This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)
Maybe a story where he and Nanami enact gruesome revenge, first on the Kiryuus, then upon Akio himself?
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That sounds a lot like Hard Candy and I'd read the crap out of it.
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I'm going against the flow here. I think that Touga genuinely believes that Nanami will say us to his proposition and will not reject anything he says or does. His expression while Nanami spied on him when he was showering was resentful. If he knew for a fact that she was going to reject him and that'd be that, he would be smug at the idea of yet more display of one upmanship on his part and would be happy that things were going the way he wanted them to. The way he kissed her in the Akiomobile was not a glancing kiss. It was cold and angry. The way he yelled at her, "Isn't this what you want, what you've always wanted?" (apologies for misquote) strongly suggests to me that he genuinely believes that she wants to have sex with him and always had, and that he is angry and disgusted.
It’s pretty obvious throughout the series that he regards her as a toy, a plaything. I wonder if his contempt for her stems from her perceived desire for him. I sincerely doubt that Nanami has ever learned to express affection appropriately in her life, and that Touga on a certain level doesn’t realise that.
Last edited by crystalwren (01-09-2014 02:52:50 PM)
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crystalwren wrote:
If he knew for a fact that she was going to reject him and that'd be that, he would be smug at the idea of yet more display of one upmanship on his part and would be happy that things were going the way he wanted them to.
I'm not sure I see how that would necessarily be the case.
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Atropos wrote:
Maybe a story where he and Nanami enact gruesome revenge, first on the Kiryuus
Oh my, you've just revealed (Seinen Kakumei's upcoming plot), dear fanfic Seer
Or, are there people out there who actually bothered to read (my obscure little Seinen Kakumei Encyclopedia Thread at IRG)?
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I completely agree with Wren's much earlier post about the Kanae/apple scene and episode 33, which Yasha describes perfectly. The only part I can't watch, though, is the scene with child-Touga's molestation/Shiori and the butterflies from the movie. The rest I can handle, but tbh I even fast forward past the relevant OST track when listening to the movie soundtrack, my aversion to that scene is so strong.
The way he kissed her in the Akiomobile was not a glancing kiss. It was cold and angry. The way he yelled at her, "Isn't this what you want, what you've always wanted?"
I feel like I'm probably misremembering something here, but I read the scene differently and I think it had to do with the timing. This is right after Nanami has the Akio & Anthy epiphany, right? For some reason I thought that he didn't really think she wanted him sexually, but instead he (rightly) thought she wanted him as a Very Special Person who she had a Very Special Connection with that was only hers and no one else could hope to gain. Knowing this, seeing her play at being in love with him, and probably knowing she had found out there was actual incestuous sex at her doorstop, I think Touga used her confusion about all of this to push her into "proving" herself to him and to herself - once again - through a duel. My memory for that set of episodes is really bad, though, because they come so close to 33 and I spend a lot of that time with my hands over my eyes, figuratively, asking "is it over yet?". ...So I might have got some details wrong.
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Responding back to older messages:
1) Most disturbing was definitely the Akio/Utena scenes from his perspective... just so shocking. Seeing Utena change, seeing her succumb to him was just utterly disturbing. The entire time you are really rooting for her. You want her to succeed, steal the rose bride, and ride off into the sunset... but then this happens. As the viewer i felt betrayed by her. How could she! Why is she so naïve? Can't she see he's the bad guy! Being forced to witness this happen was just a harsh splash of water to the face for me.
I distinctly remembering wanting to be like Utena. So young and as a tomboy-ish female I related so closely to her. I wanted to help my friends, take care of people, save the day. In my mind she fought for what she felt was right and I felt she was just. Then he takes her soul from her. It was so shocking to who I was and who I wanted her to be. I felt lost and confused watching this unfold. So much of me was getting challenged and my mind was being forced to consider things I had never thought of before. I could go on forever but seeing Utena so delicate and fragile was just a huge mental and emotional shock to me. I could go on...
2) Kittens their little nyans ;~;
3) Anthy / Akio relationship. You always knew something weird was going on, but you didn't really want to accept it... then it is shoved in your face and it is a tough pill to swallow also. I watched this show as a 12 year old as well, this to me just blew my mind. This show had a habit of kicking open doors in my head. I feel like at that age you know sibling relationships are bad, but you aren't aware of why? or even the social connotations associated with it. How much did he have to brain wash her for her to become the rose bride and just accept this fate she was dealt? Was he just a sex crazed guy taking advantage of whomever he wanted? Was he just asserting dominance? Why would he break these boundaries?? Just completely shocking.
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In general it takes a lot of effort to creep me out, so non of the scenes really has an impact on me.
What I find creepy is the whole sense the story leaves in the end, that EVERYTHING was in Akio's mind, or that everyone is actually dead in real life and the academy is just (again) in Akio's mind.
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The scene where Nanami sees Anthy and Akio post-sex and freaks out over it caused me to have to take a break from the series for a bit because I was incredibly disturbed by just how convincingly terrified Nanami was. I am hardly ever freaked out by fiction, so this was something very special.
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Arale wrote:
The scene where Nanami sees Anthy and Akio post-sex and freaks out over it caused me to have to take a break from the series for a bit because I was incredibly disturbed by just how convincingly terrified Nanami was. I am hardly ever freaked out by fiction, so this was something very special.
I concur. The atmosphere, Anthy's blank stare, and Nanami's genuinely disturbed reaction combined to give me the shivers.
Of course, a close second are the hellevator sequences at Nemuro Memorial Hall. "Deeper. Go deeper."
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Flah wrote:
Of course, a close second are the hellevator sequences at Nemuro Memorial Hall. "Deeper. Go deeper."
You know, i love that rewatching this show every time makes you realize how dumb you were the first time you watched it. Again, it didn't help my first watch was when i was 12 years old, there abouts? So.. Deeper has a whole new meaning to a 26 year old... <wanders off in thought>
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The moment Anthy's body fades away. The way her eyes vanish and all, actually gave me the creeps.
I didn't even notice the other "shocking" moments mentioned here (in retrospective there are some rather disturbing scenes if you consider the age of the charakters). I couldn't stop giggling when I saw utena's "defloration" (was it even her first time? I do not remember) to be honest. I can't even say why, but I found it hilarious.
I need to rewatch the show some time.
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