Summary
Revolutionary Girl Utena remains a massive creative masterpiece that has influenced animators and writers around the world for decades after its initial release. Utena's core message about gender and sexuality remains as important and poignant as ever. The series' pioneering and experimental approach to storytelling makes the core of this unique shojo series timeless.
When reflecting on cartoon rich history of the industry, there are some series that have stood the test of time and left a lasting mark not only on the industry but also on the creatives that drive it. Many people point to series like Astro Boy (1963), Akira (1988) or Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) for how they fundamentally influenced modern anime, but there is one series that claims, no matter how many years have passed, it still has a huge creative influence on animators and writers across the globe – cementing it as one of the best anime series ever created.
Celebrating her 27th birthday in 2024, Revolutionary Girl Utena, created by Be-Papasa creative team including Kunihiko Ikuhara (Sarazanmai, Mawaru-Penguindrum), Chiho Saito (Grand Amour, Sarazanmai Anthology), Shinya Hasegawa (Sailor Moon, Neon Genesis Evangelion), Yoji Enokido (Evangelion 1.0 & 2.0, Bungo Stray Dogs) and Yuichiro Oguro (Dragon Ball, Azumanga Daioh), in collaboration with JC Staff produced the series, which subsequently received critical acclaim and praise globally, and for good reason.
Creating one of the most influential anime ever made
Revolutionary Girl Utena's production was a labor of love – and creative frustration
Earlier in his career, Kunihoki Ikuhara was recognized for directing another shoujo favorite from the 1990s – the original anime adaptation of Sailor Moon. It was reported that Ikuhara became increasingly frustrated by his lack of control when adapting the manga into animation.and after leaving Toei Animation in 1996, Ikuhara began working on his own original series. The creative team that Ikuhara assembled for the project, called Be-Papas, included many members who had worked together before, including many team members who had been recruited by Toei Animation during production. Sailor Moon production.
Although at a glance Revolutionary Girl Utena contains many of the same staple motifs found in shojo from this era, Ikuhara eventually began to make the world and storytelling more experimental. Unsurprisingly, Revolutionary Girl Utena draws inspiration from several classics, including Osamu Tezuka's The Princess Knight and Riyoko Ikeda's The Rose of Versailles; These inspirations can be seen in the aesthetics and themes of Utena, making it feel like the series is a critical analysis and deconstruction of classic fairy tales and their entirety. shojo demographics. Revolutionary Girl Utena also unapologetically addresses conversations around gender and sexuality, with blatant depictions of LGBTQ themes throughout the series. While these depictions are not unnecessarily rare in this era of the anime industry, Revolutionary Girl Utena handles these story lines with a level of grace and depth that still impress modern audiences.
How resilient is the revolutionary girl Utena today?
Even at 27 years old, Utena's core message is as important today as it was in 1997
Revolutionary Girl Utena is about the film's main character, Utena Tenjou, who was given a ring with a mysterious sign engraved with a rose in her childhood after a chance encounter with a “prince”. who swore to the young girl that one day they would meet again. Infatuated with the experience, Utena vows to become a prince herself, and when she becomes a teenager, she is enrolled in an elusive boarding school called Ohtori Academy. Soon after enrolling in the academy, she is dragged into a strange fencing tournament against the school's student council members. Mysteriously, each of these members wears rings identical to Utena's.
Finally, Utena learns the reward for victory – the hand of a young woman known as the Rose Bride., who is rumored to have the ability to revolutionize the world. After winning her first duel and being given Anthy as her fiancée, Utena decides to continue fighting to protect Anthy from the other members of the student council, and begins to unravel the mysteries. hidden just beneath the surface of the school.
“Drawed into the duels of Ohtori Academy, can Utena become the prince she's been waiting to meet?” – Viz Media
Throughout Utena's main storyline, each member of the antagonistic student council – as well as Utena and her Rose Bride, Anthy – are given the spotlight to delve into and analyze their individual psychology, as well as What led them down a certain path? at the moment the duel begins. Each character in the series has their own motivation as to why they desire to possess Anthy and her powers, and what Revolutionary Girl Utena does extremely well is show how deep the obsession runs when someone is pursuing the power to change lives.
This level of character analysis throughout the series is often demonstrated in the way Utena discusses its core themes: gender, sexuality, and adulthood. For example, the series' main character, Utena, repeats throughout the story how much she wants to become a prince. While this isn't Utena in the literal sense of asserting a change in identity or gender, stillInstead, he is expressing a deep desire to embody qualities associated with what she perceives as inherently “princelike,” i.e., courage, compassion, and strength.. This is in stark contrast to Anthy, who was initially considered a “princess” – carrying characteristics associated with powerlessness, as well as her being blatantly objectified by the student council members throughout the story. Of course, By the time the original Revolution Girl Utena anime reached its climax, it was clear that these two women were tragic sides of the same coin..
In addition to exploring gender, Revolution Girl Utena is famous in part for her very open and proud depictions of LGBTQ characters and themes.. In an interview conducted by Popverse in 2020 featuring Ikuhara and Chiho Saito, Ikuhara confessed that he always wanted the series to have this kind of diversity, and it works in favor of a story that explores the true meaning of personal freedom. Utena and Anthy's romance throughout the series could represent a number of ideas for audiences, and the strength of their relationship still resonates with modern women and LGBTQ people, who have can see pieces of themselves in the two characters.
The lasting impact of Revolutionary Girl Utena
Utena's legacy will be felt forever in the anime & manga industry
Revolutionary girl Utena is truly revolutionaryand has left a lasting impact on creators in the anime and manga industry. In addition to the series inspiring several spin-offs, these include several live-action musical adaptations adapting the original story for the stage, two light novels, and even a novel Visually features dating simulation elements that follow a self-insert style main character. into Ohtori Academy, the energy of Be-Papa's pioneering shojo masterpiece can still be felt even now.
Some notable examples of creators and works influenced by Revolution Girl Utena include: Princess Tutu by Ikuko Itoh, Puella Magi Madoka Magica created by Magica Quartet, and the latest, critically acclaimed entry in the anime series, The Witch From Mercury. However, the series has not only influenced anime, with Rebecca Sugar, the creator of Steven Universe, having repeatedly stated how much the series influenced their creative process, and Noelle Stevenson, who creator of the popular She-Ra reboot, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, previously drew crossover fanart in a 2018 Twitch stream placing two She-Ra characters in a pivotal moment of Utena.
Thanks to its timeless art style, pioneering presentation, and message that transcends each passing decade, Revolutionary Girl Utena is truly something special and has left its mark on the industry as one of the anime most important ever created. The series' unapologetic depictions of gender issues and LGBTQ characters and themes, alongside its ability to tackle sensitive topics like trauma and abuse, make it a powerful and influential, even now, 27 years after its initial release.
Source(s): Uranime (Archived) Interview with Kunihiko Ikuhara, Viz Media, Popverse