Spoilers Ahead... (some points may be left out)
Mawaru Penguindrum is done by Ikuhara Kunihiko the director/writer of Revolutionary Girl Utena, and Sailor Moon is an anime series that started in July of this year, end just this week is a mix of a comedy, supernatural, drama, and psychological series.
The series is based off of the Sarin Incident on the subways that occurred in the Tokyo Subways in 1995. Chiemi, and Kenzan Takakura the parents of Kanba, Shoma, and Himari, and killed Momoka Oginome the sister of Ringo Oginome, and good friend of Keijuu Tabuki, and Yuri Tokikago. It also affects Masako Natsume, and Mario Natsume. Now this is where it gets confusing.
Kanba is actually Masako's twin brother, and that makes him a Natsume but he was adopted by the Takakura's after his Grandfather's death. Himari was actually an orphan that Shoma rescued from the Child Broiler, and convinced his parents to adopt her. The only true son of the Takakura's is Shoma.
Momoka had a diary that had a spell that could transfer fate, and she did so to save Yuri, and she also rescued Keijuu from the Child Broiler. She tries to banish Sanatoshi Watase but she only half finishes the Fate Transfer Spell as he interrupts with his own, and he is split into the two Black Bunnies, and Momoka was split into the two penguin hats.
The Takakura's once lived elsewhere but moved, and Himari befriended the two members of Double H (Hikari Utada, and Hibari Isora). They were Triple H until an incident occurred, and Himari could not be part of the group. Her mother Chiemi was in the hospital because when her mother bought her the wrong ribbons she got mad, and accidentally knocked the mirror over, and Chiemi protected her but was injured.
Later we find that she is terminally ill, and she collapses at the aquarium, and a penguin hat that Shoma bought her brings her back to life. While wearing the hat she yells "Seizon Senryaku" (Survival Strategy), and becomes the Princess of Crystal. They are told to find the "Penguindrum" to save Himari's life.
Their first target is Ringo Oginome who has the Diary which is believed to be the Penguindrum. She is obsessed with the Diary, and is believed it is her Destiny to marry Keiju Tabuki. Later she finds she is not suppose to. The Diary is ripped in half, by Natsume who drives by on a motorcycle. Natsume is also after the Penguindrum because Mario has the other penguin hat, and is terminally ill as well.
Himari dies again but Sanetoshi Watase appears, and saves her. He was Dr. Washizuka's (Himari's Doctor) assistant sixteen years ago in the past, and he is a ghost because of the half Transfer of Fate Spell.
Keiju decides that punishment must be dealt to the Takakura Children for what their parents had done in the past. He tries to get Kanba to bring Kenzan who is actually dead they later discover, and Kanba takes the punishment for the family.
All along Kanba has been getting money from the organization his father once ran. He is tailed by Keiju, and Yuri, and Keiju is stabbed by Yuki Tsubasa.
It is revealed later that Shoma, and Himari shared the Fruit of Fate after being attacked by Masako, and later has a conversation with Masako about saving Kanba. Kanba, and Shoma fight, and they decide not to play the facade of the family they have anymore. Shoma sends Himari to their Uncle's while in fact she goes, and finds Kanba. Hibari, and Hikari show up to give Himari a present for the scarves she made for them.
Kanba is working on his parent's old plan to save Himari, and she tries to talk him out of it. She chases after him but ends up at the aquarium, and collapses again. Masako trails Kanba who protects her when the police open fire, and is shot, the organization takes him away, and Masako plays a decoy. She does die momentarily at the mansion, and Sanetoshi saves her. Shoma, is shot by Kanba when he comes for Himari, and wakes later to find the Hat (Momoka) is talking to him. Kanba knows Yuri gave Ringo back the other half of the Diary, and took the other half from Masako, he asks her to team up with him. He plants one of the bombs, and Sanetoshi distracts her, the bomb goes off, and the Diary is burnt to ashes, and Kanba disposes of the other half in the fire as well. He tricked her.
Momoka tells Shoma if he gets on the Train of Fate with Kanba they will find the Penguindrum. Ringo makes into the train as well as Shoma. Ringo knows the Fate Transfer spell, and Sanetoshi replies with: "You're shitting me." Seizon Senryaku occurs, and Himari goes to save Kanba, Shoma has the penguindrum. Ringo yells the spell "Let's share the fruit of fate." Shoma goes to save Ringo, and says Thank you, and I love you, and is consumed by the fire instead. Kanba moves Himari to safety, and disappears. Momoka confronts Sanetoshi leaving taking the hats with her.
The next part is shown, and Masako wakes up from a dream, and finds Mario next to her. She says she had a dream about a twin brother who was very different from her. It then switches to Himari is talking to her Uncle on the phone, and it shows a photo of her parents who are not Chiemi, and Kenzan. Ringo comes over and they have Curry, and Himari looks for the newest CD of Double H after seeing them on TV. Two young boys walk outside resembling Kanba, and Shoma after Himari finds a note in a teddy that says we always love you.
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| Episode 24 End Card |
As the series went on I was more, and more confused until everything was beginning to be explained. I really like the series, and the art. The whole premise of the series was amazing. I have never seen Utena but if it is anything like this then it is a great series. I initially hated Ringo because of her character in the beginning but I grew to like her. I also enjoyed Himari, and Momoka's character.
