Re:cycle of the Penguindrum

Fate... Belonging... Love... these are all things Mawaru Penguindrum addresses, and it does so expertly, albeit in not the most easily digestible manner. Penguindrum is an incredibly deep and complex series. It makes heavy use of symbolism and metaphors that are not easily noticeable nor understood. If one makes an effort to try and understand it, Mawaru Penguindrum is an exceptionally impactful series. This effort to try and understand Mawaru Penguindrum will likely require more than one watch of the series-- and this is where Re:cycle of the Penguindrum comes into play. Before I begin the review proper, I wish to express that I DO ... NOT recommend this for first time viewers of the Mawaru Penguindrum series.

Re:cycle of the Penguindrum is an abridged version of the main series that features many of the same events with a few new scenes added. There are also a few new insert songs added that are totally worth listening to! This being said, many scenes are also absent that are necessary to fully enjoy what this series has to offer. With this in mind, I recommend Re:cycle of the Penguindrum to people who fall into one the following categories:

- Watched the original Mawaru Penguindrum but did not understand it, and want to try again without dedicating time to a full 24 episode series
- Have already watched Mawaru Penguindrum a long time ago and want a (comparatively) quick refresher of the series
- Loved the original series and want to see new scenes (mostly featuring a character by the name of Momoka) and/or listen to the new insert songs

Re:cycle of Penguindrum features the same marvelous yet perplexing story as the original that is very much worth experiencing; with the characters tying it all together. The art and sound direction are on par as well. Re:cycle of the Penguindrum is a useful tool for those who wish to understand this series better or need a refresher; and combined with online explanations, it will make it possible. But PLEASE, DO NOT use this as an introduction to Mawaru Penguindrum-- watch the original series instead.

This is the end of the review proper, but if you want to know why I feel this way about Re:cycle of the Penguindrum, please continue reading to see my personal experience.

I watched the original Mawaru Penguindrum in the Spring of 2021 and I thought it was boring, and did not understand what the series was trying to convey. I scored the original series a 6. It left a lasting impression on me, however, and remained on my mind. A couple years later, Re:cycle of the Penguindrum was announced, and during Fall of 2023 I had the chance to watch it. Re:cycle of the Penguindrum refreshed my mind on the series and completely reinvigorated my interest. After completing it, I promptly did extensive research into the symbolism and the inner workings of the series. A month after watching Re:cycle of the Penguindrum, I decided to re-watch the original Mawaru Penguindrum with my newfound knowledge and appreciation for the series. This re-watch was one of the most satisfying watches of my anime-watching career, and it earned Mawaru Penguindrum a hefty score promotion-- up to a 10. If you find yourself in the same boat, please give this series another chance. It will be worth it.

"I love the word "fate." I believe that I'm never alone."
Now... let's begin this rail of fate and all watch Penguindrum, shall we?

If you're thinking about using this as an introduction to Penguindrum: don't.
These movies are, by necessity, an incredibly abridged version of the Penguindrum story. They took out a lot of the worst parts about the show, but they also took out a lot of the best parts as well. Part of the fun of Penguindrum is the slow descent into the story and detailed build-up followed by the satisfying pay-off, but these movies go at an absolutely breakneck speed the entire way through. It does not give the viewer room to ponder the questions which the story presents, before either shifting to an entirely ... different scene or immediately answering the question that was presented. If you want to watch it as an introduction, it will make almost as much sense as the original (which, to be clear, is not much!) however you will miss out on a lot of the emotional payoff of the show's format.

That being said, if you have seen Penguindrum in the past and want to re-watch some of the best moments of it without watching the entirety of the show again, the Penguindrum movie is for you. Some scenes are shifted around from the original, and there is a bit of added content, but at its core, it is mostly the same. Unfortunately it does not expand much on the source material, since so much of the movie is just a rehash of the original show with less emotional impact.

TL/DR: It is an inferior, but a lot faster, experience to the original show, overall.

As another reviewer said, if you've never seen Mawaru Penguindrum and are thinking about watching these movies to find out what it's all about, don't do that. They move so quickly through the plot points of the series that it's difficult to keep track of what's going on, who the various characters are, or how in the world they relate to the other characters. It gets particularly bad in the second movie. I will need to go rewatch the series to remind myself of exactly what's going on.

Also, by watching the movies first, you miss out on what is (in my opinion) the best part ... of the show: the repeated instances of Himari's over-the-top and absolutely delightful transformation sequence and bop of a song, followed by her brothers perplexed and panicked reactions to [redacted].

All that being said, I've been waiting to find an English sub of these films ever since they finished airing in Japan, and the experience did not disappoint. It was fun to revisit the characters and the crazy story (which is crazy and difficult to follow in even the series. Let's be honest: Ikuhara isn't exactly known for straightforward, linear stories). The penguins were still cute. The art was still lovely. But at a certain point I had to give up on trying to understand everything and just enjoy getting swept away by the spectacle.

tl;dr If you've never seen Mawaru Penguindrum, do yourself a favor and watch that first. Then, if you want more, watch the movies later on. You'll get a lot of repeats of the content, since this isn't an entirely new experience like Adolescence of Utena, but a summary movie with some new content, more along the lines of End of Evangelion. But if you're a completionist or just really love Penguindrum, this is worth your time.