'family' and 'love' are not always synonymous with one another. birth is not a tree which doles out equal fruit, it is not a golden goose which produces only miracles. not every child is brought up with the love of their family to guide them. adults push their sins onto their children and call it love, twisting the word and causing the kids to pass this on. each generation is made to hold the sins of the last and the children live with the original sin of existence, going their whole lives feeling dejected and unwanted.

'love' is a superfluous, dull word when spent on children that are not truly touched by it.

penguindrum is perplexing, a series with a definitive beginning, middle, and end yet many pieces to put together in between. the story is an onion, buried under layers of skin that the viewer must do away with to truly claw at and begin to tear open their experience. each episode unlocks a different door by providing more context, alternate angles from which the audience must look at the characters. there is nobody here that is innocent, there is not one of them with clean hands by the end of the story. the way in which the show conveys its message goes hand in hand with its layout while not hurting the overall experience, and it's a testament to the multitudes of ways for a story to unfold. i'm incredibly thankful that this show wasn't condensed into twelve episodes, it feels like it could have done extensive damage to the narrative and it's nice to see a show that takes its time setting every single piece in motion while managing to not feel too long. it's perfect.

'family' is a mirage created by attempts to shadow a broken home disrupted by the child.

from beginning to end, i was swept off my feet by the setpieces and flair in this series, each of them having a reason to exist and a metaphor to back them and give context for their existence. the locations shown are few, but each cements itself perfectly as a cornerstone of the story in a way that they stick with the viewer, reminding them of past events simply by existing. the whole experience feels sentimental, coming to me from a place of hurt in an attempt to understand and process the feelings with which i am left upon reaching the ending of this story. some episodes feel bright and airy, others feel grim and aimless (a good thing in this context) with no silver line, and each moment is interlaid with beautiful shots that help to ground the metaphors, acting as a base for them to build off of.

it is left to the children to mold the world their parents place in their hands. it is only they who can define 'family' and 'love'.

this series means a lot to me. as someone who has never had siblings, i initially felt as though i would not get as much out of it and that most of the feelings would be empty, placed into my mind. i'm happy to say that i was incorrect. what i'm left with after experiencing something like this is more than words can detail, it's a feeling of peace and clarity that i have been looking for my whole life. needless to say.. i love the word 'fate'.