It seems only fitting that I would talk about one of my favorite genres of anime finally: Magical Girls.
I would have thought that I'd cover something near and dear to my heart, like Nanoha, or maybe even Cardcaptor Sakura. Yet, in the end, working on the blog again made me think of Utena, and it struck a chord with me. As much as I love those other shows, Utena perfectly encapsulates many things I f***ing adore about anime.
Oh, and you didn't misread that by the way. Moonlight Punishment is coming back again. This Friday even? You should probably look forward to that.
But for now, let's take a look at the wonderful work of art that is Revolutionary Girl Utena.
Anime is many things. But above all else, it is a work of art that transforms and transcends what storytelling is, and can be. At least, great anime does. Great anime inspires us, it moves us, and it can educate us. It resonates within one's soul, and can make us question what we knew.
It's more than just pretty colors moving around at the speed of light. It's more than puns, dick jokes, and long, drawn-out fight sequences. Anime is more than a mere cartoon - it is a storytelling medium with roots steeped in Japanese culture, and a language all of its own carefully crafted over decades of evolution.
Revolutionary Girl Utena is more than just a mere anime. It is a show that demands a great deal from its viewer, and if you're not careful, it is very easy to miss what's really going on. This is a show that is far greater than the sum of its parts - it is a story about a story, that is itself about stories.
If that seems a bit much, I don't blame you, but I beg you to please hear me out. Because I was not prepared the first time I dove into this show. Ever since my introduction to anime, I heard great and wonderful things about Utena. So I tried to watch it. I started with the OVA, unfortunately - the worst possible place. I couldn't understand what was going on, so I gave up on the show.
It's a shame, in retrospect, that I waited almost a decade to give it another try. The OVA itself is the black sheep of the family, but I have a newfound appreciation for it, which I will address later. For now, let's focus on the important stuff: What the hell is this show about?
Well, it's about a girl. Her name is Utena. And technically speaking, she is neither revolutionary, nor magical. At least, not at first. What she is, however, is very headstrong. She knows what it is that she wants in life, and it isn't to be some princess waiting to be whisked away by a prince. That much she knows for sure.
Shortly after arriving at her new school, however, her life begins to change. She meets another girl named Anthy, and her life is never quite the same. She winds up picking up a sword to defend the honor of this poor girl, and with it chooses to make choices no one else is interested in. Saying anything more would be massive spoilers, and this is not one that I would spoil lightly.
At first glance, the show takes on a very manga-like approach to its storytelling - complete with asides from characters, and some rather interesting narrators who are actually part of the story itself. Or are they merely telling the story? After a fashion, one begins to wonder these things, and as you begin to look deeper, you realize that there are very, very subtle things hidden within the show itself - in fact, the story itself can be seen as one big metaphor itself. Metaphors and symbolism are perhaps the greatest power this show has, as the entire production is steeped in hidden meanings and layers that only make sense once you have the full context of the story in mind.
The story itself stands on its own. But the story itself is just a story, and behind that story is another story. At the same time, the story is both a deconstruction of popular stories and tropes, and a reconstruction. The characters, their motivations, the dialogue itself, all of it can be regarded as symbols. Nothing is ever truly random in Utena - everything has some deeper meaning attached to it. And I mean everything. Once you begin to pay attention to all of the little cues and subtle hints, you begin to realize that literally every facet of the show, from every little visual element to the choices of movement, and even the art style itself is utilized in some way to communicate something.
Make no mistake: This is by no means an easy watch. Even following the basic storyline, while not difficult, will make your mind do hurdles. But once you start to catch on to the visual language built within the show, and begin to see the symbols they are using, and figuring out why they use the symbols, the true genius shines.
It also doesn't hold your hand the entire way, expecting you to make the connections on your own, while politely laughing at everyone who never manages to scratch their way beyond the surface. It's a very Asian thing - to have conversations that sound as if they are talking about one subject, while in reality having a completely different conversation.
And because the show leaves itself open to interpretation so much, while telling a completely fulfilling story, it's possible to look at the characters and events through a different lens, and to see something very different playing out instead.
The show tackles some pretty heavy themes as well: a woman's place in society, facing societal norms, and the cost of standing out from the crowd. It's about standing up for all the right things, about growing up, and about questioning who you really are. It's about facing the choices you've made in life, accepting responsibility for those choices, and also about finding your way in life. And those are just a few of the things.
I shouldn't have to tell you this by now, but the show is visually fantastic. The entire thing is gorgeous, and not a thing is simply thrown in for the hell of it. A second viewing can even have you wondering if perhaps this is even the first time this particular story has played out, with all the same characters. There's a lot of talk about fate and destiny - of course there is though, it wouldn't be anime without it! Yet it tackles it from a very different angle than I'm used to seeing, so it bears mentioning that these themes and toyed with in some very fascinating ways.
Likewise, the music is haunting. It isn't something that is necessarily memorable mind you, but being memorable isn't the point of the music - it is to guide the action, and to help portray the mood. Much like with the visuals, the music is there for a point, and it does its job admirably.
And of course, what can I say about the writing that I haven't already said? It blows my goddamned mind that this was a TV anime. Thirty-nine episodes. Thirty-nine. By the end of it all, you'll either be wondering what the f**k you just watched, or realizing how f***ing much you missed because you weren't prepared for it at all.
Now at this point, I'd like to pause for a moment and discuss the movie. A lot of people hate the movie, and I can understand why. It makes no f***ing sense whatsoever. It's visually astounding, but especially the end of the film had even the diehard fans scratching their heads and asking, "Did they really just transform into a f***ing car?!"
Yes. That's a thing that happens by the way. It's pretty much the most infamous part of the film. But it was during that sequence when the broken pieces of my brain finally clicked, and I realized what a brilliant masterpiece it really was. They had somehow managed to create an 80-minute film that condensed the entirety of the season and a half animated series, and they'd actually made it work.
A lot of people disagree with me on that, but when you look at Utena as a series that should never be taken at face value, when you consider that every piece of visual artistry is actually a symbol for something else, that's when you realize how f***ing god damned magical this series really is. Because it isn't just telling you a story. It's telling you about the story itself. It's telling you about yourself. It's been doing it this whole time, and you never realized it because you were too caught up in the story to really comprehend what it's actually been trying to say the entire time.
Revolutionary Girl Utena is not an easy watch. I would not recommend it to a newcomer. But for someone that wants a show that will challenge them intellectually, this is going to be your jam. This is the kind of show that demands your full attention, and relies on you keeping a watchful eye and an open mind to fully grasp its subtle nuances. It will make you question everything you know, everything you've learned, and in some cases, what may even be possible.
For those of you that are new around here, let me just say that I do not throw around praises like this lightly. I spend a good portion of my time tearing apart shows that are, according to the Internet, pretty good. I have some pretty darned high standards, which should come to no surprise if you read my blatherings about Cowboy Bebop. But for those of you who know me, or have been around long enough to understand the method to my lunacy, then you should hopefully understand me when I say that this show. Is. F***ing. Genius. And that I consider it to be a goddamn masterpiece.
I do not often say things like "one of the greatest anime of all time". But I do firmly believe that Revolutionary Girl Utena fits this very solidly as one of those. This is not merely anime. This is art. There are paintings, and then there's shit like the Sistine Chapel. And while Utena may not be the Sistine Chapel, it will make you go "holy shit" as you begin to realize the breadth of its domain.
As of this writing, it has now been nearly 20 years since the initial release of Utena. And to this day, it stands up with anything airing currently - and when considered against all of the other shows that were airing at its time, it becomes all the more impressive once you realize just how much they wound up getting away with.
Utena is one of the greatest anime series to grace television, purely on account of its brilliance. And having the balls to address something that even to this very day is still a hot button issue.
And no, I'm not talking about the lesbians.
There are very few stories quite like Utena. You may say otherwise, but I will argue against that. Because on its surface, you'd be right - it doesn't necessarily break any new ground.
But that's only because you're not watching the story they're really telling.
It figures that Utena would be the show I'd use to finally declare that Moonlight Punishment is back again. Because it's kind of the perfect one to remind me of why I do what I do around here. Why I demand more from my shows, and why I cast such a critical gaze upon everything I watch. Because things like Utena exist, I can ask why we can't be allowed to have more things like it.
And I know, deep in my heart, that the answer is because people are dumb. But I like to hope that maybe someday, we'll get more brilliant shows like it more often.
Thanks for sticking with me through this entire thing. Utena is one of those things I could probably talk about for a long time - nearly as long as I could talk about Sailor Moon, I suppose. Just for very different reasons.
I'll see you guys on Friday. I started something terrible, and by god, I am going to finish them.
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