Anime Reviews (2020s): Re:cycle of Penguindrum Movie Collection (2022)

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If you haven’t watched the anime TV series, then definitely give “re:Cycle of Penguindrum” compilation animated films a try!

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TITLE: Re:cycle of Penguindrum Movie Collection

YEAR: 2022

DURATION: 2 Movies (270 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, English Subtitles

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV 14 D

Release Date: July 4, 2023

Directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara

Series Composition by Kunihiko Ikuhara, Takayo Ikami

Music by Yukari Hashimoto

Original Character Designs by Lily Hoshino

Character Design by Terumi Nishii

Art Director: Chieko Nakamura, Kentaro Akiyama

Anime Production: Lapin Track

Featuring the following voice talent:

Marie Miyake/Emily Neves as Ringo Oginome

Miho Arakawa/Monica Rial as Himari Takakura

Ryohei Kimura/Blake Shepard as ShÅma Takakura

Subaru Kimura/Illich Guardiola as Kanba Takakura

Akira Ishida as Keiju Tabuki

Mamiko Noto/Shelley Calene-Black as Yuri Tokikago

Yui Horie/Maggie Flecknoe as Masako Natsume

Yutaka Koizumi/David Matanga as Sanetoshi Watase

What would you do to save someone you love? All brothers Shoma and Kanba know is that, after collapsing in an aquarium and apparently dying, their terminally ill sister Himari was somehow revived by a Penguin hat that she had wished for. Now they’re on an impossible mission, because the price of keeping Himari alive is to find a mysterious object called the Penguindrum, and they’ll do anything to save their sister. Anything. As they travel separate paths in their search, they’ll have to unravel complex riddles, make alliances with strangers they know they shouldn’t trust, and question the very fabrics of time and destiny. In two spectacular feature films combining elements from the acclaimed TV series plus dazzling new scenes and characters, the Penguinture begins again in RE: CYCLE OF THE PENGUINDRUM, PTS. 1 & 2!

Ikuhara Kunihiko is best known for directing episodes of the “Sailor Moon” series but most notably for his work on “Revolutionary Girl Utena”. While Ikuhara may not be known for having a long oeuvre in his animated career, Ikuhara has won over fans all over the world for his work.

In 2011, Ikuhara returned with a 24-episode series titled “Mawaru Penguindrum” (Penguindrum) produced by Brain’s Base.

To celebrate the series 10th anniversary, a two-part animated film was released in 2022, with the first in April and the second in July. For the most part, the animated film condenses the 24-episode anime series to two animated films.

And now “Re:cycle of Penguindrum” has been reelased on Blu-ray courtesy of Sentai Filmworks.

“Penguindrum” is an anime series featuring three members of the Takakura family. Kanba and brother Shouma are responsible for taking care of their younger sister Himari while their parents are gone. Both want strongly to bring Himari happiness.

And we are given a flashback that the reason for them striving to bring Himari happiness is because their doctor has told them that Himari’s health is worsening and she is dying. So, both brothers are wanting to make sure that their younger sister has a good life before she dies.

With Himari wanting to relive a happy memory of the family going to the aquarium to seen the penguins, as the family are having fun and visit a shop, Himari who is waiting with Shouma (as he is buying her a penguin hat) disappears. When both Kanba and Shouma are looking for their sister, someone screams to call for an ambulance as a girl is unconscious.

The brothers run out to find their sister passed out. When they arrive to the hospital, Himari is dead. Shouma is distraught and Kanba, trying to be the caretaker feels it is time notify family members, which upsets Shouma that his brother is not as distraught as he is. As the two argue, the penguin cap that the brothers bought for her suddenly brings Himari back to life.

The two are whisked to a special area in which Himari, but in the personality of the Princess of the Crystal, a dominatrix, tells the brothers that she is looking for the penguin drum and if they want to extend the life of their sister, they will do as she says. Also, letting them know that three blue penguins will be staying with the Takakura’s and no one can see them but them.

Their first lead to finding the penguindrum is for them to follow Oginome Ringo and to watch over her. As the brothers follow her, they realize something odd about this girl, the fact that she is a stalker of their science teacher Mr. Tabuki. And she often refers to a diary, which the Princess of the Crystal orders them to get the diary.

But as the brothers try to obtain the diary, someone out there is trying to do the same.

Meanwhile, to make things even more unusual, Himari brings a new friend over to the house….Oginome Ringo.

“Penguindrum” features the following characters:

Takakura Kanba – The serious person in the family and is known for being a playboy who dates girls and dumps them. He cares deeply for his little sister Himari and with the father and mother not home, he is responsible for taking care of the family and maintaining the family finances. Of the siblings, he is doing all he can to obtain the penguindrum.
Takakura Shouma – The innocent brother who has been given the task of following Ringo Oginome to obtain her diary. He cares for his sister deeply.
Takakura Himari – The cheerful sister who is dying from an uncurable disease. For some reason she is being kept alive by a penguin hat that changes to the Princess of the Crystal, a dominatrix who uses Himari’s body to order her brothers in finding the penguindrum (which will extend her life) or else their sister will die. Always caring for her brothers and loving to cook, she cares more for them than worry for her own illness. She was once a member of the idol group “Triple H”.
Oginome Ringo – A stalker who is trying to get her teacher Keiju Tabuki in love with her. In truth, Ringo is following the diary of her deceased sister Momoka and trying to make sure her dream comes true by trying to get close to Tabuki by any means necessary. Even if he is dating Yuri Tokikago. But her diary has a connection to the Takakura’s and the Princess of the Crystal has ordered the Takakura brothers to obtain Momoka/Ringo’s diary.
Tabuki Keiju – A teacher that Ringo stalks. A science teacher for both Takakura brothers, when he was younger, he was close to Momoka Oginome. He is dating Tokikago Yuri .
Tokikago Yuri – A famous actress to the Sunshiny Theatre Takarazuka troupe, she loves Keiju and unaware that Ringo loves him. She thinks that she and Takakura Shouma are boyfriend and girlfriend.
Natsume Masako – A wealthy woman who seems to be going after women that were once close to Kanba. She has an obsession to him and uses a laser slingshot with the potential to erase the memories of individuals. Like the Takakakura’s, she also ahas a penguin and is after the penguindrum for some reason.
Watase Sanetoshi – A mysterious librarian working at the Central Library’s “Hole int eh Sky” branch trying to assist Himari. He has an unknown connection to Himari.

How far would one go to protect a loved one? How far would one go to make sure that the destiny of fate is achieved?

When I heard that Ikuhara Kunihiko was working on another anime series, like many anime fans who were stoked with the big news, for me, I felt like it was about time.

Having enjoyed his work for “Sailor Moon” and “Revolutionary Girl Utena”, I don’t know how many times I saw next to Ikuhara at an anime convention that I was covering, asking if he was working on any new projects.

There is this style and also creativity that he brings to his anime series, may it be the fashion aspect or even the Yuri elements and relationships which were pretty bold for an anime TV series.

With that being said, he’s one of those directors that needs creative control to bring that high-level of creativeness and I know that some studios are hesitant unless it’s someone near legendary status in the anime industry.

While “Revolutionary Girl Utena” is from the 1996-1997 (with the film in 1999), it has been over a decade until he got to direct again and this time, it looks like he has creative control with “Penguindrum”. And his collaboration with Brain’s Base turned out to be very effective as this is one of the coolest, stylish, freshest TV series that I have seen in terms of quality. And from that TV series, Lapin Track re-edited the animation in order to make two movie compilations.

As for the storyline, there is a lot of humor, a lot of flashbacks and twists and turns. At the beginning, we are often wondering why a character like Shouma is having to follow this crazy stalker, Ringo. But we slowly see each layer peel away to reveal Ringo’s true intentions but also how her past connects with the Takakura’s.

The second film of “Penguindrum” gets serious, dark and characters start to show a side that you just never came to expect.

Without spoiling how characters change, I will say that how these characters are all connected by fate and destiny is rather intriguing and also leaves a few questions of how or why things came to be.

While the first half gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the life of Ringo, season two gives us more details of the past of nearly every other character. And how dark things were in store for them.

Overall, I praised the animated series when it was first release and I did enjoy both films. But I felt it was a bit more confusing for the animated film, as I believe the film loses some of that cohesiveness by trying to jam so much into two short episodes.

If you haven’t watched the anime TV series, then definitely give “re:Cycle of Penguindrum” compilation animated films a try!

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