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| THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE. ---------------------------------------- After 39 eps I still don't know what this was all about.. 3/10 Sent with Mal Updater |
| Amazing, not what I was expecting but it was still amazing. |
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| Meh, nothing great. :-| It still leaves the confusion, nothing was explained clearly. I liked the part where Anthy leaves Akio there like an idiot and goes looking for her "prince", though. |
 watching, waiting, commiserating |
| All I wanted through this whole anime is for Anthy to NOT be the bad guy, and I'm glad that she wasn't. I feel sorry for the remainder of the characters, but they seem to be continuing with their lives and that's a good thing. I'm very glad Anthy went to look for Utena. This whole series in general was amazing and the ending was the complete opposite of cliche. maarika said: Best ending I've ever seen. If you feel confused about it then you'd probably need to watch it again. I didn't get it at all when I first saw it but after watching it several times over and reading about what everything means (there's A LOT of symbolism), it all made sense. It certainly was worth delving into all the info and discussions about it. It's beautiful and touching, and I've never seen anything quite like this. Also, to answer the above question, no, Utena did not die. The central theme of the series is that of childhood and adolescence,and the perception of reality/illusions. Utena's desperate attempt to save Anthy and still failing at the end made her realise that she couldn't become a prince. But it wasn't because she didn't qualify but because she realised that she was pursuing and illusion. Princes and princesses are nothing more than fairy tales. Anthy, coming to the same realisation was able to walk away (she could have left any time if only she had realised). Coffins are an existential motif in this series (here's my semi-philosophical take on it). They don't mean death but rather non-existence. You see Utena as a kid in the coffin because she didn't want to continue living. Or, to put it into more philosophical terms, she had no reason or motive for her existence because she realised everyone would die anyway. The reason you see Anthy in the coffin (and that's where she's been all along) is because she could not see past the life she had been living (as the Rose Bride) up to that point. Utena's efforts to open the coffin is where Anthy realises that she's just a person like any other, and that she CAN do something to change her life. The reason Utena was not able to save her was because no one else can choose how someone lives their life (or if they can make such a choice, then it probably won't have positive results). Hopefully that clears some things up. I'm really glad you wrote this up. It makes a lot of sense. |
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| The build-up through the last 10 episodes or so was amazing. I really appreciate how touching and refreshing the ending was as well. It's a shame series don't seem to do stuff like this anymore. |
Kokihatu said: It's a shame series don't seem to do stuff like this anymore. I agree you with so much. |
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| The last 10 or so episodes were great and from the rich symbolism to the surrealist absurdity that dominated this series backgrounds I can respect and appreciate its artistic value, but the fact still remains that other than those 10 or so final episodes, the end of the kurobara arc, Ruka's episode and the 3 Nanami episodes there were about 20 episodes or so that were a REAL chore for me to get through... honestly if I hadn't heard so many times that it gets better after a point I would have dropped the series before episode 10. I don't care if those episodes were needed to develop the characters or whatever else, they were still boring/not enjoyable to me and thats what counts. Probably a 5 for me. |
Alas86Oct 8, 2009 1:15 AM
Kokihatu said: Quoted for truth.The build-up through the last 10 episodes or so was amazing. I really appreciate how touching and refreshing the ending was as well. It's a shame series don't seem to do stuff like this anymore. 10/10, it was a beautiful show and I am glad I decided to watch it. @Kotori: maybe if you stopped watching so much dumbing down ecchi, you might get something someday. @maarika: that's a nice pic, I wonder how the ending of the movie will be. |
| The ending of Utena left me wondering what had happened to Utena. It kind of left some things unclear for me as well. What happened to Dios? Did Anthy ever find her? Why would everyone forget about Utena at the end? Did they forget about Anthy too? That's one that I need to rewatch for sure! @Maarika: that's an awesome picture! That would be wonderful if that did happen! @werr-y: I've seen the movie. Not going to give away anything. |
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| I'm kinda torn on this series. On the one hand it was very thought provoking on the other it doesn't have that many instantly gratifying moments that leave me satisfied. The characters could have been developed better and the series could have broken the structure of it's arcs more often and paced itself better. But despite all the technical and structure missteps, I gotta say it made me laugh (oh lord that egg episode was hilarious), cry, and I never once wanted to stop watching it. I'm still thinking about it in my day to day life after it's over, so it probably did something right. |
| Absolutely brilliant. I love how people mark it down simply because they didn't understand it LAWL. The most emotional moment of the series for me was simply the last line before the ending credits where Anthy finally says 'Utena' (no honorifics) It made my heart almost leap out of my chest. 10/10, I shall definitely be buying the remastered series in 2011 <3 |
| 頭脳は子供、見た目は大人！ ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ |
| 1/5. Everything was set for a happy ending - Utena grabs Hinemiya's hand, and everyone lives happily ever after, in a fulfilling and amazing climax. Then Utena gets impaled by thousands of swords and dies by Diabolus Ex Machina. I absolutely detest such endings - if you're going to have an unhappy ending, at least put some effort into it instead of just having some cosmic force come in and ruin everything. I was planning on buying the DVDs in 2011, but after this ending, there is not a chance in the world of that. |
 [url]http://myanimelist.net/clubs.php?cid=27405[/url] |
| /\ Lolwut, but it IS (somewhat) a happy ending. Uthena saved Anthy from Akio's control, she just made the revolution. |
ExquisiteDefect said: maarika said: Best ending I've ever seen. If you feel confused about it then you'd probably need to watch it again. I didn't get it at all when I first saw it but after watching it several times over and reading about what everything means (there's A LOT of symbolism), it all made sense. It certainly was worth delving into all the info and discussions about it. It's beautiful and touching, and I've never seen anything quite like this. Also, to answer the above question, no, Utena did not die. The central theme of the series is that of childhood and adolescence,and the perception of reality/illusions. Utena's desperate attempt to save Anthy and still failing at the end made her realise that she couldn't become a prince. But it wasn't because she didn't qualify but because she realised that she was pursuing and illusion. Princes and princesses are nothing more than fairy tales. Anthy, coming to the same realisation was able to walk away (she could have left any time if only she had realised). Coffins are an existential motif in this series (here's my semi-philosophical take on it). They don't mean death but rather non-existence. You see Utena as a kid in the coffin because she didn't want to continue living. Or, to put it into more philosophical terms, she had no reason or motive for her existence because she realised everyone would die anyway. The reason you see Anthy in the coffin (and that's where she's been all along) is because she could not see past the life she had been living (as the Rose Bride) up to that point. Utena's efforts to open the coffin is where Anthy realises that she's just a person like any other, and that she CAN do something to change her life. The reason Utena was not able to save her was because no one else can choose how someone lives their life (or if they can make such a choice, then it probably won't have positive results). Hopefully that clears some things up. I'm really glad you wrote this up. It makes a lot of sense. I disagree. This anime make no sense whatsoever. Despite that it's still solid entertainment. |
 "I always take life with a grain of salt, ...plus a slice of lemon, ...and a shot of tequila." |
Hethran said: Then Utena gets impaled by thousands of swords and dies by Diabolus Ex Machina. She doesn't die, as maarika she was simply being woken up for the illusion she has been living. Great series and an amazing ending. I feel as if there were more things in the beginning and the middle of the series that had a importance that I missed. Definitely going to need to re-watch it at some point. 10/10 |
| I love how all things fall into the place in these last eps - and you possibly cannot spot it at once cause first time you are too focused on the story itself. Then you take your time to rewatch and... all conversation, weird habits and such finds closure in the final scene. @maarika, thanks for verbalizing my thoughts - it was really helpful to dig deeper. And I have this feeling that Anthy may actually know where Utena is - physically. She has to find her mentally, as Utena found her in this coffin. Cause this kind of painful discovery, this kind of painful growing-up may make you want to crawl in some dark place. And now it is Anthy's turn to free her and give her back this childlike joy. |
| Definitely one of the best anime I've ever seen. I mean, sure, it wasn't perfect as it had repeating animation and kind of got repetitive at times.....but it was incredibly thought provoking, the Utena and Anthy relationship was positively charming, the directing was fantastic, the music was wonderful, and that had to be one of the most powerful endings I've ever seen. Right up their with the likes of Gunbuster, Cowboy Bebop, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, and End of Evangelion, in terms of favorite endings. I kind of think of "leaving the school" as a mark of maturity..of "coming of age" if you will. I forgot her name , but in the Black Rose arc their was that one woman who graduated..and was much old than the others. My thinking is that Utena came to terms with her self and thus graduating, with Anthy soon following. |
| "Yes, I have been deprived of emotion. But not completely. Whoever did it, botched the job." - Geralt of Rivia |
| that was really beautiful. i wish all anime could be as meaningful as this. an anime hasn't made me feel this way in a long time. utena and anthy were really amazing characters and the student council was the best student council ive ever seen in an anime haha. i loved having an anime that had symbolism this profound but didnt leave me with a sour mind fucked kind of feeling (the kind where im like - yea this writer was on crack *cough madoka cough*) i loved the retro feel of the anime and the music was AMAZING! 10/10 - this is the first ten ive given in a very long time. im glad penguindrum inspired me to watch this :) ikuhara is awesome! |
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| The best part about this series was that build up song lol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBMBbf6mLJs LOL I missed it in the last episode, im like where is my awesome build up moment? |
| How to Watch Naruto Without Filler (Complete): http://bit.ly/LncQif How to Watch Bleach Without Filler (Complete): http://bit.ly/y0UQTO |
| 10/10 Wow! Great anime. Not the ending I expected or theorised about, and this is good. Everything in Utena is a metaphor for something. The school life represents childhood, once you become an independent adult, you must get out of it and live your life. The revolution means to obtain independence and break the shell of childhood and innocence. Akio represented the male power that subjugates women, making them live as rose brides. Utena broke his vision by acting with strenght, trying to show that even a woman can live as a prince. And she lived as a prince to show Anthy that she must be strong and go live her life by herself, she doesn't need her brother as she believed. Her brother created that world for Anthy, trying to keep her in his eternal dependence, and both lived that childish sick incestuous fixation. But Utena showed her that an alternative is possible. |
| 0_0 what the hell happened? Okay, I honestly cannot see why people love this series so much. There were so much vague imagery, and the last 10 episodes were confusing as hell. The only good things about this series was the fact that it provided some good psycho analysis on every character (major and minor). 6/10 (I'm probably going to get impaled by a million "you just don't get it" swords. lol ) |
DaitomodachiAug 14, 2011 2:30 PM
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| about the ending, i believe Utena did not die (notice no one dies except Ruka) she simply stop wanting to be a prince and left the school after saving/freeing Anthy she still has a date with Anthy in 10 years time, i am sure they are meant to be reunited :) also i feel the ending indicated everyone else moved on, except Akio a bit confusing till the end, but i guess that is the purpose of this show, for us to find out ourselves the meanings (i dont mind a rewatch), i like the way they are presented in terms of entertaintment, this is one of the best series, and overall it had became one of my favs all time |
| Very very original series that's for sure. I'm going to watch it again at some point because I obviously missed a lot of points. The final chapter is extremely moving and Utena is a great character. |
| "Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov |
| ...So, wait... is Utena dead or not? I'M SO CONFUSED ;__; |
| Quite the splendid anime. I didn't expect such a sweetbitter ending to the anime, but I am happy for the supporting characters that have gone on with their lives. I have to say that I enjoyed the episodes filled with comedy a lot more, but the retraction back to the plot was always a great thing. ... I watched this because of Star Driver. |
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| Wow, that was extremely beautiful. I don't understand why people think Utena died. She obviously didn't. Watch the episode again. Anyhow, the symbolism was a lot to take in and every moment was beautiful. I really loved this anime. It pushed a lot of sexual boundaries which is something I really loved. There were a few pointless episodes that I really hated because they distracted from the main story line but all in all a wonderful series. |
| <!--link--><a href="http://myanimelist.net/animelist/angelfire892&sclick=1"> Being sane is over rated :) |
| Wow, very great ending. There is a lot to take in here and a ton of symbolism, but I think that's one of the things that make this series so great. I'm too tired now, but maybe later on I'll add what I think this series was trying to say and what this ending meant in this discussion. If not a 10/10 then very close for me, despite a few noticeable problems. |
| heh... decided to watch this after finishing Mawaru Penguindrum... tbh i got pretty bored because in the beginning and middle it was so repetitive with the duels, totally reminded me of star driver.. near the end it got way more interesting.. but couldn't bring myself to enjoy it as much as others just because of my preferences.. nonetheless, this was a good anime, but personally not my type to watch.. especially with the main protagonist being too easy in being woo'd. the last episode i guess has to be the best for me.. especially the last few seconds where Anthy decides to search for Utena.. |
tag©.androgynous  |
| So in the end it was all about revolutionalizing individual worldviews. Akio's world is one where one bride has to bear the burden of never being fulfilled if everyone else is, or being hated by everyone if she is. The problem was that he can't access the power when it's only something he doesn't really want. Utena's belief you can just be what you want and try to save your friends was not possible as a world revolution so it didn't happen although everyone wanted it (Anthy and Utena). For Akio it was probably a shock because she was able to take it far enough to convince Anthy, but in the end it didn't work like he expected. It's pretty well written anime but kind of boring and not suble enough for me. 7/10 |
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| Cool ending!!!! but what makes me curious is, when Anthy told Akio, "Its ok, keep pretending to be a prince in your coffin" (something like that), what is that mean??? is it implying that Akio will be trapped forever in his own world? and what about all the student in school? will they ever graduate from school or will they trapped in the endless life in school? And when Akio said that everyone forgot about Utena? is that true? did everyone including people close to her like Wakaba, Mickey, Touga, etc, eventually forgot who Utena is?? If that's true, that would be really sad... :( |
| It was an enjoyable ending, although I probably didn't get all the nuances. Somewhat confusing owing to the fact they mixed up illusions and reality and in the end I'm not really sure why or where Utena disappeared. Maybe I'll read up on it and watch the movie. The last ten episodes were great and the Nanami episodes too, but I feel the early part of the series had way too much repetition, particularly the fights. And I didn't like the way they kept introducing new characters only so that Utena could have a new opponent. The black rose arc was kind of silly, even as dark as it was. This anime explored many issues in original ways and had some very nice quirky humour (I assume Akio's photoshoot etc. were meant to be humorous) and for that I have to respect it, but because of the slow and repetitive beginning I don't think more than 7/10 is appropriate. |
| i like how they changed the name of this show to its japanese title. it reminded me that i need to rewatch this series. i hate it when people call this show nonsense and that people are overly looking into it/creating meaning when it doesnt exist. utena is genius story telling and animation. i hate when i hear that elfen lied is really deep because of its lessons about humanity and tolerance. there were so many better ways to make a show with profound hidden meaning. utena is deeper than elfen lied will ever be. just wanted to get that off my chest. |
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| Damn, the symbolism overall was absolutely crazy in this series and although some parts of it were ridiculously repetitive (and sometimes that bored me to death) I can't say I disliked the series at all. I loved it. Very nice ending. Ah, and just a comment, I always respect people's opinions at all times, but I have to say that the OP of this thread is pretty dumb for taking so much time in watching the whole series and not even trying to understand, hehe lol. |
| Yeah, well whatever. Screw this... Won't rate, since I'm blaming myself for not getting this (okay the show is to blame as well, but that doesn't automatically make it bad). Ending felt like a complete waste. After sitting through 38 episodes I expected...something. It's probably kinda like Evangelion. Felt totally screwed after watching it the first time, since I didn't get it. Then read A LOT about it and watched it again (and again, and again...) and then it made more sense and I thought it was really epic. The only problem with Utena is...I don't feel like doing all of this for this show. It just doesn't interest me enough. meh... On a side note I really enjoyed the Black Rose Arc and thought it had an awesome twist ending. Makes the fact that it was ultimately pretty much pointless even more outrageous... Edit: okay after calming down from the disappointing finale and having ten minutes to reflect on the show, it wasn't THAT complicated in the end. The basic premise of the prince and sister is actually quite simple. I think I got that. The problems I had with this show: - "Deep symbolism" is all nice and well but it was just over the top. It's fun to analyze scenes and think about a hidden meaning every now and then but this was just a bit too much (and too bizarre at times). Tone it down a bit, will you? - It was quite repetitive and therefore a drag at times. 2-3 episodes less per arc would've probably done the trick. The way it was, there were so many scenes that just didn't do much (expect indulging in symbolism, see above) and felt like padding to me. Others may not see it like this though. - The ending just pissed me off. I'm still not sure what happened, although that isn't what made me dislike it. It just wasn't satisfying gor some reason. And that's about the worst thing you can say about an ending. Although my view on this might change when (if) I see it again and read some interpretations (like with the Eva example) - I HATED Himemiya's GUTS. I can't put my finger on what it was specifically but she just annoyed me to no end. I cheered whenever she got bitch-slapped in the beginning of the show. There wasn't enough of that later on... All in all it was a good show. Entertaining for the most part (despite what I said about it being repetitive), great soundtrack and ultimately an intriguing plot (although they took their sweet time to get to the point and 39 eps just seemed a bit much). Still not sure how to rate it. After ep 38 I would've given it an 8, but that ending really wasn't all that good... |
grandy_UiDJun 23, 2012 12:14 PM
| It's been three months now since I finished this and I have to say this series has stayed with me like very few anime do. Sure there was a lot of repetition but that too contributed somehow to the surreal dreamlike feeling. In most cases the more time goes on the less I remember about the series, but there was just something about this that sticks. It makes me think of Tenshi ni Narumon which is a show I didn't expect to like from the way it looked, but I can still remember it well after 12 years or so. |
| Well! This show. It definitely addresses some interesting themes. I can't bring myself to give it a 9 or 10 right now since I had a lot of problems with the layout of the story, but I will give it an 8 for now, and maybe change my mind later. Some thoughts: I thought the relationship and contrast between Utena and Anthy was very interesting, especially Anthy. At first she seems like she might just be a shy, naive and spineless girl who doesn't know any better than to live in the situation she does, but in a way she could also stand for a certain kind of adult womanhood that is more representative of 'traditional' womanhood. She knows the negative aspects of her situation (being completely controlled by others, used for sex, etc) but simply accepts them because maybe she thinks trying to change them would be worse than simply living her life without conflict. Utena, however, represents a more youthful point of view where she thinks she can change anything if she tries hard enough. In my opinion neither of these points of view are really all that great in reality, and that is probably the point. I found Akio interesting as well. The main problem I had with him was that Utena's 'love' for him seemed to come out of nowhere. It would have been different if she really believed he was her prince from the beginning, but that didn't seem to be the case...it was as if she just decided to love him within the span of one episode. But whatever. I liked the idea that he had once been a prince and had grown up to become something decidedly not princely, though I felt like the show didn't really tell us why. Actually, in a lot of cases I felt the writers were trying to say that people tend to become more cold-hearted as they mature which...I don't agree with. Actually I think adults tend to have a lot more empathy and compassion than children since they have had more time to learn that things are not black and white and you can't expect everyone to behave the way you want. But I suppose a lot of people hold childhood up as this sort of nostalgic period of time where people are "good" and "noble". Eh...maybe it is true for some people. I think the Japanese tend to idolize youth (especially childhood) a bit too much. Anyway, fascinating show on the whole. |
| I can't help but feel something terrible happened to Utena, but it didn't feel to have a sad air in it so maybe she is alive somewhere. |
| Some episodes were way too repetitive and the fillers were never funny in the first place. Recaps were unnecessary. At some point, it became a drag for me to go through one episode without pausing it and doing something else. 6/10 because the "TRUTH" was awesome. I pretty much had no idea what was going on after Black Rose arc |
| Even when I was in crowd, I was always alone |
| I watched the last episode almost an hour ago, and my mind is still reeling. I hate the feeling I get after finishing a series, but that ending floored me. I can honestly say that I loved this series. Even the filler episodes were entertaining - totally worth the time it took to watch. I get the feeling that the school is all in Akio's head. It's his world and since he's moved on and pretty much forgotten Utena, everyone else has as well. Still, it broke my heart to see that Wakaba had nearly forgotten her. I wonder if Akio even knows what the revolution is. He didn't seem to understand, even as Anthy (subtly) explained it to him. I don't think Utena died, either - she managed to break free of Akio's world. She matured, and therefore had no place in that world where no one ages or grows up. |
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