Utena Tenjou's parents died when she was a little girl. At that time, a prince
appeared to her and gave her a signet ring with a rose crest. He told Utena to
keep the ring and promised that they would meet again someday. Utena was so
impressed by him that she decided to become a prince herself!
Utena is all grown up now. She studies at the Ohtori Academy and wears her own
version of the boys' uniform. She still looks forward to finding her prince,
but in the meantime, it's up to Utena to save damsels in distress and cross
swords with Ohtori Academy's top duelists.
When Utena unwittingly wins the "Rose Bride" in one such duel, she finds
herself in the middle of something else... something that just may lead her to
her prince.
Review: Revolutionary Girl Utena
For one to appreciate Revolutionary Girl Utena, one must take things in its
own unique context. Everything that happens is dictated by Revolutionary Girl
Utena's set of realities, which is quite different from what we're used to.
Revolutionary Girl Utena gets plus points for being highly innovative from
plot to execution. Utena Tenjou is a very charismatic character, appealing to
both males and females. She's more beautiful and talented than most girls, and
she treats girls better than most guys.
For the record, Utena Tenjou and Anthy Himemiya are not lesbians. There have
been speculations that Utena and Anthy are a homosexual couple but this will
be disproved during the course of the series.
What Utena and Anthy do have is an unconventional relationship
(Utena being a duelist and Anthy being the "Rose Bride"). They are
really more of best friends rather than lovers. I mentioned homosexuality in
my notes section above, but I was actually referring to another character.
In general, Revolutionary Girl Utena characters are superbly designed and
portrayed. Everyone seems to have a psychological problem of some sort, but
this only makes them more interesting and unpredictable. There are also a lot
of comical situations that'll surely solicit laughter.
The art and animation are lovely to behold. There is a nice play of colors,
and each character seems to have a particular set of hues assigned to him /
her. Colors are also used to enhance certain scenes. There are a lot of
embellishments where Revolutionary Girl Utena's cinematography is concerned.
Some shots are framed with flowers, and seem almost rose-tinted.
The characters all look tall and willowy, giving them a certain elegance. The
duels are exciting and well-choreographed. It's never the same duel twice,
really.
Revolutionary Girl Utena anime's music is also quite indescribable. It's different,
but it's fitting. The English dubbing is satisfactory, but I found the
narrator's voice a bit dead and some Japanese pronunciations inaccurate.
Revolutionary Girl Utena is a shoujo series that breaks away from norms and
old formulas. Truly refreshing!
Miscellanies: Revolutionary Girl Utena
Wakaba pisses me off for some reason.
Related Articles: Revolutionary Girl Utena Adolescence Apocalypse Anime Review
Revolutionary Girl Utena TV (Shoujo Kakumei Utena) | |
| Genre | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery |
|---|---|
| Episodes | 39 |
| Status | Finished Airing |
| Aired | Apr 2, 1997 to Dec 24, 1997 |
| Producers | TV Tokyo, Shaft, Trans Arts, Audio Tanaka |
| Studio | J.C.Staff |
| Rating | PG-13 - Teens 13 or older |
| Themes | Mahou Shoujo, Psychological |
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