# Penguindrum (2011)

> A dying girl's miraculous survival binds her brothers to a penguin-hat spirit and a symbolic quest that unravels a family's buried secrets.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/36407

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 24
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, drama, mystery, science fiction
- Network: MBS
- Cast: Subaru Kimura, Ryohei Kimura, Miho Arakawa, Akira Ishida, Mamiko Noto, Yui Horie, Marie Miyake, Yusaku Yara
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2017925/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: labyrinthine
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: surreal, melancholic, unsettling, whimsical, philosophical

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively as a dense, symbol-rich psychological anime whose puzzling story rewards close attention.

## Synopsis

Penguindrum (2011) is a Japanese anime series produced by Brain's Base and broadcast on MBS, a single-season run of twenty-four episodes. Its protagonist Himari Takakura, a terminally ill girl, is saved from death by a spirit living inside a penguin-shaped hat, and in exchange she must watch as her brothers Kanba and Shoma, voiced by Subaru Kimura and Ryohei Kimura, chase an elusive artifact called the Penguin Drum with help from a trio of odd penguins. Himari is voiced by Miho Arakawa. The engine of the story is a race against a fixed deadline, with each episode layering new fragments of family history, sudden violence and cryptic clues that push the siblings toward choices they cannot take back. The narrative moves through nonlinear timelines and recurring symbols such as apples and penguins, so the mystery reveals itself gradually rather than in tidy steps. Its tone shifts sharply between whimsy and dread, blending bright surreal imagery with melancholy grief and psychological unease. Fans of Revolutionary Girl Utena, Serial Experiments Lain and Neon Genesis Evangelion will find resonance in its dense symbolism and philosophical ambition. The series rewards close attention and repeat viewing for those who enjoy puzzles that stay open to interpretation.

## Shows like Penguindrum

- [Death Parade (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55134)
- [Summer Time Rendering (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/98123)
- [GOOD NIGHT WORLD (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/149366)
- [ODDTAXI (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/97186)
- [Takopii's Original Sin (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/190341)
- [From the New World (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/47544)
- [IRODUKU: The World in Colors (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/70655)
- [7SEEDS (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/72988)
- [Rozen Maiden (2004)](https://ember.film/tv/39091)
- [Sonny Boy (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/103292)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt