Chapter Text
I thought over whether I should end this analysis with episode 39, as it was the perfect ending to the series (and trying to make sense of this movie is like trying to find intellect in an Adam Sandler movie), but the movie is practically a love letter to the people who watched the show, so I couldn’t’ help but take a stab at it.
((Also with how heavy the last two episodes were, I deserve a few thousand words of squealing about how cute Utena and Anthy are together.))
So the story begins…
The bells of Ohtori ring as Anthy and Akio are together in the chairman’s residence, then Akio disappears Anthy alone. The camera zooms out to an arena of flowers where Anthy’s silhouette bows into submission for Dios.
((I’ve tried to make sense of this movie as both a sequel and a retelling of the series, and perhaps the best way to describe it is a quasi-sequel. The series ends with Utena disappeared from the Ohtori world at large, the other duelists are still within the system, and Anthy just left Akio. The movie ends with Anthy and Utena together riding off into the sunset, the duelists leaving Ohtori, and Akio disappears entirely. Anthy was confirmed to have slight reality warping powers in the series, so the idea that Anthy, who is still dealing with the fallout of years of abuse, relapsed at some point after the series, and decided to create a world similar to that of Ohtori, where she would be able to find Utena, makes sense. This is best supported by how despite the existence of the rose bride in the world (along with the seeming obedience to Dios), the opening scene implies that Anthy is in charge of the school.))
The first scene after the credits opens in the world’s most confusing classroom, with several chalkboards moving around. The audience is introduced to the titular character, Utena Tenjou.
((And she’s actually wearing a boy’s uniform. Goodbye bootyshorts you will be (briefly) missed.))
Wakaba walks up to Utena, asking if she enjoys her first day.
Utena: Well, I’m sure I can enjoy it here with a cute girl like you around.
((Another reason this is a sequel, Utena drops all pretenses of being straight, and is happily living her queer life.))
While Wakaba gives Utena a tour of the school, the shadow girls start their radio show.
((Theatre actors often need a side hustle, they may be teenagers, but they still need to pay the bills. Also, who designed this school, how does anyone make it to their classes when the hallways constantly move, the school nurse must have a line a mile long to deal with motion sick students.))
Shadow girl one: If you’re gonna scribble mischief on your boyfriend’s back, make sure he doesn’t have swimming class the next day.
((The little brick jokes that aren’t noticed until the 5th time around really make this show.))
The two girls make it to the fencing area, where Juri and Miki are squaring off against each other.
Wakaba: It’s very popular among girls. Look, it’s the prince.
((And Juri now has long luxurious hair and her own lesbian fan club; it’s what she deserves!!))
Wakaba gives exposition about Juri and Miki, and there’s a glimpse of Juri’s locket.
((Going off on the ideas of recovery and relapse, Juri’s continued feelings for Shiori haven’t fully gone away, hence the locket, which makes sense considering those feelings made up a huge part of Juri’s life. Sometimes one needs to hit rock bottom before fully letting go of past heartbreak.))
As Wakaba gives exposition about Miki, the movie gets bored and switches focus to Touga.
((Seriously, that’s the best explanation I can give for the music drowning out Wakaba’s voice.))
Utena is distracted by Touga’s presence, disappearing before Wakaba mentions Miki’s “interfering” twin sister.
The weather takes a turn for the worst as Utena heads to the rose garden, both to shield from the rain, and to see Touga.
((As Utena runs around each corner of the hallway, Touga seemingly moves further and further away, hinting at him being deceased.))
Touga: It started to rain.
((Utena: No shit, I couldn’t tell, it’s not like it was literally in front of me.))
Touga says that it’s been some time since he last saw Utena, and starts making plans with her when…
Utena: Don’t get me wrong!...I’m not who I used to be. I didn’t come here hoping to find you. But I’m surprised that you’d be at this academy.
((Everyone’s memories are cattywhompus in this movie, so what the Utena Touga storyline in the movie is meant to parallel, from the show, is both Utena viewing Touga as her prince and the breakdown of the Touga/Nanami sibling relationship (considering Nanami is not in the movie.) The placement of the characters reflects this, as there’s an image of a pillar in between the two.))
Touga: How come you’re dressed like this?
Utena: It’s the prince. After we separated I decided- that I’ll live with high goals
Touga: (handing Utena a rose) For my high goal girl.
((One of the things I like about the movie is how, due to the time compression, there are far fewer criticisms of Utena decided to act “masculine.” While in the series, it was used as part of the theme of how gender conformity is highly ridged and socially enforced (by men and women) it would be difficult to convey to convey this theme is an already densely packed movie, so I’m glad the writers chose to focus on more important things, like lesbians turning into cars.))
Utena notices Touga’s ring, assuming he’s engaged until he says it’s the ring that led him to this school.
((Remember how in the series, Utena receiving her ring from such a young age was how she originally got wrapped up in the duels. Not so here, Utena doesn’t even know what the duelist ring looks like, and if in the original, Utena receiving the ring was so she can come back and find Anthy one day, her not having the ring means Utena has a far greater chance of staying away from Anthy. Of course fate has things planned differently, and by fate I mean roses.))
Utena watches a white rose bloom to reveal the rose ring, and amidst a sea of petals, Utena takes an elevator to the platform of roses. As Utena looks down the ledge at the rest of the school, she hears a voice asking if she’s afraid, and then turns around.
It’s Anthy.
((I’m going to rant about this now, or it’ll be on my mind for the entire movie. Why did they change Anthy’s design?! It was a beautiful design!! I know that Utena now has curly hair, but doesn’t mean that Anthy should look like she’d been put through hours of hair relaxer and bathing in “fair and lovely” cream!! I will forever question the animation teams decision on this!!!!))
Anthy: This is my rose garden. I’m the headmaster’s sister, so I get special treatment. But in reality, I’m the one captive to the roses.
((Another reason I’m in support of the “movie is a quasi-sequel” sequel theory is how Anthy is a lot more open about her dislike of being the rose bride right off the bat. Originally, Anthy needed far more time to open up to Utena about this side of her life, due to the years of torment she received as being labeled “what she deserved.” Anthy, in general, is more bold around Utena and is more comfortable expressing her feelings towards her, even if it’s expressed in a way that’s slightly unhealthy (this will be touched on later.)))
Anthy: (to Utena) What did you come to this academy to do?
((Utena (internally) you, hopefully.))
Utena: I came- (*stares in gay silence*)
Utena holds up the ring she just received, and Anthy freaks out, trying to grab the ring away from her.
Utena: It’s mine. It’s the mark of the rose.
Anthy: How do you know that name?
((One of Anthy’s biggest regrets in the series is aiding and abetting the system that kept Utena trapped in the duels, and ultimately separating the two, with Utena receiving a million stabbings as a reward for her. Here, Utena starts out being able to wear the boys uniform with no judgment, is able to just spend her days going to class being friends with Wakaba, and isn’t looked down upon for having and deciding to live with “high goals,” a statement that would have received funny looks back on the main series. If Utena goes back to being a duelist, that life would end pretty quickly.))
Saionji appears out of nowhere, and after trying to get Utena to stay away from Anthy, he notices that they has the rose ring and mocks her for not knowing they can battle for possession of Anthy.
((Saionji is a lot more handsy with Anthy than he was on the show. Part of this is the different standards involving rating tv vs movies. In the show, the implications about why a group of (mostly) men would want to battle for possession of a girl who is basically required to do whatever they want was mercifully pushed to the side (dear god we’ve had enough squick involving just Akio there was no need to dwell on that shit), as they were more concerned with what possession of the rose bride represented, rather than what they would do with her specifically. Due to the higher rating of the movie, these implications are loud and clear, with Saionji’s (abusive) puppy love being replaced with something even more “physical” than that.))
Utena, seeing how miserable Anthy is, and remembering Touga is also a duelist, challenges Saionji to a duel.
Anthy places the rose to Utena’s chest saying the rules of the game, unfortunately Utena is baffled by the idea that dueling someone would require a sword.
Anthy: Do you really know anything about the rose ring? This is your chance to take it off.
((Anthy’s offering Utena a way out, a way out to forget the duels and live the life she’s always wanted, of course brave, stubborn Utena won’t go for that, she’s seen Anthy in need, there’s no way she’d leave her alone with her pain.))
Utena: I have a sword. (*picks up broom*)
((Oh, Utena you delightful brick, she would fight Saionji with a spoon if she could.))
Anthy tries stepping in to stop the duel, but Saionji slaps her to get her out of the way allowing the duel to start.
((Unfortunately I won’t be able to analyze the duel songs since the version I’m watching doesn’t translate them.))
Utena rages at Saionji for treating Anthy as a prize to be won, and Anthy’s sprits gradually lift as she hears her rant about how no one wishes to be viewed as an object.
Saionji:( after wrecking her clothes) You’re a girl?
Utena: I never said I was a boy. And I’ll never lose to anyone who hits a girl.
After whacking Utena’s stick and attempting to deliver the killing blow, Anthy directly steps into the fight, pushing her out of the way, and offering a kiss to give Utena the sword she needs to defeat Saionji.
((This is the most direct way Anthy could interrupt the duel, and even if the kiss is bad timing I cheer every time. Anthy’s going to help her girl, and this time there’s no Akio to stop her, and the best part of all is the framing of Utena getting the sword. Anthy offers it from her chest , and Utena has a choice of whether or not she’ll grab it and she deliberate chooses the sword, to protect Anthy.))
Utena then wins the duel, because, of course she does.
((I love the redesign on Utena for this transformation sequence, her short hair becomes waist length, her boy’s uniform transforms from the regular boy’s uniform to her traditional prince-esque booty short uniform. It gives off the idea that she truly becomes different once she chooses to protect Anthy.))
Later that evening, Utena’s back in her dorm room unpacking her things until Anthy shows up
((There are two things noticeable about this scene. The first is the clothes in Utena’s closet. They’re more feminine than her current style, which begs the question, did Utena decide to become princely fairly recent, or has she been considering switching to a more girlish style. This ties into the second thing noticeable, the picture of Utena and Touga together. Utena is 14, and young teenagers are at an age where they start to notice the world at large, and often start to conform to their peers, whether by choice or by peer pressure. If Utena has considered becoming more feminine, there is a chance that it was partially motivated by Touga, in the sense that around this age there’s often a push to “get attention” from boys, a double edged sword for girls who are not straight.))
Anthy walks over to the bed, and the two banter whether she should leave before Utena throws herself onto the bed with Anthy.
Utena: Silly, I’m not letting you go home.
Anthy: Of course not.
The two intimately discuss details of the rose ring, until Utena asks why everyone wants her.
Utena: What does everyone get when they win you.
Anthy: You’re so funny. Miss Utena Tenjou.
Utena: Call me Utena.
Anthy: Well, how do you do, Utena? We’ll get along. Won’t we?
((Already the two are on more intimate terms, most notably in Anthy’s original insistence in calling Utena “Utena-san” rather than “Utena-sama” the former being a more typical way of referring to someone in a respectful manner, as opposed to the “master/servant” dynamic associated with the “sama” honorific. Another is Anthy immediately just referring to her as just “Utena,” with no passive aggressive, “Of course Utena-san, I’ll start calling you Utena right away.” While it does tie into the idea of the rose bride required to do exactly what the person engaged to them wants them to do, the lack of any resistance from Anthy, to the point of outright tenderness, is noticeable in her demeanor.))
Utena: Do you always do this with the winner of the duel?
Anthy: I’m the rose bride. I obey the one I’m engaged to.
Anthy starts messing with Utena’s clothing before the latter leaps up and demands Anthy go back to her room.
((The detail of Utena reluctant to do anything physical with Anthy is great both because Utena has already flirted with Wakaba earlier, so she knows she’s interested in girls but it’s more of an idea that something she’s ready to physically act upon, a realistic detail for someone her age. The second is how Utena knows that there’s not a way to see if Anthy is genuinely interested in this, after all going along with what the other person wants is something that was trained into Anthy. The last thing Utena wants is to hurt Anty because of her desires, so in her mind, it’s best to not allow intimacy to happen.))
Anthy rummages around Utena’s closet, paying special attention to the photograph in her closet, specifically the prince and princess frame.
((Reason #4540 I love Anthy, Utena “just so happens” to push her far enough to where Anthy gets a full look at her entire closet.))
Meanwhile Touga and Shiori are chilling together
((In the movie, it’s later shown that Touga is dead, and he’s the only character Shiori regularly talks to, giving off a sense that she’s more confortable with the dead than the living. After all, a dead person gets to be whoever one wants them to be.))
Touga: The girl wears the prince’s clothes now. But she’s probably still dreaming of the castle with the prince.
Shiori: I used to have a prince. But the prince was killed. A childhood friend of mine did it. The prince liked her, so when she fell off a boat, he drowned saving her…So I will never forgive her. I’ll make her be the prince for the rest of her life.
((The girl that flashes during Shiori’s story looks like Juri, so it’s a good idea to reiterate what the price typically symbolizes in this show: sacrifice. Sacrificing oneself for something or someone noble no matter what that painful cost is. It’s a path that’s not sustainable, as constant sacrifice with no reward leads to resentment and pain. Such a path is less noble, and more punishment.))
((Also, as Shiori is telling this story, a painting is revealed to show it’s one of Anthy. Even if she’s not in the room, she still watches and waits for those who will be involved in the duels.))
The next day, the girls are cleaning the pool when Touga walks up to Utena, and the two talk about their rings
Utena: Are you also trying to win [Anthy]?
Touga: You can say that…Of course because she’s attractive.
((Even the nicer version of Touga is a creep.))
Utena tries to dissuade Touga off of Anthy on the grounds that she’ll sleep with anyone who “wins” her.
((…Yeah, that won’t work honey…))
Touga, not surprisingly, is ok with that, and evades Utena’s questions of whether or not he “won” her.
Touga motions for Anthy to come up with them, the conversation becoming more tense until things literally burst, a hose spraying over Anthy and Utena,
Anthy: Look, we’re all soaked now.
Touga: You can’t help but get wet in a pool.
((…Low hanging fruit Ikuhara.))
Back in the white room of death, Touga is chatting with Akio about the tale of Dios.
((It’s interesting how the voice actor for Akio has changed, giving the character a completely different voice. It’s especially noticeable since he’s the only character whose voice does change from show to movie, and there are no accidents in the Utena cinematic universe. I think this is meant to show how over time Anthy has purposely tried to forget Akio’s voice over however many years have passed from show to movie. So now that she does need an Akio for the world she created, it’s completely different from the real deal.))
An angry mob had stormed the castle of Anthy and Dios, demanding she return Dios to them. The mob uncovered that Anthy was a witch, but what they didn’t know was the prince never existed; he was a “lord of the flies” Anthy changed into a prince. The prince simply returned to his true form when her magic began to fade. Touga claims that even though Akio and Anthy are trying to gain their power back, he’ll ultimately be the one to get it.
((The “Lord of the flies” comment got to me because that’s also a way to describe Beelzebub, a demon from the bible. Given how Akio had been a Lucifer figure in the show, it’s meant to show that the Akio in the movie was always who he was, he simply had the appearance of a prince.))
Meanwhile, Kozue and Miki are in the tub having some sibling bonding…A.K.A. Kozue’s demanding that Miki tell her what he’s been up to.
Miki: We can’t go back to the garden where we were together. But you’ll always be precious to me.
Kozue doesn’t take too kindly to hearing this and threatens him with a sharp razor.
((I’ve talked about how this movie is about recovery, and in this case, Miki’s getting the rock bottom he needs to fully cut all ties with his sister, before she cuts him.))
That night, while Anthy walks around campus, Touga tells Shiori his tragic backstory. His biological father had sold him to One Dire…to his adoptive father, who intended to adopt Touga for…less than noble reasons..
((The father’s creepy smile, thanks, I hate it!))
Touga: I lost a lot of things
((Oh god!))
Touga: but thanks to it I could participate in this academy’s duels.
As Touga’s story goes on, it’s clear that his adopted father raped him. Of course, Shiori isn’t listening, and instead is recounting how Juri has a crush on her, something she’s disgusted by.
((This highlights both Touga’s character, and more subtly, Shiori’s. This reveal makes sense is one decides to add it to the original series, in that it adds depth to Touga’s insistence of using sex as a form of power, both in paining power over others, and using his own body to gain favor (from Akio). Sexual abuse, from a young age in general, can manifest in teenagers by acting out in ways that are highly sexual, so this is not out of left field. How it highlights Shiori’s character is that, she’s recounting Juri’s crush on her as something abhorrent, something that she finds violating by its very existence, even though Juri hasn’t tried pursuing her. This attitude is condemned as a matter of self-absorption (even without the homophobic implications with “she’s gross”) as it’s contrasted with an actual rape scene, showing a real example of violating someone’s boundaries, and ignoring the person who’s experienced that pain.))
Touga says that he plans to win the duel, but he can’t hurt Juri because “duelists have high goals.”
((In other words, he plans to get Utena to duel Juri. Also, Shiori turns into a moth during this scene, something I found interesting, as butterflies are a symbol of death and rebirth. So…Shiori takes on the form of something that seems to be beautiful and meaningful, but when looked at closer, is something that inspires revulsion.))
Later that night, Juri and Miki are in a parking garage (as you do), and as they get a glimpse of Dios, Juri senses the revolution beginning.
((I know it’s not meant to be funny, but I crack up whenever I see Dios just disappear after seeing the two. It’s like he was thinking, “oh shit! You weren’t supposed to see me…bye.”))
Juri asks why Miki is a duelist, and after some deflecting says, “I always wish to obtain more power,” as a car with the plate “Kozue” appears. When Miki asks why Juri became a duelist, she says she wants power, “to be free of everything…everything that constrains me.”
((So, they both want to be free of attachments from the people in their life, although in Miki’s case, it’s already done, as shown by the rubber duck surrounded by bathwater. That scene was meant to show that Miki has had the final say in how he wants the relationship to go, and unfortunately for her, it’s ended. As for Juri, she’s still attached to Shiori, and wishes to be free from that.))
Before Juri can change the subject Shiori appears, saying she wants to talk to Juri.
((To give credit to the voice actress for Shiori, she really makes her sound sweet and vulnerable here, almost to a creepy degree as up until this point in the movie she’s given off a smooth and sly tone in her voice.))
Shiori starts to get closer to Juri and claims that Utena, one of the other duelists, has started dressing more masculine just to get closer to Touga, something that angers Juri. This is the key for Shiori to manipulate Juri to instigate a duel with Utena. Miki notices Shiori cling around Juri’s arm like a boa constrictor.
((Shiori gets Juri to do what she wants in a matter of seconds, and she knows how easy it is to do it., she knows what buttons to push. All the while our delightfully co dependent lesbian knows that she shouldn’t accept this duel, and she does it anyway, because she doesn’t want to cut Shiori out of her life.))
Meanwhile (because this is a meanwhile movie) Anthy is on the edge of the rose garden platform, only moving once she sees Utena arrive. Utena asks if Anthy “does things” with all the duel winners and Anthy deduces that she’s talking about Touga. Utena becomes upset, and cries about how Touga was originally there for her after her parents died. Anthy gives Utena a kiss on the forehead as the latter says, “there is no prince.”
((Utena’s starting to uncover what’s real and what’s not, and this is the point where she starts to suspect that Touga’s dead, as the princely image that she has of him is not compatible with the world she lives in. This is what enables her to get closer to Anthy.))
In order to cheer up Utena, and end this conflict once and for all, Anthy grabs an axe to bust a water main open, and creates a scenario where they dance with each other.
((Relationship advice from Revolutionary Girl Utena: warning, do not try this at home it will cause extensive property damage that you will have to pay for.))
BEHOLD! LESBIAN SPACE FLOWER DANCE!!!
((In all seriousness though, everything about this scene from the gorgeous animation, the music, the reflections in the water that show Rose Bride and Duelist along with Utena and Anthy showing both their roles and the show and their true selves, to the dance itself a sweet waltz between the two where both parties lead at different times, with the biggest brightest, joyful smiles on their faces. It’s one of the franchise’s highlights, and for good reason.))
The next day, during figure drawing class, Anthy drags Utena up high to the chairman’s residence so the two can be alone.
((Seeing Anthy so blatantly call the shots of where the two are going always cracks me up.))
Once Utena starts drawing Anthy, she apologizes for attacking her the previous night, and then tells Anthy she won’t be dueling for her because she wants to get to know Anthy, by talking to each other as equals, and being around to help each other.
Utena: If you don’t mind, won’t you open up to me a little more? I want to be your friend. Let’s keep no secrets like this rose bride stuff.
((So Utena explains herself and apologizes in a surprisingly mature way. She knows what she did was wrong and even if she was acting out of jealousy, that still doesn’t excuse her behavior. Utena knows that if she genuinely wants to get closer to Anthy, then the both of them need to be honest to each other.))
Utena: But you don’t tell me anything about yourself.
Anthy: Shall we switch now?
And so, Anthy starts drawing Utena in the spirit of a true figure drawing class (i.e. she draws her naked.)
Anthy: Let’s keep no secrets (stares at Utena a few seconds before she starts drawing)
((Anthy, in the true spirit of Revolutionary Girl Utena, uses sex as a way to keep control of the situation. In order for Anthy to be honest she has to make herself vulnerable, literally the last thing that she wants, so she deflects, keeping things physical and shoving the emotional to the deep recesses of her mind.))
((Side note: I laugh during that brief few seconds of starting, it’s impossible for me not to hear Anthy thinking, “oh shit, she’s hot.”))
Utena says that it’s not fair that she’s the only model, so in the spirit of equality, Anthy disrobes. As this happens, Utena looks back at the paintings behind her, noticing that Anthy’s the model in them. Anthy says she’ll tell Utena the reason everyone wants the rose bride as their possession.
Utena looks back to Anthy to see a gaping hole in the middle of her chest.
((It’s interesting that Utena looks away from Anthy’s body, and focuses on the paintings, implied to have been created by Anthy, showing the inner workings of Anthy’s mind. Even so, the paintings change to show Anthy naked, both alone and with Akio, showing what she’s considered valuable for, her body (notice the lack of eyes once Anthy’s revealed in the paintings). The gaping hole in her chest is both a call-back to the series, in that Anthy describes being the rose bride as, an everlasting conditioning to where she lives as a heartless doll, and to show that whatever Anthy wants, loves, and desires is not important, it needed to get cut out of her, in the service of exclusively pleasing others.))
Back with the shadow girls 2 special secret tapes are revealed to the audience. One of them is detailing a scandal about the chairman.
The first one is a surrealist nightmare of a video with cow Nanami, Chu Chu, and elephants. Elephant Nanami suffocates on Chu Chu and the squiggly thing drawn on Touga’s back earlier.
((Man…they really needed to pad out this movie didn’t they. Gotta love the inclusion of the unnecessary side characters though, it wouldn’t be an Ikuhara production without multiple things not making sense.))
The real scandalous videotape is about Akio chilling at his big fancy residence with his fiancé.
Shadow girl: He’s such a textbook example of a prince. So young, yet competent and kind and had great looks.
Akio: Thank you, but you flatter me.
((First of all, whoever decided that Akio’s quirk through the movie is doing a v kick while flipping from one side of the car to the next, deserves both a raise and a long and fruitful career. Secondly, Akio as a character is meant to showcase the kinds of abusers that society doesn’t immediately suspect as abusive. In the series, it was a case of “this charming, intelligent, good looking man could be with any woman he wanted, there’s no way he would spend his time perving after middle schoolers and raping his sister…right” whereas in the movie it’s, “he’s such a sweet, sensitive guy, truly the kind of person you’d want your young impressionable child to be alone with, no problem :)” which is why I tend to laugh at people who say that his character in the movie is a downgrade because they, “made him pathetic.” After all, Akio spent the entire series trying to revive his glory days as a prince, when he was a child, and tried desperately to look cool in front of a bunch of teenagers. That’s the fantasy equivalent of a guy drunkenly bragging in a high school parking lot about how they once scored 4 touchdowns in a single game.))
Shadow girl: A good-looking guy goes well with a nice car.
Akio: Oh, but this car won’t run. I lost the key.
((In other words, he couldn’t turn it on…I’ll see myself out.))
Since Akio can’t drive, he’s stuck taking taxis.
((That he also jumps over! I reiterate this is a wonderful creative decision!))
((In all seriousness, cars, throughout the show, in addition to symbolizing sex, also symbolized independence. So, without the use of a car, Akio is dependent on others to take him where he wants to go.))
Akio spends the night with Anthy (in more ways than one) resorting to drugging Anthy’s glass with the intention of raping her while she’s unconscious.
Anthy: That is the secret of the rose bride.
((Unfortunately, due to the society Anthy lives in, and by extension our society, this “scandal” will end up negatively affecting her just as much, if not more so than her brother, even though he’s the one who did wrong. It’s a trauma that not only effects her mental and emotional well being, but the tape showing what he does to her will be many people’s first impression of her, helpless victim (but only in so far it’s convenient.)))
The duel of the movie begins.
((I like the detail of Utena kissing Anthy before removing the sword from Anthy’s body contrasting with Shiori thrusting a sword to Juri. It really shows the relationship dynamics of both pairs.))
The duel begins, and there’s not much to say other than “it’s awesome,” because it is awesome, it’s two of the greatest duelers on the show battling each other to the best of their abilities.
Juri: You’re pretty good. You’ll be a good match against my club members.
((I.e. the people that Juri teaches. Classy trash talk.))
Juri: Do you love Touga that much?
Miki: What is Juri talking about? Who is Touga?
Anthy: *blank stare*
((And of course, Anthy is not surprised to hear this, because she knows how Touga fits into her world, and she knows how Utena feels about him (or rather, this version of him.)))
Utena flashes back to Anthy talking about the castle of eternity, saying that even though she’s never been there the two of them can have anything they want in it, “eternity, miracles, anything that glows.”
Anthy: Perhaps your secret wishes will come true, too. That’s what it means to win me. Or will you still…throw away your mark of the rose.
((Utena’s going to win this game that much certain, now is the time where Utena is presented with an opportunity to live with Anthy happily…with Anthy still as the rose bride, albeit in a slightly better position.))
Utena is pushed against the wall, her sword forcibly extracted from her hand. Down but not out, she grabs the sword last minute, merging with Dios to defeat Juri with no trickery involved.
The duel comes to a close, with the shadow girls uncovering a breaking story, starting with the reveal that Akio is dead in the ground.
((What’s interesting is that in this created world the fake prince is revealed to be dead at the same time it’s implied that Utena “becomes the prince.” When his death is revealed, though, Anthy looks pissed. She had no idea that this would happen, and as the sun sets in the world she lives in, everything begins to fall apart.))
The shadow girls revel in the new story that’s come from this, only increasing when Shiori shows up with a VHS tape.
Shiori: It’s the owner of the flowerbed. The reason for her rose bed…was to hide her brother dead. If you need proof that I must show, watch this tape and you shall know.
((Apparently Revolutionary Girl Utena also doubles as an extremely dirty children’s book.))
Utena’s surprised that Anthy is capable of murder and is too distracted to notice Anthy disappearing from the crime scene. As Utena looks for Anthy, the audience sees the rest of the “scandalous tape.”
After drugging Anthy, Akio moves in to violate her, only stopping once he sees she’s awake. He starts to break down at the possibility that she might have consented to sex with him.
Anthy: Don’t worry. You are my prince, dear brother. You can do with me as you please, whenever.
((Hearing Anthy say that is squick inducing, and for good reason. The action of drugging someone with the intent of raping them is horrific, and yet Anthy is willing to go though with that with no complaint, because of misguided love for him.))
This statement only angers him further, breaking down demanding that she give him the keys to his car, when she says she doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he stabs her in the chest.
((And of course, Akio hates the idea of her agreeing to such an action, because rape is a form of control with the purpose of feeling a sense of power and control over another person, rather than physical attraction (hence the sibling connection). With a mindset of drugging someone, if that powerlessness isn’t there, then the action is rendered mute. So, he gains control another way, through a form of physical violence that, while different, leaves an equal amount of scars.))
After stabbing Anthy, Akio limply falls out the window.
((And I rewatch him falling several times laughing hysterically all the while, seriously the creative team for this movie are all geniuses.))
Utena runs off to a side room, where she encounters Touga, and asks where Anthy is. Touga asks if she wants the power to create miracles, and when she says she’s not sure if such a thing exists, he tells her that everything in Ohtori is built around the prince, “Yet there is no prince in the flesh.”
Utena: There was never a live prince to begin with.
Utena remembers an incident from her childhood where a young Touga tried to save a young girl from drowning, but died in the process. As Utena remembers this, the image of Touga, in front of her, promises to love her forever, until the end of the world. Utena remembers that he also comforted her when she was a child, then tearfully thanks him for being her prince. A small smile creeps on her face as she watches Touga drift off into the darkness in front of her.
((In the world of Revolutionary girl Utena, the role of the prince is one where someone either becomes resentful of being a martyr and turning evil, or dies young in an attempt to be noble. As for why Touga seems so idealized through the movie, it’s because he’s meant to represent the latter part of that ideal. For Utena, it’s easy to love Touga, not in spite of him being dead, but rather because of it. She gets to keep the image of that bright, brave, kind young boy in her head for all eternity, never dealing with the complexities or little petty arguments that dealing with a live person involves. In letting that idealized version go, Utena’s opening herself up to a genuine relationship with Anthy.))
((As for why Touga is dead in the movie version, I like to think that Anthy was getting revenge on him for consistently trying to get into Utena’s pants through the series, and this was a case of, “it’s a shame that Touga died-” “STOP TELLING PEOPLE THAT I’M DEAD!” “Sometimes I still hear his voice.”))
Utena heads up to the rose pavilion, where Anthy’s waiting for her. Anthy stands up and says that Utena’s not the prince of the academy, and all eternity and miracles are available for her.
Anthy: As long as you stay in this world.
Utena refuses this, offering to take Anthy to the outside world.
((Anthy is literally offering the world to Utena, but Utena refuses, as a world where Anthy lives to serve her isn’t a world she wants to live in.))
And now, for the moment of truth, the piece de resistance, the glorious triumph signaling a new age.
Utena turns into a car.
Anthy: Utena, is that you?
((You know things are getting weird when Anthy is confused.))
The car (Utena) starts to rust, until Anthy notices that she has a key, which she uses to start Utena’s engine, allowing both of them to travel to the outside world.
((The only way I can contextualize this in a way that makes sense is, Utena is the vehicle to get Anthy past her learned helplessness mindset, but Anthy, the one in possession of the key, needs to take initiative to fully end it.))
What follows is an epic car chase where Anthy dodges several obstacles including Shiori, who has also turned into a car ((…Sure)), several hundred black cars deployed by the school racing them toward a tunnel. However any damage from the cars is mitigated by the student council members pulling the two from the tunnel, causing a traffic jam as the largest car has now blocked the tunnel. ((I have nothing further to add other than, I’m glad the student council characters have also found a reason to leave Ohtori, and wish them all the luck in the world.))
Shadow girl: It looks like friendship saved the day.
((Yeah, I’m calling bullshit on this, though, they barely interacted in the show, let alone the movie. It’s more of a case of the group of them having a similar goal, they’re all willing to put aside their differences for to accomplish. So, it is, admittedly, a form of solidarity. Something that’s confirmed as the group talks to Anthy as she moves on and up.))
Just as Anthy’s about to leave for the outside world she briefly gets stuck behind the castle of eternity. Anthy’s offered a choice, either go back and life in guaranteed safety, or move under the castle and risk death.
Anthy: I’m not running anymore. The exit is probably right there. Let’s go to the outside world.
((Anthy, instead of passively accepting whatever terrible thing happens to her, thinking it’s probably what she deserves, is now actively taking a risk to make her life better. If any readers hear screams of joy, in the background, it’s probably me.))
Anthy bravely dodges every obstacle heading her way, making her way to the other side of the castle.
((Any part of my brain capable of analysis has turned to mush, as I’m left as a squeeing mess singing along to the show’s theme song playing during this.))
Anthy exits the castle, where, after nearly getting crushed in half, and Utena definitely being crushed, she encounters the final boss, Akio.
Akio: You don’t have to be afraid anymore. Let’s go back to that closed world where you can be a living corpse.
Anthy: My condolences. You can only be a prince in that world. But Utena and I will leave for the outside world.
Akio: Don’t. You’ll only end up at the End of the world.
((I like the way he says this, there’s no hint of malice, just a calm certainty that Anthy will fail.))
Anthy: That may be. But we’re going of our own will. Goodbye, my prince.
((Anthy is severing all ties with Akio here, like in the series, but this time she has Utena by her side.))
Akio pushes the car crushers closer together, and just as it looks like Anthy’s about to be roadkill, Anthy calls forth the power to bring revolution to the world, and transforms everything around her into flower petals as she and Utena travel naked on the remains of the car.
The girls speed through the barren wasteland, not knowing where they are, what they’ll find, or even if they’ll survive. Neither of them are worried, though, because, as Anthy says, they were born outside Ohtori, so this is where they’re supposed to be. The two of them, knowing that no matter where they end up, they’ll have the other by their side and lean into a loving, passionate kiss.
((And will hopefully find clothes some time in the future.))
((When I first watched Revolutionary Girl Utena, I rated the show 10/10 stars, a rating that has not changed over the years, and have recommended this show to several people (and watching it with them), all this despite the fact that this is not one of my favorite shows. Let me explain. When watching the show, the characters felt more like concepts of ideas rather than actual characters (which they are intended to be, and I have grown to appreciate it on repeat viewings) there are several episodes that I find to have pacing problems, and (as evidenced by my review of episode 24) there are a few episodes that I outright dislike.
But it’s a wonderfully made show.
It’s a show that builds to a crescendo where its ideas of how the world is and how it should be create an explosion of emotion that stays with the audience, long after watching. It’s a show where I still notice small details even after over half a dozen repeat viewings. The people behind this show believed in the work they were doing, and the end result shines even after 25 years.
It’s a show where someone’s thoughts on it can take over 100 thousand words, and enjoy every single moment writing them.))