watching Revolutionary Girl Utena: 11

Sep 20, 2016 22:30


In which something I’ve seen thirty times finally registers.



27: Nanami’s Egg

Yellow roses. It’s a Nanami episode. She dreams of Egg.

And then she has laid one in her bed. Cue the montage of chickens turtles frogs. And horror.

She carries her egg in her pocket all day long. She’s sure it’s someone’s plot to make her less popular.

Repeated imagery: Nanami’s horrified fantasies of being thrown in a cage with all the other oviparous animals.

Nanami calls Utena a “boy-girl”. “…Why does she keep calling me that?” wonders Utena, after Nanami runs off.

She reveals her secret to her shadow-boy.

Beautiful repitition: Nanami runs into the Redheaded Student Council. Blurts out something about nearly breaking her egg. Redhead has a bag, which she holds up while saying “You might have scratched my ball!” Doorbell. “Your ball?” Holds up again. “Yes, my ball.” Doorbell, doorbell. “Your BALL?!?” “My BALL.” Doorbell, doorbell, doorbell. And Nanamis’s deluded herself into wondering if Eggs are just a thing that happens that nobody talks about, like periods, and she’s a late comer… But of course it’s her bowling ball. She’s been bowing since she was 7. And Nanami doesn’t know.

And then a MUSICAL MONTAGE of Nanami carrying her egg around in her pocket, constantly thinking of it, and being a Good Mom to it.

Utena, Anthy, and Nanami’s shadow think she’s acting weird. Anthy thinks maybe she laid an egg! Surely not, silly Anthy.

Nanami ponders the sex of her egg to her brother. Who thinks she’s coming out as a lesbian. He’s kinda homophobic.

The Shadow Players try to stand an egg on its end. It turns into a monster. And Nanami abandons her egg because she thinks everyone eats their eggs, and she can’t bear to do it. And then she can’t sleep. Because she loves her egg.

But it’s gone! And the Green Student Council member is camping out… eating an egg! But not hers, it turns out.

Utena and Anthy chat about reincarnation under the Happy Egg Mom Montage song. And about how children are a kind of immortality.

Nanami finds a giant egg. She vows to never leave it again. Then it hatches into some kind of monster off-screen.

Cut: Nanami in bed. A dream? But there’s a broken egg under the sheets!

Meanwhile: Utena and Anthy haven’t seen “him” lately. Anthy’s brother? THe doorbell rings and it’s Chu-Chu the demonic mouse-monkey, and we just… stare at Anthy having Repressed Feels for a moment. Your one moment of Arc for a silly episode.

Next time: A new fencer appears! A skinny sexy blue haired dude. Could he be… a duellist?

28: Whispers in the Dark

Red Student Council has mysterious feels, and kicks everyone’s ass in dueling. But a mysterious blue-haired challenger appears! And is a tiny bit better than her. With history.

He gets white roses on the frame.

Student Council meting. Red is angsting. And Skinny Blue is back from being sick with a message from End of the World bitching about their incompetence.

He fondles a purple-haired girl as he helps her work on her fencing form. Who seems to have history with him…

Her locker is beside his. She’s been keeping his sword polished while he’s been gone. A kiss, and now she seems to be his girl… Red Hair is, of course, jealous.

Red Hair speaks to Blue Sexy in the same place she had feels before the credits. There’s a car’s motor idling on the soundtrack; is someone about to get a ride to the End of the World from Anthy’s big brother?

Purple Haired Fencing Student turns out to be Red Hair’s favorite… She’s gay for her. And she’s not happy about Blue Skinny tutoring her. He doesn’t care.

Utena and Anthy go to bed, and give us a recap of just who Blue Skinny is. Utena gets bad vibes.

And now Purple Hair is cuddling Blue Skinny, near the fountain by the Duelling Arena. Red Hair sees, and is not happy. “He knows… he knows everything.” she mutters, as the fountain’s water stops.

She warns Purple that Blue Skinny is dangerous. This is not heeded.

Another midnight rendezvous at the fountain for Purple Hair. But Red Hair Boy is there instead of New Blue Skinny. Acting as the herald of Anthy’s big brother - is the girl going to ride the End Of World Express now? Not who I was expecting.

She’s in the back of the car with Blue Skinny. Being tempted. Carnally.

As they flirt I notice that the license plate - OHTORI - is the same as the word on the shirt Utena wore while playing volleyball last episode.

In the rose garden Anthy tends, Purple Hair picks a rose for her new main squeeze Blue Skinny. He obliquely challenges to her a duel. Maybe.

The Shadow Girls are fishing, and can only catch trash despite a ton of fish jumping. Okay?

This duel is sanctioned: the Ultimate Destiny Apocalypse (Elevator Mix) plays as normal. It continues to be a lot smuttier than the Stairs Mix.

Blue Skinny is there, with Purple Hair dressed as his Anthy. Who will draw the sword from who? I really don’t know. He trash-talks Utena’s sword skillz first though.

Anthy pulls the Rose of Nobility from Utena, as Purple Hair pulls a sword from Blue Skinny. Duel time.

Blue Skinny trash-talks his own skills vs Utena’s as Purple Hair drifts by in the car behind him looking wicked. But he’ll fight. And he’s good. He keeps his cool while Utena starts flailing.

The fight song repeats “I’ll make it so we’re the only two n the world” while Utena stands in front of Anthy. And then the Sleeper comes down from the castle above the arena, merges with Utena, and she wins. The cars jumbled through the arena turn on their lights in celebration and all come together to shine up at the castle.

The girl? In the crashed car. Blue Skinny? Standing next to it, defeated but resolute. He’ll be back. But not with this girl as his faux Rose Bride. She’s dumped.

Coda: Blue Skinny and Redhead talking about that girl. He’s done with her, but he’s not done here.

Next episode: We’re gonna be delving into the romantic triangle set up this episode.

29: Azure Paler Than The Sky

Flashback: A dark purple haired girl was dumped by Blue Skinny last episode. And now she’s dramatic over it. In the middle of the school. In front of everyone. Including Redhead.

Purple Hair tries to call Blue Skinny. But he’s off getting a talking-to from Red Hair in the End Of World car. He’s ready for round 2 against Utena though…

Redhead wants to talk to Purple Hair about her rejection, but Shadow’s having nothing of it. She’s consumed by bitterness over this.

Redhead tries to get Blue Skinny to take purple girl back. He won’t. He’d rather have Redhead. He pins her against a wall and kisses her. During the kiss he steals the locket Redhead wears with the purple haired girl’s picture and almost steps on it afterwards. And now that he knows Redhead loves purple hair? He’ll take her back! Asshole. These two are SO spades for each other. But- no. She’s challenging him to a duel. Over the purple haired girl. And the music is all crazypants.

Exciting! A duel over something besides the Rose Bride?

And after the commercial: Blue Skinny and Redhead sit in her contemplation spot, discussing how he’s slightly better than her. But hark! Do you hear him giving the intro speech for the Ride to the End of World? He will initiate her, it seems.

Red hair shows up to welcome her, along with the car. Then vanishes? Blue Skinny in the front passenger seat, Redhead in the back. He wants to join with her to defeat Utena, and doesn’t care if he hurts Purple Shadow. She’ll do it to keep him away from Purple Shadow.

And Anthy’s brother does his half naked flip over the hood, and takes her to the End of the World. Signed, sealed, delivered.

Duel time. Utena’s not happy that Redhead is challenging her. Blue Skinny has parked the EoW car in a corridor and leers.

Purple Shadow is in front of the shadow girls’ wall. But we do not see a shadow play. We have to visit their wall, though: the duel isn’t right without it. And then the Ultimate Destiny Elevator~~

It feels like this pair of episodes has done some nice playing with the structure. False duel that’s still an Accepted Ritual Duel, and now the Real Duel.

Redhead is not pleased to be here. But she and Blue Skinny have a Moment. And Anthy pulls the Rose of Nobility from Utena, as Blue Skinny takes a sword from Redhead’s heart. She is not going to be happy to be in a car during this fight, I just know it.

Ah. And she’s not. She’s the duellist. With flashbacks to Blue Skinny training her and taunting her. He always beat her. But he’s hardened her. When Dios comes down from his nap to merge with Utena, we’re really not sure if Utena’s going to win. She and Redhead close and slash. And Redhead’s rose is still intact. But the locket with Purple Shadow’s picture is cut off of her; she staggers, and.. takes her rose off. She’s lost. Everything.

The castle rains sadness upon the arena. And Blue Skinny will fix everything for Redhead; he cares. Somehow.

She doesn’t believe it.

But Blue Skinny is cutting class now. And Redhead’s maybe finding someone new…

The Shadow Girls finally show up, in the role of nurses talking about people in the hospital. Seems Blue Skinny was dying, and left the hospital for one last duel. To free someone he loved from something.

And she’s back with her purple-haired shadow.

Next episode: Utena and Anthy talk about love.

30: The Barefoot Girl.

There are two horses rearing, with people on their backs aiming lances at each other, in the middle of the shots of the arena falling apart in the intro. Were they always there? Yes. Yes they were. I didn’t start to notice them until the twenty-ninth episode. Repetition has power. Repetition lets you hide subtle things. Who are these riders? They are probably Utena and Anthy, given that the next few shots involve those two flying around on horses. But they’re shadowed and hard to tell.



Utena. Anthy. Horses. The Sleeper wakes. And then Anthy and Utena fly around the Castle on horses.

Thirty fucking episodes before I caught that. What can I hide in the middle of chaos in the intro to a show of my own? What subtle symbol can I drop in from day one? This shot makes a ton of sense in the context of the intro, and doesn’t necessarily have to be A Symbol of anything in this show. But it’s there, and it’s easy to miss.

Minor characters in the classroom, talking about their First Kiss. Utena thinks about hers. With the Prince. Who was probably Anthy’s big brother.

Who just baked a cake for a party consisting of himself, Anthy, Utena, and Utena’s shadow.

Utena and her shadow are playing subtle games over who gets to flirt with Anthy’s brother. Girls, you don’t want him. He’s a prince. Princes are bad news.

Utena gets shit from teachers about dressing like a boy. But she cares not. And Anthy’s big brother intervenes when the vice-principal gets into things. He’s totally fine with Miss Prince here. And utterly runs this place. Let her dress like a boy.

“I don’t care. Because you’re my sister’s… Because you’re my very special friend, Utena.” A pause, and a flash to the candles on the cake he made almost blowing out. He walks off. She says nothing. Candles again - this image will reappear this episode, I think. And Utena tells herself that damnit, he’s engaged, she shouldn’t…

But she will. With Anthy watching.

Oh dear. Utena’s seen Anthy’s brother’s car. Is she going to take a ride in it? Oh. Dear. We know what a ride in that car means. Luckily her shadow shows up and is Jealous.

And her shadow is now riding off with Big Bro alone. Oh, Utena doesn’t know what she narrowly avoided. And wishes she was the one in the car.

Later.

Utena’s shadow had a perfectly innocent time, and Utena’s huffy about it. SHE IS TOTALLY NOT JEALOUS DAMNIT. Oh, and here’s Anthy. Her bride. But she knows the only person she loves is the Prince from her past. Not Anthy’s big brother…

The sight of Big Bro distracts her during basketball, and she sprains her leg. Anthy helps her to the infirmary, of course. Anthy always helps. Even when there are flashes of the Drive To The End Of The World intercut. And there’s Big Bro, ready to drive her away.. to…
And one of the candles blows out. Repeating image has been repeating and finally changed.

A drive: Big Bro, Utena, and no Anthy. She can’t come. She doesn’t show any emotion, but as we drive off, we see her glasses gleaming opaquely as she waves and says “take good care of miss Utena!”. We’ve seen that before. When Big Bro was flirting with Utena in the observatory. She is holding down so many emotions right now.

We’re not on the Usual Drive. And Utena talks with Big Bro about his fiancee. The two remaining candles flicker.

Big Bro is driving her around a lot, it seems. And stroking her poor hurt ankle. And flirting with her on overdrive.

He lays Utena back into his car and kisses her as she talks about her Prince. The second candle goes out.

It’s in a candelabra held by Anthy. Only one left. Her glasses gleam. And she’s in the shadows now, watching her big brother snog Utena in his Doomful Car. Then gone again.

Shadow girls. A version of the fable about shoes that make you dance until you die. One has them on; the other has a pair but never wears them. In retrospect I think the takeaway of this Shadow Play is “shoes are important”; Big Bro just took off Utena’s shoe before kissing her like a total Prince Charming, and he does the same thing a little later with his fiancee’s mother.

Candelabra: one candle remains. And Utena and Anthy are going to bed, as ritual demands. (But normally the shadow girls would presage a duel.) Utena ponders that her shadow suggested there are some people you should never fall in love with. Anthy thinks love is basically uncontrollable. And has a prince. Who is probably Utena.

And then. The night drive.

Red Hair is contemplating a shoe Big Bro stole from Utena. They agree she is Amazing. Nobody gets a ride to the End of the World. Yet.

Evening, the Observatory. Big Bro’s fiancee appears. It’s awkward. Very awkward. Big Bro hasn’t had time for her.

He hasn’t had time for his fiancee’s mother, either. Pay attention now, kids: Big Bro has a red rose rotating, and the fiancee’s mom has a white one. Important.

Mom’s cranky about his not having time for the fiancee. And threatens his position at the Academy.

Big Bro flirts with Mom. It works. She calls him her Prince in the darkness of the observatory.

The next day. Utena’s sure she can never compete against the fiancee. And insists she doesn’t love anyone but her Prince… as the last candle flame dies.

Next time: Discussions of blood types. And Nanami is sleeping where Anthy should be?

We are clearly close to the end of this arc. The regular run of Student Council duels has been played with, broken, and abandoned. And Utena wants to climb into Anthy’s big brother’s car and go wherever he’ll take her. Anthy is not happy about this but, being Anthy, can’t say anything. Will she do some strange thing to fix this? Will the arc end with it all never having happened, like the Affair of the Black Rose did?

Wikipedia says there’s four more episodes in this arc, with the last one mostly being the Shadow Girls recapping the whole arc. So at least Be-Papas knows that this show is getting dense, and needs to attempt to overtly untangle itself. Assuming the Shadow Girls are actually coherent. I’ll find out when I rent the next volume, I suppose…

I doubt things will end well.

(Wikipedia also notes that there are only about 4-6 episodes in the final arc. I forget exactly how many and I’m not gonna risk failing my “skim wikipedia” roll for spoilers. After that is the movie, then… another series. I’m thinking Cowboy Bebop.)

Originally published at Egypt Urnash. You can comment here or there.

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