode felt like fluff. eg, the survival strategy scene in this episode was a reminder that the brothers needed to get the penguin drum.
I feel that the eel from the talk between Ringo’s parents definitely had some kind of meaning, but I can’t put my finger on it. Also, I thought that was actually a pretty depressing and painful discussion between the two parents, despite them being portrayed as animals. On the bright side, I thought all the moments with Ringo were absolutely gut busting and hilarious.
Why is black penguin so sexy?
I must agree the black penguin looks most kickass… and sexy lol XD I wonder if it’ll be just as silly as the other three tho…
@Divine “laser-sighted penguin balls” link to the wrong picture
Anyway, nice to see your blog again!! My feeling is the survival strategy and the penguin drum is like transformers and the “spark”. Both alien sides are fighting for an item which the human has.
I noticed the Death Note in Ringo’s room. I think Ikuhara is saying that she is what Light Yagami would be in real life.
in real life he would be a confused, whiny, unintelligent little girl? I guess that’s what believing in fate does to a person.
It’s a funny reference. I also like how Ringo’s name is apple, and how shinigami love apples
nice touch
Every episode, it seems that Shouma is portrayed as being a weak and useless person. From his actions, sometimes you have to think, does he really want to save his sister? Or is her life really not worth enough for him to shut up on his complaining and actually work on it?
Anyway now i’m getting the thinking that the penguin images merely show up when something is “fated”
Shouma is just contrasted to his alpha brother – he has more conscience and reason, though less willpower and determination – I actually find him nice guy that could help Ringo getting rid of her trauma…
As for our new antagonist of sorts, she seems to be deeply connected to penguin antics and I simply love her amnesia ammo laser aimed slingshot!
Contrasted? No, he is simply being inhumanly stupid. Let us use a comparative scenerio
Your father/mother/sister/brother is tied to a chair and a terrorist has a shotgun to his/her head. He tells you to go find a phone he dropped on the floor at the train station or he will blow the person’s head off. You know he is not joking as he shoots at the head of neighbour, exploding it like a ripe watermelon, to show he is serious. At the train station, a kid is holding a phone he picked up there. The kid wants you to physically carry him to his home 20 km away or he’ll smash the thing.
What would you do?
According to Shouma, you should first
i) tell the kid that he is crazy and should take the bus
ii) complain you’re tired and don’t carry the kid after 15 km
iii) do not just grab the phone and run because its “just wrong”.
Yes, the terrorist who is waiting to LITERALLY BLOW THE HEAD OFF YOUR FAMILY will be fully accepting of stuff like “its just wrong”. The only time that would make sense is that is the value of your family is less than the “its just wrong” mentality
I call the plot induced stupidity here, it is because author(s) want to keep us in dark about real value of the notepad… note that his brother wasn’t any more effective in snatching it, despite possibility of just sending stealth drone “penguin mk1” to steal it…
so its basically confirmed that ringo was born on march 20th, 1995.. the day of the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway. I also find it interesting that her mother only recalled curry day a few episodes back, even though it was ringos birthday as well. I feel that the mother in a way still subconsciously values momoka more than ringo.
Also notice Tabuki’s emphasis Schrodinger’s cat being half dead and half alive during the flash back, which somewhat reminds me of ringo’s current state of mind
Wonder how long they will keep the trend of addition more questions than answers in each episode. Hope this leads to something with potential and a shocking, yet fufilling ending. Still got plenty of episodes left for this to happen. =]
Agree with the more questions than answers.
Maybe that’s part of why I’m a little tired of it? Or not. It’s not so much the new questions, just the answers feel empty I think. Or rather, the questions the previous episodes prompt me to asks all seem to be the wrong ones? If what Junk said above is right, maybe I’m too stupid and not educated enough to understand or appreciate all the complexity, multi-layered symbolism and references.
ermm what do you expect for a 24(?) episode ….to answer all the question after 12 episode?
” maybe I’m too stupid and not educated enough to understand ”
You’re wrong, if Mayo Chiki is the kind of anime that you must throw your brain out the window to enjoy. MPD is anime where if you ever use your brain you will lose(to what? that I’m not sure)
@ricz
Not so much answers to all the questions. Just didn’t expect this show to make wonder why in the world I’m watching and why should I continue after 6 episodes.
@lkaze
Lose my ability to enjoy the show? XD In some sense I do what Junk was saying about the symbolism and references. But somehow it just feels empty. Maybe I just don’t subscribe to the pseudo-post-modern feel of the show as much. On the other hand I enjoy Nichijou, which I dropped and picked up again mid-season :P. I guess I’m just full of contradictions.
“maybe I’m too stupid and not educated enough to understand or appreciate all the complexity, multi-layered symbolism and references.”
this anime isn’t complex at all, so far. it’s pretty easy to understand.
@ x
“I enjoy Nichijou, which I dropped and picked up again mid-season :P. I guess I’m just full of contradictions.”
Don’t be, I dropped Nichijou like on the 1st episode when I heard that kyoto is doing yet another plotless comedy. But I’ve been reading the comment on the show lately, it seem like it full of fun. Was thinking if I should ask them if it worth it to watch the show? Maybe I do it now.
like I said it’s a 24 episode anime
so expect to have “not so many answer” on this anime since we’re still on episode 6
Thanks for blogging this, keep going! This is easily one of my favourites of the summer season and your reviews perfectly sum up what is happening. It’s hard to theories atm, so I’m pretty much open for whatever right now.
maybe ringo following exactly as momoka’s diary will result in the same ending as her sister..
Not done by me, but…
http://i.imgur.com/yTivn.gif
wouldve been funnier w/ the mother doing it…..
Fabulous Max!
I’m with JJ. This might be the whole even exchange that so many animes seem preoccupied with. Ringo becoming Momoka means Ringo must die. Also, maybe Himari can’t live unless someone else dies. You’d think it would be Ringo but it might be Kanba.
If Masako erases everyone’s memory of Kanba, is he still alive, or is he like Shrodenger’s cat, as in, does he matter if no one knows he’s alive? An erased Kanba reminds me of the preview with the subway. I hope he doesn’t get erased 🙁
Anyway, I don’t need to know these things to like this series but it does make you wonder.
Ringo’s birthday coinciding with the date of Momoka’s death makes me wonder. I think it’s possible that Ringo is actually Momoka’s daughter rather than little sister (Momoka having died in childbirth if this were the case), and Momoka’s parents decided to raise her as their own. I’m not sure why Kenju wouldn’t be able to take care of her, though.
It’s probably unlikely, but I wanted to put that idea out there.
Nah, if it’s anything like that, Ringo sees herself as the reincarnation of Momoka, but I don’t think it’s even that complicated.
Wouldn’t that make Kenju Ringo’s father? LOL wouldn’t put it past Ikuhara.
Of course it would, which would just make the whole situation even creepier. About the only way it could get any creepier, actually…
i was wondering what date is himari day on? i wonder if it has any importance.. this anime has so many symbolism, that it’s hard to keep in track.. i’ll draw a diagram..
But i think they set momoka’s death on the same date as ringo’s birthday, to signify in reverse of ringo’s death and momoka’s rebirth in ringo’s body..?
Actually what’s more important than Masako and her creepy exploding-memory-erasing-penguin-balls-sling is … WHO EXACTLY was she talking to on the phone … fact is .. i think she is just a henchwoman and there is someone controlling things from behind the scenes …. which brings us to WHO is that character wearing a white suit and has purple/pink eyes (exactly like those of possessed Himari) and pink hair too … why nobody asked about that character .. IMO this character identity will answer tons of questions about the penguins, the penguin hat, the penguin drum, Ringo’s Diary and Masako’s “M” Plan.
Can somebody tell me who is that and why is everyone ignoring this unknown character so far ?
https://randomc.net/image/Mawaru%20Penguindrum/Mawaru%20Penguindrum%20-%20OP%20-%20Large%2007.jpg
Because he/she IS unknown… Can’t talk about a person you don’t know anything about.
I know He/She is unknown .. but i’m asking why is nobody speculating who is that person and why does he/she have purple eyes like possessed Himari … same with the person Masako is calling over the phone … no one speculated about that either .. CONSPIRACY .. the invisible penguins must have a hand in this XD
Perhaps she’s talking to ‘End of the World’ 😉
she is talking to FB? 😛
this got to be the weirdest anime i have ever watched…and i love how random it is!
Ringo’s past really messed her up but its good to know now the cause behind it.
I just wanna know about that project M!
I can see how Shouma X Ringo would work.
Considering everything in her diary has been fulfilled by Shouma instead of Kenju.
especially the first kiss!
This episode’s big reveal about Ringo really broke my heart, as well as changed my opinions of her character and had me re-evaluating her motives. I’d have to agree with you, Divine, that this is likely her childlike way of coping with her sibling’s death.
I’m very curious to see how this will all end, because I suspect Tabuki has to find out about her stalking habits at some point.
On a final note: I’m also for Shoma getting some kind of relationship upgrade, be it with Ringo after she’s “brought back to herself” instead of living as her sister’s ‘replacement’, or with someone else. Since it’s hinted pretty heavily that Kanba has a more-than-brotherly love for Himari – however that turns out – I’d love it for both brothers to have “happy endings” of this sort.