I'm aware of this. But for me, Kozue is the moon, and I could ramble on and on about why I believe that if it hadn't been so long since I last thought about it.

Anthy symbolizes the ocean because she's deep and mysterious...and fishy as hell.

A rock, huh?

I'd actually say Akio, he's the one Utena always seems to go to so she can talk about things like Wakaba being super happy or why a sister is a good thing. And he's always there and listens to her. He also always seems strong emotionally, too. And sexually, obviously.

Or maybe Mikage? He listens to people rant on about their worries, too.

As usual, let me riff on this theme instead of addressing it explicitly   What stones would best represent the Seitokai members?

Touga - Diamond.  This one was a no-brainer; not only is a diamond a symbol of wealth, but it's formed when a vein of coal is put under intense pressure for eons.  Touga's pressure is mostly self-imposed, but that's just details.  Going a layer deeper, no natural diamond is flawless, but it's possible to synthesize a flawless diamond; in just the same way, when Touga is at his most flawless, he is also at his most artificial.

Saionji - Cubic zirconia.  It's hard to define Saionji except as a foil to Touga; he sees himself as inferior, doomed to always be second best.  What he doesn't realize is that while cubic zirconia may be less expensive and less "classic" than a diamond, it actually shines with a brighter fire.  Cubic zirconia is not just imitation diamond; it's beautiful in its own right.

Juri - Pearl.  I like Stormcrow's answer too, but the pearl gets at the "water" theme that Juri has going on, and conveys the fact that the beauty of this character comes largely from the complex built around an irritant -- Shiori.  Technically, I think that would make Juri the oyster rather than the pearl, but fuck you.  The way I talk to myself is just adorable, isn't it?

Miki - Amethyst.  Before you crack it open, an amethyst is just an intriguing rock; but when you do crack it open, a forest of crystals glitter inside.  In the same way, Miki is generally an introvert.  You never really find out how special he is until you invite him over to your dorm room (or fuck his sister, a different way of cracking someone open).  Amethyst also conventionally symbolizes thought and the spirit.

Nanami - Coal.  Ugh, I hate Nanami.  She is dirty and she makes me feel dirty.  But there's no denying that she has the potential to become a diamond someday, and based on her idolatry of her big brother, she's headed in that direction.  You can also throw her in a reactor and burn her for power, and I encourage you to do so.

I suppose an argument can be made that everyone on the show can be a rock. You'd have your precious stones, semi-precious stones, shiny rocks, and regular rocks. The Student Council, Utena, et.al. get to be the precious stones, like diamonds, sapphires, and such. I'd put Kozue, Nanami, and Saionji in the semi-precious stone category, agates, obsidian, things like that. Wakaba, Shiori, and Keiko are shiny rocks, and everyone else gets to be a regular rock.

Now, I'm sure you're wondering what the difference is between a shiny rock and a semi-precious stone. For metaphorical purposes, the shiny rocks are simply people who don't realize their value as an individual. They live their lives in someone's shadow and lament their position. Semiprecious stones, however, also live in someone's shadow, but eventually realize that they're just as important as the precious stone they live with.

I know that Touga is winter but the others?

Well, literally every single character has a plant somewhere in their names.  Some have two.  So we could go by plants...

Spring
Utena: "Utena" means "calyx," the part of a flower that underlies the petals and protects the delicate interior workings of the flower.  Sometimes these workings include the base of the stamen -- the flower's male reproductive organ.  Anything to do with reproduction and budding flowers has to be filed under "spring."
Anthy: From "anther," the top part of the stamen.  Reproduction again.
Wakaba: Literally "young leaf," so this one's a no-brainer.
Nanami: The ki in "Kiryuu" names a hardwood tree that buds in spring.  Touga could go here too, but his given name contains a more specific seasonal reference, while Nanami's just means "nut no. 7."
Kozue: Kaoru means fragrant, and kozue means treetop.  Treetops make me think of spring, and plants are most fragrant in spring.
Ruka: Tsuchiya is "soil valley," and the ka of Ruka means fruit.  All spring-sounding, which is ironic since he would've been my easy top pick for autumn.
Kanae: The nae means "sapling."  Nuff said.

Summer
Shiori: The tsuki of Takatsuki names an ornamental tree; Shiori means "branch weave."  No specific seasonal references here, but I'm putting her in summer because "branch weave" suggests full growth to me.
Mikage: "Souji" means "grass time," and I think of grass as a summer plant.  I'm sure different varieties of grass are most prolific in spring, summer, or autumn.

Autumn
Keiko: "Sonoda Keiko" is "garden rice field stalk child."  Enough plants in there?  Anyway, I don't really know when rice's growing season is, but for some reason I want to say autumn, and this category would be empty if not for Keiko, so...

Winter
Touga: Literally "winter bud" -- hence, the love that blossomed in winter.
Miki: Miki means tree trunk.  He should probably go in spring for the same reason I put Kozue there, but the tree trunk makes me think of winter, since in winter that's all that's left of the visible tree.
Tsuwabuki: Means "stone butterbur."  The butterbur is a plant that grows in spring, but is chiefly notable for its roots, which are a symbol of winter to me.  Barren stone is also a winter symbol.

Wikipedia wrote:

A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or crust, which allows hot, molten rock, ash, and gases to escape from deep below the surface.

I think a volcano can symbolize a Black Rose Duelist, or rather, the effect that the Black Rose has on them.

These dormant individuals that the main characters have built their lives on (with Keiko, I think it's more that Touga's built his life on women in general) explode with emotion.

And that flippin' sweet Akio car game reminds me of a game I made up on the way to New York called "Yum." Basically, you look at all the license plates and try to make 69 out of the numbers or somehow relate it to the letters. One of those letter combinations was "FI," because F is the sixth letter in the alphabet and I is the ninth, and it always made me think of Kozue's duel song.

The volcano is Utena, or moreso her presence felt there. Lava ravages and destroys, but it allows new and uncorrupted growth in its wake. Utena slowly diminishes the coffins of the Student Council members, and breaks the corrupted dreams of the Black Rose duelists. In its place, they are forced to rebuild themselves as new people, stronger and more mature. She wipes away Akio's influence and eventually allows regrowth.

As for the red car, I am now officially calling the Pimpmobile.

Once again, I completely forgot that a thread I made existed. This game was better to play in real life, but I can start it up again, if you'd like. (Though if I kill the thread, the game dies with it.)

You can determine whom a cigar would symbolize until I can come up with something better.

I'm going to say Akio as well - cigars are considered to be more sophisticated and alluring than ordinary cigarettes. It could possibily connotate to Akio's 'superiority' to the duelists and people in Ohtori in general, and everyone wants to become like him/be part of his world. It also links in with his adult-ness, the supposed maturity and sophistication, but also the corrupt side of it (smoking looks cool! ...But it gives you lung cancer in the long run.) Cigars are usually linked with wealth and power as well - things that Akio possess (or at least everybody, including himself, thinks he does). Due to these connections, cigars also have a certain sensuality associated with them - this is a jaded view, but sex is all about power - a intergal characteristic of Akio (and Touga, to a lesser extent).

Last edited by randomprojects (12-09-2009 04:29:54 AM)