1997 Interview with "Revolutionary Girl Utena" Director Kunihiko Ikuhara

[@H-rf3mo]

Oof, was not expecting the interview to get so real towards the end. I think a lot of people imagine that those who commit suicide are sad, but it's not so much about sadness as it is about hopelessness. Most kids have a sense of direction and accomplishment as they work through coming of age and the education system. After that though, the goal posts are gone. Some people find jobs, get married, have their own kids, pursue other hobbies and interests to keep themselves busy and fill the void and that works well for them, but many just wander through the motions living day-to-day never knowing what they actually want to do. They lose that sense of something to work towards and accomplish. Financial and/or family needs add further pressure. And the older you get, the more difficult taking care of your own health becomes while balancing everything else. You work hard, then come home to more housework, then maybe get the weekend to distract yourself before you're back to work again. It just becomes a cycle and the more aware of that you become the more you lose hope. Suicide isn't so much about wanting to die as it is about not wanting to live.

[@strangess13]

He makes this impression of being someone very aware of darkness and sorrow and determined to find more than just that in his life and the world.

[@dbgvideos6133]

i feel when he was talking about the situation the kids are in those days hes also talking about the how japan faced an economic crisis in the 90s, japanese work culture and the expectations japan has on their youth and it warms my heart how he feels a need to remind people of the good times we have in life and even though japan was going through a rough patch that the future will one day brighter. I also liked how he talked about utena's motivations and how most people would view them as ridiculous but in reality us doubting her to be whoever she wants to be as ridiculous.

[@zakkxx1]

Met him in 2011 at a convention could say two words to him but I wished I spoke Japanese better. At that time, I just entered Japanese studies in the university so I wasn’t able to communicate that much. He was very nice and approachable. Such a treat! Still have his sign on my Utena dvd box ❤️

[@wah-gb5xe]

the last part made me cry so hard. i really, really can’t imagine a future. i really didn’t know what i expected when watching an interview with ikughara on rgu, but this was pretty much it. god i can’t stop crying.

[@firstjuba]

hey I'm from the future and I hope you're okay :)

[@jeffjeff24]

this is the first time i am seeing a video of Ikuhara speaking and i don't know what expectations i had before but i feel like he met all of them also this interview has the same energy as the show, and i love it

[@jj_all_right]

I can tell he is the director, he has the flawless look of the series ✨🌹

[@bryanc7094]

This guy makes me so sad and so happy.

[@OrdonWolf]

What he says about the lack of imagination when it comes to imagining the future is incredible to me considering he was saying this so many years before both Capitalist Realism and Inventing the Future were written Truly ahead of his time both as an artist and as a thinker

[@akiyoshidai]

This guy is a GOD!! The more I watch Utena and fans' analyses l, the more I think this guy created a master piece. Utena is the allegory of allegories.

[@Justin-yt7pi]

what the hell? You're weird for referring Ikuhara as a god.

[@erilovegrove1622]

@@Justin-yt7pi why's it weird? its just a word of praise

[@ArizonaKuriyama]

You could even say, the allegoriest of allegorier allegories xd

[@katharinamuller3850]

Oh wow, most of this is actually comprehensible by Ikuhara standards! Thank you very much for uploading this!

[@deeyanchen2054]

The last almost got me into tears

[@bluesleeper8677]

The more I see from this guy the more I love him

[@RcNe-bk3vb]

He wrote something similar, in the leaflet of one an ost of utena: "He is just an ordinary man, born in an ordinary family, study in ordinary school, doing an ordinary job, very very ' formal and normal'. What is the meaning of an ordinary life? He hopes he can revolute the world, even, through girls' animes, with somethings extraordinary, to express to the world. Let's break the eggshell and be free!" Still impressed and I still remember!!!👍

[@atarigangmember]

you can tell in that last question how long he'd been thinking about a lot of the stuff that informed penguindrum

[@taylorbee4010]

he really does remind me of kaoru.

[@bennn8716]

Me too

[@lelemonster03]

he's amazing

[@TheGezishOne]

Ikuhara over here looking like he just wants to live a quiet life

[@akarina_toth]

frr he looks like he loves hands a little too much

[@glorymrad6070]

Omg! Thanks for uploading this! This's great! Though I need to rewatch to fully understand everything 😅

[@mime4624]

天才は凡人には理解できないものを生み出すって言うじゃん。まさにそれだよね。笑 てか、結構イケメンだな〜。

[@ni6226]

媚びない、芸術至上主義 ウテナに出会えて美意識や想像力、生き方を革命された人が大勢いると思います 最終回のウテナとアンシーの気高い生きざまを私もしたいです

[@chitacolomba]

Simply god

[@SeanNessman]

Love his "dayo ne"

[@Growing.growth]

So this is what I got from watching this interview..... remember when you just started watching utena revolutionary girl for the first time and you were like "what the hell" yep it's the same reaction I got at first but when you watch it again your like "ohh"...cause I'm here watching this video like okii stop wait a sec what?!😯😅😂 Lol Maybe it's just me

[@atomu27]

Goat

[@Demain204]

Revolunary girl uthena it's close to be my favorite anime

[@Demain204]

I didn't think I'll found this ? Cuz some comments say that the interview is just vailable on the VHS but I found it here so

[@marcoam12345678910]

based

[@fayeiah]

bro is just an egg enfaite

[@林老虎-z5u]

Kunihiko Ikuhara sucks! >:(

[@nicholasceciliafaye]

I wholeheartedly agree! :D Kunihiko Ikuhara has often just gone too far! >:( I dislike Kunihiko Ikuhara! >:(

[@Marta-9]

芝菲鋒 what did he do?

[@Sarubadooru]

He has gone too far; he's too good.

[@mibukdesjarlais534]

Oh fuck of haters......😑

[@林香港-t3n]

Tell me, why do you like Ikuhara then?! :I