This has bugged me for a while now: in Utena, most of the named characters have some sort of plant component in their names, especially first names (except for Akio - morning star/Lucifer, Dios - god, Tokiko - not directly involved with the duels and seems normal, Mamiya - real Mamiya is catalyst for Nemuro's transformation into Mikage but also not directly involved, Tatsuya - not really involved in duels, Aiko, Yuuko - neither are involved in the duels - and Mrs Ohtori, I think). I think this is significant, but there are a few I couldn't quite figure out; I'm very interested in all your interpretations in this matter!

For reference, I'll post the Japanese kanji names of the characters, for those who have them:
Utena and Anthy don't have kanji names, only katakana, but I believe the general consensus is that Utena means the calyx which protects the anther and stigma (which is the basis for Anthy's name?)

Kiryuu Touga: 桐生冬芽. The meaning for 冬芽 (winter bud) is referenced in the episode "the Love that blooms in winter", and imo refers to his slow realization that Akio's life style isn't truly what he wants, as well as his feelings towards Utena.

Saionji Kyouichi: 西園寺莢一. I believe there were discussions about how he shuts himself up in a wall of innocence/naivety and refuses/denies the far-from-ideal reality that he sees? Since 莢 means pod, I think it's referring to this flaw of his (ie. he's shutting himself in a 'pod' of innocence).

Arisugawa Juri: 有栖川樹璃. 樹璃 could be read as "tree glass" in my (limited) understanding of Japanese, and I think it sums up her personality rather well. A tree tends to evoke a strong, reliable image, but glass is brittle, cold and fragile. On the outside, Juri is strong, capable and cool, but her emotional state is fragile.

Kaoru Miki: 薫幹. 幹 is could mean the trunk of a tree, or a foundation of a group. It's interesting to contrast his name with Kozue's (梢), which means "the top of a tree". This is one of those I'm having a bit of trouble understanding - maybe it refers to him being the foundation of their piano skills when they were young? And maybe 梢 symbolizes Kozue's dependence on her brother (this sounds a bit off...)

Kiryuu Nanami: 桐生七実. 実 ('mi') could mean fruit or nut. I also have trouble understanding the significance of this, but it might be a contrast to Touga's bud? Maybe while you can only maybe see a glimpse of Touga's true intentions (like you can't see the flower if it hasn't bloomed yet), Nanami shows her feelings pretty much on her sleeves (the end result of most plants usually result in a seed/fruit/nut, so with her you can see right through what she thinks of you)? idk...

Mikage Souji: 御影草時. Souji is represented by 'grass time' as opposed to 'commander' (総司), which I thought it was. The time reference ties into his 'frozen memory' and inability to move on, but I'm less clear on the interpretation on 草 (grass). Perhaps it implies people who are unable to move on from past experiences are common like blades of grass? Btw, Nemuro is represented as 根室 ('root... room'? I'm not too confident on the meaning of 室...) Maybe the root part is an allusion to his computer-like tendencies, wanting to reduce things to their basic roots.

Shinohara Wakaba: 篠原若葉. I think Wakaba is a symbol that new drivers use to notify others that they're newbies, in a similar vein one might way that they're still green? Also the character 葉 ('ba' of 'wakaba') means leaf, maybe referencing to her young and fresh energy, and implies that she's not very special (in most plants, the flowers, not the leaves, are the attractions; the leaves are just there to complete the picture.)

Takatsuki Shiori: 高槻枝織. 枝 could mean sticks/branches, and 織 means to weave. I guess maybe it refers to her manipulations of Juri, but also suggests that she's quite delicate and/or fragile - she seems to have a low self esteem?

Tsuchiya Ruka: 土谷瑠果. 瑠 is a type of jewel (Lapis lazuli I believe), while 果 could mean fruit. I have no idea what the symbolism of this is (aside from uh, matching his hair color). Lapis lazuli can also be commercially synthesized, perhaps signifying his use of deception in order to achieve his goals (the 'fruit' of his actions).

Ohtori Kanae: 鳳香苗. If I'm not mistaken, 香苗 could be read as 'fragrant young sprout', and maybe references her (supposed) position of eventual power once she becomes Akio's wife (we know how well that turned out). It might also suggest that she needs someone to tend to her to grow well - too bad she only has Akio and Mrs Ohtori...

Sanoda Keiko (苑田茎子) and Tsuwabuki Mitsuru (石蕗美蔓): not gonna lie guys, I have no ideas on these two. Mitsuru's plant component (蔓) seems to suggest vines, but I can't think of an explanation for it. I don't know what the 茎 for Keiko's name mean

My Japanese is rather lacking, so if there's anything that is wrong, please don't hesitate to point it out!

Last edited by randomprojects (05-04-2011 01:30:27 PM)