Let's initiate the Survival Strategy
Aug. 20th, 2021 08:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shamanicshayminAs weird and messed up as it sounds, I thought the incest was well executed in Penguindrum, particularly regarding the Takakuras. Mini essay ahoy! Will put under spoilers because of general spoilers and uh incest.
The show ultimately is about the love that comes from found family and that storge (familial love) transcends blood. But for the Takakura siblings, they’re confused about what love means for a long time. They know they love each other, but how? In what way? Throw in that they’re adopted siblings and the entire thing becomes even more a mess.
Himari regards Shouma as her soulmate because he was the first person to give her kindness and ultimately save her from the Child Broiler. But if they were meant to be in a Happily Ever After fairytale romance, what does it mean when they’ve since grown up together as siblings? Shouma was likewise best friends with Kanba, and some fans interpret it as them also falling in love romantically. Again, they grow up as brothers and then it makes their relationship even more confusing. Himari is the only girl Kanba has genuine feelings for. But whoops, adopted sister. He clearly struggles with this, as does Himari; the scenes with Kanba and the Princess of the Crystal could be a way of them projecting their feelings for each other through a proxy. Like Kanba is projecting his feelings for Himari through the "safe" "non-incest" proxy of the Princess of the Crystal. And depending how much you believe Himari is conscious/is in control with the hat on, Himari uses PotC as a proxy to let her unconscious desires come to life.
Obviously, the three kids have no safe avenue to talk about this to anyone. The adults in their lives have repeatedly failed them, and they’d already be deemed as villains just for being related to the terrorist organization of the Teddydrum attacks. If they talk about these things, they’d be even more damned. The Takakura kids literally had to be everything for each other. Best friends. Family. Even when it comes to romance, their only frame of reference is each other. Which really hammers the tragedy and abuse that society wrought upon them home.
The fact that Ringo probably sussed all this out on her own and is still determined to stick by Shouma’s side and save Himari and Kanba just says volumes about how much she cares for them. ;; It’s shown that the (general) love the Takakuras (namely Himari and Shouma) gave Ringo did absolute wonders for her—and I think her (general) love for the Takakuras is what saves them too.
They know they’re fucked up... they saw the worst of each other, but they won’t abandon each other. Not ever.
It is that kind of love that forms the Penguindrum.
The show ultimately is about the love that comes from found family and that storge (familial love) transcends blood. But for the Takakura siblings, they’re confused about what love means for a long time. They know they love each other, but how? In what way? Throw in that they’re adopted siblings and the entire thing becomes even more a mess.
Himari regards Shouma as her soulmate because he was the first person to give her kindness and ultimately save her from the Child Broiler. But if they were meant to be in a Happily Ever After fairytale romance, what does it mean when they’ve since grown up together as siblings? Shouma was likewise best friends with Kanba, and some fans interpret it as them also falling in love romantically. Again, they grow up as brothers and then it makes their relationship even more confusing. Himari is the only girl Kanba has genuine feelings for. But whoops, adopted sister. He clearly struggles with this, as does Himari; the scenes with Kanba and the Princess of the Crystal could be a way of them projecting their feelings for each other through a proxy. Like Kanba is projecting his feelings for Himari through the "safe" "non-incest" proxy of the Princess of the Crystal. And depending how much you believe Himari is conscious/is in control with the hat on, Himari uses PotC as a proxy to let her unconscious desires come to life.
Obviously, the three kids have no safe avenue to talk about this to anyone. The adults in their lives have repeatedly failed them, and they’d already be deemed as villains just for being related to the terrorist organization of the Teddydrum attacks. If they talk about these things, they’d be even more damned. The Takakura kids literally had to be everything for each other. Best friends. Family. Even when it comes to romance, their only frame of reference is each other. Which really hammers the tragedy and abuse that society wrought upon them home.
The fact that Ringo probably sussed all this out on her own and is still determined to stick by Shouma’s side and save Himari and Kanba just says volumes about how much she cares for them. ;; It’s shown that the (general) love the Takakuras (namely Himari and Shouma) gave Ringo did absolute wonders for her—and I think her (general) love for the Takakuras is what saves them too.
They know they’re fucked up... they saw the worst of each other, but they won’t abandon each other. Not ever.
It is that kind of love that forms the Penguindrum.
