Shoujo Kakumei Utena

Years ago, a tragic incident befell a young princess when both her parents died. Devastated, it seemed nothing would calm this poor soul. However, a prince traveling through the area came to see the princess, hoping to cheer her up. After wiping her sorrowful tears, the prince gave her a ring carrying a rose emblem and told her as long as she holds onto the ring, they are destined to meet again. The event leaves a deep impression on the girl, Utena Tenjou, leading her to become a prince herself.

Years later, Utena attends Ootori Academy, recognized by the same rose emblem as her precious ring's. There, attracted by the scent of roses, she witnesses Anthy Himemiya tending the flowers, accompanied by the Student Council President Touga Kiryuu and Vice President Kyouichi Saionji, who seem to be arguing over Anthy. While Utena thinks nothing of the occurrence, the Student Council gathers to discuss an important matter.

Subsequently, a misunderstanding leads to Utena being dragged into the world of Duelists—those with rings similar to her own. The Duelists fight for the ownership of the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya, who is said to possess great power. Wanting to prove her capabilities as a prince, and enraged that Anthy is being wronged and objectified, Utena resolves to fight against the Duelists to save her from the cruel fate.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tenjou, Utena Main

Kawakami, Tomoko Japanese

Himemiya, Anthy Main

Fuchizaki, Yuriko Japanese

Arisugawa, Juri Supporting

Mitsuishi, Kotono Japanese

Kiryuu, Nanami Supporting

Shiratori, Yuri Japanese

Ootori, Akio Supporting

Kosugi, Juurouta Japanese

Kiryuu, Touga Supporting

Koyasu, Takehito Japanese

Chuchu Supporting

Koorogi, Satomi Japanese

Mikage, Souji Supporting

Midorikawa, Hikaru Japanese

Kaoru, Miki Supporting

Hisakawa, Aya Japanese

Takatsuki, Shiori Supporting

Nishihara, Kumiko Japanese

Kobayashi, Noriko Producer

Ikeda, Shinichi Producer

Ikuhara, Kunihiko Director, Script, Storyboard, Theme Song Lyrics, Original Creator

Tanaka, Hideyuki Sound Director

Reviews

Jul 26, 2008

TrenchKamen

Recommended

Admittedly, I'm biased when it comes to reviewing this anime. I started watching it at a very impressionable age, and the impact it had on me at that particular time in my life is astronomical. I also have a huge soft spot for anything surreal, gender-bending, absurd, existential, or psychological.

That being said, Utena fulfills all of those criteria beautifully. And it is enjoyable on multiple levels. I enjoy it as much now, at age 20, as I did at age 12. My understanding of the characters, the symbolism, and the message inherent in each episode has changed dramatically. At a young age I saw ... everything as Utena did; I viewed the series from her standpoint, agreed with her fully, and essentially played the role of the fool. In the final episodes when she does not understand what Akio was saying, I did not either. Now I do. Now I sympathize with him, understand his cynicism and manipulation of adolescence, and now I realize just how truly revolutionary and powerful one Tenjou Utena was. Now I understand Akio's shock. He's lost the ability to see things as the iconoclast--the fool who is an iconoclast without being self-aware of the full implications of what he or she is doing.

But then, I digress.

"Utena" borrows heavily from the philosophies of Carl Jung and Hermann Hesse, most notably the latter's incredible novel "Demian". I highly recommend that those who enjoyed this series read the works of both men. The anime incorporates a brilliant and deft weave of existentialism and psychological analysis with excellent characterization and a degree of slice-of-life realism. There is a running theme of the discomfort inherent in becoming self-aware, adolescent discomfort, budding sexuality, and dissatisfaction with the status quo that is inherent in these realizations. These are teenagers who look for the meaning in everything; they cannot yet except there IS no meaning in everything. They want to rebuild the world. In this sense, these turbulent, anarchic sentiments are a throwback to "Demian"; they are the same sentiments that had an entire generation of disillusioned German youth hailing the book as a voice speaking on their behalf for the first time. In many ways, that voice is universal. "Utena" does it justice.

From a technical standpoint, Utena is top-notch. The artwork is gorgeous, the music lush, and the direction lucid. It hearkens to the era of cel-based animation with a minimum of CGI, especially as compared to current offerings. The seiyuu all do an excellent job with their characters. J.A. Seazer's musical compositions are worthy of stand-alone acclaim. They are quite unlike anything else known in the anime genre.

I suppose I am obligated to warn of the exploration of various taboo subjects beyond homosexuality (Utena and Anthy being one of few canon yuri couples out there outside of hentai), including incest; if you are squiked beyond your comfort threshold by this, don't watch the show. Otherwise, I cannot recommend this show highly enough. I acknowledge it is not for everyone, but if you are that sort of twisted, abstract person who would enjoy this show, and if you remember the growing pains of adolescence (or are currently undergoing them), you can't watch it soon enough.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Apr 20, 2011

thisiodfkln

Mixed Feelings

Is it possible to stay noble forever? From birth onward, reality batters at purity: those who wish to fly are pinned down by gravity; those who wish for harmony are lied to in a world filled with hateful war; and those who wish for love are perhaps given it, only to be broken by death or betrayal.

Sometimes the pain is so great, that the victim begins to fear never-ending misery inflicted by a disappointing world - one all to lacking in miracles. This fear becomes a barrier between the victim and the world. The mere thought of intimate connections triggers very strong anxiety, resulting ... in either total seclusion or a public, yet detached and empty existence.

Utena tries to be chivalrous. With that one notable exception, there is not a character in Revolutionary Girl Utena who has remained noble. Even more depressing, every single one of them continues getting injected with trivial, jealous rage. The plot of almost every single episode concerns one mentally unbalanced person following irrational negative emotions, courtesy of one very specific being’s machinations. Whoever receives the spotlight is consumed by an idea only tangentially related to their tragedy, convinced that breaking a poor girl’s spirit will make things better.

Once a fight, once an episode, someone asks for the power to revolutionize the world. As embittered as they are at the sad world, they are humans who will always try to find hope. Remembering the shattered dreams, a search begins for a strength which may be able to make a miracle; and, if a miracle can happen, then purity too can be reclaimed. It must be noted that the revolution is not for the sake of others, but instead born from a need to have the world exist as each duelist wishes they could see it.

It is possible that we the viewers are also watching a different world than the characters. No one says that Anthy has wonderful purple hair, or comments on unrealistic, noodle-like body proportions. When Utena sees Miki, perhaps she sees a regular boy, without the deep blue hair to remind viewers that he is calm, passive, and feminine. What Utena does see are faceless peers who flock from one newly introduced male to another. These drones exist to show that the men have something, and the series typically goes on to display the new man’s trademark talents. Despite that, every one of them cannot forget the things they wish for. Repetitive plots are fuelled dozens of times by this disregard for what is, and desire for what cannot be.

As a spotlight character’s motivations reach climax, they fight Utena in a sword duel, aiming to cut a flower off her chest. Each arc/season has only one duel choreographed, the only difference being the duelists involved. That detail matters little, however, as the typical fight is recycled stock footage of Utena striking poses and dealing the same finishing move, over and over. Luckily, the reused content is both fluid and interesting; and curiously, each fight has a unique song complete with thematically-relevant lyrics. The composer should be commended for not only surpassing expectations, but doing so in the face of such lazy animators.

Lacking the funds to animate fights may be understandable, considering the immense love put into backgrounds. Of course one could ask why writers would create so many fights without the money or time to draw them, but that is irrelevant at this point. Ohtori Academy’s architecture clearly received the bulk of attention. Complex, detailed wall patterns, sprawling arches and tall pillars pervade the exterior, evoking a sense of wonder. Inside, like so many things in RGE, we find a bland school filled with rows and rows of identical lockers, classes and desks. It is only after unexpected exploration that Utena finds, and we see, the hidden depths. These secret places conceal a power that can change the world. Whether that is good or bad depends on the world wanted to be seen.

The beauty of Utena is not the way it is presented, but the force with which it connects. Viewing it can be described as exploring the insides of a clock. The device toils away, going through expected motions in an expected manner, with a faint click heard before. As the cover is removed, stubborn gears continue turning the same way. When the pieces are separated, the clock all but destroyed, the first thing that springs to mind is how tedious the whole ordeal is. Still, by the time reconstruction begins, an understanding of how marvelous an invention and elegant a solution the clock is begins to develop.

Of course, the inner workings of a device are only interesting to those who liked it to begin with. In Utena’s case, the device is a magical teenage girl and her misadventures. I have remarkably little interest in the genre, so all the trappings left a bad taste. For those who find anything to love about RGE’s inspirations, and barring the hyper-formulaic plot, I imagine this is the best it will get.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Apr 18, 2019

brandotendie

Not Recommended

In probably what was some of the longest 48 episodes I've ever had to endure in anime (asides from shonen junk), Utena is absolutely frustrating.

Now, let me just share my experience with this supposed "legendary" show.

I usually avoid analysis vids/posts at all costs, before, during, or even after first-time watches, just because I feel as if even the most abstract and symbolic works should be interpreted on your own.

With Lain, I rewatched it 3 times just to really get a grasp on what it all boiled down to, and even after those, I never really fully grasped the show.

But I STILL never ... looked at any sort of "theory" or analysis because I felt that my experience with Lain was worth it.

With NGE, hell even EoE, I've never looked at any interpretation other than some lore vids just to get a more whole understanding of the physical world of Earth post Second Impact.

And again, that's because even if I never really fully understood NGE and EoE, I've always felt like the experience was worth it (and in EoE's case, goddamn life-changing).

With any kind of abstract or opaque symbolic work, from Lynch's Twin Peaks: The Return to Tarkovsky's Mirror to Kubrick's 2001, Lanthimos' Lobster, etc, etc, etc, I've always seen a sort of anti-intellectualism with seeking out other's opinions and analyses, because it takes away the personal experience of you evaluating the art one on one, intimately.

Yet, despite that long, adamant history of mine, for the first time I felt COMPELLED to look for answers with Utena. Look for meanings. Look for reasons.

Meanings and reasons to what?

A meaning and reason as to why Utena is so fucking goddamn boring, that's what.

Because unlike any other high-rated, praised, and overall "prestigous" anime I've experienced, Revolutionary Girl Utena never failed to make me want to fall asleep or slowly make a rhythm with my head against a wall (both of which I've done during my first time watch, several times).

I just. Couldn't understand.

Yes, the music is absolutely on point. Yes, the art is gorgeous. Yes, the animation is pretty much timeless.

But everything ELSE that matters to me, is absolutely flat.

My main frustration is that even if it's flat, there are COUNTLESS articles, blogs, comments, videos online that try to dismiss that aforementioned flatness as intentional.

"It's supposed to be like a stageplay!"

"It's repetitive on purpose!"

"Characters represent certain ideals that tie into the symbolism that's everywhere!"

And so on and so forth, so I stuck with the show.

I stuck with the 49 episodes, waiting for the show to turn around and slap me in the face with a "Congrats fucker! You've passed the pleb filter, enjoy this elite anime made for anime elites!" and not ONCE did that congratulations come.

The gorgeous art QUICKLY lost its charm due to the recycled formula, the similarly recycled "duel of the week" framework for the main three arcs rarely (if ever) grew out of its mounting monotony, the characters continued to be bland one-dimensional mouthpieces that only very occasionally have interesting arcs/traits/development, the symbolism never pays off further than the initial visual shock and a few shocking plot twists that, ultimately, don't do much to really affect the main outcomes/revelations in the final 5-6 episodes.

It's flat.

Even its visual fucking composition and art direction (which, again, I understand because there's this sort of voyeuristic flair throughout the entire series, an obvious filter to further accentuate its stage play panache) never pays off; even after "understanding" what it's there for, its purpose in the overall symbolism, it's flat.

The funniest and most bitterly ironic thing to me is that apparently, Kunihiko Ikuhara is a BIG David Lynch fan.

Indeed, there are plenty elements and straight-up sequences pasted in as homage (the highway scenes with Akio are most blatantly inspired by Lynch's Lost Highway, right down to the music featured in each respective sequence), but the biggest difference in Utena and the intense visceral abstractions of Lynch's extensive is this:

emotion.

When I said flat, the thing that fell flat for me the MOST was Utena's characters and emotional core, which, in my eyes, are so interlaced that they're hard to pry apart and judge as singular attributes.

Throughout every analysis, every thing I scooped just to see if it'll give a better understanding and appreciation of the work, most if not all of them speak of each character's relevance in the overarching "themes". They are all plot/theme-driven slaves, and, with very, very few exceptions, most characters never gave a sense of pay-off, even in the end.

What's funny to me is that most of the emotional core and resonance I got was from the Black Rose arc, what's considered to be the "filler".

You can be as opaque as you want, as abstract as you want, as symbolic as you want, but for Christ's sake, there needs to be emotion. Even in fucking SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN, I latched on pretty goddamn quick to the characters, their conflicts, their inherent well-being.

And even WITHOUT those characters, most of my love for that quick yet profound cerebral mindfuck is due to its inimitable atmosphere, painted with the textures and eerie depth of its visual style.

Even now, as I wrap up this salty, frustrated stream of consciousness write-up, I want to get it, I want to understand the appeal. It's not that I don't "get it". Trust me, I do. I respect everything Utena wants to convey, hell I love it.

I fucking love yuri, denial of gender roles, deconstructions of old tropes and utilizing their husks as vehicles for more abstract/deep storytelling, visually-stunning and unique artstyles. This show seems to have EVERYTHING I could have wanted, and even with all of it, it falls flat because I can't for the life of me find its beating heart; it's just a beautiful cadaver to me.

I can't help but walk away feeling extremely disappointed, and feel as if I've wasted a lot of effort and time.

It frustrates me that I cannot appreciate this show as much as everyone else does, because I see the inherent quality and exactly what it's trying to do. The artstyle is sumptuous, the score is impeccable, there are legitimate moments that are wholly arresting.

But as a whole?

It just doesn't work.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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