Revolutionary Girl Utena Anime Review

Quick Review

• Reviewer: Marc
• Review Date: 2006-07-29 (updated 2011-03-14)
• 4 stars out of 5 (?)

Don't let the colorful, heavily shoujo-styled initial episodes fool you; Revolutionary Girl Utena is more like Serial Experiments Lain does The Rose of Versailles (the whole thing is, in fact, a kind of surrealist postmodern homage to that quintessential gender-bending shoujo classic). It offers a unique combination of symbolic coming-of-age fairy tale, layered psychological study, and religious allegory that eventually goes dark and strange places. Constructed of a fantastic facade of heavily symbolic storybook visuals, the repetitive cadence of a classic fable, increasingly involved and dark character studies, and grand, evocative music, all grounded with a foundation of mundane humanity, the series is a feast for the eyes, mind, and heart. Add in a talented voice cast in both languages, and so long as you can stomach the shoujo overdose and overlook a few startlingly goofy episodes early on, you've got one heck of a series.

Revolutionary Girl Utena is far too idiosyncratic to appeal to everyone, but its storybook style and endless layers of symbolism should prove engrossing for fans of cerebral shoujo and allegorical fables alike.

Read the full-length review...

Full Review

• Reviewer: Marc
• Review Date: 2006-07-29 (updated 2011-03-14)
• 4 stars out of 5 (?)

Although stylistically shoujo anime, Revolutionary Girl Utena is more like The Rose of Versailles meets Serial Experiments Lain. It offers a unique combination of heavily symbolic coming-of-age fairy tale, layered psychological study, and religious allegory. Don't let the colorful and silly initial episodes fool you--the series eventually goes dark and strange places, and while it's far too idiosyncratic for some, its storybook style and endless layers of symbolism will prove engrossing for fans of cerebral shoujo and allegorical fables alike.

The whole series has the look and feel of a fairy tale. The settings are grandiose, from huge promenades at the school to the massive dueling arena, and almost everything seems to be taken from the pages of some fancifully illustrated children's book. The story, similarly, is full of mysterious letters, duels over the Rose Bride, and a group of diverse people, each searching for power to attain a different goal. Even the repetitive cadence of the episodes harkens to classic fairy tales--repetition in a TV series is usually due to of lack of originality or budget, but in this case it is very much an artistic decision, with each of the three seasons repeating a theme with subtle but meaningful variations. And there are variations--note, for example, that every song preceding a duel has different lyrics.

The accompanying flights of visual fancy are both refreshing and interesting to watch. For example, each episode in the first season has its halfway point marked by a sort of surreal shadow puppet show symbolizing whatever the theme of the episode's story is. Other arty touches are everywhere--the stylish duels, an odd knife-throwing scene during a conversation, and repeated use of stylized rose-pattern borders overlaid on the screen, which look as much like the illuminated border of an old manuscript as classic shoujo decoration. Things like these, coupled with the artistic settings, give the series as a whole a whimsical, storybook feel.

Now, if you're not accustomed to shoujo style (or you dislike it), Revolutionary Girl Utena suffers from something of an overdose, particularly early on. This isn't necessarily a negative, however; the series uses every shoujo cliche to its advantage. The characteristic over-the-top drama and soap-operatic themes are a near-perfect fit with the larger-than-life world of duels and ballrooms in which Utena is set.

On that note, the entire series is, to a degree, a kind of surrealist postmodern homage to The Rose of Versailles, the quintessential gender-bending shoujo classic. From the setting, to the ongoing themes of revolution, to the heavily artistic visual style, to Utena herself, the references are constant and pervasive, and it lifts many of its stylistic conventions directly from that classic.

The style alone would make Revolutionary Girl Utena worth watching, but it's not the end of the story. Providing a contrast to the fantasy is Utena herself, very much a headstrong and lively normal anime girl. There are, similarly, always touches of the mundane--studying, eating dinner, going to class. This contrast is fun, but more importantly the sense of reality grounds the fairy tale and provides an emotional hook.

It also allows the characters to be more than just archetypal facades. This is vital, because Revolutionary Girl Utena is more than anything a story of self-discovery and a series of character studies. If you don't believe (and like) the characters, all the symbolism and art in the world won't make that work.

On that note, Revolutionary Girl Utena is as heavy on symbolism--both subtle and not--as it is on artistic flair. Everything from the clothing to the settings is representative of something, and the whole story is a carefully-constructed allegory. But not an obvious one: Part of the fun is figuring out just where it's all headed. Much like Serial Experiments Lain (stylistically opposite but similar in concept), the story is definitely going somewhere, but that destination is shrouded in mystery, and you're left guessing at what's really going on. That, along with the marvelous artistry and intriguing characters (Anthy in particular is so much more than is visible on the surface) kept me coming back and wanting more.

Now for the bad news. The biggest issue is that some of the early episodes are just plain silly. I can accept it up to a point, particularly in a series as over-the-top as this one, but when an episode ends in a boxing match with a kangaroo, it's gone too far. Thankfully, the bad stuff is pretty concentrated--the few clunker episodes keep to themselves, and are all in the first season.

The cute little monkey-thing, Chu-chu, also feels a little too much like a marketing gimmick to me. He is a significant part of the story and an expected bit of comic relief, but having him present in some of the more serious scenes is unnecessary at best.

The bits of silliness in early episodes are particularly odd since the series eventually becomes dark and sexually charged enough that it's not really even appropriate for viewers of the age you'd expect to enjoy that sort of thing. The thematic change from "childish" to "mature" is very much a part of the progression of the story and characters, but the series was quite successful at portraying innocence without resorting to goofy gimmicks.

Visually, I've already mentioned the storybook style--detailed but loosely-painted backgrounds and fanciful settings. The distinctive character designs are classic shoujo, with thin, leggy physiques and sharp, angular faces, and are quite attractive. There is a little less variety in the costumes than you'd expect, since everybody is wearing school uniforms (creative ones, but still uniforms) for the most part. The animation is impressive for a TV series of the vintage, with fine action sequences and quality character animation. Of particular note is the opening sequence--there's some really cool looking stuff there. The series makes heavy use of re-used animation (every season features several sequences that are nearly identical in every episode), but for once it feels as much like an artistic decision as budgetary constraint. Further, subtle changes in these repeated parts are symbolically significant (don't zone out and miss something important).

The Japanese acting is top-notch and well cast. Although it's not the kind of role I've heard her in before, Yuriko Fuchizaki (among my favorite voice actresses) does a fine, subtle job as Anthy. Tomoko Kawakami as Utena is full of infectious energy. The student council is mostly quite good, with one exception: Although Hisakawa Aya is a skilled actress, she's not known for her portrayals of boys. She does a good job dramatically as Mickey, but whenever he's talking to Utena or Anthy he sounds too much like a girl. Not a major issue, but kind of a shame.

The English dub is generally well done, and the casting fits quite well. Utena sounds a little less spunky than she does in the Japanese, but Rachael Lillis turns in a good performance in general. The real standout, though, is Sharon Becker as Anthy--her voice and acting fits the mysterious character perfectly.

Finally, no discussion of Revolutionary Girl Utena would be complete without bringing up the music, which is masterful. The background music throughout the series fits perfectly with the fairy tale feel: Grandiose, classical music evoking everything from the beautiful school grounds to a fanciful ballroom. The music also plays a significant part in the story; each duel is accompanied by a unique and appropriately apocalyptic chorus hinting at... something. Two early episodes also center around Mickey's quest for feeling in his piano playing. Rounding it out, the opening and end themes are much more standard but still unusual and catchy anime themes, completing the mix of tradition and art that is visible throughout the series.

In all, Revolutionary Girl Utena is a unique piece of anime. The story is a tale of self-discovery and exploration of the darker corners of the human heart told through a mix of down-to-earth characters, mysterious forces, and grand fairy-tale themes. The whole thing comes packaged in a whimsical, artistic, beautifully constructed world filled with fantastic places and storybook images. It might sound like another magical girl series, but there is so much more to it, and I'd recommend almost any anime fan at least give it a look.

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Related Recommendations

The most similar series in concept and symbolic construction is probably Serial Experiments Lain, though it looks and feels almost exactly opposite in every way. Boogiepop Phantom also has a bit of the same themes of the dark recesses of the human heart, though is otherwise entirely different. For notably darker shoujo with a similarly broad appeal, check out Tokyo Babylon and the related X.