Mawaru-Penguindrum is a action-packed science fiction show about a family that is sent on a mission to retrieve a book that legend says it can alter reality.  There is a bit more to this as in order for it to work you must accept a punishment as payment.  They're not the only ones after the book as you also have the blonde bombshell actress by the name of Yuri Tokikago.  She is after the book so she can make all her pain and suffering disappear.  You also have the rich beauty with a knack for shooting Ping-Pong balls with her slingshot.  Her name is Masako Natsume and she is after it so she can revive her little brother Mario from his coma.  The family I mentioned before is made up of two guys, a girl but no pizza place.  The two brothers are named Kanba and Shoma and their little sister is named Himari.  In this volume Himari is stuck at hospital in a comatose state with her brothers watching over her wondering if she'll ever wake up.  They are in luck as a shady looking doctor walks up to them and offers them a all-new miracle cure that will put their sister back in tip top shape but the downside is that the cure is ridiculously expensive.  Kanba manages to get some money together and pay for the medicine but Shoma gets suspicious as to how he got the money as the whole think stinks of illegal operations.  How is Kanba getting the money?  Who will get the book?  What does the doctor really want? (Click "Read More" to see the rest of the review).


The characters in this show are selfish, whiney, psycho, melodramatic, bitter, sometimes trying to rape each other, and very mean which should by all means make these characters very hated among the anime community but the odd thing is that all these characteristics make all of them very charming and fun characters as they all have faults and it's fun to see these characters suffer.  This is also one of those shows that will hurt your head with confusion while watching it but once an episode ends your brain will go crazy trying to figure out what the blank went on.  You will figure out what's going on after a short time of thinking but don't jump in expecting this is to be one of those shows where you can switch off your brain.

For the most part the artwork is very crisp and clean with very cute characters and very detailed backgrounds that you can easily get lost in with the epic size of its scenery.  However there are some episodes when the artwork looks very cheap and there is even one episode on this DVD where it was encoded so badly that it is a blinding wall of pixels that makes it feel like that I'm watching a boot-leg from some stall in Chinatown.  Now I don't know if this problem was fixed for the Blu-ray release but I do wish that this problem will be fixed in the next pressing (if it gets one).  Animation wise this show is pretty standard with nothing much to say but that it's not bad but nothing really sticks out.  The English dub is good... actually the English dub is really great with voices that not only match up with the characters but also helps add to their personalities.  This is one of the best English that has come out in the past decade.  The soundtrack is really awesome with a nice mixture of Acid Jazz, J-Rock, and J-Pop that adds a lot of charm and fun to the show's atmosphere.

If you are a fan of text-less opening and closing sequences then you will love the vast amount of them that are included on this DVD set.  You'll get eight different versions of the opening credits and two versions of the closing credits.  There are also some commercials that aired on Japanese television and some special montage clips showing highlights from the earlier episodes.  Overall while I did like enjoy the show this one is defiantly an acquired taste and does require you to turn on your brains.  Not for those who are easily confused.

Title: Mawaru-Penguindrum Part 2

Animation Studio: Brain's Base

Genre: Animation/Anime, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

Running Time: 273 Minutes (12 Episodes)

Distributor: Siren Visual (http://www.sirenvisual.com.au/)

Rating: M15+ (Sexual references, Animated nudity)

Price: $49.95

Recommended: Yes