Shiawase Monogatari is a strange little film that has nearly been lost in the annals of history. You arent likely to find it and are even less likely to find someone who has watched it. As an example of this I only made the decision to watch and review this film because hardly anyone else has and I cannot even recall how I heard of this movie. The plot follows as such: Mike is a presumably Little Penguin who is an American Vietnam War referred in the anime as the Delta War veteran who like the rest of world speaks Japanese. The story revolves around Mike dealing with his PTSD and finding out if he can lead a normal life after the horrors hes been subject to... ...yes it is as utterly odd as it sounds. A movie filled with Club Penguinesque penguins deals with a shellshocked veteran and its played 100 for drama. Odder still is that Mike was the mascot for a brand of beer something that you would not realize watching the movie. The strangeness of the movie is the only reason its still remembered. The fact that cartoon penguins can have thousand yard stares or shoot automatic weapons isnt the most bizarre part of this movie. The most bizarre part is that it works. Or at the very least it did for me. Bear in mind that my profile is of a screaming Kamille Bidan coupled with a cryptic image of Lain thinking that its cool or mysterious. Im not the best gauge of seriousness. But if you can look past the admittedly jarring character appearances youll find a solid drama. While its mostly known for being Club Penguin in Vietnam Mike is out of the Vietconginvested battleground within twenty minutes meaning that most of the movie involves our main character trying to adjust back into life as a civilian. This doesnt go well at first with everyone egging him to talk about the war he wants desperately to forget. Not being able to take it anymore our avian ally flies the coop and leaves his hometown. I believe the movie handles PTSD really well and I felt some of the best parts where when Mike initially tries and fails to live his life. In a new town Mike finds love and the drama amps up. While the middle of the story is pretty meh the film gains its footing again towards the end and I was surprised that I found myself legitimately invested in the characters. The characters all act logically and no one is annoying that isnt supposed to be. The ending may or may not surprise you but this reviewerat the very least was pleasantly surprised. Spoiler One of my biggest gripes was how Jill was encouraged to give up her dream just so she could be with Mike. I guess I can chalk it up to a different time and/or society but it still doesnt sit right with me. Spoiler Over Overall I thought Penguins Memory was a solid drama. It wasnt phenomenal and if youre a diehard drama fan youve probably seen this story before though probably not with cute penguins. Despite this I had a surprisingly good time though Ill admit my expectations werent too high and me being a sucker for romance gave it a few points. I could do without some of the songs as I felt they didnt add anything to the movie but I adored the ending song. 7.6/10 Give it a watch if you have some free time.