Mawaru Penguindrum

How far will you go to bring back a loved one? How much are you willing to sacrifice to bring that person back to life? How far will you go to alter destiny and go against fate to achieve the impossible? Seems like too much trouble, eh? Life would have been one big boring existence if nothing exciting happens. That’s why sometimes fate can indeed play a very cruel prank in life. Just ask the brothers in Mawaru Penguindrum. Their sister is terminally ill and suddenly dies. But she is given a chance at life again and in exchange they are to seek the Penguindrum. If they only knew what that is. Heck, we viewers aren’t even given much detail on what it is either. And thus the wheels of fate and destiny start intertwining for them and the other characters as they do whatever it takes to keep their sister alive, no matter the cost and absurdity. Life’s more interesting that way? Or is it just their fate?

One of the main reasons for me watching this series is the penguins. The siblings received a cute penguin each as aid in their ‘mission’ after the miracle happened. Penguins are already natural cute flightless birds and seeing them doing equally cute and funny stuffs sure does ease up a lot of tension, drama and suspense that you’re going to find in here. Who could hate penguins, seriously? Well, maybe except for that one little girl in Minori Scramble. But that’s beside the point. The other reason for me watching this show? The big ‘M’ factor. That’s Mamiko Noto for you! No, she doesn’t voice one of the penguins.

Episode 1
We start off with a narration by one of the Takakura brothers why he hates the word ‘fate’ so much. He feels it’s like a cruel prank from God because you’re already set out to do what is written and have no chance in going off track. Brothers Kanba and Shouma and their younger sister Himari may have lost their parents but they are happy as a little family unit together. Himari is feeling happy at the moment and it’s something the brothers want to keep that way. Because they were being told by the doctor that there is nothing he could do to save her. Should a doctor be saying that? Aren’t doctors supposed to save lives? She needs a miracle. And doctors don’t do miracles and they’re not Gods. In this case, God must not exist, right? So the brothers take Himari to the aquarium to watch the penguins. Shouma accompanies her to the souvenir store as she puts on a penguin hat. Shouma took his eyes off his sister for a while and before he knows it, she’s missing. Reuniting with Kanba, they hear a commotion that a girl collapsed. It is Himari. She is rushed to the hospital but is pronounced dead. Kanba tries to deal with reality but Shouma didn’t like the way he put his words that made it seem it was good for Himari to be released from her pain. Suddenly Himari revives and shouts “Survival Strategy!”. This is not a joke, right? They’re not seeing things either. Actually she is not Himari. But Princess of the Crystal. Due to this fate thingy, she has prolonged Himari’s life. The penguin hat slips off her head and Himari returns to her normal self, much to the delight of the brothers. Nobody knows what this miracle was. Not even the doctor. So life resumes back to normal for the trio. They receive a package and inside are 3 penguins. Shouma rushes to school since he is late. On his way home, he notices a penguin following him and helping him out. He realizes he is the only one who can see it! Is it a ghost?! His eyes are not deceiving him when Kanba also mentions about this. Seems they can only see the penguins and they understand every word they say despite not having much dialogue themselves. Foulmouthed Crystal initiates Survival Strategy and in an elaborated, grand-scale and fancy appearance (or is it illusions?), she explains to those low lives to obtain the Penguindrum since everything has a price and that she is not their sister. Kanba could tell the hat is controlling her. Shouma is sent falling through the trapdoor while she takes out a fragment of Kanba’s heart. Or so it seems. Kanba thinks deep about the existence of God, the existence of fate and if a man is considered human if he ignores his fate and follows his instincts.

Episode 2
On the other hand, Ringo Oginome narrates how she loves fate because everything that has happened, there has to be a reason for it. Kanba and Shouma get another Survival Strategy summon and are being given directions on how to obtain Penguindrum. They’re supposed to ride a train to meet this Ringo person. It’s going to be tough seeing the train is packed. Worse, Shouma gets accused for being a molester by a ganguro girl (his penguin did it). Kanba the playboy charms her heart so she lets it slide. The brother found their target since Ringo is this ganguro girl’s friend. Kanba tells him to follow her as he has something to do. But he stops right outside her school. That’s because Ringo attends Ouka All-Girls High School. Kanba returns with a laptop and some information on Ringo. He has labelled the penguins with number for easier reference. Kanba gets penguin #1 (it’s a pervert), Shouma gets penguin #2 (big eater with bug spray) and Himari gets penguin #3 (the one with a ribbon). Kanba has #1 and #2 do their bidding. Since the penguins are invisible to the rest, they are to sneak in with two-way radio. The penguins find Ringo’s class and start searching through her desk and bag. If she only knew what’s touching her… But do they even know what Penguindrum is? The brothers continue to tail her and at the bookstore, Himari calls Shouma as she got a call from his homeroom teacher, Keiju Tabuki that he is absent. He can’t let her know what they’re doing and will call back later. The tailing reaches to yet another out-of-bound place: The lingerie shop. I guess they’re desperate to get Penguindrum so no choice they go inside. But Ringo is not shopping for lingerie. They see her going out the back and tiptoe-ing on the edge of the building! I guess it was a bad idea to send the penguins to follow her. How can fat little birds tiptoe through the thin ledge? They see Ringo taking a picture of something with her handphone and assume that picture may be what Penguindrum is. Back down on the ground, the brothers panic upon seeing Tabuki heading this way. Ringo meets up with him and shows him the picture she took: A swallow’s nest on a corner of the building’s wall. When Ringo and Tabuki part, it doesn’t end there. The brothers see Ringo secretly tailing Tabuki back to his home. So, she’s like a stalker and has feelings for Tabuki. Then they send the penguins underneath the house since this is where Ringo went. She is lying beneath the floor listening to what Tabuki listens. Wow. She’s the ultimate stalker! Then she takes out her pink diary and assures she’ll always be with him because their future is already written in this diary.

Episode 3
Ringo loves curry. It’s what bonded her family together. She looks forward to every 20^th of the month. But with mommy busy with work, looks like she’ll have to eat alone tonight. But she’s not fazed yet. She’s going to make her special curry and take Tabuki’s heart away. In another Survival Strategy summon, Shouma still doesn’t believe Crystal so she demonstrates that she could drink milk (why in a cow suit?) since Himari is lactose intolerant. Still don’t believe? Now here’s the nightmare. She takes off her hat and drops dead! Put the hat back on! So now do you believe? The brothers break into Ringo’s home. Shouma feels guilty but Kanba has to tell him straight they’re doing this for Himari. Not that Ringo is an angel herself since she’s a psycho stalker too. They search around the house but Ringo comes back. Hide! They watch her happily making her curry for Tabuki. Flashback reveals Tabuki was still a high school student and came to their house to eat curry. I guess that’s when she fell in love with him. So is the diary Penguindrum? Then she reads her diary and mentions about fate and the project has reached the next stage. The brothers follow Ringo to Tabuki’s house. Ringo fantasizes she’ll steal his heart away with her curry. But guess who answers the door when she comes knocking? Isn’t that Yuri Tokikago? That famous theatre actress? The worst possible scenario. Stalker girl runs into guy’s girlfriend. Yuri is a very nice and polite person and invites her in. Ringo is disheartened to see her making dinner for Tabuki who hasn’t come back yet. Not wanting her plan to be ruined, she sneakily switches her curry pot with Yuri’s. On her way home, she bumps into Himari and got the curry all splashed over her face. Eww… The brothers know they’re going to get it from Himari so Shouma was the unlucky one who will go in to face Himari’s wrath. However she makes tonight an exception since she has made a new friend: Ringo! Shocking, eh? The girl whom they were trying to stalk so hard has become their sister’s best friend. As they eat curry together, Kanba asks her straight if she had a plan for today. She didn’t hesitate in explaining about her plan that didn’t go well but it worked out fine since everything went as written. And that to execute fate is her reason for existence.

Episode 4
Ringo is welcomed here anytime. So it’s no surprise that Kanba wants Shouma to check her bag for Penguindrum. Why him? Well, Kanba has got some plans with another girl today… Shouma accompanies Ringo on the train ride. She mentions about her important mission to execute her destiny. Ringo starts fantasizing her ultimate fantasy with her prince charming. Wow. Nice dream. If it she could only turn it into reality. At the park, a skunk stinks her clothes so she forces Shouma to borrow his. Meeting up with Tabuki, he thinks she brought her ‘boyfriend’ but she dismisses he is just one who insists one coming to watch the birds since he is a fellow bird lover like Tabuki. Was Shouma a bird lover? Ringo continues to pin every blame on Shouma to why he stinks. Now here comes another stinking scene. Yuri is here accompanying Tabuki. Ringo’s fantasy play comes crashing down. Meanwhile Kanba meets a group of girls. Seems they once dated him and are out to get revenge by making him take responsibility for toying with their hearts. Ringo’s plans are falling apart. Whenever hers do, Yuri’s backup ‘saves’ the day. Like lunch. The crows got Ringo’s so they have Yuri’s fabulous lunch. Like taking a walk but it got backfired (Ringo got sting by her own bug trap) and Yuri ended up with Tabuki. Later Yuri tells Ringo that she knows she switched their curry pots. Her dish was lovely and this will be their little secret. You just can’t beat this lady. Time is running out and the final agenda I supposed to be a kiss by the pond. She’s summoning up her courage to jump into the pond. She didn’t expect the skunk to stink her again and sends her sinking like a rock. Too bad Tabuki and Yuri are too into each other to hear her cries. Shouma wonders if her fate is written in her diary when she sees her drowning. She laments she couldn’t follow fate and blacks out. When she wakes up, she finds herself in Tabuki’s arms. She thought Tabuki had given her CPR and is ecstatic that her destiny came true. In actual fact it was Shouma who dived in and gave that psycho girl her first kiss. Well, destiny said she got her first kiss but didn’t say from whom, right? Elsewhere, one of the jilted lovers of Kanba, Asami Kuho is being attacked as she got pushed off the escalators while heading down the subway.

Episode 5
Flashback shows when Himari’s fever worsened one stormy night, their father, Kenzan took her and ran to the hospital. Worried Kanba went after them instead of staying home. A glass flew their direction but Kenzan shielded Kanba. Though bleeding, they continue their journey to the hospital. Shouma shows his doctor the penguin hat and wonders this extraterrestrial organism is the miracle to Himari’s cure. The doctor laughs it off and believes Shouma was just trying to apply laughter is the best medicine. Masako Natsume visits her friend Asami at the hospital. She asks if she remembers anything and since she remembers seeing somebody, Masako takes out her modified slingshot and fires into her forehead! Kanba’s uncle, Ikebe talks to him about moving out but Kanba believes they will stay here in this house and look after Himari. He is confident he will come up with the money to keep this house. Ringo goes out with her father (their parents are divorced) and sees a matching handphone strap he had when they were a family. When she goes home, she is disheartened to see Tabuki and Yuri eating together at a Mont Blanc café. So much about buying the best Mont Blanc and stealing his heart. She becomes depressed and ends up walking in the rain. Only to bump into Himari and Shouma who invite her back to their home. Shouma must be getting desperate to even ask Ringo to lend her diary. To her shock, the way he said it indicates he has read its contents (which he did). Ringo explains her fate is written in that diary so Shouma explains about the penguin hat that gives Himari life and ordering them to get her diary. Ringo doesn’t buy it. Not a single bit and punches him. Then it’s Survival Strategy time. Crystal orders that b*tch to hand over her diary. Ringo doesn’t sit back quietly. She fights back by running up to her and throws away her hat! Whose fault it is now that Himari has collapsed?! Worse, the hat got stuck to a passing truck. When Kanba learns about it, he chases after it. He must be peddling the bicycle so hard to even catch up to it. He tumbles but manages to grab the hat. Amazingly, he didn’t die after getting dragged for so long… Is this what you call determination? Another flashback reveals Kenzan managed to get Himari to the hospital. He told Kanba that no storm would last forever but you can’t protect your loved ones if you just wait for it to pass. Amazingly Kanba returns with the hat. Though all messed up, it’s amazing he didn’t break any bones or got his skin scraped off! He also manages to get enough money that enables them to stay longer in this house.

Episode 6
When Kanba visits Asami, she has no clue who he is. There is a busted ball next to her on the floor. Shouma has to follow everything Ringo orders if he wants to look at her diary. He will be helping out with her mission called Project M. Does that stand for marriage? First order is for Shouma to become her donkey and carry all her belongings to Tabuki’s house. Yeah, she’s going to set base close to him. Kanba confronts his other ex-lovers, Yui and Chizuru thinking it was them who were playing the prank. They both deny so Masako snipes them from afar. They experience weird convulsions before getting knocked out. Kanba sees the same busted ball after the girls took a direct hit on their foreheads. When they wake up, they do not recognize who he is. Ringo is harassing Shouma to complete the moving. So close that when mommy comes in, she thought she was making a bold move on her ‘boyfriend’. Turns out Ringo has fever. Ringo remembers her parents got into an argument over her sister, Momoka’s death. Mummy wants to remember her forever but daddy wants to move on. This tore their family apart as Ringo learnt what fate meant and if she becomes Momoka, her parents won’t fight and they’ll be together forever. On that day when she met Tabuki, that’s when her destiny was decided and found Momoka’s diary (Tabuki and Momoka were classmates in elementary school). She believed the world’s fate was written down here and when it becomes true, everything precious to her will become eternal. She has to become Momoka. Shouma and Ringo’s mom talk. She learns he is Tabuki’s student and he learns about Momoka’s death. Shouma gets summoned for another Survival Strategy. Crystal tells him to let the perverted girl do whatever she wants so he can snatch Penguindrum. Even though Ringo is sick, she manages to trick her mom and sneak out to live under Tabuki’s house. True stalker. True psycho! She eats, bathes and sleeps just right underneath him! That desperate to be Momoka, eh? Meanwhile Masako is speaking to somebody and that everything is going according to plan. Oh. She has her own penguin called Esmeralda.

Episode 7
Not that Shouma wanted to accompany Ringo but he has to live with her underneath Tabuki’s house. Ringo is ecstatic when Tabuki gives her tickets for the play. She didn’t expect it was a play that starred Yuri, eh? The Tragedy of M… At the end, Ringo’s eyes light up once more when Tabuki suggests they go for dinner. Just the 2 of them. All right! Then he gets a message that Yuri has booked a fancy restaurant for the 3 of them. Bummer. Ringo continues to be suspicious of Yuri. She’s the kind of person who puts up a nice facade but has a black heart underneath. She might even have devoured lots of men to get to the top. Yuri is planning a little party and hopes Ringo could bring along her ‘boyfriend’. Ringo did bring Shouma along but he is to watch that black widow and keep her away from prince charming. Yuri makes an announcement that she’ll be retiring after her next play. So? Here’s the second announcement. Yuri and Tabuki are getting engaged today! She is retiring from showbiz to pursue a new beginning with the person she loves. FFFUUUU!!!!!! Ringo may be heartbroken but she isn’t giving up yet. Now she’s into black arts? That desperate, huh? Once every 16 years, a miraculous frog appears. One must allow it to spawn eggs on the back of a 16 year old boy underneath the full moon and crush it with the powder of eggs to create the ultimate elixir of love. Who would believe this crap? Ringo did. Guess who that lucky boy is? How did she persuade him to do it? “For Himari”. She knows how to play this game too. It’s getting gross, ickier, disgusting, sickening and horrible by the second! In the end… No eggs! Then another Survival Strategy summon. Crystal still wants them to obtain Penguindrum. How is it possible now that Yuri and Tabuki are engaged? Kanba realizes something. Ringo wants to do ‘stuff’ with Tabuki and he is a man, right? Get what he’s trying to say? Anyway Shouma has to do the dirty job of getting Tabuki seduced to tap Ringo. Ringo wonders why Tabuki got engaged to Yuri since whatever happens in destiny is written down here. That is, Tabuki belongs to her as far as the diary states. Thus her Project M which means Project Maternity is a mission to bear Tabuki’s child.

Episode 8
Ringo is about to begin her seducing but Tabuki isn’t in his room to begin with. Actually he got called out to fix some plumbing problem at their new condo unit. Yeah, they’re moving in together already. Another round of depression for Ringo. Tabuki’s not coming back here anymore. Kanba wants Shouma to stop going along with Ringo’s whims since she is just using him. Just snatch the diary. Himari thought they were fighting and feigns she’ll get lonesome since they’re never around and accidentally punches them. Ringo is at the aquarium and sees her father with his new family. Seeing how happy they are, she starts fantasizing that he is being slowly strangled in their clutches. Then another wild western flick how she’ll complete Project M at all cost. Just don’t take out your fantasy in public, okay? Shouma thought Ringo is over her heartbreak but she’s got another plan up her sleeve. Since Yuri is away on a tour, this means Tabuki is home alone tonight… Oh no. Shouma fears he may be doing double suicide! Ringo lets the guys taste her congratulatory cake. But it’s lace with sleeping potion! Out cold! Ringo initiates her Project M when Shouma barely having enough strength to stand, barges in. He is trying to tell her what she’s doing is wrong even if she’s trying to do what is stated in the diary. Suddenly Yuri is at the door. Seems her flight got cancelled due to the storm. The kids make a run and as they’re taking a breather, Shouma puts his foot down this time. Her heart is so pitch black than any girl he has ever known. But she too has some words for him. How far does he know about Tabuki? He may act all innocent but does he really care about Himari? Ringo will complete this mission and become Momoka. A struggle ensues and this causes the diary to fall off. By the time Ringo runs all the way down, a motorcyclist snatches and rips half of the diary. Ringo is paralyzed in shock that she didn’t see a car coming her way. Shouma dives to push her out of harm’s way but gets hit himself. That’s a beautiful body twist and turn. Oops sorry. Not funny.

Episode 9
This feels like a flashback because while the siblings are at the aquarium, they see a little girl wearing that same penguin hat. Then Himari follows #3 down the elevator. It must be pretty deep down but it’s as though she came out through a different world. She enters the library and since the book she’s looking for is not in the database, she looks for it herself and this leads her to a mysterious door that leads her to a darker annex part of the library. Man, it’s filled with endless rows of books (despite they all have the same title). She meets the head librarian, Sanetoshi Watase who agrees to help her find the book she’s looking for. But each time he stops to take out and read the book he thinks it is it, it turns out to be a chapter in Himari’s past. So we see Himari and her best friends, Hibari Isora and Hikari Utada were trying to find a suitable name for their group for an idol audition. They had silly names till Himari comes up with Triple H based on their first names. Since part of the dress was to wear matching ribbons, Himari noted that the one her mom Chiemi bought didn’t match and wants her to go buy matching ones even if it’s out of town because she promised. Himari accidentally makes the full size mirror and it crashes on Chiemi. Though she is hospitalized, it left a deep scar on her face. Himari felt guilty but Chiemi is glad she is safe because if something happens to her, she’ll never forgive herself. She looks forward to Himari and her friends to become idols. Himari told her friends to just go to the auditions themselves but they are worried for her mom and wanted to help out in making her better. I don’t know where they got this idea but to kill a carp and make her drink its blood? Lucky the teacher stopped them but Hibari and Hikari defend Himari and would like to take the blame instead. Then on the day Himari left school, that was when their friendship ended. Hibari and Hikari went on to be popular idols known as Double H and the spokesperson for the train line, Tokyo Sky Metro. If that had never happened, she would probably been up there on stage with them. She doesn’t despise them at all because they’re her true friends and continue to cheer them on. Then Sanetoshi presents Himari with the penguin hat. This is the wedding veil bestowed upon the bride of fate. Whose bride she’ll become is probably at the destination of fate. He’ll tell her the answer when she needs him again after she returns to her own world. I don’t really get the next part. Some apple, a kid before her who is supposed to be her soul mate and Himari wakes up from her sleep. Was that a dream? But she doesn’t remember anything. Himari gets a frantic call from Ringo about Shouma in an accident.

Episode 10
Shouma wakes up in hospital and amazingly his injuries are light. His siblings are relieved he is alright and Kanba attributes Ringo who called the ambulance and stayed with him the entire time. Kanba wants to know if his accident had something to do with Ringo’s item so Shouma denies and says it’s not her fault but his own. Ringo thought he would’ve told everything to his brothers and apologizes for everything. He too felt guilty for saying some mean things to her. So they’re even? She lets him know that half of her diary had been stolen. Masako disguises as a nurse to drug Shouma’s pudding and take him away. Kanba and Ringo are baffled that Shouma is missing when Kanba receives mail from Shouma’s handphone. The message states to hand over half the diary otherwise Shouma will die. There is a video to proof Shouma is in a precarious position. Ringo gives Kanba her diary and tells him what happened to the other half that led to this. But he hands it back to her and promises he will save Shouma. That’s why she needs to protect it since it was so precious to her that she couldn’t let it go to Shouma even if he followed her all this time. Kanba goes up the rooftop as mentioned in the message. The culprit has seen through his plans and this leads him to an orgel with a voice asking him if he remembers. With the cacophony messing with his head, Kanba struggles to get to the lower floors. Several items like bento and wedding cake are trying to make him jog his memories. Even an incomplete sweater that bears his name and a big heart. Meanwhile Ringo gets a call from a mysterious person to bring and drop half her diary outside. The person plays on her fears on Shouma’s life so she does so. The mysterious person takes her diary and disappears. Kanba enters a room to see Shouma tied up. The door closes and it becomes pitch black. Masako wearing night vision goggles messes around with Kanba and kisses him! Even Esmeralda did it on #1! When the lights come on, she has escaped. Masako is on the train with Esmeralda. She notes she has obtained the diary as planned and that Project M will be completed. What’s this? A kid named Mario wearing that penguin hat and is related to Masako?

Episode 11
Kanba confronts Masako in her mansion. Seems this woman is obsessed about him. She wants to know how much he loves her but to him she is just a stalker. Then she starts explaining about being a love hunter and that her match is him and vice versa. She made those foolish girls forget because they aren’t qualified to hunt him. Masako continues spewing abstract stuff but all Kanba wants is Ringo’s diary back. She can’t hand it to him because they need it too. Kanba sees Mario as Masako says even if it’s him, she’ll have to fight him for it to save Mario. After Kanba leaves, Masako notes that Kanba has not realized she only has half of the diary and needs to find out who has the other half. Shouma gets more abuse from Ringo when he teases her for giving up her diary so easily. She insists she’ll still complete Project M and that she is Momoka. Shouma points out Ringo is Ringo because pretending to be her dead sister won’t bring back what she has lost. Ringo will go ahead with her mission herself. Erm… It’s that frog again… So how does it feel like putting the frog on your own face!!! Damn it! I can’t believe she did it! So she brews that liquid from the frog and in the Ferris wheel with Tabuki, she manages to make him drink it. Woah! Violent convulsions! Was it a good idea? Suddenly her revives and declares he loves her! OMG! It worked?! IT WORKS!!! Tabuki takes her back to his condo and is about to make love to her. But she’s hesitating. She’s got her wish, so what’s her problem? Well, she really doesn’t feel like doing it and walks away. But Tabuki turns into a horny beast! Run for your life! “I love you Ringo! Ribbit”. Ribbit? Then Yuri comes back. Oh dear. Ringo tries to convince her Tabuki can no longer love another woman and to give him to her. But Yuri is playing cool. Even if she does, will she be happy? Though she says yes, Yuri thought she was in love with Shouma. Ringo falls into shock. She never realized that herself, did she? Well, I guess the effects of the elixir only lasts for one night… On the way back, she encounters Shouma and Himari. She starts abusing him and blames him for waltzing into her fate and ruin her hard work. Time for another Survival Strategy meeting. Ringo reveals on the day Momoka died, the family was eating their usual curry and she was born. Momoka was a victim of that incident and if he had never showed up, everything would have gone according to plan. Shouma admits that it’s his fault. The one who messed up her fate. On that day, he and Kanba were born and Momoka’s death was their fault.

Episode 12
Kanba comes back and he gets a phone call from Sanetoshi who tells him Himari will die again tonight. Ringo wants to know how Momoka’s death is his fault. Shouma says the perpetrators of that incident were his parents. Seems on the day the brothers were born, Kenzan and his team went to initiate their plan at the subway. Similarly when Tabuki was an elementary school kid, he was running late and supposed to meet up with Momoka at the station. However upon arrival, there was a commotion and the station was cordoned off. Seems there were many victims of the subway blast and Momoka was one of them. There was no trace of her but only her diary. To put his long story short, his parents were part of an organization that caused grievous hurt to many on that day. So long his story that Crystal almost fell asleep! She tells them since they have lost Penguindrum, the world has called forth Dark Bunnies again. Suddenly she collapses. Her final words were to tell them to find Penguindrum if they wish to save Himari’s life and escape the fate that binds them. Himari is rushed to the hospital and the hat is not working. A story-like narration about Mary had 3 little lambs (the siblings) and they were a happy unit till her treasured apple tree withered. The world became shrouded in darkness. She became depressed and the lambs’ consolation fell on death ears. A pair of dark bunnies appear to give her hope that it’s not the end yet. All she has to do is collect ashes from a torch deep in the forest of the Shrine of Goddess. Sprinkle the ashes over the tree and it will revive. However it was taboo for a human to come into contact with Goddess but the bunnies convinced her she’ll be just borrowing them. Mary did so and the tree revived. However this earns the wrath of the Goddess and as punishment, she chose the youngest lamb (Himari) as sacrifice. Why chose her? Because punishment has to be unjust. Kanba rushes to Himari’s side and tries to revive Crystal. Seems the life she took from him as ran out of juice. He would gladly transfer his life again but she says it only works once. How would you know if you don’t try? It didn’t work…

Episode 13
Sanetoshi enters the hospital with his 2 young assistants, Shirase and Souya. He claims he is a newly transferred doctor and has a serum that will bring Himari back to life. However there is a steep price to be paid. The price? If he thinks money is equivalent to his sister’s life, so be it. But can he get that insane amount? Sanetoshi asks what’s in it for him so Kanba tells him off that he just wants to be with Himari. Is that so wrong? Shouma is ridden with guilt that this is punishment for what their parents did. Nothing they could do will atone for their crimes. Flashback time. When the trio were having dinner together. A couple of police investigators come in. Ikebe calls Kanba to take a few days worth of clothes and leave the house. Staying at a hotel, they see the TV news that their house is being swamped with investigators. Their parents were prime suspects of the subway explosion. Kanba refuses to accept their parents were responsible since they’re not that kind of people despite police has been investigating them for quite some time and there is evidence that points to them. Sanetoshi injects the serum and Himari comes back to life, much to the relief of the rest. It is narrated that the Goddess didn’t revoke her punishment out of pity or mercy. If the punishment ended, there would be no fun. Now it’s Sanetoshi’s turn for his own monologue. He’s wondering about fate and all alone in the annex library till he met this girl. However she rejected to be by his side even though she was the only one who could see the same scenery with him. So he wanted to find out whether fate exists in this world and whether or not that rule governs the universe. Thus the search for Penguindrum if it really exists. Till then, return to the siblings’ side and observes what happen. While Himari is recuperating, Tokyo Sky Metro is holding a memorial anniversary for that incident. Masako learns the other party who has the other half of the diary. Ringo talks to Tabuki about the brothers. He was first shocked to learn they were students of his school because a friend of his was a victim of that incident. However Tabuki doesn’t harbour any desire for revenge since it’s not like they killed Momoka with their own hands. Ringo laments she failed to become Momoka to sooth his and her parents’ pain. But he says there are things in life that can’t be restored and is glad to have met her. For Momoka, she wished she has never found out about their parents.

Episode 14
Eh? Yuri having an affair with her co-star, Tsubasa Yuuki? But she’s a woman despite taking on a man’s role. However she got bored and dumps her. Not even moved by her threats. While speeding along the highway, she narrates no one will reach her heart as she has discarded her past. She starts crying upon knowing no one will ever need her in this world full of lies. Not even for eternity. Ringo bumps into Shouma in the streets. However Shouma is in no mood. He tells her off he can never make it up to her no matter what he does and that it just hurts to talk to her. He doesn’t want to see her anymore and they’re over. Poor Ringo is left crying in the middle of the street. She got what she deserved? Kanba gives Sanetoshi money as promised but it’s not enough due to fluctuation in market price, though he is impressed for a high school kid he managed to get this much. He promises to get the rest of the money and with a few more ampoules, Himari will be well enough to go home. Himari has finished knitting a pair of scarf for Hibari and Hikari. I don’t know what’s gotten into her so she decides to throw them away. Sanetoshi decides to pick them up. Ringo is in another round of depression and this time Tabuki isn’t the cause. She finds an unlikely saviour in Yuri as she picks her up. Kanba gets the money he needs from some guys in coats. They’re all taken out by Masako as she threatens the danger he is getting into. Even so, he will not ask her help. Masako mentions she has trained his eyes only for him and knows everything about him. She points he is madly in love with Himari but Kanba clears the air and just wants to save his precious family. Masako leaves and will seize happiness in her own way. Yuri and Ringo spend some time together at a hotspring inn. She asks about Tabuki and it seems they were classmates in elementary school. This means she also knows Momoka. Yuri views Momoka as an amazing person and notes the many traits Ringo has similar to her. Then about her marriage to Tabuki was just for show (is she kidding?) but more precisely, they’re bounded by the wheels of fate. Yuri has drugged Ringo’s drink. And when she’s out, she notes how she is a carbon copy of Momoka. OMG! Is Yuri going to rape her?! Is she into S&M play?! Yuri continues Momoka is the only person who knew all about her because in this world full of lies, nobody knows the real me and still thinks she’s beautiful. Since beauty is truth, no one loves her. Momoka was her soul mate and will do whatever it takes to see her. And that time has come again because Yuri has the other half of the diary! So she was the motorcyclist that snatched her diary? She wants Ringo to become Momoka despite knowing she’ll hate her once she sees her true self.

Episode 15
Shouma’s friend is treating him to a stay at the hotspring. But Shouma feels guilty for saying harsh words to Ringo. Just when he got a mail from her, she blames him it’s all his fault. He calls her and from the way she is saying things, he thinks she’s going to commit suicide. His friend is eavesdropping the juicy and steamy conversation next door and Shouma realizes he’s also hearing the same conversation! They’re just next door?! He rushes next door and sees Ringo sleeping peacefully. However he trips and knocks himself out on a bottle. Thanks #2 (read sarcasm). Flashback time for Yuri. She notes as long as she sees that tower (a giant building in the form of Michelangelo’s statue), she’ll never be free. Her father was a sculptor and likes beautiful things. However he didn’t mince his words to tell Yuri was ugly just like her mother. He went on to brainwash this poor kid’s mind that ugly children are loved by no one including himself. So of course Yuri will do whatever it takes to earn her daddy’s love. I guess that means getting violated to be his sculpture of perfection. Then she met Momoka who was the only person who talked to her. They talk about Ugly Duckling and Yuri believed ugly things need to endure till they become beautiful. But Momoka doesn’t find them ugly since God created this world. So when Yuri’s father finds out she made a friend, he sows more doubt into her head by telling she’s a liar and can’t be trusted. The only people she can trust are family members like him. F*ck you! Yuri tells Momoka never to talk to her again but she’s unperturbed. She calls her out because she wants to get Yuri to trust her and says she can chant a spell to change fate with this diary and transfer fate to another. She tells about how she changed a fate of a rabbit who is supposed to die and the price she paid was just a little cut on her finger. So learning that the tower is her father who is always watching her, as long as it stands she’ll never be free, she is going to make the tower disappear. But Yuri doesn’t believe her and calls her a liar since she would rather die than live without being loved. Yuri’s father has got his ultimate chisel and is moments away from turning Yuri into a masterpiece he will love eternally. Himari sees Double H on TV and notices the scarf she sewed for them. She is amazed at him. Kanba makes his full payment and wonders how he knows those idols were Himari’s friends. Well, it’s a doctor’s job to know about his patients. Masako is disguising as an inn hostess and cleaning up Yuri’s room. She hints she hates celebrities because they’re always desperate for love. That’s why they’re consumed by the desire to make up for their childhood. Masako reveals her true intention to take the other half of the diary and the women face off. Slingshot versus table tennis bat? Don’t underestimate Yuri. She can return the shots even if it’s pitch black! Eventually Yuri slips up and the diary falls into Masako’s hands as she makes her quick escape. Funny note: Why does Esmeralda need flippers to swim away? She’s a penguin for heaven’s sake! However the real half of the diary is still in Yuri’s safe hands. She tells Shouma what has happened and somebody took the bait on the fake one. She admits she was the one who stole Ringo’s diary half and needs this diary. Continuing Yuri’s flashback, when she wakes up from her father’s masterpiece, she is shocked to see the tower gone. Has the scenery changed because of Momoka’s spell? She learns Momoka suddenly busted into flames. She was hospitalized and told Yuri her father was left behind with that tower (in place of it is now Tokyo Tower) and he won’t be coming back. Yuri wonders why she went this far. It’s because she loves her a lot and that she is beautiful the way she is now. Soon Momoka disappeared after that incident. She will use the diary’s spell to transfer to another fate and bring Momoka back to this world.

Episode 16
Now for an episode focusing on Masako. When she was young, her father left the family but hopes they could live as a family once more and entrusted Mario in her care. Masako realizes the diary she got is just a replica because of Yuri’s taunting voice recorder. It exploded and almost caused a fire! She sends Renjaku, her trusted maid to continue observing the Takakura siblings. Masako narrates about her late grandpa, Sahei who built the Natsume Clan from scratch. He’s got a “Grandpa” note covered over his face? Masako inherited all that and holds the top position. See her make business decisions! Himari appreciates Sanetoshi’s kind act to give the scarves to Double H and befriends him. This doesn’t sit well with Kanba so she warns him not to badmouth the doctor. Renjaku continues to video tape Himari but it seems she got summoned for a Survival Strategy! Crystal knows she’s been spied on and lets Renjaku have a taste of her own medicine. Hey, Renjaku is quite pretty when she loosens up. Anyway she thought it was a dream. Masako remembers how she always dreams of killing grandpa with her elaborated (and hilarious) schemes only to wake up seeing him alive and stronger than ever. She fears if he is still alive, her father will not return. To Sahei, everyone is either a winner or loser and has absolute control over everything in the clan. He once burnt all their soft toys and the treasured letter from Masako’s father, whom he badmouths as an embarrassment to the clan (he couldn’t stand Sahei’s oppression and thus left). Because males can only be the heir, he will train Mario into a man worthy of carrying on the name. The training seems harsh… And perverted… That’s when Masako met Kanba and told him about her predicament and vows to crush that old geezer even if it curses her. If that’s the case, he’ll keep her company. One day, Sahei had this urge to eat his own handmade puffer fish. Being the amateur, he died eating its poison. Just like that. The strongest man who vowed never to be crushed just gone like that. And Masako didn’t even lift a finger. But even so, his death didn’t bring daddy back. To her horror, Mario starts acting like Sahei like as though he reincarnated in that kid. Or is he possessed? Mario challenges her eat a plate of puffer fish. One is done by a certified chef and the other laced with little poison. The survivor becomes the heir. Since Masako is hesitant, Mario makes his move first and believes in his luck. But Masako won’t let him and pushes him into the pond before devouring both plates! OMG! She got poisoned! I’m amazed she got enough strength and consciousness to pick up a call from Sanetoshi who is explaining the deadly effects of the puffer fish toxin. I didn’t know a single milligram could kill 5,000 mice! Masako finds herself in a train and sees Kanba mixing with a group of shady people. She wants him to stay away from them because she thinks they’ll use him and toss him aside. Sanetoshi explains they are chosen to put the world back on track by taking it back. What about the deal to save Mario? Oh, he’ll save him. Provided if she joins them as the chosen one. Masako wakes up after 3 days after hovering between life and death and miraculously didn’t die of the poison. Even though Kanba ‘went’ with them, she vows not to take that train.

Episode 17
Shouma tells Kanba Yuri has the other half of the diary. Kanba doesn’t want him to worry where he gets the money for Himari’s medicine and wants him to continue smiling. The siblings are spending time like a family like they should in the hospital room eating takoyakis (why is there a battle raging on between the penguins and the octopus?!). Himari asks their opinion of a sweater she is knitting as a thank you gift for a man. Is it ‘that guy’? I’m sure Kanba doesn’t like it but well… Then Crystal had to ruin it all with another Survival Strategy call. Wipe your mouth clean before you speak! The usual. She tells them not to waste time in getting Penguindrum but doesn’t tell them what it is. They have to get it otherwise someone whom they treasure most will suffer and get punished. Guess who? Kanba laments he can’t be the one to save Himari but Crystal believes he can do it. Yuri and Tabuki are talking about things. Yuri harbours deep hatred for the Takakura family for what they’ve done to Momoka but Tabuki has no feelings for them seeing regret and hatred won’t bring the dead back and that the children weren’t directly responsible for that incident. Of course they can’t forget about Momoka and the fun days they spent together. Tabuki knows Ringo is Ringo and can’t be Momoka. Sanetoshi narrates about humans and their own versions of truths that cause them to fight and die for it. It’s time for Himari’s medication but she has left a note she has went out shopping (because she feels so much better). She has to be back before sun down or else. What else? The brothers run around to find her. Himari is shopping at a fabric store with Ringo. She says she’s knitting sweaters for her brothers and wants her to keep it a secret. Ringo gets a call from Yuri to meet but when she mentions Himari’s name, Yuri invites her to have dinner together. Though, her irritated expression doesn’t really match her polite words. Hey! They’re even in the same store and didn’t realize it! Yuri waits in a dark car park as she imagines killing Himari. Then it’s a showdown between Yuri and Masako over the diary. One ones to bring Momoka back, the other to save Mario’s life. They trade insults (in a polite manner) and philosophies of life and since neither are going to give in, it’s face off! Woah! Yuri’s got a badass crossbow and Masako a kickass gatling gun! Fire away! At a cafe, Ringo tells Himari she can meet Yuri because she told her she is her biggest fan. Tabuki happen to be there and brings them to see Yuri. Riding the elevator to the building top, Tabuki mentions he invited them here because he wants to let them know something. He wants to show them the meaning of his life and today, shall hand down the punishment to the Takakura family.

Episode 18
Is it Tabuki’s turn for his story? Seems like it. When he was young, his mother loved people with talent and married a pianist. Oh God. Not another sicko. After Tabuki was born, she found her husband wasn’t as talented as she hoped and ditched him. Then she remarried a talented composer and had a child. It didn’t take long for Tabuki to discover his step brother is a genius so he did all he could to practice his piano but to no avail. Mommy loved his step brother more because he was more talented. Soon Tabuki found himself in an area called Child Broiler, where unwanted children are tossed away and stayed here to the point they become invisible, then vanish from society. Tabuki was resigned to his fate when Momoka busted in to save him. Despite his severed fingers he can’t play piano anymore, Momoka still loved his music. The music of his heart. Tabuki was still unconvinced seeing this way he will be free from his mom and piano. But Momoka risked injury to her hand to pull him free. She says she loves him and that he has to be himself. That’s why she doesn’t want him to be invisible. Tabuki is pulled to freedom as Momoka says this must be fate since they both have severed hands to match. In reality, Tabuki pulls Himari out of the elevator and locks Ringo in it and let her watch the punishment he is going to met and the reason why Momoka wanted him to live. He calls Kanba and wants him to bring his dad here in exchange for his sister. Kanba arrives but without Kenzan. Heck, he’s missing, right? Himari is on a tray hanged precariously on some wires. A push of the button will set the explosive off a wire and send Himari closer to her death. Kanba insists he doesn’t know where Kenzan is but Tabuki is not convinced. Ringo threatens to call the cops but Tabuki knows she’ll be doing Kanba a great disservice. Kanba pleads her not to. Tabuki knows Kanba’s secret. How he got money for Himari’s medication and has photo proofs of the shady people he met. Kanba continues to deny he knows anything so Tabuki explains how special Momoka was. If she was here, many unfortunate events would’ve been averted. Just like the incident his father was responsible. Momoka tried to stop it but couldn’t save everyone and vanished from the world while leaving him behind.

Himari is a wire away from plunging below and Kanba continues to swear he doesn’t know about Kenzan’s whereabouts. In that case, Tabuki will have him take the punishment. He is going to test how much he cares for his sister for his hand grasping the wire is the only thing that is stopping her from falling. Tabuki sets off the final explosive as Kanba clings on tightly, not caring what happens to his hand. Thankfully #1 bloated up and became a weight to help Kanba hold his ground. Seeing Kanba’s determination in not letting his hand go, Tabuki remembers Momoka. He felt like an ugly monster. Momoka tried to save him and yet he became a failure of life. When he lost Momoka, he lost the meaning of his life. Himari couldn’t bear to see Kanba suffer anymore and is prepared to jump off as she concludes her illness is incurable. She is prepared to take her father’s punishment. She jumps off, much to Kanba’s dismay. However it is Tabuki who saves her. Safely returning Himari to Kanba’s arms, Tabuki frees Ringo and whispers not to grow up to be like him. By this time, Shouma arrives (Ringo called him earlier). I guess he missed everything. But thankfully everyone is alright. Also missing this ‘interesting show’ is Yuri whom Tabuki bumps into at the bottom of the building. He notes they are a fake family using each other. Yuri slaps him. Tabuki says goodbye. Probably Yuri and Masako’s showdown ended in a draw seeing they still own each half of the diary. While the siblings huddle together, Ringo says she’ll never hate their family. Sad and painful things aren’t pointless and if that’s fate, then they must have a reason to happen. She will accept it and become stronger.

Episode 19
Despite Kanba said he doesn’t know where Kenzan is, we see him talking to his parents at a ramen shop! They’re both alive and well. Man, Kanba was strong to put up such a poker face. Kenzan praises him a job well done since it’s his duty to protect the family till they carry out the mission. He has one of his men slip Kanba the money. Tabuki has resigned and gone away. He returns his ring to Yuri. She remembers suggesting to be together as a family. This way, they’ll be with Momoka for eternity. They can pretend at first and slowly turn into a real one. But that isn’t going to happen right now so Yuri vows to bring Momoka back herself. However she needs the other half of the diary if she is to transfer fate. Ringo celebrates with the siblings over her discharge and return. Himari gives her brothers a sweater she knitted each as appreciation. Surprise? Himari sees Shouma and Ringo close enough and her heart is stirred. Later she sees Sanetoshi and thinks he released her because her disease is incurable as each time he increased to dosage of the medicine. He assures she won’t. Seeing her troubled face, he lets her spill out what’s bugging her. She feels she doesn’t belong at home anymore and wants things the way before. However he cautions if she realizes that, something precious to her will crumble. Maybe her feelings, truth or past. Later Masako sees Sanetoshi and wants him to decipher the ‘spell’ of the diary to save Mario’s life since she assumes ‘spell’ as some medication. However he tells her he’s a magician trying to put the world back on track. Masako won’t allow him to let Kanba do his bidding and will not get on that train of fate either. She leaves in a huff and Sanetoshi notes she is angry. Hopefully angry enough to burn the diary since he can’t win the game with that thing around. Masako is about to burn it but have second thoughts that the diary may be the key to save Mario’s life. Shouma and Kanba talk on the train. Shouma can’t forgive his father since because of him, many others hold a grudge towards the family. Meanwhile Himari greets a person at the door that turns out to be Masako. She lets herself in hoping to find Kanba but he’s not in. She wants to retrieve something back. Well, Kanba being the playboy I’m sure he had received countless gifts but as Masako notes, he rejected them all. So what is it that she wants returned? Love. Eh? Himari thought she has mistaken her for Kanba’s girlfriend and clarifies she is his sister. But Masako scorns her that she’s not even part of the real family. Kanba can’t come back to her if Himari continues to pretend to be his sister! She is going to make her remember with a custom-made recollection ball. Before she can fire, the brothers return. She misses and Himari runs outside. Kanba wants to know why she’s here and her answer is to take back her past and her love. Masako corners Himari outside and she missed again thanks to Kanba kicking her slingshot. Himari trips and starts to remember her true past. She was an unneeded child at the Child Broiler too. She too resigned to her fate when she heard a voice to come home with him. He assures her not to worry even though they aren’t family because they have magic. He hands her an apple and wants to share this fruit of fate. Himari is grateful and takes the apple. She now remembers that person whom she shared it with: Shouma.

Episode 20
Flashback reveals Kenzan was giving his speech to his followers about the corrupt world. They plan to cleanse this world with their Flame of Hope. The brothers come to Himari’s protection but Masako tells them this pretend family cannot go on any longer and leaves. Though life returns to normal for the siblings, Himari sees Sanetoshi and he tells her about some love story about chasing and running away. What he’s trying to tell her is that her love won’t materialize but Himari is okay with that since she won’t fall in love. Then she mentions if she is the chaser, the one being chased would refuse to give her the fruit. His reply is if the one being chased does, the game would easily end. Sanetoshi notes she wants to obtain the fruit and that a kiss isn’t enough. Kissing without the fruit makes her empty. Sanetoshi gets close to her probably trying to make us think he’s trying to kiss her. Since Himari is in a dilemma, he tells her to let her heart decide since kisses are perhaps the only real fruits. Shouma talks to Ringo. He feels he should be the one to bear the punishment and blames it on his parents though Ringo doesn’t feel it’s his fault to begin with. Shouma says Himari was chosen by him as family. Flashback time. During Kenzan’s speech with his followers to prepare the next Judgment Day (including changing their organization’s name to Kiga Group to mislead authorities), young Kanba, Masako and Mario were at the speech too. Shouma probably didn’t want to hang around that boring speech and as he wanders, sees Himari by herself on the steps. She isn’t enthusiastic about life since she’s waiting for her mom who never returned. Next time he meets her, he finds her observing an abandoned kitten. To her, those unselected will die. Shouma got this idea to take care of it till it’s adopted by someone. So they spend happy moments together raising the kitten and bonded. However due to the place’s strict policy on no pets, one day it was thrown away. Himari didn’t feel pity since she still believes the world is divided into those who are chosen and those who aren’t. After that day, Shouma never saw her again except for a goodbye note. He talks to Kenzan about the Child Broiler she is headed to. After learning the horrible truth about that place, he rushes over while reminiscing the contents of the letter in which she was happy to have met him. It was the first time waiting wasn’t painful and it felt like they were a family. Shouma busts into Child Broiler to rescue Himari and she thanks him for choosing her. So that’s how Shouma brought Himari into the Takakura family. Meanwhile Kanba sees his parents at the ramen shop. While Kenzan talks about the need to cleanse the world due to the increasing invisible children at Child Broiler, Kanba knows he needs money for Himari’s treatment and feels he is the only one who can save her.

Episode 21
A reporter approaches Ringo wanting to hear her comment about the make believe siblings and Kanba’s shady activities. However she tells him off not to publish a made up story. So Ringo talks to Himari about it and she already knows her past from Shouma. Himari explains their house is called Mika House. Just like that doll house. She wanted it so much but her parents never bought it. After they left, she cried every day so her brothers remodelled the house by painting it with bright colours down to modifying her bed and pink teddy bear to look like the real deal. However Tabuki’s words of Kanba’s shady activities still ring in her mind so that night she sneaks out to follow Kanba to that ramen shop. She remembers a reporter showing photo proof of Kanba’s suspicious activities since it is unthinkable for a high school student to afford that kind of medical treatment. Seems the source of the money is from people who are remnants of their parents’ organization. Their money is paying for her life. Kanba laments Himari isn’t getting better. Is it because he doesn’t have enough money? His parents are proud of him for doing a good job and that they are all their precious future. Once Kanba leaves, Himari enters the shop. It is dark and rundown unlike what we have seen. Then she stumbles upon something shocking. Meanwhile Sanetoshi ‘interviews’ Washizuka, Himari’s previous doctor. He asks if he believes in ghosts. A man of science, of course not. So for a certain person to see dead people, he merely believes it’s just hallucination. He sees a photo of Kenzan and his group on some Arctic expedition. He sees his old assistant of his who unfortunately became the leader of a criminal organization and died after a terrible incident. Doesn’t that person look like Sanetoshi?! Sanetoshi admits he was just inches away from succeeding till Momoka got in his way. Yes, he is a ghost! Oh shiiii! Shouma confronts Kanba about lying and the way he gets money for Himari’s treatment from the remnants. He doesn’t want to think too much about it since everything will be solved if he gets the money. Of course Shouma didn’t like it a bit and they both fight. Obviously Kanba is much better and comes out tops. He still believes all Himari needs is money and ends their relationship. How can they end their relationship as brothers? Kanba says they just happened to be born on the same day and were different from the start. Just strangers. All 3 of them. Kanba tells Shouma he can’t save Himari and to just sit back and watch him do the rescuing. Shouma goes after him but he is too late because Kanba has given orders to his men to ram a truck into the pesky reporter’s car, killing him.

Himari waits for them to return and in the mean time she remembers meeting Masako at her terrace. Masako explains she is Kanba’s real biological sister. Out of concern for Masako and Mario, he abandoned the family and everything to stay with their father’s side. Because of Himari, Kanba is in a dangerous position now. He is involved with the remnants of the organization responsible for that incident 16 years ago. Kanba is doing everything for Himari and they must stop him otherwise he will be killed. Tabuki finally finds the ramen shop he believes Kenzan is hiding. Upon entering, he is shocked to see the decomposed body of Kenzan underneath the counter. Yuri then comes in and tells him their revenge was over a long time ago. She wants him to return to their home. A remnant watching outside attacks them. When Shouma returns home, he tells Himari that Kanba has left home and to stop playing house. He thinks their family should never have existed in the first place and at this rate will end up unhappy. Himari agrees to his suggestion to go live with their uncle and packs her belongings. She thanks him for everything and returns the scarf (the thing he wrapped around her when they first met), the bond that connected them. Now that she has given it back, they’re just strangers. Shouma starts shedding tears and remembers the cruel revelation he learnt from Sanetoshi a few days ago that Himari’s days are numbered. The medicine isn’t working anymore since by using it too frequently it has build up immunity and lost its potency. But Himari doesn’t return to her uncle’s place. In fact, she joins Kanba and his organization. He is in the midst of planning with the other men on their next move to save Himari. However this is part of Himari’s plan to stop him even if it costs her life. Flashback 10 years ago when Kanba’s real father died and he met Kenzan at the funeral and became his son (both fathers were good friends). Kanba remembers his father telling he made the mistake of choosing him and has failed his family. Kanba was sad but Himari put a band aid over his face hoping it won’t hurt. At that moment that’s when he vowed to protect her.

Episode 22
Double H is outside Himari’s house but she’s not home. They’re heavily disguised so much so Ringo thought they are suspicious people. Once they take off their disguise, Ringo is surprised to see Double H in the flesh. They are here to give Himari their new CD album. Shouma returns from the police station as they have no leads on Himari’s whereabouts. He was foolish to think she would go to their uncle’s place. Ringo thinks she’s with Kanba. Indeed she is as she watches him commanding orders with his men and putting their plan in action. Kanba remembers he tried to strangle Sanetoshi when he told him Himari was going to die. However he disappeared and reappeared behind his back. Sanetoshi told him he can’t be killed. However there is a way to save Himari and that is to follow their curse. Himari hugs Kanba and doesn’t care if she dies because she realizes his feelings, sacrificed everything for her and will always be together. However Kanba is still going to burn this world to ashes because Himari is his world and will never forgive them if she dies. She tries chasing him but ends up at the aquarium once exiting the door. Realizing this is the place they first met, she thought if she had died then, Kanba wouldn’t have gone through all this. She wants to return this live which has been give to her. I’m not sure if she got her wish because it’s like as though she got shot! Then she lies on the ground, wasting he life away. Elsewhere Yuri meets Ringo. She tells her the other night when she was attacked, the attacker turned out to be Tsubasa blaming her for everything but Tabuki took the stab and is now lying in hospital. Tabuki realized the reason they were left behind. Even though they were beyond help as children, most children in this world are like them and just needed someone to tell them they were loved. Yuri returns Ringo her diary.

Masako follows Kanba and tries to persuade him to surrender because the authorities are closing on him. However he is adamant to save Himari’s life and with some cool iPhone app, he rolls in the explosive balls under the pursuers’ cars and makes them go boom! Where can I get such an app? Masako couldn’t believe her eyes the person Kanba has turned into. Kanba destroys important information from a hideout but finds himself surrounded by the authorities. Kanba escapes via underground which is a very large and complex maze. Masako continues to follow and tries to make him realize. Make him realize that she is his real sister, not Himari. That they were cursed in the past and the horrible thing their father did. He was eventually used and tossed away. She just wants him to tell her she is his precious little sister one more time like before and wouldn’t mind being cursed with him for all eternity. The authorities have also surrounded the area so Kanba drops another bomb to finish them all! At the bottom, gunshots are fired. Kanba runs up to Masako to protect her. Flashback reveals Kanba volunteered to stay behind so that Masako and Mario could be returned to the Natsume Clan. It was painful separation for Masako. Kanba lies in his pool of blood as the remnants of the organization are at a lost what to do. Masako wants them to surrender but they know they’ll never be forgiven and will be killed if they go out. They take Kanba’s body away as Masako decides to buy time for Kanba to escape. She loads up her gun, apologizing she couldn’t save Mario. Noting this curse of her clan, this world only bears fruit for the greedy. She thought her father who had thrown away everything was a beautiful person. But that beauty comes with a shadow. And that shadow was a casket. Kanba saved her and Mario from that shadow to a world lit by the sun. She will not let him die in this darkness. Gunshots are heard…

Episode 23
Flashback 16 years ago as Sanetoshi realizes he hated this world and akin people to boxes because they stay in there for the rest of their lives. So he’s getting out to destroy the world. However Momoka confronted him and will recite a spell in the diary to transfer fate. In return, he’ll seal her inside a curse. He places a half-curse that she won’t save everything. Sanetoshi too got the spell from her and she becomes the penguin hat. Two of them. As Himari is being hospitalized, Shouma learns from Washizuka that Himari has until at least tomorrow morning to leave. About Sanetoshi, he doesn’t remember who he is except he dreamt of him interviewing him (he still doesn’t believe in ghosts). He lets Shouma know he was his ex-assistant who died 16 years ago. Kanba is bent on destroying the world to save Himari. So Sanetoshi decides to show him his magic. Whisking him to Masako’s mansion whereby she is lying on her deathbed, Masako dies (from the gunshot wounds). Then Sanetoshi revives her and those around her thought it’s a miracle. Kanba is convinced that he can save Himari. Masako sees Kanba and tries to warn him not to get on that train but too late. He has left and will destroy as much as he can. Shouma talks to Himari about the time she was at the beach and felt so scared that her family went home without her. It was the first time she felt she would be found and knew her brothers would always find her no matter how far they were. It was tears of happiness. Himari wants him to stop Kanba as she feels he thinks he is all alone in this world. Suddenly the window breaks. Kanba threw #1 crashing into it? Anyway he is here to take Himari and will follow their parents’ will to bring this world back on track. Shouma won’t allow him. Kanba hugs him and shoots him in the back. Ringo remembers Yuri returned half her diary because she realized Momoka left it behind for her. Somewhere inside is a spell to transfer fate. Ringo wasn’t sure but Yuri believes when the time is right, she’ll find it. She gets a call from Kanba who wants her to bring her half of the diary and meet since he has the other half.

At the aquarium, Ringo did as she was told and tries to persuade Kanba to go visit Himari together. Yeah, they’ll go together alright. To the new world. Ringo senses something amiss because Kanba is talking via black teddy bear and that he knows about her possession of half the diary since she hasn’t told anyone about it. The one who told him was his ‘friend’. Sanetoshi pops up and mentions how relieved he is. He was afraid and had a feeling Momoka would get him again as long as that diary existed. The teddy bear explodes, knocking Ringo off her feet. Her diary catches fire. The odd part is, why is she trying to save it by putting it close to her heart? I mean, shouldn’t she be flapping or stomping to put the flames out? Is she trying to save it with love? Too bad in that case her love wasn’t strong enough has the diary turns into ashes. Sanetoshi thinks it’s good for her too seeing if she had cast the spell, the curse of the fire would’ve burnt her entire body away and be erased from the world. Meeting up with Kanba, he tells him to burn his diary half he got from Masako since he can’t touch it. Kanba does so and they board the Destiny Express. Shouma wakes up and it seems Kanba didn’t kill him. He hears the penguin hat talking to him. Isn’t that Momoka’s voice? She tells him to quickly head for Destiny Express as it will be leaving soon. He can’t miss it as the black bunny is going to destroy the world. She believes he and Kanba are the only ones who can stop this. And on that train, he will find his Penguindrum. Shirase and Souya narrate how their revenge will come true on the world that had abandoned them. Sanetoshi narrates about that box thingy called ‘self’ and how humans can’t escape them and that those boxes don’t protect them. It takes precious things away and will never gain anything inside it. Shouma manages to get on the train and confronts Kanba. He’s going to settle things once and for all. Another flashback 10 years ago when they both first met. They’re inside a caged box and don’t remember things.

Episode 24
Both the boys are starving and weak. They made a promise whoever got out of the box first will do something in the other’s stead. But Kanba noticed something at the corner of his box. It’s an apple. However Shouma had none. This means Kanba is the chosen one while Shouma accepts his fate to die. In the train, Shouma faces off with Kanba. But Sanetoshi mocks that he cannot give Kanba what he wants unlike him. Kanba will complete his mission to save Himari. Ringo manages to get on board the train in time. She has Momoka’s spell to transfer fate. Sanetoshi thinks it’s crap because the diary is burnt. On the contrary Ringo knows the most important phrase of the spell thanks to Double H. It’s in the new song named after the phrase Himari cherished most. Even if it ends up burning her, Ringo doesn’t mind and wants to save people. Things are getting abstract now because in Crystal’s world, we see Himari trying to convince Kanba to come back to her. She mentions about being punished in small doses (like the brothers’ bad habits). Because of them, she felt alive. She was able to be who she was. Kanba is in pain. Like his blood is splattering out from his body while Himari hugs him. As for Shouma, he’ll return what he shared to him that day. Their love and punishment too. Shouma rips out his heart (sort of). Gives it to Himari for her to give it to Kanba. This is what Penguindrum is. When Kanba was the only one who had the apple in the box, he gave half of his to Shouma to share the fruit of fate. “Let’s share the fruits of fate!”. That is the spell word and what Ringo shouted out for the spell transfer. In that instant, she is engulfed in flames. But Shouma takes it on her behalf and confesses he likes her before burning into oblivion. Kanba while taking Himari in her hands sacrifices himself so Himari could live before vanishing. Her heart beats again. Sanetoshi warns they will never escape the curse and will simply disappear without leaving anything behind. They’ll never happy. I don’t think he cares what he says now. Sanetoshi and Momoka meet. She says the train has left but he is confident it will come again. Even if he’s not going anywhere, she’s leaving. Goodbye. Back in reality, a crowd of people gather around unconscious Ringo and Himari. In the aftermath, Tabuki and Yuri are together. They narrate about being left behind. Even if fate steals everything, loved children will still find happiness. They were left behind to do just that. Masako regains consciousness and is glad Mario has to. She tells him the strangest dream she had that she had another brother who called her his precious sister. Himari and Ringo are still friends but have no recollection who Kanba and Shouma are. But when Himari sees a note left behind by her brothers, she can’t understand why she’s crying. Kanba and Shouma have been reverted to their child form. They’re still together talking about fate while the penguins including Esmeralda follow them.

Destiny’s Child – I’m A Survivor
Let me admit this first. I’m not the smartest guy around so when I started thinking back and trying to put and piece all the events together to make sense, I got even more confused. So in my slightly desperate attempt to understand at least the basic of what really happened, I went to this ‘wonderful’ site, The Penguindrum Station and read through some of the points and wahlah! Suddenly some of those blur parts became clear. It has almost everything possible on what you want to know about the show and I could say it’s quite comprehensive (except maybe for the episode summary part). For instance about Sanetoshi. I’m sure he had his bitter reasons in wanting to blow the world up but I just couldn’t find his connection with Momoka (despite his flashback episode) till I read this site. From what I understand, he was in love with Momoka because they both were alike but she rejected him. In the end, their different ideals made them rivals. He wanted to destroy the world, she wanted to save it. He was part of the Kiga Group responsible for that deadly incident. That’s why when Momoka tried to stop him, they placed cursed spells on each other. Momoka split into 2 penguin hats while Sanetoshi into 2 black rabbits. Thus Crystal’s true form has always been Momoka. It was also Sanetoshi who sent especially #3 to lure Himari to him and after revealing her past, he sent the penguins to the home of the Takakura siblings. Because Sanetoshi is a ghost, he can’t really have physical contact in this world and took advantage of Kanba’s love for Himari to manipulate him into planting bombs around to finish the nefarious job he couldn’t complete.

I guess overall this show is a good try but there are still several points that made me ponder. For instance, the Penguindrum. I suppose the producers want to keep viewers guessing throughout the series what the hell that Penguindrum thingy is. We are made to believe it is that diary but your guts will tell you it’s not as simple and obvious. I mean, for some unknown reasons, Crystal just doesn’t want to properly explain what Penguindrum is. It could have saved them lots of time. But thinking about it, if they can’t really remember what it was by themselves, then it defeats the purpose entirely. So why call it Penguindrum? Shouldn’t they have named it Big-Red-Apple-Fruit-Of-Destiny? That would be easier to remember, right? Instead of making the brothers go on a wild goose chase. Then if Crystal’s real identity is Momoka, the amusing part is her vulgar and blunt attitude. Unless you’re telling me Momoka has a split personality, that girl as far as I can see is a nice girl with nice words who will sacrifice herself to save others. Then comes Crystal, her first lines are to mouth off the brothers by labelling them ‘low-lives that would amount to anything’. So how can I really see the connection that Momoka and Crystal are the same entity? And what is this Survival Strategy that she wants to initiate? I wouldn’t believe it’s just discussion in her world, right? And how did Masako get Esmeralda as her penguin? How did the penguin hat end up with Mario? I guess it was that puffer fish incident and big probability it was Sanetoshi working his schemes again trying to convince Masako to destroy the diary (since he can’t do it himself and the unexpected Yuri somewhat thwarted this), hop aboard his train since her father seems to be linked with Kiga Group. But she didn’t take the bait like Kanba did. It was also never clear why Himari left school, thus Triple H materialized into Double H instead. I’m not sure if Himari keeps in touch with them frequently but to Double H as seen in the final episodes, they still consider Himari their dear friend.

The characters themselves are okay. As the episodes progress we learn more about the siblings. Basically I don’t understand what fate or curse they were bestowed upon. Not that I understand but fate must be cruel enough to try and separate the siblings. The brothers were trying so hard to save Himari and maintain as a family that it’s sad that it didn’t turn out that way in the end. I guess it wasn’t their fate. Or rather they threw away their fate so that Himari could live and in a world where they don’t exist. At least not as their teenager selves. At first when Masako appeared, I thought she was some crazy obsessed ex-lover-turned-stalker because of the way she stalks Kanba. What’s more, Kanba has got a reputation as a Playboy. She was aggressive and unyielding. Then when we find out she is his real sister, I thought her character ‘weakened’. She tried to stop Kanba but was just powerless. Just like the other side characters like Tabuki, Yuri and Ringo, once their limelight is over, it feels like they’ve been casted aside to a lesser role. Ringo was an equally desperate and crazy b*tch trying to get into the pants of Tabuki but after that failed and witnessing Tabuki’s punishment of the siblings, it’s hard to notice her presence in the remainder save for the final scenes. Even if each of them had their crazy reasons of wanting the diary to make their dream come true (something which involves bringing back Momoka), it feels the fight for the diary was like a side distraction. We see it change several hands. We see Yuri and Masako doing a gun battle over it (I wish I get to see that scene) but in the end, was it the diary that they really need? It was just a tool they think would bring them closer to achieving their dream. In the overall picture, it felt like a big war between Sanetoshi and Momoka, each trying to use their ‘pawns’ to win. It was like Sanetoshi faction (Masako and Kanba) against Momoka faction (Yuri and Shouma), don’t you think? Momoka giving those a twist of fate and Sanetoshi turning fate worse than death. Another amusing thing about these minor characters is their catchphrase. Most of them if you notice say this sentence over and over again. Well, for the early parts. For Sanetoshi, it’s “Isn’t it electrifying?”; Masako: “Gosh, I must quickly crush him/her”; Yuri: “Fabulous Max!”; Ringo: “Destiny!” (at least when she’s still head over heels over Tabuki”; Crystal: “Let’s initiate the Survival Strategy”.

But the stars of this show are the penguins. Yes, you have to agree with me on this one. They are the most amusing penguins ever and the only reason I can think of about their role in this anime is for comic relief. You see, no matter how tense the dramatic suspense is, you will definitely the penguins doing something cute and funny. Guaranteed. It’s like they’re in a different world of their own. Even in the face of danger whether the rope is going to snap and send them plunging to their death, they’re just doing something that will make you smile! It somewhat distracts you from the serious stuff and the storyline. That’s why they are so fun to watch. For example, #1 is such a pervert. Reading his porn magazines, stealing female’s lingerie and looking up a girl’s skirt. If it was a human guy, I’m sure you won’t find it cute anymore. I just can’t help laugh each time #1 cowers in fear whenever Esmeralda tries to make her advance on him and he’s not very fond of it. Yeah, she never gives up. Just like Masako’s perseverance. Even trying to pose in sexy poses won’t do the trick but she doesn’t give up. Wait. Penguin in sexy pose? I guess that #1 is more into human porn. Towards the end when Kanba becomes a terrorists, #1 forgoes his porn! Not even the temptation of the magazines could bring him back! Yeah, they can even really make this a funny scene. For #2, I thought the bug spray would be his eternal trademark but halfway through, I guess they ran out of bugs to spray, huh? And yeah, being the big glutton he is, he devours just about any food he can get his hands on. Sometimes nearly choking to death. And he still continues to stuff. Don’t you just love them? #3 isn’t as comical and does helps out more as compared to the duo. Though I just find her funny adopting a blonde wig. Penguin and wig combo? Never heard of it.

At first I thought the unique animation style and visuals were of SHAFT or at least Silver Link but once again it got me. The studio production for this series turns out to be Brains Base, the studio responsible for producing Baccano and Kurenai. Being an original anime production that is not based on any manga, I suppose that the production people did quite a fantastic job in displaying the few visual styles. You can call it crazy, you can call it plain odd or you can just call it creative. They’re just different than your typical anime that you see nowadays. For instance, every unimportant extra character is in the men or women form that you see in signs. I guess this really makes it easier for my eyes to spot where the main characters, eh? Ringo’s royal fantasy about Tabuki (and usually ends up being crushed by her arch nemesis Yuri) takes shape as a 2D cut-out cardboard play. And Crystal’s exaggerated appearance scene is filled with. Well, I don’t know what you call all those cute and funny symbols floating around and in the background. I thought this was going to be one of the mandatory scenes you’ll see in every episode because they’re repeating it for almost every episode in the first half. Once that dies down, this scene appears sparingly. Speaking of ‘mandatory scenes’, you’ll notice a few. For example, the train station turnstile which serves as an indicator of the location of the next scene. Then the flashback screen board with that screaming ringing siren in the background heralding the start of a flashback. The Slogan Of The Day that you’ll see on the screens in the Tokyo Sky Metro train hosted by Double H as they share with commuter’s today’s short animation advice of the do’s and don’t’s in life. I’m sure you can learn a lot from these little helpful bits. I guess everyone is too busy with their own stuff to be paying attention. And not forgetting the mid-intermission which shows the series’ title moving on to the next train stop each time it advances an episode. Yeah, this show is like a slow train ride to the destination. So enjoy the journey.

My favourite segment of the show is the next episode preview. Actually I am not paying to the serious narration of what is going on for the next episode. Heck, I don’t even know or understand if it has something to do with the next episode. If it does, I’m sure it must be subtle. What I am amused in this segment is the animation of the penguin trio. We see them in a certain location while they do funny things that will tickle your funny bone. Like they always have. That location will appear somewhere in the next episode. So it is always fun trying to spot that location when watching the next episode. It always made me go, “Hey! Wasn’t that the place those penguins were fooling around at?”. Yeah, fun indeed. After this segment, the episode ends with an end card illustration. All of them are drawn by Lily Hoshino, a renowned BL manga artist who designed the characters for this series. Also in this segment we get to hear Crystal’s short Survival Strategy line. They can range from funny to serious. For instance, “Survival Strategy, in progress”, “Survival Strategy, it’s too revealing”, “Survival Strategy, might as well be hanged for a penguin as a chicken”, “Survival Strategy, Playboy” and “Survival Strategy, there’s no turning back”.

I guess the voice acting is not bad. Newbie Arakawa takes on the role as Himari and Crystal and did well respectively to bring out the opposing personalities of both characters. Subaru Kimura (Gian in the Doraemon movies) as the voice of Kanba, I thought he sounded a little too mature to sound like a high school kid. He sounded like a young adult but if he didn’t, it wouldn’t have made Kanba sounded like a serious and experienced person. It’s just coincidence that Ryohei Kimura as Shouma (Kodaka in Boku Wa Tomodachi Ga Sukunai, Chihiro in Sankarea) had the same surname as Subaru Kimura. But unlike the characters they play, they aren’t blood related. Yui Horie as Masako isn’t in her typical sweet girl roles like Kotori in Da Capo or Tooru of Fruits Basket. Initially the way she sounded reminded me of Papa No Iukoto Wo Kikinasai’s Raika because of the lack of emotion she puts into her character. Subsequently after her real connection with Kanba is revealed, Masako displays slightly more emotions in her voice, albeit they are of worrisome and troubled tone. I’m getting a feeling Aki Toyosaki is moving away from stereotypical voice roles because recently I’ve been hearing her other than ditzy airhead girls. So as Momoka, she sounds more intellect just like her other roles as Nako in Hanasaku Iroha and Aoi Kunieda in Beelzebub. Other casts include Marie Miyake as Ringo (Ami Kirino in Acchi Kocchi), my favourite Mamiko Noto as Yuri (Enma Ai of Jigoku Shoujo), Akira Ishida as Tabuki (Hakkai in Gensoumaden Saiyuki), Yutaka Koizumi as Sanetoshi (Satou in NHK Ni Youkoso), Romi Paku as Tsubasa (Edward in Fullmetal Alchemist), Mai Nakahara as Renjaku (Mai in Mai-HiME), Takehito Koyasu as Kenzan (Kururu in Keroro Gunsou) and Kikuko Inoue as Chiemi (Belldandy in Aa! Megami-sama).

Both the opening themes are sung by Etsuko Yakushimaru Metropolitan Orchestra. However for the first opening theme, Nornir, the odd part is that the lead singer doesn’t feel like she’s singing. From what I can hear, she is somewhat whispering! Either that or she has a sore throat that makes her unable to say her words any louder or just tired and forcing herself to sing. I’m not saying that I couldn’t hear what she sings but you might need to strain your ears to listen to what she says considering the dramatic pop music almost drowns out her voice. The second opening theme, Shounen Yo Ware Ni Kaere doesn’t fare better and it sounds almost similar in terms of her voice volume and the tune of the song. The first half of the series has a fixed ending theme, Dear Future by Coaltars Of The Deep. Again, I thought the voices of the singers are too soft and are being drowned out by the heavy electric guitar riff (which I suppose is the catchy part of the song). I also thought the way they ‘sing’ felt somewhat like a chant. Of course there is Yui Horie version of this song and it sounds clearer and cuter without the electric guitar and it almost sounds like a Chinese piece. But I prefer the one with the electric guitar. Come the second half of the series, it seems that almost every episode has got a new ending piece despite the animation being the same. They are all sung by the seiyuus of Triple H. Ash Grey Wednesday is a slow and sad piano driven piece, Bad News Kuroi Yokan initially starts off with a slow and depressing pace before turning into pop (the whistling reminds me of a Mexican standoff). Asa No Kageri No Naka De is also a slow piece. Changing the pace is Ikare Chimatta Ze, which is a lively and crazy rock n roll piece. The rest of the other tunes, Hide And Seek, Private Girl, Tamashi Kogashite and HEROES ~Eiyuu Tachi, feel like anime idol rock pop. There are also a few insert songs done by Triple H. The catchiest one has to be Rock Over Japan, Crystal’s lengthy appearance scene. Sometimes it makes you want to sing along as well. Breaking the stranglehold on Triple H’s songs, Yuri’s The Tragedy Of M is the insert song for her play of the same name.

Though its name was never mentioned, I believe the horrible incident that happened in this anime is based on the infamous sarin gas attacks in Tokyo’s subway stations by the Aum Shinrikyo Sect. There are several other indications in this anime to indicate it might be this and one of them being the number 95. You’ll see this number quite frequent in certain episodes and that number is the year 1995 whereby the attacks happened. This anime was made in 2011 so it is 16 years after the event. Other than this, I thought this show also parallels to the Liverpool Fab Four, The Beatles. Like Ringo’s name is coincidentally similar Ringo Starr (although Ringo in Japanese means apple while Momoka is peach), there is an Octopus Garden in Ringo’s bedroom (Octopus Garden is a song by The Beatles sung by Ringo Starr) and there is even a line in Rock Over Japan that speaks of John Lennon’s assassination in New York on that cold night! And what about Crystal’s yell of “Imagine!” when her appearance scene completes?

The other thing I think this show is trying to highlight is about abandoned children and bad parenting could lead to irreversible damage to a child’s future. As we can see, there are so many unwanted children just waiting to ‘disappear’. What does this tell us about society? If so many children were being sent to the Child Broiler, don’t you think the human population would have been dwindled? And they say children are our future. I just can’t comprehend how such irresponsible and selfish adults would just toss away an innocent child without even batting an eyelid. Have they no conscious? They were once a child too, right? So it’s no surprise that when these children who survived from ‘disappearing’, they’ll be traumatized and turn into future psychotics? You reap what you sew. The world becomes an even more dangerous place and the vicious cycle repeats itself. Then about those who are chosen and those who are not, I’m not sure about the selection criteria but it doesn’t look like it’s sticking with the survival of the strongest and fittest. Such selection indicates that if you are chosen, you win while it is definite doom for others. No two ways about it. This creates unfairness and unjust. Those not chosen will definitely ask “Why not me?” and feel left out, no chance of trying to show why they deserve to stay.

So this fate and destiny thingy is really up to you to believe in. Some prefer to leave it in the hands of God while others would prefer to carve out their own path with their own hands. Thus if you think about it that if our life has been pre-determined and planned from the very start, what is the meaning of life itself? It’s like as though fate is laughing at us if we try to change it but fail miserably. But if you are really given a chance to alter and change your fate, would you not take this opportunity? Though it is interesting that one can transfer fate but doing so surely must have its repercussions. You can’t flood a parched place without turning some other place into a dry desert, right? Maybe that’s why in reality the 1995 Tokyo subway attacks weren’t as fatal because of Momoka? Tokyo Tower is in now place of a weird statue? Who knows? I wasn’t there in that alternate dimension when it happened. So can I break out of this box of being an otaku or has my fate long been sealed?