Thanks for posting your initial impressions! I love to read about what new fans see in the show, because often you see things I haven't noticed or thought were important. Please do let us know your thoughts on the next arc, I'd really enjoy reading them

Zerokohai wrote:

Will update with episodes 13 and 14 later today.

Please do! It's been so long since I first watched SKU I hardly remember my initial impressions so it's quite interesting for me to learn about yours.

I reacted to your post, then put my reactions in alphabetical order to avoid spoilers.

"Get used to that."
"Haha, you have no idea how right you are."
"I wonder how long before you stop feeling that way."
"Street Fighter has added characters since the late 1990s?  Damn."
"That's why I love this show!"
"Yeah, get used to that too."
"Yes, but that word means more than one thing."
"You think?" 

I thought Second Impact introduced Lilith. :ducks:

Zerokohai wrote:

Now that I think about it, Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact (Urien's first appearance) came out in 1997, same year as Utena. One year later, Street Fighter Alpha 3 came out, which introduced...Nanami?

(Her name's actually Karin.)

Please do not conflate Karin with Nanami. Karin is a talented, brave, strong, and justifiably self-assured young woman who wrested control of her family's fortune from her asshole father and is the leader and strategist in the plan to take down Shadaloo (the villains) in Street Fighter V. She is everything Nanami is not.

I don't even own the game, though I bought two versions of Street Fighter IV and have closely followed the fighting game tournament scene for years at this point. SFV was released in a terrible state that did not and still does not warrant paying for, and that's outside of the fact I also refuse to pay an extra fee for a console online service on top of my regular internet. I watch the game, but I have no current interest in buying or playing it.

If I were to hypothetically get the game though, it would be between her and Laura, both of whom bear similarities to my beloved and favorite SF character, Makoto.



Them putting her into V might actually convince me to get the game, but as usual they are neglecting her in favor of other much less popular characters.

/offtopic

Last edited by Aelanie (02-25-2017 04:22:57 AM)

Ok, back on topic.

The World Seen from Kozue

So we see the two edgelords again, but don't really learn much more about their cunning plan. Miki seems to have calmed down a bit since we last saw him, but he's clearly still interested in Anthy. Geez, Nanami's got Juri and Miki wrapped around her finger. Seriously, what is up with that stopwatch? It seems Kozue wants to be the centre of Miki's attention, much like Nanami to Touga. Nice YAMAMA piano, by the way. That evening colour scheme looks so nice on Utena, but I can relate to the dread of knowing when exams are. If I haven't mentioned it already, the added drum and bass makes Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku all the more powerful. So now they're emotionally fucking up primary characters to get high quality swords out of them? Hm. What's up with all the jugs on the desks? Ew, Anthy, don't drink from it, you don't know where it's been, or DO you? Man, I hope Utena doesn't do that same backflip into lunge combo every fight this arc. 'I will comfort you'? That sounds odd.

And the next one's a Nanami episode.

The Cowbell of Happiness

Well, this is fucking stupid. At least Nanami and Juri were well dressed. Holy shit, did Utena just body one of those Nanami worshippers in one punch? Side note: when the backgrounds in this show are at their best, they are beautiful, especially the trees for some reason. Just take the damn cowbell off! Yeah, still not liking Nanami any more. Ah, so ChuChu is an onomatopoeia after all? Didn't know that. Wait, Cowstian Dior?

Cowstian Dior.

Fuck this, I'm out.

Zerokohai wrote:

This whole split personality thing that Utena's opponents this arc have going on are very reminiscent of the shadows from Persona.

There is a lot of Persona 4 Shadow-esqueness in the Black Rose duelists!  The chief difference seems to be that in Persona 4 you don't defeat your Shadow, you accept it.  In SKU, you have a girl with pink hair cut it up for you.

In Persona, people feel different after they confront their Shadows.  They don't necessarily feel better -- being forced to look at a part of yourself you don't like sucks -- but they make some kind of peace with their inner demons.  It might be worth watching to see whether Kanae, Kozue, and Shiori give you that vibe, or whether they go back to being mired in the same old hangups.  (I've seen the whole show and I can make a case either way.)

the interrogation shaft of maximum pettiness

Zerokohai wrote:

It seems Akio has a side job as Utena's psychiatrist.

Ah, Akio and his side job. There's going to be a lovely albeit brief conversation on this topic at one point.

Song of a Fallen Kingdom

Ooh, a flashback scene? Wait...Wakaba!? How cruel of Wakaba to take someone else's love letter (?) to read for herself! 'Onion Prince'. How glamorous. Just give her the damn letter back, Wakaba. That smug Utena, hinting at fate like she knows what's going on. I never really made the connection between Wakaba's hair and...onions. I find it a bit creepy of Miki to keep a picture of Anthy with him. 'It's a shame you can't simply change who it is you love.' I feel that on a personal level. And here's head counsellor Akio, once again beset by Utena's worries. Oh, and there's anthy. Haven't seen much of her in a while. I assume 'play it by ear' is code for 'embarrass the life out of Tatsuya'. Very smooth of Utena to shift the focus off her and onto her wingman. God, this show's evening colour schemes are gorgeous. Props to the translators for just not translating the sign inside Utena's locker. (This show, to some extent, could do with a retranslation.) Is that a...smudged smear frame on the shadow play girl's fish? Interesting. Another beautiful song right here (someone please find it!). Jeez, Tatsuya got bodied in one line by Wakaba. Oh, so this is like a secret counselling/brainwashing shaft? I see, I see! Wait, so Souji has no interest in the 'pure'?

WHAT THE FUCK

AND SAIONJI IS IN THE BUILDING

Good thing there was no copy-paste duel this time...but the NEP confirmed Wakaba's next on the chopping block.

No, I am not watching the dub. I figured almost anything dubbed around the late 90s/early 00s should be avoided. That being said, as stated earlier, the sub track has a couple of errors that even I (with limited knowledge of Japanese) noticed.