Anime Report: Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Rose Collection 1 and 2

I find it strange that I haven't posted a book report lately. But then again, my taste in books runs in cycles from light fluffy paperbacks to heavy lifting, and at the moment, it's the heavier stuff I'm turning to. So it might take me a while to get through it, but the book reports will be back.

Until then, on with the movies and the anime!!

OK, Utena is not anime for beginners. Yes, it is by the makers of Sailor Moon. And yes, it is a magical girl shojo, just like Sailor Moon.

For the most part, that is where the resemblance ends.

Utena has elements of existentialism, divinity, gender, fate, love, incest, obsession, sexual awakening, violence, death, identity, the works of Herman Hesse, French theatre, nobility, absurdism -- there's a lot more here than pretty people and magic transformations. My friend Rosebride, who was the one who first introduced me to Utena, claims it can be a religion.

The Rose Collection 1 and 2 encompasses the first 13 episodes of the series, which is the first major arc.

A young girl named Utena loses both her parents. Despondent, she is rescued by a prince, who tells her never to lose her noble spirit and gives her a ring with a rose crest, which he says will someday lead her back to him.

Utena is so impressed by the prince that she decides to become a prince herself.

Years later, Utena is a student at Ohtori Academy, a strange, gothic school dominated by its student council. To defend a friend's honor, Utena challenges the student council vice president (who's also president of the kendo club) to a duel.

This plunges her into the world of the student council, as well as introducing her to the Rose Bride, a shy, abused girl named Anthy who must be engaged to whomever is the current dueling champion.

Utena fights a series of sword duels to save Anthy, who is believed to be the key to a power that can revolutionize the world. But what is the power, and who is the prince?

I have to be in the right mood to watch Utena, because it is so metaphysical. But it's beautiful and romantic and occasionally heartbreaking. Episodes featuring Nanami alternate between humor (where did those chickens come from?) and horror (is there anything she won't do to possess Togua?)

This is also a series you watch more than once -- there is so much there that only repeated viewings can help the viewer reveal the depth of the story.

I'm a fan of anime music videos -- some of them are basic, but others are very well done. This one (another find by Rosebride) explains Utena pretty well.