If you’ve ever seen my normal avatar or know a little bit about me, it probably isn’t too surprising that I wanted to read Penguin Gentlemen. Especially with that incredibly buff, handsome gentlemen gracing the cover.
But even I underestimated the spectacle that is Penguin Gentlemen.
Penguin Gentlemen is set at a certain bar called The Watering Hole. It may seem like a rather silly name, but its fits: all the handsome staff are actually penguins! How or why they became human, who knows. Two of them do have kids who make an appearance, including a four-month-old who appears as a four-year-old boy. So no idea how that works. The men don’t change between forms, but author uses their penguin selves the same way most artists use chibi characters.
Anyway, Penguin Gentlemen is 100% pure edutainment. Some of the manga’s two-page mini-chapters continue the previous’ theme while others will jump to a new subject. One common topic is the characters compare life in Japan to life in the wild. Huddling in the cold Antarctic wind? Smart and necessary for survival. Huddling in a train? Too hot! Other times, things are just instinctual, like no one wanting to be first on an elevator because it reminds them of being the first to jump into the sea.
Those sections are more story-like, but several parts are just the men standing around discussing species. Six penguin types are represented, including the three most popular (Emperor, King, and Adélie). I am a little surprise that none of the yellow-haired penguin (like a rockhopper) was represented here, but maybe if there’s a Penguin Gentlemen 2…?
Or maybe because those penguins just aren’t that good-looking and wouldn’t fit in at The Watering Hole. King (yes, as in king penguin) runs the place, Emperor is the head waiter, and the rest have jobs as well. Running the restaurant makes up only a fraction of the manga; most of the time, the staff are just talking during/after work. So this helps keep the focus on learning more about penguins rather than people reacting to their bizarre behavior. (Although that happens several times.)
Honestly, more textbooks should be like this. Sure, you can go on the Internet and read all about how the different species express hostility. Or you can read Penguin Gentlemen and compare an African penguin’s anger to that of having your flan stolen. Ueno’s art also provides some great, easy-to-understand visuals, like comparing a penguin’s body to a person sitting in a chair. Other times, it’s for some laughs like showing human equivalents to their mating rituals. The humor is consistently great, and each part ends with a note from one of the characters for a final chuckle.
Some of you may think I’m biased as a penguin lover, but the idea could have worked with just about any animal. Penguins just have the honor since they look like they’re in tuxedos is a long-standing joke. And it works so well, with King having to remind his tuxedo-clad staff about the honor of a penguin on occasion. Sure, there’s the occasional blah mini-chapter (the bubble tea wasn’t that funny or educational), but they aren’t enough to bring down the enjoyment factor much. Plus the manga opens with a lengthy full-color section, which is always a treat, and the hardcover format gives it that extra high-class flair perfect for gentlemen and ladies alike.
So if you like penguins, learning new things, or are just in the mood for something quirky, Penguin Gentlemen is ready to delight you and put a pen-grin on your face.