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Revolutionary Girl Utena (少女革命ウテナ; Shōjo Kakumei Utena) is an anime series about one very weird academy and the students who attend it. It and a manga were created simultaneously, although aside from some similarities they go in very different directions.
The anime is more popular, and generally considered better by American fans. The English manga is published by Viz Communications in the Animerica Extra magazine.
The story focuses on Utena Tenjou, a fiery pink-haired girl who insists on wearing boys' clothes. She attends the Ohtori Academy, and seeks the prince who once visited her and gave her a ring. Utena rooms with an Indian-looking woman named Anthy, who in turn is in an abusive relationship with another member of the Academy. Utena fights to protect Anthy, and is pulled into a series of sword duels with the student council, all of whom fight for Anthy as the key to a coming revolution.
The series itself is highly unusual, to the point of being outright metaphysical. Its uses of color alternate between serene and striking, while the world feels angular and modern, from the faces of the characters to the design of the Academy. A rose motif runs rampant. The plot is relatively straightforward, but everyone's motives are obscure (initially, at least). The series is great for fans of artiness and best taken on the metaphorical level, as the latter half of the series (and movie) becomes very obtuse if taken on the literal visual. This is due to what the director admits is a mix of metaphor, borrowed visuals from Takarazuka theater, classic shojo, mythology, and a large amount of "stuff that just looks really cool."
The 39-episode Revolutionary Girl Utena TV series was created by some of the same production staff that made Sailor Moon, including writer and director Kunihiko Ikuhara. However, the creator of Sailor Moon, Naoko Takeuchi, was not responsible for Utena; nor did the Utena manga author Chiho Saito have much control over the anime, though rumor has it she cowrote the first season's scripts.
Ikuhara is perhaps better known for his contributions to many episodes in Sailor Moon's third season, the most serious and arguably best of the series. In particular he is rumored to have established much the androgynous Tenoh Haruka's personality in that show, the gentler aspects having later been put into Utena's titular pink-haired tomboy. Many of the surreal aspects he pitched did not make it into Sailor Moon and after his departure may have been adapted for the Utena series.
An alternate-universe movie, named Adolescence Mokushiroku (literally "Adolescence Apocalypse", also known as "Adolescence of Utena") exists also and can be seen as the end of the story initiated by the TV series, although it goes in a very different direction. Its structure is in many ways parallel to that of the series, but the roles of the leads are subtly switched -- Utena remains the duelist, but while Anthy's liberation by Utena is key to the conclusion of the series, in the movie it is Utena's freedom which is at issue, and Anthy who must free her. If the television series riffs upon themes from theater and mythology, it could be said that the movie riffs upon themes from the series. Many aspects of the movie may be completely incomprehensible without familiarity with the series. It is even more bizarre visually than the series, unusual enough that it earned the good natured nickname among fans of "End Of Utena", after the similarly weird but infinitely less cheerful End of Evangelion.
There was also a short-lived Takarazuka-style musical entitled "Shōjo Kakumei Utena, Makai Tensei Mokushiroku hen, Reijin Nirvana Raiga". At Animazement '00 Ikuhara was said to be working on it with the theatrical group Gesshoku Kageki Dan. The second disc of Shoujo Kakumei Utena OST 5, Engage Toi a Mes Contes, contains many of the songs from this musical.
Visual Motifs
Repeated motifs feature strongly and powerfully in Utena. Many scenes are reused—exactly or almost so—in several episodes. This may have been a practical consideration on the animators' part to reduce production costs, but it also lends a ritualistic sense to many of the repeated scenes—such as the Student Council's ascent, or Utena's entry to the dueling platform.
The series is divided into story arcs, in each of which Utena comes into conflict with a different power at Ohtori Academy. Particular motifs illustrate the style and methods of each rival: the Student Council's oath of revolution; the Black Rose cabal's psychologically torturous confessions; and Akio Ohtori's cruelly seductive uses of his car.
The dominant motif of the entire series is the rose, which fills the decor and landscape of the Academy as well as the ritual accoutrements of the Duelists. Highly stylized, they are reminiscent of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's ones. Another curious one is elevators, which seem to be used as places of transition or transformation—the Council's elevator, Akio's, the Black Rose group's where the confessions take place, and the one installed in the dueling platform in the later episodes. By the end of the series, cars—particularly Akio's—become an overwhelming motif representing loss of innocence and control.
Freudian symbolism is found throughtout the show, especially during the fight scenes. Examples include flowers, watering glasses, swords, towers, cars, and poles. There is hardly an episode to be found without an obvious specimen.
Characters
Names are written in Western order, with the surname after the given name.
Main Characters
Utena Tenjou
(天上ウテナ Tenjō Utena)
In all versions of the story, Utena is a tomboyish but slightly naïve character who lives to emulate the idealist Prince figure from her childhood. She is forthright, honest, and friendly, and nearly all the girls in school adore her.
Anthy Himemiya
(姫宮アンシー Himemiya Anshī)
A mysterious dark-skinned woman whose sometimes vapid look and superficial politeness seem to mask something deeper. Many people project their wants or desires onto her, and she's often the target of their eventual rage or hate. In the movie, she generally seems more genuinely happy and is much more sexually aggressive towards Utena.
Akio Ohtori
(鳳暁生 Ōtori Akio)
Anthy's older brother, and acting chairman of the academy. Although barely present in the first season of the show, he later plays a pivotal role. His given name derives from the Japanese name for Venus, the Morning Star, which is identified with Lucifer. This is an appropriate name, for Akio is frequently compared to a fallen angel in the series, the angel having been Dios.
Akio dominates his sister both personally and sexually; their incestuous and power-driven relationship is key to Anthy's psychology in both the anime (where Anthy is held in thrall to her brother) and the movie (where events in the series cause the balance of power to shift dramatically). However, one could also argue that in the TV series Anthy does in fact 'control' her brother to an extent. He relies on her to control the duel victors and she is the one that 'holds' the heart sword.
Student Council Members
Juri Arisugawa
(有栖川樹璃 Arisugawa Juri)
The captain of the academy's fencing team, Juri is one of Ohtori's most highly respected students. Even the teachers seem to be in awe of her. However, behind her aloof, intimidating manner, she is actually very vulnerable as she has been hurt in the past by her friend Shiori (over whom she obsesses continuously). While viewers are at first allowed to believe that Shiori stole Juri's boyfriend from her, the consensus view is that it was in fact Shiori who Juri cared about all along. Another member of the student council, Juri's role is not as clear-cut as Miki's or Touga's.
Miki Kaoru
(薫幹 Kaoru Miki)
The highly-skilled, polite, effeminate friend of Utena. A piano player par excellence, Miki has fond memories of playing songs with his sister Kozue in his childhood; her refusal to play with him in the present gives Miki a sense of loss. His crush on Anthy in the anime (but on Utena in the manga) develops when he finds she reminds him of his erstwhile partner. Although he crosses swords with Utena, he always has good intentions and is likely one of the few genuinely nice characters in the series. Also a student council member, he appears to be some sort of secretary, as he's always attatched to his stopwatch, and is jotting the council meeting's minutes.
Nanami Kiryuu
(桐生七実 Kiryū Nanami)
Touga's over-the-top snob queen little sister, who is very fond of him; the phrase "big brother complex" is frequently applied to her. Nanami often makes various malicious attacks on students she deems inferior (or worse, those she suspects Touga is paying attention to). These pranks, however, stem from her own selfish immaturity rather than calculated evil. Many of the episodes that feature her are hilariously comedic and bizarre in nature.
Touga Kiryuu
(桐生冬芽 Kiryū Tōga)
President of the student council. Touga is an arrogant and handsome young man whose desire to be elegant and powerful drives him to cruel and unscrupulous deeds. Although he likely wishes to be more noble, his lack of affection from others doesn't allow him to have much empathy. Toward the end of the series, however, Touga's facade of chivalry is replaced with an apparently truer concern for Utena, to the extent that he very subtly attempts to substitute his head for hers on Ohtori Akio's chopping block. Arguably, this is also an example of Touga's inability to see Utena as who she really is, rather than in a stereotypical feminine role.
His portrayal in the comic and movie are considered more sympathetic throughout, or at least pitiable.
Kyouichi Saionji
(西園寺莢一 Saionji Kyōichi)
Vice-president of the student council. He has a personality similar to Touga, whom he emulates with similar results. Unlike other characters, he actually has few previous neuroses or psychological obsessions beyond an unhealthy rivalry with Touga; more likely he is 'simply' a temperamental greedy jerk than a megalomaniac, and in some situations he has been shown to have empathy if taken down a notch. He is one of the least featured characters, with a very short part in the Utena movie, and sometimes the butt of jokes; fans lovingly call him "Utena's Bitch," as he is usually the first to bear the punishment in a given story arc. Most of the other students call him by his surname.
Black Rose Duellists
Kozue Kaoru
(薫梢 Kaoru Kozue)
Miki's twin sister, who feels overshadowed by his talent and dirtied by comparison with him. Kozue resents Miki's affection for Himemiya Anthy and is prone to "acting out" to grab her brother's attention, most notably by exercising loose sexual mores.
Wakaba Shinohara
(篠原若葉 Shinohara Wakaba)
Utena's Number #1 extremely affectionate fangirl and close friend. Wakaba's cheerful personality hides an enormous inferiority complex, and she attaches herself to other people (sometimes literally -- see glomp) to feel important.
Shiori Takatsuki
(高槻枝織 Takatsuki Shiori)
Juri's childhood friend. Shiori left the school after stealing the man she believed to be Juri's boyfriend, leaving Juri devastated. While Shiori is in many ways an innocent character, her attitude towards Juri is often downright sadistic; her schemes are often designed to hurt Juri for no reason other than to see her suffer.
Minor Characters
Chuchu
Anthy's pet (whom she will only refer to as friend). A small, comical, rather ugly bowtie-wearing marmoset who tends to thaw out some dry scenes, often with the help of a large frog. However, he seems to be aware of things other characters aren't. Saionji hates him for some reason.
Dios
The enigmatic "prince" from Utena's childhood. Dios is a central figure in the anime in spite of his limited screen time. The sword with which Utena fights most of her duels is called the Sword of Dios; the audience is led to believe that Dios's essence is somehow contained within the sword. Dios's name, which means "God" in Spanish, as well as his presentation in the anime, suggest that he is to be considered Utena's guardian angel. Dios is confounded with Ohtori Akio, however, complicating this interpretation. His "entering" of Utena during most duels can been seen as his only method of protecting her; his essence has been distilled greatly, Akio is all that is left of him in the corporeal world.
Shadow Girls
(Kage Shōjo). Three girls (known as A-ko, B-ko, and C-ko) seen only in silhouette who spend about thirty seconds per episode energetically commentating on its events in symbolic allegory. The Shadow Girls are Utena's homage to kabuki (and later bunraku) theater; their antics provide comic relief along with meaningful insight into the show's plot. It is later suggested that they may be real girls from the school's drama club, but even then, they retain hints of the supernatural. Like much in Utena, the metaphor retains a degree of ambiguity.
Themes
An influence by Gnosticism can be found in both the anime and movie, with Ohtori Academy as the illusory world and Akio or (more likely) Anthy as the Demiurge. By its plays on such archetypal figures as the Prince, the Princess or the Witch, and by the symbolist role carried out by such plot elements as coffins, thorns or castles, Utena can be seen as the quintessence of the Postmodernist fairy tale.
It should be noted that the series addresses sexual themes quite often, including yuri (lesbian) and yaoi (gay male) elements—as well as darker sexual matters such as incestuous desire, actual incest, and sexual abuse. The show does not dwell upon these themes morbidly or lewdly, although they are formative parts of some of the characters' background; the mischievous director often chooses to leave such matters to the imagination. There is somewhat more explicit sexual imagery in the motion picture, although it is not pornographic by most viewers' standards. Fans have commented that Utena contains all the romantic combinations and fetishes seen in anime, with the possible exception of H anime (often called hentai by North American anime fans). Another very important theme is about gender roles (freely chosen or socially imposed), which play a large part in the series.
Chief among the romantic relationships in Utena is that between Utena and Anthy. This is more ambiguous in the TV series than the movie—the director has a dislike of the strong shipper tendency in fandom and even complained about Sailor Moon's leads' idealized relationship. However, they are considered a couple, and at present are likely the most famous lesbian couple in anime.
They are considered a good example of the lack of strong uke/seme concept in yuri fandom. While Utena (especially in the movie) is boyish, strong, physically aggressive ('masculine' traits) she is more emotional and innocent than the wearily experienced Anthy. Fans enjoy this feeling of 'equality'.
The movie is more blunt in its representations of themes like "thinking outside the box", carving one's own path despite uncertainty, rejecting set paths and general self-discovery. Due to Anthy and Utena's more overt relationship in the film, it has been read as a "coming out" film by some fans.
Inspirations
Riyoko Ikeda's The Rose of Versailles and Oniisama e are established sources of inspiration for Utena, visually for the first and thematically for the second. Osamu Tezuka's Belladonna of Sadness and Ribon no Kishi (the story of a young princess cross-dressing as a knight) may be other strong ones.
Another major inspiration, evident in the use of Gnostic themes, is Hermann Hesse's Demian. The Student Council's oath is paraphrased from the book, as well.
During the duel preparation sequences, Utena's outfit changes slightly in what is perhaps a friendly parody of the magical girl genre. Likewise elevator scenes have a transformation aspect to them.
Ikuhara cites prolific playwright, poet, and director Terayama Shuji as a major influence. Terayama was a long time collaborator with J.A. Seazer, who wrote the music for his plays. Ikuhara said that working with Seazer was the greatest part of his Utena experience.
Music
As if Utena's splendid artwork, plot and characterization did not firmly establish it in the upper echelon of anime, the series' musical score -- with lyrics largely written by Ikuhara himself, and scored by J.A. Seazer -- is exceptional and is among its most memorable features. While each episode opens with the energetic J-pop song "Rinbu Revolution" (Round Revolution), Utena's signature song is undoubtedly "Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku" (Absolute Destiny Apocalypse), which plays each time Utena makes her arduous way to the dueling arena. This song, along with those played during the duels themselves, are composed in a style which may best be described as choral rock; they are quite intense and feature richly-textured polyphonic melodies. While the lyrics of the choral rock pieces often appear to be little more than themed gibberish, a careful examination often reveals hidden meaning pertinent to the theme of the episode and of the series as a whole.
Other notable songs from the series include "Truth," which concludes first- and second-season episodes, and "The Sunlit Garden," a recurring piano piece whose ubiquity within the series makes it a symbol in its own right.
The pieces from Adolescence Utena are of similar quality and do not disappoint fans addicted to Absolute Destiny Apocalypse.
See also
External links
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