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| "Open your heart and talk to people, and anybody would accept you, I'm sure." -Utena to Anthy |
This will be my first post as part of the Wayback Series.
It must be a very long time since I am busy with events as such, but this month of love, I should pay tribute to one incredible anime that everyone's promised for that is Revolutionary Girl Utena. It might be my favorite anime at that time, but this was a classic to many anime fans.
The most-celebrated anime of the '90s is based on the manga by Chiho Saito and published by Shogakukan. The manga series began in the June 1996 issue of Ciao with a total of five volumes, and by the following year later, the anime is broadcasted on April 2nd, 1997 to Christmas Eve on the same year (December 24th, 1997), with a total of 39 episodes. Both the anime and the manga were created simultaneously, despite some extraordinary similarities, and they are progressed in different beautiful directions. On August 14, 1999, the series also had a movie, 'The Adolescence of Utena (or Revolutionary Girl Utena Adolescence Apocalypse)' was released in Japanese theaters. If you are a fan of stage plays, then here's a treat: a number of stage productions based on the series were also produced in the mid-'90s, that includes this one staged by an all-female Takarazuka-style cast. The series is also noted for its highly metaphysical, surreal, and allegoric mahou shoujo (magical girl) elements, as well as a creative mix of borrowed visuals from shadow puppetry, classic douseiai (or Class S) -style shoujo manga, and lastly Takarazuka theater elements. By the way if I could remember it, the anime is also aired in the Philippines (as Ursula's Kiss in which Filipino voice use the English names of the characters: Utena is Ursula and Anthy is Angie) on Hero TV a few years back.
The story begins with a tomboyish young girl named Utena Tenjou, who, was so definitely impressed by a kind prince in her childhood past that she decided to become a prince herself, expressed in her manner of personality and dress. Many years later, she attends Ohtori Academy, where she meets a girl who is in an abusive relationship with another student named Anthy Himemiya. In order to protect Anthy, Utena decides to fight, and is pulled into a series of sword duels with the members of the school's student council. Anthy is partially preferred as the 'Rose Bride (Bara no Hanayome)', and is given to the victor of each duel. It is said that the winner of the tournament will receive a mysterious power to 'revolutionize the world', and of course the current champion must constantly challenged for the right to possess the Rose Bride. Talk about fighting for the throne in some video games. The anime is divided into four story arcs: the Student Council (Utena's battles with the Student Council), the Black Rose Saga (her obstacles with Souji Mikage), the Akio Ohtori Saga (Utena's rematches with the Council), and the Apocalypse Saga.
The courageous, tomboyish and naïve character who lives to emulate the idealized prince figure from her past, Utena Tenjou is voiced by the late Tomoko Kawakami, who is known for voicing Misuzu Kamio in Air, Soifon in Bleach, Rosette Christopher in Chrono Crusade, and the Dragon Priestess in Harukanaru Toki no Naka De.
The mysterious, shy girl whose vapid expression and superficial politeness mask a complex, darker personality, and known as the 'Rose Bride', Anthy Himemiya is voiced by Yuriko Fuchizaki, who is known for her roles in Maison Ikkoku, Sakura Wars, Ojarumaru, Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok, and Natsume's Book of Friends.
Akio Ohtori, who is Anthy's older brother, mysterious and sensual, the academy's acting chairman, and the bad guy of the series is voiced by Jūrōta Kosugi, who is known for voicing Asuma Sarutobi in Naruto, Vaclav Bolud in Tales of Legendia, and the 'Demon King' Nobunaga Oda in Samurai Warriors.
Some of the seiyuus are starred here in series including Kotono Mitsuishi, who took the role of Juri Arisugawa, Aya Hisakawa as Miki Kaoru, Takehito Koyasu as Touga Kiryuu (no wonder that red-haired guy was hot), Yuri Shiratori as Nanami (aka Touga's imouto), Takeshi Kusao as Kyouichi Saionji (aka the hotheaded green-haired captain of the kendo club), Nozomu Sasaki as Ruka Tsuchiya, Hikaru Midorikawa as Souji Mikage, Ai Orikasa as Kanae Ohtori, the late Chieko Honda as Kozue Kaoru (aka Miki's twin sis), Kumiko Nishihara as Shiori Takatsuki, Akiko Yajima as Mitsuru Tsuwabuki (aka Nanami's lackey), and many more.
It's now time to relive the magic and the storied legacy of Revolutionary Girl Utena. And to end up this article, here's the chant to summon the Sword of Dios.
Anthy: O Roses of the noble castle, Power of Dios that slumbers within me, harken unto thy master and reveal to us-
Utena: -the power to revolutionize the world!
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