I don't know if this has been touch upon, but I've always felt there was such a deep quality to SKU, that each episode for me was like studying a film. Are there certain directors that you tend to be reminded of when watching Utena? Do you think it's unintentional or a possible homage?
I always think of David Lynch, Gregg Araki, Ingmar Bergman and Bernado Bertolucci.

David Lynch: all of the mindfuckery abound. The relantionship between Naomi Watts and Laura Harring in Mulholland Drive

Gregg Araki: 90s nostalgic, bright technicolor palette, constant theme of 'The World's End', LGBT teens.

Ingmar Bergman: How I get people to watch SKU. "It's an anime, but it's like you're watching Persona!"

Bernado Bertolucci: Lavish imagery and symbolism, coming of age, complicated and often incestuous relationships found