La fillette révolutionnaire Utena

I think people get too caught up in attempting to understand something foreign to realize that many elements in Revolutionary Girl Utena are not meant to be taken literally and at times, seriously. Yes, it is strange, but, the strangeness is purposefully achieved as a method of storytelling. If one can look past or even appreciate the strangeness, one can find a worthwhile story that's both entertaining and insightful.

The main character, Utena Tenjou, is a student at a boarding school. She meets Anthy Himemiya, a shy girl who is the Rose Bride, the key figure in a mysterious plot by the Student Counsel to "revolutionise the world". The main storyline revolves around Utena and her journey, through different trials and obstacles, to uncover this mystery. To support the main story, there are many subplots and filled with colourful supporting characters, who add drama, humour, and complexity.

The Student Counsel members often recite a poem with portions borrowed from Herman Hesse's Demian. Like the Demian, Utena is about the antagonist's personal journey uncovering truth within their world and within themselves, through the transitional periods of youth. Unlike in Demian, the hero's journey in Utena is highly metaphorical. Despite seeming childish and simple at first, this series is actually incredibly dark with themes that are both adult in nature and adult in meaning. It uses many traditional archetypes – like the charming prince, the wicked witch, the naive hero – but changes these elements' relationship with each other and within the story as the vehicle to drive these progressive elements. Some of the ideas touched upon are the meaning of gender, gender roles, the meaning of self, etc.

Revolutionary Girl Utena is one of my favourite television series. Both the plot and the characters are highly developed. I actually greatly enjoy the surrealism, with over the top drama that both pokes fun of itself and other series within the shoujo (manga and anime for women and girls) genre. The fantastic story components along with highly stylized visuals full of symbolism paint an almost dream-like setting. It's a post-modern fairytale that's indefinitely unforgettable. You'll either love it or hate it, there's no in between.

I love this series! Not only is it visually pleasing and funny (in its own way sometimes, I must admit), it makes the viewer THINK in order to get the story behind the characters and their odd behavior, something most anime fans today are forgetting to do. One thing needs to be clear for those whose interest has been piqued... this is NOT Sailormoon, despite the fact that it is directed by the same (talented) man and despite the fact that it is a shoujo anime. Don't get me wrong, I love Sailormoon. But, Shoujo Kakumei Utena does have weirder (eerie) twists and mysterious (eerie) characters. So if you want something different, something not one-dimensional,like Dragonball, let's say, take a look at Shoujo Kakumei Utena. It's one of the best shoujo series around; after all, the girls in it all rule in some way or another.

Utena is one of the most remarkable anime there is. It has beautiful animation, wonderful storyline, character development, humor, and one of the chief reasons that this show doesn't have as big a following as it deserves, it's extremely surrealistic. There can be a lot read into this show and metaphors run rampant. If you don't like such an odd show, definitely do not watch the movie. Now THAT is weird. ^^;;

This show is completely and totally incredible. It's so much more than just a simple shoujo drama. It's shoujo, it's drama, but it's also got action (sword duels, and they're just...awesome), comedy (yes, the quintessential Cute-Animal-Mascot, but even he's a little...different), and a plot that actually forces you to think. Who is End-of-the-World? Who is Mikage? What is the "power to revolutionize the world"? Why does Utena want to be a prince if she's a girl? What is free will? These questions and so many more arise over the course of the show. Every character has a deep psychological flaw and their own personal set of motivations and unique (often tragic) past. This is not a show for the faint of heart -or- mind. While the show is never explicit, it does contain mild violence (come on, sword duels without violence would be an oxymoron--blood is never shed though) and implied (never graphic) sexual situations. Another issue that may stand in the way of some narrow-minded types' enjoyment is the fact that nearly every character in the show has a--oh, shall we say, *flexible* sexual orientation. Just know that if you can't handle the original non-butchered "Sailor Moon", you won't be able to handle this. The Utena dub, by the way, is excellent (with the exception of a few voices). Juri and Touga were given voices that fit their characters extremely well. All in all, I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend this show.

A unique and dynamic series, absolutely unlike anything you've ever seen. One of the most amazing stories I've ever seen put to screen, and so much more than the bubbly, vapid romance series I was expecting. Heavy themes from both Christian stories and Greek mythology, but a lot of it masked by symbolism and implication. an incredible story, but you have to watch ALL 39 episodes to get the full-impact. Not really a show you can watch out of order. I'm personally not a fan of the dub, but dubs have to be pretty impressive to compare to the original Japanese actors, in my opinion. There's so much subtext and raw emotion in their voices that they create the characters more than the pictures. And these characters are so complex it's a shame to not experience them at their full potential. This is a series where you can watch it over and catch new thing every time. WELL worth your money and time.