This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)
So I got my newest issue of AI today. As I was reading it, I stumbled upon the usual casting call page.
OMG!!!
SKU!!!
Though I disagree with some of their picks, you know that I just had to post them here :tongue:
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1. Scarlett Johansson as Utena Tenjou
Artical: Can Johansson go from Girl with a Pearl Earring to girl with a rose crest ring? Utena is a bold woman and a strong protector who stands up for her friend Anthy's personal freedom. Scarlett's got the spunk to take this part.
BRV's opinion: Nah. Pick someone else. Simple as that.
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2. Parminder Nagra as Anthy
Artical: Nagra might have to tone it down from the activist she played in Ella Enchanted, but she's got the control to do so from her stint as Viola in a TV adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
BRV's opinion: This could work, perhaps.
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3. Kristin Bell as Juri
Artical: Bell's exstensive experience in high school dramas like Vironica Mars and Gossip Girl combined with her prim looks and witty tongue to make her a lock to play Juri, the top duelist with a dark secret.
BRV's opinion: Well, if you just can't find anyone better, I suppose she would do.
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4. Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Touga Kiryuu <------- ((Didn't we cast him as Saionji once before? <_<))
Artical: Who better to play the cruel playboy with the gorgerously long red hair than the sexy star of Vanity Fair, which even gave him a familiarity with a sword? No one, that's who.
BRV's opinion: Uh....undecided.... Meh.
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5. Sendhil Ramamurthy as Akio
Actical: Smart is sexy -- and the devious mastermind villain Akio is both, using his charms agaist even Utena herself. Heroes' Ramamurthy displays his own brains as scientist Mohinder.
BRV's opinion: HELLZ FRICKIN' YEAH!!!
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I felt slighted when they didn't have picks for Saionji, Miki, Nanami, and Wakaba, but how could they not have included Chu-Chu?!?!?!?!?! Unforgivable!!! >.< >.< >.<
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Pssh. Chu Chu will probably be done via CGI.
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5. Sendhil Ramamurthy as Akio
Actical: Smart is sexy -- and the devious mastermind villain Akio is both, using his charms agaist even Utena herself. Heroes' Ramamurthy displays his own brains as scientist Mohinder.
Who called it?
I called it.
Fuck yeah.
[And also OMG OMG OMG OMG !!!!!!!!!!!!]
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The majority of those are horrible picks, for one simple reason...are any of them the right age? Utena is supposed to be fourteen. I mean, you can stretch it a bit, but Scarlett playing a 14-year-old would still seem pretty unrealistic. And her onscreen persona is not compatible in the least with Utena. It seems more like they took random Hollywood favorites and shoved them into the roles.
Although I don't know if she'd have the emotional range to do some of the roles, I could see Brittany Snow doing a decent Nanami.
Someone also brought up Ellen Page as Shiori, with which I wholeheartedly agree.
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Having seen Meyers in The Tudors, I agree he could probably pull off Touga, but he really does have more of an angry menacing look about him that makes him more of a natural Saionji. Or I'm crazy for connecting the whore king with Saionji before Touga. Just something about how the character is presented in the show, probably.
As for Sendhil Ramamurthy, if the forum were The Colbert Report, there would be balloons and lights flashing because we totally called it.
Edit: Someone spam pictures so I can look at his glorious ass some more.
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Hell yez! Who said there are no such things as miracles? Because this IS a friggin miracle!
But don't make Nanami from HER. I must see, how the castle in the sky will be done! And I wonder if Akio will do his famous car jump live
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For you, Gio.
And a little bit for me. Mmmm.
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I call Anne Hathaway as either Utena or Juri! How awesome would that be?
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Assuming we're jacking up all the ages for various reasons, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Keiko.
Yes, I just cast Keiko. That one.
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Decrescent Daytripper wrote:
Assuming we're jacking up all the ages for various reasons, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Keiko.
Yes, I just cast Keiko. That one.
I just looked her up...and WOW,she would be perfect for Keiko.
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James Mcavoy, Children of Dune's Leto Atreides 2 as Ruka. He's already played a dangerous character who uses an elaborate and risky plan to ultimately help people.
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Scarlett Johansson doesn't really have the right body type. I know no one in rl is as freakishly tall and skinny as the Utena cast, but you'd have to pick somebody really lithe and athletic for Utena at least, Scarlett's beautiful but she's too curvy.
I can kind of see Anne Hathaway, for some reason though.
That aside, I really think it would be futile to make a live-action Utena (unless it's Takarazuka, of course ), especially w/ a Hollywood cast. Among other reasons, the characters in Utena are just too good-looking to be portrayed by real-life people. XD
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I think unknowns would be best for Utena and Anthy. And they need to be young, otherwise the whole adolescent theme doesn't work. Parminder is too old and Scarlett doesn't look the part. They need waif, but still athletic.
Actually, I would flip Kirsten and Scarlett. Scarlett as Juri and Kirsten as Utena could work really well.
And omg! Zac Efron as Miki! Except not. Lol. He and Saionji are hard to say.
Brittany Snow would make a great Nanami. Ashley Tisdale could work too. (Quiet, you. I'm a fan.)
JRM definitely does sex kitten well. He'd be an interesting Touga.
And omg, hells to the yes on Sendhil.
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