Revolutionary Girl Utena/YMMV: Difference between revisions

** 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. (And, okay, it's known for its [[Fan Service]] as well.)

* [[Adaptation Distillation]]: The movie manga is arguably this for, well, the actual movie.

* [[Alternative Character Interpretation]]:

* [[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]].

* [[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.

** 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 {{spoiler|her relationship with Akio}} and {{spoiler|her stabbing Utena at the end}}. Is she a person who is broken beyond belief after {{spoiler|a millenia of pain and abuse}}, or a [[Manipulative Bitch]] who played everyone as fools as {{spoiler|either her revenge for said millenia of pain and abuse, or as her way to grasp power for herself and torture everyone (Akio included)}}? Either way, don't ask: the mere mention of Anthy can send everyone into hategasms or lovegasms.

** Do ''not'' bring up a certain scene from episode 33 on Tumblr. You'll regret it.

* [[Jerkass Woobie]]:

** Mikage cruelly used the Black Rose Duelists (many of them were very troubled kids who desperately needed outlets and support - he listened to them, and then manipulated their feelings to recruit 'em), but his past was really heartbreaking.

** 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. (Example: Touga. There's Touga/Utena, Touga/Saionji, Touga/Nanami, Touga/Akio, Touga/Miki, Touga/Juri... Touga/Anthy is a bit of a stretch, but it still exists.)

* [[Magnificent Bastard]]: Akio, also a [[Manipulative Bastard]]. Touga aspires to be like him. Ruka tries to be one for {{spoiler|altruistic}} reasons.

* [[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.

** 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]].

* [[Narm Charm]]: The [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLQY9r1VPcM opening] for the ''Utena'' Sega Saturn game. Some may want some [[Brain Bleach]] for it, though.

* [[Real Women Never Wear Dresses]]: Both in the fandom and Deconstructed in the series. Some people hate Anthy because she's a weak, outwardly emotionless doll who claims to have no opinions outside of the Victor's whims. Others hate Anthy because they think she's ''too'' powerful and manipulative and evil. And some just hate her because she gets to sleep with Akio, and they don't. Interestingly, all the kinds of Anthy-haters in the fandom are present in the story: Saionji hates her because he thinks she's not obedient enough. (Well, he loves her too, but beats her often enough to make ya wonder.) Juri and Kanae feels threatened both by her [[Extreme Doormat]] persona ''and'' the fear that she might be more sinister, and several of the Black Rose Duelists envy her for "being loved" and "stealing their love interests". Then there's Akio, who needs to keep "his woman" under his control in order to keep playing the [[Big Bad]] of the show...Ikuhara really knows how society views feminine archetypes, and those views are reflected even in the Utena fandom.

** It's not just the haters; it's her fans too. Some fans, like the characters Miki or at first, Utena, see her as a classic [[Damsel in Distress]] archetype for them to rescue/defend on the forums in order to boost their own egos. However, it should be noted that people who view Anthy as such are much rarer than the Anthy-Is-Satan-Fan, because the series does eventually make clear that Anthy is most definitely not an emotionless doll.

* [[Viewer Gender Confusion]]: Yes, Miki is a guy, regardless of his [[Cross-Dressing Voices|incredibly feminine]] [[Aya Hisakawa|voice]].

* [[Villain Decay]]: In spite of most of its members being manipulative and abusive, the Student Council become more benign and even sympathetic as the series progresses. Though they're still all pretty [[Royally Screwed-Up]].

* [[The Woobie]]:

** Oh, ''Anthy''.