I know I can turn Himemiya back into a regular girl.

This episode, we really start to dig into Utena’s relationship with Anthy, mostly by interrogating her relationship with her “prince”.

Anyhow, the episode begins with Utena, Anthy, and Wakaba all having a little picnic together.

Wakaba: It’s mostly instant, yeah, but it turned out just so incredibly pretty, didn’t it?

Utena: Well, besides showing your love, it definitely looks tasty. Thanks, Wakaba.

Then Anthy shows up with a bento box consisting of takoyaki (a sort of octopus-based meatball) and yakisoba (fried noodles). While Chu-Chu seems to devour most of it, evidently Utena and Wakaba get some, too. At least it proves she can make more than shaved ice, even if it’s more like Japanese festival cuisine than a traditional bento.

Then Touga walks in, aka the plot.

Mickey: What are you looking at?

Touga: Oh, it’s you. I’m looking at a lonely princess.

Mickey: Tenjou-senpai…and Himemiya-san. Tenjou-san and the others look like they’re having a lot of fun. So what do you mean by “lonely princess”?

Touga: You cannot see it. Only I can. […] It’s quite real. Something I feel just by looking at her.

I’m assuming he’s referring to Utena, considering how laser-focused he’s been on her since she arrived on the scene, but considering what we eventually learn about her, Anthy is probably the most lonely one there.

Utena notices him watching (hence the white roses), but doesn’t approach him.

Then there’s a student council meeting, mostly so Touga can brag about how everything is going according to plan.

Touga: As you know already, Nanami was defeated in a duel against Utena Tenjou. It’s a shameful thing to say, but the difference in their skill was clear to see.

Juri: As you knew from the start. Nanami-kun fought only so that she could lose. All as plotted by student council president Touga Kiryuu, right?

Touga: That all turned out most unfortunately. I was only trying to treat my dear sister well.

Mickey: Like a pet cat?

That line takes on a much more ominous tone after we’ve seen what became of his first pet cat…

Touga: The fault for Nanami losing the duel lies within Nanami herself. And even if someone does lay a plot, it’s the victim’s fault for falling into it.

Juri: How cold…

Touga: If one has deep feelings for a person, it’s only a matter of time before those feelings betray them. Betray them as strongly as those feelings are strong.

While the audience clearly knows that Touga isn’t really Utena’s prince, she’s begun to second-guess herself on that front, so she’s tentatively transposing her feelings about her childhood prince onto Touga, not because she’s incredibly gullible, but because he’s manipulating her, just like he manipulated Nanami. All that I can say in his defense is that it must be incredibly lonely to live in such fear of becoming attached to anyone. But he doesn’t really believe that, either – he just thinks that if he has enough power, he can control his life and the people in his life.

Then he pays a visit to Anthy in the greenhouse, which Utena sees, but refrains from interfering with (presumably because he often talks to Anthy there).

To be fair, it starts out innocent enough, as he just remarks about their little picnic.

Anthy: Wakaba-san’s lunch tasted so good…I’d like to try making a lunch like that.

Touga: The Rose Bride, cooking…! Your job isn’t to cook. All you need to do is stay here and tend the roses. This birdcage is your domain. And you are the lovely little bird who lives within it. I wish to make this cage my own. And I would never let you out of it…ever.

And THAT’S when Utena rushes in. Interesting that cooking isn’t in the job description for this “bride”…

Utena: You can only see Himemiya as the Rose Bride, can’t you?

Touga: Am I mistaken?

Utena: You are! Stop going on about who gets to win the Rose Bride! She’s just an ordinary girl named Anthy Himemiya!

Touga: Oh? Are you really just an ordinary girl?

Utena: You hate it, don’t you? Being the Rose Bride?

Anthy: I…

Utena: Tell him how you really feel!

Anthy: How I really feel…

Utena: Right! You hate being treated like the Rose Bride, don’t you? Just say it to him straight!

Anthy: Yes. I hate being treated like the Rose Bride.

I feel like Anthy was so close to actually speaking her mind for once, because I can’t imagine she’d LIKE being the Rose Bride, but then Utena basically just made up her mind for her.

And then Touga laughs.

Utena: What’s so funny?

Touga: Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just that she’s your bride.

This is the thing Utena doesn’t yet understand about Anthy: She always conforms to the wishes of her master. And until Utena does understand that, she can’t really relate to her as a person.

But of course, Touga’s actually there to talk to Utena, and he just wanted to make a show of power to get her attention.

Touga: My business isn’t with her. I came here to see you. I’ve been waiting.

Utena: What do you want with me?

Touga: I have something important to tell you, as your prince.

Utena: My prince? I thought so. I thought you were my prince.

Because this is what Touga’s game was from the start: Making Utena believe that he’s her prince, the one she came all this way to find.

Utena: Was it really you? Were you the one who saved me then?

Touga: Do you want proof? […] Tell me, did it feel like this?

and then he kisses her eyes and the music from the prologue is playing and WHY IS HE SO GOOD AT MANIPULATING HER?

But seriously, from what we gathered from Saionji’s flashback, his interaction with Utena was very different from her prince…but he must know the details of that encounter now, and Utena never described it in detail to anyone else…

Touga: Forgive me. That was indiscreet. For two duelists to act this way in front of the Rose Bride.

Touga: Well, as for that important thing I had to tell you. Utena Tenjou, I challenge you to a duel.

because of course he has to make sure she believes he’s her prince first

And naturally, this leaves Utena very conflicted.

Utena: (internally) I…I totally forgot that Touga Kiryuu was also a duelist. But the prince who saved me when I was little…I came to this school so I could meet him once more. Now the one link I have to the prince forces me to fight him. If only I didn’t have this ring…

But then Anthy interrupts her thoughts with tea.

Anthy: How did you like my lunch today, Utena-sama?

Utena: It was good, thanks. Wakaba said she really liked it, too.

Anthy: I’m so glad. Wakaba-san is a lot of fun to be around.

Utena: Yeah, I always cheer up when I’m with her. She’s a good friend. You should make friends with her, too, Himemiya. That’s right, you’ve got Chu-Chu. He’s as fun as ten people, right?

Anthy: I…I wish I had more friends.

This shot indicates a fundamental divide between the two. Perhaps Anthy does really want to have friends (I can’t imagine being passed around from person to person would be conducive to forming long-term relationships), but at the same time, that is also something Utena has wanted for her since she came into her life, and she never even asked if that was what Anthy wanted for herself.

Utena: You will. You will! If you’d just open your heart and talk to them, anyone would like you!

Anthy: Open my heart?

Utena: Sure! You’ll do all right. I’ll help you.

Anthy: I will.

and don’t forget that the phallic symbolism in this show is intentional

Utena: That’s right. I have to protect Himemiya. I know I can turn Himemiya back into a regular girl. I won’t give her to the others. Not even to my prince!

And this is key to understanding Utena’s motives: She doesn’t exactly want to free Anthy, but to change her. She’s been uncomfortable about being engaged to another girl from the start, so in her mind, if she makes Anthy “normal” (aka straight), she can be normal, too. And once again, she never even asked Anthy if that’s what she wants. And as long as Utena confuses her wishes for Anthy with Anthy’s wishes for herself, she can’t really engage with her on her own terms.

Anyhow, the Shadow Play is about the legend of William Tell.

Oh, what a sad sight. What is the destiny of William Tell and his son, an eternal archery machine?

In some versions of the legend, Tell assassinates the nobleman who ordered him to shoot the apple off his son’s head. This indicates that there’s a greater evil at work, but Utena’s too busy focusing on the duels to consider who established that system in the first place…

Utena: We have to fight, no matter what?

Touga: Now, then. I’m afraid I must take your precious bird from you. Shall we begin, Tenjou-kun?

The duel song doesn’t begin until the fight has already begun this time…

Touga: Don’t hold back! Those who fight with compassion lose their lives! Now remember that and come at me again!

Man can also only convey human nature.
Ever unchanging!
We can see during the day, but we can't see at night.
We can see at night, but we can't see during the day.
Anagram.
A mysterious word, a mask of words.
And their origin is...you!

This song emphasizes how people can deceive themselves…

Utena is uncertain of this battle, and doesn’t want to hurt her “prince”, but she prepares her special attack anyway.

Touga: “Your prince was a guy like me, wasn’t he?”

But when Touga drops his guard, Utena can’t bring herself to strike him…

And then he cuts off her rose (“deflowers her”?) after she lets her guard down in turn.

Touga: Well, how lucky for you. Now you no longer have to be caught up in these unfathomable duels. Shall we go, Anthy?

Utena: Wait…Don’t take Himemiya away, please. She wants to be an ordinary girl again. I have to do that for her…I don’t need the power to bring revolution to the world! Himemiya needs me!

because she still believes it’s that easy

Touga: You don’t understand anything.

Utena: It’s true! She said she wants to make more friends! If I leave her, then she’ll be all alone again!

and then he strikes the real final blow

Touga: Anthy?

Anthy: Yes?

Touga: You’re happy being the Rose Bride, aren’t you?

Anthy: I… I’m happy being the Rose Bride.

Touga: You don’t need friends. You like being alone, don’t you?

Anthy: Yes, I like being alone.

Touga: Tenjou-kun, don’t you see? Anthy Himemiya is the bride of whomever wins the duel. While she was engaged to you, she was only following your commands.

Maybe Utena allowed Anthy to express a part of herself she hadn’t been able to with the other duelists, but she wasn’t truly able to “be herself” while Utena was unaware of the influence she had on her as her betrothed.

Utena: It’s not true.

Touga: The Rose Bride answers her master’s wishes. The wish to make her a normal girl was merely your own wish.

Utena: It’s not true…

Touga: Now that you’ve lost the duel, you have no connection to her. Just forget everything. About her and about the duels.

Utena: It’s not true! It’s not true, Himemiya! Tell him the truth! That you hate being the Rose Bride! That you want to make friends! Didn’t you say that to me?

It still hasn’t sunk in for her yet. Even if Anthy really does want that in her heart of hearts, she could never express that to Touga, who only wants her as the Rose Bride.

Touga: Anthy, say your farewells.

Anthy: Farewell, Tenjou-san.

and THAT’S when it finally registers that anthy is no longer a part of her life

Utena: It’s not true…it’s not true! It’s not true!

this show

until next time…