(Note: This is actually a review of the movie, but since that's not an option, I checked OVA. This is definately NOT a review of either the TV or the manga.)
For the revolution of the world!
This is the main theme of Utena, no matter which flavor you're watching. All of the forms (manga, TV, movie, movie
manga) contain the same story premise:
Utena enters elite academy under the guise of a boy (not for any real reasons except that she's a tomboy and/or
just prefers the male uniforms over the female uniforms), accidentally ends up challenging one of the Student Council
members, and ends up in an engagement to the strange Anthy, known as the Rose Bride. Many duels are fought by the
Student Council members who are vying to possess Anthy, for her powers as the Rose Bride will allow her to cause a World
Revolution.
However, unlike some anime series in which the movie is really just the TV series rehashed in a slightly different
manner (ie Rahxephon, whose movie is mostly the same as the TV with more focus on the past), the Utena movie (aka
Adolesence of Utena or Adolescense Apocalypse) is entirely different. Like the Escaflowne movie, the Utena movie
basically takes the characters and settings of the TV series and takes an entirely new angle.
Despite this, this movie is definately aimed at fans of the TV series. Like the TV series, the story has a wide number
of wacky twists and turns and truely absurd moments lacking all semblance of logic - but that is really just a hallmark
of the Utena series. As the movie is only an hour and a half, it is much more self-contained than the series and in
order to tell essentially the same plot, the pace is very fast (often blindingly so). Because of this, without an
understanding of who all the characters are, the new viewer will become quickly lost and drowned in a giant pile of rose
petals.
For those who have seen the TV series, the movie transplants the characters into an updated school setting and changes
many of the characters' personalities. For example, Anthy, originally a very shy and placid individual becomes
extremely outgoing and tempermental while Utena, originally the active tomboy becomes the insular individual - as if
they switched their TV personas. Touga is no longer the flamboyant playboy, and there is constant hinting of a dark past
between himself and Utena. Actually, the movie's tone in general is a lot darker than the TV series, which had
plenty of silly filler episodes (CURRY! COWBELL!) to lighten the mood; the movie's focus on broken relationships
can cast a pall, even as it serves to explain the characters' differing motivations.
In summary: The story is wacky, rarely predictable, kind of dark, and requires prior knowledge of the Utena-verse. Thus,
it's only recommended to prior fans of Utena and not to folks who are interested in giving the series as a whole a
try (the TV series is much more suited for that.)
Also, Ikuhara (the director) is on serious crack.
Rating:
Being a movie, the production values on the movie are expansive, resulting in an utterly gorgeous show. The production
incorporates both traditional cel-style animation with digital CG in an excellent blend (mostly because the CG is kept
to a minimum and made to blend in with the cel-style as much as possible.) Ohtori academy never looked so good. Getting
an entire facelift from the TV series, the campus is an ever-moving, intricate clock-work type of city of red-and-white
buildings. The rose garden now hangs at the top of a platform above the school full of lush flowers. Instead of walking
up an endless spiral to get there, you can take the elevator!
Character designs have also been upgraded, although not as dramatically. Anthy sports thick long hair compared to
Utena's shorp crop (which later lengthens into another show of wispy curls). The school uniforms are crisper and
more miltary. Still, characters have that model-thin, willowy body build typical of shoujo series, which does take a
little getting used to.
The most beautifully animated scene is definately the midnight dance in the rose gardens, wonderfully done with CG so
that the flooded gardens reflect the dancers amdist a riot of roses. A close second might be the appearance of the
enormous castle car with its myriad tiers of white and pearl.
The first time I saw the movie I had no subtitles, and was content to be blown away by the visuals. Stuff rarely gets
better than this.
Rating:
The music of Utena is another thing that helps define it - every duel has a different battle song complete with
extremely bizarre lyrics (remember the ammonite song? or Who When Where Which?) sung by a raccous chorus. There are two
duels in the movie with two dueling songs that are extremely difficult to describe except the fact that they are Utena
dueling songs.
Of course, no episode of Utena is complete without a reprise of the Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku song. Although originally
played when Utena ascends to the dueling grounds, it is instead used later during Utena's transformation scene and
is a much more melodic, bouncy version than the extremely heavy rock version of the original.
The Jpop addition to the movie is Masami Okui's (who also performed the TV series' opening theme) "Toki
ni Ai wa", a nice but somewhat typical love ballad. It definately suits the midnight dance scene well, and is very
easy to listen to, but it's nothing superb and over the top.
Speaking of the opening theme, Rinbu Revolution also comes to play in an entirely different segment of the movie and
features an almost entirely redone melodic theme that draws it out to include a very long instramental section set to
action in the scene.
The rest of the music by JA Seazar is lovely, a bit heavy and Victorian at times, but only in fitting with the overall
themes that makes up Utena.
Vocal performances are a bit of hit or miss whether in Japanese or English. The original casts from the TV series
reprise their roles for the most part. For some this means they have already gotten into character long ago and it takes
little for them to reinvigorate their roles. However, some characters who have been totally rewritten (Akio and Shiori)
have new voice actors who simply do not bring out their roles and dampen an otherwise good performance.
Rating:
The wackiness of Utena and its utterly pretentious shoujo ways will turn off many viewers. This is definately a niche
series and for most people it is simply too weird.
The movie suffers from this because it is a niche within a niche - an Utena story only for fans of Utena. I honestly
would not recommend this to anyone who had not already seen at least the first story arc (13 eps) of the Utena TV series
- and enjoyed it. It's the kind of show you would use to weird out those who simply don't understand why you
like anime, and the movie is doubly so. I mean, honestly, the carwash scene is just... I don't know. It's just
there.
However, for anyone who HAS enjoyed at least the first story arc of Utena, this is a wonderful addition. It is not
merely a recap of the series, it is an entirely new interpretation of characters, settings and events. Even after
watching the TV series, the movie provides an incredible amount of twists and turns and an unpredictable ending. (It
helps to watch the movie several times - there are a lot of clues about the past that are hinted on very early in the
film, and it's fun to catch all the details a second or third go-around.) The visuals are lush and exotic and you
can tell they put a lot of work into making this movie - the same goes for the music.
Utena is simply unique. Take it or leave it.
Rating:
7.5000 (good)
Reviewed by Tama-Neko, Jan 24, 2006
I agree with most of your points...however it's funny because I saw the movie before the tv series...and
that's what made me want to watch the series (in spite of the truly wacky ending of the movie)
Of course that may have been because I was watching the movie in the middle of the night... :)
A very detailed review
I think what made this movie more enjoyable was actually discovering all the meanings. I watched this movie twice, once with the subtitles and once with the directors notes. It's amazing how deep this movie gets once you are made aware of all the hidden implications of this movie. I can agree though that this is not a title for everyone, series included.
I agree with most of your comments. I wouldn't use the word "wacky" to describe it, but it is unusually unique in everything that it is.
However, to all fans out there, don't read the manga and then watch the movie or you'll be very upset. I bought the manga (not the original manga, but the actual one which the movie is based off of), and I have to say, while the movie is good, it's removed a lot of the story to which the manga is based.
But still, a pretty decent movie. Thanks for the great review, btw.
This is a quite good review! ^_^
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