Okay so I just finished the first nine episodes of Revolutionary Girl Utena and first of all this show is just so nuanced and complex? The filler episodes are hilarious enough to keep me interested, and the actual content has so much thematic material to unpack.
But as a lesbian (aroace nb edition but absolutely still a lesbian) I am just sitting here having an absolute crisis because of how intensely I relate to both Anthy and Utena.
When I was little I wanted to be a knight in shining armor and fight for justice and save damsels in distress. I wanted to follow a code of chivalry and act with honor. It was all still very aro of me, I wanted to go through the motions and ceremonies of wooing and aiding, and make someone feel special and safe without having to “feel” the right way.
But on the other hand I have always wanted someone to do that for ME. Like Anthy I’m inclined to blindly follow authority, repress myself for the sake of others, and internalize criticism. I want to be a princess, pretty and protected. I’m also hella neurodivergent, just like Anthy is. (She’s autistic, fucking fight me.)
Like. I dunno. I feel like I can’t truly be in a relationship if I’m not some sort of perfect complement. Like, I have to be either the passive one or the active one so that I can perfectly attract someone of the opposite alignment, like a magnet. And by being split like this, I render myself incapable of being in a relationship with anyone.
Like, my inner princess and inner prince cannot be satisfied at the same time, and by entering into a relationship with either a princess or a prince (both of which can be female or fem-aligned enby), one of them is doomed to starve.
Adfhghg whatever I’m probably overthinking this, watching this show just really resurrected this whole complex lmao