Utena Ep 1&2

[lizardjay]

I've been meaning to watch Utena for ages now. This is my year!!!

(Relatedly, this is also the year I'm attempting to get more into yuri. So far I've read (half of) one manga series and loved it!)

Here is what I know about Utena beforehand:

• It's Very Deep and probably confusing. Everyone says this.
• It is ICONIC and FOUNDATIONAL for many many anime/shows/etc after it.
• It's sad?? I think?
• At some point someone turns into a car Transformers style? This may be in a movie. Probably unimportant.
• Utena and Anthy have a tense and fraught relationship, I think? The type of thing where they would sit down to tea together and MAYBE the tea is poisoned? Unsure if this actually happens or not.
• Flowers. Swords and duels. Girls.

EPISODE 1

• The fairytale prince had dark skin and purple hair, just like Anthy..... hm.
• Utena's outfit is blatantly not the boy's uniform but I guess I'll accept it.
• Please don't tell me the choice of which shots get the rotating rose border is important.... or the color of the roses? Or the direction of their rotation??? (Listen, the main takeaway I've gotten from the Utena fandom is that it's Very Deep. Maybe these little things matter!!! Maybe I'll go crazy looking for metaphors and I'll look at all the wrong things!!!) Oh no, now I've seen four colors. It definitely matters....
• Guy named End Of The World.... the Code of the Rose Seal....
• And now there's shadow puppets.... wonder if that's a recurring interlude. And mystical water locks?? Ok, and now she's been transported to a magical dimension. That's fine. WITH OMINOUS MUSIC!! ABSOLUTE DESTINY APOCALYPSE!!!
• I like the upside down castle. Hope we go there one day.
• Ok, Anthy is explicitly compared to the backstory prince (they have the same scent?!?????).
• YEAHHHHH THE SWORD PULLINGGGGGG!!!! That's imagery that I know :D
• .... I probably have to pay attention to all the music lyrics too...
• I'm Sure There's Nothing Ominous About Anthy Saying She's Utena's Flower!!!

EPISODE 2

• Once again we have a very similar overview of the school. FASCINATING classroom chairs.
• Oh, that shot of Wakaba turning and covering her face with the book really spoke to me.
• Anthy is joining the class! (What, did nobody go to class yesterday or something? And.... they just got dorm rooms assigned today, on the second day of classes? What about yesterday????)
• Ominous student council meeting on the rooftop playing cards (after one by one teleporting into the elevator?). Ok, so they're all being manipulated communicating with End of the World, who gives them commands so they can reach the castle and obtain Revolution Powers.
• I'm sure it's Fine that Anthy is just cleaning Utena's room and only has a smile on her face about this.
• NAME ANALYSIS TIME:
• 天上 ウテナ : Tenjou meaning "heavens". If you search Utena, there's a POSSIBLE kanji 台, which means tower, pedestal, or calyx. A calyx is part of a flower. It seems to be a synonym for sepals, which are the green part at the base of the flower and "typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom". (Thank you wikipedia). Very thematic!
• 姫(?)アンシ― : can't figure out the second kanji for sure, and I don't want to google because I'm afraid of spoilers, but the first is "princess". The second might be 宮, which also means princess. Or shrine. When put together, both kanji mean.... princess. I can't find any possible other meanings for "Anthy" but admittedly I didn't dig too deep.
• Oh, the little mouse (...monkey?) gets rotating bananas instead of roses!
• They're in middle school?? Wow....
• Even their cutlery has roses!!
• Utena...... you say "I'll lose on purpose!" to the girl who you've seen get slapped like. Three times. By the guy who she's going to be re-engaged to when you lose. GIRL???
• The show creators thought that the arena-entering sequence with the ominous music was so cool that we should just do it again. They're right.
• .... of COURSE the rose censors this mysterious ghost (of the prince?) merging with Utena. Why would I expect anything else. AND the clash with Saionji??? My current rose theory: it appears when things are.... storybook? Idk.
• Anyway, Utena wins the duel. Not for Anthy, apparently! For Chu-chu the monkey (?). Or so she says.
• Utena and Anthy already have such a weird relationship..... Anthy is obviously mysterious, but so is Utena?? I truly don't understand her.

Overall: I'm confused!! I'm intrigued and compelled!! I just dragged my friend, who'd been resisting, into watching it by saying "I think Kabuto (the Naruto character) came from the Utena universe", which is a statement I can't really explain but it feels true.

Comments

[lizardjay]

FASCINATING au :D I'll be eagerly awaiting seeing whoever this mysterious parent is.