Introduction to Revolution │ Revolutionary Girl Utena analysis

[@s.shepherd5653]

"But what do you do when the universe doesn't feel like it works anymore?" Have you tried turning into a car?

[@HighPriestFuneral]

This was a fantastic overview. I experienced Utena in my relative youth (14 years old) and that was 21 years ago. It has still stuck in my heart like very little else has in terms of media, (also Empty Movement is a treasure.) Utena is a work of philosophy which asks intriguing questions to its audience all throughout, as all great works should do. From what was described about Ikuhara it sounds as if he is a Zhuangzi inspired Daoist, particularly in the way he acts, his speech, and his overall outlook on life. It is rare to find such folk.

[@somelucifrostguy9208]

I only know about the Zhuangzi through the butterfly poem used in Persona 1 (strangely, the Revelations translation of that poem is better in my eyes than the PSP). It definitely aligns from what I learned through this video.

[@pauli711]

Wait. Oh God, this is from 2020?? I never thought I would see more Utena content in 2020, I'm so happy!!! Okay, I subscribe and will enjoy this analysis of my favourite anime with a good spicy curry, thank you!!!!

[@UnpluggedProfessor]

Just make sure to eat that spicy curry privately. We don't want any accidents with any household pets, friends, family, or Chuchus.

[@BigMachigai]

I just have to comment. Thank you so much for making this. I can't believe I'm just finding this now. I'm a huge Utena fan, and watching this was like hearing someone echo all my thoughts about what I love about the genre and Ikuhara's work.. and all in such an entertaining and thoughtful way. I was literally cheering at the screen at all the different things you referenced and even the music you chose for the video, it's like you're in my brain. 😂 So much positive energy and obscure information. I've learned so much about the series and the team behind it watching this that i wouldn't have known on my own. I can't wait to watch the rest of your videos. Thanks guys I know this took a lot of effort and research. Cheers 😭

[@genesischaparro8954]

Utena content on 2020? *smashes the world's she- I mean, subscription button* Keep then coming ~

[@UnpluggedProfessor]

To revolutionize the KZbin! Honestly, it's been a lot of fun making these videos! Hopefully, we will find our shining thing someday soon

[@genesischaparro8954]

@@UnpluggedProfessor Grant us the power to revolutionate the algorithm!

[@TBoneTony]

The Nanami focus episodes were some of the best in Utena. I was laughing almost all the way through them considering how silly they were and how you could not tell where the episode was going to end up with. Nanami getting jealous of Anthy being so close to Utena and she tries to expose Anthy's weirdness by trying to put a snail in pencil box, a snake in her drawer and an Octopus in her closet. Only to find that Anthy already keeps snails in her pencil box, a mongoose in her drawer an giant Octopus Balloon in her closet. Nanami getting death threats by animals and the only one who could save her was a little kid who wanted to be her Prince. Nanami making Utena and Anthy change bodies and now she has to go to India to find the spice and she is constantly being harassed by Elephants that turn up everywhere she goes. Nanami killing a kitten, oh that was not funny at all. Nanami wearing a Cow Bell because she thought it was a fashion accessory only to slowly turn into a Cow herself towards the end of the episode. Nanami finding out about the kid who had a crush on her and how he was always watching her even in the episodes before he was introduced into the series. Nanami laying an egg and not knowing if it was normal for girls to lay eggs at her age. And to top it all off, her big brother not being blood related to her and now Nanami is all conflicted about her relationship with her big brother.

[@ellicavalcante7850]

2 years later you probably don't care anymore, but they ended up being blood related after all. It's explained that they were adopted together, and that's why his blood type is incompatible with his parent's. I have no idea why he lied to her about it lol

[@TBoneTony]

Funny that you mentioned that the Utena film is completely different to Utena the Anime series. I first saw the Utena film without ever knowing anything about the Anime that came before it. As you can imagine, that makes the viewing of the Scandal-centric VHS tape that the Shadow Girls present ends up being a video tape about a random Cow having a fight with a little monkey and after the monkey defeats the cow, a random baby Crocodile comes around and eats the Monkey. Even if I didn't understand what the hell I was seeing, I was still laughing at the out of left field weirdness. And Utena turning into a Car towards the end, it was just a perfect way of describing what I felt about the Utena film before finally watching the Utena anime years later. I never understood what was going on, but I was having a hell of a ride in the process.

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

Sometimes even without a literal understanding of the narrative/context, we can get an emotional kind of logic or pure sensory enjoyment out of media... And that's a valid experience too! What a way to experience Utena for the first time.

[@bryanc7094]

It’s great too see anyone talking about this show

[@retroanimemike]

I have been called a classic anime snob, I do love my vintage anime with handcrafted plotlines and weird homegrown archetypal characters, so when I tell you that I have grown to appreciate Utena even more than Evangelion (which I will give as my religion at the next census), then I hope you understand the gravity of those words. Also I've been pairing up the characters from the two shows with each other, and they line up surprisingly well, nothing to do with the plot just the characters as such, such as Gendo-Akio, Rei-Anthy, or Kaji-Nanami. So I expect you to make good on that promise and finish this entire cycle of Utena videos! Great work (except for the audio mixing but you already apologised for that)!

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

Ohh, I just have to hear your Kaji-Nanami comparison! Why those two? And the second part of this series, the Miki video, is up as well! We've been working on the Juri video recently and hope to have that up in April or May if all goes as we'd like.

[@retroanimemike]

@@snakeeyedreams8181Kaji is analogous to Nanami as they are the outsider who infiltrates the power structure - Kaji is a double agent, and Nanami gets into the Student Council and the Dueling Forest without any letters from End of the World, or any reasoning outside of base nepotism. They are both introduced in a negative light, Kaji as this shady untrustworthy character, and Nanami as a minor shoujo villainesse. They even both discover core secrets of their respective stories, and they both cheat - Nanami uses two blades. I thought of pairing Kajis small delivery with Nanamis magic curry but nah, theres enough parallels as is.

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

@@retroanimemike That's so good. I love that.

[@merrynightwanderer9728]

The use of the Beeping Hand of Symbolism. I died. Great work!

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

Thanks! :)

[@Elektrochoke]

You put a lot of work and love into the video. As a huge fan of Utena, thank you. And we’re happy to have spoilers to discuss! 🌹

[@bryanc7094]

One of the best first video’s on KZbin

[@UnpluggedProfessor]

We hope to add to many bests in the future ^^ Here is to the efforts revolutionize the world! Thanks for watching!

[@TheMidnightVendetta]

I just rewatched Utena and am currently watching twin peaks, very glad I found your channel!

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

Awesome! Glad to have you on board! :) Is this your first time with Twin Peaks?

[@seaweed5269]

Really, thank you for the work put into compiling and crafting a more or less cohesive narrative out of all the articles an interviews about the production team and their process. I never would have done that myself, which means I would have been deprived of their... didactic, toput it mildly, approach and constant "betrayal" of each other. I don't even dare to imagine what you could do with the meat of the series if you ever decide to come back to it!

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

Ahh, thank you! We're hoping to be back with more on Utena soon! *fingers-crossed*

[@blueegg4198]

Greatly enjoyed this video. Thank you for putting in all this work to gather and present all this info.

[@sincerelydeerly]

i'm blown away at how good this is, yall should totally have a PATREON, i'm so excited to hear what else you have in store... thank you for the content, ahhh WOW this is incredible!!!! i just finished rewatching the series and the insight this lends is incredible. i didn't know anything about the team. this is like drinking a fine wine... thank you. like subscribe comment and share folks

[@UnpluggedProfessor]

Well thank you kindly for this awesome sentiment ^^; It truly means a lot. However, we are just starting off, and as far as discussions on Patreon goes, we feel we might have to grow a bit more. Perhaps one day, we will revolutionize our world, but for now it is just fun to make these videos! Stay tuned for Miki Kaoru!

[@lolyoutoobe]

That opening feed me well, please make a part 2.

[@UnpluggedProfessor]

It's something I'm really proud of ^^; Hoping to improve and arrange some sweet visuals for the next one! :D

[@Midlighter]

Hmmm...I've always seen Adolescence of Utena as what is going on in real time. The series, a showing of one time loop that would have made a change in Adolescence (one loop to incorporate Anthy getting the key, another loop for introducing, and another for removing Nanami.)

[@bryanc7094]

Taking on an obscure show for a first video wow😳

[@TheTricksterCoyote]

Brilliant! Can't wait for more

[@2nnawrap]

i was watching the truman show the other night and couldn’t stop thinking about utena. glad someone else made that connection too

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

Yeah, genre-wise and style-wise they're quite different, but as modern myths about asserting your freedom by smashing your perception of reality/relationships and breaking out of social institutions of control, they definitely compare well!

[@somelucifrostguy9208]

This video is in itself a work of art.

[@peko1028]

the talk about mixing art to create art reminds me of salman rushdie's haroun and the sea of stories

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

Hadn't heard of this before - sounds interesting!

[@peko1028]

@@snakeeyedreams8181 it's an amazing story i really recommend it!

[@paloma4444]

This is super super impressive for a first video

[@UnpluggedProfessor]

We hope to continue to impress with our content ^^ Thanks for checking this out!

[@Keysandcrystals]

omg I read the things they carried for school amazing book I was supirsed to see you referenced in a video about my favorite anime

[@HRain-kv1iu]

I'm so glad you made this!

[@uryuriuga7335]

I very much enjoyed this content and I cant wait for your next video

[@DankeyKang]

My favorite anime of all time!

[@isabelab.s.p.1727]

how doesnt this have moe views!!! its so great!!!!!!!!!

[@UnpluggedProfessor]

Thank you so much. We really appreciate comments like this, and I certainly take a lot of pride in it all! Though life certainly gotten in the way, I am really excited for when the Miki video is out of the oven!

[@isabelab.s.p.1727]

@@UnpluggedProfessor you deserve all the praise, it’s a really well made and well researched video! really excited for when the next one comes out!

[@smhsophie]

why would a moe view this?

[@isabelab.s.p.1727]

@@smhsophie aslkfjsldjhaldjhfalkdhaljfd *more >< (i could edit it now but then it would be less funny)

[@anxietalyn]

god i need to find the animes you took some of the non utena clips from they look so funny

[@carolinanierga3814]

Follow this up! We want a whole series on Utena!!

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

We're actually working on the Miki episode right now. Life has just gotten in the way, and we want to do this series justice. :) But it *is* still coming! Thank you for your interest and patience! Break the world's shell, Miki!

[@carolinanierga3814]

@@snakeeyedreams8181 well, you just made my day!! I'm looking forward to seeing what you're preparing behind the curtains :D

[@screamsintotheabyss8975]

Excuse me? Do I hear the Nier shadow lord song remix at 23:09?

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

You do indeed. :) We're both big fans of og Nier!

[@JaheemHoushakuji]

@@snakeeyedreams8181 Which remix is it I literally can’t find this version anywhere

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

@@JaheemHoushakuji kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3e8c2umn9qdd6M

[@whelkytartar5662]

this was great! could you tell me (/link me to?) where you found the ikuhara interview footage that starts about 28:11 in? i haven't been able to find much in the way of interviews with ikuhara, especially anything that has english subtitles! did you translate this yourself?

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

The footage is from a Big Apple Anime Fest interview on the Central Park DVD release of the series (an older release). We did not translate/subtitle it. They're on the Black Rose Saga dvds, and I'm not sure where else! Hope that helps!

[@whelkytartar5662]

@@snakeeyedreams8181 that is very helpful! thanks a bunch!

[@smhsophie]

we need a new utena which gets over the postmodern perspectivist trappings

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

What do you think that would look like?

[@shinypaintf588]

can't wait for the second part!!

[@Ramsey276one]

2:00 LOVED THE WHOLE BIT XD

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

Glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@Papismackmyassss]

FINALLY someone who doesn't pronounce Utena like "oona"

[@UnpluggedProfessor]

Personally I enjoy the dub moments where characters would call her "Untena Tenjuuuu" cx But glad to aid in those audio bits :D

[@Papismackmyassss]

@@UnpluggedProfessor my only question is why did everyone in the black rose saga call utena “Utena TenjO” like there is no O

[@UnpluggedProfessor]

There is actually a 上 written for the name, which is pronounced "Jou". The u at the end of Japanese extends the pronoinced O by an extra beat in speech ^^ . Or even the common spelling, Tenjou in Romanji.

[@Papismackmyassss]

@@UnpluggedProfessor ahhh I see

[@brandoncold1027]

PLEASE MAKE PART 2 (:

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

Thank you for your enthusiasm :) We be workin' on it!

[@alkanath]

omg part 2 please please pleease

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

It's in the works! Life has been getting in the way HARD, but we are persevering.

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

"faster than you can say 'God is dead' in a big mustache-iod accent' " XD XD XD I am deceased!

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

Ahh, glad you enjoyed that bit! :)

[@suomynona9044]

I came here from the Goblen Slayer.....corona really got me in the deep side of youtube

[@UnpluggedProfessor]

Welcome, though! It's fun to see where the rabbit hole leads. That is why we take the red pill, and just enjoy all that Wonderland has to offer.

[@genesischaparro8954]

Took me a third rewatch to catch the Fruits Basket joke

[@ozeistudio6916]

new sub

[@jenaf4208]

Kinda sad this series didnt seem tog et a completion :( :(

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

While it may not look like it, the series is still ongoing and in development. :) My very loose goal is to have the next video (which is on Touga, Saionji, and Nanami) done before the end of the year.

[@anonymousyoutuber1405]

Please update this series?

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

The revolution isn't too far off. ;) We're currently working on part 2 at the moment.

[@CLOCKTHULHU]

This Kalil guy seems like a coward, fearful of true combat

[@UnpluggedProfessor]

He has shown me true fear by combat via CTR. Never judge a fish's ability to climb a tree.

[@filleterevolutionnareutena8843]

wow seriously? today?

[@filleterevolutionnareutena8843]

Oh shit! I found this video on feb 16 and thought it was made today! This was actually made last year... dang

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

@@filleterevolutionnareutena8843 I didn't even realize it had already been a year until your comment! Dang, indeed.

[@Ramsey276one]

We have been REVOLUTIONIZED! XD

[@jenaf4208]

Im still mad how much of a let-down the movie was.

[@bleedingbellybutton9403]

Day 769 of asking for an akio analysis