Here goes:

1: Yes and no. My impression was that Anthy was always in pain, but it either went up or down, or her awareness of it did. But I don't think she was ever free of it during the show.

2: That seems likely. Kind of depressing to think otherwise really...

3: Now this one is hard to answer. It depends on how you see Anthy's circumstances. Was she being punished? By whom? For what? And what was really missing that kept her trapped in that coffin? There are multiple ways to answer these questions, and they all change the answer to your question. My own interpretation goes something like this: Anthy was punishing herself for corrupting Dios. She didn't make the swords, but she chose to keep getting hit by them endlessly to preserve the fairy tale part of her history with Dios. She does this because she can't accept a reason to stop. Even though her ideal is unimaginably painful for her, she can't bring herself to believe in anything else, so the swords of hate are better than complete nihilism. But in Utena, she finally sees a reason to live that she can accept in place of being the rose bride, and so she can leave her coffin, abandon the fairy tale, and go out and live a new life. She chooses to go looking for Utena. Other people no doubt have very different interpretations though.

Levi wrote:

I have been rewatching Utena, and I have some questions I hope you all may be able to answer.
1. Is Anthy constantly in torment, like when she's in school, sitting in class, she's secretly crying from pain?
2. When Anthy was saved by Utena, will the swords of hate no longer impale her, and she won't be in pain all the time?
3. How exactly was Anthy saved by Utena? Was it becuase Utena was a "prince Anthy could believe in"?
Thanks!! (:

oooh great questions none of which I can honestly answer u__u

1. hmmm, well I'd like to say yeah. There's  this definite opposing figure of Anthy in 'actual' reality contrasted by Anthy within Ohtori campus society. We know she can pull on many masks, it wouldn't be a problem for her to hide that pain.

2. IDK >_< I just kind of figured they were gone... u__u

3. I'd like to believe that. The thing is though there wasn't complete honesty between the two, even on Utena's part. I feel that there was something else added to that. Like in the end how Anthy left in search of Utena, my question always was "Is that because Anthy believes she can be a Prince and pursue her own destiny instead of waiting for someone else to fulfill it for her?"

I hope my two pennies can be at least a bit helpful ^____^

Melancholic_Soul wrote:

spoon-san wrote:

Yes and no. My impression was that Anthy was always in pain, but it either went up or down, or her awareness of it did. But I don't think she was ever free of it during the show.

I agree with this and you said it better than I could without rambling on.

Oooooh. Like the swords represented the memory itself, and things that reminded her of it brought on the pain.

I think that is a good interpretation.  It never really occurred to me before. 

Now this one is hard to answer. It depends on how you see Anthy's circumstances. Was she being punished? By whom? For what? And what was really missing that kept her trapped in that coffin? There are multiple ways to answer these questions, and they all change the answer to your question. My own interpretation goes something like this: Anthy was punishing herself for corrupting Dios. She didn't make the swords, but she chose to keep getting hit by them endlessly to preserve the fairy tale part of her history with Dios. She does this because she can't accept a reason to stop. Even though her ideal is unimaginably painful for her, she can't bring herself to believe in anything else, so the swords of hate are better than complete nihilism. But in Utena, she finally sees a reason to live that she can accept in place of being the rose bride, and so she can leave her coffin, abandon the fairy tale, and go out and live a new life. She chooses to go looking for Utena. Other people no doubt have very different interpretations though.

Actually that makes a great deal of sense.  Anthy's self-image is that of the Rose Bride and Akio is also the one who encourages this notion hence why Anthy plays by the rules and never gives in to her own will nor leaves Ohtori.  But Utena seems to awaken the part of Anthy that is not tainted by the swords (or has a self-image that is one she held before she was first pierced by the swords hence why the voice of child Utena is first heard to signify Anthy recovering a purity and innocence that was lost after her decision to become the Rose Bride, adopting the world image and self-image of the witch.  But Utena instead saw Anthy as another girl, a normal girl, despite the duelists and students seeing Anthy as a creep, as a doormat, so I think opening the Gate to awaken the beautiful and innocent part of her represents awakening that self-image which allows Anthy to reject her former self-perception and thus be free of that identity (represented by leaving behind her lackluster physical image and leaving Akio, Ohtori, and all associated with that former sense of self.).

Levi wrote:

I have been rewatching Utena, and I have some questions I hope you all may be able to answer.
1. Is Anthy constantly in torment, like when she's in school, sitting in class, she's secretly crying from pain?
2. When Anthy was saved by Utena, will the swords of hate no longer impale her, and she won't be in pain all the time?
3. How exactly was Anthy saved by Utena? Was it becuase Utena was a "prince Anthy could believe in"?
Thanks!! (:

1. Not entirely. I think the swords manifest more often as emotional pain than physical, and in the only times they do manifest as such the swords materialize as tangible objects. (In my personal opinion, anyway.) Like during the earring scene, (if I'm remembering it correctly) the swords appeared when Anthy was in emotional pain, but did not actually physically manifest. Then when the scenes where there is mention of Anthy "deserving/wanting her burden", they almost unfailingly show up as actual pieces of metal impaling her.

2. No, then the entire series would be for naught D: I think Utena took the swords instead, though what that implies for the post-series is rather bleak-if not very intriguing...

3. Utena fought to save Anthy, even when it seemed completely hopeless (like going against a magical weapon with a bokken, for example) no matter what it cost her, and despite the fact that Anthy really didn't believe in her (knowingly and whole-heartedly) until the very, very end. When Anthy finally does accept Utena as her prince, that's when she's saved. Well, to a point-Utena merely opens the door, and Anthy must walk through it on her own. Albeit this comes about as a result of Utena's sacrifice, and then the swords move on to destroy the new prince, but in the world of fanfiction it tends to work out anyway

Just my thoughts, hope it helps and sorry for the rambling.