"Shôjo kakumei Utena" (1997) TV series

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Kunihiko Ikuhara

Writers:

Yoji Enokido (writer)
Kunihiko Ikuhara (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

2 April 1997 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

A tomboyish schoolgirl finds herself forced into repeated duels for another girl who has a role in a world revolution.

Plot Keywords:

Duel | Revolution | Prince | School | Rose

Cast

Leah Applebaum	...	Nanami Kiryuu (1 episode)
Sharon Becker	...	Anthy Himemiya (1 episode)
Roxanne Beck	...	Wakaba Shinohara (1 episode)
Mandy Bonhomme	...	Female Teacher / ... (1 episode)
Crispin Freeman	...	Dios / ... (1 episode)
Yuriko Fuchizaki	...	Anthy Himemiya (1 episode)
Aya Hisakawa	...	Miki Kaoru (1 episode)
Yuka Imai	...	Touga's mother / ... (1 episode)
Tomoko Kawakami	...	Utena Tenjô (1 episode)
Satomi Koorogi	...	Chuchu / ... (1 episode)
Takehito Koyasu	...	Touga Kiryuu (1 episode)
Takeshi Kusao	...	Kyôichi Saionji (1 episode)
Rachael Lillis	...	Chu-Chu / ... (1 episode)
Kotono Mitsuishi	...	Jury Arisugawa (1 episode)
Yuri Shiratori	...	Nanami Kiryû (1 episode)
Jack Taylor	...	Kyôichi Saionji (1 episode)
Jimmy Zoppi	...	Miki Kaoru (1 episode)

(more)

Series Directed by
Kunihiko Ikuhara		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Yoji Enokido		(unknown episodes)
Kunihiko Ikuhara		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Shin'ichi Ikeda	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Kyôko Kobayashi	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Shinkichi Mitsumune		(unknown episodes)
J.A. Seazer		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Shichirô Kobayashi		(unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Shingo Kaneko	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)
Tooru Takahashi	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Hiromi Kato	....	key animator (1 episode, 1997)
Shinya Hasegawa	....	character designer (unknown episodes)

Also Known As:

Girl Revolution Utena (USA)
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Rose Collection (USA) (DVD title)

Runtime:

24 min (39 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16

Trivia:

Chu-chu is a monkey. This is easier to see in the manga, where he has more hair. Also, in episode 8, when Saionji and Chu-chu switch places, he is seen in a tree eating a banana.

Goofs:

Continuity: In episode 8, the thick white stripe on the bottom of Nanami's skirt disappears when she is hugging Touga. It re-appears in the other scenes.

Quotes:

Mitsuru Tsuwabuki: [holding a banana and talking about Nanami] As long as she eats this, I'm satisfied.
Mari Hozumi: [slap] That's gross!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Die Another Day (2002)

a fairy tale gone horribly wrong

I absolutely love utena and I've been a fan of it for almost two years running. When I first started watching the series, I thought it was sweet, girly, and fun. Then I got a hold of summaries for episodes 14-39 (14-23 will finally be released later this year) and my opinion completely changed. Utena starts out with the childish dream that you can be a prince and make anything happen, but as the show goes from fantasy to reality (as deeply expressed in the last episode), it's all a bunch of lies and nothing comes easy. This is a show that isn't really for kiddies or the closed minded, but if you're willing to let a few braincells fry while trying to figure out if it's Anthy or Akio that's the evil one, then go for it. Another aspect of the show I like are the designs of the character's outfits (I'll be honest. The manga outfits and Utena's rose colored uniform appealed more), plus the opera/punk (yes, such a genre is possible) songs that play during the duels. There are few technical inaccuracies in the duels (many of the moves the characters use in their fights could get them yellow carded) and Utena seems to be helped by Dios a little too much instead of winning them on her own, but it's worth it anyway.