In this Anime Update we bring you news and an Episode One review of the soon-to-be hugely successful Mawaru Penguindrum. The show is already gaining momentum in Tokyo and (hopefully) will get picked up for U.S. distribution very soon.
Episode One of most of the Japanese Summer Anime Series aired this past Friday in Tokyo, and I got the chance to watch two of the shows that are very likely to get picked up for U.S. Distribution later this year. The first show I want to talk about this week is the fun and original Mawaru Penguindrum. (Soon I’ll be reviewing Usagi Drop as well!)
Penguindrum revolves around Sho, Kan, and Himari – three orphaned siblings living in a cute and wildly colorful Tokyo house (Many Japanese homes tend to favor modest coloring when it comes to walls, tiling, etc., but this home is full of cheery decor!) Everything about the house tells us that these young adults have probably been living alone for a long time – but have taken care to keep the house in relatively good condition considering their situation. The walls are lovingly decorated with photos from the past and colorful trinkets most likely from memorable trips. Himari (the sister) has been ill and unable to attend school for quite some time, but the brothers still somehow are able to attend and it is unknown how they manage to afford groceries and daily life.
In a whirlwind of events (that you should definitely see for yourself), there are soon three adorable penguins helping the teens around the house, and we find out that the brothers are now tasked to go out and find something called the Penguin Drum. (This is, of course, after a scene in which Himari undergoes a magical-girl-esque transformation into a penguin goddess…thing…Let’s just say that in this regard it is definitely on par with other crazy-but-awesome anime plots I’ve seen in the past.)
These helpful Penguins are so cute!
So far the show is fantastic. What pulled me in from the beginning was the characters – who actually give us a good amount of depth and emotion within the first ten minutes of the episode (and it’s not cheesy, over-acted emotion…something that honestly tends to get on my nerves in anime after a while!). These are believable characters going through totally unreal circumstances. I rarely find characters in anime that I will really become attached to in the first few episodes of a series, so this is definitely a break from a standard series opener.
Penguindrum is also fairly original for a fantasy/drama anime of this nature. (I’ve read that people are comparing to an updated Utena, but I think it may go even beyond that in terms of originality). I’m definitely looking forward to upcoming episodes and I fully support any company that decides to bring this to the States. If you’re living in Japan – go watch! If not – start talking about it and it will soon show up in the U.S.!
I wish I had an adorable penguin to spray the Gokibukuri (cockroaches) for me!
For more reviews of the newest anime coming out of Tokyo and to North America – stay tuned to Big Shiny Robot.com!
Oh, and before I go: How crazy is this new Hatsune Miku Toyota Corolla commercial about Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs?!?!?