Am I the only one to consider the fact that the emasculation of Akio and his tower holds more meaning than Ikuhara just not liking him?  If you view the movie as some kind of (albiet very indirect) sequel to the tv series, then I would have to think the point where Anthy tells Akio to "f**k off, I'm doing what I want not" at the end of the tv show probably be the moment where he lost his manhood, and thus he turns into the pansy bitch in the movie.

Because they're in the same color family?

I dunno, I'm at a loss for so much in the movie too. :/

J-Syxx wrote:

Because they were childhood sweethearts.  He's the prince she was referring to who died.  She then forced Juri to take his place as the prince (if I am understanding it correctly).  Apparently, he was two timing her with Utena as well.

Hmm, I never thought that he was two-timing Utena as a kid. Juri's VA, as I understand it, voiced the part of the girl who is drowning, so Juri is the girl drowning(which relates to her sister in the series) and Shiori is the girl in the boat. I always thought it went down like this.

Juri: DROWNING HERE! *glub, glub*
Touga: Oh, no! I'll save you!
Shiori: WHAT?! A hot guy saving Juri?! Why can't it be meeee?! I should be the special one! I steal your soul now!
Touga: *is dead*

Adolescence of Utena - it's like an amazingly beautiful woman you simply don't understand but keep around just to look at.

On another note, the Adolescence of Utena manga makes much, much more sense.  One of these days I need to buy it to finish my Utena manga collection.

angelicreation wrote:

Adolescence of Utena - it's like an amazingly beautiful woman you simply don't understand but keep around just to look at.

On another note, the Adolescence of Utena manga makes much, much more sense.  One of these days I need to buy it to finish my Utena manga collection.

If the movie made perfect, obvious sense, I honestly probably wouldn't enjoy it as much.  Watching it really does not get old.

Giovanna wrote:

This is the topmost movie thread so I post it here. Remember I was talking about HAY THERE WAS A SHOT IN THE TRAILER WHERE MOVIE AKIO AND UTENA WERE IN THE SAME ROOM. It turns out, it's in the DVD extras.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q60/ … IsGood.jpg

Akio sure knows how to show up when someone's half naked.
Of course, THAT Akio is no good. I wonder what would've happened if series!Akio was in the same room with Utena like that.

angelicreation wrote:

Adolescence of Utena - it's like an amazingly beautiful woman you simply don't understand but keep around just to look at.

That notion was candy for my brain, what a beautiful/true way to put it!

Slighty O/T but..regarding the "a-KI-o".
In the very remote possibility that they took it upon themselves to do this it wouldn't really be canon because it was not done in the original Japanese version. I think its just typical "localisation" stupidity that seems inherent in American versions of non-English entertainment.

More than horrible dubbing (which is just a given) one thing that recently riled me was the "editor's" note in the back of the first volume of the English language Utena manga that says something like "There's symbolism packed into every page but you can just ignore all that stuff! It doesn't get in the way of a great story!".




and

Last edited by Nickyhabac (03-02-2009 06:40:01 AM)

The Utena movie is just proof that Ikuhara is constantly trippin'. But seriously, as a PA I've seen weirder movies at film festivals. You either love or loathe experimental films like this. To this day I still don't understand the Shiori butterfly scene and I don't care because it's so awesomely surreal. XD

After spending days meditating on the movie, I believe I've figured it all out. At least, I've figured out what it means to ME.

I'll be posting some stuff in a while, but for the Shiori->Moth scene:

Although they are beautiful, the moths are parasites. They lay their eggs on, and feed on, the cabbages of the field. Shiori is, at bottom, a parasite. She feeds on, and makes use of, those around her. The scene of her becoming the moths in Touga's memory is symbolic of her parasitizing Touga. She wants to use him to attack Juri, and he's agreed to go along with her plans (or so she thinks.)

I once heard Shiori described as "cruelly innocent", and that's the truth. She is vile and evil, but Shiori always, always ends up being used by someone more cunning, whether it be Ruka, Series Akio, or Movie Touga.

Anyway, Ikuhara's commentary supports this. He says that that scene is representative of Shiori's malice and Touga's unhappy childhood memories "blending together". Or in short, Shiori is making use of Touga to achieve her goals...

...but what's really happening is just the opposite. Touga has found a useful tool to advance HIS agenda.

Last edited by Aelanie (03-02-2009 06:54:07 PM)