The Speakeasy #025: The Flying Penguin, A Revolutionary Girl Utena & Mawaru Penguindrum Discussion

Drink #025: The Flying Penguin,
A Revolutionary Girl Utena & Mawaru Penguindrum Discussion

Kunihiko Ikuhara is undoubtedly one of our favorite directors so it seemed only fitting for us to devote a podcast to two of his most recognizable masterworks. For each show we brought on a guest to talk with us a bit about the selected show. We started with Clarissa from the Anime World Order podcast to chat about Revolutionary Girl Utena. As she recently did a paper for grad school on the show she seemed the only logical choice for a guest to talk about pink-haired crossdressers. After that we talk with Patz from Insert-Disc about Ikuhara’s recently concluded work, Mawaru Penguindrum. With both titles we do an in-depth analysis of characters and themes and don’t hold anything back on the spoiler side of things. If you have not finished either series be warned that we give away pretty much anything that could possibly be. If you want a review just know that both shows are 100% recommended so you can just watch them and then come back and listen to the podcast.

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And now your helpful bartenders at The Speakeasy present your drink:

The Flying Penguin

Preparation:

Pour 1.5 ounces each of Vodka, White Rum and Gin into a highball glass over two ice cubes. Add a good spash (approx .25 ounces) of angora bitters and swirl with a metal stirring rod. Add 5 ounces of Pink Grapefruit Juice. Add 1.5 ounces of sugar syrup. Slice a fresh lime into a slice approximately 1/2 of an inch wide. Cut in half, squeezing one half directly into the drink (then drop the squeezed lime half in). Make a small nick 2/3rds of the way up the second halfof lime and use to rim the glass then as a garnish. Include a metal stirring rod.

Onizuka Cram School

Since I talked a big game about how much I would love someone to license GTO Shonan 14 Days when I made it the manga of the month back in May it is only right that I put my money where my mouth is when it goes on sale at the Right Stuf this week. Vertical not only fulfilled my request to get the newest work by Tohru Fujisawa they also went back and picked up the remaining unpublished volumes of Shonan Junai Gumi (aka GTO: The Early Years) that Tokyopop was never able to release before they went under. Since they are on sale it is everyone’s duty to preorder these wonderful manga if they love comedy, action, drama, and/or yankees. Eikichi Onizuka is an iconic character of anime and manga that is always energetic in any iteration of his story. GTO: The Early Years is a delightful mixture of raunchy comedy and manly action that shows the origin of the greatest teacher in Japan. Shonan 14 Days is Tohru Fujisawa being on the top of his game continuing right back where he left off from GTO. Someone might tell you to pick up Tezuka or the Lychee Light Club. Those are all fine manga worth picking up but they are not the manly bible that is teachings of the Oni-Baku.

And if you need something to offset all that testosterone that you can pick up Twin Spica because that series does not get enough love.

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The Grail-kun Advice Column

I think that the Love Detective Hisui advice column was wildly successful. Clearly there is an untapped market for an advice column for Otaku on the Internet. Sadly Love Detective Hisui was busy helping Otaku find love and was too busy to do a column today. But he pulled some strings and was able to get us an equally impressive board certified psychotherapist to fill in. Let us all welcome Grail-kun and his overflowing cup of wisdom.

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