When I saw the title of this thread, the first thing I thought of was when you mention the Holy Fool was Tripitaka from the series Monkey! a cheezy show about Monkey who was trapped under a mountain until a holy fool priest released him to go on a holy journey to India.  There was also a water demon guy and a pig spirit guy accompanying them.  It has being a cult classic show in Australia since before I was born.  One of the fun facts about this show was that the boy priest was played by a pretty girl which gave the show a strange kind of sexual tention that sshouldn't have been there in the first place.

Some information on Monkey! The TV series

Tamago wrote:

When I saw the title of this thread, the first thing I thought of was when you mention the Holy Fool was Tripitaka from the series Monkey! a cheezy show about Monkey who was trapped under a mountain until a holy fool priest released him to go on a holy journey to India.  There was also a water demon guy and a pig spirit guy accompanying them.  It has being a cult classic show in Australia since before I was born.  One of the fun facts about this show was that the boy priest was played by a pretty girl which gave the show a strange kind of sexual tention that sshouldn't have been there in the first place.

Some information on Monkey! The TV series

Wow... this is the legend of Saiyuki in a nutshell. Also called "Great Journey to the West" It's an old buddhist tale about a priest from China, Beijing in particular who was sent on a journey to retrieve magical scroll's that were stolen from the temple, by three (maybe four...) bodhivistas. On his journey he frees a trapped Monkey King named Son-Goku. Though the priest Sanzo was usually shown to be quite wise and powerful priest, though I believe he did release Son Goku by accident, I don't quite remember the detials about that. Whatever the case, he does meet a wonderfully jovial Water Spirit "Kappa" in Japanese, and a Pig Demon, who is a womanizer. In the end they retrieve the scroll's from those whyo stole them (Don't remember much about that part...) and the four were turned into Bodhivistatas for accomplishing the task. Though the reason he would be played asa girl is quite simply. Sanzo in the legend is said to be quite Bishonen, a young man of... 19? I believe, but anyway I'm sure you can find more information at wikipedia or an encyclopedia, then this review of the legend.

You're very welcome, dear. But one thing comes to mind-- isn't it unconditional love that makes you a Holy Fool? For instance, Jesus was said to have loved the world so much that he gave up his life for it. Utena's only wish was to see Himemiya free, and we have no doubt she would lay down her life for that. Don Quixote loves Aldonza deeply enough to ignore any stain on her character or any slight she may give him. Isn't it possible that unconditional love is what makes one into a Holy Fool-- not in that one is religious or foolish, but that the unconditional love grants one both Holiness (the purity of their desire to love) and Foolishness (the lengths they go to in giving it)?

belladonna wrote:

Yes, you're right. It just...makes me sad...that the world is so stained as it has to be that way; the ones who love so deeply are hurt because of it.

That's why the Holy Fool is foolish. We know better than to try things like that, so we don't do it. The Holy Fool knows better, and then does it anyway. Loving something deeply is bound to hurt you, and anyone sensible knows this, but it takes a very strong person to get past it. Then again, if it didn't hurt to love things, how much worth would love have?

I think the point is that it doesn't have to work out or go well. The Holy Fool would love anyway, even if it didn't. What stops a Holy Fool from being a creepy psycho stalker is the fact that it is love, and that love does what is best, not necessarily what the Fool himself would want. For instance, if it was better for their object of love never to have any contact with them ever again, that's what the Holy Fool would do, even if it hurt like dying. The Fool cares for something more important than his own needs and desires.

I'm not sure if Utena is the Holy Fool here. The Student Council is by far the most quixotic thing in the series. A bunch of overdramatic teens plotting the end of the world, solilquizing about their personal dramas, and all the while doing some of the most ridiculous things in the series. Touga knife-outlining Miki while Juri poured her heart out, Saionji's Joan of Arc rant to Wakaba, Miki thinking he killed Anthy with his demands for curry, etc. Mikage even remarks that the reason he got Saionji back into Ohtori was to provide entertainment due to his foolishness. Next to this crowd, Utena seems almost sane.