^ I wonder how the hell Saionji got in then. Kendo scholarship?

Nanami's first duel episode has a flachback to her and Touga's (adoptive) parents. Maybe it's just me but I got this implication that Touga was the favorite, and Nanami was aware of this. Of coure since's it's Nanami we're talking about, it's possible that's only how she remembers it.

Wow, I can't believe I never noticed, but the dress that chibi-Utena wears in the opening flashback in the series is the same dress that movie!Anthy wears in the scene (around minute 26) where Akio is explaining to Touga over the phone about how the mob stormed the castle Now that's an interesting parallel.

So, like, five seconds ago I was thinking about Mikage's secretary's outfit, and how the colors were a darker version/inverse of Anthy's outfit when she left Ohtori, then checked up on it and realized I was wrong, she was wearing (including the oddly large, suitcase) all the colors of a Black Rose Duelist - dark, royal blue, white, and a deep magenta.  Not to mention it bears a striking resemblance to Tokiko's color scheme and the dark blue dress suit she wears when she returns to Ohtori, including a similar white, square purse.  Neat.

I actually thought the secretary was Tokiko for a while because they look so close.  She's not Tokiko, but the resemblance is clear, and I think we're supposed to be confused, since the real Tokiko is prowling around campus at about that time.

I thought that was a very interesting little detail. Mikage was desperately trying to recapture his past obsession. As Akio noted, his unwillingness to develop is what turned him into a phantom. The secretary had obviously been charmed by him - possibly in love. But perhaps when he switched his attentions to Utena as the new incarnate of Tokiko, his interest in manipulating her waned. Whatever the explanation, her resemblance Tokiko certainly wasn't an accident.

OnlyInThisLight wrote:

Katzenklavier wrote:

I actually thought the secretary was Tokiko for a while because they look so close.  She's not Tokiko, but the resemblance is clear, and I think we're supposed to be confused, since the real Tokiko is prowling around campus at about that time.

I thought that was a very interesting little detail. Mikage was desperately trying to recapture his past obsession. As Akio noted, his unwillingness to develop is what turned him into a phantom. The secretary had obviously been charmed by him - possibly in love. But perhaps when he switched his attentions to Utena as the new incarnate of Tokiko, his interest in manipulating her waned. Whatever the explanation, her resemblance Tokiko certainly wasn't an accident.

I love that secretary.  Just flippantly telling her ex-employer that he's a cold-hearted child-molester.   Ah, so many bosses I would love to tell off.

Mikage is interesting that way, isn't he?  If you told Saionji off like that, he'd belt you.  Touga wouldn't even scowl, but he'd say something back to communicate his indifference.  Akio would just smile and say something that hurt much worse.  Mikage, though... he's the interesting one.  He doesn't just throw around physical or verbal violence.  You can tell him exactly what a shit he is and he'll just ignore you.  Mikage's violence is surgical and professional, and he only uses it when there's something specific he wants to accomplish.  He's a scary guy.  Even if she knew that he wouldn't react, his secretary had some balls to stand up to him.

Something else I've notice is that (in the movie) we never get to hear Utena call Himemiya by her name, Anthy. But Anthy says Utena's name the whole movie.

Last edited by teyhy (04-17-2011 08:01:34 PM)

teyhy wrote:

Something else I've notice is that (in the movie) we never get to hear Utena call Himemiya by her name, Anthy. But Anthy says Utena's name the whole movie.

You know interestingly, in the episode where Utena faces off against Wakaba, that was the ONE time Utena blurted, "Anthy, I can't do it." I think it really reflects her inner state of panic when seeing her best friend holding a sword against her.

Also, I believe that Utena was able to enter the Ohtori academy, if we follow the manga's first volume as canon, that she had relative to pay her way. In the manga, though, it was stated that she received letters that led her to Ohtori. In the anime, she stated that she never received any letter, I believe.

I wish they hadn't changed that.  It might have been an editing mistake, but I think they should have just gone with it and let people speculate.  It's more interesting that way.  That part where she calls Anthy by her first name instead of Himemiya was always one of my favorite little moments.  Ah well, I still have my regular DVDs..I can always pop them in instead of the remastered ones for that ep if I'm that desperate.

(In my fanon, at least) the film takes place after the series so she'd probably be a few years older both literally and psychologically.

At 0:31 with Akio looking at a naked Utena I wonder how that scene was going to play out

Perhaps it was going to serve as an alternate transition; rather than zooming in on the paintings in the background, we would have seen the scene slowly take shape starting with Akio staring at a naked Utena, with her being replaced in a cut away with Anthy, or some such thing like that. Perhaps it was dropped because it created too close of a connection between Akio's and Anthy's behavior?