So. I watched Adolescence of Utena today bc 1) Pride Month started and 2) it’s coming to theaters and I wanted to rewatch it since I’ve mostly seen the movie through disjointed watch throughs and needed to gauge whether I need to go see this by myself (tldr; yes ;-;)
BUT! I wanted to discuss one of my favorite scenes from the movie because it finally hit today and I’m. Well I’m gagged.
TW: Nudity, referenced abuse, manipulation, SA, incest, general RGU warnings
So this scene starts with a shot on Utena in class and it cuts between her and Wakaba, who in the show was her best friend (and yk whole Black Rose Saga) but she is talking with someone else and they linger on this for a while so I think it was meant to show how much lonelier Utena is in this version of things (or rather this version is showing Utena’s loneliness literally compared to the show, depends on what you think the movie is).
Next the faceless teacher gives the students an art assignment and directs students to get into groups to draw each other. He says specifically to “not get bogged down in detail. It’s important to capture your partner’s essence”, which I think could connect to how RGU plays a lot with “roles” and how many characters are confined by their roles and watered down to them; Utena as the “prince” and Anthy as the “princess” as well as “witch” in the show.
It was particularly interesting to me how this movie showed Utena taking up the role as prince to be something deep down she didn’t really want (or at least didn’t want to be that definition of a prince) much sooner, which makes sense because this is only a movie, but through doing that this makes Utena break away from her role much quicker and adjust her behavior. I also think Utena’s design is reflected by this as well since she comes in with short hair and a completed boy’s uniform, even Saionji thinking she is a man until the first duel. This design pushes the prince role even further than the show where she kept her long hair and shorts, however when she duels with the sword of Dios she gets a kind of magical girl transformation and her uniform is turned into something both more resembling her show uniform and closer matching Anthy’s Rose Bird dress. You’d think that the dueling outfit would actually push her further into the prince role, but she remains in the form even after Anthy and her escape into the Outside World. Could be a commentary on how women “default” to the feminine? Some may think that, and frankly I thought it might’ve been, too, but I think this could be showing how Utena is neither a prince nor princess, her form reflecting that by having both the feminine and masculine elements of her mixed in (get it bc she’s revoltuion or something). So far, she has been shoved into the prince box and into the princess box (in the show), so seeing this movie as the resolution to her arc, it makes sense to reclaim both parts of those “roles” that are her own.
ANYWAYS so after this, Anthy goes to Utena asking if she wanted to work together and she ends up leading Utena all around the school until they end up in secluded observation deck, Utena always being either far behind Anthy or on completely different levels (literally) which I think clearly reflects just how Anthy is always more informed and just knows whats going on better than Utena.
It’s also important to note that this scene takes place directly after their dance in the rose garden (the music from the dance acting as the through line connecting this scene and the next one.
Anthy is the first to model with Utena drawing her and immediately Utena beings with apologizing for her behavior the night before (whole different can of worms but also very worth digging into) and Anthy of course accept it because as the Rose Bride she takes whatever is dished out. This causes Utena to declare that she doesn’t want Anthy to be her bride and she doesn’t want to duel anymore which Anthy takes as Utena not likening her- which is the exact opposite! Utena tells Anthy that it’s because she likes her that she doesn’t want their relationship to be built solely on the dueling and Rose Bride stuff. This is another good opportunity for Utena to open up, saying how she felt better after they met the night before and that having that kind of closeness could be what she needs. All basic stuff more or less, but throughout the entirety of Utena’s monologue the camera stays focused solely on Anthy who is still modeling for Utena. This, while still being Utena’s true thoughts, also shows how Utena is projecting her want for closeness and vulnerably onto Anthy as if she wants it as well, which she hasn’t said whether she wants or not but she is deliberate in her actions in how she avoids and changes subjects.
Anthy is also constantly changing positions during the conversation and looking away from Utena, which would make capturing an accurate picture of her harder. This is similar to how she purposely makes herself and her intentions vague.
Utena asks that they keep no secrets between them, saying “You don’t tell me anything about yourself,” before Anthy finally looks directly at Utena and asks that they switch positions, also notable as one of the few “requests” Anthy makes throughout the film despite how she is meant to be subservient.
Camera follows Anthy as she now sits in Utena’s spot, flipping through her sketch book and getting all situated, Anthy now the artist and Utena the model when Utena asks for Anthy to rethink the condition she’s chosen for Utena. We then cut back to Utena and she is completely naked save for her holding her sketch book in front of her torso, clearly embarrassed. To this, Anthy says, “It’s important to capture the essence of your partner,” echoing their teacher, “it’s important to keep no secrets, remember?” This directly calls back to what Utena had just said, but this is Anthy testing Utena to see whether she can truly keep her word. In RGU, nudity is often used as a symbol for vulnerability, and Anthy requesting Utena be nude for this drawing is her asking to see what is beneath the prince role.
So, after this Utena drops the sketch book and Anthy just kind of stares for a moment without saying anything as she starts drawing, and this immediately is different from when Utena was the artist. Because we know what kind of person Utena is, she wouldn’t want to make her friend nor herself uncomfortable, so she kept talking as she worked and didn’t seem to direct Anthy’s positions at all; a stark difference from what Anthy is doing but works to draw a great parallel between the two because both of them want something out of this conversation and this is a great way to display their deeper characterization through how they go about getting it.
Anthy is drawing in complete silence when Utena chimes up again, stumbling through her words from embarrassment but not backing down. Utena says, “If I’m the only one being the model, it isn’t fair Anthy” to which Anthy can only say is true with a blank expression. This is when the scene shifts from an awkward, failed heart-to-heart to the psychological nonsense RGU is known for.
Anthy then starts to remove her uniform as well as Utena pulls her jacket over herself (shows how despite how brave Utena was trying to be, she’s not super great at the vulnerability stuff yet either), looking away from Anthy because that obviously isn’t what she meant- and when she looks behind from where she was sitting she sees multiple portraits and pictures behind her now (which has been previously casted in shadow). These paintings depict the brutal story of Dios’ fall and Anthy taking the blame. Utena then asks if the model in the paintings is Anthy which, yes it is, but that also answers directly to Utena’s prior statement about it being unfair that only she was the model when in reality Anthy has always been the model- but it is hardly voluntary vulnerability as then the picture zooms in and we’re shown an image of Akio gripping onto Anthy in reference to the abuse and manipulation he subjects her too (also she is seemingly unconscious which, knowing from a scene later where he puts something in her drink, we can also assume they’re making reference to his multiple assaults of her).
The scene then cuts back to Utena who finally looks away from the paintings and back to Anthy, where we see her silhouette cast in red and a gapping hole in the middle of her chest. Utena looks horrified and almost sad, and the scene ends with the camera slowly inching closer to the hole in Anthy’s chest before- next scene.
Wow. This last bit is a lot.
Coming from the show, we are aware of Anthy’s darker thoughts and (despite how clearly its shown) more aware of the abuse she receives from her brother and how trauma and abuse has shaped her into what she is. Anthy does not believe herself to be a good person, and she has done bad things. She has manipulated countless people and has both used and been used in the name of Akio’s search for the power to Revolutionize the world. She thinks she’s poisoning Utena, ruining her as well which she feels guilty over but ultimately does not stop because she can’t imagine Utena, someone who is so good, possibly saving a witch like her that reflects how little hope she holds in the goodness of the world and people.
I believe underneath this scene, in the context of the movie and whatever timeline/timeloop/alternate universe this is running on, this is Anthy being vulnerable and “telling Utena about herself” like she had asked only moments earlier. Utena had already declared that she wouldn’t duel anymore, so what did Anthy have to lose? Perhaps this was another ploy to get pity from Utena and prove that she “needs a prince”, or maybe it was her taking up Utena’s offer of friendship and closeness which then spurs Utena into action because that’s just the kind of person she is. To me, it feels like Anthy is trying to make Utena regret asking her to be vulnerable by showing her “ugliness” and how she is literally heartless.
Look at the damaged person underneath the Rose Bride title, the witch, and can you say she is still beautiful? Anthy is a character cloaked in so much vagueness that it is hard to figure out when the actions she takes are genuine or just another scheme, but I like to think that Anthy was acting with more genuineness than in the show.
The reason I like this scene so much is because of how it displays each of their unique personalities and how they’re both handling this “vulnerability”, and I think it is really uniquely displayed through this rather unconventional yet obvious medium. This scene also makes the finale even sweeter as while Utena and Anthy are driving away and towards the Outside World, both are completely naked but instead of the embarrassment and shame and fear associated with this scene, there is only love and it shows how they completely trust each other and have grown to be stronger people who can be vulnerable.
I don’t really know how to end this madness of what I’ve written, I started this like 5 hours ago but if I have more/better to say, I will add. There are so many ways to slice and dice this movie and RGU as a whole, and I’m sure I missed stuff or just completely misunderstood things, so feedback or commentary is welcome! Thank you for listening to my TedTalk :3
I am often reminded of the story Mafudad told Kanade about how when Mafuyu was a baby she had a terrible fever and Mafumom was so concerned and worried about her baby that even despite a snow storm she walked to the hospital just to make sure Mafuyu would be alright- and then I remember literally everything else she did and then die a little bit more.
1. Wow full poly/need selfcest that absolutely wasn’t on my 2026 bingo card
2. Okay but yk I’m a sucker for parallels and ‘other selves’ so I thought this was interesting, but I’ll get to that
3. The outfits L/n are wearing look kinda like middle school outfits from the grey and then blue ties/ribbons/whatever, so when other/need comes in I thought it was cool that they had red ties/ribbons/whatever like their current school uniforms, but I don’t think that the red ones are meant to represent current l/n since
Other/need are like enforcing their behaviors from the divorce arc so!!! Probably just used red and blue for the contrast/og mv vibes
4. I think it’s interesting like how other/need is interact with l/n like I’m not entirely sure on what’s going on with Ichika it kinda looks like otherichi is just lingering kinda watching which might relate to how Ichika just kinda watched her friends drift away. Then with Saki I’d say othersaki is like hugging/comforting her? Otherhona is covering Honami’s eyes which relates to how she was able to kinda ignore the consequences of what she was doing/flat out ignoring l/n in order to stay, I appreciate how they keep reusing the eyes/covered eyes motif with Honami tho. Shiho’s is actually the most interesting to bc it looks like othershiho is making Shiho look at something which directly contrasts Honami’s situation. I’m personally taking this as Shiho looking so critically at her situation and relationship to l/n but I’d like to hear what the Shiho fans think
5. I thought Kaito’s role was??? I honestly don’t know he was just watching I suppose
6. Reminds me a lot of the IchiKanaRui April fools phony mv, probably by the same person but still
7. uhmmmmmm 2dmv was okay not groundbreaking, most notable part being the selfcest ig but overall enjoyable for its themes and kinda confusing plot :3
Guys we don’t talk enough about how good of a vocalist Ena (and Ena’s VA) is like. Her voice is so warm and full and like. It reminds me of old Christmas songs it’s just that. Good. And I think it’s really interesting her vocal progression is amazing but I cannot put it into words. But listen to Jackpot sad girl and then Ena6 and I think you’d see what I mean.
