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| AHHHH I love it, I saw this episode four days ago and I can't stop thinking about it. For my money Utena easily stands as one of the all time greats. Surreal, exciting and thought provoking it's one of those series that shows the height of what anime as a medium can be. Not all of the thirty nine episodes are essential to the overall effect (it'd be a little crazy to expect that), but after watching so much of it the whole picture is staggering. Looking at my list I think I throw 10s around too easily. But this is one I feel no qualms about saying 10/10, should be essential viewing for anime fans at least once. If the penultimate episode is the blackest night of the series with it's wrenching final showdown, this is the even more brutal morning after. Countless shots stick with me from Himemiya being impaled, as Utena in a voice I can't get out of my head desperately calls out her name. Utena's reddened and bruised fingers, as she pries open the door to the rose gate. The previous episodes preview mocked the idea of sheer will eventually winning the day in the conclusion of animes. But it happens here, and it feels oh so earned. And oh god the music in this episode, especially the impaling scene is the best the shows magnificent OST has to offer. The scene I can't forget the most though is Utena and Himemiya's final/first real scene together. This is a love story I'll never forget, after standing by her for so long Utena gets a precious few seconds with the real Himemiya freed of her brothers influence before it all comes crashing down. It's just too cruel. We get some final scenes with all of the characters you could ask for. More than I expected (though still not much). The student council holding a vigil into the morning is a great ending for them. I also liked Wakaba coming by, it added to the effective flash forward where everyone's forgotten Utena. That was soul crushing. It's not even that sad with the hopefulness of the final scene, but Utena was a great protagonist one I wanted to see triumphant and happy and that all the people she's fought for and against don't remember her it just feels so empty and melancholy. I'm glad they were all happy though, Miki taking Mitsuru under his wing, and Wakaba's new friend treating her like she did Utena made it a little less depressing. Even the army of Nanami admirers continue on. This such a harrowing finale, Utena is in such dire straits the entire time and apparently being brutally sacrificed at the climax. So the final scene while being relatively small, feels excitingly triumphant. Anthy hair down, dressed how she wants, walking out Akio's door forever is enough to make the heart swell. And my hair was on end during the scat remix of the OP over the closing credits. I believe she and Utena are reunited, but even if Utena did die alone in that tower it'd be worth it for that genuine smile. Utena is a marvelous series, the like of which we rarely see anymore. It's definitely entered highly into my list of favorites and recommendations. It's subversiveness, audacity and real emotional weight amid bona fide surrealism add up to a compelling whole. Nothing to do now but watch the movie. I can't believe it's over, I got the feels man, I'm really going to miss it. |
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| Utena did save Anthy in the end. That was the revolution. Both Anthy and Utena escaped. While the others are stuck in their 'coffins'. Excellent ending. Very meta. Though you could have chopped 10 or so eps to tighten things up a bit. |
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| While I'm sure I've missed a bunch of the symbolism throughout the series (sometimes I was sure that what was onscreen was an allegory, but.... to what?), I'm pretty sure that the whole psychological side I got entirely, including what was given through allegories. And yes, it was awesome. Utena opening the coffin, and later Anthy basically giving her brother the middle finger and leaving in search for Utena was a conclusion that you can get. However, I think my problem with the show is the actual plot, you know, with all its supernatural and stuff. I can tell there are pieces missing. I've decided to read some stuff online because I was so confused about it, and yes, I see some information is given in the manga. Other information I didn't find the source, but I sure as hell didn't see it stated anywhere in the anime. Like, that Dios was a god that gave up his divine nature for human pleasures. I haven't seen that anywhere in the anime at all. But that'd explain why he was feeling weak inside that barn and couldn't do what people were asking for. I understood that the swords represented peoples' souls, or hearts, or minds, or resolve, or whatever, and the purpose of the duels was to shape it into the perfect prince sword, and part of that process was also the Black Rose arc, where Akio controlled Mikage to help with that. However... What was the power to revolutionize the world? I read that it was Akio's own godly power that he was trying to re-acquire. I also couldn't get that from the show at all. Also, why were Akio and Dios divided? I read that in the manga it's stated that Anthy divided them. And what did the seminar led by Mikage achieved years ago? Were they building the duel arena? What about the swords that represented the hate of the world? Did it mean the world was angry at Dios for what he did? And he instead let Anthy take the blame for it? Maybe there were some clues I didn't get in my first watch, or maybe the show never filled in those holes at all and just wants to leave the viewer confused to pretend it's OH MY GOD SO COMPLICATED. It doesn't help that most "essays" and reviews focus so much on symbolism and forget that there IS an actual story where all that is being developed on. |
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| Really intriguing anime, but I feel Mawaru Penguidrum is still Ikuhara's more polished work, since it was more compact and delivered a more compelling ending for me, personally. I probably went into Utena with some of the wrong expectations about the scale of the story and got them subverted. Nevertheless, the sheer amount of effort and some episodes truly stood out, with the conclusion to Juri's character arc as my personal favorite. The ost was also crazy (there are soooo many insert songs), and Utena's opening is so damn catchy. It's a shame that animes nowadays don't take such risks anymore. |
suikaMUSICAug 6, 2016 1:52 PM
| All I'm left with after finishing this is the thought that I've wasted far too much time on this. Cannot see any of the merits people are spouting off left, right and centre. Excessive repetition, over-the-top symbolism and pointless allegories that just come across as pretentious. Ah well. |
 It's an entirely different kind of flying, altogether! It's an entirely different kind of flying. |
| I still don't know what to think about this, to be honest. I liked it, but I'm a bit confused. I will probably watch the movie. Score: REVOLUTION/10 |
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| Wow....I seriously Im shocked about the ending. Damn I didnt have that coming. I know that I am not the only one who cried over Utena. I know it. I felt so defeated when she said "I guess I failed being your prince" A very good plot twist than your average shoujo. Holy fuck from Utenas battles to the student council to that filler arc to AKIO led up to this amazing ending. Altough I hate the fate Utena had, it was very good. I was glad to see Anthy finally leaving and AKIO being the one who called out her name. I loved the fucking metaphors in the god damn show I loved it. My favorite character is Juri omfg I just love her~ I HAD A GREAT RIDE WITH THIS ANIME I LOVE YOU UTENA <3 |
Go back to being a naked monkey, sweetie! |
| This was by all accounts a very... slow burner, and I really love that element of this series! It kept stringing me along, as even if some new realization sprang up, it quickly pulled the wool over my eyes as I begged for more clarity, leaving me no option but to keep believing in the illusion Utena was trying to aim for. I'm still somewhat lost when it comes to the structure of this series, the way we went from simple duels, to duels with purpose, till at last it became a duel of sacrifice. I definitely cried for these last few episodes, as similar to when I first saw Evangelion, I may had not truly grasped the plot, but I sure as hell felt for the characters, and I for sure felt the persistent spirit of Utena struggle forward in such an emotional way. I did not expect Utena to 'fail' like that towards the end, as I expected her to be reunited with Himemiya, but as I feared from the episode prior, I feared that Utena would switch roles with her; it's tragic! However, I'm so, SO glad that it wasn't done in vain! Himemiya needed someone that could truly understand her pain. She believed that she had to burn herself in order to keep others warm, which led to her tortured existence, and sold herself the illusion that that kind of life was acceptable when it was anything but detestable. In a way, I think I get it; the roles we take on aren't eternal as we imagine them to be. We become stubborn and refuse to change and undergo our own, personal, revolution. Utena, over time, showed Himemiya that she alone can break free from such illusionary chains, and to stop being so easily led to being abused and mistreated. On the surface, those are the dots I'm connecting here. There's a vast amount of this, however, that is not connecting, like the Black Rose Arc involving those coffins(?) being tossed into the fire, or the burning of 100 students, and how it all fits. Fuck Akio. |
 Just this once, I'll fulfill whatever your wish is. |
| i actually detested the whole show all thoughout. but i wonder why then in the end suddenly it is leaving me this sorrowful and torn. i'm thoroughly confused... -__- |
| see you, space cowperson . . . |
| powerful ending and the proper one for the series this is a masterpiece and one of the best animes i ever seen |
| That was a decent ending but i was expecting something better. The Student Council characters were great I loved every one of them. The Student Council Saga and The Black Rose Saga were quite intriguing but those repetitive battle scenes and utena winning ever single duel was kinda dull. Aside from that it was really good show. |
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| For anyone looking for a simple and plausible interpretation of this final episode, read this post. At the end of the duel, Anthy took Akio's place and took upon herself the Million Swords of Hatred so Akio could open the Rose gate and reclaim the Power of Dios with Utena's sword. He was unable to, and gave up as Utena pressed onward. Utena managed to open the Rose Gate with her bare hands, much to Akio's shock and dismay. Utena beckoned Anthy out of the coffin with her hand and managed to touch her, after which Anthy's cage dislodged and fell out of the sky. Utena believes she failed and apologizes. This is misleading. Think about it: Anthy is gone, unable to take the place of the one who would gain the power to revolutionize the world. All of the Swords of Hatred stop and turn their attention to Utena... and fall upon her as they did Anthy prior. Back at the school, as Akio renews his attempt to start the world revolution, Anthy remarks that he really doesn't know what happened. Anthy had already been freed from her eternal suffering when she fell out of the sky. It is now Akio who is in a coffin, unwilling to accept reality: Utena successfully gained the Power of Dios. And thus Anthy embarks on her journey to find Utena. |
| That was beautiful (after reading the comments). When I watched it myself, I barely grasped the concept, so I felt a little underwhelmed at the ending. I do think the anime is wonderful, I just need to watch it a few more times. That's how the anime can be best appreciated. I wonder how an anime can be pretentious by showing repetition and symbolism that talks about coming of age and other topics? By showing repetition, it can normalize scenes and does make it boring, but other times it uses repetition to point out important things that may not have been noticeable the first time around. It emphasizes their importance to the viewer, and not to the characters. I also think the studio did fairly well, considering they had low budget for this (?). Cut them some slack. Least they don't show you 30 seconds of people standing still or random shots of the city with voice overs. One of the best parts is seeing the students talk about their future. That was never discussed until Utena brought it up with Anthy. Seems like they are not stuck in the same illusion that Akio is in now. |
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| Akio 5ever alone. LOL xD |
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| Wakaba basically forgetting her was heartbreaking. I wish that moment had been changed. It would make more sense. |
| I don't like ambiguous and vague shows so this was basically the exact opposite of something I would like. I guess it's my fault for going into it without knowing anything. Oh well, at least the OST was cool. 5/10 |
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| Well, I fully understand why people call this "the shoujo Evangelion" now. I couldn't imagine being a ten-year-old boy or girl, watching this, and then TV Tokyo putting on an episode of goddamn Beast Wars afterward. (Yes, this is actually what TV Tokyo showed the evening the last episode was aired.) Reading about the symbolism in this thread has really helped me like the ending more. I thought Utena had fully sacrificed herself/died so Anthy could live, which was kind of sad/annoying. |
| "No, son, you may not have your body pillow at the dinner table!" |
| I feel like this had more potential... I got used to the duelist of the week thing, and it didn't really bother me, but the last arc was just not what I would have expected. I liked Utena before that, but her suddenly falling in love with a character that clearly embodies shadiness is just stupid. I know she was naive, but not this much :/ I don't think she would be the type to go for such a guy, especially if the said person was about to be married. Hell, even Touga would have been more understandable and he was a jerk as well. I understood most of the symbolism and whatnot, and I didn't have too much problem with the abstract things that appeared after a while, but it still feels a bit too nonsensical at times, even after reading theories and so on. The characters were sometimes enjoyable, sometimes really annoying like Anthy and Akio. I liked the whole mahou shoujo-ish transformation scenes, and the art was pretty good, but my favorite part of the anime was the soundtrack though. As stupid as most of the lyrics were, I actually liked them quite a lot, and I'll probably listen to them in the future as well. I'm kind of torn in between sometimes liking the show and disliking it. If I'd been watching it alone I probably would have dropped it, but since I was watching it with one of my best friends over the course of three separate nights, it was still enjoyable because we made countless stupid jokes about it and laughed off the often confusing bits. I'm giving it a 5/10, as I feel like the good and bad things even it out for me. |
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| This was a very interesting series. I wish it had been shorter. The design was weird in a cool way, and some of the characters are pretty interesting, like Nanami and Jury. I appreciate the risks that were taken, the thought provoking themes, symbolism and all that jazz that people love about this show. The ending kind of makes sense in a symbolic way, too, reading some of the interpretations in this thread. Also, the opening song is totally sick and the lyrics are a great match for the show's message, too. It's unfortunate that on the emotional front, the ending did nothing for me. My issue is that, while the show may make sense in a symbolic way, on the surface, I can't make sense of the narrative, especially with the last two episodes in mind. Specifically, Utena, Anthy and Akio became incomprehensible to me, outside of their symbolic roles. And that sort of prevents me from feeling, well, anything, about the conclusion. I guess, the exception is Akio; I still hate his guts. But that's about it. |
| What a way to end this show! At some point the whole "symbolism" part flew over my head and it was too vague for me to even interpreta most of it, but nonetheless it was a very unique experience. Utena finally broke free from her shell. This is definitelly one of those "series" which you rewatch many years later and still manage to discover something new about. P.S. would be better to skip the fillers when rewatching. |
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| Maybe the real revolution was inside us all along. But in all seriousness, an incredible series, one of the best I've seen. Sadly, I feel like I can only give it a 9, not because there was anything wrong with it per se, but you know, I never felt emotional about it to the extent that all the shows I've given a 10 to. There are just, I suppose, some series you connect more easily with than others, regardless of their high quality. That said, and as strange as it might sound, I think Akio/Dios has become one of my favourite characters. I mean, he's horrible, but he's also a very fascinating and well executed figure. Also, I think that the little speech Dios gave Utena about how she can't succeed was his way of trying to egg her on, or is that just my romantic side? I'd like to believe that there was something of the original Dios left at that moment. I disagree with those who say that such ideals are mere illusions. All the same, life cannot exist in the past tense, and I think that Utena herself takes everything that was ever good about the prince, and moves past the problem of dependency it implied due to it's childlike nature. But I'm probably projecting some of own values onto the show here, because I really believe that maturity is less about betraying the past, or at least what was good about it, and more abut taking them forward through a change. After all, what seems to forgotten by some is that children don't have a past, only future, and only an adult has memories of childhood. |
| I know, even after 39 episodes there are still questions left but in general I enjoyed to watch this anime, pretty hard to say what I liked in this anime, maybe a bit mysterious, surprising in certain points, interesting characters and how many themes were used on this. Not maybe "must see" anime, but I still recommend if you like a little darker and twisted series with some happy moments included. I have watched pretty amount of different anime series, and I just found this by "accident", so why not? ;) |
"A half moon, it has a dark half and a bright half, just like me…", Yuno Gasai |
| GODDAMMIT IKUHARA Mawaru Penguindrum will probably always be my #1 favorite Ikuhara work but this was a close second. 9/10 |
 Nico- said: Conversations with people pinging/quoting me to argue about some old post I wrote years ago will not be entertained@Comic_Sans oh no y arnt ppl dieing i need more ppl dieing rly gud plot avansement jus liek tokyo ghoul if erbudy dies amirite |
| I think this has become my favorite anime of all time. Not only it subverts the role of women in society without trying to rub it on your face, not only did this come out in the 90s, in freaking Japan. It also has an excellent story, a unique style, filled with symbolism and metaphores that are very subtle but fit in very well and even its filler episodes are entertaining and interesting (well, interesting if you care about Nanami anyways). I have to do more research about it, and I don't mind at all! This is a true work of art, it is complex but gets better the more you understand it. And I know many people just don't want that much work for a TV show, and that's completely fine, because complexity doesn't always equal quality. And no one (not even myself) care that much about objective quality anyways. So yeah, there are people who didn't enjoy this because they didn't understand it or who felt it wasn't for them and there are who are attracted by it like a lost brother, or sister rather. But really, in my eyes, this is what a masterpiece means. 10/10 |
| Around the gif~ "It's a big mistake to think you're the only one who can turn into a car" - Shiori Takatsuki |
| Why are there a few adults in the school (not counting Akio the phony/failed adult) if it's a metaphor for childhood? |
| Well, I guess now I gotta watch the movie |
| "No matter how much, or how often people hurt each other, loving someone is never a waste" -Nana Osaki |
| The roles reversed in the end. It was a beautiful finale and fascinating series. And while I wasn't able to fully comprehend every metaphor, I still think that I got the gist of it( also thanks to some comments here) 8/10 feel kinda empty now, but I will make sure to rewatch this at least ones in the future. |
One Piece episode 914 & 915 & 1027 were a mistake and 957 brought the salvation - FMmatron |
| This is I think the best possible ending. Anthy deciding to be a human being (again?), that was Utena's gift of revolution. When I started watching I had assumed the title was referring to Utena's 'cross-dressing' (in addition to of course referencing Oscar from Rose of Versailles), and I thought the 'revolution 'would be something along those lines, and I'm pleased the show surprised me. In retrospect, the show seems to be too long by a third (the Nemuro arc doesn't seem to serve any purpose). It's interesting to see the influence that Utena has on F/SN. |
| So, I completed Utena and... when I think about it, I liked it more than I thought I would about half-way through. It's VERY meta and full of symbolic scenes, I'm not surprised a lot of people were fed up with it. It's not for everyone, and disliking it doesn't mean you're dumb imo. It is for very specific type of audience. I wouldn't say I was 100% satisfied, I honestly think it'd make bigger impact on me if it was around ~26 episodes long, there was quite a lot filler-ish stuff you could cut out and it wouldn't change much in the main story. Despite that, I had fun watching it, even though it took me almost 3 months to complete it, lol, I really took my time with it. I had no idea where this is going for the majority of the series, but I'm pleased with how it ended. Since the first ep I thought the "revolution" would be something huge, world-changing, but it turned out to be something on a much smaller scale, but still, very important, especially for main characters. I'm glad all of them grown up so much, something changed in their lives, all thanks to Utena. Definitely one of a kind anime series, not surprised it had such influence on this medium and future authors. Visually stunning, with beautiful soundtrack and some of the best character-designs I've seen, directed by a real artist - definitely a classic anime series. Opening song is just as good as "Zankoku na Tenshi no These", why isn't it just as well known?! That's a serious sin in our fandom! 8.5/10 |
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| That was amazing. I couldn't predict the ending until the very last seconds of the show. Ikuhara-san really did a great work in enhancing an important concept about love and adolescence with beautiful symbolism, superb direction, amazing staging and breathtaking soundtrack. It's so ironic that the single adult character in the show is actually the only one who didn't grow up and continued living in his fairytale about princes, princesses, duels and all that stuff. I'll definitely go back to a lot of episodes with a fresh head now. For instance, in episode 1 Saionji told Utena that the flying castle was a mirage :-] The whole show really reminded me of Evangelion. Both series are about the characters and their development and struggles with different problems in their lives, not about the supernatural and surreal stuff. It's just a method of telling the story in a beautiful way, and is indeed a powerful weapon in the hands of a skillful director like Hideaki Anno or Kunihiko Ikuhara. |
| Well, it's not over yet. The OP will forever be stuck in my head, and I'm so very okay with that. <3 |
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| I'm not sure what it was but it was interesting... I feel like i've watched one of those surreal movies that make you feel stupid and narrow-minded,, not good enough to grasp all of it's meaning. Here are just some random commentary on random aspects of the show: Obvious minuses of the show are it's slow pace and repetition in the beginning. I still don't understand some details. What exactly happened to Akio and Anthy when they were kids (shadow play makes sense but the flashbacks made me so confused) and what are flying swords suppose to mean? Was Akio/Dios corrupted when he was a child (Dios's grave)? If cars also have symbolic meaning, what meaning then? x) So the main themes are adolescence and gender equality? All in all, interesting, not bad at all. Though it was hard for me to get through it. Oh and thank you all the people above contributing to the discussion! Without you i probably wouldn't be ale to enjoy the show as much. All your theories and analysis kept me engaged! Score: INTERESTING/10 |
_MaeMae_Jul 16, 2019 2:41 PM
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I don't think that it's a downside of the show. Repetition is very much intentional, and the slow pacing works well for building the characters and gradually showing their emotional growth. I should also point out that Kunihiko Ikuhara is a big fan of theater, which is one of the reasons that he divided his work into 4 "acts" or "sagas". Repetition makes sense if it is here for a reason, and it clearly is - the duels are essential to a person's growth. If cars also has symbolic meaning, what meaning then? x) Of course they do, as well as every other aspect of the show. Basically, they are a symbol of power and adulthood because driving a car is perceived as a passage rite into adulthood. For more details on Akio's cars and his whole arc I'd recommend reading this: http://akio.ohtori.nu/12_themachines_car.htm (and http://ohtori.nu in general, it's the largest Utena fandom on the Internet with tons of interesting material) So the main themes are adolescence and gender equality? Yes, they're among the main themes of the show. I wouldn't say much about gender equality, but defying stereotypes is a very important part of Utena. The whole "princes and princesses don't exist" message just screams about it. Was Akio/Dios corrupted when he was a child (Dios's grave)? He basically lost his dignity. Dios is viewed as part of Akio's personality that represents the prince, and when Akio lost it, he became the imperfect and manipulative person we see in the show. If you think that the show is confusing, then watch the Adolescence of Utena movie because it looks even more weird, but beautiful, and still makes sense. |
St0rmbladeJul 15, 2019 2:11 AM
St0rmblade said: I don't think that it's a downside of the show. Repetition is very much intentional, and the slow pacing works well for building the characters and gradually showing their emotional growth. Interesting. Personally, I thought the repetition and formularic episodes were supposed to have the same funcion as Sailormoon arcs structure. Now you've got me thinking. Yes i definitely want to watch the movie :) Thank you for answering! |
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| In my view it was a fine series! I'm glad Anthy decided to leave Akio, that guy was a fucked up jerk. I still can't believe Utena fell in love with him and felt betrayed by Anthy for him. But I'm glad at the end she didn't want to be her princess and instead focused on saving Anthy. I guess at the end she ended giving up being a prince too and decided to leave everything, but why though? How disappointing of her. I hope though she will be together with Anthy someday. Although she didn't reach her in that coffin, she did manage to make her see her worth, hence she left Akio and was able to break free from her end of the world. Overall it was a good series. But there were minor glitches to it that would make me ramble a lot, so I'm going to keep them short. I understood most of the symbolisms by the show, but the show could've showed us what happened to other characters lives. Like what happened after between Toudo and Nanami, they did show her with Saionji and him, but where is the proper closure. What was the point of those episodes of them if you not going to give us a proper closure? The elementary kid, what was his point? Kanae, what is her role in this or what happened to her? What was the sudden point of Toudo confessing his love for Utena? This series just made those episodes about them meaningless and a waste. This series just wasted 39 MF episodes on characters that weren't relevant. I get it they wanted to convey multiple messages to this series, but what was the point though if you are not going to shed light onto their endings in a proper way. Also I hated Utena's confliction, she made a bad character and I hate her type. 6/10 |
How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb --- Dr Strangelove  |
| i hate shows that make me feel like shit in the ending. I just wanted them to be together but we can't have nice things. Good show but it makes me unhappy at the same time |
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