Shôjo kakumei Utena: Adolescence mokushiroku (1999)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Kunihiko Ikuhara

Writers:

Yoji Enokido (writer)
Chiho Saitou (comic)

Release Date:

14 August 1999 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Drama | Action | Fantasy | Adventure

Plot:

A handsome youth by the name of Tenjo Utena transfers to the distinguished Ohtori Academy. But Utena's true identity is actually a girl...

Plot Keywords:

Rose | Duel | Ring | Memory | Girl

Cast

Tomoko Kawakami	...	Utena Tenjou
Yuriko Fuchizaki	...	Anthy Himemiya
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leah Applebaum	...	Nanami (voice: English version)
Sharon Becker	...	Anthy Himemiya (voice: English version)
Roxanne Beck	...	Kozue Kaoru / Wakaba Shinohara / Shadow Girl C-Ko (voice: English version)
Mandy Bonhomme	...	Juri Arisugawa / Shadow Girl F-Ko (voice: English version)
Crispin Freeman	...	Touga Kiryuu / Prince (voice: English version)
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
Rachael Lillis	...	Utena Tenju (voice: English version)
Kotono Mitsuishi	...	Jury Arisugawa
Josh Mosby	...	Akio Ohtori (voice: English version)
Kumiko Nishihara	...	Shiori Takatsuki
Mitsuhiro Oikawa	...	Akio Ohtori
Lisa Ortiz	...	Shiori Takatsuki / Shadow Girl E-Ko (voice: English version)
Anthony Salerno	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Yuri Shiratori	...	Nanami
Jack Taylor	...	Kyoichi Saionji (voice: English version)
Kumiko Watanabe	...	Shadow Girl C-Ko
Jimmy Zoppi	...	Miki Kaoru (voice: English version)

Also Known As:

Revolutionary Girl Utena (International: English title)
Revolutionary Girl Utena: Adolescence of Utena (literal English title)
Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie

Runtime:

Japan:85 min | Singapore:86 min | USA:100 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 (re-rated) | Australia:M | Singapore:R(A)

Company:

J.C. Staff

Quotes:

Utena Tenju: Thank you, Touga. You really were my Prince...

Movie Connections:

Follows "Shôjo kakumei Utena" (1997)

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.