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.
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 Penguindrum's 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".1
Penguindrum was inspired by Japanese classical book Night on the Galactic Railroad by Kenji Miyazawa.2
Main article: List of Penguindrum episodes
The production of the series was announced in February 2011 in the magazine Kera,3 before being formalized in April of the same year.4 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, 2011.5 Eight DVDs and Blu-ray box sets were released between October 2011 and May 2012.6
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" (ノルニル, Noruniru), is used for episodes 1–14, and "Boys, Come Back to Me" (少年よ我に帰れ, Shōnen yo Ware ni Kaere) 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" (灰色の水曜日, Hai-iro no Suiyōbi) is used for episodes 13, 15 and 18; "Bad News (Kuroi Yokan)" (Bad News (黒い予感)) for episodes 14 and 17; and "Ikarechimattaze!!" (イカレちまったぜ!!) for episode 16, "Hide and Seek" for episode 19, "Private Girl" for episode 20, "Tamashii Kogashite" (魂こがして, "Scorching Soul") for episode 21 and "Heroes ~Eiyū-tachi~" (HEROES ~英雄たち~) for episode 23.789
A two-part compilation film produced by Lapin Track titled Re:cycle of Penguindrum premiered in 2022, with the first part premiering on April 29, and the second part on July 22.10111213 Sentai Filmworks screened both films at Anime Boston 2023,14 and released them on Blu-ray (with an English dub) on July 4 of the same year.15
Almost two years after the premiere of the anime series, a manga adaptation by Isuzu Shibata began serialization in the monthly magazine Comic Birz on May 30, 2013.161718 The manga ended serialization on January 30, 2017.19 The first volume was released on September 24, 2014, and the fifth and last one on April 24, 2017.2021 It was licensed for an English release by the Seven Seas Entertainment and published between 2019 and 2021.22
Penguindrum was part of the Jury Selections at the 15th Japan Media Arts Festival in the Animation category in 2011.23 The series was nominated for the 43rd Seiun Award in the Best Media category in 2012.24 In 2019, Polygon named Penguindrum as one of the best anime series of the 2010s.25
Marino Carvalho, Vinicius (January 26, 2022). "What Penguindrum Can Teach Us About Extremism". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 26, 2022. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2022-01-26/what-penguindrum-can-teach-us-about-extremism/.176237 ↩
Loo, Egan (February 16, 2011). "Utena's Kunihiko Ikuhara to Direct New TV Anime in 2011". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-02-16/utena-kunihiko-ikuhara-to-direct-new-tv-anime-in-2011 ↩
Loo, Egan (April 5, 2011). "Utena's Ikuhara Reveals 2011 Mawaru PenguinDrum Work (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-04-05/utena-ikuhara-reveals-2011-mawaru-penguindrum-work ↩
Loo, Egan (May 18, 2011). "Mawaru PenguinDrum by Utena's Ikuhara to Air in July". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2022. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-05-18/mawaru-penguindrum-by-utena-ikuhara-to-air-in-july ↩
Sherman, Jennifer (September 1, 2011). "Mawaru Penguindrum Anime BDs/DVDs Delayed 1 Month". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2022. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-09-01/mawaru-penguindrum-anime-bds/dvds-delayed-1-month ↩
"輪るピングドラム | Goods | CD". penguindrum.jp. Retrieved January 8, 2023. http://penguindrum.jp/cd/ ↩
"今再注目を浴びる人気アニメ「輪るピングドラム」(2011年放送)とは!?あらすじや登場人物、作者について紹介!キーワードは生存戦略⁉". Culcolle (in Japanese). June 23, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2023. https://culcolle.online/blogs/news/pgd01 ↩
"トリプルHの歌詞一覧リスト - 歌ネット". Uta-net. Retrieved January 8, 2023. https://www.uta-net.com/artist/12452/ ↩
Loo, Egan (March 31, 2021). "Kunihiko Ikuhara's Penguindrum TV Anime Gets Compilation Film Project". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-03-31/kunihiko-ikuhara-penguindrum-tv-anime-gets-compilation-film-project/.171327 ↩
Loo, Egan (July 7, 2021). "Penguindrum Anime Compilation Project Will Be 2 Films in 2022". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-07-07/penguindrum-anime-compilation-project-will-be-2-films-in-2022/.174900 ↩
Loo, Egan (December 22, 2021). "1st Penguindrum Compilation Film's Teaser Unveils More Staff, Returning Cast, Title, April 29 Opening". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-12-22/1st-penguindrum-compilation-film-teaser-unveils-more-staff-returning-cast-title-april-29-opening/.180902 ↩
Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 29, 2022). "2nd Penguindrum Compilation Film Unveils Title, July 22 Opening". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-04-29/2nd-penguindrum-compilation-film-unveils-title-july-22-opening/.185133 ↩
Mateo, Alex (March 27, 2023). "Anime Boston Screens N. American Premiere of Oshi no Ko Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 28, 2023. HIDIVE will also show advanced screenings of the Tsurune The Movie: The First Shot and Re:cycle of the Penguindrum anime films at the event on April 7–8. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-03-27/anime-boston-screens-n-american-premiere-of-oshi-no-ko-anime/.196503 ↩
"SENTAI FILMWORKS JULY 2023 SOLICITATIONS: SEE WHAT'S NEW THIS SUMMER!". Sentai Filmworks. April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023. https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/a/news/sentai-filmworks-july-2023-solicitations-see-whats-new-this-summer ↩
"バーズで生存戦略!「輪るピングドラム」マンガ連載始動". Natalie. Natasha, Inc. May 30, 2013. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017. http://natalie.mu/comic/news/91705 ↩
Loo, Egan (January 30, 2013). "Penguindrum Anime Inspires Manga Almost 2 Years Later". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 10, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2017. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-01-30/penguindrum-anime-inspires-manga-almost-2-years-later ↩
Yomimaid (September 21, 2014). "First Volume Of "Mawaru Penguindrum" Manga To Be Released Soon". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017. http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/09/21/first-volume-of-mawaru-penguindrum-manga-to-be-released-soon ↩
Sherman, Jennifer (December 27, 2016). "Isuzu Shibata's Mawaru Penguindrum Manga Ends in January". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-12-27/isuzu-shibata-mawaru-penguindrum-manga-ends-in-january/.110385 ↩
柴田, 五十鈴; イクニチャウダ, ー (September 24, 2014). 輪るピングドラム. 東京; 東京: 幻冬舎. ISBN 9784344831926. 9784344831926 ↩
柴田, 五十鈴; イクニチャウダ, ー (April 24, 2017). 輪るピングドラム. 東京; 東京: 幻冬舎. ISBN 9784344839748. 9784344839748 ↩
"Penguindrum". Seven Seas Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022. https://sevenseasentertainment.com/series/penguindrum-manga/ ↩
"Mawaru-Penguindrum | Jury Selections | Animation Division | 2011 [15th] Japan Media Arts Festival Archive". Japan Media Arts Festival. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220203203920/http://archive.j-mediaarts.jp/en/festival/2011/animation/works/15anj_mawaru-penguindrum/ ↩
"星雲賞受賞作・参考候補作一覧1-52回|文学賞の世界". prizesworld.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022. https://prizesworld.com/prizes/sf/siun.htm ↩
"The best anime of the decade". Polygon. November 6, 2019. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2019. https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/6/20948241/best-new-anime-of-the-decade-2010s ↩