GeekNights Presents Utena: ep04

MrPeriod

GeekNights Presents: Utena
Episode 04

Episode four of Revolutionary Girl Utena brings us the prelude to a new duel, this time between Utena and, surprisingly, Miki. Before, with Saionji, we can understand his motivations on a basic level. But why has gentle-hearted Miki taken up his sword against Utena, with whom he has no conflict?

A mysterious girl from his past, an eternal, shining thing, music in a sunlit garden, the Rose Bride: why is Miki a duelist? More to the point, just what is so special about Anthy? Why is she the way she is?

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Rym

Continuing to pull GIFs from the show.

gorgeousshutin

As a long time fan and fic writer from the (too-too-small) Utena fandom, I want to say thank you to you guys for doing this. A lot of good points/observations has been made - ones that even long-time fans elsewhere find to be refreshing. Good job, and much appreciated!

Eryn

I never consciously singled out the background screaming in my mind before. In combination with the red and white font you used when you pointed that out, it made the scene feel like something straight out of a creepypasta. o.o Very cool indeed! I'd long tied that scene in the crowd to certain later scenes in the show *cough*thatmayormaynotinvolveswords*cough* but yeah, that screaming, man. I love that I can still find all these new things to appreciate about the show.

Other things I never thought about (or never thought about very clearly) before:

- The possibility of reading every scene that takes place after a shadow play as a "duel" of some kind, whether it's a literal duel or not.
- Nanami being so strangely prescient about Anthy's weirdness. I knew that

Anthy probably started messing with Nanami as revenge for the dress thing and/or for just being Nanami, but I never considered that it might be because Nanami is one of the few people in the duelling game who might "see through" her.

- Utena's grades and Chu Chu messing up Utena's homework as supporting symbols of her being drawn away from the "real world". I mean, I knew that the duels were messing up her grades, but I hadn't thought about tying that in to the overall theme of real world vs. the world of Ohtori.

Apsup

I, at least for now, disagree with the idea that the weird animals in closets come from the fucked-up-shit-generator. I'd say that Anthy doesn't need the fucked-up-shit-generator, but maybe when we get to that (in about decade at this rate) you are able to explain it in a way that convinces me otherwise.

Eryn

I mostly agree with you Apsup, if only based on my own understanding of how the fucked-up-shit generator works. Never mind that Utena seemed to already be familiar with the animals ("I told you not to keep them in there"), so it's not like they magically appeared in the moment. They would have to have been in place at least a short while before Nanami came over. Maybe Anthy brought them home that morning or a little while before that? That would have given Utena some time to know that the animals were there, and to tell Anthy she shouldn't put them in various places.

Now, where she got the animals from, regardless of what time they came in: that could still be the fucked-up-shit generator. It just didn't conjure anything up on the spot, I think.

Either way, Anthy did somehow get all this together while clearly having knowledge of what Nanami would do. Did she or someone else (*cough*) do some spying the night before when Nanami was catching that garter snake? Is Nanami just that predictable? Or is Anthy relying on other (possibly spoilery) means? I'd be inclined to believe the latter, myself.

Rochelle

I had the weirdest dream last night to where I was watching Utena and I had a revelation of what it all meant.

I vaguely recall myself realizing that all the other characters represent a phase/stage of Utena's adolescence and her growing up and realizing she doesn't need to be a prince and to just be who she is.

It's interesting, but probably not right.

Rym

Who says what we refer to as "the fucked up shit generator" is THE THING and not THE PERSON?

There is a character one could consider a "fucked up shit generator."

Eryn

I never said it was a thing and not a person. I just said it/they probably didn't generate anything right at that moment. It happened prior to that scene.