Rating: 
Summary: One of the best anime ever!
Review: I first rented this DVD in March 2001 and this was the first time I had ever seen this show! And believe me, I got hooked! But I really do sugest for those who have never seen this show before, not to first get this DVD, only because in the first episode on it, Utena and Anthy's personalities change, and can be very confusing if you don't know the charcters! But if you keep watching it, it soon makes some sense. Beleive me, Utena Revolutionary Girl is awesome! If you love Sailor Moon or just love all anime, then you'll love this show! Try this DVD or the VHS's, you WILL NOT be disappointed!!
Rating:
Summary: Utena has me mezmerized... o_O
Review: I have all the Utena DVD's; all 39 episdoes and let me just say, this anime is AMAZING!! It is by-far my favorite anime... If you were debating over wheter to get this anime or not, get it. It's fabulous!! BUY IT NOW!!
Rating: 
Summary: We must crack the shell of the world so we can be born...
Review: I purchased and just finished watching The Rose Collection 1 and 2. Overall, it's good Anime, but geared to kids outgrowing Sailor moon. Some observations:1. The series does NOT appear to end at the Rose Collection 2. I haven't seen an announcement for the volume 3 anywhere. 2. Be ready to use the fast forward button on your DVD a lot. There are certain scenes that are used again and again in every episode. Admittedly, they seem to be there to establish continuity in the series because most people don't get to watch the episodes back to back. But, if you are watching it back to back like you will be in DVD format, it gets tiresome very quickly because the sections are long (about 4 minutes). 3. As has already been said, Utena stands in relief against the world of bubbleheaded women in Anime because of her complexity. That says two things: (i) the vast majority of Anime females are portrayed as being very shallow, and (ii) Utena stands out in that crowd. This is not to say that Utena is Holly Golightly or anything, but she is refreshingly spicy against the saccharine of sailor moon. 4. There were no explicit scenes in the collections, so it would be appropriate for children to watch. The strange lyrics used in the music have ominous overtones, but are strung together in seemingly random patterns. As such, they do not seem to me to represent anything but the setting of foreboding (e.g., in one of the often repeated songs there is a sequence of ominous sounding historical species enumerated like "Ammonite", etc.). 5. As always, it's disappointing to get a DVD that plays in two channel stereo only. This one isn't for showing off your home theater system.
Rating:
Summary: Have only watched the fansubs, but can't wait for the finale
Review: I've seen all of season 1 and the Black Rose Saga, and I am so impatient to see the ending of this series. Revolutionary Girl Utena, in a sentence, is a fairy-tale gone wonderfully awry. The whole series is weird, vivid, mysterious, artsy, and strangely dark. Truthfully, it's very difficult to tell exactly what the heck is REALLY going on as the series progresses, and the characters' personalities can be SO bizarre and conniving, it's unbelievable. Nanami, I loathe you....... The animation is quite unique and beautiful to look at. VERY sharp, angular, and colorful, and I quite enjoy the costume and hair design, in particular. This series has magic, conspiracy, rivalry, envy, swordfights, mystery, and a whole lotta face slappin' goin' on. It's not to be missed--Utena is a completely unique, incredible, intriguing anime, and it presents the viewer with a vision never before seen, and perhaps never to be seen again. An online review such as this cannot really do justice to the sheer complexity, nuance, grace, and beauty of this fantastical work.
Rating:
Summary: Continuing Complexity...
Review: If the first collection was great, this one absolutely kicks some major monkey butt!!! Having seen all 39 episodes, plus the movie and the musical, I would have to say this DVD is a highlight of the Utena universe. I simply adore episodes 8-10, it ranking the highest after the ohtori akio and apocalypse sagas, and the movie, of course. In a word, this collection is fantastic. You won't be disapppointed with this series. If the characters, storyline, and animation won't keep you entertained, it's massive amounts of symbolism will. The shadowgirls will keep you guessing! And the dueling songs only grow more enticing along with the series. With it's intricate characters and their relationships, it's bizarre and beautiful way of weaving a story through awesome visuals, this series is definitely a winner. I sure hope CPM releases the remaining 3 sagas soon! All hail Touga Kiryuu! Bow down to the master of blue monkeys! ::CHU CHU!!!::
Rating:
Summary: Continuing Complexity...
Review: If the first collection was great, this one absolutely kicks some major monkey butt!!! Having seen all 39 episodes, plus the movie and the musical, I would have to say this DVD is a highlight of the Utena universe. I simply adore episodes 8-10, it ranking the highest after the ohtori akio and apocalypse sagas, and the movie, of course. In a word, this collection is fantastic. You won't be disapppointed with this series. If the characters, storyline, and animation won't keep you entertained, it's massive amounts of symbolism will. The shadowgirls will keep you guessing! And the dueling songs only grow more enticing along with the series. With it's intricate characters and their relationships, it's bizarre and beautiful way of weaving a story through awesome visuals, this series is definitely a winner. I sure hope CPM releases the remaining 3 sagas soon! All hail Touga Kiryuu! Bow down to the master of blue monkeys! ::CHU CHU!!!::
Rating:
Summary: Much better than the first volume!
Review: If the first DVD didn't work for you, this one will. The story gets rolling in these final six episodes of the Student Council Saga, and there is a recap episode with hints of what's to come in the following Black Rose Saga due out next year. These episodes contain much more humor and action that will draw you in and leave you wanting more. In this volume, more of Touga, Utena, Saionji, and Nanami's pasts are revealed. Conflict arises when Anthy is kidnapped, a new Duelist is chosen, Utena thinks she may have found her prince, and when Utena loses a part of herself. A superb anime that will only get better, with a remaining 26 episodes. The dub voices are still annoying, so I suggest the Japanese subtitled version.
Rating:
Summary: top-notch shoujo anime on DVD: 2nd round
Review: Like its predecessor this is another fantastic DVD from CPM. It contains the final 6 episodes of the 'Student Council Saga' being the first season of this brillant shoujo anime series. The last episode is in fact a summary of the previous ones with little plot wrapped around it, but definitely an appetizer for things to come. The disc starts off with the most hilarious episode of the first season (I only say: Elephants!). However, after this one things start to become darker when more of the characters' pasts are revealed in some very moody flashbacks within the next episodes. This gets almost frighteningly intense when we gain some insights in the psyche of Nanami (student council presidents sister) in episode 3 which I found to be the best one yet. For any serious fan of anime this show is a no-brainer. UTENA has all of animes cliches turned into strengths. It is a wild mixture of slapsick, drama, romance and action with a soundtrack that is just gorgeous. If you do not completely hate magical girl/shoujo style anime then give it a try, you'll surely get hooked.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing Character Development...
Review: More of the same, but on a greater scale. After a fun filler episode where Utena and Anthy switch bodies, we're introduced to some downright weird but ultimately mystifying episodes tying together the pasts of Saionji, Touga and Utena. Nanami's insane personality takes a bit more sinister turn, and Touga, after possibly proving himself to be a "prince," turns into a master planner. After Utena falls for his trap, she is forced to re-examine her life.
Not only does Rose Collection 2 keep you glued to your seat (I watched the whole DVD in a day wheras I spread out the first one), but it also works as a great set-up for the second season. I haven't seen it and don't know what will happen, but after seeing that black rose seal, I can't wait to find out.
Rating:
Summary: A cut above the rest
Review: Out of the pretty but thematically shallow world of shoujo anime such as Sailor Moon, Magic Knight Rayearth, and Fushigi Yugi (if you've spent even one moment arguing over which of those series is the "best" then you be loser) arrises a show with an actual brain in it's head. Beautiful symbolism utilizing colors, ordinary objects, or roses coupled with genuine mystery and clever scripting makes for delicious brain candy. I don't think those roses covering the duelists was censorship. There's also plenty of eccentric plot devices, bizarre chacters, and a general air of "why not?" wierdness (all of which should be familiar to Sailor Moon fans.) Unfortunately, after the 8th episode, the plot quickly becomes formulaic and predictable, and makes a previously intriging character completely 2-dimensional by rendering him Just Plain Evil. Plus it shifts the focus onto Utena herself, who isn't nearly as interesting as the Student Council members or Anthy. And for Gourd's sake, will you stop comparing Tenjou Utena to Tsukino Usagi a.k.a. Sailor Moon? The whole point of Usagi's character was that she was an idiot savant. She could save the entire universe from utter anhiliation without breaking a sweat, yet couldn't take two steps in the day-to-day world without tripping herself. Utena is just sorta... non-descript.
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