This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)

#1 | Back to Top06-30-2012 09:08:13 PM

crystalwren
Dark Whisperer
From: Brisbane
Registered: 04-21-2009
Posts: 1172
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Misogyny and the SKU lads

Given that SKU is all about fucking gender roles up where the sun shineth not, misogyny is a running theme in the series. But I'm just wondering, how much of it is genuine, violent and overt misogyny as opposed to a deconstruction?

It's the lasses of SKU who appear to get hurt the most. Saionji beats the shit out of Anthy. Anthy responds with a great deal of subtle malice, but it's nothing on the level that she extends to Nanami. Touga manipulates and uses the fuck out of everyone, but by far and away the majority of his victims are women. Likewise Akio; he also plays everyone around him like a violin, but he reserves outright torture and mental destruction for Kanae, Utena, and at some point Anthy well, as at one point he basically coerces sex from her when she is reluctant. And towards the end of the series it's hinted (via Anthy's facial expressions and body language) that this reluctance continues through the series. Juri appears to get off comparatively lightly, but frankly she has even more masculine traits than any other female character. And even some male characters. (I'm looking at you, Miki.) Akio tortures Kanae in many different ways, but even though he plays Mikage like a violin, it really isn't the same level of 'fuck you bitch' that he extends to Kanae.

So, the question arises: do the women of the series suffer more because their gender roles make them vulnerable, or are the male characters specifically targeting them because they're female?

It's a subtle distinction, but I think it's an important one.

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#2 | Back to Top06-30-2012 09:25:45 PM

gorgeousshutin
Bare Footman
Registered: 04-11-2012
Posts: 1325
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Re: Misogyny and the SKU lads

male characters specifically targeting them because they're female

It's really just that the male chars lashed out in ways where females are more at risk, vulnerable towards.

Take Touga and Akio, they are constantly putting the sexual seduction/control attack on EACH OTHER just like they do the female characters; but because men do not associate sex with love, while all the non-Kozue female characters do, neither pansexual predators managed to hurt each other - they only managed to successfully hurt the females instead.  Note how Kozue did not get "badly hurt" ala Kanae/ Utena/ Anthy?  That's because she made a conscious effort todetach sex from love

As for Saionji . . . well, he attacked others in an entirely physical way - but those he attacked all hurt him back just as badly, I think (Anthy purposely supporting Utena in front of him to make him lose both duel and pride, Wakaba yanking the soul sword out of him violently).


(SKU/MPD) Seinen Kakumei Utena (Completed as of May 12, 2018) / (PSOH/SKU) Revolutionary Human Leon (Updated to Part 4 as of Oct 31, 2017) / (NGE) The End of Hedgehog_s Dilemma (Updated to Part II Chapter 6 as of May 17, 2016) / (BananaFish) Medusa (Updated to Chapter 3 as of Mar 1, 2016)
http://archiveofourown.org/users/gorgeousshutin/works or https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3978886/

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#3 | Back to Top07-03-2012 03:46:03 AM

Atropos
Atropos Turretslayer
From: Hampden College
Registered: 10-22-2011
Posts: 907

Re: Misogyny and the SKU lads

I think a more interesting question would be if there was any actual misogyny on the part of the SKU staff.

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#4 | Back to Top07-03-2012 06:34:36 AM

MikoGalatea
Rose Bride
From: England, UK
Registered: 02-25-2012
Posts: 115
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Re: Misogyny and the SKU lads

Atropos wrote:

I think a more interesting question would be if there was any actual misogyny on the part of the SKU staff.

I think the opposite. Given SKU's feminist themes and the way it portrays most of the male characters, I bet Ikuhara and/or someone else on the staff list had a hate-on for men, not women.

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#5 | Back to Top07-03-2012 08:10:34 AM

Lurv
Pained Growlithe
Registered: 05-25-2012
Posts: 520

Re: Misogyny and the SKU lads

Well, it's not like the female characters are perfect either.

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#6 | Back to Top07-03-2012 08:32:12 AM

gorgeousshutin
Bare Footman
Registered: 04-11-2012
Posts: 1325
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Re: Misogyny and the SKU lads

Word, Lurv.

SKU showcases how males and females attack other via different methods, while interpreting incoming attacks differently as well.


(SKU/MPD) Seinen Kakumei Utena (Completed as of May 12, 2018) / (PSOH/SKU) Revolutionary Human Leon (Updated to Part 4 as of Oct 31, 2017) / (NGE) The End of Hedgehog_s Dilemma (Updated to Part II Chapter 6 as of May 17, 2016) / (BananaFish) Medusa (Updated to Chapter 3 as of Mar 1, 2016)
http://archiveofourown.org/users/gorgeousshutin/works or https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3978886/

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#7 | Back to Top07-30-2012 12:51:03 PM

Like_Autumn
Network Ninja
Registered: 07-18-2007
Posts: 639
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Re: Misogyny and the SKU lads

Atropos wrote:

I think a more interesting question would be if there was any actual misogyny on the part of the SKU staff.

Possible. Though I'd say the series deconstructs typical relations between men and women, ie. how the men compete with each other, treat women, and how women treat each other and men. Since the male characters are portrayed as being just as messed up as the women, I don't see it as intentional sexism. Anthy's role as the stereotypical perfect Japanese housewife is just too much of a deconstruction and subversion for me to think the creators are purely sexist. The roles they put the male and female characters into may be unconscious due to social role, but in creating a cast of highly diverse female characters, I think they did a good job. And the story doesn't ever seem to suggest that Utena was wrong for wanting to be a prince.... at least not how I saw it.


Number 1 Shadow Girl Fan

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