Mawaru Penguindrum : Frozen World

Episode 9

Shou has been run over, Project M seems to be dead in the water and someone has stolen half of the Penguindrum.

Last episode was a disaster for our heroes but what is important is whether Shou is alive or dead!

***SPOILERS***

We get a flashback from episode one when the three have gone to the zoo to see the Penguins or is it a dream that Himari is having? It seems that Himari had chased #3 after seeing her all the time, still not sure if this is a dream or a flashback or what to be honest. Anyway #3 takes her into an elevator that has a hidden control panel and takes her to floor 61 which seems to be outside and grassy.

Well obviously its a dream because she's now at the library that she always goes to taking back books and asking to find some strange book that apparently doesn't exist in that library. Super Frog Saves Tokoyo... #3 is still wandering around showing her the way, but the way to what? Another hidden panel, a doorway...

#3 opens the door to.... Some strange room full of Super Frog Saves Tokoyo and other titles, suddenly some pink haired guy is standing in front of Himari asking her what book she is looking for. Apparently she is in "Central Library's Hole in the Sky Annex" He is Sanetoshi the head Librarian.

This is a special library, she is a very special person choosen by fate. The book he reads to her is about three girls.... We have a flashback (this is a flashback) to Himari as a girl with two friends. They are applying for a talent contest or something as a band, they decide to call themselves the Triple-H, it was Himari that picked the name. They tell Himari not to forget the matching ribbon and we're back in the library.

We go to the next book which is about Himari finding the ribbon. It turns out that they are the wrong ribbons, she calls her mum a liar and falls back into the mirror which lands on her mother who pushes her out of he way. In the hospital and her mum is covered in bandages, their father is told the cut on her face will probably scar her. When her mum wakes she asks if Himari is alright and Himari feels guilty, her mum doesn't care though as long as Himari is safe.

Back in the library and we find out (in another flashback) that her friends didn't care that she didn't have the ribbon and didn't care about the audition they just wanted to do something for Himari's mum. They decide to go get a Koi so that Himari's mum can drink the blood and get better. They get caught and her friends take the blame for her so that the teacher doesn't have to phone Himari's parents.

The next flashback is the last day Himari went to school, the two girls that are in the adverts on the bus and all that (the little cartoon ones) are her friends from school, they've called themselves Double H.

The Librarian asks why she is looking for the story and she says it is to make sure the past is in the past and that she is still rooting for them from the bottom of her heart. But these aren't the books she is looking for and he suddenly picks up her hat. It is the wedding veil bestowed on the bride of fate, "The Destination of Fate" and suddenly she is falling away from him, the penguins are being boxed up and he drops an apple towards her.

Another flashback of Himari and her "soul mate" sharing an apple, but we don't see his face.

It was all a dream, and she gets the phone call telling her Shou was in an accident.

I just don't know what that was all about but what I do know is I'm in tears. Poor Himari!

So the girls in the animations, the big stars where Himari's friends, that was her destiny before something stopped her from going to school? She lost her best friends who were true friends the whole time, they chased their dream and she's struggling with illness? Ringo and Himari are just so sad, can't something happy happen to this lot?!

And who is this soul mate? She seems a little young to have one and the pink haired guy seems to old to be it so who is it?

A totally wonderful episode that delves deep into the world of Himari, the character in the centre of everything yet at times totally missing from the story! Also a little more about the parents who are still missing in action, when will we find out what happened to them?

A bit of a anchor to the series, with all the Ringo and Project M stuff it is easy to have forgotten that actually the series is about Himari's possessed personality searching for the Penguindrum. The show has revolved around the boys so long that Himari seems to have been a ghost.

What I do love is that she didn't go on that journey in her dream alone she had #3 with her all the time.

Such a different episode, taken out of the current story of Shou and giving us more understanding to Himari as a person.

So sad! Hope we get to see the librarian again he was actually REALLY cool.

But what is all this stuff about being a bride and all that? So confusing!

Another brilliant episode!