brian wrote:

Stephanie wrote:

"projector", etc

Ah the infamous projector, one moment he is bragging about his projector's ability to create reality and a few minutes later he looks on in surprise as Utena works another miracle and foils the projector.
BTW that's a great essay Giovanna.

That's because Akio said that the projector shows the "desire" of the duelist.. In the end, the castle collapsing, everything being torn apart is Utena's desires.. As she no longer wants this imaginary things, even the statue of Dios on top of the world is destroyed.

That is why Akio is losing, he said he is "End of The World", and if the world is reality (As I stated above), Akio is the one who ends it, but he is losing as Utena's desires for it crumbles. Thus, reality pawns him.

Anyway.. *Reads Gios Review*

I believe it's "Sodom", from "Sodom and Gomorrah". The people of these two cities did indulge in all kinds of dirty pleasures, but I believe the darkness refers to the brimstone clouds that covered the cities when they were destroyed.

If I have my mythology wrong, please do correct - I am very tired.

Akio also says that the chairman's tower is the End of the World. Since the world is round, you can't find the end of it unless you go up, and there's no higher place in all the world than his tower. (According to him, anyway.)

Though, really, I feel it has more to do with adult hood, and Akio represents the end of childhood ideals/fantasies. His revealing of the Ends of the World to each duelist during the final arc is (artificially) pushing them over into the adult world.

Princess<slash>Witch wrote:

2.) In the opening theme, I noticed Utena and Anthy are always up-side down of each other.. What does it signify?

1. (For the spiritually minded). It's a yin-yang symbol.
2. (For the dirty-minded). It's "69."
3. (Psychologically). They are both asleep, and waiting to wake up.
4. (Botanically). Calyx and Corolla.

Edit: Oh, you mean where they are facing away from each other and sliding away. Probably their lack of awareness of each other, unknowingly drifting apart.

Last edited by brian (11-22-2007 05:45:24 PM)

"End of the World"

In fairy tales, old epics, and myths the 'end of the world' as in the 'edge' is a special place.  Sometimes you're sent there on a quest to retrieve a precious item like, "go the western end of the world where the tree of life grows and pluck a golden apple."  (Also it's sometimes the 'center of the world' instead, like the garden of Eden, etc. but the end of the world appears often too.)  Anyway, it's a place of power, where magical things happen.  It's a place where mundane reality meets mysterious potential -- where the physical world we know stops and meets the unknown.  It's the "land far away" in "...a long time ago, in land far away...". 

I can't find a lot on Google for this, but I know I've encountered it time and time again...  There's a actually a lot more showing up for contemporary fairy tales using those phrases, interestingly.  But here are two exerpts I found.


"As you have known how to take the fire-bird, you will know how to bring me my bride, for whom I have long been waiting. In the land of Never, on the very edge of the world, where the red sun rises in flame from behind the sea, lives the Princess Vasilissa. I will marry none but her. Bring her to me, and I will reward you with silver and gold. But if you do not bring her, then, by my sword, your head will no longer sit between your shoulders!"

"The youth did not know where the Tree of Life stood, but he set out, and would have gone on for ever, as long as his legs would carry him, though he had no hope of finding it. After he had wandered through three kingdoms, he came one evening to a wood, and lay down under a tree to sleep. But he heard a rustling in the branches, and a golden apple fell into his hand. At the same time three ravens flew down to him, perched themselves upon his knee, and said: 'We are the three young ravens whom you saved from starving; when we had grown big, and heard that you were seeking the Golden Apple, we flew over the sea to the end of the world, where the Tree of Life stands, and have brought you the apple.' The youth, full of joy, set out homewards, and took the Golden Apple to the king's beautiful daughter, who had now no more excuses left to make. They cut the Apple of Life in two and ate it together; and then her heart became full of love for him, and they lived in undisturbed happiness to a great age."