Penguin 13
October 10th, 2011 § 3 Comments
Probably going to post some actual analysis/speculation later, but this just kind of hit me:
Sanetoshi asks this question in episode 13:
What do you think of the word “fate”?
Does the concept of fate exist in reality?
To put it simply, are people’s future set in stone when they are born, never to be challenged?
Do you believe in such a rule?
And each of the three main characters have already given their answers to it:
Shoma’s (also Kanba’s in 12) answer:
I hate the word “fate.”
Birth, encounters, partings, success and failure, fortune and misfortune in life.
If everything is already set in stone by fate, then why are we even born?
There are those born wealthy, those born of beautiful mothers and those born into war or poverty.
If that’s all caused by fate, then God must be incredibly unfair and cruel.
Because, ever since that day, none of us had a future.
The only thing we knew was that we would never amount to anything.
Kanba’s answer:
Why are people born?
If people are born only to suffer, is it meant as some kind of a punishment?
Or a cynical joke?
If that’s the case, animals that adhere to the survival strategies programmed in their DNA…are far more elegant and simple.
If there really is an existence worthy of being called “God,” I want to ask him just one thing.
Is there really fate in the universe?
If a man ignored his fate and his instincts and his DNA’s commands…to love someone…
Dear God, is he really human?
Just wondering.
I hate the word “fate.”
Ringo’s answer:
I love the word “fate.”
You know how they talk about “fated encounters”?
Just one single encounter can completely change your life.
Such special encounters are not coincidences.
They’re definitely… fate.
Of course, life is not all happy encounters.
There are many painful, sad predicaments.
It’s hard to accept that misfortunes beyond your control are fate.
But I think…there’s a meaning no matter how sad and painful it may be.
Nothing in this world is pointless.
Because… I believe in fate.
Anyway, kind of obvious and I don’t have any solid analysis atm, but I thought it was interesting.
Holy crap…But what about Himari? and (maybe) the princess?
From what I’ve heard and understood, the Princess believes that “Fate” can be changed. So she believes in it, but is more of the “you decide what your fate is” kind of mentality. Sanetoshi told Himari that her/the story wasn’t over yet, which you would assume means she has yet to write her own “destiny.” However, he also says that he and the Princess/his beloved are at odds with each other in their beliefs. It’s still difficult for me to understand where Sanetoshi is coming from. He seems like a nonbeliever of Fate. Perhaps it’s his arrogance that he is the only thing that can change people’s Fate that puts him at odds with the Princess, whom seems to believe that if people recover or find the Penguindrum, can change their fate on their own.
Of course, I could be misunderstanding Sanetoshi. I’m still mulling his beliefs over since I find him contradictory. He says one thing and then another. It’s hard to tell if he’s quoting something out of a book that someone else believes or is talking about his own beliefs at times. Such a smarmy character is more fit to be a potions master rather than a librarian… then again, he is the former as well as the latter, isn’t he?
That’s true… I understand why you find Sanetoshi as contradictory. I just think he is trying to see if fate really exist. It doesn’t matter if he believes it or not. He just want to know if fate can be altered. So he plays around with people’s lives, to see if it is possible to have different destiny. Himari’s destiny is to have a short life (due to the Goddess). That already happened twice. That shows her fate isn’t changed yet.
Sorry, if I’m not making any sense… I don’t know what to think of Mawaru Penguindrum anymore…except it’s awesome. And Sanetoshi is master of troll.