Shoujo Kakumei Utena
[Episodes 1-39 Reviewed]
[Reviewed by Bethany]

Utena qualifies as one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It's also one of the strangest. Really, I mean that in a good way — and while I can't say I completely comprehended this surreal and stylistic series, I definitely loved it ... and it's not something I'll easily forget.

Story
As the story goes... long ago there was a princess grieving over the loss of her parents, when a prince came along and gave her a ring, telling her not to lose her strength and nobility even when shew grew older, and then vanished off into the sunset — that was all well and good, but so impressed by the prince was she, the girl decided she wanted to become a prince, too. Or so we're told at the beginning of many of the episodes. By hair color and supposition, this princess is our main character, Tenjou Utena, who attends Ohtori Academy. Utena is idolized by many of her fellow students — she's good at just about everything, and a bit of a rebel; she refuses to wear the regulated uniform, and instead wears the clothing of a boy. She still wears the ring that was given to her long ago — a ring with the same symbol upon it as Ohtori Academy. Through a string of circumstances in coincidences, Utena is led to dueling with one of the members of the Student Council ... and after winning, is told that she is now engaged to a girl called the Rose Bride, Himemiya Anthy, a quiet girl who seems to be passed from duelist to duelist...

Take My Revolution
The word for Utena is surreal. It is a world like a dream, a rose-filled world of fantasy with sharp instances of harsh, terrifying reality. Visually, the world of Utena is simply stunning, and its direction is beyond wonderful. The way the show is laid out gives more than just the dream-like quality of its atmosphere, but something closer to the stuff of nightmares, hints of something dark and unseen. It can be violently disturbing at points with its underplay of certain events, both in the subtle approach to human (and inhuman) emotion... and, contrastively, its stark, cold, brutal approach to the same.

It's also filled with imagery and symbolism I can't begin to comprehend — there is simply so much of it, that at points I felt emotionally and mentally on overload. But that's also something that adds to the un-reality of the Utena world: without its shadows and butterflies and cryptic wording, it wouldn't have quite the substance of [dark] fairy-tales, upon which the whole thing seems to hinge.

Utena is a study of death. A study of dysfunction. Of manipulation. The wires of emotion within this show are sharp and tangled... and generally unhappy. Each of its characters are unique—and uniquely troubled. They are not flawless, nor are they all bad. (Well... ) They're very much extremes, however, and generally, I think you'll either love them or hate them. I know that's the case with me.

Of course, Utena isn't all trippy and gorgeous and dark. It has its moments of humor — quite a few of them. ...However, some of the humorous episodes centering on Nanami are simply bizarre. (Cowbell of Happiness, anyone?) Not my kind of humor, but I do love most of its other amusing parts. The first time I watched a certain episode, I laughed so hard my sister came into the room and asked me if I were okay. I eventually recovered. Its music is also gorgeous, even if they do play Absolute Destiny Apocalypse damn near every episode.

The Bottom Line
Utena is a blend of ... fantasy and more fantasy and creepy realism. (Tell me if you don't wince at the mere thought of "Nanami's Precious Thing.") It's beautiful in a dark, haunting, and rather confusing way. But it's more than just a fairy-tale, and more than just a girl playing dress-up. I can't, however, put everything I feel about this show into words. Go watch it yourself.