Revolutionary Girl Utena Episode 33
You know, I really feel like this episode is one of the most ingenious moves in the entire series. You might be able to construe quite a bit about me from my feeling it's one of the more clever episodes in any anime I've ever seen, really. The beauty of this show really is the sheer amount they're able to accomplish with the minimum amount of resources, and this episode is special in part for that reason.
Episode 33 is a Clip Episode, a concept which needs no introduction. To one extent or another, much of the content may be deemed "skippable." After all, the entire idea behind a clip episode is that you've already seen the overwhelming majority therein. I tend to hate such episodes universally. They're lazy, pointless, and dreadfully dull to sit through. At times they come so late in a series one wonders why they're necessary at all. I mean, who is going to join a series in progress on episode 33 of 39? The only one I've ever really liked was the one in Martian Successor Nadesico.
So the urge to skip over Episode 33 is enormous, but to do so would be folly, because even moreso than the first and second clip episodes in the series, Episode 33 significantly alters the tone of major relationships within the show thereafter. Put more simply, the episode contains events of major significance to the entire show. This makes it a sort of subtle trap. The viewer who is not steadfast or earnest will find themselves in the dark for skipping an episode made up largely of footage they have already seen. When combined with the thrifty reuse of footage for the sake of simplicity, the episode takes on a streamlined appearance.
This appearance is enhanced by the fact that what
is new is not immediately engaging, nor terribly
busy. RGU makes frequent use of set-pieces and detailed backgrounds, but this episode eliminates those almost entirely. Anthy is seen standing in the dark looking at fake stars, while Utena is in a city whose existence is only stated by the presence of false stars/city lights on buildings without distinct forms. Utena herself is seated in a simple room (presumably a hotel) which we never see more than a small part of. At points, the room itself melts away, and we see no more than her face against a dark background. It is my belief that the intent is to distract the viewer and disarm them, to leave them suspicious of as little as possible by providing as few immediately apparent clues to the nature of these brief moments with Utena as possible.
There's more to it than that, though. For much of the episode, the clip episode is framed around Akio driving his car. None of that is unfamiliar, and it creates the appearance of a physical distance between Akio, Utena, and Anthy. This misdirects the viewer's attention and understanding of the scenario to deliberately leave them unprepared for the finale. After all, who is going to expect that two are together when all three are shown far apart?
The clips themselves serve as a brief commentary upon the series thus far. The principles of the duels as they relate to Utena are considered foremost: What does it mean to be Eternal? What is a Miracle? What does it mean to sacrifice for people you love? These discussions may well be important to the entire show, but I propose that there is another layer, a secondary motive if you will, to showing all of these battles again: all of the duels (save Saionji's) are begun by couples. Whether it be Miki and Kozue, Ruka and Shiori, Ruka and Jury or Nanami and Touga, all of the duels in this arc have had that same set-up. The show has never been particularly quiet about Utena and her own prince, nor about Utena's feelings for men who remind her of him, and so I think that either the point here is to make Utena consider her feelings for Anthy or to show how Utena is considering her feelings for Akio. Possibly both, I confess. To the audience, however, the point is simply to sew the seeds of that self-same idea; that Utena is moving closer to what she believes is a relationship.
The body language immediately prior to and following the act are superb. There is a great deal of nonchalance and awkward pretensions of not knowing what was about to occur, right down to Utena attempting to simply sleep. Moments later, the viewer beholds the following:
From this point onward. the revelations should all fall one by one into place. Eventually Utena is revealed to be with Akio in his car during the aforementioned scenes, and Anthy's query "Did you get the roses?" being the final, somewhat chilling, revelation that all that has conspired herein has done so according to a plan written before. Compounded with Utena's own guilt (cleverly disguised behind the veneer of a conversation regarding food being left out and lunch not being made), a singular point is driven home concerning the nature of our Mr. Chairman, and the audience is shown a side of Utena previously kept hidden.
I really do appreciate this episode, because it completely compromises Utena and (upon a second viewing) really highlights many of the negative aspects of her person. That all of this is so subtly and quietly framed about an innocuous clip episode elevates it to brilliance in my eyes.
