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 Top07-03-2012 09:17:12 PM

20mensou
Wakaba Wrangler
Registered: 06-26-2012
Posts: 19

Aiko, Keiko, and Yuko- diggers of their own graves?

In either one of the Nanami-arc or the Keiko episode, there was a scene where Nanami and AiKeiYu meet. Before they knew that she was Touga's sister, they wanted to be friends with her and talk with her. However, when Touga approaches, they all collectively decide to serve Nanami and treat her as their princess. Now it seems to me that this scene must have happened when Nanami was new at the school and didn't know anybody yet. I think it's possible that the only reason why she learns to bully the three girls and make them her servants is because they set her up to and treated her like a princess to serve. Naturally, she started to expect that. In essence, they set themselves up. Perhaps if they hadn't tried to be like that to Nanami, they wouldn't have been treated so badly, and their idea of revenge aren't so justified after all.

The other students don't seem to revere her nearly as much- for example, when Nanami throws a party for Touga and announces the plan to the three a student tries to interrupt and tell her she needs to clean the chalkboard. Other students stare on as she wears the cowbell instead of complimenting it. The three are the only ones who get treated that way because they set themselves up for it. Thoughts?

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#2 | Back to Top07-04-2012 05:28:22 AM

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

Re: Aiko, Keiko, and Yuko- diggers of their own graves?

I'm sure her upbringing had a part in how she treats her friends, but the trio certainly didn't make things better for them self.

...Now I wonder if things had gone differently if they hadn't learned who she was related to so soon, but I'm not sure how that would work for long.

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#3 | Back to Top07-04-2012 07:52:05 AM

gorgeousshutin
Bare Footman
Registered: 04-11-2012
Posts: 1325
Website

Re: Aiko, Keiko, and Yuko- diggers of their own graves?

20mensou wrote:

Before they knew that she was Touga's sister, they wanted to be friends with her and talk with her.

From what I saw, they wanted to coerce her into joining their little gang as their lackey out of their gang, bullying nature; well, you knew how it turned out.


(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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#4 | Back to Top07-04-2012 08:16:30 AM

MikoGalatea
Rose Bride
From: England, UK
Registered: 02-25-2012
Posts: 115
Website

Re: Aiko, Keiko, and Yuko- diggers of their own graves?

20mensou wrote:

Now it seems to me that this scene must have happened when Nanami was new at the school and didn't know anybody yet.

That would be incorrect. In Tsuwabuki's flashback in episode 6, we see Nanami in Ohtori's elementary school uniform:

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/3094-2/Series_ep06_141.jpg

Since they were both quite a bit smaller there than in the main storyline, I'd say she's been attending the school for at least a few years.

Lurv wrote:

I'm sure her upbringing had a part in how she treats her friends, but the trio certainly didn't make things better for them self.

Now this I'm more inclined to agree with. Still, I'm not sure if Keiko and the others were already inclined towards bullying before meeting Nanami, or if she influenced them into acting that way.

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#5 | Back to Top07-04-2012 08:50:57 AM

gorgeousshutin
Bare Footman
Registered: 04-11-2012
Posts: 1325
Website

Re: Aiko, Keiko, and Yuko- diggers of their own graves?

MikoGalatea wrote:

if Keiko and the others were already inclined towards bullying before meeting Nanami

Oh, they are; theirs are lowly characters with or without Nanami's influence.

Yuuko:  Hey...
Yuuko:  You're in the same class as us, right?
Aiko:  If you like, why don't you join our group?
Keiko:  Let's be friends.

The body languages and tones of those three clearly suggest that if Nanami refuse, they'd not react kindly.  This let you "join our group/gang" thing has existed in almost every Asian school where the people in these "groups" will stick together as some force to be reckoned with - as a group member, you'd need to stick up for each other as they cheat, or help them beat others up - as they go around bullying singular individuals/lesser numbers.  These girls are cowardly, petty bullies who can only appreciate friends with (not always sexual) benefits, thus why they lached onto Nanami, since she can make them "elite by association" thus "better" than regular students (i.e. Wakaba).


(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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#6 | Back to Top07-04-2012 04:37:13 PM

20mensou
Wakaba Wrangler
Registered: 06-26-2012
Posts: 19

Re: Aiko, Keiko, and Yuko- diggers of their own graves?

MikoGalatea wrote:

20mensou wrote:

Now it seems to me that this scene must have happened when Nanami was new at the school and didn't know anybody yet.

That would be incorrect. In Tsuwabuki's flashback in episode 6, we see Nanami in Ohtori's elementary school uniform:

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/3094-2/Series_ep06_141.jpg

Since they were both quite a bit smaller there than in the main storyline, I'd say she's been attending the school for at least a few years.

Lurv wrote:

I'm sure her upbringing had a part in how she treats her friends, but the trio certainly didn't make things better for them self.

Now this I'm more inclined to agree with. Still, I'm not sure if Keiko and the others were already inclined towards bullying before meeting Nanami, or if she influenced them into acting that way.

Good eye. Yeah, I guess I missed that flashback way at the beginning:gonk:

Even so, are we given evidence for how Nanami is in her upbringing with other friends?

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#7 | Back to Top07-05-2012 03:13:47 PM

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

Re: Aiko, Keiko, and Yuko- diggers of their own graves?

gorgeousshutin wrote:

20mensou wrote:

Before they knew that she was Touga's sister, they wanted to be friends with her and talk with her.

From what I saw, they wanted to coerce her into joining their little gang as their lackey out of their gang, bullying nature; well, you knew how it turned out.

I sort of agree. I think they could sort of sense that she was popular even before they knew that she was Touga's sister.  You know how girls like them act. They're your friends on the outside but they'll backstab you in a New York minute.


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

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