I went into the series without any expectations. I have not seen Utena, so I had no idea what to expect. The first episode is going on, it's good, enjoyable and then... all of a sudden... out of nowhere... SURVIVAL STRATEGY. As I sat there dumbfounded at the proceeding scene I knew at that moment I stumbled upon something special.
The anime itself is full of twists. However, at the core the story is about two brother (Kamba and Shouma) who get contracted to find something called the Penguindrum by a penguin hat who is possessing, and giving the power of life to their recently deceased (now alive) sister, Himari. But, the anime turns out to be much more complex as more and more people are after what the brothers want. As the story goes on the characters learn more about those around them, and themselves.
It's psychological, the anime will make you think, sometimes about the themes the anime is putting out and other times it just messes up your mind. Don't assume you know anything about what's really going on, you'll be surprised.
Character development is done in a great deal through flash backs, which sometimes take up a majority of an episode. Character past is extremely important in this series and the reveal of each characters backstory is placed in a perfect spot to make the viewer gasp in amazement. Instantly your perception of a character or a situation can drastically change.
The characters themselves are varied and enjoyable. Personally I really like Ringo, she's kinda creepy (ok very creepy) at the start, but she just becomes that girl you root for. There's a pink haired guy who is "Fabulous Max". As you learn more about each character you understand more about the situation and the entirety of the show.
The art work is very impressive. I'm not sure if I'm alone on this, but I'm wondering if they were budget stricken since they do pull a few obvious money saving tracks like reuse of animation, NPC characters just an outline, like an entire episode done with paper drawings (the Kare Kano adaptation did the same thing... but that was under even more problems). Even so, I have no complaints about anything. The animation is all crisp and really have a type of artistic flair you don't see in a lot of animes. If you enjoyed Bakemonogatari's art style you'll enjoy Penguindrums.
The OPs are generally very similar to each other. I'd say the feel of them really fit into how the show feels. However, the real champion of the music is Rock Over Japan...the song that plays during the Survival Strategy segment. It simply glues you to the screen.
In the end Mawaru Penguindrum delivers on every level you could have asked, and then some. Listen, you low-lives who will never amount to anything, watch Mawaru Penguindrum.
Now, let us initiate the Survival Strategy.
