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 Top03-18-2009 02:23:17 PM

The_A_Man
Someday Shiner
From: Canada
Registered: 02-22-2009
Posts: 9107
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Nanami's Egg

I re-watched the Nanami's Egg episode today. It's like the 5th time I watched it and I still don't get it. Where did that egg actually come from? Did Nanami really lay it? Did someone just put it there as a prank?

I may never know.

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#2 | Back to Top03-18-2009 03:01:10 PM

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

Re: Nanami's Egg

It leads us to believe that it was all a dream, but I think Chu-Chu put it there since we see him coming back at the end of the episode. He probably did it as revenge for how Nanami treated Anthy. That's my guess, anyway. emot-smile


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

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#3 | Back to Top03-18-2009 03:12:44 PM

The_A_Man
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From: Canada
Registered: 02-22-2009
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Re: Nanami's Egg

Yeah, Chu-Chu at the end does make me wonder if he had anything to do with it.

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#4 | Back to Top03-18-2009 03:25:03 PM

Hiraku
Easter Elf #40
From: Singapore
Registered: 02-21-2007
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Re: Nanami's Egg

There were speculations that Chu-Chu actually died, when Nanami gave birth to a new Chu-Chu.

Remember how Anthy asked Utena at night about "Reincarnation"? And, the expression Anthy shows when Chu-Chu comes back. Kinda down, isn't it?

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#5 | Back to Top03-19-2009 11:02:50 AM

purplepolecat
Atlantean Singer
From: Vancouver, B.C.
Registered: 03-26-2007
Posts: 570

Re: Nanami's Egg

My guess is that it was an incredibly subtle psychological prank, masterminded by Anthy and executed by Chu-Chu. The Cowbell of Happiness and the Curry High Trip were also planned by Anthy.

The first time I watched the series I didn't suspect that Anthy was capable of such spiteful deviousness, but now I'm convinced. Don't cross Anthy, she is the queen of passive-aggressive scheming.


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#6 | Back to Top03-19-2009 11:39:27 AM

Bluesky
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From: Your window
Registered: 10-25-2008
Posts: 1939
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Re: Nanami's Egg

It's probably a metaphor. On some level.
Like most things. emot-keke


/人◕ ‿‿ ◕人\

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#7 | Back to Top03-19-2009 12:32:24 PM

Hiraku
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From: Singapore
Registered: 02-21-2007
Posts: 6342
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Re: Nanami's Egg

I still the episode is PERFECT to show to middle school kids to teach them about the phase of teenage biological changes AND issues with teen sex.

There's parallel to having period and teen pregnancy (laying eggs), fears of  alienation due to having period or expecting (Nanami's an alien), issues of abortion (Juri bowling and Nanami leaving the egg outside in the woods). All the fun with none of the boring lecture. school-eng101

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#8 | Back to Top03-19-2009 09:52:14 PM

Mock Puppet
Azure Paleontologist
From: In a dark room.
Registered: 10-06-2007
Posts: 1207
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Re: Nanami's Egg

And it shows that Juri has the biggest balls of all. emot-biggrin


“Eat right, exercise regularly, die anyway.”
-A. Nonymous-

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#9 | Back to Top03-19-2009 10:15:54 PM

Hiraku
Easter Elf #40
From: Singapore
Registered: 02-21-2007
Posts: 6342
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Re: Nanami's Egg

Mock Puppet wrote:

And it shows that Juri has the biggest balls of all. emot-biggrin

She's a priced hen. It's a shame she may never pass on her gene because she's in love with the one person who will never love her back

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#10 | Back to Top03-19-2009 10:24:37 PM

Mock Puppet
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From: In a dark room.
Registered: 10-06-2007
Posts: 1207
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Re: Nanami's Egg

Hiraku wrote:

Mock Puppet wrote:

And it shows that Juri has the biggest balls of all. emot-biggrin

She's a priced hen. It's a shame she may never pass on her gene because she's in love with the one person who will never love her back

The only way Juri can truely pass on her genes is to go to a sperm bank and make a withdrawal or find a nice feminine looking boy to get knocked up by.  I would suggest Miki for that role.


“Eat right, exercise regularly, die anyway.”
-A. Nonymous-

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#11 | Back to Top03-20-2009 04:23:32 PM

Raven Nightshade
Someday Shiner
From: Louisiana
Registered: 12-17-2006
Posts: 2925

Re: Nanami's Egg

Here's the analysis Razara wrote about the episode. http://forums.ohtori.nu/viewtopic.php?pid=28086#p28086


Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever gonna make it home again.
It's so far and out of sight.
I really need someone to talk to and nobody else
Knows how to comfort me tonight.

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#12 | Back to Top03-20-2009 09:04:09 PM

brian
Atlantean Singer
Registered: 10-22-2006
Posts: 589

Re: Nanami's Egg

This may be the wrong forum but I was watching a TV series called Maison Ikkoku in which a character gives a big egg to another one with no explanation and then vanishes. The whole rest of the episode everyone was in a big flurry about the egg, what did it mean? What is he up to? What kind of egg is it? It does not occur to anyone to put the egg in the fridge and forget about it. I am pretty sure this series predates Utena.

I think we are missing some kind of really strange Japanese in-joke.

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#13 | Back to Top03-20-2009 10:16:32 PM

Hiraku
Easter Elf #40
From: Singapore
Registered: 02-21-2007
Posts: 6342
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Re: Nanami's Egg

brian wrote:

This may be the wrong forum but I was watching a TV series called Maison Ikkoku in which a character gives a big egg to another one with no explanation and then vanishes. The whole rest of the episode everyone was in a big flurry about the egg, what did it mean? What is he up to? What kind of egg is it? It does not occur to anyone to put the egg in the fridge and forget about it. I am pretty sure this series predates Utena.

I think we are missing some kind of really strange Japanese in-joke.

Maison Ikkoku is a J-drama now, it seems.

Yeah, it's drawn by the selfsame artist who authored Ranma and Inuyasha.

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#14 | Back to Top03-21-2009 12:39:39 AM

Soukougnan
Black Rosarian
From: The Land of Heat and Traffic
Registered: 01-02-2009
Posts: 377
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Re: Nanami's Egg

purplepolecat wrote:

My guess is that it was an incredibly subtle psychological prank, masterminded by Anthy and executed by Chu-Chu. The Cowbell of Happiness and the Curry High Trip were also planned by Anthy.

The first time I watched the series I didn't suspect that Anthy was capable of such spiteful deviousness, but now I'm convinced. Don't cross Anthy, she is the queen of passive-aggressive scheming.

this is exactly what i think. etc-love
at first watch, i just thought it was more weird symbolism, but after watching it later i concluded the same thing as purplepolecat. i love Anthy, and everything, but i'd never mess with her.


hm. i'm... here again? catch me in the discord-- im fairybull

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#15 | Back to Top04-01-2009 07:29:42 PM

RadicalSam
Miki Molester
From: Fort Riley, Kansas
Registered: 02-18-2009
Posts: 39
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Re: Nanami's Egg

Hiraku wrote:

I still the episode is PERFECT to show to middle school kids to teach them about the phase of teenage biological changes AND issues with teen sex.

There's parallel to having period and teen pregnancy (laying eggs), fears of  alienation due to having period or expecting (Nanami's an alien), issues of abortion (Juri bowling and Nanami leaving the egg outside in the woods). All the fun with none of the boring lecture. school-eng101

wow that's a new way to think of it

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#16 | Back to Top04-01-2009 11:06:26 PM

hollow_rose
Egghead
From: Ohio
Registered: 10-26-2008
Posts: 1074

Re: Nanami's Egg

RadicalSam wrote:

Hiraku wrote:

I still the episode is PERFECT to show to middle school kids to teach them about the phase of teenage biological changes AND issues with teen sex.

There's parallel to having period and teen pregnancy (laying eggs), fears of  alienation due to having period or expecting (Nanami's an alien), issues of abortion (Juri bowling and Nanami leaving the egg outside in the woods). All the fun with none of the boring lecture. school-eng101

wow that's a new way to think of it

That's how I always thought about it, some sort of cracked out version of one of those "special" shows for girls. A parody of one at least. Esp. with Touga and his lectures about not laying eggs LOL.


20 threads dead so far.

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#17 | Back to Top04-18-2009 09:13:33 PM

YostinAust
Pathtracer
From: Tallahassee, Florida
Registered: 04-02-2009
Posts: 352

Re: Nanami's Egg

Even better considering Touga's whole "we get along because you don't menstruate - I mean lay eggs. Also a very revealing episode for two of the shows queerer characters. Juri and her balls, and Touga and one of my favorite exchanges to paraphrase:

Nanami: Which do you like better, boys or girls?

Touga: *ass hurting after last ride in Akios car* um, oh, girls, ofcourse...

Nanami: Oh, I prefer girls too! (I know she didn't mean it like that, but...SQUEE!)

Touga: Now Nanami, no matter how unquenchably amazing something feels, you must be heterosexual in RGU.

Collective voice of the Utena fandom: BULLSHIT!!!!


"In this age, the mere example of non-conformity, the mere refusal to bend the knee to custom, is itself a service"
     - John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

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#18 | Back to Top10-20-2012 07:20:47 PM

Juli_Revolutionary_Bat
Wakaba Wrangler
Registered: 10-19-2012
Posts: 13

Re: Nanami's Egg

Hiraku wrote:

There were speculations that Chu-Chu actually died, when Nanami gave birth to a new Chu-Chu.

Remember how Anthy asked Utena at night about "Reincarnation"? And, the expression Anthy shows when Chu-Chu comes back. Kinda down, isn't it?

Do you realy belive that Chu-Chu actualy died and reborn? emot-gonk I´m not sure but i always belive that it was his way of bother Nanami emot-confusedemot-confusedemot-confused


Utena: And someday, together we'll-
Anthy: Someday... together?

Someday together we'll shine.

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#19 | Back to Top10-21-2012 09:56:28 AM

TheOnlyFlorence
Revolution Televisor
Registered: 09-16-2012
Posts: 454

Re: Nanami's Egg

I may hate Nanami with a fiery passion, but this entire psych-trip she takes in this episode is mostly metaphorical (to the best of my knowledge). She's young, and the idea of menarche is alluded to via egg-laying.

It's been a while since I've seen this episode, but I think I remember at least that much clearly. As far as the scheming of Anthy/Chu-Chu, I don't know if I can have much say on that since I don't remember it. emot-frown

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#20 | Back to Top09-08-2013 12:45:40 AM

Flah
Belladonna Buster
From: British Columbia
Registered: 09-05-2013
Posts: 211

Re: Nanami's Egg

Late to the game, but I have to resurrect this thread and write a comment about Nanami's Egg.

I eventually came to the conclusion that it was Touga who planted the egg in the first place, just to mess with Nanami. Throughout the episode, we're seeing things as filtered through her. Everything she sees and hears winds up egg-centric. This, despite the intentions of everyone involved.

Everyone, that is, except for Touga. He says to her, with little room for misinterpretation, that he loves her because she does not lay eggs. It has been a while since I've gone through the series but I recall the lecture as being very specific.

I know, this seems a lot more mundane than Chuchu's reincarnation or Anthy performing her magic but it feels more plausible to me than the other interpretations.


Somewhere, there is an unplugged toaster sitting on a Coleman stove.

Does it feel lonely?

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#21 | Back to Top09-08-2013 03:57:43 AM

Kita-Ysabell
Covert Diarist
Registered: 11-18-2012
Posts: 829
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Re: Nanami's Egg

Flah wrote:

Everyone, that is, except for Touga. He says to her, with little room for misinterpretation, that he loves her because she does not lay eggs. It has been a while since I've gone through the series but I recall the lecture as being very specific.

I believe I remember reading somewhere that "to lay an egg" is an idiom for "to make a faux pas."  So I'm not sure that line indicates that Touga knows anything about it.  I don't think he's above messing with her, but I also don't think that's how he'd go about it.


"Et in Arcadio ego..."

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#22 | Back to Top09-08-2013 04:36:43 AM

Atropos
Atropos Turretslayer
From: Hampden College
Registered: 10-22-2011
Posts: 907

Re: Nanami's Egg

I thought he was interpreting Nanami's "lay an egg" comment as a veiled reference to teen pregnancy. In which case his response would be reasonable-albeit-scummy.

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#23 | Back to Top09-08-2013 04:50:26 AM

crystalwren
Dark Whisperer
From: Brisbane
Registered: 04-21-2009
Posts: 1172
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Re: Nanami's Egg

I'm with Atropos on this one.

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#24 | Back to Top09-08-2013 01:37:38 PM

gorgeousshutin
Bare Footman
Registered: 04-11-2012
Posts: 1325
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Re: Nanami's Egg

I always thought the egg was a bomb (remember Nanami seeing it explode into a fire phoenix?), and the whole thing was Anthy and Chu-Chu's way of 'dropping a bomb/traumatizing revelation' on Nanami, so to speak. 

I also think it was Nanami showing genuine love the the egg that kept it from bombing/seriously hurting her outright.

All of the above is personal canon only, of course.


(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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#25 | Back to Top09-11-2013 01:25:48 AM

icarus
Wakaba Wrangler
Registered: 07-31-2011
Posts: 18

Re: Nanami's Egg

Maybe it's just menses after all.

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