I just finished watching this (the tv series only).
And I have a few of questions:
- Why did Akio have to set up the duel system? Doesn't seem he won anything? is because he could see Dios and get the sword from the duelist?
- What was the power to revolutionize the word? Wasn't just Himemiya behind the door?
- How could Utena open the door?
- Why did he want Utena to be his princess? what does that had to do with anything? wasn't the whole point open the door?
Anyway, I can only think about it as a metaphor for feminism and friendship between women. Men (Aiko) taking advantage of them (Himemiya), women being denied of their power (trying to make Utena into a princess), shaming them sexually (after sleeping with Aiko she was impure), sacrificing herself for friendship between women (Utena for Himemiya) and finally realizing she's been in an abusive relationship and leave (Himemiya).
also Nanami is the best character
bump I guess
>>112067665
Akio made the duel system to try to regain the power of dios, which is to say Akio was trying to become a prince again. Basically, it's a huge scheme made up by Anthy and Akio to find people with strong, prince-like ideals so that they can use that power to return things to how they were before. The power to revolutionize the world can either be considered the unreachable ideals that each duelist fights for, or the act of becoming an adult by shedding those ideals. The latter is what Utena went through at the end of the show when she realized she isn't a prince, and it's what led Anthy to move on with her life and follow Utena to adulthood.
When Akio was trying to make Utena a princess, it was a temptation to bring out her nobility and also a message on gender roles. For Utena to even have a chance of revolutionizing the world, she couldn't give in to something like that.
Don't watch the movie, OP, unless you really want to see everything Utena-related.
I love how surreal this show gets in the last couple arcs.
>>112068523
so they 'feed' on the strength and 'prince-like ideals' of whoever is the duelist so they can regain the power of Dios?
I guess that makes sense.
I didn't get why Anthy stab her, it was another message in gender roles I guess? or maybe didn't want Utena to suffer?
>>112068686
![[EtB-CoR-remux] Shoujo Kakumei Utena - Adolescence Mokushiroku [F0AE68B7].mkv_snapshot_00.25.53_[2013.12.04_14.08.59].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/jgFryHU.jpg "[EtB-CoR-remux] Shoujo Kakumei Utena - Adolescence Mokushiroku [F0AE68B7].mkv_snapshot_00.25.53_[2013.12.04_14.08.59].jpg")
>>112068661
The film is amazing, though.
>>112068756
Anthy was betraying Utena because she was a part of Akio's scheme the entire time. The past was trapping her in the coffin until Utena freed her.
>>112068786
Best episode.
What was Juri's crush's name again? Shiori or something? Biggest whore in the history of anime.
>>112068823
I personally love the TV series more and feel that the movie wasn't really necessary, but I can't argue about the artistic value of the movie. The movie is what Ikuhara wanted to do with Utena, after all.
>>112068980
I agree that the series is superior to the film, but I think it serves as a good companion for further analysis of the series as a whole, since both works share very similar themes.
>>112068756
>I didn't get why Anthy stab her, it was another message in gender roles I guess? or maybe didn't want Utena to suffer?
I thought it was because Anthy still loved Akio. You know, that whole "you don't need a reason to fall in love, you just do." Like domestic abusers.
>>112068953
Just call her "whore" or "slut".
![Revolutionary Girl Utena - 31 [h.264 AC3][B05F3A40].mkv_snapshot_14.04_.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/irznwHT.jpg "Revolutionary Girl Utena - 31 [h.264 AC3][B05F3A40].mkv_snapshot_14.04_.jpg")
>Nanami a best
mah nigger
Go deeper.
>>112069047
I guess I was just disappointed by the lack of Akio screwing with people in the movie. Also hated his VA.
>>112069162
>kills a kitten
>best
Kill yourselves.
>>112069165
Man, the Black Rose Arc was so good.
![Revolutionary Girl Utena - 35 [h.264 AC3][2D310614].mkv_snapshot_07.18_.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/FxVFZIs.jpg "Revolutionary Girl Utena - 35 [h.264 AC3][2D310614].mkv_snapshot_07.18_.jpg")
>>112069203
something something pussy
Was Red legit homo?
>>112069287
He was bi like everybody else.
>>112069287
Who wasn't legit homo?
>>112067665
>Why did Akio have to set up the duel system?
He was an eternal man child and was trying to cope with growing up. The duelists were people who had trouble with it growing up.
>What was the power to revolutionize the word?
To face reality and grow up
>How could Utena open the door?
she faced reality and stopped trying to be a prince.
>Why did he want Utena to be his princess?
Pocket pussy
>>112068980
>The movie is what Ikuhara wanted to do with Utena, after all.
Source on that?
I think Ikuhara finished Utena TV but had the oportunity to make something new so he started from zero.
>>112069287
He wanted Utena.
>>112069354
Shiori
>>112069240
Also entirely pointless... literally no impact to the plot and no character development
>>112069407
Wasn't it Akio character development?
>>112069361
Yet fucked Akio. Life is full of surprises in Ohtori Academy.
>>112069453
He acts the exact same after the Arc... so only so much as it introduces him...
>>112069405
;_;
>>112069407
I have to agree with that, even if it had some good episodes exposing some characters' background it didn't matter at all to the plot
>>112069407
>no character development
There was character development for everyone except for Utena and Anthy.
![cor.extras.revolutionary.girl.utena.the.adolescence.of.utena.behind.the.scenes.with.kunihiko.ikuhara.[339E76B5].mkv_snapshot_11.21_[2011.12.24_23.42.04].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/eGwzfmi.jpg "cor.extras.revolutionary.girl.utena.the.adolescence.of.utena.behind.the.scenes.with.kunihiko.ikuhara.[339E76B5].mkv_snapshot_11.21_[2011.12.24_23.42.04].jpg")
>>112069360
I probably heard this in Utena threads. Also there was a short interview with him in the movie DVD, you should check that too.
>>112069357
Why she couldn't become a prince? Because she has a vagina?
>>112069407
>what is foreshadowing
Also, the main cast is developed through the minor charactors featured in the arc, dumbass.
>>112069575
A prince in the world of Utena means being a total asshole, and Utena is just too nice.
>>112069575
Because princes aren't real.
>>112069357
Wait, so the story is about growing up? ....
>>112069575
no because the fairy tale prince doesn't exist in the real world. People help people through struggles and sympathy/empathy
>>112069614
>>112069560
>Back story = character development
how did any of the characters change after the black rose arc?
I finished the first arc and I'm considering dropping it.
Does it get better later on?
>>112069747
The second arc is the best part of the series in my opinion.
>>112069688
Everything by Ikuhara is about growing up, it's a subject he seems really interested in. The movie is pretty blatantly titled "The Adolescence of Utena".
Best duel?
>>112069697
Each of the student council members undergo development, since there is a duel associated with each of them. For example, Juri finally acknowledges her love for Shiori in their episode. Since all of the episodes are about relationships between characters, there is obviously some progression in their development, it just doesn't reach a conclusion until their final apocalypse arc episodes.
>>112069945
My favorite duel is that one when Utena wins without sweating.
>>112069240
It had the best dueling themes, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSfAyl6u5pw
>>112070011
Yes, but what about the main plot with the 100 students? It didn't matter much, those background stories could have been written as part of the first arc and it wouldn't have change anything
>>112071118
The backstory and Mikage's story and duel are a backdrop to the development, and also foreshadow what will happen to Utena later in the series. It also serves to characterize Akio, since he's present in the flashbacks as well.
>>112067665
>- How could Utena open the door?
When Akio tries to go into Anthy's rose "door" with his big big sword, he slashes it everywhere and does nothing but Utena knows how to make it wet. Basically.
More seriously, it's Utena's empathy and love for Anthy, conveyed by her tear (that falls the same way as the drop that opens the arena), that helps her get to Anthy's true self, stuck inside the coffin. Like you said it, it's about feminism and female friendship/love.
Akio's tears shed earlier in the last episode are fake, he doesn't care about Anthy anymore and only wants this mysterious power that he lost and can't get over.
In the same way as most of Utena's characters, Akio is stuck between wanting to go back to his past (because it's simple and he idealized the memory) and trying to play the adult.
>>112067665
Every thread until the Ikuhara bingo card (not from tumblr) is posted.
Why were the stairs to the duel arena so goddamn long?
>>112071118
The students were there to make the "rituel" to prepare the dueling arena. I think you can see them with the threes that will become the forest leading to the arena, at some point in Mikage's flashback.
The Black Rose arc also treats with the theme of special characters vs. background characters and the fact that all the people in Ohtori are trying to move on but can't yet because of their issues.
>>112071578
so they have enough time to play the song
>>112071519
Post it.
>>112071951
ZETTAI UNMEI MOKUSHIROKU
ZETTAI UNMEI MOKUSHIROKU
>>112072060
MOKUSHIKUSHIMOSHIMOKUKUMOSHIMOSHIKUSHIKUMO
>>112071578
To reach all the way up.
>>112072020
There was a better one made on /a/. It was floating around threads like this last year and now its never posted. Its better than this one.
Had this on my phone for nearly a year, hope this is the one everyone's looking for
>>112067665
>- Why did Akio have to set up the duel system? Doesn't seem he won anything? is because he could see Dios and get the sword from the duelist?
He thought that he could get his sealed power back by borrowing the soul sword from a truly noble heart, forged in duels. Or something.
>- What was the power to revolutionize the word? Wasn't just Himemiya behind the door?
It was the power of miracles. Something great and supernatural. It might not even be there anymore.
>- How could Utena open the door?
She didn't. She wanted to help Anthy, and the door changed into Anthy's metaphorical coffin.
>- Why did he want Utena to be his princess? what does that had to do with anything? wasn't the whole point open the door?
If she submitted to him, he could have simply taken her sword and used it. Which he did; she took it back by force.
>>112069287
He was sexually abused as a child (as shown in the movie; Ikuhara confirmed that this was supposed to be part of Touga's backstory in the TV series) and it probably warped his sexuality.
>>112073145
After months and month, I have finally obtained it. Though it had Ikuhara in the title too but thank you anon. All I have to offer is this from his work on Sailor Moon S. I thought it was pretty fun. Captcha:sacrifice
![Revolutionary Girl Utena - 36 [h.264 AC3][74EC9A10].mkv_snapshot_18.57_.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/JDVtmHJ.jpg "Revolutionary Girl Utena - 36 [h.264 AC3][74EC9A10].mkv_snapshot_18.57_.jpg")
Would you rather live in Iku-land or Shinbo-land?
>>112074277
Ikuhara land since I can be bi there and have a harem. Only plebs live in Shinbo-land.
>>112074277
Ikuuuuuuuuuuuu
>>112071578
Because the stairs actually led to the planetarium.
