This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)
Do you have a favorite duel song?? It's hard for me to pick because there's so many epic and amazing ones. Off the top of my head, though, I'm partial to:
Spira Mirabillis Theater, Miki's first duel, EP 5 -- There's just something almost hypnotic and mesmerizing about this song, it draws you right in. I love it. I'm not even that huge a Miki fan (he's alright, just not my absolute favorite) but I love this song. Part of it is the fondness of the memories I associate with it, as this was actually the first Utena episode I ever watched, and it's really great watching in retrospect, when you catch hints of Anthy's little manipulations that you didn't see before.
Virtual Star Embryology, Saionji's third duel, EP 25 -- Love this one, both because it's a kickass song and because of the association of it with such an emotional and touching moment (Anthy starting to connect with Utena) Also, the association with the imagery of the 2nd ED. I almost view this as Utena and Anthy's epic, surreal love song, moreso than do I make any connection of it to Saonji. The version that's played in the 2nd ED, too.
Internal Clock, Municipal Orrery, Akio's duel, EP 38 - Pure badass, how could you not love this one. Makes the final duel all the more epic and intense.
That's the main ones, off the top of my head... I also love pretty much all the Black Rose duel songs.
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I have broken my silence because I can't have a Seazer based thread silent.
All of them are my favourite because of course they are. But The National Compatriots Palace Perspective Guidebook is clearly best. Missing Link has some great moving lines. Angelic Creation Namely Light is also all around amazing, and I suspect one of Seazer's favourites too.
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There's a hint in my signature
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Emerging from the shadows to chime in on this one... as with many it's hard to pick one since they're all great in different ways, but one of my favorites is a bit of an oddball and worth giving some recognition:
"Utopian Past Tense Incantation" from Ep15 - Kozue's Duel. Why? "Ten, two, one, zero... take off!"
...it's also why I named my backup drive Kozue. Because Apple's backup program is called Time Machine... like in her duel song.
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The bad@$$ guitar at the start of Angelic Creation Namely Light snagged me the first time I watched it. Every time I rewatch the duel, those first riffs(?) just make me think of waves of hatred or fearsome will Juri's radiating toward Utena.
There's one part before Internal Clock, Municipal Orrery starts that is just so epic--that is, the moment when Akio dashes forward with his sword, nearly missing Utena's head. And THEN the song goes. It just... it's the final boss theme.
Missing Link is just heartbreaking. I love how layered it progressively gets toward the end of the song.
Last edited by setsujoumayu (01-02-2018 12:06:15 AM)
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Oh man...
I love I Am An Imaginary Body, and I also love the ones from both Juri's duels, Angelic Creation Namely Light and I Am All The Mysteries in Creation, and of course Virtual Star Embriology and Missing Link...
And that one from Wakaba's duel too...
It's so hard to pick one!
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It's definitely hard to pick just one. So many of them are amazing. Angelic Creation Namely Light holds a special place in my heart because, when I first watched the front half of the Student Council Saga at age 13, that was the first duel song that made me realize all the duel songs were different, rather than all being the same like ZUM... Ahaha, I sincerely hadn't noticed that Saionji's two duel songs and Miki's duel song weren't the same.
Beyond that, all the other songs that people have mentioned so far are also favorites. However, that I'm absolutely astonished that nobody's mentioned Magic Lantern Butterfly Moth 16th Century. Well, explicitly mentioned, since there's the one person who said they like all the BRS songs, but still! On that same note, I'm also into Earth is a Character Gallery.
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This is tough, but I'd have to say my favorite is Tainai Tokei Toshi Oruroi. The bells in the background are haunting.
Last edited by Riri-kins (01-29-2018 01:00:10 PM)
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For me, there's only one. It stands head and shoulders above all the others. Its grandiose magnificence is set off by the fact that the on-screen action is closely choreographed to the music, creating a pageantry of sound, images and concepts that can only be called art. The lyrics speak to me of the infinite intricacies of human history, the history of human ideas and aspirations that is resurrected right there, right then, within Utena at that moment...
Yomigaere! Mukyuu no Rekishi "Chuusei" yo.
The infinite history of the Middle Ages. The endless history of human thought and endeavor, with all its victories and failures, triumphs and setbacks. In her eyes, in her hands, in her blood and breath, be reborn.
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Seeing as 80% of what I listen to is JA Seazer, you would have thought I'd have a clear answer to this but I really can't pick a favourite... In terms of the songs as they are played in the series, it's probably the duel version of Virtual Star Embryology (how much arcane cosmological symbolism can ya fit into one song, eh), but beyond that the version of Angelic Creation Namely Light on the ACNL CD and the version of Shura Flesh Constellation of the αψζ Nebula on the Rose Egg Sophia CD both completely take my breath away... They're both just so powerful.. I'm tempted to write a kanji-by-kanji commentary on Shura one day, because I've heard that Seazer's wordplay makes it almost untranslatable and it has such an interesting theme.
(If I mention any more than this I'll list the entire soundtrack)
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RoseandRelease wrote:
the version of Shura Flesh Constellation of the αψζ Nebula on the Rose Egg Sophia CD both completely take my breath away...
OMFG how I forgot to mention Shura??? I absolutely LOVE this one
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Yomigaere! Mukyuu no Rekishi "Chuusei" yo. My second favorite duel song is "Tainai Tokei Toshi Oruroi".
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The songs previously mentioned are all pretty good, so I'll add in the song from the Utena-Nemuro duel also!
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