By James “Magic” Perkins
After its original 24-episode run in 2011 under the title Penguindrum; OG, director Kunihiko Ikuhara is back with Re:Cycle of the Penguindrum – a two-part, four-and-a-half-hour supernatural anime that serves as a compendium of the original narrative brought to life by Ikuhara and animation studio Lapin Track.
After Himari, a young terminally-ill girl, passes away during an innocent trip to the aquarium, she is brought back to life by a magical penguin hat that she purchased from the souvenir shop. In exchange for her return to life, Himari, along with her two brothers Kanba and Shoma, must seek out the sought-after item known as the Penguindrum for the spirit who helped her, and they are assisted by three penguins. Now if that was bizarre as it is, the rest of the narrative gets even stranger.
With a mixture of the supernatural, psychological thriller, and deep and dark drama (including a reference to the 1995 subway attack in Tokyo), this story is incredibly ambitious but overall too much to handle, especially in this format and if you are a newcomer. The animation, like most modern anime, is gorgeous to look at, with moments like Himari transporting us to the nether realm in between an overload of flashback sequences to the sibling’s childhood, allowing Lapin Track to flex their animation prowess.
Although there is a lot to like about this retelling of a somewhat controversial yet cult favourite story, Re:Cycle of the Penguindrum is more of a slog than an enjoyable ride and most certainly a chore to get through, especially if you are unfamiliar with the source material. Maybe give the original a viewing first but be warned about very heavy subject matter that is hard to watch in places.
Re:Cycle of the Penguindrum is out on May 20th in UK Cinemas for a one-night double-bill special event
