[Utena review: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4]

In this final part of my Utena review, let me show you a few little things that might not seem like a lot but make a world of difference.

Let’s begin with the titular phrase. Meaning roughly “Do you know, do you know? Do you really know?”, this phrase is uttered in every episode by the Kashira Shadow Players. “What’s that?”, you might be asking, or perhaps “Bwah?” if you aren’t so articulate, but either way allow me to enlighten you (man, are we feeling pompous tonight or what?). See… they’re a greek chorus!

*crickets*

I’d forgotten about this as well. It’s not something you see often nowadays. Which is just as well, since we’ve had two and a half millenia to come up with new means of fulfilling the job of a greek choir. Let’s try this:

Bazil Exposition

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[Utena review: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4]

I’m not sure if the uppercase is mandatory there, but it certainly feels like it should be. Anyways, the title refers to the signature theme of Revolutionary Girl Utena, a TV series I’ve been rewieving this week. Without further ado I give you Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku, courtesy of YouTube; hit the jump for a bit of rambling analysis on the music of Utena and, more importantly, even more and even cooler videos from this series.

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[Utena review: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4]

Utena revels in using suggestive or allegorical imagery throughout each episode, often for nefarious purposes. Well, not really (I just wanted to use the word “nefarious” once in my life). But yes, the authors definitely had a field day when designing the baroque architecture seen everywhere in the Ohtori Academy campus (where most of the series takes place), the uniforms and dresses of the characters, and the many different visual motifs used liberally sprinkled around each chapter, of which the most prominent is the rose. Oh yes, roses:

The Ohtori Academy logo, a rose

The atrium of Ohtori Academy. Notice the roses.

A frame of roses for Anthy... the Rose Bride

You would think that’s enough roses for a while, but those are only a few selected screenshots for the first couple of minutes of the first chapter, and it wasn’t even all the roses in display. There were rose rings, rose-engraved buildings, even more rose frames, a rose booklet, even a basketball game played amongst falling rose petals. A. Basketball. Game. And, that shot of Anthy? She’s inside a greenhouse, where she raises… well, you can figure it out already.

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[Utena review: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4]

This site is so cutting edge! Accompany me on the next few days as I take a look at an animated series that aired in Japan back in 1997. “Why should I?”, you might be asking yourself. Well, because it’s a really damned good series. I’d like to show you why I love Revolutionary Girl Utena, or better yet, why you will love it if you don’t already.

Utena and Anthy from Revolutionary Girl Utena

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So I got this beauty on the mail last week:

Azumanga Daioh Omnibus

I wish I had a digital camera, or that I could find a decent picture of this online, to show you what it’s actually like. It’s like a phone book – over two inches thick and filled cover to cover with Azumanga goodness. I’ve sooo been waiting for this!

Update: ok, here it goes. Sort of, anyways:

Azumanga Daioh - Front

Azumanga Daioh - Back

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