The ending is finally here. It’s been awhile since I’ve talked about this series that aired in the Winter 2015 season: Yuri Kuma Arashi is extremely thought-provoking. I’d really like to see him do an original work with Masaaki Yuasa. The class excluding Kureha because she’s different– she loves a bear. Lulu’s bear death is the final key to Ginko’s courageous actions against the class. Exclusion represents the Invisible Storm this series has frightened its girls with. I really like how the rooftop is the confrontational backdrop in illustrating this somewhat simple idea about abandoning friends.
The girls with their rifles standing in a triangle shape, Kureha tied up, Ginko standing at the edge of the roof– Yuri Kuma‘s imagery is the larger part of this series that explains more than what the story lets on to be. Kureha is tackled by the chains of society, forcing to be accepted into a group of deceitful classmates. The triangle these girls form is wonderfully drawn in as it speaks about gender equality, harmony between young girls, integration into a uniformed lesbian society and the Celtic belief about Birth (renewal), Death (Closure) and Transcendence (rebirth). In a way Kureha has passed all these obstacles and is about to transcend into a world these other girls don’t understand– a true love that never backs down by becoming a bear herself!
Throwing away her existence she overcomes Lady Kumalia which turns out to be Sumika. I like how Sumika has been the protection and courage for Kureha to stand up against anyone that’s been misguided throughout this entire show. The repeating flashbacks where she’s seen moving her hair away from her ear, near the garden with Kureha and at the Tsubaki house alludes to her goddess nature perfectly! This episode finally explains her existence amazingly well.
Standing up for her ideals, Kureha doesn’t back down on her love for Ginko through her Lily judgment in the Court of Severance– I really like how Life Sexy gives off the impression he’s known all along about what was to come. Kureha has to confront her past love, her human existence by shooting herself in the mirror in order to break the bonds that society has strapped her down to. She’s made Ginko’s wish come true and the Promise Kiss to fruition! Yuri Kuma Arashi wrote a very solid yet bizarre story about adolescence! This ending was fantastic and what a charming way to give the robot bear a happy ending– Kureha made it known that bears and girls can co-exist that scene amplified this nicely.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: 9/10
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こんにちはアニメの友人 
I lost all interest in the narrative and the characters a long time back so the end was a relief. Ikuhara’s has never always appealed to me but after really enjoying Mawaru Penguindrum I was disappointed to find myself alienated by the story. It was interesting to question why I felt like that.
I can see where you are coming from. He’s definitely different than most directors in that he overly exaggerates his his style– repetition and long winded characters strife with bizarre elements. Marwaru penguindrum contained this style with so much emotion backed by the brothers’ desire to save their frail sister. The Penguins were his whimsical trademark in that show. I can really see why viewers wouldn’t like his works. I’ve been re-watching Yuasa’s Kemonozume, have you ever seen that one?
No, i haven’t seen it.
As far as Penguindrum goes, it was set in the real world and had referenced real events so it was easier to approach.
I agree on that the approach is easier and more relatable. I just really enjoyed how far ikuhara can take a genre like yuri and run with it using symbology and a fantasy setting with magical elements. Soundtrack was awesome for this show and mawaru penguindrum too!