I always feel a bit like the fish swimming against the current when I criticize this series, but there were some worrying elements for me in episode 7 of Mawaru Penguin Drum.  On balance I found it the most self-indulgent and least enjoyable episode so far. I’ve already stated my […] Read more

After a wait of an extra week, Ikauhara ups the ante for both the weird and the threat level with episode six of MPD.  I’m not going to board the train of people proclaiming this a classic episode – for me, it was a step down from #5 – but […] Read more

Now, that was more like it – a real return to form for MPD this week.  While this was certainly the most serious episode so far, it was much needed after the last couple of weeks – and there were still plenty of LOL moments. Among other things, we got […] Read more

There were some unsettling trends evident in the fourth episode of Mawaru Penguin Drum, which was an overall step down in entertainment value from the first three for me. While there’s never been any question about the visual inventiveness and killer style with this show, I’ve been waiting for something […] Read more

There haven’t been many times in the last decade when I’ve said “That really reminded me of FLCL” – but that really reminded me of FLCL. The colors, the glossy look to the animation, and that cat – you could hardly get more Miyu Miyu than that. So, with that […] Read more

Ikuhara caught me out with the sudden total shift at the end of this episode, but on balance it was still a much sillier episode than the first one, which was more random in an unsettling way than silly. Indeed, this week’s effort was filled with dialogue like “Are you […] Read more