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 Top03-30-2011 07:13:04 PM

Overlord Morgus
Banned
Registered: 02-22-2011
Posts: 314

Parallels between SKU and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night?

Spoilers ahoy!

In SOTN, they explain the origins of Dracula's "evil." It turns out that Dracula didn't turn against humanity until they burned his wife at the stake on suspicions of her being a witch. Obviously, this was done because of her association with Dracula, and because they were probably unable to attack Dracula himself, being mere mortals. So you have the queen (Anthy) being killed in place of the king (Dios), as well as the wounding of the master morality represented by Dracula and family by the slave morality of the rabble. Dracula even hints at this ideological conflict in the intro, saying that religion is an institution that steals men's souls, mirroring Nietzsche's own claims that Christianity was a nihilistic religion that destroyed one's natural love of life.

And of course, if you play things right, you'll find an inverted castle, which opens up a whole other game and allows you to get 200% completion.

Last edited by Overlord Morgus (03-30-2011 07:13:30 PM)

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#2 | Back to Top03-31-2011 12:35:50 AM

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

Re: Parallels between SKU and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night?

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/16058-1/Series_ep38_086.jpg
Die monster! You don't belong in this world!

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/15582-1/Series_ep37_081.jpg
It was not by my hand that I am once again given flesh.

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/15588-1/Series_ep37_084.jpg
I was called here by humans who wish to pay me tribute.

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/16102-1/Series_ep38_108.jpg
Tribute? You steal men's souls, and make them your slaves!

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/16144-1/Series_ep38_129.jpg
Perhaps the same could be said of all religions.

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/16208-1/Series_ep38_161.jpg
Your words are as empty as your soul! Mankind ill-needs a savior such as you!

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/16226-1/Series_ep38_170.jpg
What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets!

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/16326-1/Series_ep38_220.jpg
But enough talk...have at you!

SORRY. I couldn't resist. emot-biggrin To be honest, I've never thought about SoTN that way--I could never get over the dubbing! The inverted castle thing does seem terribly strange, though. I've often wondered if it's actually some sort of Japanese cultural thing I don't know about. Inverted icons always imply their opposite, or at least usual do. Like the use of an inverted cross of pentagram. The inverted castles both contain unpleasant truths, because a normal fantasy castle is the opposite of that.

BTW, I'VE NEVER GOTTEN 200% grrrr.


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 Top04-02-2011 02:37:17 PM

Overlord Morgus
Banned
Registered: 02-22-2011
Posts: 314

Re: Parallels between SKU and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night?

Actually, now that I think of it, Dracula and SKU have so much in common.

Class and ideological conflict suffused Bram Stoker's original book. On the one hand, you have Dracula, who represents birthright, martial valor, and tradition, and you have Johnathan Harker's crew representing science, industry, social mobility, and Christian innocence. And Dracula's own transformation into a vampire is brought about by the refusal of Christian priests to sanctify his dead wife's soul due to her suicide, which brings to light a conflict between a morality characteristic of ancient Rome or feudal Japan, which would hold her suicide to be something honorable, and a Christian morality forbidding suicide.

And then you have Akio, a dethroned royal who despises the modernist rabble and mourns the imprisonment of his queen throughout the series.

Last edited by Overlord Morgus (04-02-2011 02:39:27 PM)

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#4 | Back to Top04-02-2011 07:06:35 PM

gpink
Eternal Castellan
Registered: 11-21-2009
Posts: 269

Re: Parallels between SKU and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night?

I'm reminded me of the conflict between Buddhism's forbidding of suicide and the Japanese concept of suicide to perverse honor.

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#5 | Back to Top09-20-2011 11:09:19 PM

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

Re: Parallels between SKU and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night?

Giovanna wrote:

AWESOME WORDS AND PICTURES OF WIN

Oh, I can't resist this one. I'm gonna put the PSP Dracula X Chronicles retranslation of SotN in. Nobody minds, correct? emot-biggrin

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/15916-1/Series_ep38_015.jpg
Belmont, son of Belmont. I've been waiting for you.

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/16058-1/Series_ep38_086.jpg
Dracula! Die now, and leave this world. You'll never belong here!

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/15582-1/Series_ep37_081.jpg
Oh, but this world invited me here.

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/15588-1/Series_ep37_084.jpg
Your own kind called me forth with praise and tribute.

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/16102-1/Series_ep38_108.jpg
Tribute? You're a thief! You steal men's souls, their freedom...

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/16144-1/Series_ep38_129.jpg
Freedom is always sacrified to belief, good hunter. Or are you truly here by choice?

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/16208-1/Series_ep38_161.jpg
To Hell with your heresy! You're nothing but a blight on mankind.

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/16226-1/Series_ep38_170.jpg
Ha! Mankind. A cesspit of hatred and lies.

http://ohtori.nu/galerie/d/16326-1/Series_ep38_220.jpg
Fight for them, then, and die for their sins![

... ... ...

Dude, I think the fanboys and girls are rightly pissed about changing the original script. :/


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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#6 | Back to Top05-28-2016 07:58:27 AM

deeds24
Miki Molester
From: Salisbury, Maryland, USA
Registered: 05-27-2016
Posts: 36

Re: Parallels between SKU and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night?

Oh wow, I never realized they changed that much in the retranslation. Although I kinda like the use of the word "cesspit." While watching SKU for the first time, I kept thinking about how Touga, Saionji, and Akio's hairstyles reminded me of Alucard's hair (long and wavy) in SOTN. Also the manner in which Utena defies the societal roles placed on her is similar to how Alucard defies a societal role by refusing to kill humans despite having Vampire blood.

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#7 | Back to Top05-28-2016 05:13:25 PM

CarolineWellwater
Mikage Mistruster
Registered: 10-18-2015
Posts: 67

Re: Parallels between SKU and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night?

(( Well... for myself, I have, effectively three copies of SotN.

I have the digital copy for my PS3.

I have the hard-disk version for the PS1 / PS2.

And, I have Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP... but I've never been able to unlock StoN from the Chronicles, and I'm die-ing to see what the two, hidden, re-released levels are.

I still think SotN has some of the best music, atmosphere, and art ever.  I especially liked the Cathedral (both normal and inverted), and the boss-fight with Ba'alzamon.

Never did get to 200% either.  I think the best I had was like... 190% or something. ))

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