Revolutionary Girl Utena (1999)
"Shôjo kakumei Utena: Adolescence mokushiroku" (original title)

A handsome youth by the name of Tenjo Utena transfers to the distinguished Ohtori Academy. But Utena's true identity is actually a girl, who due to a certain event from her past, has ... See full summary »

Director:

Kunihiko Ikuhara

Writers:

Yoji Enokido (screenplay), Kunihiko Ikuhara (story)

Stars:

Tomoko Kawakami, Yuriko Fuchizaki, Leah Applebaum

Cast

Credited cast:
Tomoko Kawakami	...	Utena Tenjou
Yuriko Fuchizaki	...	Anthy Himemiya
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leah Applebaum	...	Nanami (voice)
Roxanne Beck	...	Kozue Kaoru / Wakaba Shinohara / Shadow Girl C-Ko (voice)
Sharon Becker	...	Anthy Himemiya (voice)
Mandy Bonhomme	...	Juri Arisugawa / Shadow Girl F-Ko (voice)
Crispin Freeman	...	Touga Kiryuu / Prince (voice)
Aya Hisakawa	...	Miki Kaoru
Chieko Honda	...	Kozue Kaoru
Kunihiko Ikuhara	...	Art Teacher
Yuka Imai	...	Wakaba Shinohara
Maria Kawamura	...	Shadow Girl E-Ko
Satomi Koorogi	...	Shadow Girl F-Ko
Takehito Koyasu	...	Touga Kiryuu
Takeshi Kusao	...	Kyoichi Saionji

Storyline

A handsome youth by the name of Tenjo Utena transfers to the distinguished Ohtori Academy. But Utena's true identity is actually a girl, who due to a certain event from her past, has decided to cross-dress in order to fulfill the highest of ambitions. But at Ohtori Academy she meets none other than her old lover, Kiryuu Touga, who wears the Mark of the Rose on his finger, which is the sign of a duellist. Because of her possessing the exact same ring, Utena is challenged by the student body vice president, Saionji Kyouichi, to a duel in the floating rose garden. The reason for this duel is none other than the acquisition of the "Rose Bride"'s body, for with it comes the "power to revolutionize the world."

---

Plot Keywords:

rose | duel | memory | ring | witchcraft | 

---

Genres:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

---

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site (us)

Country:

Japan

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

14 August 1999 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Adolescence of Utena

Box Office

Budget:

JPY 120,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

J.C. Staff, King Record Co., Movic

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[Akio checks on a seemingly unconscious, unclothed Anthy]
Akio Ohtori: Uh... You weren't asleep?
[backs away]
Akio Ohtori: How long? How long have you been awake? Have you never been asleep? Were you only PRETENDING?
Anthy Himemiya: [sits up] Don't worry. You are my Prince, dear Brother. You can do with me as you please.
Akio Ohtori: [yelling] Don't talk like that!... I'm not like THAT!

---

Connections

Referenced in Die Another Day (2002)

---

Soundtracks

"Fiancé ni Naritai"
Performed by 'Mitsuhiro Oikawa'

User Reviews

It was a mistake to think you're the only one who could turn into a car--now I'm a car too!

Consider yourself warned that this movie operates on the assumption that viewers are familiar with the TV series. If you aren't already aware of the relationships between the characters (as I'm not) you're outta luck, because very little of it is explained here. And from what I've heard, things are a bit murky even then.

What makes this movie great is that it really doesn't matter. Utena is a visual smorgasborg--the backgrounds alone warrant it a high rating, impossibly lush and frequently reminiscent of art nouveau. The characters are equally wonderfully drawn. Visually, it's brilliant; the floating castle that seems to constantly rearrange itself is an astonishing feat of fantastical architecture. All in all I'd have to say this is the most gorgeous animation I've ever seen.

As for the plot...I've seen this three times now and still don't entirely get it. I have some vague theories about what's going on and why, but without the series' background I can't verify anything. The movie operates on a very surreal, symbolic level--and it's full of the eccentricities of anime, as well (not that that's a bad thing, just different--a giant car wash machine that rises out of a field of roses figures prominently in a later scene). If you go into this expecting cut-and-dry western cinema (doubtful, as by and large I expect only anime junkies would even hear of it), you're up the creek without a paddle. Even granted the contextual uncertainty, though, there is clearly a resolution. What it means is certainly debatable, but the point is that there IS a narrative here discernible in the end, if that actually matters. In this case, I don't think it does. The movie exists in its own world and can't be expected to always adhere to our rules.

Utena is awe-inspiring in its visual beauty and imagination. As a would-be fantasy writer myself I found my mind spinning off on dozens of tangents after watching it. And for one work of art to inspire another to create is perhaps the highest recommendation there is.