Halex

This story starts slowly and may seem to ramble for the first 7 episodes or so, but bear with it, as these episodes are a setup for what's to come and everything has meaning in the story, even the background graphics that seem random, in fact, the way the story is told through the use of symbolism is what sets this anime apart from the rest and what makes it so great!

This show demands your undivided attention to details as the foreground, dialog and background images converge together to tell the story, for example, as a girl describes how everything is going perfectly with her plans and everything is coming together, the camera jumps, while she is still talking, to a painting in the background, whose imagery reveals how she is really feeling inside. And like this, questions are posed through the dialog while the answers are given with background symbols that you'll need to interpret to get the "whole picture". This type of storytelling is quite unique and masterful, and it also the reason why so many people love this anime and others just don't get it. So if you want something simple to watch then you may want to stay away from this one, but if you are willing to take a more active role watching the story, then I'm sure you'll be delighted.

The story may seem childish and light-hearted at first, that is in part to the comedy and several parodies it has, like the wacky over-the-top transformation intro of one of the main characters into some sort of magical girl, but as the story progresses you'll start to see there is a serious story to be told for each of its characters. All the symbolism makes the story feel surreal, and that is even acknowledged by some of the characters like a dream, and this is used as a tool to make more tolerable to watch the darker themes. This is definitely, despite its childhood presentation, not a story for children or at least not one that they can easily understand. The main focus of the story is the lives of children from dysfunctional families, where they have been abused by their crazy parents and the unfairness of a society that wants the children to pay for their parents' sins, despite them being victims themselves. Even so, there is a strong message of hope through the lives of those children if they manage to find the "Penguindrum".

Furthermore, I should mention that some knowledge of Japanese culture & history is necessary to completely understand the symbolism, and also that some of the events mentioned in this anime are based on real life. For this, I recommend to read the following articles (they all contain spoilers so read them at the end of the show):

• Exploring Mawaru Penguindrum (2011) from a Historical, Cultural and Literary Perspective
• Analysis of the Themes & Concepts
• An interpretation of the symbolism, including the relationships of the characters
• Video explaining the Apple Curry (yes the curry is also a symbol with meaning) and it also explores the sources of inspiration that influence this anime.
• Observations in Mawaru Penguindrum – An Explanation of the Method to the Madness.
• I should also note that the song's lyrics are also tied thematically to the story.

Decipher everything, and you'll realize this story is a hidden masterpiece!

The Animation quality is standard for 2011, but as mentioned before, what makes the visuals stand is the symbolism, the references to other animes and famous paintings like Klimt, who is also featured in the intro for Elfen Lied, for example, and a mix of several styles to tell the stories within the story. In short, the creativity of the storytelling is what sets this animation apart from other shows as part of the story is told through visuals alone.

The dub is awesome! And it does give you more time to focus on the visuals than when watching subs, so I do recommend it in the dub for this reason alone (unless you are fluent in Japanese of course). The music is good for the intros/outros and their lyrics are tied thematically to the story, detailing what's happening at times. Even the over-the-top transformation music, which I personally found obnoxious at the beginning (as I dislike pop music and despite the lyrics, this is not a Rock Band!), even that grew up on me to make it tolerable.

Not all characters are likable, but they are all interesting in their own way, thanks to their backstories which are presented through a series of flashbacks that help explain the current situation and how they got there. Their relationships to each other also form part of the symbolism and the conflict with fate, and even minor characters get their moment to shine, in fact, it seems that every character that actually has a face is important in the story (as opposed to the symbolic persons that depict the standardization of society).

Overall, this is a unique anime experience thanks to its storytelling, I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind to actively participate in analyzing the story and learning about its background. This is for those who see anime as an art-form and appreciated it as a unique medium with its own voice, separate from what a book or a movie can do. This story, after all, couldn't be told this well in any other medium. Don't miss this hidden gem!