This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)
Share any special quotes, images, events, episodes, and actions that makes you love our pink-haired professor obsessed with black roses and an adorable Mamiya Spread the love for Souji Mikage/Professor Nemuro
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Introducing a friend to the series, and we just watched his episodes today. The music in them is....guhhh. And it's all so sad and creepy and dramatic.
His elevator ride is wonderful, with the Mamiya from his memories talking to him re-using clips. Yeah, it's probably budget cuts, but it was still cool.
And I liked how his duel was the only one with a very calm, quiet, sad resolution. It really made it all the more disturbing.
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CLARICE REPORTING FOR DUTY, MISTRESS!
...man, this thread just reminds me that I was planning on rewatching a good chunk of the Black Rose Arc sometime soon, as the other day I had a meltdown over something I'd never picked up before. Anthy!Mamiya refers to Mikage only as "sempai," yeah? Never by name? I think that's just interesting in that a) we know by the end of the arc that Mikage isn't his real name and b) Anthy refers to anyone who has "won" her as "[insert subject name here]-sama" and others by differing honorifics...though her most spectacular instances of "sempai" occur when a) Saionji loses her and b) Utena loses her. Quite what I'm driving at with this, I don't know, but it does seem to sit well with Mamiya's reluctance from the very first episode of the Black Rose Arc to be referred to as Mikage's "bride," ha ha ha...
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I'm going to have to mull this over, but I think you're definitely on to something there. It actually reminds me of something Gio, satyr and I were discussing on the way back from NO-- that we can't ever remember Touga calling Akio by anything but 'Rijichou'. I wonder if there's a parallel feeling there? Kind of... like a willingness to follow the rules spliced with contempt? It would make sense in both situations...
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Oh Mikage! I love him to death.
I think one of his best moments is when he tells Utena she's just like him. She could have gone down a darker path if she were more tainted, as he points out. He knows this and embraces his dark side just to hold on to better times and memories. Was it wrong? Yes. However, I don't think he was born bad. He just kind of lost himself after he saw Akio kissing Tokiko.
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Ah, Mikage. He's my favorite character. I couldn't help growing fond of him. I borrowed the entire series from my friend about 10 years ago, but I was just a poor 14 year old back then and couldn't afford the series myself. My mom knew I liked the series and ended up buying me some Utena DVDs for that Christmas, thinking they were the first episodes - but it actually ended up being the Black Rose saga. So for years until I got a job, the only bit of Utena I had access to was the Black Rose saga. XD
Happily, I own the entire series now...but I'm actually glad I ended up with those episodes. I liked Mikage a lot even the first time I watched the series. He's just a really great character, so mysterious! His transformation from Nemuro into Mikage was interesting. He's one of the few Utenaverse boys I like. (I like Mamiya too, but I'm not sure if I should count him, considering. XD But the real Mamiya seemed cute.)
Last edited by HonorableShadow (08-22-2010 10:16:47 PM)
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Thanks to Mikage, we got this wonderful emoticon
No, really. He's my favorite character, both in the manga and in the anime. I just can't find the words to describe why, because I fail at english, but I swear I've got my reasons too. Like, Manet, and black roses, and geyness, and dorkiness, and purple glasses, and poptars.
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HonorableShadow wrote:
(I like Mamiya too, but I'm not sure if I should count him, considering. XD But the real Mamiya seemed cute.)
I LOVE THE REAL MAMIYA. ...or...at least...I love what little we see of him? Hell, one of my favourite analytical things to do in the Black Rose Arc is try and work out when and where we're seeing real!Mamiya, and when it's just Anthy!Mamiya screwing with Nemuro to turn him into Mikage...
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Clarice wrote:
HonorableShadow wrote:
(I like Mamiya too, but I'm not sure if I should count him, considering. XD But the real Mamiya seemed cute.)
I LOVE THE REAL MAMIYA..
C'mon, Real!Mamiya and Tokiko look like Shinji and his mother.
Clarice wrote:
...or...at least...I love what little we see of him? Hell, one of my favourite analytical things to do in the Black Rose Arc is try and work out when and where we're seeing real!Mamiya, and when it's just Anthy!Mamiya screwing with Nemuro to turn him into Mikage...
... the Manet parody scene. IS THAT REAL MAMIYA OR IS THAT ANTHY? I never figured that out.
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Epi_lepsia wrote:
C'mon, Real!Mamiya and Tokiko look like Shinji and his mother.
...MY BRAIN, YOU BROKE IT. (I'm not imagining Gendou!Mikage. I AM FUCKING NOT. )
Epi_lepsia wrote:
... the Manet parody scene. IS THAT REAL MAMIYA OR IS THAT ANTHY? I never figured that out.
I'm fairly certain that's Anthy. I mean, it's the scene that appeared to really tip Nemuro over the edge (I'm reminded of a line from a Garbage song that says "I cracked a pane of broken glass;" if was broken by Tokiko and Akio, Mamiya telling him he wanted eternity cracked him up just that little bit more). Mamiya also hides behind the roses as he speaks, which seems to me a way to hide his identity/what he's really saying, as the real Mamiya may very well have visited Nemuro at that time...and said something completely different. Nemuro's mind then adds the roses to mask the truth, maybe? I also can't remember what Mamiya called him then, but it may have been "sempai" rather than "kyouju," which fits with my confusion above. I need to check this.
Last edited by Clarice (08-23-2010 12:58:02 AM)
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Clarice wrote:
(I'm not imagining Gendou!Mikage.
Silly girl. Gendo is obviously Akio. Rei is Anthy.
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Mikage/Nemuro has opened the door to massive amounts of fodder for analysis of my favorite fictional character ever, who tends to get brushed off as one of the shittiest and most OH NOEZ EBIIL!!! Gundam villains ever by people who aren't me. That alone wins him so many goddamn brownie points
Seriously, you know two characters are a damn close psychological parallel when the thought of shipping them for crack purposes feels like a weird form of self-cest or masturbation, even though said characters look nothing alike and are from completely different shows.
Holy crap essays, I should write them
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Clarice wrote:
...or...at least...I love what little we see of him? Hell, one of my favourite analytical things to do in the Black Rose Arc is try and work out when and where we're seeing real!Mamiya, and when it's just Anthy!Mamiya screwing with Nemuro to turn him into Mikage...
That's an interesting question. I think that everything up until Mamiya changes his mind about not wanting to die is real!Mamiya. After Mamiya decides that he wants to live forever (does he first change his mind in the Manet scene? I can't remember, I need to go back and rewatch) that's probably Anthy!Mamiya messing with Nemuro to get him to burn down the building.
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HonorableShadow wrote:
That's an interesting question. I think that everything up until Mamiya changes his mind about not wanting to die is real!Mamiya. After Mamiya decides that he wants to live forever (does he first change his mind in the Manet scene? I can't remember, I need to go back and rewatch) that's probably Anthy!Mamiya messing with Nemuro to get him to burn down the building.
He first changes his mind in that scene, yes; that's the major reason why I think it's the turning point in Nemuro's perception of Mamiya. I think there are other cues in the scene, but I need to rewatch it to be sure of them. Time, where is some...
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So, bit OT but does anyone else think the idea of AkioXMikage is absolutely delicious? Because holy crap that could entail some marvelous dubcon and power play and manipulation and kinkiness and... excuse me
Also, I really need to rewatch Black Rose so I can finally write this Gundam/Utena essay I've wanting to do for months. I know I'm the only one who'd give a damn, but still at least I'd be putting the idea out there even if no one reads it or cares to.
I should probably shut up about vague Gundam references ya'll don't get, speaking of :|
So yeah, how 'bout them Poptarts?!
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Wow, I leave for college, come back, and see that this Mikage thread is in fulls wing! I am very glad!
I love Mikage, mainly he, too, was the opening reason for me to analyze a fictional character like I never have before at any point in my life. I adore a character that makes me think about his/her motives, reasons, and sanity(?). The Black Rose Saga is the point in Utena where the story really blossoms, like the rose
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Android raptor wrote:
So, bit OT but does anyone else think the idea of AkioXMikage is absolutely delicious? Because holy crap that could entail some marvelous dubcon and power play and manipulation and kinkiness and... excuse me
Also, I really need to rewatch Black Rose so I can finally write this Gundam/Utena essay I've wanting to do for months. I know I'm the only one who'd give a damn, but still at least I'd be putting the idea out there even if no one reads it or cares to.
I should probably shut up about vague Gundam references ya'll don't get, speaking of :|
So yeah, how 'bout them Poptarts?!
AkioxMikage? *blushes and thinks about that for a moment* I just think of a hot, steamy, yet borderline mentally-abusive relationship
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I particulary enjoy Ruka/Mikage.
... what
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Epi_lepsia wrote:
I particulary enjoy Ruka/Mikage.
I like this pairing, too. They can bond over doing crazy things in order to save the people they loved.
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Epi_lepsia wrote:
I particulary enjoy Ruka/Mikage.
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm79 … ammm-1.jpg
... what
*fans myself* @///@ My, my, how did you come across that picture? I, too, enjoy that couple exceedingly
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Epi_lepsia wrote:
Well, I kind of, did it myself
I made a wallpaper out of it, like, years ago, with my favorite sandwich: Ruka/Mikage/Miki
http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/9660 … sa1.th.jpg
And of course this other one
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/5466 … xu7.th.jpg
And this two are new
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm79 … /prev1.png
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm79 … /prev2.png
I think that's all I haven I tend to bully the ones I love.
Have I mentioned that you are utterly and completely awesome! *saves these pictures on my laptop* @w@
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Android raptor wrote:
So, bit OT but does anyone else think the idea of AkioXMikage is absolutely delicious? Because holy crap that could entail some marvelous dubcon and power play and manipulation and kinkiness and... excuse me
I think this is my cue to start a shipwar between Akio/Mikage and Mikage/Utena.
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I don't think our fandom has enough people for a shipping war, let alone a shipping war for such unusual pairings. (For the record, I think it should be a threesome. An Akio sandwich.)
Also, one day I will cosplay Professor Nemuro. If I only do one cosplay ever it will be that one.
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