Anime Review: Mawaru Penguindrum
Well, I said I wanted to watch some anime, and I finally am. (And no, I didn't figure out the whole DVD screencapping thing yet. Grr.) I pulled one from my to-be-watched stack, which I've been thinking about lately: Mawaru Penguindrum!
First off, this series is just pretty. Hell, I'll admit that the art was one of the things that made me want to watch. It really reminds me of Utena, in both the art style and the symbolism. But that's no surprise, considering that the guy who directed Utena also directed this. (Kunihiko Ikuhara, I think.) And yeah, that's another main reason I wanted to see this. I loved Utena, and so I hoped that I'd like this one, too. There will likely be comparisons to Utena in this review, even though they aren't actually connected. But they have a similar feel, so I can't help comparing them.
Let's see...let's start with the characters. I think my favorites are Shoma, Masako, and surprisingly, Ringo.
Yeah, I didn't like Ringo in the beginning. (Did anyone?) She's all psycho stalker, super creepy. Hell, she'd have raped Tabuki if Yuri hadn't come home when she did. (And she almost did it again, when she gave him that freaky love potion. That time it was her own decision to stop, but still. It wasn't out of any sense of morality.) So she's seriously not a good person. I was honestly surprised that I ended up liking her as much as I did. It was for a couple of reasons, I think. First, her backstory made her kind of sympathetic. Even at the height of her crazy, I still had moments when I felt sorry for her. Her family falling apart, having to grow up in the shadow of this older sister, whom she'd never even met, to the point of believing herself to be said sister reincarnated? Not to mention, thinking that if she can somehow 'become' her late sister, it will fix all her family problems, and make everyone happy and loving again? Anybody would be messed up by that. Heck, that's something she got upset at Shoma about; she said something about being or becoming Momoka, and he told her that she's not Momoka, she's her. And I think that's probably part of why she started developing feelings for him. She probably hasn't had a lot of people close to her who see her as herself, with no connection to her sister. (Although we have no real evidence of that, but the way she reacted makes me think so. I mean, who does she have? Absent parents, and her late sister's best friend?)
And as time went on, and she came to have genuine feelings for Shoma, rather than the put-upon obsession with Tabuki, she grew as a person. She started acting more like a decent human being, which was a bit shocking. From her friendship with Himari to her willingness to give up the diary to save Shoma, she really comes to care about the Takakura siblings. Heck, by the end of the series, she's willing to sacrifice her life to save Himari, and through that, Shoma. (My take was that she was doing it mostly for Shoma's sake, so he wouldn't lose his beloved sister. But she obviously cared about Himari a lot, too. So who knows.)
Next is Shoma. I don't really have much to say about him. ^^;; I liked him from the start, because he's the nicer of the Takakura brothers. He's a sweet guy, and just likeable. For all it was sad, I loved the bit at the end, where he sacrifices himself to save Ringo. He thanks her, tells her he loves her, and takes the flame upon himself. Obviously, I would rather he lived, so he and Ringo could be together, but still. If he had to go, this felt right. Quiet and loving, this is how you sacrifice for love. Not like Kanba tried to. Shoma got it right.
Finally, Masako. She resembles Arisugawa Juri from Utena so much, I pretty much went into the series already liking her, just from her character design. Shallow, I know. But she did end up being an interesting character. She could be cold and harsh, but deep down, she loved her family, and she just wanted to protect them, and keep them close. Which, who doesn't want that? She's relatable, in that way. I was a little surprised when we learned that Kanba was her brother; their first meeting had more of a romantic/sexual overtone. I figured she was an angry ex-girlfriend or something! But, no. I wonder if they hadn't made up their mind who she'd be, when they wrote that first meeting. Because I never got that vibe from her again.
The rest of the cast, I largely don't know how I feel about.
Take Sanetoshi. He's obviously the bad guy, but his goals are mostly talked about in an abstract manner. So, he doesn't come across as quite as evil as he maybe should? I mean, he is manipulative. Take his changing the price of Himari's medicine, in order to push Kanba deeper into bed with the Kiba Group. I dunno. Plus, I have to be shallow again. He really resembles Souji Mikage from Utena, who I liked. (Except, I think Sanetoshi is actually cuter.) So, I find myself liking him a little, even though I shouldn't.
I initially liked Yuri and Tabuki well enough; I wasn't really a fan, but they seemed nice. Until the second half of the series, when they both went off the rails. They kind of had Ringo's character arc, in reverse. Ringo was crazy at first, but grew into a better person. These two started out seeming like decent people, but later they showed their dark sides. And like Ringo, they both had sympathetic backstories. However, because they went from nice to not, I found I didn't sympathize with them quite as much as I did with Ringo, who actually made progress.
Momoka was almost more an idea than a person. I would have liked to see more of her, honestly. What exactly is the deal with her diary? Did she write all of it? If not, where did it come from? Sanetoshi said that Momoka was like him; what on Earth did that mean? From what we did see, she seemed like a really kind person; she saved Yuri and Tabuki, both at significant physical cost to herself.
And then, Himari. Himari is almost like Momoka...for all that she's a very important character, we really don't get to know her all that well. She's almost more of a plot point than anything, especially in the beginning. We do learn a bit more about her as time goes on, but still not as much as I'd like.
Next, Kanba. I liked Kanba more in the beginning, but that's unsurprising. It's true that he loved his sister more than anything (maybe a little too much, if you catch my drift), but he took it in a dangerous direction. By the end, he was so desperate to save her that he was willing to murder untold innocent people, just for the chance. Despite the fact that Himari wouldn't want that. =/ I have little patience for people who claim to be doing something for someone, but when that someone point-blank tells them that they don't want it, and they keep doing it anyway!
And finally, the Takakura parents. We only ever see them in flashbacks, so maybe they don't count, but I still have thoughts! First, there's the obvious weird juxtaposition of them being evil, mass-murdering terrorists with them being loving parents. We see several instances of that. They each show themselves willing to sustain physical harm in order to protect their children from it. And they take in not one, but two abandoned/orphaned children and give them a loving home. But what really got me was how they abandoned the kids to go on the run. I just have trouble seeing it...if they're that loving and devoted, to risk their lives for their kids, and to even open their home to parentless children, whom they love and protect just the same as their one biological child...how the hell do those same people just disappear without a trace, leaving the kids behind? Sure, fleeing the authorities with three kids in tow would be hard. But if they couldn't manage taking the kids along, they could have at least left a note..."We're sorry, and we love you"...or something! I swear, I keep getting aggravated, thinking what kind of parent does that...then I remember that they're mass murderers, and so them doing something awful isn't surprising...but it still feels that way. Ugh. I don't know.
...Man, that got a little longer than I expected! I figured I'd spend most of this entry babbling about the plot or symbolism or whatnot. And I do have lots to say about those things, too! I just didn't expect to talk quite so much about the characters, first. ^^;;
Okay, then. Next up, plot! Honestly, this is where this series is weakest, I think. There were a lot of things that started, but were never finished, or things that happened that simply weren't explained. Not to mention, the non-linear method of telling the story was a bit...different. I hesitate to say bad, because it isn't, quite. But a more straight forward method might have been easier to follow.
Take the whole 'Project M' thing. I suppose I can see why Ringo drops it (and I'm glad she did, that was some creepy shit), but it still feels a little odd. It was such a big part of the first half of the series, for it to just go away feels a little odd. Although, the weirdest thing to me is how, on a few occasions, Masako says something about wanting to make sure Project M happens or succeeds or some such. Why on Earth would she care? Or how does she even know, for that matter? Sure, she wants the diary, but she obviously has no qualms about stealing it. So it's not like she's doing what Shoma is, complying with Ringo to gain her cooperation in the end. So, what's up with that?
For that matter, speaking of Masako...I want to know why it worked out that Kanba stayed with their father, while she and Mario went to live with their grandfather. From the one flashback, it sounded like the father wanted all his children with him when he left the family. But Kanba offered to stay with the dad, if he'd let the other two go back to the family. But we see that the grandfather is crazy and abusive...it's even somewhat implied that this is why the father left! So why on earth would he be willing to leave any of his children in that setting? Really, I can't see leaving any of them, but my first thought is to say 'especially Mario'. Simply because the grandfather is bound and determined to force any male heir into this insane mold of hyper-masculinity. Masako seemed to be mostly ignored; which isn't okay either, but still.
And again with Masako and Mario...that whole incident where the grandfather seemed to possess Mario, so Masako had to eat the fugu to save him? What the fuck was that about?
Going back to the diary...we later find out that Yuri wants it (Tabuki, too, I guess), so she can bring back Momoka. She's revealed to be the one who initially tore the diary and stole half of it. Yet, other than that, she doesn't push that hard to get it. Not like Masako and the Takakuras do. That whole idea felt half-formed, and they ended up dropping it, so I wonder why they bothered with it in the first place.
Oh, and along the same lines...the disturbing bit where Yuri almost (or did?) raped Ringo, because she wanted to make her into Momoko? O_O That came out of nowhere, and then was never mentioned again. So what on Earth was that about?
I want to know how the Takakura parents died. For that matter, I want to know if the mother is alive somewhere. We only really got a look at one body, but Kanba saw them both in his hallucination (or whatever that was).
I also want to know what the deal with the Penguindrum was. The spirit in the hat tells the Takakura boys to find it. But later, they say that the Fruit of Fate that was shared between the siblings over the course of their lives is the Penguindrum. So...the hat told them to go find something...that they already had? =/
I was kind of surprised at the fact that everyone seemed to have some sort of abuse/neglect in their history. I swear, I think the Takakuras were the most well-adjusted parents we saw. (And they're freaking terrorists!) I guess Ringo's parents weren't that bad...they weren't abusive, just absent. Which isn't cool, but still. Considering we have Yuri, who got raped and beaten by her father on a regular basis, and Tabuki, whose mother only loved his ability to play the piano and who abandoned him when he lost it? And Himari's mother who is only mentioned briefly, but who abandoned her kid for an unknown reason? Oh, and Masako's grandfather, who wanted to beat this insane masculine ideal into his tiny grandson? Honestly, it's no wonder that most of the cast is kind of screwed up. (Some more than others.)
Speaking of abuse, I was a bit bothered by the incestuous overtones that happened in places. Granted, nothing actually happens (at least on screen), but still. Kanba seems a little too interested in Himari sometimes, and there are a few scenes with the spirit of the hat getting naked (or nearly) with Kanba. Not his sister's mind, but still her body. Ick.
Oh, and the bits where they started calling themselves a 'fake family'. That made me mad. Yeah, okay, we learn that they aren't actually blood related. But blood isn't what makes a family. Love, and the bonds between people...that is what makes a family. And they had that. They were raised together, and they loved one another as siblings. They were a real family, damn it. >_> I can understand Masako being jealous, but she's not the only one who parrots that nonsense. And honestly...she could just claim all the Takakuras as her family. That might have actually worked! Kanba is her family, and Shoma and Himari are his. Thus, by extension, they are hers. Maybe he'd have gone along with her, if she'd accepted them all.
Speaking of family...the bits where Yuri and Tabuki blamed the Takakura siblings for what their parents did...and how the siblings themselves acted like they should be blamed...that bugged the crap out of me. They were children (babies, probably!) when the attack happened. They had nothing to do with it, and there's no way they could have stopped it. The whole 'sins of the father' thing is bull. I wonder if this is another American vs. Japanese POV thing. America is a very individualized culture. We focus on the individual. Japan is a collectivist culture. They focus more on the group. So, is that why? Because the kids are part of that family, the idea is they should share blame, even if they had nothing to do with it? I don't know. But from an American POV, it's a bit aggravating. They're innocent; hell, I'd say they're victims too, in a way. Their family was torn apart; they lost their parents, and even the ability to love them as family. Not to mention being ostracized, the notion of having no future, etc. For them to be blamed for their parents' crime is just too much.
I also had some questions about the symbolism. I knew there would be some; this is Ikuhara, after all. But I found the symbolism in Utena to be easier to understand.
Like the apples. I sorta get this one...it's meant to represent connection, or love, or life, or something? Kanba is 'chosen' (whatever that means), and gets an apple. He shares it with Shoma, and they both live. Shoma then shares his half with Himari, who also is saved. Kanba later gives half of his half to Himari (or the hat) to prolong her life. So, they're sharing love and life, and doing it through the bonds that tie them together...or something.
And the Child Broiler. Obviously it's not completely literal, but is it a symbol for an abstract concept, or something more concrete? When I first saw it, I figured it was a dramatized version of an orphanage or the foster care system, or something like that. But, I wonder...as an American, I have an outsider's knowledge of how our system works. But I have no idea what it's like in Japan. Surely they have some sort of system, but I don't have any idea what it's like, or how it's regarded in society, or anything. The whole bit with the Child Broiler being a place where unwanted children go, and all the kids we see going there being older...in this country, at least, there's a definite stigma to surrendering an older child. Babies are given for adoption, but if you start raising a kid, we expect you to keep doing it. And sadly, foster kids do often 'disappear' into the system. So, that bit fits. Plus, the fact that the Takakuras adopted Himari rather implies that she wasn't just unwanted by her mother, but that she was actually, physically abandoned. They couldn't have gotten custody of her, otherwise. But again...the show was made for a Japanese audience, so I can't quite expect that my interpretation is right. It might be something less tangible, like maybe it just represents abandonment, or not being loved, or something. I don't know.
And the biggest question...what do the stupid cages mean, in the last episode or two? We see Kanba and Shoma in cages. Kanba is 'chosen' and gets an apple to live. He shares with Shoma, and they both live. But what does that mean? What was Kanba 'chosen' for? He had a parent (who presumably loved him), so he wasn't neglected that we saw. He was chosen by the Takakuras after he was orphaned, but that wouldn't explain the needing to share with Shoma part; Shoma already had a family who loved him. I have no idea. =/
And finally, the ending. It's...a little bittersweet? Kind of like the ending to Madoka Magica. Himari is healed, and her fate of dying averted. She and Ringo become good friends, and are apparently living out their lives happily. Kanba and Shoma are gone, but where to is the question. We see the two little boys walking by, who look like Kanba and Shoma. Were they reincarnated? Or is that just a symbol of their spirits moving on together, or something? But either way, the boys are gone, and the girls don't remember them. This reminds me of how Madoka disappeared, and no one but Homura remembered her. I remember thinking about her mother, especially...how sad, to not only lose her child, but to not even be able to remember her. But, at the same time, perhaps that's kinder, since she doesn't have to actually feel the pain of loss. It's the same here. On the one hand, I kind of hate the idea of Himari not remembering her brothers (and Ringo not remembering Shoma), but at the same time...they're happier for it. They can live without the burden of guilt and grief that would come with knowing that your loved one sacrificed themselves for you. And that's what Kanba and Shoma wanted; for the girls to be happy.
...Holy crap, that was long! XD
Final verdict? It depends. If you like surreal series with lots of symbolism, then go for it. If not, then it's a maybe. I'm not always a fan of the surreal (some I like, some I don't), and I'm not quite sure how I feel about this one. I liked some things, and I didn't like some things. I think I mostly liked it, but I wish I understood it better. I'll have to watch it again later, and see if that helps.
First off, this series is just pretty. Hell, I'll admit that the art was one of the things that made me want to watch. It really reminds me of Utena, in both the art style and the symbolism. But that's no surprise, considering that the guy who directed Utena also directed this. (Kunihiko Ikuhara, I think.) And yeah, that's another main reason I wanted to see this. I loved Utena, and so I hoped that I'd like this one, too. There will likely be comparisons to Utena in this review, even though they aren't actually connected. But they have a similar feel, so I can't help comparing them.
Let's see...let's start with the characters. I think my favorites are Shoma, Masako, and surprisingly, Ringo.
Yeah, I didn't like Ringo in the beginning. (Did anyone?) She's all psycho stalker, super creepy. Hell, she'd have raped Tabuki if Yuri hadn't come home when she did. (And she almost did it again, when she gave him that freaky love potion. That time it was her own decision to stop, but still. It wasn't out of any sense of morality.) So she's seriously not a good person. I was honestly surprised that I ended up liking her as much as I did. It was for a couple of reasons, I think. First, her backstory made her kind of sympathetic. Even at the height of her crazy, I still had moments when I felt sorry for her. Her family falling apart, having to grow up in the shadow of this older sister, whom she'd never even met, to the point of believing herself to be said sister reincarnated? Not to mention, thinking that if she can somehow 'become' her late sister, it will fix all her family problems, and make everyone happy and loving again? Anybody would be messed up by that. Heck, that's something she got upset at Shoma about; she said something about being or becoming Momoka, and he told her that she's not Momoka, she's her. And I think that's probably part of why she started developing feelings for him. She probably hasn't had a lot of people close to her who see her as herself, with no connection to her sister. (Although we have no real evidence of that, but the way she reacted makes me think so. I mean, who does she have? Absent parents, and her late sister's best friend?)
And as time went on, and she came to have genuine feelings for Shoma, rather than the put-upon obsession with Tabuki, she grew as a person. She started acting more like a decent human being, which was a bit shocking. From her friendship with Himari to her willingness to give up the diary to save Shoma, she really comes to care about the Takakura siblings. Heck, by the end of the series, she's willing to sacrifice her life to save Himari, and through that, Shoma. (My take was that she was doing it mostly for Shoma's sake, so he wouldn't lose his beloved sister. But she obviously cared about Himari a lot, too. So who knows.)
Next is Shoma. I don't really have much to say about him. ^^;; I liked him from the start, because he's the nicer of the Takakura brothers. He's a sweet guy, and just likeable. For all it was sad, I loved the bit at the end, where he sacrifices himself to save Ringo. He thanks her, tells her he loves her, and takes the flame upon himself. Obviously, I would rather he lived, so he and Ringo could be together, but still. If he had to go, this felt right. Quiet and loving, this is how you sacrifice for love. Not like Kanba tried to. Shoma got it right.
Finally, Masako. She resembles Arisugawa Juri from Utena so much, I pretty much went into the series already liking her, just from her character design. Shallow, I know. But she did end up being an interesting character. She could be cold and harsh, but deep down, she loved her family, and she just wanted to protect them, and keep them close. Which, who doesn't want that? She's relatable, in that way. I was a little surprised when we learned that Kanba was her brother; their first meeting had more of a romantic/sexual overtone. I figured she was an angry ex-girlfriend or something! But, no. I wonder if they hadn't made up their mind who she'd be, when they wrote that first meeting. Because I never got that vibe from her again.
The rest of the cast, I largely don't know how I feel about.
Take Sanetoshi. He's obviously the bad guy, but his goals are mostly talked about in an abstract manner. So, he doesn't come across as quite as evil as he maybe should? I mean, he is manipulative. Take his changing the price of Himari's medicine, in order to push Kanba deeper into bed with the Kiba Group. I dunno. Plus, I have to be shallow again. He really resembles Souji Mikage from Utena, who I liked. (Except, I think Sanetoshi is actually cuter.) So, I find myself liking him a little, even though I shouldn't.
I initially liked Yuri and Tabuki well enough; I wasn't really a fan, but they seemed nice. Until the second half of the series, when they both went off the rails. They kind of had Ringo's character arc, in reverse. Ringo was crazy at first, but grew into a better person. These two started out seeming like decent people, but later they showed their dark sides. And like Ringo, they both had sympathetic backstories. However, because they went from nice to not, I found I didn't sympathize with them quite as much as I did with Ringo, who actually made progress.
Momoka was almost more an idea than a person. I would have liked to see more of her, honestly. What exactly is the deal with her diary? Did she write all of it? If not, where did it come from? Sanetoshi said that Momoka was like him; what on Earth did that mean? From what we did see, she seemed like a really kind person; she saved Yuri and Tabuki, both at significant physical cost to herself.
And then, Himari. Himari is almost like Momoka...for all that she's a very important character, we really don't get to know her all that well. She's almost more of a plot point than anything, especially in the beginning. We do learn a bit more about her as time goes on, but still not as much as I'd like.
Next, Kanba. I liked Kanba more in the beginning, but that's unsurprising. It's true that he loved his sister more than anything (maybe a little too much, if you catch my drift), but he took it in a dangerous direction. By the end, he was so desperate to save her that he was willing to murder untold innocent people, just for the chance. Despite the fact that Himari wouldn't want that. =/ I have little patience for people who claim to be doing something for someone, but when that someone point-blank tells them that they don't want it, and they keep doing it anyway!
And finally, the Takakura parents. We only ever see them in flashbacks, so maybe they don't count, but I still have thoughts! First, there's the obvious weird juxtaposition of them being evil, mass-murdering terrorists with them being loving parents. We see several instances of that. They each show themselves willing to sustain physical harm in order to protect their children from it. And they take in not one, but two abandoned/orphaned children and give them a loving home. But what really got me was how they abandoned the kids to go on the run. I just have trouble seeing it...if they're that loving and devoted, to risk their lives for their kids, and to even open their home to parentless children, whom they love and protect just the same as their one biological child...how the hell do those same people just disappear without a trace, leaving the kids behind? Sure, fleeing the authorities with three kids in tow would be hard. But if they couldn't manage taking the kids along, they could have at least left a note..."We're sorry, and we love you"...or something! I swear, I keep getting aggravated, thinking what kind of parent does that...then I remember that they're mass murderers, and so them doing something awful isn't surprising...but it still feels that way. Ugh. I don't know.
...Man, that got a little longer than I expected! I figured I'd spend most of this entry babbling about the plot or symbolism or whatnot. And I do have lots to say about those things, too! I just didn't expect to talk quite so much about the characters, first. ^^;;
Okay, then. Next up, plot! Honestly, this is where this series is weakest, I think. There were a lot of things that started, but were never finished, or things that happened that simply weren't explained. Not to mention, the non-linear method of telling the story was a bit...different. I hesitate to say bad, because it isn't, quite. But a more straight forward method might have been easier to follow.
Take the whole 'Project M' thing. I suppose I can see why Ringo drops it (and I'm glad she did, that was some creepy shit), but it still feels a little odd. It was such a big part of the first half of the series, for it to just go away feels a little odd. Although, the weirdest thing to me is how, on a few occasions, Masako says something about wanting to make sure Project M happens or succeeds or some such. Why on Earth would she care? Or how does she even know, for that matter? Sure, she wants the diary, but she obviously has no qualms about stealing it. So it's not like she's doing what Shoma is, complying with Ringo to gain her cooperation in the end. So, what's up with that?
For that matter, speaking of Masako...I want to know why it worked out that Kanba stayed with their father, while she and Mario went to live with their grandfather. From the one flashback, it sounded like the father wanted all his children with him when he left the family. But Kanba offered to stay with the dad, if he'd let the other two go back to the family. But we see that the grandfather is crazy and abusive...it's even somewhat implied that this is why the father left! So why on earth would he be willing to leave any of his children in that setting? Really, I can't see leaving any of them, but my first thought is to say 'especially Mario'. Simply because the grandfather is bound and determined to force any male heir into this insane mold of hyper-masculinity. Masako seemed to be mostly ignored; which isn't okay either, but still.
And again with Masako and Mario...that whole incident where the grandfather seemed to possess Mario, so Masako had to eat the fugu to save him? What the fuck was that about?
Going back to the diary...we later find out that Yuri wants it (Tabuki, too, I guess), so she can bring back Momoka. She's revealed to be the one who initially tore the diary and stole half of it. Yet, other than that, she doesn't push that hard to get it. Not like Masako and the Takakuras do. That whole idea felt half-formed, and they ended up dropping it, so I wonder why they bothered with it in the first place.
Oh, and along the same lines...the disturbing bit where Yuri almost (or did?) raped Ringo, because she wanted to make her into Momoko? O_O That came out of nowhere, and then was never mentioned again. So what on Earth was that about?
I want to know how the Takakura parents died. For that matter, I want to know if the mother is alive somewhere. We only really got a look at one body, but Kanba saw them both in his hallucination (or whatever that was).
I also want to know what the deal with the Penguindrum was. The spirit in the hat tells the Takakura boys to find it. But later, they say that the Fruit of Fate that was shared between the siblings over the course of their lives is the Penguindrum. So...the hat told them to go find something...that they already had? =/
I was kind of surprised at the fact that everyone seemed to have some sort of abuse/neglect in their history. I swear, I think the Takakuras were the most well-adjusted parents we saw. (And they're freaking terrorists!) I guess Ringo's parents weren't that bad...they weren't abusive, just absent. Which isn't cool, but still. Considering we have Yuri, who got raped and beaten by her father on a regular basis, and Tabuki, whose mother only loved his ability to play the piano and who abandoned him when he lost it? And Himari's mother who is only mentioned briefly, but who abandoned her kid for an unknown reason? Oh, and Masako's grandfather, who wanted to beat this insane masculine ideal into his tiny grandson? Honestly, it's no wonder that most of the cast is kind of screwed up. (Some more than others.)
Speaking of abuse, I was a bit bothered by the incestuous overtones that happened in places. Granted, nothing actually happens (at least on screen), but still. Kanba seems a little too interested in Himari sometimes, and there are a few scenes with the spirit of the hat getting naked (or nearly) with Kanba. Not his sister's mind, but still her body. Ick.
Oh, and the bits where they started calling themselves a 'fake family'. That made me mad. Yeah, okay, we learn that they aren't actually blood related. But blood isn't what makes a family. Love, and the bonds between people...that is what makes a family. And they had that. They were raised together, and they loved one another as siblings. They were a real family, damn it. >_> I can understand Masako being jealous, but she's not the only one who parrots that nonsense. And honestly...she could just claim all the Takakuras as her family. That might have actually worked! Kanba is her family, and Shoma and Himari are his. Thus, by extension, they are hers. Maybe he'd have gone along with her, if she'd accepted them all.
Speaking of family...the bits where Yuri and Tabuki blamed the Takakura siblings for what their parents did...and how the siblings themselves acted like they should be blamed...that bugged the crap out of me. They were children (babies, probably!) when the attack happened. They had nothing to do with it, and there's no way they could have stopped it. The whole 'sins of the father' thing is bull. I wonder if this is another American vs. Japanese POV thing. America is a very individualized culture. We focus on the individual. Japan is a collectivist culture. They focus more on the group. So, is that why? Because the kids are part of that family, the idea is they should share blame, even if they had nothing to do with it? I don't know. But from an American POV, it's a bit aggravating. They're innocent; hell, I'd say they're victims too, in a way. Their family was torn apart; they lost their parents, and even the ability to love them as family. Not to mention being ostracized, the notion of having no future, etc. For them to be blamed for their parents' crime is just too much.
I also had some questions about the symbolism. I knew there would be some; this is Ikuhara, after all. But I found the symbolism in Utena to be easier to understand.
Like the apples. I sorta get this one...it's meant to represent connection, or love, or life, or something? Kanba is 'chosen' (whatever that means), and gets an apple. He shares it with Shoma, and they both live. Shoma then shares his half with Himari, who also is saved. Kanba later gives half of his half to Himari (or the hat) to prolong her life. So, they're sharing love and life, and doing it through the bonds that tie them together...or something.
And the Child Broiler. Obviously it's not completely literal, but is it a symbol for an abstract concept, or something more concrete? When I first saw it, I figured it was a dramatized version of an orphanage or the foster care system, or something like that. But, I wonder...as an American, I have an outsider's knowledge of how our system works. But I have no idea what it's like in Japan. Surely they have some sort of system, but I don't have any idea what it's like, or how it's regarded in society, or anything. The whole bit with the Child Broiler being a place where unwanted children go, and all the kids we see going there being older...in this country, at least, there's a definite stigma to surrendering an older child. Babies are given for adoption, but if you start raising a kid, we expect you to keep doing it. And sadly, foster kids do often 'disappear' into the system. So, that bit fits. Plus, the fact that the Takakuras adopted Himari rather implies that she wasn't just unwanted by her mother, but that she was actually, physically abandoned. They couldn't have gotten custody of her, otherwise. But again...the show was made for a Japanese audience, so I can't quite expect that my interpretation is right. It might be something less tangible, like maybe it just represents abandonment, or not being loved, or something. I don't know.
And the biggest question...what do the stupid cages mean, in the last episode or two? We see Kanba and Shoma in cages. Kanba is 'chosen' and gets an apple to live. He shares with Shoma, and they both live. But what does that mean? What was Kanba 'chosen' for? He had a parent (who presumably loved him), so he wasn't neglected that we saw. He was chosen by the Takakuras after he was orphaned, but that wouldn't explain the needing to share with Shoma part; Shoma already had a family who loved him. I have no idea. =/
And finally, the ending. It's...a little bittersweet? Kind of like the ending to Madoka Magica. Himari is healed, and her fate of dying averted. She and Ringo become good friends, and are apparently living out their lives happily. Kanba and Shoma are gone, but where to is the question. We see the two little boys walking by, who look like Kanba and Shoma. Were they reincarnated? Or is that just a symbol of their spirits moving on together, or something? But either way, the boys are gone, and the girls don't remember them. This reminds me of how Madoka disappeared, and no one but Homura remembered her. I remember thinking about her mother, especially...how sad, to not only lose her child, but to not even be able to remember her. But, at the same time, perhaps that's kinder, since she doesn't have to actually feel the pain of loss. It's the same here. On the one hand, I kind of hate the idea of Himari not remembering her brothers (and Ringo not remembering Shoma), but at the same time...they're happier for it. They can live without the burden of guilt and grief that would come with knowing that your loved one sacrificed themselves for you. And that's what Kanba and Shoma wanted; for the girls to be happy.
...Holy crap, that was long! XD
Final verdict? It depends. If you like surreal series with lots of symbolism, then go for it. If not, then it's a maybe. I'm not always a fan of the surreal (some I like, some I don't), and I'm not quite sure how I feel about this one. I liked some things, and I didn't like some things. I think I mostly liked it, but I wish I understood it better. I'll have to watch it again later, and see if that helps.