Revolutionary Girl Utena/YMMV: Difference between revisions
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* [[Adaptation Displacement]]:
** This wiki used to have this series listed as [[Anime First]] because Chiho Saito was the last member to join Be-PaPas—which may be true, but the manga was being published several months before the anime started airing, which is referenced by Saito-sensei in the early volumes. It's also worth noting that many tropes that are deconstructed in the anime series are played much straighter in the manga.
** Many people have only seen the (very wildly alternate universe) film version, partly because it's easier to find on torrent sites and partly because it was the only version released in places like the UK
** The series was partly based on the novel ''Demian'' by [[Hermann Hesse]], which most anime fans wouldn't know because it's never mentioned ANYWHERE EVER. Particularly, the egg speech is a direct reference
* [[Alternative Character Interpretation]]:
** [[Fan Dumb|Some fans]] view Akio as {{spoiler|as much a victim of circumstances as Anthy}}. If applied in fanfiction, this usually results in him getting the [[Draco in Leather Pants]] treatment.
** And let's not get started on {{spoiler|Anthy}}, who can be seen as anything from [[The Woobie|the most pitiable character most deserving of love and acceptance]] to a [[Complete Monster]] who [[Karma Houdini|didn't get NEARLY what was deserved]], or even [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds|a bit of both]]. And it's been said that {{spoiler|Anthy}} in many ways is something of a mirror to the audience, and that how individuals see the character reflects their own viewpoint, which ''also'' happens in series. The fourth wall sure is flexible in ''Utena''.
** The different versions themselves have been claimed to be alternate interpretations of ''Utena'', with the manga as Chiho Saito's vision, the movie as Kunihiko Ikuhara's vision, and the TV series as a compromise between the two; there's also the manga adaptation of the movie, which is Saito's own spin on it, and the light novels, which were written by someone else entirely. Characterisation varies wildly between all these versions, to the point where the differences between portrayals of any given character can be quite jarring.
** And just to prove once again how flexible the fourth wall is in ''Utena'', the Akio that wants to keep Anthy in the academy's world in the movie {{spoiler|is Anthy's own [[Alternative Character Interpretation]] (of sorts) of the real guy that died ages ago. Something similar seems to be the case with Touga
* [[And the Fandom Rejoiced]]: When the series and film were relicensed by Right Stuf for a new DVD release in 2011, quite a few sighs of relief could be heard from fans who had not been able to purchase the old DVDs. And from those who ''had'' been able to purchase the series before, but found Central Park Media's releases to be sub-par, Right Stuf's relicensing of the series came with the announcement that they'll be using the remastered video from the Japanese rerelease of the series.
* [[Awesome Music]]: ''Many'' of the duelling themes, plus a good chunk of the movie soundtrack.
* [[Base Breaker]]: Anthy, Anthy, ''Anthy''... see [[Alternative Character Interpretation]] above and [[Internet Backdraft]] below for the details. Also, depending on what part of the fandom you're looking at, Touga can be anything from an over-princified [[Draco in Leather Pants]] to a much-loathed [[The Scrappy|Scrappy]].
* [[Complete Monster]]: ''Akio
* [[Crack Pairing]]: Miki/Juri has some vocal fan support. As far as crack pairings go, this is a somewhat reasonable one (the characters interact on a regular basis, move in the same social/extracurricular circles, and, of the Student Council members, seem to get along the best). What makes it ''crack'' is Juri's canonical lesbianism (at least in the series; she teases him in the movie and is straight in the manga).
* [[Cry for the Devil]]:
* [[Ear Worm]]: The opening song "Rinbu Revolution
* [[Ensemble Darkhorse]]: Juri is one of the most popular characters by far.
* [[Evil Is Sexy]]: Akio.
* [[Fan Wank]]: There's a small group of people who think ''every single thing {{spoiler|that Anthy}} does in the series'' is manipulative and for ulterior motives. {{spoiler|Yes, even getting (re-)stabbed with a million swords in the last episode. Yes, even when Anthy disappears behind the coffin and reaches out for Utena's hand. All this is supposed to be an act to make Utena feel sorry for her so Anthy can have a prince to manipulate forever so the Rose Bride can finally leave Ohtori
** Don't forget the speculation that {{spoiler|young Anthy rapes young Dios in flashblack, simply due to the fact that the two of them take shelter in a barn (as per the English double-entendre "rolling in the hay"). Supporters of this particular [[Epileptic Trees|Tree]] insist that Anthy was waiting for the "perfect moment" to "taint" her brother and "claim him for herself", forgetting that this is the same Anthy who took thousands of stab wounds to keep him, and neglecting to explain at all why anyone (much less a small girl) would stop to rape their older brother when being chased by a sword-wielding mob
* [[Faux Symbolism]]: Various weird visual cues, the most common being rotating stylized roses, which don't appear to have any particular meaning. Ikuhara doesn't help
* [[Freud Was Right]]: Lots. Take Akio's car for example. Or his tower, or his projector, or... let's just say Akio provides the majority of this.
* [[Growing the Beard]]: The first arc is fairly generic and lighthearted, and despite common mentions of End of the World, it hardly feels like a massive shadow is looming in the background. In the Black Rose arc, however, things get a lot more [[Darker and Edgier|sinister]] and [[Mind Screw|weird]].
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* [[Internet Backdraft]]: MULTIPLE.
** Say that you do NOT necessarily think ''Utena'' is the most important, groundbreaking, perfect, complex and '''''unique''''' [[Shoujo]] series ever. Prepare to be slain by the ''Utena'' fandom.
** Try bringing up the '''four''' different ''Utena'' canons: the TV series, the manga by Chiho Saitou, the ''Adolescence Mokushiroku'' movie
** We also dare you to ever insinuate you don't ship Utena/Anthy. The Utena/Anthy rabid fans will tear you alive and accuse you of being an homophobe, regardless of your stance on LGBT rights on [[Real Life]]. On the other hand, referring to ''Utena'' as a yuri series can be controversial in itself, depending on which corner of the fandom you're looking at.
** Speaking of LGBT matters, discussing the characters' sexual orientations can be a messy affair. (Is Utena straight, bisexual or lesbian? Is Touga straight or bi? Could Shiori ever reciprocate Juri's feelings for her? And so on.) Wherever you stand, blood is gonna fly.
** Anthy Himemiya herself is the biggest [[Base Breaker]] in the fandom. There's '''''no''''' middle ground on a character as complex as she is, specially on
** Do ''not'' bring up a certain scene from episode 33 on Tumblr. You'll regret it.
** If you say you like ''[[Mawaru Penguindrum]]'' better than ''Utena'', you shall be marked for a painful death.
* [[Iron Woobie]]: Utena. She gets hit with a lot of manipulation and betrayal over the course of the series, but still manages to rise up again every time.
* [[Jerkass Woobie]]:
** Mikage cruelly used the Black Rose Duelists (many of them were very troubled kids who desperately needed outlets and support
** Nanami qualifies ''big time'' by episodes 31 and 32. She's such a terrible, obsessive, yet ultimately ''pitiful'' little bitch.
** Shiori, what with her whole inferiority complex driving her to lash out at those around her because she thinks no one could possibly genuinely like her. ''Then'' being humiliated by Ruka, the first person to make her feel, for once, good about herself.
** Really, nearly ''everyone'' can fit here to one degree or another, barring [[Complete Monster|Akio]] and those characters who are already [[The Woobie]]. 90% of the cast is violently off their rocker. [[Love Hurts|Good luck]] [[Dark and Troubled Past|holding it]] [[Unwitting Pawn|against them]].
* [[Launcher of a Thousand Ships]]: Name one major character who is not
* [[Magnificent Bastard]]: Akio, also a [[Manipulative Bastard]]. Touga aspires to be like him. Ruka tries to be one for {{spoiler|altruistic}} reasons. Saionji tries as well... and [[Smug Snake|fails miserably
* [[Misaimed Fandom]]: Those who think Anthy is nothing but a [[Damsel in Distress]] forget {{spoiler|her convoluted machinations and deep resentment of humans in general}}. Those who think Anthy is nothing but a [[Wicked Witch]] forget that {{spoiler|fear and anger is likely going to be the typical reaction of a person stabbed by a million swords and faced with eternal torture}}. Both of these viewpoints are also represented in-universe as well by different characters, indicating that they knew full well how people were probably going to react to her.
* [[Narm]]:
** '''The Movie'''
** Shiori-car's appearance in the movie, where she says, in so many words, "You think you'll get away because Utena's a car? Well ''I'm a car too!'' Mwahahaha!"▼
▲*** Shiori-car's appearance
**** Add the fact that the seats of Shiori-car are ''pink and frilly''.
** Also from the movie: Akio scooting across the bonnet of a car on his butt. ''Twice''. With a ''sparkly sound effect'' the second time round. [[Narm Charm|It's actually]] [[Crowning Moment of Funny|pretty hilarious]].
** In the movie, while {{spoiler|Akio's death}} is supposed to come off as dramatic, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120726070234/http://bewareohmortalsouls.tumblr.com/post/19157571494/minty-arisato-u-ok-akio-i-would-kill-for-a some people found it extremely hilarious], as evidenced by Jesuotaku and Oancitizen's co-op review of it and the photoset linked here.
*** Kozue and Anthy's car scene in one episode is kind of funny since out of nowhere Kozue appears to start seducing Anthy, inappropriately right during Miki's and Utena's duel.
▲*** In the movie Utena out of nowhere turning into a car is both this and [[Narm Charm]].
*** Shiori-car's appearance in the movie, where she says, in so many words, "You think you'll get away because Utena's a car? Well I'm a car too! Mwahahaha!"
*** Also from the movie: Akio scooting across the bonnet of a car on his butt. Twice. With a sparkly sound effect the second time round. It's actually pretty hilarious.
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