Utena Ep 34-39
Jun. 24th, 2024 08:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lizardjayAt long last. Utena* is done.
*Not the movie yet, I’m watching that next weekend.
Overall: There are many things in Utena I don't yet understand, but it's not a CONFUSING show. I feel like people present it as SO esoteric and hard to understand, and at its core, the story.... it's not!
(I'm gonna have to digest the last several episodes for a while though.)
Also, yeah, it’s as good as people hype it up to be. IT’S GOOD.
*Not the movie yet, I’m watching that next weekend.
Overall: There are many things in Utena I don't yet understand, but it's not a CONFUSING show. I feel like people present it as SO esoteric and hard to understand, and at its core, the story.... it's not!
(I'm gonna have to digest the last several episodes for a while though.)
Also, yeah, it’s as good as people hype it up to be. IT’S GOOD.
Prepare yourself for almost FOUR THOUSAND WORDS. I wrote this post in bits and pieces over several days and pasted it together. I hope it’s coherent within each section at least.
EPISODE THIRTY FOUR
Main question for these next couple episodes: WHERE IS MY GIRL NANAMI? My current hope is that, even though Touga was holding her transfer request, he didn't stop it, so she's off at another school now. Get out of here!!!!
Akio what are you saying about stars.... stars seem very relevant this episode. He's discovered one (or maybe a comet? THOSE AREN'T THE SAME THING) which makes him feel like he owns it, but he knows that's not true. Anyway then he says "must you still torture me?" out of nowhere to Anthy. In retrospect from the rest of the episode..... I still don't know what this means. If we take the stories literally that Anthy locked him up or something.... sorry, too bad? Doesn't give you the right to do EVERYTHING YOU DO. Or if we suppose that she locked away some indefinable aspect of him (Dios?)... again, sorry? I don't care?
Anyway, "star" shows up again in the next scene with the drama girls, though it sounds like a different word; perhaps the astronomical star and stage star are completely separate in Japanese.
I can't believe the shadow puppet girls might be real people..... if they're real, we have to ask how they often know dueling-relevant info. We don't see their faces though so I refuse to believe they exist as people. Wakaba, who knows everything*, didn't know their club existed.
*citation needed
Photos are very relevant for this episode (and the ones that follow).
This school really just has a door that opens STRAIGHT into a narrow stairway. No landing or anything. I'm now thinking about the LAST place you had to descend to get into (Mikage's weird basement).
Their play was so blatantly obviously about Anthy and Akio that it can't be true.
They didn't really explain why roses are relevant. I kinda hoped this episode would talk about roses at all.
Akio in this episode (and one of the following ones) starts to push the "it must be SO DIFFICULT to be friends with Anthy.... thank you for making such an ENORMOUS SACRIFICE to be kind to her....." angle.
Anyway, then we get story number two with Utena and her coffin. In a dream, perhaps? Or who knows, maybe that church really did have a bottomless pit and also Anthy in there being stabbed. This is also the Tale of the Rose and yet. Has. No. Roses!!!
That fax machine is fascinating. Faxcinating.
This story, too, is so confusing that it can't be as it seems.
"All she has left is her suffering!" Hm.
I swear Dios changes age a couple times during this scene. Also how open his shirt is.
Of course this brings up the question of how much Dios and Akio are the same person. 100%? 0? 50? Is Dios encouraging her to become a prince part of Akio's scheme? Is it AGAINST his scheme? We've seen Akio speak to Dios, way back, and that scene implied the two of them were at odds.
The episode ends with "who are you?" and then this question isn't mentioned again. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ANTHY? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
EPISODE THIRTY FIVE
Touga please stop getting in the car with this man. I'm begging you.
AAAAUGH Utena and Anthy always coming so close to Actually Talking, and then it never actually happens.... This time they're interrupted by Akio asking Utena out for a walk, YUCK. Akio again acts like being friends with Anthy is an enormous hardship.
I think this begins the recurring theme of Akio and Touga's (and Saionji's) weird car photoshoots. Akio, why did you have to EAT A ROSE PETAL?
Similarly, Touga's carrot??? Anyway. Once again Utena has been gifted something very feminine (calling back to the dress of episode 2, also given by Touga back before I could remember his name). However, this time, we learn that Touga doesn't think such a gift suits her.
Touga brought her out horseback riding to talk to her about Something; he honestly seems kind of distressed. But Akio swoops in to rescue her dramatically.
Starting in this episode I think, or maybe back during the Saionji duel of this arc, Saionji and Touga are speaking to each other way more honestly. Culminating in next episode's duel :D
Akio tells Touga that he wants Touga to win. Idk what the cacti mean.
We're all trapped in our coffins. (More on this later). Let's go, Saionji! He's awful so much but sometimes he just comes out with this type of line.
Anyway then Utena gets a flash of Anthy being skewered by swords. Nbd.
EPISODE THIRTY SIX
Utena Finds Out.
But first, other stuff. More Akio seduction. Including some horse riding/sex metaphors. Everything is a sex metaphor -_- Akio pushes the gender essentialist (...force femme?) "you are a princess" angle.
"To be honest, she seems [more like a girl] to me, too. But isn't that a good thing?" Miki..... Miki, I like you. Don't make me be mad at you. At least he seems contemplative when Juri questions him.
Juri is being pretty perceptive at the moment (and also in episode 39).
Touga's motorcycle and sidecar. Lol, and he's using Akio's lines. Saionji is Not Impressed.
Something about Touga's face or maybe his hair, this episode, is much... narrower than usual? Or his chin is pointier? It's so pointy.
The castle is an illusion from stars.... (MORE ON THIS LATER)
I guess Touga buys into the Utena Princess thing after all, or says he does. Their little romantic night is honestly a little confusing for me.
Saionji. You can't just lie down on Anthy. Not after everything!!!
Duel time! What a sword pulling pose... "It feels like [we've dueled] dozens of times"...
The cars participate this time! Utena cuts them in half!!! And Saionji participates in some jousting maneuver on the silly motorcycle!!!!!!! Incredible.
I wonder what Saionji means, asking "is it over for us?" The way he asks, it sounds like he's asking about like.... life. And Touga says it won't be over until they see the very end (of the duels I assume). *puts on conspiracy theory hat* ARE THEY AWARE THEY'RE IN A LOOP AND THAT THEY'LL PROBABLY FORGET THINGS, AND THEIR FRIENDSHIP (or. whatever it is), AND LIVES IN GENERAL, WILL RESET?
I love how this show treats long silences. This one was over thirteen seconds. Time for you to really sit inside Anthy's mind as Utena thinks "great, nothing will every worry Anthy again :)"
Finally, after all that. Utena Finds Out.
EPISODE THIRTY SEVEN
We don't directly address the Events of last episode. Utena takes her ring off.
AKIO DOESN'T EVEN LIKE THE STARS??? You didn't... have to make the stars your personality. You didn't have to. (Okay, we can presume this was part of his story to ingratiate himself with the Chairman and his family so he could be in charge of Ohtori. And then he kept it up afterwards because.... well, he had the observatory, so you might as well use it for Evil Schemes? Honestly after watching everything I'm curious about the Akio Story. Why did he choose Ohtori?)
In the end, all girls are like the Rose Bride.
"Is this really goodbye?" HM. Again, wondering about what Touga and Saionji know. It's a shame this has to happen in another sexy car photoshoot.
More Miki and Juri. I think it's fun how they're besties. Imagine being Juri, 16, and your best friend is a 13 year old boy.
Juri directly compares her and Shiori to Utena and Anthy :D but alas. Utena won't say anything.
Why Is Miki Always Sitting.
NOOOOOOO NANAMI IS STILL HERE!!!!! I thought you escaped (╥﹏╥) though she's out of the student council outfit at least. And she's trying to warn Utena, in her confrontational way.
Surprise Miki confession XD and Juri? or is she just teasing them? Anyway, loved this section because I love Miki and Juri and Nanami, but also it feels very sad because. It's the beginning of the end. You can tell this is the last moment before Shit Gets Even More Real Than It Already Has Been.
Akio and Anthy drive. Anthy's being stabbed. The usual. Akio looks pissed, as if she’s getting stabbed At Him.
I LOVE EVERY MOMENT OF THE POISON CONVERSATION. What a moment of connection. At least it feels like one. I guess it could maybe be a threat. But it didn't feel like one.
The camera pans over them three times. The middle time, they're not there. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN???
I just noticed that there's a new song playing and I KNOW this one. It was on a Christmas CD we had.... what was it... *twenty minutes pass as I google and finally resort to humming the music into my phone, which instantly detects the song because I know the whole thing by heart* JESU, JOY OF MAN'S DESIRING BY BACH. FINALLY! Okay. What on earth is the meaning of this song being here. I googled the song title and 'Utena' and nobody has talked about this? From my not-paying-attention perspective, the soundtrack of Utena is fairly limited, duel songs aside. A new song in an impactful scene should be of interest! (Though, idk, maybe there have been all sorts of songs all over this whole time and I just haven't noticed.)
For reference, the lyrics (not used in Utena, it's instrumental here):
Well for me that I have Jesus,
O how tightly I hold him
that he might refresh my heart,
when I'm sick and sad.
Jesus I have, who loves me
and gives himself to me,
ah, therefore I will not leave Jesus,
even when my heart breaks.
—from BWV 147, chorale movement no. 6
Jesus remains my joy,
my heart's consolation and sap,
Jesus fends off all suffering,
He is my life's strength,
my eyes' lust [voluntarism meaning: reason of being] and sun,
my soul's treasure and pleasure;
Therefore I will not leave Jesus
out of heart and sight.
—from BWV 147, chorale movement no. 10
Anyway it starts stuttering and looping right when they bring up poison. And then the red rotating rose shows up. I don't even know what to make of the roses anymore. Someone said red is love. IDK!!!!!!
And straight into the suicide scene. Honestly, on a first viewing I figured Anthy fell. She's supposedly immortal so she'd live.
I made a horrible mistake by starting to read some Utena theories, including about this scene, and got angry. I mean, I think it's absolutely plausible to say that this whole suicide thing was an elaborate ploy by Anthy (and/or Akio) to rejuvenate Utena's Princely Spirit so that she'd go to the final duel. I think it's wrong to say that because that reason exists, Anthy couldn't also have been acting out of extreme distress! I know I'm vagueing the theory but it just annoyed me so badly, that person really speaks very authoritatively about What Happened. Especially when death, wanting to die, etc are such big themes of the show, along with the horrors of rape and incest and pedophilia etc etc... to ignore the Real Life issues, in favor of the 'canonical' fantastical plot, is frustrating. They're both true! Anthy is both 14 AND this has been happening a long time. At least how I see it. And even just looking at the fantastical plot, Anthy has been feeling the pain of one million swords? I think that's perhaps enough to show some genuine emotion EVEN IF she's also engaging in a plot.
Anyway, not to ignore how Anthy absolutely participates in orchestrating everything that leads up to (and includes) Utena's final duel. But you know.
Setting all that aside, Touga and Saionji show up to see Utena off to her death... I mean duel. This episode was so so long and so melancholy.
EPISODE THIRTY EIGHT
I’m really trying not to rewatch entire episodes to write up my impressions but it gets hard when so many things happen -_-
Have Dios and his egg always been so big?
Anthy: Now is my time to dramatically teleport out of my clothes and lounge sadly on the stairs.
Akio, true to form, pushes the Princess Utena Agenda.
And now we get the full suicide scene! I guess this is where I should have put my rant about the theory I saw. FINALLY, A HEARTFELT HONEST CONVERSATION! I have nothing to say about this, it’s just good.
In the middle of Akio’s You Are Not A Princess speech, we get this:
“Swords don’t really go with dresses, do they? Looking at you reminds me of what I used to be.”
Diversity win! Trans man is a misogynist! (Ok, I think he’s actually just switching topics XD)
The disappointment of seeing his stupid room when he said he’d reveal the end of the world. I mean of course it’s exactly right, but still.
It’s hard to tell what Akio thinks during this episode and next because he’s just constantly switching lies. Let’s live in the castle together --> lol the castle is an illusion I project, eternity doesn’t exist --> I Need To Break Down The Rose Gate So I Can Get Eternity. When do the lies end?
Akio: Perhaps we are the same… I did awful things, and you failed to stop me. Truly we are the exact same level of bad. Also you were selfish. That’s the same as a crime.
Anyway, the following section where Akio tries to convince Utena is very good.
Duelist vigil! Miki stopwatch at 16:40.
The duel is GOOD. I like how it goes through each of the duel eras. The castle crumbles, but Saionji isn’t here to be killed by it :(
Do I.... need to go back to that episode to see what it had to say about coffins and the castle....
FINALLY, THE STAB! (I knew about this beforehand).
EPISODE THIRTY NINE
Ok THIS time I’m not going to rewatch the whole episode. (I lied. I watched it.)
The duelist vigil continues. I love this scene. I love Juri’s story.
Why are there only four skewers when there’s five people.
I was NOT expecting one million flying swords, I’ll be honest.
When Utena seems to be asking Dios for help, she’s wearing her rose bride dress. Also I love Dios on the carousel. What a dick.
Everything after Utena gets up is good. She’s so good.
Akio: ah well guess it didn’t work. Utena wants to try to open the door? I don’t care. Time to have a fancy Beverage.
Dios: I mean, I agree with you, but I can’t handle hearing you monologue about it. I’m getting back on my horse.
Akio KNOWS what’s in the coffin. What did you DO????
AT LAST WE MEET!!!!! SOMEDAY, TOGETHER!!!! OTL
Poor Wakaba.
LET’S GO ANTHY! YOU LOOK SO CUTE!!!
THEY HELD HANDS IN THE PHOTO EVEN BACK THEN.... (╥﹏╥)
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS AND THEORIES
1. I'm marinating the Loop aspect of it all in my mind. It's not like things have reset exactly, like with Mikage. People still faintly remember Utena (for now), though that seems to be slipping away. The named characters have differences in their relationships: Shiori has joined the fencing club with Juri, and Kozue is voluntarily hanging out with Miki (and also Miki is mentoring Tsuwabuki?). Nanami is...... idk what's going on with her in the ending tbh. I still wish she got out. But anyway. Despite Akio's control, despite having some kind of effect on people's memories, it's not a hard reset. Life continues. People get older. Except for Mikage XD and I suppose any of the duelists could theoretically become a Mikage, so it's not like they're SAFE.
Still, their actual memories of what happened are surely edited. And maybe Akio waits until the start of a new dueling round to TRULY finish up his memory manipulation. Who can say? "Is it over for us?"
From a quick search, this does seem to be a matter of debate: is it a time loop, a spiral, plain repetition over the years? Mikage really doesn't help since he's been 18 forever, but it also seems like he only got brought out of storage when he was needed.
2. Miki not only could have been the next Mikage, but was planned to be. They've both got that Wanting Time To Stand Still energy. Mikage approached Miki personally first, is all I'm saying....
It would be even more fucked if Mikage!Miki hallucinated his LIVE sister. At least Mamiya was dead. Gotta do a roleswap fic XD I love Miki I but I think he would be SO embarrassing if Mikagefied.
3. I find Akio typing up his new and improved duel rules on a laptop to be incredibly funny. "This time I'll make them skateboard as they duel. Clearly if they had a better sense of physical balance it would translate into a stronger sword," or perhaps "This time I need to sexually manipulate EVERY duelist. Only concentrating on a few was not enough," or perhaps "Maybe the children will be stronger if I allow them to abuse Anthy even MORE. Anthy, any advice for things that would make you even more miserable?" Like.... what rules can you possibly change that will make a material difference? You need a strong duelist to create a strong sword for you to hack at your stupid gate. Despite literally seeing Utena open it. How is a different rule going to create a better duelist? I feel like he pulled out all the stops this time already.
Akio's position in general is so interesting and so pathetic. The guy isn't even the real chairman, he's a stand-in because the chairman is ill (presumably due to Anthy's actions). Idk what Kanae's ultimate fate was last time we saw her, whether she died (as people seem to theorize) or was just drugged, but supposedly the job depends on Akio marrying her. He's in a precarious position! He presents himself as the ultimate authority but like. He's dependent on some very careful manipulation to keep everything going. And he hates it! He's not even interested in the stars but he presumably had to cultivate all that knowledge as his 'in' with the Ohtori family! Incredible character.
4. More Miki digression (sorry, I like him): if you take the premise that his stopwatch use is due to, on some level, being aware of the weirdness of time in Ohtori. Could, perhaps, his role as the minutes-keeper of the student council actually serve a purpose? Could the council be consulting previous notes after a cycle ends, or attempting to at least? I feel like this is supported by him teaching Tsuwabuki at the end. Without that, you can say it’s only a Miki Thing because he wants to freeze time still, that he wants to go back to the Good Old Days. But Tsuwabuki has only ever been shown to want to speed things up; he gets a whole episode about it! (For the record, I think my stopwatch theories go, from most to least favorite: Uneasy About Time Due To Ohtori Shenanigans --> it's straight up just divination --> mundane time uneasiness (dissociation?) --> on some level he wants to stop time.)
5. Time to talk about SO WHAT/WHO IS DIOS ACTUALLY? And associatedly, what does it MEAN for Anthy to have locked away his princeliness?
Dark mode, not necessarily what I believe: this was the beginning of the sexual abuse, Akio is now no longer Princely because of it, and Anthy is vilified because people vilify women/girls for such things. This doesn't really fit the scene we're shown but no matter what I have to assume the scene we're shown isn't literal. This explanation kind of ignores the magic of it all though....
Anyway. Akio talks to Dios as if he's a separate guy, but then he also talks ABOUT Dios like they're the same: notably, that AKIO was the one present when Utena got out of her coffin, when it looked like Dios. So perhaps Dios is what you see when you.... idk. Believe in princes? Maybe he's made of that belief?
6. Sorry to Ruka theorize, but IS HIS MYSTERIOUS ANIME ILLNESS PERHAPS FROM BEING THE PREVIOUS 'FINAL DUELIST'??? This is way out there, BUT! Utena is supposedly hospitalized from her injuries... sure, that's because the swords went for her, which SURELY would not be a move Ruka made. But maybe he at least got stabbed. Or maybe your soul sword getting broken does something to you, idk.
I acknowledge this is a bit much and he could easily just have Anime Illness. I was also going to say that an argument against this is that he's a guy and Known Misogynist Akio wouldn't have a man as his final duelist in any round, but he DID say to Touga that he wanted him to win, and he IS an equal opportunity pedophile. So idk!
He's not even that cool but he IS the only confirmed duelist from a previous round, so he's the only one I can put any theories on :/
7. I saw someone say, and it does make sense, that Anthy can teleport because it's not her true body; her true self is inside the coffin. (Do all her magic powers come from this? Or perhaps from being stabbed?) Of course, that makes me think of the other people who (seemingly) teleport: THE ENTIRE STUDENT COUNCIL, every time they travel in the elevator??? I'd been assuming this whole time that that was nonliteral, along with Anthy in the duel leadups, but now I'm not so sure. I ALSO saw an image set of the dead bodies from the Black Rose arc, which apparently in the remastered version RESEMBLE THE BLACK ROSE DUELISTS. So are they..... dead? Or perhaps they're just metaphorically dead. I think Saionji said that everyone is in their own coffin.
8. Okay, that was a lot of Dude Theorizing. More thoughts later on the girls. I genuinely wish we had more info on Juri. How much do YOU know?
9. Stay tuned for the Definitive Miki Stopwatch Catalog, which everyone has been eagerly awaiting, once I add some of these final moments and catch up on the two that I missed before (that I know of). I'm 100% certain that someone else has already made this list and I don't care. This is my field of scholarship.
EPISODE THIRTY FOUR
Main question for these next couple episodes: WHERE IS MY GIRL NANAMI? My current hope is that, even though Touga was holding her transfer request, he didn't stop it, so she's off at another school now. Get out of here!!!!
Akio what are you saying about stars.... stars seem very relevant this episode. He's discovered one (or maybe a comet? THOSE AREN'T THE SAME THING) which makes him feel like he owns it, but he knows that's not true. Anyway then he says "must you still torture me?" out of nowhere to Anthy. In retrospect from the rest of the episode..... I still don't know what this means. If we take the stories literally that Anthy locked him up or something.... sorry, too bad? Doesn't give you the right to do EVERYTHING YOU DO. Or if we suppose that she locked away some indefinable aspect of him (Dios?)... again, sorry? I don't care?
Anyway, "star" shows up again in the next scene with the drama girls, though it sounds like a different word; perhaps the astronomical star and stage star are completely separate in Japanese.
I can't believe the shadow puppet girls might be real people..... if they're real, we have to ask how they often know dueling-relevant info. We don't see their faces though so I refuse to believe they exist as people. Wakaba, who knows everything*, didn't know their club existed.
*citation needed
Photos are very relevant for this episode (and the ones that follow).
This school really just has a door that opens STRAIGHT into a narrow stairway. No landing or anything. I'm now thinking about the LAST place you had to descend to get into (Mikage's weird basement).
Their play was so blatantly obviously about Anthy and Akio that it can't be true.
They didn't really explain why roses are relevant. I kinda hoped this episode would talk about roses at all.
Akio in this episode (and one of the following ones) starts to push the "it must be SO DIFFICULT to be friends with Anthy.... thank you for making such an ENORMOUS SACRIFICE to be kind to her....." angle.
Anyway, then we get story number two with Utena and her coffin. In a dream, perhaps? Or who knows, maybe that church really did have a bottomless pit and also Anthy in there being stabbed. This is also the Tale of the Rose and yet. Has. No. Roses!!!
That fax machine is fascinating. Faxcinating.
This story, too, is so confusing that it can't be as it seems.
"All she has left is her suffering!" Hm.
I swear Dios changes age a couple times during this scene. Also how open his shirt is.
Of course this brings up the question of how much Dios and Akio are the same person. 100%? 0? 50? Is Dios encouraging her to become a prince part of Akio's scheme? Is it AGAINST his scheme? We've seen Akio speak to Dios, way back, and that scene implied the two of them were at odds.
The episode ends with "who are you?" and then this question isn't mentioned again. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ANTHY? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
EPISODE THIRTY FIVE
Touga please stop getting in the car with this man. I'm begging you.
AAAAUGH Utena and Anthy always coming so close to Actually Talking, and then it never actually happens.... This time they're interrupted by Akio asking Utena out for a walk, YUCK. Akio again acts like being friends with Anthy is an enormous hardship.
I think this begins the recurring theme of Akio and Touga's (and Saionji's) weird car photoshoots. Akio, why did you have to EAT A ROSE PETAL?
Similarly, Touga's carrot??? Anyway. Once again Utena has been gifted something very feminine (calling back to the dress of episode 2, also given by Touga back before I could remember his name). However, this time, we learn that Touga doesn't think such a gift suits her.
Touga brought her out horseback riding to talk to her about Something; he honestly seems kind of distressed. But Akio swoops in to rescue her dramatically.
Starting in this episode I think, or maybe back during the Saionji duel of this arc, Saionji and Touga are speaking to each other way more honestly. Culminating in next episode's duel :D
Akio tells Touga that he wants Touga to win. Idk what the cacti mean.
We're all trapped in our coffins. (More on this later). Let's go, Saionji! He's awful so much but sometimes he just comes out with this type of line.
Anyway then Utena gets a flash of Anthy being skewered by swords. Nbd.
EPISODE THIRTY SIX
Utena Finds Out.
But first, other stuff. More Akio seduction. Including some horse riding/sex metaphors. Everything is a sex metaphor -_- Akio pushes the gender essentialist (...force femme?) "you are a princess" angle.
"To be honest, she seems [more like a girl] to me, too. But isn't that a good thing?" Miki..... Miki, I like you. Don't make me be mad at you. At least he seems contemplative when Juri questions him.
Juri is being pretty perceptive at the moment (and also in episode 39).
Touga's motorcycle and sidecar. Lol, and he's using Akio's lines. Saionji is Not Impressed.
Something about Touga's face or maybe his hair, this episode, is much... narrower than usual? Or his chin is pointier? It's so pointy.
The castle is an illusion from stars.... (MORE ON THIS LATER)
I guess Touga buys into the Utena Princess thing after all, or says he does. Their little romantic night is honestly a little confusing for me.
Saionji. You can't just lie down on Anthy. Not after everything!!!
Duel time! What a sword pulling pose... "It feels like [we've dueled] dozens of times"...
The cars participate this time! Utena cuts them in half!!! And Saionji participates in some jousting maneuver on the silly motorcycle!!!!!!! Incredible.
I wonder what Saionji means, asking "is it over for us?" The way he asks, it sounds like he's asking about like.... life. And Touga says it won't be over until they see the very end (of the duels I assume). *puts on conspiracy theory hat* ARE THEY AWARE THEY'RE IN A LOOP AND THAT THEY'LL PROBABLY FORGET THINGS, AND THEIR FRIENDSHIP (or. whatever it is), AND LIVES IN GENERAL, WILL RESET?
I love how this show treats long silences. This one was over thirteen seconds. Time for you to really sit inside Anthy's mind as Utena thinks "great, nothing will every worry Anthy again :)"
Finally, after all that. Utena Finds Out.
EPISODE THIRTY SEVEN
We don't directly address the Events of last episode. Utena takes her ring off.
AKIO DOESN'T EVEN LIKE THE STARS??? You didn't... have to make the stars your personality. You didn't have to. (Okay, we can presume this was part of his story to ingratiate himself with the Chairman and his family so he could be in charge of Ohtori. And then he kept it up afterwards because.... well, he had the observatory, so you might as well use it for Evil Schemes? Honestly after watching everything I'm curious about the Akio Story. Why did he choose Ohtori?)
In the end, all girls are like the Rose Bride.
"Is this really goodbye?" HM. Again, wondering about what Touga and Saionji know. It's a shame this has to happen in another sexy car photoshoot.
More Miki and Juri. I think it's fun how they're besties. Imagine being Juri, 16, and your best friend is a 13 year old boy.
Juri directly compares her and Shiori to Utena and Anthy :D but alas. Utena won't say anything.
Why Is Miki Always Sitting.
NOOOOOOO NANAMI IS STILL HERE!!!!! I thought you escaped (╥﹏╥) though she's out of the student council outfit at least. And she's trying to warn Utena, in her confrontational way.
Surprise Miki confession XD and Juri? or is she just teasing them? Anyway, loved this section because I love Miki and Juri and Nanami, but also it feels very sad because. It's the beginning of the end. You can tell this is the last moment before Shit Gets Even More Real Than It Already Has Been.
Akio and Anthy drive. Anthy's being stabbed. The usual. Akio looks pissed, as if she’s getting stabbed At Him.
I LOVE EVERY MOMENT OF THE POISON CONVERSATION. What a moment of connection. At least it feels like one. I guess it could maybe be a threat. But it didn't feel like one.
The camera pans over them three times. The middle time, they're not there. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN???
I just noticed that there's a new song playing and I KNOW this one. It was on a Christmas CD we had.... what was it... *twenty minutes pass as I google and finally resort to humming the music into my phone, which instantly detects the song because I know the whole thing by heart* JESU, JOY OF MAN'S DESIRING BY BACH. FINALLY! Okay. What on earth is the meaning of this song being here. I googled the song title and 'Utena' and nobody has talked about this? From my not-paying-attention perspective, the soundtrack of Utena is fairly limited, duel songs aside. A new song in an impactful scene should be of interest! (Though, idk, maybe there have been all sorts of songs all over this whole time and I just haven't noticed.)
For reference, the lyrics (not used in Utena, it's instrumental here):
Well for me that I have Jesus,
O how tightly I hold him
that he might refresh my heart,
when I'm sick and sad.
Jesus I have, who loves me
and gives himself to me,
ah, therefore I will not leave Jesus,
even when my heart breaks.
—from BWV 147, chorale movement no. 6
Jesus remains my joy,
my heart's consolation and sap,
Jesus fends off all suffering,
He is my life's strength,
my eyes' lust [voluntarism meaning: reason of being] and sun,
my soul's treasure and pleasure;
Therefore I will not leave Jesus
out of heart and sight.
—from BWV 147, chorale movement no. 10
Anyway it starts stuttering and looping right when they bring up poison. And then the red rotating rose shows up. I don't even know what to make of the roses anymore. Someone said red is love. IDK!!!!!!
And straight into the suicide scene. Honestly, on a first viewing I figured Anthy fell. She's supposedly immortal so she'd live.
I made a horrible mistake by starting to read some Utena theories, including about this scene, and got angry. I mean, I think it's absolutely plausible to say that this whole suicide thing was an elaborate ploy by Anthy (and/or Akio) to rejuvenate Utena's Princely Spirit so that she'd go to the final duel. I think it's wrong to say that because that reason exists, Anthy couldn't also have been acting out of extreme distress! I know I'm vagueing the theory but it just annoyed me so badly, that person really speaks very authoritatively about What Happened. Especially when death, wanting to die, etc are such big themes of the show, along with the horrors of rape and incest and pedophilia etc etc... to ignore the Real Life issues, in favor of the 'canonical' fantastical plot, is frustrating. They're both true! Anthy is both 14 AND this has been happening a long time. At least how I see it. And even just looking at the fantastical plot, Anthy has been feeling the pain of one million swords? I think that's perhaps enough to show some genuine emotion EVEN IF she's also engaging in a plot.
Anyway, not to ignore how Anthy absolutely participates in orchestrating everything that leads up to (and includes) Utena's final duel. But you know.
Setting all that aside, Touga and Saionji show up to see Utena off to her death... I mean duel. This episode was so so long and so melancholy.
EPISODE THIRTY EIGHT
I’m really trying not to rewatch entire episodes to write up my impressions but it gets hard when so many things happen -_-
Have Dios and his egg always been so big?
Anthy: Now is my time to dramatically teleport out of my clothes and lounge sadly on the stairs.
Akio, true to form, pushes the Princess Utena Agenda.
And now we get the full suicide scene! I guess this is where I should have put my rant about the theory I saw. FINALLY, A HEARTFELT HONEST CONVERSATION! I have nothing to say about this, it’s just good.
In the middle of Akio’s You Are Not A Princess speech, we get this:
“Swords don’t really go with dresses, do they? Looking at you reminds me of what I used to be.”
Diversity win! Trans man is a misogynist! (Ok, I think he’s actually just switching topics XD)
The disappointment of seeing his stupid room when he said he’d reveal the end of the world. I mean of course it’s exactly right, but still.
It’s hard to tell what Akio thinks during this episode and next because he’s just constantly switching lies. Let’s live in the castle together --> lol the castle is an illusion I project, eternity doesn’t exist --> I Need To Break Down The Rose Gate So I Can Get Eternity. When do the lies end?
Akio: Perhaps we are the same… I did awful things, and you failed to stop me. Truly we are the exact same level of bad. Also you were selfish. That’s the same as a crime.
Anyway, the following section where Akio tries to convince Utena is very good.
Duelist vigil! Miki stopwatch at 16:40.
The duel is GOOD. I like how it goes through each of the duel eras. The castle crumbles, but Saionji isn’t here to be killed by it :(
Do I.... need to go back to that episode to see what it had to say about coffins and the castle....
FINALLY, THE STAB! (I knew about this beforehand).
EPISODE THIRTY NINE
Ok THIS time I’m not going to rewatch the whole episode. (I lied. I watched it.)
The duelist vigil continues. I love this scene. I love Juri’s story.
Why are there only four skewers when there’s five people.
I was NOT expecting one million flying swords, I’ll be honest.
When Utena seems to be asking Dios for help, she’s wearing her rose bride dress. Also I love Dios on the carousel. What a dick.
Everything after Utena gets up is good. She’s so good.
Akio: ah well guess it didn’t work. Utena wants to try to open the door? I don’t care. Time to have a fancy Beverage.
Dios: I mean, I agree with you, but I can’t handle hearing you monologue about it. I’m getting back on my horse.
Akio KNOWS what’s in the coffin. What did you DO????
AT LAST WE MEET!!!!! SOMEDAY, TOGETHER!!!! OTL
Poor Wakaba.
LET’S GO ANTHY! YOU LOOK SO CUTE!!!
THEY HELD HANDS IN THE PHOTO EVEN BACK THEN.... (╥﹏╥)
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS AND THEORIES
1. I'm marinating the Loop aspect of it all in my mind. It's not like things have reset exactly, like with Mikage. People still faintly remember Utena (for now), though that seems to be slipping away. The named characters have differences in their relationships: Shiori has joined the fencing club with Juri, and Kozue is voluntarily hanging out with Miki (and also Miki is mentoring Tsuwabuki?). Nanami is...... idk what's going on with her in the ending tbh. I still wish she got out. But anyway. Despite Akio's control, despite having some kind of effect on people's memories, it's not a hard reset. Life continues. People get older. Except for Mikage XD and I suppose any of the duelists could theoretically become a Mikage, so it's not like they're SAFE.
Still, their actual memories of what happened are surely edited. And maybe Akio waits until the start of a new dueling round to TRULY finish up his memory manipulation. Who can say? "Is it over for us?"
From a quick search, this does seem to be a matter of debate: is it a time loop, a spiral, plain repetition over the years? Mikage really doesn't help since he's been 18 forever, but it also seems like he only got brought out of storage when he was needed.
2. Miki not only could have been the next Mikage, but was planned to be. They've both got that Wanting Time To Stand Still energy. Mikage approached Miki personally first, is all I'm saying....
It would be even more fucked if Mikage!Miki hallucinated his LIVE sister. At least Mamiya was dead. Gotta do a roleswap fic XD I love Miki I but I think he would be SO embarrassing if Mikagefied.
3. I find Akio typing up his new and improved duel rules on a laptop to be incredibly funny. "This time I'll make them skateboard as they duel. Clearly if they had a better sense of physical balance it would translate into a stronger sword," or perhaps "This time I need to sexually manipulate EVERY duelist. Only concentrating on a few was not enough," or perhaps "Maybe the children will be stronger if I allow them to abuse Anthy even MORE. Anthy, any advice for things that would make you even more miserable?" Like.... what rules can you possibly change that will make a material difference? You need a strong duelist to create a strong sword for you to hack at your stupid gate. Despite literally seeing Utena open it. How is a different rule going to create a better duelist? I feel like he pulled out all the stops this time already.
Akio's position in general is so interesting and so pathetic. The guy isn't even the real chairman, he's a stand-in because the chairman is ill (presumably due to Anthy's actions). Idk what Kanae's ultimate fate was last time we saw her, whether she died (as people seem to theorize) or was just drugged, but supposedly the job depends on Akio marrying her. He's in a precarious position! He presents himself as the ultimate authority but like. He's dependent on some very careful manipulation to keep everything going. And he hates it! He's not even interested in the stars but he presumably had to cultivate all that knowledge as his 'in' with the Ohtori family! Incredible character.
4. More Miki digression (sorry, I like him): if you take the premise that his stopwatch use is due to, on some level, being aware of the weirdness of time in Ohtori. Could, perhaps, his role as the minutes-keeper of the student council actually serve a purpose? Could the council be consulting previous notes after a cycle ends, or attempting to at least? I feel like this is supported by him teaching Tsuwabuki at the end. Without that, you can say it’s only a Miki Thing because he wants to freeze time still, that he wants to go back to the Good Old Days. But Tsuwabuki has only ever been shown to want to speed things up; he gets a whole episode about it! (For the record, I think my stopwatch theories go, from most to least favorite: Uneasy About Time Due To Ohtori Shenanigans --> it's straight up just divination --> mundane time uneasiness (dissociation?) --> on some level he wants to stop time.)
5. Time to talk about SO WHAT/WHO IS DIOS ACTUALLY? And associatedly, what does it MEAN for Anthy to have locked away his princeliness?
Dark mode, not necessarily what I believe: this was the beginning of the sexual abuse, Akio is now no longer Princely because of it, and Anthy is vilified because people vilify women/girls for such things. This doesn't really fit the scene we're shown but no matter what I have to assume the scene we're shown isn't literal. This explanation kind of ignores the magic of it all though....
Anyway. Akio talks to Dios as if he's a separate guy, but then he also talks ABOUT Dios like they're the same: notably, that AKIO was the one present when Utena got out of her coffin, when it looked like Dios. So perhaps Dios is what you see when you.... idk. Believe in princes? Maybe he's made of that belief?
6. Sorry to Ruka theorize, but IS HIS MYSTERIOUS ANIME ILLNESS PERHAPS FROM BEING THE PREVIOUS 'FINAL DUELIST'??? This is way out there, BUT! Utena is supposedly hospitalized from her injuries... sure, that's because the swords went for her, which SURELY would not be a move Ruka made. But maybe he at least got stabbed. Or maybe your soul sword getting broken does something to you, idk.
I acknowledge this is a bit much and he could easily just have Anime Illness. I was also going to say that an argument against this is that he's a guy and Known Misogynist Akio wouldn't have a man as his final duelist in any round, but he DID say to Touga that he wanted him to win, and he IS an equal opportunity pedophile. So idk!
He's not even that cool but he IS the only confirmed duelist from a previous round, so he's the only one I can put any theories on :/
7. I saw someone say, and it does make sense, that Anthy can teleport because it's not her true body; her true self is inside the coffin. (Do all her magic powers come from this? Or perhaps from being stabbed?) Of course, that makes me think of the other people who (seemingly) teleport: THE ENTIRE STUDENT COUNCIL, every time they travel in the elevator??? I'd been assuming this whole time that that was nonliteral, along with Anthy in the duel leadups, but now I'm not so sure. I ALSO saw an image set of the dead bodies from the Black Rose arc, which apparently in the remastered version RESEMBLE THE BLACK ROSE DUELISTS. So are they..... dead? Or perhaps they're just metaphorically dead. I think Saionji said that everyone is in their own coffin.
8. Okay, that was a lot of Dude Theorizing. More thoughts later on the girls. I genuinely wish we had more info on Juri. How much do YOU know?
9. Stay tuned for the Definitive Miki Stopwatch Catalog, which everyone has been eagerly awaiting, once I add some of these final moments and catch up on the two that I missed before (that I know of). I'm 100% certain that someone else has already made this list and I don't care. This is my field of scholarship.
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Date: 2024-07-03 10:05 pm (UTC)It's a long essay but worth it! Definitely made me appreciate Nanami even more than I did. (My one gripe with the movie...no Nanami :c )