Today’s Slogan: The Role of Double H in Mawaru Penguindrum, Episodes 19 through 24

"Let us share the fruit of fate!" source: pixiv

Now that Mawaru Penguindrum is finished, the characters were who we thought they were (or were not), and the symbolism-heavy ending has everyone loving or denouncing the series with all of their heart, it’s time to make good on a promise. Here are some interpretations of Double H’s train slogans from episodes 19 through 24.

Today’s Slogan: The Role of Double H in Mawaru Penguindrum, Episodes 13 through 18

"Gogai, gogai, gogai!" source: pixiv

Today’s Slogan: The Role of Double H in Mawaru Penguindrum, Episodes Seven through 12

Like Himari, sometimes we need a little help figuring things out. That's where Double H comes in! source: zerochan

This next series of episodes, specifically Episode Nine, mark a tonal shift in Mawaru Penguindrum‘s presentation. Much of this is owed to the closing of Ringo’s story arc. As we discover just exactly what Ringo’s been up to, it leads us into a whole other universe of speculation and conflict involving the Takakura and Oginome family pasts, and a certain horrific event in Japanese history.

Today’s Slogan: The Role of Double H in Mawaru Penguindrum, Episodes One through Six

Mawaru Penguindrum's "Shadow Girls," the idol group, Double H. source: pixiv

“What’re you gonna do when you graduate?
I’m going to high school, of course.
No, I mean in your future.
Haven’t decided yet.
I wanna be an actress.
Do you really believe you can pull that off?”

-”The Shadow Girls,” Revolutionary Girl Utena, Episode 39

One of the signature elements of Kunihiko Ikuhara’s direction is the borrowing or adopting of classic stage elements and putting them to work within his series, giving the audience a grander presentation of the story. One of these key elements is the idea of a Greek chorus: an informed perspective on the story being told that often hints to overall thematic elements presented in the performed piece.

Colloquium: “The Kiss” in Mawaru Penguindrum Episode 5

"I want to remain as Daddy's precious treasure, for now."

ajthefourth: One of the most enjoyable things that this current season’s series Mawaru Penguindrum brings to the table is its style.  From the opening moments of the first episode at Himari’s bedside, to the explosion of energy and attitude that is the “Rock Over Japan” transformation sequence, Penguindrum slickly bombards its audience with style.  Behind this presentation lie various allusions to art, literature, religion, philosophy, and various other thematic elements that tie in with the story.  It’s not necessary to know all of these to enjoy the series, but for people like me and my blogging partner, it allows us to geek out at the various references.  A prime example is the use of painter Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” as shown in a scene from the series above and, since there was no new episode this past week, we’re going to share some of that geekery with you.