Niji Nights 2025: Day 5- Star’s experience in GL: Revolutionary Girl Utena

Happy to write another post for Niji Nights! So I’ll start by saying I, Star, was late to the game on fully watching this anime series. Even without watching it, it was such a monumental anime as a pinnacle of GL shows. But also a great representation of a non-binary character. Now, I have watched the series in its entirety, and I am floored here’s why.

The Time

First, I’ll start by explaining that this series came out in the 90s. The 90s was such a raw time for anime that helped create many filters in the media in Japan as well as America. In Japan certain things like nudity and sexual themes were prescreened but not completely unable to show. So certain changes were made to the airing of the episodes like, removing entire arcs, changing the dub script, and sometimes adding animation to the original episodes to censor what we are seeing as viewers.

The Artistic Direction

There are many moments in the series that display a sort of out of place metaphor for certain arcs within the story. It often referred to the naivety of the characters as they go through dark thoughts often exploring the dark, obsessive, possessive parts of love increasingly moving into sexual manipulation.

The roses I believe to be symbolism of one’s heart and individual agency.

Elevators is often used as a confessional where characters met to reveal a dark desire or hidden truth.

The car I think may symbolize a body and their freedom, what the characters choose to do with it.

The storytelling

The group Be-Papas, made a serious decision to make the series available for anyone on YouTube. I believe as a preventative measure as well as visibility of the world of abuse. Members of this team later went on to work on a little project called Sailor Moon.

The plot is linear and certain characters get highlighted through the story as duelists, classmates, best friends and foes. We slowly reveal the backstories and connections that the characters have with each other. Our main character is Utena, who as a young girl gets saved by a prince and is inspired to become one themselves. One day she meets a “Princess” who seems to need saving named Anthy. Once she succeeds, she becomes the champion and is given the Rose Bride. As a reward the champion can do whatever they want with the Rose Bride and as a Rose Bride she offers her body. Utena refuses and is determined to let Anthy have her own agency.

Although the story is linear the artistic direction allows the viewers to see a version of the truth. Much like a victim of abuse the viewers are introduced to actions and words that seem a little off not truly understanding what horrors lie underneath until it is blankly obvious that the two main characters as well as many of the characters are victims continuing the cycle of abuse.

The love

I feel like certain viewers may see themselves in the characters and can admire the relationship between Utena and Anthy. As their support for one another grew and ultimately came to a head when Anthy lived into her freedom fully as Utena killed their abuser. Although many see with relationship as gay, I believe it is based on the roots of respect, trust, and loyalty to one another. That there is a deeper reason to the love they have for one another.

Without going any deeper my review of this series is, incredible for those who are looking for a truly revolutionary story that excels the modest homophobic views of its time and truly overcomes poetic and symbolic significance on such a dark truth of human nature.

AishiteLOVEru~

Star