"The Penguin Saga" is a online series created by That Other Fish, one of the creators of The Greatest Penguin Heist of All Time
, a Sandbox physics game where the series is also made.
The series starts out with a clinically depressed penguin named Mr. Penguin, who, in his depression, has become a Cosmic Play Thing. After showing his everyday life through the lense of Black Comedy, the clips take a dark turn when he ups and vanishes one day. His unexplained disappearance is investigated by Rex Fontaine, a private detective, who is also investigating the brutal murders of other penguins. Along the way he is joined in the investigation by gym bro, Lard Chowder and gun store owner, Jerry (who also had chronic backpain). To their shock, they discover that Mr. Penguin's disappearance and the penguin killing spree might be connected. Shenanigans happen along the way.
Series contains examples of:
- Back from the Dead: Fernando Miguel is revived by an apparition of Fabrizio Baffi.
- Beautiful Singing Voice: Fabrizio Baffi has one. It's even said in his character intro.
- Berserk Button: Mr. Postguin is a living one for Rex.
- Big "NO!": Rex when Lard is stabbed by Evil!Mr. Penguin.
- Chekhov's Gag:
- Jerry's chronic backpain is a Running Gag throughout the series. He later discovers that, when aggravated, he is transported to a different dimension where he finds the real Mr. Penguin. After understanding how his pain works, he travels back to the alternate dimension and retrieves Mr. Penguin.
- Rex's volatile anger towards Mr. Postguin for no apparent reason becomes important when the former reveals that he was responsible for the Rex's office burning down, which infuriates him, sending him to the alternate dimension to rescue Lard.
- Chekhov's Gun:
- In one of the earlier episodes, Mr. Penguin gets spectacularly hammered while out drinking with a friend, during which he (for some reason) buys a gun and clumsily shoots it off in front of a night club. This same gun is later used to kill Fernando Miguel, however, Mr. Penguin isn't the shooter.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The masked penguin that stole Mr. Penguin's boat and later knocks him unconscious returns many episodes later to kill Fernando Miguel.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: Several penguins, though Lard falls squarely into this by shoehorning his "bear strength" into every other conversation.
- The Comically Serious: Rex speaks in a perpetual monotone, which comes off a bit amusing when he is supposedly shouting or cracking a joke.
- Cosmic Play Thing: Poor Mr. Penguin can't seem to catch a break. He has depression, his few acquiantances are brutally killed in front of him, he is roped into accepting a jet ski loan that he can't pay off—after which said boat is stolen and destroyed by a masked penguin. He's then whisked off to an alternate dimension where he wallows in self-pity until he is rescued by Jerry.
- Hidden Depths: Rex who's very 'nose-to-the-grindstone' is apparently a fan of Fabrizio Baffi's music.
- Informed Attribute:
- Lard's "strength of two bears", which even Rex questions. While he might be a little more toned due to putting in a lot of hours at the gym, his arm strength doesn't seem light-years away than that of the other penguins. He uses it to punch Jerry in the back, though considering how incredibly sensitive Jerry's back is, almost any of the other penguins could've achieved this.
- Fabrizio Baffi's "voice of an angel" is boasted by various main characters. Of course, from viewers' perspective, he just makes "noot" noises.
- Fernando Miguel being "very good at dancing". Literally every single character is awed at his dance moves. Yet again, from viewers' perspective, he just sways around.
- Karma Houdini: The masked penguin that destroyed Mr. Penguin's boat, knocked him, and murdered Fernando Miguel sees no comeuppance so far.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: In the Season 2 opener that takes place one year later, Mr. Penguin reveals in a journal entry that no one has any memory of Fernando Miguel's murder, not even Fernando Miguel himself, and are confused when Mr. Penguin brings it up.
- Running Gag: Jerry's chronic backpain.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Filbert Fudge is killed mere seconds after his introduction, courtesy of Evil!Mr. Penguin.
