I think the most compelling argument I've heard so far that has made the most sense is the idea of penguins as flightless birds. They're birds but because they were born as penguins their fate is to be flightless, etc. etc.

What I find interesting about the penguins is that during the first few episodes the penguins cause some trouble and the boys wonder about them and also use them for errands. Then afterwards only Himari seems conscious of the penguins' existence, at least her own penguin, even giving it a name. Then none of the three seem aware of their penguins. Also Masako has a name for her penguin and regularly notices her existence. Inconsistency or deep dark hidden meaning?

Last edited by YamPuff (12-24-2011 03:20:00 AM)

Because penguins can only live in a Frozen World?

What I find interesting about the penguins is that during the first few episodes the penguins cause some trouble and the boys wonder about them and also use them for errands. Then afterwards only Himari seems conscious of the penguins' existence, at least her own penguin, even giving it a name. Then none of the three seem aware of their penguins. Also Masako has a name for her penguin and regularly notices her existence. Inconsistency or deep dark hidden meaning? school-sherlock

Though Kanba never directly addresses #1 except in the first episodes, I feel that he does acknowledge #1's existence. Kanba and #1 are probably the best penguin/human pair when it comes to teamwork. They both worked together to save the hat from the truck, and Kanba carried #1 home under his arm afterwards. During the pulley incident, #1 tossed himself at the pulley to stop it and Kanba grabbed hold of his wing to save him from falling. Even after Kanba got shot, he was still holding onto 1 while he was unconscious. 1 saves Kanba when he's in trouble, and Kanba for the most part takes care of 1 too (except when he's tossing him through windows and using him as a makeshift pillow!) The only person who really almost completely ignores his penguin is Shouma. #2 is also the most out of synch of all the penguins, he was usually doing something different from Shouma until the last few episodes.

A reason penguins might have been picked is because of one of their "survival strategies" that Masako brought up a few times. They all wait on the side of a cliff for one penguin to fall into the water below to see if there are predators in the water. Kanba was penguin 1, and he was the first one to fall into the dangerous water.

Maybe soon we'll get a sequel, Mawaru Monkeydrum. (If you look at the picture of Himari as an only child, they're standing in front of monkeys and not penguins.)

Last edited by HonorableShadow (12-24-2011 04:27:17 PM)

cause, lets pretend... you see a penguin on the side of the road. What would you do. Most people would stop...right

but what we don't know is that penguin has an ak47. Why, cause no one suspects the penguins...

in all seriousness, i agree with the whole frozen world thing.

Giovanna wrote:

YamPuff wrote:

I think the most compelling argument I've heard so far that has made the most sense is the idea of penguins as flightless birds. They're birds but because they were born as penguins their fate is to be flightless, etc.

This, plus that man, if you want to pick an animal and single them out as the most horribly and sadistically punished by fate, it's penguins.

Can't fly, life sucks, climb up ice cliff to huddle in piles of their own feces to protect themselves from cold so absolute that virtually no predators would bother to go after them on land. Then they have to like, eat, but only after getting past a fucking blockade of hungry seals. They're separated from their mates almost perpetually, though they're one of the few monogamous animals. Their babies will die within seconds if exposed to the air and their lives are constant miserable pain and suffering.

Being a penguin is horrible.

Good point, but...you made me sad

P.S. oh, now I'm a duellist, it was hilarious when I found the grade "Akyo's little helper"
I'm looking forward to be promoted as "shadow play actor"

Last edited by SeizonSenryaku (01-27-2012 05:42:34 PM)

Well, forget my hydro bill, I'm gonna buy myself one of those awesome penguins (seriously, my life is at least 20% better now that I know those plushies exist )

Sorry - huge bump.

Penguins are the mascot for the Tokyo metro.  Try googling "Suica penguin" for a glance. 

Since the show is so heavily involved in theories of connectivity and the metaphor of the train/subway, well, I thought they used the penguin and went from there. 

I know this isn't a particularly sexy analysis but, it is the most basic specific explanation.

The manual guidebook explains that like with Utena, the planning stage for the series was drastically different from the end product. At an early incarnation, the project was going to be set in a zoo(? I don't have the book on me right now so I can't check) and all the main characters were going to be the animals that lived there.

Ikuhara had Hoshino Lily do some designs of the animals for this concept. When Ikuhara showed the ideas around, nobody cared much for the concept, but Hoshino's designs of some penguins were a huge hit. Everyone he showed the designs to exclaimed over how cute the penguins were.

At that stage, he scrapped everything he'd been working on for the concept, but held onto the penguin designs. Then he called up the person who would become co-scriptwriter. He told her, "I don't know what this show is going to be about yet. All I know is that penguins are going to be in it."

So, there is really no deeper meaning to the penguins at all - they came first and the rest of the show was built around that early design sheet, because they were cute.

I'll have to agree with eri401.
The Suica Penguin is a Mascot you constantly come across in Tokyo's public transportation network. (though I think Suica is primarily JR, not Metro) Like the "95" that pops up again and again, the constant referrence to the subway (especially the "entering the 'other' world through the ticket gates"-part) is one huge refrrence to the '95 Aum Shinrikyô Sarin gas terrorist attack. It's actually pretty explicit.
One of the main themes (we also find this one in utena-specifically the black rose-chapter) is how the following generation deals with the diffuse "karmic" baggage left for them to sort out.