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 Top11-07-2006 09:17:50 PM

Dani
IRG Messiah
From: Virginia, USA
Registered: 10-22-2006
Posts: 361

The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

Okay, I was home sick this weekend and so of course I was watching some Utena Apocalypse Saga. And I had some random thoughts about Akio's large, um, tower. I'll just throw out some stuff.

-Outside "architecture" of the tower
-Huge, over-sized room with one piece of furniture, say, a table with roses on it with a window always showing the night stars no matter what time of day.
-A yin/yang bed that two girls and a monkey share even though the room is so enormous that many sets of bunk beds would fit that is placed in front of a window that shows celestial bodies that couldn't be there (And I really want to know who came up with the bed design. It says just about everything concerning Utena and Anthy's relationship. "We're sleeping together but we're not having sex. but someday we might")
-A huge, over-sized room with long, long windows furnished only with an interestingly shaped projector and two (sticky, presumably) couches that are WHITE.
-And presumably a bathroom with a shower off of Utena/Anthy's room
-No evidence of Akio's bedroom (the whole world is his bedroom?)
-Also, throughout the series when the student council are meeting on the balcony, there are shots of them being seen from behind a large rose window that is higher up in the tower looking down on the balcony indicating that there is some voyeurism going on.

I think the tower, as the summit of Ohtori's world and the seat emot-wink of Akio's power, is worth some in-depth discussion as a central Utena symbolic overload.

Oh, yeah, and how does this freak show of a setting play out on the characters in the final arc? I mean, poor Utena trapped in that loony bin of a place.

Last edited by Dani (11-07-2006 09:26:42 PM)

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#2 | Back to Top11-07-2006 09:20:17 PM

Giovanna
Ends of the Fandom
From: Edmonton, AB
Registered: 10-12-2006
Posts: 8797
Website

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

Kevin Lomax: [quietly] Is there more to it?
Eddie Barzoon: Just this room.
Kevin Lomax: And a bedroom?
Eddie Barzoon: No bedroom.
Kevin Lomax: Where does he sleep?
Eddie Barzoon: Who said he sleeps?
Kevin Lomax: Where does he fuck?
John Milton: [coming up to them] Everywhere!

Sorry I'll actually contribute as soon as The Daily Show/Colbert Report live special is over. emot-wink


Akio, you have nice turns of phrase, but your points aren't clear and you have no textual support. I can't give this a passing grade.
~ Professor Arisa Konno, Eng 1001 (Freshman Literature and Composition)

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#3 | Back to Top11-07-2006 09:35:40 PM

Dani
IRG Messiah
From: Virginia, USA
Registered: 10-22-2006
Posts: 361

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

Giovanna wrote:

Sorry I'll actually contribute as soon as The Daily Show/Colbert Report live special is over. emot-wink

Love Colbert, I'm watching. I'd like some of that devil's food cake.school-devil

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#4 | Back to Top11-08-2006 12:00:11 AM

Tamago
God of Comedy
From: Minami Goushuu
Registered: 10-17-2006
Posts: 14280
Website

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

Maybe Akio secretly wants the power of World Revolution so he can become the ultimate Interior Designer and spread his message of minimalist abstract erotica style. emot-tongue

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#5 | Back to Top11-09-2006 10:33:22 PM

Sevelle
Yaoi Pet #2
From: Virginia the Great
Registered: 11-07-2006
Posts: 1615

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

The vastness is hott!

I've always wondered how one stayes up so high with out being blown away, are there glasses windows on in the arches on the Plentarium level? If so how does one exactly clean those things with out ultimate periel?


sometimes you make me feel
like I’m living at the edge of the world
"it's just the way I smile"
you said

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#6 | Back to Top06-06-2009 08:46:54 AM

Charuru
Ohtori Paramouri
Registered: 06-05-2009
Posts: 90

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

I was always confused why in the scene when Nanami discovered Akio and Anthy getting it on, why she was there. Wasn't that Akio's room? Did they not have a bathroom elsewhere except in his room?

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#7 | Back to Top06-06-2009 03:42:58 PM

Riri-kins
World's End
From: Cloud Nine
Registered: 09-22-2008
Posts: 2354

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

I think Akio's bedroom is the place where he sleeps with Touga. He also must have his own bedroom because Nanami remarks snidely that Akio and Anthy have an excuse to sleep together, and, if memory serves me correctly, she was in Anthy's normal spot at the time.


Proud Saionji and Mikage fangirl
My Utena fanfiction: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2000115/Riri-kins

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#8 | Back to Top06-06-2009 04:32:14 PM

Lightice
Azure Paleontologist
From: Finland
Registered: 10-21-2006
Posts: 1255

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

Riri-kins wrote:

I think Akio's bedroom is the place where he sleeps with Touga. He also must have his own bedroom because Nanami remarks snidely that Akio and Anthy have an excuse to sleep together, and, if memory serves me correctly, she was in Anthy's normal spot at the time.

But the room in which Nanami saw Akio and Anthy was the familiar planetarium room. Maybe there's a bed in some corner there that we don't normally see. Maybe it's that bed on which Akio and Touga were seen reclining after some duels?


Hei! Aa-Shanta 'Nygh!

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#9 | Back to Top06-06-2009 06:00:49 PM

Giovanna
Ends of the Fandom
From: Edmonton, AB
Registered: 10-12-2006
Posts: 8797
Website

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

Biggest studio apartment EVAR. emot-aaa

We never see Akio's bedroom, with or without Touga--there's that bed they mess around on but it seems like it'd be on the student council balcony or something, to overlook the arena. We always see him bang Anthy in the planetarium as well. One almost wonders if he doesn't have a bedroom, hence why he drove Utena to a hotel. emot-confused Obviously if he has one, or in fact any other personal rooms in the tower, he doesn't use them for dealings with others. That said attributing to him a need for vast amounts of personal space might be giving him more humanity than he really needs. But if Anthy's the eternal bride, then maybe Akio's the eternal husband in trouble and relegated to the couch. emot-keke


Akio, you have nice turns of phrase, but your points aren't clear and you have no textual support. I can't give this a passing grade.
~ Professor Arisa Konno, Eng 1001 (Freshman Literature and Composition)

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#10 | Back to Top06-06-2009 06:31:45 PM

Lightice
Azure Paleontologist
From: Finland
Registered: 10-21-2006
Posts: 1255

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

Giovanna wrote:

Biggest studio apartment EVAR. emot-aaa

Word.

We never see Akio's bedroom, with or without Touga--there's that bed they mess around on but it seems like it'd be on the student council balcony or something, to overlook the arena.

But the Student Council balcony doesn't overlook the Arena - it overlooks the forbidden forest. The Planetarium on the other hand overlooks anything that Akio wants it to, including the very tower in which it is based, as seen in episode 38. Those balconies(?), much like the bell tower seem to be rather ethereal, since there is no discernible location where they might be placed without showing in the panorama view of the campus.


Hei! Aa-Shanta 'Nygh!

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#11 | Back to Top06-06-2009 06:33:10 PM

BioKraze
Faceless Master
From: Yuma, Arizona (USA)
Registered: 11-26-2006
Posts: 8282

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

Giovanna wrote:

But if Anthy's the eternal bride, then maybe Akio's the eternal husband in trouble and relegated to the couch. emot-keke

I lol'd hard at this. Good one, Ends of the Forum! emot-dance


Roses have thorns to stop those who would dare deny their right to live.
Razara's Postulate: For every lover of lesbians out there, there is an equal and opposite attraction to Dippin' Dots.

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#12 | Back to Top06-06-2009 06:38:10 PM

Razara
Marionette Mistress
From: Wuzzy Happy Akio Town (What?)
Registered: 10-17-2006
Posts: 4694

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

I was trying to determine the appropriate color usage for designing Akio's room for The Sims 3 when I thought, 'Okay, this room is all the same color, but what specific color is it? I'd say, gold... "A gold-gilded Shangri-La"? "Oh, haha. I get it now.' Just thought I'd throw that comparison out there.

Now back to designing my failure "rocketower." Thanks for the three floor building limitation, Maxis. -_-

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#13 | Back to Top06-06-2009 08:32:23 PM

Itsuke
Pathtracer
Registered: 12-08-2008
Posts: 341

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/3901/seriesep36218.jpg
The tower must contain more floors than what we saw in the anime. Akio's planetarium is at the top of the tower, it takes up the whole floor.  It also serves as Akio's bedroom and office. Besides the ever present sofas and coffee table, all other furnitures appeared only when Akio needed them (like the desk on which he types his letters). Anthy and Utena's new residence should be below the planetarium, but by how many floors down? The Student Council balcony should be lower than Anthy and Utena's place looks like it's  The , right?

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#14 | Back to Top06-06-2009 09:05:13 PM

Tamago
God of Comedy
From: Minami Goushuu
Registered: 10-17-2006
Posts: 14280
Website

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

I personally believe that the Cock Tower has only about 4 levels despite being tall enough to potentially have maybe up to two dozen floors because each floor has huge cealings.


 
  ####
##     ##
##       ##
##       ##
##       ## Planetarium
##       ##
##       ##
##       ##
#######
##       ##
##       ## Living Quarters
##       ##
#######
##       ##
##       ## Student Council Floor   
##       
###########
##       ##
##       ##
##       ##
##       ##
##       ## Ground Floor
##       ##
##       ##
##       ##
##       ##
########

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#15 | Back to Top06-06-2009 09:11:55 PM

The_A_Man
Someday Shiner
From: Canada
Registered: 02-22-2009
Posts: 9107
Website

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

Tamago wrote:

I personally believe that the Cock Tower has only about 4 levels despite being tall enough to potentially have maybe up to two dozen floors because each floor has huge cealings.


 
  ####
##     ##
##       ##
##       ##
##       ## Planetarium
##       ##
##       ##
##       ##
#######
##       ##
##       ## Living Quarters
##       ##
#######
##       ##
##       ## Student Council Floor   
##       
###########
##       ##
##       ##
##       ##
##       ##
##       ## Ground Floor
##       ##
##       ##
##       ##
##       ##
########

Wow, that looks just like his tower. Good job.

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#16 | Back to Top06-06-2009 09:19:32 PM

Tamago
God of Comedy
From: Minami Goushuu
Registered: 10-17-2006
Posts: 14280
Website

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

The_A_Man wrote:

Wow, that looks just like his tower. Good job.

Thanks Its pretty much guesswork thou, for all I know the living quarters are on top of the planetarium

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#17 | Back to Top06-06-2009 09:22:26 PM

BioKraze
Faceless Master
From: Yuma, Arizona (USA)
Registered: 11-26-2006
Posts: 8282

Re: The Chairman's Residence or No IKEA in Ohtori?

According to the map of Ohtori Academy provided with the SEGA Saturn game, the Seitokai balcony is the 6th floor of the Cocktower, judging from the animation sequence in the series as Juri, Touga and Miki ascend in the elevator (that's what the map says, anyways). The map can be found somewhere in the tail end of the Utena 2 roleplay thread (not the main one; the one in which KTK was trawling for interested members).


Roses have thorns to stop those who would dare deny their right to live.
Razara's Postulate: For every lover of lesbians out there, there is an equal and opposite attraction to Dippin' Dots.

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