Rating: 
Summary: Amazingly deep
Review: When I first picked up this series at a local video store, I expected it to be some cheesy, melodramatic shojo (girls') anime. Was I ever wrong.Utena, superficially, is the story of a determined young girl who goes through many trials for the sake of her friend, the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya. Underneath all that it is a heavily symbolic story about the balance between masculinity and femininity and humanity's struggle against its own flaws. Utena is directed by Ikuhara, who also did Sailor Moon - but be warned, Utena is nothing like Sailor Moon. While the anime is still lighter than the original manga, it deals with controversial subjects such as incest, rape, and lesbianism. Young children can watch Utena without fear, as it contains no nudity or violence whatsoever, but a ten-year-old simply won't get the complexity of plot in Utena, which was written for teenagers. Ikuhara's handling of Utena is superb: the music, the animation and the voices are great - but the English pronounciations are still awful (Utena TenjOH, people, not Tenjoo). Utena is a geart watch even for guys; you can't call yourself an otaku if you don't see it!
Rating:
Summary: Really weird, but in a good way
Review: Utena is a strange, strange story. At its simplest, it is a fairy tale set on its head: the heroine, Utena, is a girl who wants to be the prince after being rescued by a prince when she was a little girl. Her goal leads her to Ohtori Academy, where she finds herself drawn into a series of sword duels for possession of the Rose Bride, another girl at the school. If that sounds odd, it is, but it's really the least bid of weirdness. For example, the wonderful soundtrack shifts between light classical and rock opera (for the duels). A castle hangs upside down from inside a building. Wild animals pop up unexpectedly all over the place. The whole thing is surreal; even the characters' eyes are drawn in a style which, by anime conventions, suggests they are dreaming or hallucinating. This first disc contains 7 episodes (out of a total of 39, of which 13 are translated into English as of November, 2000). The stories introduce the characters and establish the initial paths of the conflicts between them--the basic question being, why do these people want possession of the Rose Bride? The characters are interesting, the stories are unusual and fresh, and the English voice acting (if you're watching the dub) is well-done for all the major characters. One thing to watch out for: the disc proclaims "From the director of Sailor Moon." In Japan, the audience for Utena and Sailor Moon might overlap; such is probably not the case in the US. The themes in Utena are much more adult than most would want to have pre-teen girls watching, including domestic violence and hints (at least in this disc) of homosexuality. There is no nudity here, but there are some rather suggestive scenes.
Rating:
Summary: Charles Solomon, I Challenge You to A Duel
Review: Dear Mr. Solomon,
I must admit that when I first started watching anime, I was a little cautious about it. The Japanese culture seemed so far fetched to me, that I wasn't able to fully grasp it's delicacies at first. However, after watching several VERY impressive anime series, including His and Her Circumstances, Love Hina, Fruits Basket, Steel Angel Kurumi, and Please Teacher, I have found that anime is something more than just a cute cartoon.
Anime is an adult movie, not for children unless they are very mature. It explores mature themes, such as, in Utena at least, homoeroticism (not homosexuality, homoeroticism is feeling romantic love for someone of the same sex), incestuous love and its dangers, criticism of those who would beat someone faithful to them, and the threat of an impending Apocalypse.
If you show Utena to young children, I suggest you rethink it. But Utena as an adult movie is fantastic. Beautiful animation, beautiful characters, and a look at life as it really is, not closed behind doors as in Hollywood. Sure, most of the characters are barbie-doll figures, and unrealistically proportioned, but the trials they go through are reflective of the human condition in a way that cartoon series in the US are not.
Watch anime for the culture, the art, the deeper message behind the cute and bouncy exterior, Charles Solomon. Stop watching anime as though you're a little kid.
Sincerely,
A Literature and Philosophy University Student
Rating:
Summary: "For the Revolution of the World . . . "
Review: This boxed set is the so-called "Student Council saga" of the Utena TV series. It chronicals Utena's introduction into the mystery of the Ohtori Academy and her duels with the 5 student council members. This is the most straightforard of the 4 sagas. It only dips into all the mystery, in which this series is engulfed. It is a SHOJO series, which means that it was originally aimed at young girls. But don't let that turn you away; I have found that SHOJO series are often the best anime has to offer, possibly because what young girls watch in Japan and what young girls watch here are completely different (I think this series has a 13+ rating). But don't think of it as a "girls' series." Think of it as a cross of THE X-FILES with SAILOR MOON with some soap opera elements tossed in for good measures. As I have said before, there is A LOT of symbolism and mystery in this series: Who is End of the World? Who will be the one to bring revolution to the world? What is the significance of the Rose Bride? Why is Miki always timing things with his stopwatch? (Ok, so the last question is never actually answered.) This series gets better and better with every episode, until the SHOCKING conclusion in ep. 39 (this is only the first 13 episodes, the rest hasn't been liscensed yet). I highly recommend this series: it's my favorite of all time (higher than Sailor Moon). Buy this! Maybe Software Sculptors will liscence the rest of the series if enough people do!
Rating:
Summary: I suppose you have no choice but to revolutionize the world
Review: I cannot say enough about this anime. I rented the first video about a year and a half ago. I had seen some pictures of the characters in a magazine and remembered the unusual style (even for anime). Halfway though the first episode it dawned on me just how revolutionary :) this anime is. I identified strongly with Utena. I loved the elegant setting of Ohtori Academy. And I loved the bizareness. I bought all four tapes, and then eventually got the rest of the series and movie in Japanese (it only gets better)! I wish I could say that this anime is for everyone... but I think that to really enjoy this anime you need an open (very open) mind, and some knowledge of anime (it's confusing enough as it is... if you're not familiar with Japanese culture and anime you'll be really lost), and a willingness to examine at length what it is that the series is saying. But don't let me talk you out of this anime. It's simply one of the finest out there. The series is all about gender roles and sexuality. We're kind of uptight about this sort of thing here in the US... it's handled really beautifully and honestly here. I would say that all of the main characters (except Wakaba and maybe Nanami) are somewhat mixed in their gender orientation. You have feminine guys, tomboyish girls, same-sex relationships, etc. Utena views the world in black and white, in "Prince" or "Princess", but it really isn't. Is she herself the Prince or the Princess? Can she accept herself as being somewhere in between? I kind of worry when this series is recommended for 6 and up. There's nothing excessive in the first 13 episodes, but same-sex relationships are hinted at strongly, romantic but not necessarily sexual. But I know what is coming later in the series and it gets intense. Never crude or explicit, but intense. This is such a unique series. It's really not like "magical girl" plots. Utena uses no magic (except maybe from her prince), she has no cute animal guardien to guide her... in fact she has *no* guide, she's on her own. She has no clear-cut foes. She's not facing enemies with some evil objective... she's just there with her classmates, struggling for a power that they don't understand, manipulated into following the rules of the game. The more you think about what it means to crack the world's shell and hide in a coffin and all the other images of this series, the more personal it will become to you. On a lighter note too, the characters are facinating, the boys are cute, the girls are pretty without all the cleavage and bouncing breasts of most anime, some episodes are hilariously funny, the songs are like nothing you've ever heard before. Even the dub isn't that bad, in my opinion. It's not up to par with the voice work in American animation, but it's one of the better anime dubs I've heard, even if they do screw up characters names and some of the minor characters are terribly falsetto. Give this anime a try! Revolutionize your own world!
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad for a shoujo anime
Review: Revolutionary Girl Utena is a wonderful anime, but this first saga of the story is a bit boring compared to the following episodes. This DVD contains the first seven episodes in the Student Council Saga, and is mainly used to introduce the characters of the story. If you are a shoujo fan, you will absolutely love the colorful atmosphere, silly humor, and amazing characters. It is like a more mature version of Sailor Moon. But even non-shoujo fans may enjoy it for the fast-paced sword duels, intriguing and surreal story, and the bizarre music. This DVD contains both English and Japanese dialogue, with optional subtitles. I thought the english voices were annoying and lacked much-needed emotion compared to the Japanese ones. There are few extras on this DVD and the story can be a bit dull and over-dramatic in spots, but don't worry; things will pick up with future episodes. If you like Utena, be sure to check out the movie being released fourth quarter 2001, and more episodes the following year!
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Intriguing
Review: When I saw the first episode I was more than a bit confused, I thought, 'hey, maybe the next one will clear things up', but it just got more and more complicated.
What I like about this serie is that it's original, I mean, which other serie can you name that has an unwilling heroine looking for a mysterious prince from her past ending up in a strange academy where people are fighting to possesss the equally mysterious 'Rose Bride'?
Initially I only watched the first load, the Rose Collection, it was left me by my cousin, and afterwards I was just like...man, why didn't he have the REST?!!! It's truly an original masterpiece, just what I'd expect from the director of Sailor Moon.
Rating:
Summary: To tell you the truth..
Review: I had heard about this show alot, especially about the movie version and it was precicely that fact that made me stear clear from it for a while. I am a huge fan of Sailor Moon, and it was the beauty and purity in my mind of that show and that world that I didn't want to pollute with something that was supposedly more "edgy" but just dirty and gratuitous. Luckly, when I got sick in Japan this winter and had to stay home in bed, my boyfriend and I went to get videos at the video store. One piece and Inuyasha were being rented, so we went with the DVD's of Utena. They were GOOD! Way better than I thought they would be! The setting (kind of a bizarre non existant place highly influenced by gothic french architecture) is gorgeous and kinda makes you wish you were there, and the characters are memorable. The only one I can say kindof annoys me is Anthy but I think that's kind of supposed to be the intention of the author. Anyway, I was really impressed though I thought I would dislike this show.
Rating:
Summary: This is great--Utena starts a real revolution!
Review: Are you tired of episodic shows like Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura? Do you want more out of your anime than girls changing into short-skirted superheroines or animals fighting each other in controlled battles? Do you want to see something deep--something that makes you think about what you're watching? Well, that is Revolutionary Girl Utena for you. It starts with a girl dressing as a boy--and not just any boy, but a prince! She rescues a princess in the form of the Rose Bride, who is traded among the Student Council members as they win/lose fencing duels. Utena joins this group and befriends the shy, quiet doll that is Himemiya Anthy, the object of the duels. Along the way Utena has to contend with the insane Vice President Saijoni (who is obsessed with Anthy), the cold fencing team captain Juri, the suave womanizing President Touga, the child prodigy Miki, Touga's jealous little sister Nanami, and Miki's dominating twin sister Kozue. They fight for the Rose Bride because she carries a hidden power that will allow her master/mistress to revolutionize the world, according to specifications set by the End of the World, who organized the whole thing. Utena fights just to protect her strange friend Anthy and to find the prince that rescued her when her parents died. Warning, there are controvesial themes in this series, although it is not as explicit as the Utena movie. Incest abounds between Kozue/Miki, Anthy and her older brother(whom we meet much later), and Nanami longs for the affections of her brother. But Touga has his eye on another girl in the show... This is a wonderful series and I wish I could give it more than five stars. It makes you think about many things, and leaves you with answers to questions you went even aware you had been thinking. And the music rocks!
Rating:
Summary: *contains some spoilers*
Review: It begins like a fairy tale about a sad princess. . . It was Christmas 99 that I got the Utena boxed set with all four English dubbed episodes. I didn't fall in love with it immediately. At first, I was just pleased with the boxes. Pink! My favorite color! The unfamiliar pink-haired girl with a sword struck no particular chord of enthusiasm for me. I came home to Kentucky with my newly acquired anime for Fourth of July to visit my harpy of a biological mom (she lives in KY, my psuedo dad lives in CA) and I tried watching with my sister, Loretta who's first comment was "Are those girls lesbians? I'm not watching any lezzie shows with you." Well, she fell asleep after the first episode, making critical comments all the way. I couldn't even enjoy the anime for her. So, I tried watching it with my best friend of seven years and spirit sister Samantha. And we both loved it and bonded together nicely while watching it. She laughed in her particular Samantha way and asked "So? What's the deal? Whoever knocks a rose of the other person's [chest] first wins?" It WAS pretty weird. Later, we did some Wakaba-Utena impersonating by jumping on one another's back and crying "UTENA! UTENA, my love!!!!!" giggling hysterically. While in CA I recorded all the Utena episodes and sent them to my friend Samantha. So... it's sort of like 'our' anime. Her boyfriend and her have Slayers as 'their' anime. Well, people can have a specific song that is theirs... why not having a 'couplet anime'? Hah! I just invented that term. The opening theme song makes me happy just to hear it. Later, as my appreciation for the Utena series matured- I visited anime turnpike and looked at *all* of the Utena dedicated websites. . . among those was one called "Through a Rose colored Lens" that had wonderful poetry about the series... and another site with a gorgeous mini-video of the song by Natalie Ambruglia called Torn with Utena imagery flashing as the song went along...(both sites are dead now) it took you through the whole series, the music and lyrics bringing sad and sweet emphasis to the images. So, I felt for Utena and her Prince. Isn't every girl looking for her Prince? Someone to make us feel whole and give us love and strength. Utena's search for her prince.... the loss of her innocence to Akio and the final betrayal of her... are perhaps things you can relate to your own life. Do you wish a prince on a white horse would come and save you from something hard you've had to endure, kiss away your tears and give you a noble spirit and a purpose? If you knew you'd meet him again someday, would you want to be just like him..... Or like Jury, have you loved a person who could feel nothing for you in return? Perhaps, like Nanami, everything feels tragic to you and you get carried away in your own crazy imagination only to appear bizarre and comical to others? Or perhaps.... like Anthi, you are quiet, submissive, scared to be yourself and desire secretly to have an Utena of your own to bring you 'revolution.' If anyone you've loved dearly has died then you know what the little girl with pink hair weeping inside a coffin next to her parents coffins felt like. To lose things - to need something eternal. "If everything dies what is the point of living?" You might have asked yourself. You will keep watching, just as I did, to find out an answer.... if there is one at all... Utena answers some questions by playing out and giving a catharsis of those fears... Utena after all - mighty, noble, strong prince and fragile young girl with a sensitive soul all in one- may remind you of your own clashing identities. Her gender does not define her as a person. Maybe she is someone you can look to in your own life when faced with a difficult problem.... A role model.... What would you do if you did everything in a 'noble' way? The romance of being a 'prince' to someone and saving them endears itself to me in a way no other anime could. The human suffering of Ohtori academy and the complex nature of Utena herself, with her pink hair representing her immaturity and her old, mature soul seemingly still full of idealism after such hardships in a less than perfect world became somewhat of a mantra in my own life. Things are hard now, I could say, but no matter what someone can still live a noble life. No one can strip you of your own nobility if you have it deep inside of you. This idea, though not down-to-earth and a little naive is something beautiful to hold on to in a violent, scary world full of uncertainties. So if Utena is immature to believe in the innocence of the world.... then maybe we could all stand to remain a little 'immature' as a Dios or a Utena, even after all the Shioris and Akios have had their way with us. That's why I love Utena. Hearing her story brought me my own revolution. . . the beautiful music of the opening and ending songs is a great comfort. ^_^
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