This is one show I was always curious about, for the most part is a show well respected and looked upon to among the yuri/shoujo ai community and being from 1997, one of its most important shows. Now I can see why.
A couple of days ago I finished binge watching Shoujo Kakumei Utena/Revolutionary Girl Utena + its Adolescence movie, 39 episodes + a movie, in like 2 to 3 days, very few shows are able to make me watch them this fast and that says something for me from the get go.
Oh boy, this was pretty special, if there is one thing I love the most about animated media when it does things right, is its ability to present themes that aren't as accepted or taboo with some crazy, bizarre set pieces and style while also delivering on a great cast of characters and tight writing, this is one of those for me and a contender for my favorite anime/show/anything of all time.
The setting is a simple one, Utena is a girl which parents die when she was a child, she was visited by a "prince" who told her to grow strong and keep her nobility, she keeps this ideal by trying to become a prince herself, she attends Ootori Academy in which she gets pulled into a series of duels for the hand of the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya, who apparently has the power to revolutionize the world.
The story in itself isn't important I feel, this show uses a lot of symbolism in its imagery to present its story, which is mostly a device to push the most important aspect here, the characters. Utena has a really strong cast, with characters you fall in love with or ones you'll absolutely hate by the end of it and all of them are flawed, each with issues and development to be had in its 39 episodes run.
And within these issues and development is where the themes that the show deals with come into play, being children, adults, incest, sexuality, individualism, identity, idealism, stereotypes, gender roles, abuse and a lot more, all of this within a 1997 show and it presents these themes in a way that isn't overbearing while still making the point clear to the audience. It takes a lot of elements from the shoujo usual themes, mahou shoujo troupes and plays around with them, deconstruct them, incorporates them and more.
The Adolescence movie is the icing on the cake for me of an already great show, is there to do a sort of quick run of the story of the show with some small diferences and while a not very good standalone film, is one great ride for fans of the show, giving an even more satisfying ending to our lead ladies, Utena and Anthy, which through the show have like the most slowburn relationship possible, which really just makes the endgame in the series and the movie all the more special, not really much of a spoiler either, is heavily presented in the official art and the opening/endings of the show, more about the journey less about the result.
All in all I highly recommend giving it a watch, is funny, serious and a great watch in terms of visual style and a pleasure to the ears in music.
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