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←Previous Post -- Next Post→ Duel 14 -- The Boys of the Black Rose Or: Now The Game Truly Begins I alluded to wanting to talk about how stories “become immortal” last week, though, within the context of that post, there was probably a bit too much emphasis on “getting retold a bunch of times,” which, okay, that is a thing that happens to “immortal” stories, but it feels to me like that should be a product of said “immortality,” not the cause of it. I’m also not entirely sure that Revolutionary Girl Utena would even qualify for that sort of thing. I mean, it’s good (I wouldn’t be talking about it if it wasn’t), and it’s left an impact (see the previous post where I talked about the various media referencing it), but, like, most of Be-Papas has worked on more well-known things. So, instead of waxing lyrical on how Utena telling and retelling the same story in every form it takes (outside of After the Revolution, which, uh, is after the story (and not officially in English for a few more months)) inherently makes it memorable in the same way reusing shots like Miki’s watch or (as we’ll see) Souji Mikage’s seminar makes those shots memorable, let’s just go through and talk about some of the elements the main canon (manga, anime, and movie) use in their adaptations. I’m focusing on the Student Council arc here, partially to avoid spoiling people following along and partially because after that the stories diverge wildly. The Black Rose arc is confined to a manga side-story and only gets a visual reference in the movie, and the Apocalypse arc, being the story’s conclusion, relies on how each adaptation presents its ideas and so are rather distinct from each other. The most obvious is Saionji. It isn’t always Wakaba’s letter that spurns Utena onwards, but he is always abusive to Anthy and a jerk besides. Utena always challenges him with a weapon inappropriate to face the Sword of Dios (kendo sword or rake, really), and Saionji always loses. Miki, meanwhile, always has Kozue ruining his dating life, though to what extent depends on where you see him. Touga, too, has different reasons for pining for Utena, and when he exactly started gets changed around as well. The most interesting case, I think, is Juri, because she is wildly different. We’ve seen how she is in the anime, pining after Shiori at a distance and having an on-off relationship with miracles, and while that still exists in the movie, she also takes a few swipes Miki’s direction, and in the manga, she completely absorbs Nanami’s role as Touga-obsessed, becoming jealous of Utena when Touga gets too close. Nanami is practically anime-only, only getting visual cameos in the other two versions, and the movie’s is more like a gag than an actual appearance. Chu-chu’s appearance in the movie is similar, but he gets a whole side-story in the manga that doesn’t appear anywhere else. That leaves us with Anthy and Utena, who, like Juri, also have a relationship that varies between adaptations. There’s always the “Why don’t you have more friends?” portion of the relationship, but where it goes from there really depends. This seems, in fact, to have been a point of contention between Chiho Saito and Kunihiko Ikuhara, with the former arguing against a less ambiguous resolution (though she seems to have walked this back later). This may also be because, well, their relationship is the focus of the story, so if each version is already drawing its own conclusions, it stands to reason it would also apply to the characters themselves. I’m character-focused here mostly out of habit. Because they’re, you know, the primary method the story uses to tell itself, they’re easier to follow throughout. But the locations, of course, have their own similarities and differences, and the symbolism in all of them is generally consistent between the three. But I chose to write about this series with newcomers in mind; I don’t want to bog down too hard on detail that people might not catch until they’re fully immersed. When talking to people who are immersed, of course, I’m dreadfully over my head. “A whole bunch of named characters,” I said last time. Now, of course, it turns out “a whole bunch” means four. Souji Mikage, Mamiya Chida, and, of course, Akio and Kanae Ohtori. And while going through these characters one at a time could be fun, I thought it’d be better to introduce the arc as a whole this time and let the characters describe themselves. Way back in the very first post of this series, I mentioned that each character challenges for a chance to revolutionize the world for their own reasons, and together we would go through each of these reasons as they came up. This is going to be especially true in these later episodes, as the duels themselves become less and less a part of the narrative, with more focus put to the lead-up and epilogue of them. And about a month ago in the ninth post, when talking about the visual novel, I mentioned that this arc is about contrasting characters against each other. Kanae, this episode’s duelist, for example, serves as a counterpoint to Anthy. They both love Anthy’s brother Akio in exactly the same way (yes that last scene means what you think it means), and it’s their mutual dislike of each other that attracts her to Mikage’s seminar. As an aside, here’s an age-check. Anthy is fourteen and Kanae is eighteen. Akio’s age isn’t mentioned, but he’s presented as being in his twenties/early thirties. Yes, the show thinks this is super creepy too. Some call this a “filler arc,” which I guess makes sense on paper, but without it, we also lose a lot of exploration of one of the show’s other themes, dealing with the past, specifically, relationship baggage. Ohtori Academy also has to deal with its own baggage, the fire that happened fifteen years ago, and the ghosts of those hundred students who were buried alive. The last theme this arc specifically deals with is embracing -- or at least dealing with -- change. Kanae is unsure about the path her life is taking, yes, but the show represents this on a background level as well. he Shadow Play Girls, back from their spaceship, are starting to interact with the cast, the transformation theme song, “Absolute Destiny Apocalypse” gets a subtle tune-up, and the dueling field is going to become more and more surreal as the show goes on. Hopefully, you can appreciate it. -r Next time: As if drama between one pair of siblings wasn't enough... ←Previous Post -- Link to Episode -- Next Post→

Nidoran♂ Nidoran♀

Female Meowstic Coalossal Gloom Dewpider Heliolisk Sirfetch'd Ursaring Comfey

(english lyrics in the description)

The moment Estellise’s spell had finished, Chris started moving his arm around. It wasn’t like he didn’t believe her, but he did want to make doubly sure before he ran off at another goblin or rat or both. It was like she said; it didn’t hurt anymore, and he could move his arm freely, but he did have to wonder if he was just doing more damage to himself by even testing the spell’s limits. At the same time, he noticed the now goblin-less rat wheeling around for another pass, and, well, he figured the jolts from having to stab that one two or three times would probably be even worse, and those were things that definitely had to happen, so… He still didn’t have time to get his sword out, not with how fast the rat was coming his way. Thankfully, he had already managed a singular rat with just a dagger, way back on the first floor of the dungeon, and this one seemed to be no different. Just one, two steps, stab stab stab, and it wasn’t a problem anymore. What was a problem, though, was the rest of the room. Chris stood up from the dead rat and immediately got hit across the cheek with a rock. “Ow! Gods…” He looked in that direction and zeroed in on the offending goblin, almost wanting to lob a dagger right back, but decided against it. It would leave him with just one singular weapon, and with everything else in the room, Chris didn’t want to take that chance. He ran over to that first dead rat, the one with his sword still sticking out, and gave said weapon a hard yank. It took another to get it out completely, but he didn’t have time to celebrate his achievement. Another rock flew past him, and more were sure to come until it was dealt with. Chris gripped his sword tight and charged.

Levanna of the Council Levanna listened intently as Amir went through his experiences of the day, only speaking when he was finally finished, and even that was simply a “Well, you certainly have had a busy day then, hm?” She slid the plate of biscuits over Amir’s way. “Take one, please. And do sit down; you look a little silly just standing there in the middle of the room.” She leaned back in her chair then, adjusting some of her old joints as she did so. “These are some very concerning things you have told me, and I do commend you for telling me all of this,” Levanna said. “I don’t mean to insult you, though, when I say that your breath might have better been saved on something else. All of this, unfortunately, are things we on the religious council already know. Many- no, most, if not all of the conclusions you might draw from such information are things we have either confirmed or thought of as well. Simon, his actions, and the consequences of those actions are all things that are of immense concern to us, and we are doing as best we can to limit them.” Her attention turned to the used teacups scattered around, mostly on her desk, though there were a few elsewhere. She got up and walked around, gathering them together on the tray they had come in on before taking them out to be washed. It was good to know what the watchdogs knew, Levanna pondered, even if it was all things she already did as well. Levanna came back just in time to catch two of the other watchdogs coming back to her office, the Taros dog first with the younger dog, Dia’s coming in behind. She quickly beckoned them back inside. “Fruitful days, I hope? Come in, come in. There is one more of you inside, and I don’t know when I would gather the majority of you all in my office again if not now.” She led them all back to her office, though she didn’t bother sitting down again. “I’m sure there are so many things you have to tell me, but first, while I have you, I feel like I should address the situation of your lodgings. And the answer is well, you can either go to your respective temples, who I’m sure would be honored to accommodate you, or you can go to one of the taverns -- directions are easy, just go down the road a ways -- and, if they don’t make a room for you when you mention your occupation, well, I’m sure my name will do just as well in that situation. “If you see one of your fellows, be sure to tell them the same for me, would you?” Levanna said. “But, as I said, I’m sure you came back here with questions as well. Everyone else seems to; it’s the curse of being on the council. What can I do for you all? Emily Briar of Galatea Emily’s first question was not exactly related to her business but she asked it anyway. “Simon is not in there?” And it wasn’t that she didn’t believe the watchdog, but she did peek through the doors of the temple as well to double-check. “Maybe he is in the back,” Emily said. “Or he is at some follower’s house. I would not know. But…” She turned around, “in regards to my business with you, I was wondering about your preparations regarding my parents. Have you arranged something with the temple of Taros or his watchdog?” “Not yet. I didn't get the chance to enter the temple earlier, and haven't spoken with Taros’ watchdog since making it to Galatea,” the watchdog said. “I should have no trouble finding him tonight though, and will tell him to pass it on to his followers that we'll need their help to handle these statues once the root of the problem is taken care of.” “I see,” Emily said. She wasn’t sure about a lot of what had just been said, but she tried to not let it show. Of course a watchdog would be busy with other matters on the island, and of course her concerns would be left by the wayside. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t try to check back in tomorrow, though. Still, something else bothered her. It wasn’t Nuumu related, though, if she continued down her line of thinking, it was probably Nuumu-adjacent. Emily turned back around and pushed open the doors to the old Medeis temple one more time. She didn’t expect to see anything new, but there was a spark of familiarity in the old temple ruins. This, Emily realized, was what had appeared in her dream. It wasn’t an exact match -- the lack of sculpture in the pews was the most obvious -- but it was close enough. Emily let out a breath and faced the Nuumu watchdog one more time. Her mind, she realized, had already been made up, all this had done was confirm it. “I imagine I should say this now,” she said. “Nuumu is not the god of death, of course, but he is death-adjacent, and if I tried to keep this from you, you would likely find out eventually anyway. I appreciate everything you have done so far in efforts to fulfill my second request of you -- to let my mother’s soul be at peace. And I am sure that yours will be the ultimate effort that guides her -- and my father, and everybody else this has happened to -- to the afterlife. But in the meantime, there is one thing, I have realized, that can at least soothe mine, and that is to deal with the person responsible. “I am going to kill Simon Weatherson,” Emily said, “and I am asking you to stay out of my way.” And she was off, running along the perimeter of the square before rounding a corner, then another, looking back to make sure she wasn’t being followed at every turn. The night was coming in, and there were still things she needed to do. OOC

←Previous Post -- Next Post→ Duel 13 -- Tracing A Path Or: Yes, We’re Talking About The Recap Episodes Too I’ve mentioned before the “canon” of Revolutionary Girl Utena -- the anime, the movie, and the manga -- but as the first arc winds down, I thought it would be fun to look at some of the other ways the story is being told. That’s one of the ways a story can become immortal, after all, through tellings and retellings across mediums. Elaborating on that sort of navel-gazing notion is going to have to wait for another time, though. For now, let’s talk about the adaptations themselves. We already took a look at the game, of course, but it’s still worth mentioning here because it’s the one that’s completely within the continuity of the show, adding (some might say tacking on) its characters to the already existing relationship structures of the show. To that end, each of the “routes” allows a bit more depth at the very least. Miki’s relationship with his sister, Kozue, for example, is explored a bit more given she’s the weak point Chigusa uses to try and ensnare him, while Saionji can almost seem likable (my bias is showing, I think). Speaking of those characters in particular, Revolutionary Girl Utena has a pair of light novels exploring them in a little more detail. They largely follow their plots in the anime, with the first, Twin Saplings, covering the first five episodes (which, if you haven’t been keeping track, ends with The Sunlit Garden) while Verdant Hopes revolves around Saionji’s story, eventually going on to cover his relationship with Wakaba. There are some key differences, though. Miki’s infatuation is with Utena this time, for example, and Touga has a larger presence as well. There are five musical adaptations of Utena, three produced just after the anime finished airing and two created following the show’s twentieth anniversary. These are something I haven’t gone through as much, being Japan-only, but I have seen clips of these latter two productions, mostly of Wakaba glomping Utena or Nanami literally stepping on someone. The titles are a treat, though, ranging from Revolutionary Girl Utena: the Musical Comedy to Revolutionary Girl Utena: Choros Imaginary Living Body. The last adaptation I wanted to talk about is the Big Eyes, Small Mouth Tabletop RPG books. These are interesting not just because it’s the only American-produced media on this list, but because the two Utena supplements are labelled as “Ultimate Fan Guides”. Not only does it try to adapt the characters, giving them little Tri-Stat system stat blocks, but it also gives little write-ups of some of the episodes… to a certain extent. One wonders while reading these if they watched the show they’re writing about (a sentiment also expressed for Fan Guides of other anime if you go looking). Either way, it is a cute distraction and does introduce Ohtori Academy as a playground, along with some rudimentary scenarios for aspiring GMs. Most of these adaptations (again, I can’t speak for the musicals) only seem to adapt the first two arcs of this three-arc anime. The Apocalypse Arc is left untouched. I can’t help but wonder why that is. Is it because of the content perhaps (if you read the content warnings I’ve posted, you’ll know what I’m talking about)? If you go down that road, would that mean these adaptations are more interested in the aesthetic of Utena, what with the stylized shadows and symbolic architecture than the story itself? Not that this blog is any better, at least not yet. We’ll get there someday, I’m sure. Storytime: One of the more enigmatic aspects of Utena’s symbology is the constant appearance of roses. I’m not talking about the ones in the actual show (though there is meaning behind those too), but the spinning ones that show up outside of the diegesis, generally during moments of importance (though not always). It’s a constant discussion, “What do these roses mean?” people ask. “And why are they the color that they are?” My idiot brain throughout my first watch of these next two arcs was always like, “Don’t they explain it in that recap episode?” The answer is no. No, they do not. Nor is anyone going to explain it throughout the rest of the show, nor am I going to even attempt to explain it, really, outside of “It’s an extra bit of style, an added flair that complements the aesthetic” or (occasionally) “it covers the bits that might be too difficult to animate, like Utena slashing off someone else’s rose”. And, honestly, I could leave it at that. This is a recap episode, after all, the actual symbology of these specific stained glass roses and actual rose petals is obvious simply by its association -- though the matching of the stained glass roses to that duelist’s love interest’s hair took me a minute. I won’t, though, because there are a few other points of interest. Prince Dios, for example, shows up in the flesh for the first time. We’ve seen an afterimage of him show up throughout Utena’s duels to provide assistance, but it appears he’s actually there this time, sulking in that upside-down castle in the sky. More important, then, is the second person, who knows how to get there. If you watched the after-credits trailer for the next episode, you might recognize this as Anthy’s brother, though there are some contradictions in how Akio is introduced there than this person is introduced (specifically, the “not knowing about the duels” part). “We’ll both profit equally,” Dios is told. It is said in that classic “villain who will definitely take all the profit” sort of way, sure, but it does draw a connection between these two people. If Dios is supposed to be heroic, does that make this other person the villain? It’s not a question the show is going to answer right away, and the rest of the episode is spent setting up the next arc, mostly through a series of images and black roses meant to contrast against the spectrum of colors we’ve seen so far. All these characters and images shown in this arc will have their importance explained in the next few episodes, so until then… -r PS. The Shadow Play Girls are totally aliens. Next Time: Time to introduce a whole bunch of named and significant characters fourteen episodes in ←Previous Post -- Link to Episode -- Next Post→