Let me just start by saying that this was written while I was going through each episode. So if some parts seem scrambled and/or random, you might have caught me at a moment where I may have added something extra and didn't bother to make it flow well with whatever else I was talking about at the time. Terribly sorry about that. Oh and before I forget.
DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WISHED TO BE SPOILED.
I tried to look through what needed to be spoiler tag, but then the whole damn thing would've been a black post. So the bolded above should suffice.
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Revolutionary Girl Utena [Re-Watch] 1-39
Revolutionary Girl Utena, an anime that some, if not most would consider to be the flagship title of shoujo ai. Beautiful, compelling, lighthearted, tragic, and at times twisted, this show is an emotional rollercoaster of mass proportions. With such a diverse cast of characters with a backstory just as deep and telling of that belonging to a protagonist, it would be quite a challenge to not find yourself at least somewhat emotionally invested in the story. That said, after I completed the series the first time I had a mix of emotions, none of which were very positive.
I went into the show under the impression that it would strictly be a romantic story between two girls. You would have your dashing prince-type lead giving her all to save the vulnerable soft spoken damsel from whatever troubles and challenges that plague her, who would then reward the heroine with eternal love. Instead I was given a relationship so complex and mysterious that at times I even doubted if it even met the standard of friendship. Was Utena protecting Anthy just by choice, or was it simply another opportunity to project her image as the dashing prince that’s destined to save damsels? (
This awkward relationship that I was hoping would eventually bloom into a legit romance was then further tainted and downright defiled (later on) by the interventions of two men: Touga and Akio.
and was introduced during the “Black Rose” arc (2nd). If Touga was responsible for poisoning Utena’s mind, Akio is the bastard for defiling her body and destroying her purity
Akio is the reason why I was so close to dropping Utena the first time. The things he did not only to
DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WISHED TO BE SPOILED.
I tried to look through what needed to be spoiler tag, but then the whole damn thing would've been a black post. So the bolded above should suffice.
----------------------------------------------------------
Revolutionary Girl Utena [Re-Watch] 1-39
Revolutionary Girl Utena, an anime that some, if not most would consider to be the flagship title of shoujo ai. Beautiful, compelling, lighthearted, tragic, and at times twisted, this show is an emotional rollercoaster of mass proportions. With such a diverse cast of characters with a backstory just as deep and telling of that belonging to a protagonist, it would be quite a challenge to not find yourself at least somewhat emotionally invested in the story. That said, after I completed the series the first time I had a mix of emotions, none of which were very positive.
I went into the show under the impression that it would strictly be a romantic story between two girls. You would have your dashing prince-type lead giving her all to save the vulnerable soft spoken damsel from whatever troubles and challenges that plague her, who would then reward the heroine with eternal love. Instead I was given a relationship so complex and mysterious that at times I even doubted if it even met the standard of friendship. Was Utena protecting Anthy just by choice, or was it simply another opportunity to project her image as the dashing prince that’s destined to save damsels? (
The latter.
Touga Kiryuu, first introduced as the respectable student council president showed his true colors and abilities near the end of episode 9. Cold and manipulative on a whole different level than his sister Nanami, he was able to damage the foundation that made Utena who she was. After their first duel he stole her confidence, beliefs, and her “girl” (Anthy), leaving her with nothing but a slowly encompassing fear that maybe her way living was indeed “not normal”. What makes him such a vile character was that he easily figured out Utena’s desires and played that card so well that it lowered Utena’s defensive walls and made her vulnerable to his benefit. It affected her to such an extent that she actually believed Touga was the prince that saved her all those years ago. It was at this point when Utena began to think of Touga as her “prince” (with a slight blush on some occasions) that I knew that the road ahead was only going to get worse for me.
And worse it did. Akio Ohtori was revealed to be
Anthy’s older brother
which he did. Literally.
Anthy (yep, he had multiple sexings with his sister) but Utena as well sent me into the darkest realms of despair and bitterness I have ever felt. I was shocked, offended, and downright disgusted at the scenes playing before my eyes, and at some point everything just stopped registering. I’m pretty sure he fucked every female character in the show (save for Juri, thank god). While some of us may use the term out of humor when things happen that we simply just can’t believe, this was an honest to god feeling of being mindfucked. I mean obviously Akio could care less about Kanae, but for Utena to give in to his advances and disregard the fact that the man is engaged just destroys the credibility and image she was trying to strive for throughout the series; to be a noble knight that saves damsels. There’s nothing noble about adultery, and the fact that she was preaching this crap to her friend Wakaba just episodes before she took the plunge herself makes my blood boil. But maybe that was the point, to show that Utena was an honest to god hypocrite. It certainly didn’t help her character when she began to accept the notion that “there is no such thing as a wrong love” and proceeded to be with him on multiple occasions either. It’s hilarious too, because in the final episodes where she tries to give Akio shit over the things he’s done, he put Utena on blast with an onslaught of truth bombs, showing her that she’s really no better than him. Who knows where I got the strength to finish it. I still don’t know to this day. Honestly all the males in this show besides Miki (who is as feminine [and adorable] as they come) and Mitsuru (elementary school kid who’s head over heels in love with Nanami) are just absolute bastards that are amusingly controlled by their selfish desires revolving around power, control, and dominance. And the fact that said men have this ridiculous ability to bring these otherwise level headed females down to their level sickens me.
Her final
And the scene that followed was rather symbolic as the dueling room—a place that’s in its own environment—began to pour in rain, as if Juri’s heart was finally letting out all the anguish and pain that was suppressed for so long. Her story ended on a bittersweet note, as we were shown a moment where Juri was walking home from school only to be accompanied by Shiori (though she kept her distance from behind) following the news
Regardless of Juri’s amazing arc, my major gripes with the show prevent me from calling it the best. Like an unsightly scar or blemish on an otherwise flawless face, sooner or later your eyes will encounter it and the image will forever be stuck in the back of your mind, taunting you of what it could’ve been if it wasn’t for its very existence (which was episode 30&33 for me). Is Revolutionary Girl Utena a fantastic anime that everyone should experience? Yes. Is it or should it be regarded as the top shoujo ai anime of its genre? No. It's definitely up there without a doubt, but not #1 in my book. That title should go to a more deserving show that actually makes an effort of pushing girls love throughout the entirety of the story and affecting the characters who are part of it, like Onii-sama e.. or Maria-sama ga Miteru (yes, even a show with only one canon lesbian and godlike subtext has earned this right).
It wasn’t until the last few episodes that we really had something concrete between Utena and Anthy. But after going through the ringer of 10+ episodes of manipulation, purity stealing bullshit, I couldn’t enjoy the tender scenes as much as I would have liked. Not like I had much time to enjoy it anyway with what came next. Man I am so bitter right now!
Let’s not forget the one girl who’s actually a lesbian throughout the entirety of the show, Juri Arisugawa. The episodes centered on her stood out far among the rest as we saw a woman fighting a battle on both fronts. Suffering from heartbreak and betrayal from a woman (Shiori) she loved years ago, we saw her struggle as she tried to put the past behind her while fighting a girl (Utena) that was a reflection of the naivety she once had before her troubles began. What makes the situation so terrible is that when Shiori found out about Juri’s feelings for her she used it as a self-gratifying achievement to show her superiority. It was later revealed that Shiori harbored feelings of hatred for Juri for quite some time, creating a massive inferiority complex. When Ruka (the previous fencing captain) returns after recovering from an undisclosed illness, Shiori (and Ruka for that matter) seized the opportunity to get under Juri’s skin for varying reasons. While Shiori’s reason was basically one of a sadistic pleasure in seeing the girl she loathed suffer, Ruka felt that by pushing Juri to go the extra distance and
to challenge Utena one more time she would be able to defeat her and use the power of Dios however she saw fit.
did not end by Utena’s hand but rather her own.
of Ruka’s apparent passing after his illness had gotten the better of him.
Regardless of Juri’s amazing arc, my major gripes with the show prevent me from calling it the best. Like an unsightly scar or blemish on an otherwise flawless face, sooner or later your eyes will encounter it and the image will forever be stuck in the back of your mind, taunting you of what it could’ve been if it wasn’t for its very existence (which was episode 30&33 for me). Is Revolutionary Girl Utena a fantastic anime that everyone should experience? Yes. Is it or should it be regarded as the top shoujo ai anime of its genre? No. It's definitely up there without a doubt, but not #1 in my book. That title should go to a more deserving show that actually makes an effort of pushing girls love throughout the entirety of the story and affecting the characters who are part of it, like Onii-sama e.. or Maria-sama ga Miteru (yes, even a show with only one canon lesbian and godlike subtext has earned this right).
