Having forgotten to post any #DecRecs yesterday I will endeavor to post two today. My first is a TV anime:
Mawaru Penguindrum is a 24-episode anime created by Ikuni (Kunihiko Ikuhara, also known for Revolutionary Girl Utena, Yuri Kuma Arashi, and Sarazanmai, as well as his work as series director on half of Sailor Moon). I cannot offer a cogent analysis of its thematic and symbolic content, as it frankly went over my head. It tells a surreal and compelling story centering around two brothers and their terminally ill sister, and a penguin hat of mysterious origin and mysterious powers. It concerns fate and family and familial guilt and other things I did not pick up on or do not remember.
and for my actually-for-today #DecRecs , I offer... another TV anime.
Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight is a TV anime (and an anime film) set in an all-girls musical theatre training school, directed by Tomohiro Furukawa, who came up under and has collaborated extensively with Kunihiko Ikuhara. Like Ikuni's work, it makes extensive use of surreal, highly stylized elements, although it's more transparent than Ikuni's stuff. Also like much of Ikuni's stuff it's very lesbian.
It is very good although I really need to get around to actually finishing it. For a bit more background on Ikuhara, Furukawa, and the Takarazuka Revue (which the show is in part a critique of), I additionally recommend the (spoiler-free) post tumblr person canmom wrote up in advance of showing some people the TV anime.
also there's a giraffe that understands things.
