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Revolutionary Girl Utena (Shoujo Kakumei
Utena) is an
anime series about one very weird University and the students who
attend it. It and a manga were created simultaneously, although aside from
some similarities they go in very different directions. The anime is more
popular, and under the direction of the very interesting and funny
Kunihiko Ikuhara, generally considered better by American fans.
The story focuses on Utena, a fiery pink-haired girl who insists on
wearing boys' clothes. She attends the Ohtori Academy, and seeks the
prince who once visited her and gave her a ring. Utena rooms with an
Indian-looking woman named Anthy, who in turn is in an abusive
relationship with another member of the Academy. Utena fights to protect
Anthy, and is pulled into a series of sword duels with the student
council, all of whom fight for Anthy as the key to a coming revolution.
The series itself is highly unusual, to the point of being outright
metaphysical. Its uses of color alternate between serene and striking,
while the world feels angular and modern, from the faces of the characters
to the design of the Academy. A rose motif runs rampant. The plot is
relatively straightforward, but everyone's motives are obscure (initially,
at least). The series is great for fans of artiness and best taken on the
metaphorical level, as the latter half of the series (and movie) becomes
very obtuse if taken on the literal visual. This is due to what the
director admits is a mix of metaphor, borrowed visuals from
Takarazuka theater, classic shoujo, mythology, and a large amount of
"stuff that just looks really cool."
The 39-episode Revolutionary Girl Utena TV series was created
by some of the production company that made
Sailor Moon Note that creator of Sailor Moon,
Naoko Takeuchi, was not responsible for Utena, nor did the
Utena manga author Chiho Saito have much control over the anime.
However, the director of Utena contributed to many episodes in Sailor
Moon's third season, the most serious and arguably best of the series. In
particular he is rumored to have established much the androgynous Tenoh
Haruka's personality in that show, the gentler aspects having later been
put into Utena's titular pink-haired tomboy. Many of the surreal aspects
he pitched did not make it into
Sailor Moon and after he left (or was fired?) may have been adapted
for the Utena series.
An alternate-universe movie, named Adolescence Mokushiroku (or
simply Adolescence of Utena) exists also and can be seen as the end of the
story initiated by the TV series. Although it goes in a very different
direction. It borrows enough elements from the series that it is best
watch after seeing the TV series. It is even more gorgeously bizzare
visually than the series, unusual enough it earned the good natured
nickname among fans "End Of Utena", after the similarly weird but
infinitely less cheerful
End Of Evangelion.
Visual Motifs
Repeated motifs feature strongly and powerfully in Utena. Many
scenes are reused -- exactly or almost so -- in several episodes. This may
have been a practical consideration on the animators' part to reduce
production costs, but it also lends a ritualistic sense to many of the
repeated scenes -- such as the Student Council's ascent or Utena's entry
to the dueling platform.
The series is divided into story arcs, in each of which Utena comes
into conflict with a different power at Ohtori Academy. Particular motifs
illustrate the style and methods of each rival: the Student Council's oath
of revolution; the Black Rose cabal's psychologically torturous
confessions; and Akio Ohtori's cruelly seductive uses of his car.
The dominant motif of the entire series is the rose, which fills the
decor and landscape of the Academy as well as the ritual accoutrements of
the Duelists. Another curious one is elevators, which seem to be used as
places of transition or transformation -- the Council's elevator, Akio's,
the Black Rose group's where the confessions take place, and the one
installed in the dueling platform in the later episodes.
Characters
Tenjou Utena
In all versions of the story, Utena a tomboyish but slightly naive
character who lives to emulate the idealist Prince Figure from her
chidlhood. She is forthright, honest, and friendly, and nearly all the
girls in school adore her.
Himemiya Anthy
A mysterious darkskinned woman whose sometimes vapid look and
superficial politeness seem to mask something more unusual. Many people
project their wants or desires onto her, and she's often the target of
their eventual rage or hate. In the movie, she generally seems more
geniunely happy as is much more sexually aggressive towards Utena.
Arisugawa Juri
Kiryuu Touga
A arrogant handsome young man whose desire to be elegant and powerful
drives him to cruel and unscupulous deeds. Although he liekly wishes to be
more noble, he lack of affection from others doesn't allow him to have
much empathy.
His portrayal in the comic and movie are considered more sympathetic,
or at least pitiable.
Kiryuu Nanami
Touga's over-the-top snob queen little sister, who is VERY fond of him.
However, like most of Nanami's personality, this affection is just one of
selfish immaturity rather than calculated evil. Many of the episodes that
feature her are hilarious comedic and bizarre in nature.
Kaoru Miki
The highly-skilled, polite, effeminate friend of Utena. He has a crush
on Anthy in the anime (but on Utena in the manga) who reminds him of his
'ideal partner' and inspiration as a child. Although he crosses swords
with Utena, he always has good intentions & is likely one of the few
genuinely nice characters in the series.
Saionji Kyouichi
Has a personality similar to Touga, who he emulates for similar
rewards. Unlike other characters, he actually has few previous neurosis or
psychological obsessions; more likely he is 'simply' a temperamental
greedy jerk than a megalomaniac, and in some situations he has been shown
to have empathy if taken down a notch. He is one of the least featured
characters, with a very short part in the Utena movie., and sometimes the
butt of jokes.
Chuchu
Anthy's pet. A small, comical, rather ugly tie-wearing marmoset who
tends to thaw out some dry scenes. However, e seems to be aware of things
other characters aren't. Saionji hates him for some reason.
Shinohara Wakaba
Utena's Number #1 extremely affectionate (though platonic) fangirl and
close friend. Wakaba's cheerful personality hides an enormous inferiority
complex, and she attaches herself to other people to feel important.
Kaoru Kozue
Ohtori Akio
Themes
An influence by
Gnosticism can also be found, with Ohtori Academy as the illusory
world and Akio as the
Demiurge.By its plays on such archetypal figures as the
Prince, the
Princess or the
Witch, and by the
symbolist role carried out by such plot elements as coffins,
thorns or castles, Utena can be seen as the
quintessence of the
Postmodernist
Fairy tale.
It should be noted that the series addresses sexual themes quite often,
including
Yuri and
Yaoi (lesbian and gay) elements, as well as more than mere suggestions
of incest. However, the show rarely names them out specifically, treating
them as existing but without passing judgment. Sexual content is more
overt in the motion picture than the TV series, which is much more subtle.
It is joked that it contains all the unusual romantic fetishes seen in
anime, although somewhat confusing to those who are not been introduced to
'easier' anime.
Although the relationship of Utena and Anthy is more ambiguous in the
tv series (the director has a dislike of the strong
shipper tendancy in fandom and even complained about
Sailor Moon's lead's idealized relationship) they are considered a
couple, and at present are likely the most famous
yuri couple in anime.
There are considered a good example of the lack of of strong
uke/seme
concept in yuri fandom. While Utena (especially in the movie) is boyish,
strong, physically aggressive ('masculine' traits) she is more emotional
and innocent than the wearily experienced (in more ways than one, in the
movie) Anthy. Fans enjoy this feeling of 'equality'.
The movie is more blunt in its representations of themes like literally
thinking outside the box, carving one's own path despite uncertainty,
rejecting set paths and general self-discovery. Due to Anthy and Utena's
more overt relationship in the film, it has been read as a "coming out"
film by some appreciative fans.
Inspirations
IKEDA Riyoko's
Rose of Versailles and
Onisama e are established sources of inspiration for Utena,
visually for the first and thematically for the second.
Another major inspiration, seen through the Student Council's Oath, is
Hermann Hesse's
Demian.
During the duel preparation sequences, Utena's outfit changes slightly
in what is perhaps a friendly parody of the
magical girl genre. Likewise elevator scenes have a transformation
aspect to them.
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