Princesses and Patriarchy: What is Revolutionary Girl Utena ABOUT?

[@morganallport8820]

So my take on the ending is this: The coffins represent the self destructive patterns each of the characters are stuck in that keep them from moving on and 'growing up' When Utena comes out of the coffin as a child, she's not literally leaving the coffin behind, she's found a new one, which is trying to be a prince. This isn't healthy both because it's not sustainable to go through life trying to save everyone, (even dios couldn't do it) and because trying to climb to the top of an oppressive system (prince/princess/witch) isn't the way to free yourself of it. Anthy's coffin is her abusive relationship with Akio. She stays because after everything she's done, all the people she's manipulated and hurt for his sake, she believes that she is too awful a person for anyone but Akio to truly love her. Utena proves her wrong when she forces herself off the ground and to the gates after anthy stabbed her in the back, unlocks the power to revolutionize the world, and uses it to open Anthy's coffin because she doesn't want her to hurt anymore. Like what an ACT OF LOVE am I right? So seeing this anthy realizes a better life is possible, and the moment she reaches back to take utena's hand is the moment she makes the decision to leave Akio, thereby saving herself. And the arena is an illusion Anthy herself created to serve Akio's purposes, so of course when she decides to leave the whole thing crumbles to dust and she falls away. But that doesn't matter because Anthy never needed Utena to pull her out, to 'save' her. All she needed was for Utena to show her love, and she found the strength to save herself.

[@joel0joel0]

finally someone who gets it the point the show does is not to be the real prince, but to reject this (male) gender role, which the series shows again and again to be not the right behavior even when Utena does it. But there is one thing, i would disagree and this is that Utena doesn't revolutionize the world, my theory is, that Anthy is revolutionizing the world, exactly at the moment as she goes, in the show we don't see what happens to the school after that, but in the movie we see, that the whole fairy tale prison crumbles after Anthy leaves. The world we have to break free like the chicken has to break free of its egg, is like you said a world Anthy created, because of her abusive relationship with Akio. Anthys power is it what holds this illusion (which is among other things a symbol for the patriarchal system) together, when she goes this whole illusion will fall apart. At the end Aiko is not only dependent on Anthy, he is also the person who is forever trapped in this world, everyone else can like Utena and the sister of this one black rose guy grow up and flee this world.

[@NeonAtary777]

That's exactly what I thought. Well you explained it better of course but that is what I felt.

[@wtfholidaymakers]

Mic drop

[@kimikokao]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who really loves this show, but honestly has no idea what was happening in most of it or what it meant.

[@fandommusings5302]

It is....very dense. lolol But a great time.

[@kimikokao]

Fandom Musings True. Even though I was very confused I enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve never seen anything quite like it before and it’s one of the few anime series I would actually be interested in seeing an updated version of or maybe even a sequel.

[@Justin-yt7pi]

It's alright I guess

[@aria4408]

So true lmao

[@noorlight-sz7im]

You're not alone.

[@VHarlequinxQueenV]

I honestly could chat for HOURS on Utena as a life long fan. You did an excellent job summarizing the meaning.

[@fandommusings5302]

:) Thank you!

[@VHarlequinxQueenV]

@@fandommusings5302 You're welcome and if you ever want to do an in depth discussion I am so game

[@Espedesther]

Beatrice icon, 🥰

[@Justin-yt7pi]

@Joey Eliseo what account

[@ruben1475]

Utena: **goes through the weird old gate in the forest** Utena: why do I hear boss music

[@vampiressrina]

I don't think there really *is* a literal outside the metaphorical in Utena - what literally happens *is* the metaphor. Like, literally, the coffin falls out of the sky, and metaphorically, it's a symbol of how Utena can reach out to help Anthy but cannot save her, because Anthy has to make the choice to heal and leave and save herself. The coffin is the most literal you're going to get. For me it helped to read ladyloveandjustice's tumblr episode analyses after watching the episodes, bc she dives *deep* into the metaphor, including the individual duel song lyrics.

[@maledictita]

Omg The Nanami episodes. The key to understanding wtf they're about is to read them as metaphor and spoilers for the underlying truths of the story. E.g. Nanami let's herself turn into a cow because she is too naive? to understand the context/reality of the cowbell. This parallels Utenas seduction by Akio (The earrings she receives straight up look like the cowbell from the Nanami episode).

[@NeonAtary777]

Man that's an amazing observation!!

[@perrilewis180]

I see it as this current version of Nanami in this patriarchal system she's cattle. She's something that you raise in order to eat it. And because Anthy probably turned her into a cow, it's her own bit of mercy for Nanami as a person, not Nanami Anthy's mirror image. Cows are sacred in Hinduism, so Anthy is saying at least you won't be eaten by Akio. And I say version because Nanami rejects Tougo. She was smart enough to get out of the car.

[@Pukeprincess]

It’s arranged marriage/sex trafficking. In her dream sequence Nanami is being sold to the slaughterhouse, she still considers Touga her brother, like most people in those situations,and is screaming wanting to be let free as she’s served her last meal. After she is sold, Touga eats her steak, representing the profits of selling the woman. Nanami being given the cowbell and showing it off represents gifts that victims of these are given to make them calm and not realize their situation, eventually nanami is manipulated into becoming the cow, nothing but a thing that is used to benefit others.

[@SingingDragons11]

Anthy: *displays clear magic and actually swaps bodies with Utena* Utena: I have absolutely no questions. Seems perfectly normal.

[@sprucemoose5056]

Love her for that

[@molliemayer3716]

I always wondered about akios car, and I read an interview with the studio, and the quote "a car is something that satisfies childish desires in the adult world" really struck me. I kind of thought that Akio represented the darkness of the adult world, but he represents an adult who turned out wrong. his endless desire to find something eternal or to gain a power to control the world is inherently childish. all of the characters in the show are liberated when they stop chasing that... they can grow up and move forward. akio wants to "revolutionize the world" which if u think about it literally, he wants to start it over and replay time forever. through his literal device that projects illusion and his sex appeal, he can control and manipulate everyone around him. since dios is god and akio is devil, he may represent the dangers of growing up if done carelessly and very fucked up lmao

[@Manuel-ew3dp]

I always interpreted the whole witch thing as anthy becoming a "witch" by aging and "dios" becoming akio because he was attracted to her and he was basically trying to convince her her abuse was her fault.

[@gingganggoolie]

I got the sense it was about Anthy preventing Dios from being a Prince (by keeping him inside when he was sick) and saving him. A woman who saves a Prince can't be a princess, so the only other option is a witch

[@YossarianVanDriver]

Really sharp take on this show; took me a lot longer of thinking back on it to come to this level of understanding myself. The one thing I'd say that I have a bit of a different take on is that Utena's final victory isn't 'becoming a prince' per se--because in reality, 'there is no prince'. 'Rescuing' people in an ultimately self-serving way, like a fairytale prince does, is in the end kind of what she was doing for Anthy the whole time, without really understanding what was killing her inside for the longest time. Utena doesn't just assume a traditionally masculine role, she breaks free from proscribed roles altogether.

[@arlekino0792]

Social revolution from gender norms. And that show was good at constructing proofs for this statement....(Utena is better than Evangelion. Could someone proof me otherwise?)

[@Psychic_Sylph]

-the duels are designed to choose and groom a prince that can produce a sword that could open the gate which grants the power of revolution -Anthy sealed away Dios’ power so that he couldn’t kill himself saving everyone and in turn the world punished her, hence the swords. The literal meaning of the swords doesn’t exist and is irrelevant, they are just there to symbolize the hatred of the world. -Akio is what was left after all of this happened. He is now a resenting pathetic edge lord douchebag who believes he must regain his power and control/manipulate humanity, but since he has no real power of his own now he abuses Anthy so that she’ll stay with him and he can mooch off of her power instead, and also he probably resents her for sealing away his power. -In the end Utens rejects the system and the system rejects her in turn (the author’s words, not mine), and Anthy willingly escapes it after being moved by Utena’s unwavering will to help her. -The coffins aren’t just despair, they can also be interpreted as any kind of mental block and also sometimes the way the system boxes us. For more info on this go watch the other Ikuhara anime you didn’t mention: Mawaru Penguindrum -the castle in the sky was just another projection from Akio’s planetarium.

[@blancaescobar5895]

holy shit penguindrum is his too? well there are things that hinted it how I didnt realized....

[@KusariNoRuizu]

3:25 It was a long time ago that I saw Utena, but wasn't it outright stated that the castle was an illusion created by Akio's planetarium? The offer of eternity is just another lie Akio tells to make people become duelists.

[@fandommusings5302]

Either I zoned out or that's not in the dub. It makes sense though?

[@al.m765]

yeah it's definitely stated in the sub

[@alaryghost]

I think another great piece of meta that adds to this meaning is the Palace Perspective- a meta take on Nanami and her connection to Anthy, which also talks about Touga's connection to Akio, and Utena's connection to Kanae. It talks about how this cycle is not the first time this has happened- but it's the first time someone has set Anthy free. It talks about incest and the way Ohtori Academy uses two parallel myths- the sister-wife and the princess-wife- to set women against each other, and the way Akio is grooming Touga to take over his place- with Nanami replacing Anthy. It's very very heavy, and it is probably the meta that made me most understand Nanami and Touga and their roles in the story. I'd highly recommend it.

[@xxMapSyrxx]

There is a lot of stuff I am still parsing from the show, but one thing I got right the way is the school is an allegory for the patriarchal institutions that exist in our world and that's why Anthy finally leaves the school at the end, to symbol a departure from this systemic abuse and exploitation. The school is also a social setting, which symbolizes the social experiences men and women have that distill us into our expected roles in the wider society.

[@TheGlooga]

God I love this show! I still need to watch the movie, and this definitely pushed me to do it. I love how, if you're like me and you're really bad at picking up metaphor, the end of the second arc basically forces you to acknowledge the symbolism with "and then the bad guy thought himself out of existence (?)". Also, it's cool how once Nanami realizes how unhealthy her relationship is with her brother, she becomes the smartest character in the entire show. She somehow ended up my favorite character, faults and all.

[@fandommusings5302]

Lol. Yeah, the end of the Black Rose arc was like.....wait....was he a GHOST?

[@dasytaylor]

Many years late with this, but I also really liked watching Nanami's character development and upon rewatching the whole thing, the "Nanami episodes" were even more amusing to me. She's so silly

[@june1344]

Utena is one of those shows that you can always go back to. You can step away from it for a couple of months or even years and come back and find something new, which I love. One thing that's always stuck with me is how the show feels like an amalgamation of all the things adolescents question about their identity (gender, sexuality, love and friendship, being "mature" or "adult") that just explodes. And how these struggles can be beneficial in forming ourselves and finding support systems but which are also toxic results of a society that does repress us in a lot of ways. I've always had mixed feelings about the ending and whether revolution was really accomplished and I think it depends on each viewer to decide that based on their own experiences watching the show and where they are in their lives. Like a lot of stuff in the show, there's no clear "yes or no" answer. When I was fifteen and watched this show, it was revolutionary for me because it made me question a lot of stuff about myself but then as a twenty year old I was more on the no spectrum because the things that mattered to me then seemed less well-developed in the show. Now, I feel like knowing that the journey towards revolution and breaking the egg was more important than if the egg was actually broken (if that makes sense). I think a lot about the cycles in this show, which you pointed out, and how revolution itself is one complete turn in which you start at a beginning then end up at the beginning which is also the end. And whether you like it or not, something has changed even though it might feel like you're in the same place. That's why the ending now makes more sense to me even though I didn't find it satisfying before and that's how I feel now as someone who was a child then a teenager and am now officially an adult (yay college grad). Also, that pic of Ikuhara is incredible lol. "The Most Gay" definitely describes his works.

[@telaferrum]

I wonder whether the dual meaning of revolution still applies when we consider that it was translated from Japanese. I don't know how the Japanese word would be interpreted, or death of the author aside whether the creator may have had the English word in mind.

[@joel0joel0]

well in my opinion it is a revolution, actually three revolutions, the first two are Anthy and Utena becoming adults, which is a revolution for themselves, leaving their childish dreams or their abuse behind and be self-sufficient persons, who can pursue their goals without the corrupting and manipulating influence of others. The third revolution is a bigger one and that is the change for Akio and Othori Academy, since Anthy is gone and basically the whole duel scam depends on anthy not only being the rosebride but also her witchcraft, Akio is really f*cked, he can't continue the whole thing on his own and it is also questionable if othori academy's existence itself is dependent on Anthy's spellcraft, especially the whole time change is probably her doing. We can actually see that in the movie, when Anthy leaves the whole thing crumbles.

[@iesika7387]

Nanami's egg is about menstruation (and probably also about how afab folks are often kept in the dark on basic important information about their own bodies)

[@llunavermella_bloodmoon]

"afab folks" you mean women, even if they take testosterone and think they're something else. You're welcome.

[@wormwoodcocktail]

“AFAB” 🙄

[@Atarxzhii_hoshi]

​@@wormwoodcocktailyes because some people are trans

[@wormwoodcocktail]

@@Atarxzhii_hoshi Yeah, well, more than half the human population is female, so piss off with your grotesque misogynist ideology.

[@iesika7387]

@@wormwoodcocktail Imagine watching an Utena video just to be transphobic in the comments. You okay? You seem confused.

[@000Dragon50000]

Honestly I felt the first arc was better and the show really really struggled in the black rose arc before picking back up with the bonkersness later, but hey, people are different.

[@fandommusings5302]

Hmmm. that's fair. Maybe it's just because I found the villains of the Black Rose arc so interesting.

[@000Dragon50000]

@@fandommusings5302 The ways different people were tempted into it were great but there was no real resolution to that most of the time so IDK they just came off as another set of battles to me.

[@Mnemoniforma9.00]

Utena isn't just about dismantling gender roles. It's also about dismantling religion. As you said, "Dios = God" and "Akio = Lucifer". In other words, the church stays in power by forcing people to obey abusive social structures that keep people from being themselves while deflecting accountability for that by justifying the Problem of Evil. Furthermore, Anthy as a "witch" can be used to identify any social group that is ostracized for falling outside of that order, whether it be atheists, LGBT people or any other "sin" or heterodoxy. They are perceived by the faithful as beyond their Prince's power to redeem/make a princess-- even though he is theoretically omnipotent, and their damnation is seen as deserved, however unfair or disproportionate. By revolutionizing her world, Utena plunges her sword into this two-faced false god and makes it to the Outside World, a lens of reality where you are absolutely free and absolutely responsible for your actions, without an infernal scapegoat and without the shackles of a divine covenant.

[@casir.7407]

well, guess this is what i needed to finally watch utena! id like to recommend to you the author Angela Carter, the original deconstructed feminist fairytale author -using the tropes found in popular stories like little red riding hood and beauty and the beast and finding ways to recycle them into metaphors of different stages of girlhood, all with a beautiful flowery prose. "the bloody chamber" is a good place to start, but all her fairytales are wonderful

[@adjansen8820]

I have literally described Utena as "like if Angela Carter made an anime" before. Carter actually lived in Japan for quite some time and spoke Japanese...if only she had lived to watch Utena, I imagine she would have had a LOT to say about it!

[@molliemayer3716]

So, I think baby Anthy was trying to protect Dios from the masculinity that was putting so much pressure on him and literally killing him, so she sacrificed herself to the mob of men trying to find Dios. That's why she is deemed a witch who hid the hero/prince of the world. On top of that, it's emphasized that anthy is also perceived this way because she cannot be a princess because the prince is her brother, therefore she has no value because she has no proximity to men (queer metaphor alert). Despite the fact that she tried to preserve the innocence of her brother he still succumbs to male gender norms and becomes a predatory grown man. It's despicable and symbolic that her inability to be with her brother (for obvious reasons?!) was used against her as a child despite her display of sisterly love, and then that love was invalidated and devastated by Akio sexually abusing her as adults. if any of that makes sense? This show has so many themes of childhood vs adulthood as well as gender roles obvi... i could talk forever

[@rebbecawitt581]

I agree but should note. Akio is an adult but Anthy is still 14

[@swtormadness]

Wait if egg is metaphor for puberty then cow is too, because GROWING BREASTS? I was so laughed at in school for that, because they started growing early. So if we are trying to get into that then maybe that's that.

[@fandommusings5302]

Very possibly. The cow episode is also def about Nanami being more preoccupied with status and that blinding her to certain truths.

[@Lyrrian]

Thanks for your explanation! As someone who normally can’t read between the lines, this show was way over my head. However, it’s funny you say you don’t know why Nanami laid an egg because I thought that was so obviously a menstruation metaphor! Maybe it’s not, but I thought that because of her conversation with Juri where it seemee like they were talking about two different things.

[@awlomthesheepermen]

i love the english closed captioning on this

[@harrietagnes9789]

Might I offer a different interpretation of the castle? The castle is an iconic piece in fairy tales, but it is turned upside down, symbolizing that Utena is a fairy tale turned on its head, the princess has to sacrifice herself to say the wicked prince charming and so on. Additionally, the castle is in the sky because a fairy tale ending is forever within sight but unobtainable, cause let's be real here, while some people end up in better places then they started, no one actually has everything they wanted by the end of the story.

[@nikoblueprince5252]

We need more people to talk about Utena, thank you

[@sweetpeabee4983]

THE CAR SCENE. Ahhh! I remember watching the movie with friends who hadn't seen the series and didn't know what to expect at all, so the whole viewing was just the gradual build-up of confusion like a pressure cooker, until finally that scene hit and BOOM. Hysterical laughter, tears, wild gesticulation at the screen, "what the fuck" being repeated at first in bemused anger, then genuine reverence for the sheer wtf audacity of it all. Edit: ahh I just noticed u have a more recent video on PRECISELY THE CAR SCENE. Thank u!

[@dergeilste1383]

I am gladdened by how I am not only the person who did not understand what is happened in the Story. Thanks for the description of the confusing parts

[@doityourselfa]

i always thought that the upside down castle was how like, within the dueling place the gender roles were flipped? how the duelists could exercise some semblance of power and control. its the place where utena can fulfill her desire to be a prince by saving anthy, and the duelists (especially juri) could fight for what they wanted. its that glimpse of something eternal, how the traditional roles of royalty and gender roles were flipped. even anthy does most of her defiant actions underneath it, like protecting utena. of course this is all an illusion created by akio. the castle doesn't exist and neither does that subversion or power the duelists wield; its all constructed by him to fulfill his fantasy of being the prince.

[@randyfool2065]

I also got into this show quite recently and I can notice so much media had been affected by Utena. That in itself could be considered a revolution. This is a show that each individual viewer is gonna have their own reality of what happened and all of them are valid. I feel like Anthy will find Utena and I was so happy she walked away from her abuser. Utena and Anthy both “graduated” from that horrible institution and I hope the other members of the cast do so as well. I would have liked to see Akio get hurt more but it is a very fitting end that he is trapped in a hell of his own making. All in all, good show!

[@Whosaskin]

I mean, i have never seen Utena but I did know that the last season of She Ra was heavily inspired by Utena; and I loved the last season of SPoP with all my heart.

[@anhane6133]

they uploaded all of utena to youtube!

[@msfthe1st117]

I also used the quarantine to finally delve into Revolutionary Girl Utena. And now it’s my favorite anime of all time.

[@saneira]

Great video, I just finished the whole series so it’s cool to see someone point out themes that almost wooshed right over my head lol

[@nakenmil]

I just recently finished both the series and movie, and hoo boy. I'm obviously not in the target audience, but I was drawn in by the aesthetics and the whole magical realism vibe. I think trying to decipher "what is literally going on" is a dead end. Within the narrative, I don't actually think there IS such a thing as a literal dimension that's separate from the symbolic one, if that makes sense. It's a bit like asking what is literally going on in Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis - it's sorta missing the point. You can call Ohtori a kind of Matrix or a Purgatory or a dream or whatever. Point is, it is what it is. As a grown man, I caught myself chuckling at how the anime makes these 14 year olds out be so adult and brooding and intimidating, etc. because it's obviously pandering to the fantasies of kids and I get it, but then fucking Akio turned up and he made my skin fucking crawl. He is indeed the worst. Gotta admit, the ending scene caused me genuine distress. I was quite upset after it, felt kinda cheated out of a more positive ending. I have made peace with it, I guess, and I understand the symbolism and purpose, but god damn, after watching the movie too, I really feel we could have had a more personally triumphant ending for Utena herself all along. Seeing her last moments in the anime being despair was just upsetting. But in the, uh, I don't know, the reset 2.0 Ohtori where the movie takes place (going with the Matrix analogy) Anthy has regained enough agency to help her, so it all worked out in the end. At least that's my headcanon. Great vid!

[@nakenmil]

Oh, and speaking of revolution, another theme I think the anime explored was how every other character seems to be stuck in a eternal(?) arrested development. After Utena's sacrifice, we see them talk about the future and relating to each other in a more healthy manner. Akio's grip weakened and they are no longer stuck in this eternal middle school existence that leads nowhere. The movie takes that further, of course, with them actively helping Utena and Anthy out.

[@tfae]

I think the duels make sense in terms of genre. In a magical girl show, a fight is not a literal test of strength, but a challenge to the protagonist's resolve. The ritualized structure, with the stock footage and stock phrases, call back to the MotW format of Sailor Moon.

[@MMP583]

Dude. I've been looking for a short but informative Utena explanation video forever! I mean I have seen references everywhere to this anime and honestly I'm probably never gonna watch it. So thank you for making this video and giving me some basic undertaking of what I always called "that gay drama about the pink haired knight girl and the glasses girl."

[@ericaspruill8461]

I have loved Utena since I was a preteen and have rewatched it many times. Though I will say I don't care for the movie at all, I actually prefer the manga. It is only five books long and is different from the anime series and movie. It adds more layers to the story that I think a lot of people don't know about. Glad you found this anime and enjoyed it. It really is a different experience for every viewer and I think that in itself makes it art.

[@BobLogical]

Utena is still slightly more comprehensible than Metal Gear lore.

[@fandommusings5302]

That's quite a feat. lol. I haven't played any Metal Gear.

[@Alias_Anybody]

All plotholes in any media can be explained with nanomachines if you just try hard enough.

[@BobLogical]

@@fandommusings5302 If you ever want to experience 12 games spanning 6 console generations totaling more than 300 hours of gameplay, you'd definitely get some good video material.

[@IanNotChris]

I love this channel and all your videos, but I gotta say... I have to pause to be able to read every text comment on the screen and then try to regain my train of thought for the voice over, and it's very difficult.

[@mayawallis8575]

i genuinely enjoy listening to every episode you have listening to literally anything, i wish you’d post more even if it was less polished! organized or unorganized thoughts!! doesn’t matter!! anywho, life happens but just wanted to say that.

[@authenticbaguette6673]

Fr this is quite possibly my favourite anime of all time, despite being very short and not indulging in its own world and lore, and despite the fact that I'm not even gay. For those of you who haven't watched it yet... Life is too short to be making bad decisions. Go. Now.

[@tessy4018]

Aaaah how lovely, I really love your videos, thank you!!

[@fandommusings5302]

Thank you so much!

[@CeriseApple]

Thank you for this video! It was really insightful in deciphering what Utena is all about.

[@WhammyReviews]

Sadly I can offer very little on explaining Utena as I haven't watched it (probably really should), but if you like those Utena and Steven Universe comparisons optimistic Duelist has a series of videos exploring Utena's themes and symbolism and it's influence on Steven Universe.

[@theMoporter]

It's odd you didn't mention Penguindrum considering he's only directed 4 entire things in his career The subtitles are borked, btw

[@anonymoushuman3277]

Holy shit this video is how I find out that Sarazanmai and Utena were written by the same guy😭 that actually explains so much

[@autdroid6078]

This video gained you a subscriber, I am absolutely insane over this show. Dunno if you already knew this and just didn't mention it in the video but a while ago I thought about the dual meaning of Revolution and how Utena embodies the actual revolution in which the status quo is upset and Akio represents revolution as a cycle, to literally revolve (what with all the imagery around the planetarium and orbiting planets and also his car and the wheels spin around and oh god i sound like a crazy person every time i talk about this show but I swear there's something here). Also, been thinking about a quote I saw somewhere attributed to Ikuhara which goes something like "when you reject society you are in turn rejected by society" which like... yeah. And then considering how there's an abrupt cut after Anthy leaves the Ohtori Academy in the show and in the movie there's the whole barren wasteland thing which makes sense if you read Ohtori Academy as a metaphor for society (more specifically patriarchy) so once you escape Ohtori/Society there isn't really anything outside... Nothing that Ikuhara could have drawn at least...

[@innegativeion]

Swords represent one's heart or soul (this is why Akio breaking Utena's sword against the Rose Gate causes her pain). This is also why Anthy has the sword of Dios (the unattainable idealized godlike form of The Prince), she is host to its power. And for that same reason she is the scapegoat who must bear the swords of human hatred which represent souls of those who feel unfulfilled by the promise of The Prince. The Prince's world-saving perfect masculinity was always unattainable and destined to be corrupted by human hatred, which is why he gets sick in the Anthy/Dios flashback, and why Anthy chooses to bear that hatred in his place. She continues to bear that hatred, however, because Akio is a manipulative dick and convinced her that this is the only way.

[@alexanderthemagnifcent2573]

This show got me into anime

[@fandommusings5302]

That is an INCREDIBLE show to go into without any previous anime experience. lol.

[@alexanderthemagnifcent2573]

Fandom Musings well my dad worked on the dud so the dvd was In my house

[@evelynreichman2709]

I love how you can have a couple of different readings of this show, like, simultaneously. and they all make sense together. because this is a show about patriarchy, but this is also a show about adolescence and how systems would butcher kids' growing-up process for their own profit and make them believe that they cannot 'break the eggs shell' without a certain ritual (akio manipulates the student council members into believing that they can revolutionize the world ONLY if they follow his ritual and fight for the rose bride, and ironically they recite the 'breaking the world' bit every time they meet up, because they are so caught up in the fake system akio trapped them in to realize that the actual message of the things they are saying is rebellious and anti-authoritarian). and also this is a show about the cycle of abuse. and about the rejection of a childish mindset for a more mature view of the world (the prince is dead, the fairytale is a projection and an unrealistic expectation, a false memory). and all of those different readings coexist on the same levels, all of the metaphors work for all of them and you cannot just decide on ONE specific theme the show tackles as the main theme of the show. it's a work of art that utilizes every resource it had to sew together layers and layers of meaning, so at the end they didn't even had to have coherent plot points, just a culmination of all of the different symbols they established until that moment...

[@adashofpepper9219]

OK, so what is up with the castle? The Castle is Akios promise of eternity. It's the goal he dangles in front of all the duelists to keep them in the game, Because they're all after something eternal. Of course, it's fake, it's all just a protection from his tower, and in order to grow up you have to realize you can't go back to your sunlit garden or whatever, you can't keep chasing the illusion of eternity, you have to move on. That's my take at least.

[@AggiePlz]

START: 3:30 You’re Welcome

[@pillbobaggins2766]

i'd like to see you go over the symbolism in RWBY. so many people on youtube just react to the show without actually discussing the symbolism, anything deeper seems to be limited to tumblr users such as onewomancitadel and aspiringwarriorlibrarian.

[@chibiTune]

This is so weird to me. I never watched the show, because I thought it'd be, like, just an animated version of the manga, but with more filler... But it seems like it strays pretty far from its origin. The Utena manga was my very first manga and while it's been many years since I've read it, it really seems to be so different.

[@moonp123]

chibiTune Utena wasn’t actually based on the manga. The manga and anime released concurrently, the manga was it’s own separate interpretation of the events.

[@markuscriticus8278]

I can't believe you haven't seen it before! I would think it'S tailor made for you. It's one of my favorite shows of all time .

[@nicobane]

The nanami laying an egg ep was just ikuhara wanting to make an ultra q reference at the end. the rest was just set--up.

[@emmad.8815]

i just finished this show this morning and now i feel crazy

[@idioticflannel2849]

some good recent utena content thank you

[@blackdragon796]

2:46 when steven first took out the sword from the lion's head

[@Ottolineification]

it is really hard to both listen and read a text on the screen at the same time... maybe if you wanna write a text - say it also out loud? i have to stop like every two seconds

[@gwenythice7230]

Rosie is back!!

[@tenny810]

I think there’s some elements of colts in the show

[@alexdoesthings2875]

I tried watching the show a while back and could not get through more than a few episodes because the reused animation just got to be very draining. I know that's a product of time and budgeting and it's probably important for symbolism and story stuff but I just couldn't do it.

[@juniperjuniperjuniper]

coward

[@twistysunshine]

Okay I'll watch it finally! I keep putting it off, but I really shouldn't anymore haha

[@ExelArts]

I think the person that created this was on crack. The dance during the movie was amazing

[@ChambersShow]

Dude I love symbolism and shit, this sounds awesome, where can I watch it?

[@screamsintotheabyss8975]

You can actually watch it on KZbin! Both subbed and dubbed

[@karaspangenberg1435]

I watched this for the first time in 2020 as well. It had been on my watch list forever but I decided to take the plunge while I was rewatching Princess Tutu and was told that Utena was a huge influence on the show (it definitely was). I would say I liked it overall since I watched everything over 4 days but I can’t see myself coming back to it. I was lost the entire time, not really understanding everyone’s motivations or even the “plot” in general as the end didn’t clarify anything. I know there are many interpretations based on the themes and symbolism in the show, like the ones that really stood out to me were the perversion of love (romantic, friendships, siblings, etc), memories, identity, adolescence and seeing people as you desire rather than as they are. While that’s interesting to think about, I didn’t have one plot or character that was a real spark for me. Like, nothing that draws me in to the point where I don’t want to get out of the story. But I am glad that I finally saw it.

[@RadiantBleu]

Thank you

[@harkonen1000000]

I found that the ending makes a lot more sense if you think of Anthy as a Vorlon. I'm sure this comment will make no sense whatsoever...

[@mahavishnustravinskij]

Lovelovelove!!! 💗

[@dontburstmybubble686]

2:06, I have not watched the whole video yet (or the show actually because I stopped watching when I got to episode 30 because my friend warned me and .... no) but you are lying when you say "it picks up at the black rose arc." I literally fell asleep at episode 15, picked up at episode 18 and went on just fine. IMO episodes 1-12 are still good just in a different way then the rest of the series.

[@japansies7460]

Loved the show so much, I feel like you hit the nail on the head with your analysis.

[@fafal9836]

I bet u had same torrent as me

[@rebbecawitt581]

Peak fiction

[@lilacspring2556]

the writing on the screen is so distracting.. but enjoyed it

[@IRINE7]

Why are the two siblings Indians?

[@michaelknowles2520]

why is akio black like the bad guy

[@justwilliam3090]

how old r u

[@matyldaszpila1446]

Really wanted to enjoy this video but I feel like you haven't even tried to understand anything about it. "It doesn't matter"? Yes it does??? You repeat how "omg it's so weird" about every second sentence, even about stuff that is not so hard to figure out if you give it a second thought. About stuff the creator explains if you bother to look for it. Utena is a challenging show but you are unfortunately not up to the challenge.

[@McGeeMcGeeMcGee-g7w]

Thank for giving me SOMTHING to like about this show. Maybe id enjoy the movie, but the whole anime, it nonsense lukewarm symbolism and weirdness is so not worth it for the ending. As a huge magical girl fan i wanted/needed to like this so much, but ugh its just so bad desipte the few things it does well :(

[@McGeeMcGeeMcGee-g7w]

the only thing i actively miss on the daily is the music. hot damn even the song that when you first hear climbing the stairs is the biggest ear worm

[@fandommusings5302]

If the symbolism of the show bothered you, the movie will not be better. It's a lot gayer....it's also a LOT more difficult to follow the plot.

[@McGeeMcGeeMcGee-g7w]

@@fandommusings5302 My hope would be that in a shorter dose maybe ill be able to enjoy it all. i do love me gayer and now since i know what im getting into my expectations won't be so high?

[@samiraperi467]

Oh, the cowbell. Every show needs a bit more cowbell.

[@matchamonchhichi]

symbolism and stuff what are y'all talking about i am simple girl i see lesbians and watch

[@antihero9443]

Wow! you used this masterpiece to justify your hatred towards males.

[@juniperjuniperjuniper]

you'd have a heart attack if you actually saw a misandrist

[@langustajableczna]

Where did she say anything about hating men? Timestamps welcome

[@antihero9443]

@@langustajableczna Isn’t that what this woke BS is all about? Utena is not about wokeness. Wokeness-ish stuff is just used as an example or a metaphor. In the conclusion, she talks about the dismantle of patriarchy, which is exactly what happened but that is not the main theme. If the world is woke, and if few people consider it toxic, they will become Utenas who will fight against it.

[@langustajableczna]

@@antihero9443 what is woke? You have to be more specific buddy. Again, provide the timestamps. Sorry one anime from the 90's doesn't cater to you I guess?

[@antihero9443]

@@langustajableczna Bro I own the whole DVD collection including the movie version. If you want timestamps watch the conclusion. Time stamps are just partial. Sorry if you don't know what woke is then I have nothing to say.

[@sofiavera6276]

This girl: SHoJo KaukuMEI UTEna iS N0nSensE Me: Dislike and byee

[@syreetadukes4428]

You should check out the other three animes by the director!

[@Arlecchinoiloveyou]

Where can I watch this?