Story: The Takakura Siblings, Shōma, Kanba and Himari live together in a doll-house like home. When they hear that Himari doesn't have much time to live, the two brothers decide to take her to the aquarium where Shoma gets her something that will change their lives forever. Suddenly, Himari collapses and dies as they take her to the hospital. Just when they think all hope is lost, the penguin hat actually revives Himari letting her live again. The catch though? The Penguin Spirit wants the two brothers to search for something called "The Penguin Drum", in order to make her resurrection permanent. Their first clue of finding it is to follow a girl named Ringo Oginome who holds a diary that can predict the future. From their the three siblings go through a quest of fate, destiny, and hidden agendas in order to save Himari.
Now after hearing the premise your first thought would be that it sounds.......weird. And, yeah. It IS weird. I haven't even brought up the little Penguin servants that each Takakura receives through some package. But what really makes this show shine is despite all the weirdness it has, there's still has a lot of realism to it. Like you can identify or at least understand what all the characters have to go through over the course of the show, learning their back stories and their motives. And their told through countless flashbacks for each episode which could use some getting use to at first. But you quickly don't mind cause with each flashback, you learn something new about that character and understand them a lot more. That and this series is full to the brim of symbolism. Whether it be real life, Biblical, or even Taoism, it's executed in a smart and subtle way. Plus, it really has that message saying "You will always go through hard times, whether you like it or not." Or how the series would call it "Punishment". Happier times won't always come when you want them too, and when they do, they usually don't come the way you wanted them too at first. But the best you can do is come to terms with it, in order to be happy. Though if theirs one flaw I could point out with the story is that it can get confusing at times. Not that they're any plot holes (or at least none I could find) but it's filled to the brim with so much symbolism, and juggles a lot of subplots together, that I can see this getting confusing for some people. Believe me, it was like that for me at first. And that especially goes to the ending with while I still found it fantastic, it does take a second viewing to fully understand it. Provided you enjoyed it the first time. But aside from that, this is a magnificent piece of writing.
Animation: Astonishing visuals. The studio Brain's Base, they need to do more shows. Each episode always has something beautiful to look at. Whether it be the backgrounds, the subway scenes, flashbacks, or each time the siblings have a "Survival Tactic". This is similar to the famous stairway scene from it's sister show, Revolutionary Girl Utena. But you quickly won't mind cause it's beautifully animated and has a great song to go along with it. And then they're the character designs, which has your typical anime style, but it never feels too generic and has it's own identity to it. The Utena influence really does shine here.
Sound: One of the best soundtracks I've ever heard. I sometimes think I'm listening to classical music. Of the two opening themes, the second has to be my favorite. It's both soothing and exciting to listen too and it gives you an idea of what the shows like. But the same can be said with the first one as well. The ending song is also good which would sometimes has some unique rendition. As for the second half of the show, it would usually have a random song by the fictitious band Triple H. Which complements the show very well.
Characters: Aside from the story, this is what defines Penguindrum. This is one of the most well written and developed character casts I've ever seen. The Takakura Siblings have to be my favorite anime trio of all time, with Shoma being my favorite of them. Mainly cause I can see a lot of myself in him. There's also Himari, who's just so lovable and you do want her to end up okay at the end. Kanba also has a lot to like in him. At first glance he's a ladies man but you learn that he's serious and determine to find what will keep his sister alive. You really get the sense that these are true loving siblings to each other. But they're just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the other characters. I'm being bold when I say this, but Ringo Oginome has perhaps the best character development I've ever seen. At first glance, she's very disturbed and can be very grating (Even if you get an idea why she is the way she is) but she slowly becomes someone you'll truly care for. There's also the little penguin assistants, who are kinda like the Minions from Despicable Me. In which they're usually seen in the background doing their own thing and acting goofy, but have their moments when they contribute to the plot. Their are other characters like Masako Natsume, Keiju Tabuki, and Yuri Tokikago who at first are just characters that the main ones would some times have to deal with, but when their back stories are revealed, they can be just as memorable and endearing as the main cast.
Enjoyment: This show can get really though-provoking when it wants to be. With all it's symbolism and constant catchphrases, each episode will have you guessing and make you want to see what happens next. Making you feel various emotions, have you look at life in a different way, and leave you with a little burst of life you may have never felt before.
Overall: In my opinion, Mawaru Penguindrum is truly one of a kind. Where most anime series would share a lot of similar story elements and character archetypes with each other, there is only one Penguindrum. It's story is fantastic, it's character development is some of the best you'll see, and it's something that will really make your mind think. If you're a fan of Revolutionary Girl Utena, then this is truly for you. And if you're able to see it how Kunihiko Ikuhara views it, you'll be left with a beautiful masterpiece.
