Penguin Highway

This past weekend, I was treated to JICC's showing of Penguin Highway, directed by rising star Ishida Hiroyasu, and boasting an animation staff that includes an ex-Studio Ghilbli animator or two.

In the post-film discussion, JICC (Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan) offered these thoughts on what the penguins represent:

The director, Ishida Hiroyasu, explained in an interview that penguins are split into two colors--black and white which according to the author. In a way, penguins may represent darkness and light, yin and yang, or other themes of duality/opposites. One of the themes is also the idea of the edge of the earth vs. the earth itself. According to the director, the overlapping of much of the themes with the penguins was serendipitous! !

JICC also had this to offer about the most mysterious character in the film:

She is, of course, a counteracting force to the problems caused by the ocean, but she does have a humanity that we see her struggle with. In that sense we could see her as both part of the "edge" and a somewhat independent entity The Lady can also symbolize discovery, i.e., of new emotions (such as love) and the unexplained. She appears to be an embodiment of the world’s mysteries given human form and is hinted to be an alien but with her own independent thoughts and humanity. Aoyama is particularly fond of her not just because of his crush because her existence also defies scientific logic.