It's so PAINFUL for me to rewatch Utena because the only episodes I've never seen are the Seikitokai (?) Arc Miki and Juri duel eps. I have seen the one with Nanami and Mitsuru, with the Kangaroo, but it was the Subbed VHS version so I don't remember it well.

When I first watched all of Utena, like, 5 episodes in I got the movie, and since I was fairly young at the time the entire series was one giant WTF moment for me.

But lately I've been rewatching episodes and a lot of stuff makes more sense. I like the later episodes because the dubbing and animation in the first arc plain sucks to me. The Black Rose arc had to be my fave.

Plus I think there's something wrong with me, because at 4 Am this morning I popped the Utena movie in for no reason. Ah, Slutty Anthy, Dead Touga, and Human Akio...I miss you guys.

I rewatched episode 7 today as well, and I've been rewatching bits of it over again all day. Mostly just her duel and the scene by the fountain. I'm starting to love the symbolism in that episode. I'll have a complete analysis of her duel song soon. I already interpreted all of the words, which was a bitch and a half to do, because of all the religious references. Now I just have to interpret how that relates to what they're doing in the duel. (Juri vs. Shiori in a fight to the death! Who will win? Buy your tickets now!)

Do you know what's kind of sad? I'm always saying that it's stupid to call Shiori the devil, but there are a lot of similarities between her and Lucifer, to the point where I almost wonder if it's a major symbol. o_o

Episode seven is probably the turning point of the series. It's all uphill from there. (Edit: Wait, is uphill the correct phrase to use...? Damn, I need sleep.)

Last edited by Razara (04-18-2007 08:31:33 PM)

As it happens, I've been rewatching SKU with a friend who hasn't seen it before.  She's crazy hooked, as you all might expect.  It's been aw hile since the last time I watched, so I definitely find myself responding to characters differently.  Saionji, for example, keeps growing on me.  More and more, I see his desperate need for real friendship from Touga, and I recognize his competition with Touga as a desire for recognition.  He just wants Touga to take him seriously!  So I can actually sympathize with him.

On the other hand, I find myself liking Kozue less.  As the show progresses, it gets harder and harder to interpret her actions as idolizing/seeking attention from Miki, and she just seems more bitchy.  Especially putting the moves on Anthy in that last duel, then calling HIM a coward for losing.  The great unanswered question about Kozue for me is, how good is she really as a pianist?  And if she's as good as Miki thinks, why does she think she's terrible?

Lastly, while watching the show through this time, I noticed a theme that I hadn't caught earlier.  It seems like all of the characters get in trouble or start acting stupidly when they begin to desire the permanent and disregard the transitory.  Starting with Utena herself.  It's her desire for eternity, for her undying Prince, that makes her vulnerable to Akio's manipulations.  You could extend this line of reasoning into questioning whether or not Dios ever actually existed, or if it was Akio all along.  It is certainly true that some things are dangerous even to want...

I actually had to watch episode 13 twice before I realized who Akio was talking to.

I love the end of episode 13 after the duels have been reviewed... it's just so ominous.  I got goosebumps just seeing the framed butterfly.

What freaks me out is the shot of the 100 duellists...every time.

Yasha wrote:

Stormcrow wrote:

What freaks me out is the shot of the 100 duellists...every time.

Hell yeah. One of the best shots in the entire series, I think.

I love how that scene is alluded to in the movie when Shiori is giving her little verse about the Scandalous Tape to the crowd as Movie Akio is being dug up.

Ah, thank you Gio. 
I find myself wondering sometimes who these duellists were exactly.  It's an aspect of the show that's never explored.  There's the suggestion that they were arrogant and self-centered, but that may just be how Mikage remembered them.  And it seems they were all boys?  I'm sure I could find some good fanfics about them.  Speaking of which, could anybody recommend a good fanfic site?  Maybe I'd better ask in another thread.

Pandora wrote:

Hey, if you look at the boy in the middle of the shot, doesn't he look like the random boy you see at the start of episodes? You know the one I mean. I can't find a picture of him, but when they pan over the students walking, theres a boy with dark, chin length hair and he looks like that guy.

That's because the throw away characters all have boring hair.  I'm sure you could find other repeats in there if you look around a bit.

Imaginary Bad Bug wrote:

Today's installment...

Episode 15: The World As Seen From Kozue

One of my favorite duel songs here... the slightly silly Utopian Past Tense Incantation.  "10, 2, 1, 0.. take off!"

And of course, the first real showing of Kozue and Miki's relationship.  Also, we're seeing for the second time hints of Anthy's Saturday night 'meetings' with Akio.



Next up... Nanami's Cowbell!

Remember that Kozue also means tree-top, so the episode could also be rendered as The View From the Tree-tops.  When a friend first pointed that out to me, it totally blew my mind. 

Imaginary Bad Bug wrote:

Nanami calls Utena a 'boy-girl'.

In another translation, she flat out calls her a dyke.

I'd be curious as to what an authentic translation of the original Japanese would be, by someone fluent in the language and not inclined to 'color' the script for a fansub audience. (ie, give them what they want to hear as opposed to what was actually said. )

Fansubs are all well and good, but it's not the authority I'd go to for translation matters.


I don't remember the word Nanami used... I want to think it was something along the lines of otokojou-sama, but I could be completely wrong.  I can see how that might be translated as 'boy-girl', as CPM did, if that was even the word.

Last edited by Imaginary Bad Bug (05-05-2007 08:37:55 PM)

*Razara's flawed knowledge of Japanese*

Well, what Nanami is calling Utena is an, "Otoko-Onna," which is directly translated as "Boy-girl." However, it could be that "Boy-girl" is the term for "dyke" in Japanese.

Tonight's installment...

Episode 18 - Mitsuru's Growing Pains

Random amusing moment of the day:

Mitsuru is holding a banana...
Mitsuru: I'd be satisfied if she ate anything of mine.
Mari: That's disgusting!
Mitsuru: How's that disgusting?
Mari: You'll know when you're grown up!

Oh Mari... you somehow seem like a pint-sized Shiori...



And then at the end, Nanami actually blushes when she sees Mitsuru the day after the duel.