Incredible episode. So many twists I didn't see coming.

Questions addressed this episode (21)...

- Who is Sanetoshi?  What is the project, begun by the Takakura adults, that Sanetoshi wants to finish?
- Where is Momoka?  What exactly happened on the day of the sarin attack?

[If we take this episode at its word, Sanetoshi is a former medical research assistant who joined Kiga and gained a high leadership position.  He was directly involved with the attack, which -- even though it was catastrophic -- somehow failed to achieve its unidentified intended ends because of Momoka's intervention.  This is the project he wants to finish.  He is also probably dead, but that doesn't seem to be stopping him.]

- Where did Tabuki go?

[He stayed on the trail of the Takakura adults, who he still wants vengeance on.  He seemed relieved to discover that Kenzan is already dead.  Then someone got stabbed; it's probably Tabuki, since his character doesn't have any more conflicts outstanding.]

- How is Kanba making money -- is he doing anything, or just taking it from the Takakuras' organization?

[It's not clear whether Kanba has been doing anything specific, but the money seems to be for the purpose of making him dependent on Kiga and its agenda.]

- What is Pingcorp?

[Kiga, formerly Pingcorp, seems to have passed from the Natsumes' hands into the Takakuras' in the past.  But it can't be Takakuras' organization anymore -- or at least not Kenzan's.  It might be Kanba's own, it might be Sanetoshi's, or it might be Ms. Takakura's if she's still alive.]

- Are Kanba and Himari related?  Kanba and Shouma?  Are the Takakura adults related to any of their three wards?  What about Ringo?

[Our best understanding is still that Kanba is a biological Natsume, Shouma a Takakura, and Himari someone else.  But Kanba's father's last words cast doubt on whether Kanba is really a Natsume, and we still have no idea where Himari came from.  The idea that they might all still be biological siblings is not yet categorically ruled out.]

A note on the title.  The title of the episode is 僕たちが選ぶ運命のドア, "bokutachi ga erabu unmei no doa," which is translated as "The Door of Fate We Chose."  The translation is correct but ambiguous; I misunderstood it and thought we chose a door of fate.  In fact, what we chose is a fate, and this is the door that belongs to that fate.  The episode might less ambiguously be called, "The Door of the Fate We Chose."

ETA: Hell, now that I look at it again, there's not even any reason to think that the choosing happened in the past.  Japanese has a way to express that, and it's not used here; this is an unwarranted assumption on the part of the translator.  The better title would be "The Door of the Fate We Choose."

Last edited by satyreyes (12-04-2011 12:22:34 AM)

Macky wrote:

satyreyes wrote:

- What is Pingcorp?

[Kiga, formerly Pingcorp, seems to have passed from the Natsumes' hands into the Takakuras' in the past.  But it can't be Takakuras' organization anymore -- or at least not Kenzan's.  It might be Kanba's own, it might be Sanetoshi's, or it might be Ms. Takakura's if she's still alive.]

[Ms. Takakura is dead, her body is next to Kenzan's]

Thanks for the heads-up.  One less loose end. 

With only three episodes to go, I think we're past the point where we can have episodes that are "about" any one character, let alone a side character like Masako.  I do think it's a good bet that the episode will contain flashbacks on the Natsume family that will illuminate the pasts of Masako, Mario, Kanba, and their father.  But it can't happen at the expense of action in the present.  We know the central conflict of the plot -- whether the brothers will be able to save Himari from her illness and/or preserve their family -- but we have come this far without a good idea what kind of climax we're building towards.  Most likely it will involve whatever Kiga is plotting, but we have scarcely any idea what that is or how it relates to Himari, the Penguindrum, or anything else.  The next episode will have to frame this final conflict in terms of the stakes that the previous 21 episodes have established.

Last edited by satyreyes (12-04-2011 03:31:02 PM)

Delurked


While strolling the internetz, I found out on Tomopop that they're releasing 1/10 scale Himari and Princess of the Crystal (they named her that). The pose is much the same, but penguin 3. is with Himari and Penguin 1. with the princess. Wut does that mean!?

At about 15 cm each, they're selling for 3800 yen. It will be released in June/July next year.

I'm pretty meh about it. Why swimsuits?



Anyway, come Wonderfest, sculptors will bring out their kits for sale. That's where all the cool stuff comes from. I'm hoping Mawaru Penguindrum will be popular enough to warrant alot of kits. Particularly of the Takakura boys.

I like the clocks throughout this episode. We had stopped, unmoving clocks (in the bar) or rewound (at the Takakura house). The very last one we saw [you know, the one the tabloid reporter was wearing after Kanba arranged his death] was stopped-- which should probably be seen as Kanba's decisive turn to his mindset of being trapped in the past.

Trapped in the past. Because that always turns out SO well in Ikuhara's work.

Last edited by Sakura Rurouni (12-06-2011 01:53:14 AM)

I'm REALLY starting to hate Kanba as of right now. As interesting as everything else going on right now is, my hatred is eclipsing most of it.

Last edited by Seen (12-06-2011 04:42:32 AM)

Syora wrote:

Rose Rust wrote:

Why swimsuits you ask...?

Probably to appeal to the fanboys. >.>;

Maybe also because the show is aquatic themed? Don't forget they have tons of pictures up with them going to the beach as kids.

Swimsuit models does tend to be a Fanboy Appeal thing as well as being a general trope apparently. I'm not really into figurines myself, but I don't understand why they didn't go for the Crystal Princess' regular outfit, I mean, parts of it are just as revealing

And does the closeup of Kenzan's namebadge also count as a Shout out?

That shot of Himari on the boxes at the end of the episode also reminded me of the shot of her on the apple in the 2nd opening.

Last edited by Makubi (12-06-2011 08:17:13 AM)

HonorableShadow wrote:

I have a confession to make. I'm in love...with Himari's coat. It just looks so fluffy and snuggly. I hope she leaves it on for a while in the next episode.  And that she gives Kanba a hug while she's wearing it.

Even if not, there'll always be fanart

Hmm, I like to model build and I've seen way more revealing bikini figures with women who hold huge tracks of land. See any Ikkitousen figure, for example. That's where the fanboys go. That said, I like some of them.


They seem to just be plain, wheras the penguin lady-outfit seems way more eyecatching and appealing. I just wonder why they didn't do that one - or do the triple-H girls. That said, this is the first figure to be sold.

Anyway, catch ya later.

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Last edited by Hiraku (12-08-2011 10:00:12 AM)

The emotional roller coaster is going into free fall!  Every scene ends with a cry of HOLY SHIT!

Double H appearing in the flesh to see Himari? HOLY SHIT

The ramen shop assailant was Yuri's spurned ex?  And Tabuki is...dead?  Maybe, I wasn't totally clear on that, but... HOLY SHIT

Himari prays for God to take her life back to save Kanba...and it WORKS?  Maybe?  Again I'm not sure whether Himari is dead or not, nevertheless HOLY SHIT

The whole second half of the episode augh!  Poor Kanba, poor Masako; poor JSDF/ police officers that Kanba brutally murders!   Why, Ikuhara?  I just wanted cute penguins and surreal animation, but this?  I don't know how much more pain I can handle being piled on to these kids.  Even schadenfreude has its limits.  Goddamn, though, Masako at the end of this episode just   Girl is fierce!  (Also, those legs ) Too bad its probably her last hurrah before being gunned down into swiss cheeze   I REPEAT: HOLY SHIT!  At this point I'm just praying that the ending isn't...

... Seriously, they better at least take some time to get in to wtf is going on with the penguin hats. I don't think they've ever touched on Mario's little survival strategy moment, which is driving me freaking nuts. x_X

That said... evil Kanba is quite sharp.

I definitely feel the same way about the pacing, though. Seriously only two episodes left? Are we totally sure Ikuhara isn't setting up forf a movie finale or something?

Last edited by dirufacade (12-09-2011 10:49:26 AM)