Utena is neither explicit nor gratuitous, although some viewers may find certain implications of the plot to be distasteful (as an example: incest is a major theme, and it is explored from numerous perspectives).
Underneath these themes, Utena is fundamentally a coming-of-age story, exploring whether it's possible to stick to childish ideals in order to defeat an opponent who is practically the living embodiment of adulthood. The show features commentary on (and references to) existing works, including - but not limited to - Neon Genesis Evangelion, Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, the House of Borgia, Paradise Lost, William Shakespeare, Cicero, Ovid's Metamorphoses, multi-episode obscure visual references to Manet, and numerous nods to the existentialist German war novel Demian. Seazer, which mixes classical orchestral themes with outre choral harmonies and surrealist rock. It's also known for the lush soundtrack by J.
#Doodlebob and the magic pencil tv tropes series#
The series is known for its striking visual design - influenced by Takurazuka, Noh theater plays, fairy tale imagery, and classic shoujo manga - pieced together by director Kunihiko Ikuhara. Utena lovingly includes, describes, averts, inverts, and subverts a large number of anime tropes, the most notable of which are Stock Footage (Utena's Once an Episode Transformation Sequence) and Clip Show episodes (two of the three contain major plot twists essential to the story). The story is properly set in motion in the show's second arc (the "Black Rose" arc), when acting school chairman Akio Ohtori takes an interest in Utena - and everything promptly goes to hell. As she and Anthy slowly become friends, Utena learns Anthy has a connection to "End of the World", the mysterious force behind the duels. Utena makes both friends and enemies at Ohtori while participating in the duels, and she grows in skill with each win. At the young age of fourteen, Utena is forced to deal with a power she is not ready to control and a world she never dreamed of being a part of. The goal of this tournament is to gain "The Power to Revolutionize the World" - as well as the hand of the mysterious Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya. After a duel with Saionji, Utena becomes enmeshed in a fencing tournament with the members of the Ohtori Student Council. Saionji calls Utena to the dueling arena at the back of the school, where Utena's ring opens the door to a private arena.
Seven years later, Utena has followed the trail of her prince to the exclusive Ohtori Academy - and one fateful day, she defends the honor of her best friend, Wakaba, from upperclassman Kyoichi Saionji. Overwhelmed with emotion, young Utena decides that she, too, will become a prince. The prince gives Utena a signet ring, which he says will one day lead her back to him. On the day of her parents' funeral, seven-year-old Utena Tenjou meets a prince on a white horse. A pair of light novels - one focusing on Miki, the other on Saionji - published in 1998 perhaps the most obscure part of the Utena canon, these light novels make up another alternate continuity (though they bear the closest resemblance to the original manga).A single-volume manga based on the animated feature this is considered to be yet another alternate continuity, as it diverges from the movie's story.An original animated feature film, which is considered an alternate continuity to the original series (and is discussed in better detail below).A Sega Saturn game set in the middle of the anime's first arc, Four Days in Ohtori: Itsuka Kakumeisareru Monogatari.A 39-episode anime series considered the "core" canon.A five-volume manga though chronologically the first version (serialization began in mid-to-late 1996), the manga and the anime were simultaneous projects.A previous work by Chiho Saito, Kanon, possibly served as the inspiration for several of the themes and tropes in this story. At Kobe Animation '97, it won the "Best TV Animation" award. The show started airing in the spring of 1997 and flourished on Japanese airwaves with a timeslot of 6 PM on TV-Tokyo every Wednesday until Christmas Eve of the same year. Revolutionary Girl Utena ( Shoujo Kakumei Utena) is the Neon Genesis Evangelion of the Shoujo category - and not by accident.
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