You see, you just have to give up. Because there really are no such things as miracles.

And now we get to one of the more relatable characters (to me, anyway), and her very toxic relationship which I nevertheless can’t get enough of. And yes, Juri is gay – they avoid giving it away until the final shot, but I can’t be bothered to beat around the bush.

This is also the first episode storyboarded by Mamoru Hosoda, and he makes a promising debut, sprinkling Juri’s backstory throughout the episode (although he might have relied a bit too much on the “twist” of her being gay). As for his general filmography, his films often end on a bittersweet note (which is more common in Japanese media in general, even for family films, as he frequently makes). My favorite of his movies is definitely Wolf Children, only partly because of the puppies.

Anyhow, after our first taste of Juri’s backstory (the opening quote at the top), we switch to fencing practice.

Mickey: That many people in a row…Very impressive! No one can beat you, Juri-san.

Juri: (internally) And what do I have to show for it? Will I smash the world’s shell?

But onto the actual story, Juri meets Utena, seemingly for the first time, and while she naturally wants to chat with her, Utena’s busy being chewed out by the guidance counselor. Juri marks herself as someone to be taken seriously when she gets the guidance counselor off Utena’s back by ordering around the vice principal.

Juri: So, do you have the time now?

Utena: Woah, that was close! Now that’s what I call a miracle.

And naturally, this sets up the discussion about “miracles” with one that was very clearly just manipulation by Juri.

Utena: We’ve heard all about you, even in the junior high class. The fencing team captain and great student council member, who can get rid of even a teacher with one glance. But they say you’re trouble, and that people who know your hidden face wouldn’t get within ten meters of you.

Juri: Heh. Makes me sound like a wild animal.

Utena: I don’t know if it’s real or true, but I’ve heard even a teacher will leave the school if you look at them the wrong way.

Juri: Oh? So even the lower grades know so much about me…

Utena: Then the rumors are true?

Juri: Who can say? From what I’ve heard, you’re pretty good with a sword.

Utena: Oh, no way! I don’t like fighting with them. Now that you mention it, if you’re on the student council, that means you’re after the Rose Bride, doesn’t it?

Juri: Do you know why? The reason we’re all after the Rose Bride? Whoever she…Whoever the Rose Bride is engaged to will gain miraculous power. Power to revolutionize the world.

It’s interesting that Juri’s the first one to explain the point of the duels to Utena, after she’s fought three duels – probably because, unlike the previous duelists, Juri has no romantic interest in Anthy.

Utena: Well, that sounds cool. So, do I have the miraculous power now that I’m engaged to her? It’ll come in handy for finals. Maybe I can ace every test without even studying. You’re telling me that you’re all really serious about these stupid duels over who gets to have Himemiya?

Juri: It’s just as you say. It really is stupid to try to possess the Rose Bride. 
(remembering) “Believe in miracles and they will know your feelings.”

She recalls that first image, and an orange rose…

Juri: (internally) Yes…there are no such things as miracles.

Utena: Looks like we both agree, then. […] Anyway, I’m glad there’s someone on the student council who understands.

Then, after Utena leaves, Anthy greets her with this.

Anthy: Pardon. Please have this, if you’d like.

Then she SLAPS Anthy for that! Sadly, guys like Saionji aren’t the only people who knock around Anthy…

Juri’s not the sort of character who I’d defend everything she does, but she also gets some character development after this episode. But anyway, that brings us to the meaning of the orange rose. I can’t find its meaning in hanakotoba, but in the western flower language, it represents “desire”…which seems close to its intended meaning in this show.

Anyhow, that leads into a student council meeting, where they discuss the fact that someone’s supposed to duel Utena soon, and it’s down to Juri and Touga now.

Mickey: Huh? Juri-san, too?

Touga: Of course. The reason she has a place among us is because she has dueled as well!

Mickey: No, I know she’s worthy of being here. She definitely has the skill. But Juri-san doesn’t have a motive to fight.

Touga: Oh, yes, she does. She wants the power of the Rose Bride because she wants to disprove the power of miracles.

Mickey: What? Is that true?

Juri: Who knows? But I’ll need to study for finals on my own without it.

Clearly, she’s explained at least some of her motives to Touga before, but doesn’t want it commonly known. She’s also obviously amused by Utena’s idea of using “the power to bring the world revolution” to study less.

Touga: But do you really want to disprove the power of miracles? What if you want to make your hidden feelings known, using the power to bring revolution to the world? What if you still haven’t given up on your love? Or perhaps you wish to disprove the power of the Rose Bride.

Mickey: Juri-san, you’re in love with someone? Must be hard when you can’t tell them your feelings.

Juri: (internally) Yes…I was in love.

Then she drifts into a memory, which is much clearer than the previous backstory-memories, because it’s much more recent…

It opens with a shot of the (male) fencing team captain with a white rose border, naturally implying that HE’s the one she’s in love with. If Juri was the slightest bit heterosexual, he’d be the obvious choice. But the heart wants what it wants, and sometimes what it wants is bad for it. Also, for the record, this girl’s name is Shiori.

Shiori: Believe in miracles and they will know your feelings.

Juri: But I knew it even then. Knew that this love could never go anywhere. “Believe in miracles and they will know your feelings.” It was she who told me that.

Shiori: I know he didn’t say it, but I think you were always first in his thoughts, Juri-san. Even so, I wanted to take him from you. Even if it meant taking everything from you, I just wanted him to know my feelings.

She tells him that Juri’s in love with someone else (which just so happens to be true, but she doesn’t actually KNOW that) and subsequently starts a relationship with him.

Shiori: That’s why I took him from you. And I have no regrets about it. The reason why is because I wanted him with all my heart. I told you, “Believe in miracles and they will know your feelings.” You must hate me for what I’ve done.

But of course, it hurt Juri more when Shiori said she “wanted him with all [her] heart”…

Evidently, Shiori’s lines here come from a letter, and it’s unclear how recent it is.

Juri: Thank you for the letter. You seem to be doing well. As I read the words in it, one by one, I realize my feelings haven’t lessened as time has passed. No matter what happened, the three of us were truly happy back then. However, when I see your faces now, shining with happiness, it makes me feel nostalgic. It makes me feel envious…

and it seems questionable if juri never sent this reply, or if she even finished it

Then she goes for a late-night stroll, and runs into Utena (who’s trying to get Chu-Chu to sleep).

Utena: You’re not wearing your school uniform, so I couldn’t tell who you were at first.

Juri: Oh?

Utena: You really look like a super model. You look pretty cool in your uniform, but I’ll bet everyone would be really surprised if they saw you in such a girly outfit. So, what brings you out here alone at this hour?

Juri: I see you keep your uniform on even at night. […] Why do you always wear a boy’s uniform?

Utena: Let me see…how can I put this…? To tell you the truth, I think it’s because of the prince.

Juri: Prince?

Utena: A long time ago, when I was little, I met a prince. And that prince told me something. He said, “Never lose your strength or your nobility.” And I remember something else he said when we met, “This ring will lead you to me.” I remember the prince looked so impressive to me. That’s why I want to be like him. Yeah. I guess I wear this so I can be a little bit closer to him. Sorry. You must think that’s a really strange story. I don’t believe what the student council says about the Rose Bride having some kind of miraculous power. But…how do I put it? I believe we’re both linked by destiny. Maybe you could call that a miracle.

And, seeing how Utena so firmly believes in something (and seemingly changed her whole life because of this prince) upsets Juri.

Juri: Throw away your rose seal! Your ring! You make me sick! That “nobility” of yours…you have it because some guy tricked you into having it! Besides, if dueling for the Rose Bride is stupid, then this sentimental mush about your “prince” is just as stupid! The only worthwhile thing it’s given you is nobility. The rose seal isn’t meant for a girl like you!

Utena: No! This is the only link I have to him! I can’t lose it!

Juri: Then show me the miracle you talked about! I’ll force the proof from you with my sword!

Juri does have a bit of a point: If Utena doesn’t really want the power of revolution, isn’t it wasted on her? She made light of the miraculous power Juri’s fighting so hard for, and the thing she can’t let go of is her prince.

Anthy: The rabbits dance all around. The rabbits dance, rabbits dance, rabbits dance all around…

I think this is an allusion to The Velveteen Rabbit, a children’s book about a plush rabbit who becomes real through the love of a child. The following play by the Shadow Girls could also be an allusion to the scene where the Velveteen Rabbit meets some wild rabbits…

Girl A: I’m glad I caught a cold when I did! Going on trips can be such a pain. Besides, this year’s trip was to the zoo! […]

Girl B: You really wanted to go, didn’t you?

The implication, of course, is that Juri is jealous of Utena because she really wants to believe in miracles, but the world has beaten it out of her.

Thus Utena faces off against her most formidable opponent yet.

Juri: I’ll just repeat what I said last night: If you win using a miracle, you deserve your conceit.

Utena: Even without a miracle, I won’t lose to you!

The song for this duel is fascinating, too:

Universal light. Mosaic light.
Lucifer, son of the dawn.
Apocalyptic light. Michael's light.
Androgynous, son of darkness.
Fiery light. Heavenly light.
The hierarchy of heaven.
Illusory light. Eternal light.
Tricks of the mind. Capricious birth.
Nyx. Erebus. Uranus. Thanatos.

The song later focuses on opposites and the idea of two existing as one. The initial focus on angels seems to allude to the fact that, in Judeo-Christian mythology, angels are said to exist outside the gender binary. Also, Thanatos, the personification of death, is in some tellings the child of Nyx (goddess of night) with no father, foreshadowing how Juri isn’t interested in boys, and emphasizing how Utena herself exists in a nebulous non-binary state as a girl who plays the part of “prince”.

Juri: Poor girl. You’re already exhausted. But I absolutely won’t let up on you. Isn’t your miracle going to happen, Prince?

Shiori: “That’s why I took him from you, and I have no regrets about it. You must hate me for what I’ve done.”

Anyhow, Utena is immediately on the defensive, and when she resorts to her “prince attack”…

Juri manages to avoid it.

Juri: (internally) It was you who told me to believe in miracles, but…(aloud) There are no such things as miracles!

the duel seems to be over…but Utena’s sword is still flying through the air…

Juri: No. That was just an accident! No miracle was involved!

Utena: Could it have been?

Juri immediately looks to Anthy when the sword wins the battle, indicating that Anthy might be wielding more power than she lets on…

Anthy: May they know your true feelings, one day.

Juri: Mind your own business.

Juri still finds it hard to accept the loss, partly because it means admitting that miracles (or at least magic) are real – because that makes more sense than the idea that Utena won by sheer dumb luck.

Touga: And so you still won’t accept that it was a miracle?

Juri: Who knows? But if she really has the power to revolutionize the world, then I want to take it with my own hands.

Touga: To let them finally know your hidden feelings?

Shiori: “You must hate me for what I’ve done.”

Juri: Yes. I hate you. Because I can’t make you realize how I feel.

Until next time…