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1[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/penguin_memories_3964.jpg]]
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3An anime produced by Suntory and animated by Creator/KKCAndDAsia [[note]]who is under the name of ''Animation Staff Room'' due to contract issues with Creator/DiCEntertainment at the time of its production[[/note]] ([[http://www.pelleas.net/aniTOP/index.php/penguin-s-memory and by a lesser extent]] Creator/StudioJunio).
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5Mike is a sensitive soul that has seen too much. His story begins with him in the midst of [[WarIsHell the Delta War]], a in-universe analogy to the reallife UsefulNotes/VietnamWar, when this poetry-loving individual sees the horrors of war first-hand. While he survives and gets discharged after injury, several friends don't make it. Shell-shocked, he tries to find his place in the world, becoming a drifter, participating in [[FightClubbing underground fighting rings]], and acting generally numb to the world until he settles down in a nice, quiet town to take care of their library. There, he falls in love, contends with a love rival, and discovers that running away from his problems only results in them exploding in his face.
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7It's very poignant. Very serious. And every single character is a cute penguin.
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9Conceived as an {{Anime}} vehicle to promote popular [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua-3J8VDTWo 80's-era Suntory Beer]], this movie is one of the most jarring things to watch, as you see penguins that appear like they belong in a children's show with a script that is on par, in both content and tone, with ''Film/TheDeerHunter''. It also features the song "Sweet Memories," by Seiko Matsuda, one of the all-time most successful idol singers in Japan.
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11Nearly impossible to find these days even in Japan, and the inherent MoodWhiplash pretty much ensures that there will be NoExportForYou. However, it is quite easy to find (in full) on Website/YouTube.
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13!!''Penguin Memories'' provides examples of:
14* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: When Mike finds a bird injured on the road, he immediately gets it to his home and tries to take care of it the best he could. And although Mike is willing to let the bird go after it successfully recovers, the bird is willing to stay with Mike instead.
15* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Mike's assault against Bob Adams and the others for attempting to take away Jill and for murdering his bird results in him being arrested and being found guilty, albeit sentenced under a three-year suspension. Nevertheless, he leaves Lake City due to his crimes and guilt over his loss, but thankfully Jill decides to follow him whether he goes.]]
16* BloodlessCarnage: Particularly jarring in the early Vietnam-like scene, in which three penguins are shot dead with machine guns and yet not a single drop of blood is shed.
17* CrazyJealousGuy: [[spoiler:Jack does not appreciate Mike being engaged with Jill, as Jill's father has begged Jack to [[ArrangedMarriage marry Jill]]. Despite this, Jack has feeling for Susan instead; as such [[AmicableExes he's willing to let Jill go]] as he believes Mike is a better lover for Jill than him.]]
18* CreatorKiller: InUniverse example, Jill's mother [[spoiler:wanted to be part of the music industry but her only record sold poorly that it ended her career before it even began. She tries her hardest to get Jill to bail out before she ends up in the same situation.]]
19* DifferingPrioritiesBreakup: [[spoiler:Mike wants to live a quiet life, while Jill wants to explore and be known to the world. Both set setting aside their differences however, after Jill's mother talks Jill out of the music business.]]
20* FightClubbing: After his return from the war, Mike becomes a drifter who participates in underground fights for cash to get by.
21* GratuitousEnglish: All the penguin names. In particular, "[=TOOOOOMUUUUUU!=]"
22* IJustWantToBeNormal: [[spoiler:Mike's refusal to go with Jill to Central City is mainly because he wants to live a normal, quiet life, as a way to mediate his trauma. [[DifferingPrioritiesBreakup This leads to the two falling out for a while]].]]
23* IfIWereARichMan: Bob fantasizes about the potential of Jill's successful career and how his profession as her music manager will make him rich.
24* {{Irony}}: Al tells Mike to hold on as they're clutching onto a helicopter's landing skids as it ascends to get them out of there. Not ten seconds, Al ends up losing his grip on the landing skids and falls to his death due to the explosive shockwave of a rocket hitting a nearby helicopter.
25* ItsPersonal: [[spoiler:Mike's pet bird being killed by one of Bob Adams's henchmen results in Mike going all out against them. [[FromBadToWorse And then the police show up]].]]
26* MatureAnimalStory
27* MoodWhiplash: The art style versus the subject. Also, when the random singalong with the penguin chicks happens.
28* TheMusical: Given the romantic interest was voiced by an IdolSinger, pretty much a given.
29* RecycledINSPACE: ''Film/TheDeerHunter'' with penguins. Also, Penguin ''Film/FirstBlood''.
30* ReturningWarVet: Mike is one of these.
31* ShellShockedVeteran: Mike spends much of the movie like this.
32* TemptingFate:
33* WarIsHell: Delta War is a horrifying ordeal that traumatized Mike. First, he had to see a group of escaping refugees gunned down by a ''friendly'' helicopter squadron. Then, Tom was killed by enemy gunfire as he attempts to save Mike when he was injured trying to stop the massacre. Finally, Al fell from the helicopter when it tried to dodge rockets fired upon from below.

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