Penguindrum


Penguindrum, known in Japan as Mawaru Penguindrum, is a 2011 Japanese anime series produced by Brain's Base. The series is directed and co-written by Kunihiko Ikuhara and was broadcast in Japan from July 8, 2011 through December 23, 2011. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series for North America, while Kazé UK has licensed the series in the United Kingdom, Siren Visual has licensed the series in Australia and New Zealand, and Dynit licensed the series in Italy. A manga adaptation of the anime by Isuzu Shibata began serialization in Comic Birz on May 30, 2013 and ended on January 30, 2017.

Plot

A terminally ill girl named Himari Takakura is miraculously saved from death by a strange spirit who resides in a penguin-shaped hat. However, in exchange for extending her life, the spirit tasks Himari's brothers, Kanba and Shoma, to seek out an elusive item known as the Penguindrum with the assistance from a trio of strange penguins.

Characters

;Shoma Takakura
;Kanba Takakura
;Himari Takakura
;Ringo Oginome
;Keiju Tabuki
;Yuri Tokikago
;Sanetoshi Watase
;Momoka Oginome
;Hibari Isora Hikari Utada
;Takakuras' Penguins #1, #2, & #3
;Esmeralda
;Mario Natsume
;Kenzan Takakura
;Chiemi Takakura

Theme songs

;Opening theme songs
; Insert songs
;Ending theme songs
Triple H is composed of Marie Miyake as Hikari, Yui Watanabe as Hibari, and Miho Arakawa as Himari.

Manga

Almost two years after the premiere of the anime, a manga adaptation by Isuzu Shibata began serialization in the monthly magazine Comic Birz on May 30, 2013. The first volume was released on September 24, 2014, the second on December 24, 2014, the third on October 24, 2015, and the fourth on June 24, 2016. The manga ended serialization on January 30, 2017.

Reception

In 2019, Polygon named Penguindrum as one of the best anime of the 2010s.