Watching Revolutionary Girl Utena: 14

In which I had better fucking see that castle crumble and Utena and Anthy ride flying horses, I've been promised this since day 1.

37: The One Who Brings the World Revolution

Flashback: Utena vows to become a Prince and save Anthy. She broods over sleeping Anthy.

Breakfast: U wants to hang out with Big Bro. Anthy doesn't want it. But Utena now has a ride with Big Bro set up… She's stopped wearing her Prince ring.

Council. Red and Green got farewell letters from EoW. Red is on a metaphorical bike, Green is riding the rear fender.

Driving, daytime, leaving Anthy behind. Later that evening they return. Big Bro notes that she's not wearing the ring any more and offers her one that goes with her new red dress. She's been feeling and acting very… girly. Also he's been lying about liking the stars this whole show.

Bedroom. Utena wonders if Anthy is mad about the date she went on. Anthy does not say. “In the end,” she does say, “all girls are Rose Brides in a way.” Flash of her hanging in torment.

Observatory. Big Bro is photographing the Red and Green councils splayed across his car sexily. How does he get it up there so easily, anyway? Metaphorically of course I'm sure this is meant to indicate that he completely owns them. They discuss how likely Utena will be to bring the world revolution, and think she'll choose Big Bro to be her Prince instead of being her own and Winning Everything.

Utena is playing basketball while having flashbacks to a conversation with Anthy about how her brother loves Utena “too” and basically wants an eternal threesome.

After the commercial, Blue and Orange council chat with Utena about how EoW has chosen Utena to Bring Revolution. Orange basically tells Utena that U is all lesbians for Anthy and U denies it. Because she's confused a lot lately. They play badminton during this.

Shadow girls. They're going to break up! One wants to be a Movie Star! And she's willing to hit the casting couch.

Night drive time.

Anthy's the passenger and is either orgasming or in pain. Big Bro is pissed about this: I'm not the one who makes you suffer, the world does.

Home. Utena and Anthy discuss the future, after graduation. Anthy talks about poison while Utena eats cookies A made, then says she put poison in A's tea. They carry on eating and drinking. Trust. There is a rose. Notice this trust. There is also a rose when Utena says she hopes they'll still be drinking tea like this in ten years. They like this, and vow they will.

Cut: Anthy's on top of the tower, and jumps. Utena catches her. And won't let her fall, citing that ten year promise.

Outside the Arena. Red and Green Council think she's a fool for going to fight. But she will. Despite Anthy noting she can still turn back. But she won't. She's wearing her ring again, too.

End of the episode. Very little happened. Everyone really just stood around talking about what's about to happen and how important it is. Which I appreciate. It's been a long show.

Next episode. Time for the last duel! And Anthy says Utena still doesn't know the True Horror of this world.

38: End of the World

Cold open. Absolute Destiny Apocalypse, elevator mix. Anthy and Itena take each others' hands. Title.

Big Bro appears. Utena is surprised he's EoW. And he's her Prince. She wants to know why he made everyone duel. He won't say. He's been dreaming about the castle above the arena. He's the Prince and Utena is the Princess… and Anthy's eyes vanish behind her glasses, and she teleports out of her Rose Bride dress to weep on nearby stairs.

Big Bro pulls a sword out of

Utena

What

And suddenly she's dressed in the flowing princess gown from the s3 endings. And Big Bro vows to take up the sword and be her protector. Forever. And ever. And ever. But Utena doesn't want to leave Anthy behind in torture forever,

Flashback: not letting Anthy suicide. In more detail: Anthy hangs like a dead weight, and Utena drags her back. Then she monologues about how shitty being the Rose Bride is and how guilty she is about using Utena and betraying her since the beginning. Utena's having none of it. She's guilty about using her back after seeing Anthy in bed with Big Bro.

This memory rekindles her fire. She takes her sword back from Big Bro and wants to rescue Anthy. Big Bro tells her the castle is all an illusion, and shows her reality: they're in the Observatory, Utena's back in normal Prince clothes, Anthy's sprawled used on the couch, and Big Bro is smirking. The music says this is horrible.

His planetarium has been casting an illusion of the Arena and the castle above it. Utena hates the place because it's where he's fucked Anthy.

Big Bro shows U a montage of flashbacks of him flirting with her, and gives her shit for doing while knowing he's engaged. She's as bad as he is, he says. It's different, she says.

Flashback: Utena hiding in a coffin next to dead parents. Big Bro saved her from that depression! He's her Prince! And Anthy's always been a witch! And now Utena's in the interview elevator, going down, with a white Rose Bride dress hiding the butterfly picture. Not good. And Utena's just a princess. No reason to fight. Give him the sword.

This is the duel. This is duel we get. Fighting for the right to decide what happens to Anthy. What about the fight we've been seeing the aftermath of for the entire show? In the opening? Surely Be-Papas wouldn't lie to me about building up to that action scene. Right? RIGHT?!?!? I really don't know and I am delighted by this.

And then Big Bro pulls a sword from Anthy's chest.

Cut: Student Council elevator. The old speech about being a chick smashing out of its shell as the Council members out roses in a vase. And the stopwatch. It's begun. Who will win? Who will win the duel called Revolution?

Big Bro is handily defending himself from Utena while Anthh sits stunned on the sofa. They clash. He gives her one last chance to quit before he Actually Fights For Real.

He nearly wins. Then the desks appear. Duel Music starts. And cars replace them. Utena's going to free Anthy. She's going to be a Prince.

And at that resolve the giant statue of Dios shatters. And the castle shatters and falls. And as it does, Utena attacks Big Bro. Anthy can barely believe Utena is winning.

Or

Um

Anthy is thrown into Utena's arms. Then behind her. Seemingly cowering behind her. Then a sword sound and

There's a sword through Utena. Anthy stabbed her.

To be continued.

What the FUCK Anthy. Is this how you end every fucking arc after the first one. Do you like this endless torment, was your asshole big brother really right when he told Utena that during this duel? What the fucking fuck Anthy.

End credits. Utena in the elevator. As normal. Kiss and all. What the fuck Anthy. What is wrong with you.

Next episode: the Shadow Girls remind you this is just a cartoon and SURELY Utena will pull Prince Power from her ass.

39: Someday Forever We'll Shine.

Recap: Anthy stabbed the fuck out of Utena. WHY.

Anthy throws the sword away and takes Utena's sword. U can never be her Prince because she's a girl.

The Student Council is waiting for the outcome of the duel. Orange forgot the name of someone who saved her sister, and died doing it, that she thought she'd never forget. People move on. People forget things.

Big Bro demands Utena's sword from Anthy, she won't give it up,

He persuades her to despite me hollering at her to stab him, stab herself, stab SOMEONE. And then he does an EoW leap off the edge of the arena,month the floating path to the .rose Gate that holds the power to Revolutionize the World.

He calls for Anthy. Who is caught by Utena. Who won't let go of her dress… But she teleports out.

Thousands of swords fly up towards the Arena. As a duel song starts. They stab into Anthy, who is now floating naked in the air.

Look, you can hope it's gonna have a happy ending but you know what's coming. They told you at the beginning of every episode: the castle will come falling down, the Sleeper will awake, and Utena will be alone. You know this. You know this in your bones by now.

And ultimately. Utena is vanished from the school and people are starting to forget her. Big Bro is restarting the Rose Bride fights. But… Anthy takes her glasses off and leaves. She's done with this place. And she'll go find Utena. And a remix of the opening theme plays over her walking, in clothes we've never seen before, shot much like the opening.

Well. The end. Anthy didn't get saved by her Prince but she got stirred up enough to save her own damn self. It's not a happy one, Prince Big Brother is still sitting in the self made hell of the school, but she's leaving.

She took Chu-Chu with her though so she's doomed, that damn thing is the source of all the evil in this world.

Leave a Reply