Goodbye, my prince.

The Prince is dead. Long live Utena.

Sorry for the wait on this — between writing for TDF and just the general muchness of this film, I had a lot going on.

Seriously, just about every frame of this thing a masterpiece, and the story’s quite complex, too. It’s not actually that hard to find, if you know where to look. Both the sub and dub are streaming on Retrocrush, and while you need a subscription to access this (since it’s rated MA, pretty reasonably, for sex and nudity, even if it’s only the featureless nudity typical of shoujo). However, my library gives me access to Hoopla, which includes access to a Retrocrush “binge pass”, allowing one to peruse their entire catalogue for a week. There’s also frequently uploads of the movie on Youtube. As for dub vs. sub, I feel like for the movie, it’s about even. Honestly, when the songs are playing under dialogue, it’s almost preferable to have English dialogue, because unlike in the show (where the song subtitles are on the top of the screen), the movie’s subtitles for the dialogue are right on top of the song lyrics, which gets confusing even for people like me who generally prefer subs.

Anyhow, on to the actual story! It’s sort of a recap, or rather, a retelling. One could interpret the ending as essentially the same as the show’s, but it’s generally much clearer. Anyhow, we’ll get to that when we get there.

Rather than the Shadow Players putting on skits, these shadow girls constitute the broadcast club, who essentially does announcements for the school (aka exposition dumps).

In this version, Utena has transferred to Ohtori Academy. where she meets Wakaba for the first time on her first day.

They encounter the Fencing Club, with Mickey and Juri sparring, and since this is Utena’s first day, naturally, Juri’s the one infamous for being “princely”. One other difference is that, in this version, Kozue is evidently the one who’s preventing Mickey from getting into a relationship, rather than the other way around (or so the rumors go).

But arguably the biggest difference in characterization is Touga, at the sight of whom Utena is stunned, and she subsequently seeks him out.

Touga: How many years has it been, since we last met like this? Remember our promise to go to the planetarium? We’ve yet to go.

Utena: Don’t misunderstand me! […] I’m not who I used to be. I didn’t come here hoping to find you. But I’m surprised. I never imagined you’d be at this academy.

Touga: Those clothes you’re wearing…

Utena: It’s the prince. After we separated, I decided that I’d aspire to a higher ideal.

Touga: For my girl with the “higher ideals.”

Naturally, she notices the Rose Seal, and assumes he’s engaged, so he explains that it’s just the reason he’s at Ohtori Academy.

He vanishes with the passing rain, but then Utena sees a white rose…

…which in turn grants her a Rose Seal of her own.

Since the story is so much more condensed (there are only two duels in the movie, unless you count the “race” at the end), I like the change of Utena’s prince being totally unrelated to Anthy’s prince. The “love triangle” with Akio only confused the message, in my opinion.

And speaking of Anthy…

Utena discovers her in a garden above the school.

Anthy: Aren’t you afraid of standing there [at the edge]?

Utena: So many roses.

Anthy: This is my rose garden.

Utena: Yours?

Anthy: I’m the chairman’s sister, so I get special treatment. But…but in reality, I’m the one captive to the roses. What did you come to the academy to do?

And when Anthy sees her Rose Seal, she tries to grab it, resulting in a tussle along the garden ledge.

and then saionji shows up

Saionji: What are you doing? What are you doing to the Rose Bride? […] Only those who are authorized are allowed to be here. Oh…I see. You are also a Duelist.

Utena: Duelist?

Saionji: Pardon me. I’ve never seen you before, but it seems you do have the right to be here.

Saionji in the movie is more like Touga from the show, very confident in his masculinity (and very straight) — honestly, more like he seemed when we first met him in the show. There are some elements I prefer in the movie, but the characterization of the other duelists isn’t really a strong point (to be fair, it focuses much more on Utena and Anthy’s romance, which I love).

Utena wields a bamboo broom handle as a sword, and while she doesn’t have as clear stakes in this version, as I said, they’re focusing more on developing her relationship with Anthy, so I’ll give it a pass.

Anthy: Saionji-sama, could it be that she-

Saionji: The bells toll to start the duel. Don’t interfere, Anthy!

So they do establish that Saionji is physically abusive, on top of being much more handsy with Anthy (she actually kisses him at the beginning of the duel).

Utena: Don’t hit your girlfriend!

Saionji: My girlfriend? She is the Rose Bride. In other words, since I’m the current winner of the duels, she’s my possession!

Utena: Possession, you say?!

There is a song for this duel, but I feel like it’s more about vibes than anything else. The constant refrain of “Middle Ages” seems to just be meant to evoke old-fashioned values.

Utena: Are you really trading a girl around by duel? Regardless of how she feels? Answer me! Does everyone who owns one of these rings duel to win her?

Saionji: Her feelings? Her feelings? What are you talking about?! You understand nothing! She is the Rose Bride!

Utena: You’re the one who doesn’t understand! […] No girl could be happy being traded through duels!

Saionji: Is that right?!

Anthy’s clearly roused at Utena’s defense of her rights and feelings, and then, when she’s disarmed, Anthy moves into action.

Anthy: One isn’t permitted to duel without a sword.

yep, they’re making up for lost time in the movie!

But this is also the prelude to Utena drawing a sword from Anthy, which is the first time we see such a thing in the movie, since Saionji was just carrying a sword around and didn’t draw one from Anthy.

Anyhow, she wins the duel, and then moves in (since she DID just transfer here).

If it wasn’t clear already, Touga actually IS Utena’s prince in this version, which makes a bit more sense, because she actually got to have a relationship with him (if probably only a friendship). Notably, Nanami doesn’t really exist in the movie, so Utena largely fills that role for Touga.

But back to the present, Anthy walks right into Utena’s room (which only has a single bed here), and makes herself right at home.

Utena: I was about to go to sleep, and I don’t invite people to my room.

Anthy: Then I should leave for tonight.

Utena: Silly…I’m not letting you go home.

Anthy: Of course not.

I mean, it’s clearly UTENA that drags HER into bed, but apparently not to do what people normally do in bed together. She just asks Anthy about the Rose Seal.

Anthy: Those who possess it have the right to duel.

Utena: That Saionji guy…he said he duels with everyone because he wants you. What does everyone get when they win you?

Anthy: Such an amusing girl, Utena Tenjou-san.

Utena: Just Utena is fine.

Anthy: Well…then how do you do, Utena? We’ll get along. Won’t we?

Utena: Do you always do this with the winner of the duel?

Anthy: I’m the Rose Bride. I obey the one I’m engaged to. 

Then she moves to take off Utena’s clothes, and she finally turns the light back on.

Anthy continues making moves on Utena, leading into our discussion of sexuality. Unlike in the show, where Utena constantly professed her heterosexuality, in the movie, she seems more concerned about the implications for Anthy. She immediately assumes this is just what Anthy is accustomed to doing with the (male) Duelists, and she’s more put off by the immediacy of her overtures than anything else. After all, they barely know each other — a duel is hardly a replacement for a date.

But there’s also a distinct difference in their relationship this time: Anthy actually calls Utena just “Utena”, not “Utena-sama”. This also implies that Saionji wanted to be called “Saionji-sama”, which makes sense for his characterization here as someone who considers her a mere possession.

Anyhow, next we move on to Touga.

Apparently, he’s hanging out with Shiori, because there aren’t really any other boys for her to hook up with in the movie.

Touga: She’s weird.

Shiori: What? Talking about the prince again?

Touga: Yes, the girl who wears the prince’s clothes now. But she’s probably still dreaming of the prince’s castle.

Shiori: Which reminds me, I used to have a prince myself. But that prince is dead. A childhood friend of mine killed him. The prince liked her, so when she fell off a boat, he tried to save her and drowned. So stupid. My prince and I had only just become a couple. But the prince died. So I will never forgive her. I’ll make her be the prince for the rest of her life.

They condensed a bunch of “princes” into one or two characters in the movie, which makes it confusing on a first watch (especially if you have no prior experience with the franchise), but I still get why they did it.

There’s a short scene where Utena meets Touga and discovers that he’s acquainted with Anthy, but they both refuse to say whether or not he ever “won” her (and thus, as Utena supposes, had sex with her).

Which then leads us into the backstory, in which Akio talks to Touga on the phone (an obvious nod to the show). Akio seems to be one of the few roles that were recast, and his characterization in general is significantly different, too.

Akio: Yes, my sister was really a witch. She had magical powers. But there was another secret.

Touga: What was that?

Akio: The Rose Prince was really the Lord of the Flies. My sister, the witch, used her magic to change him to a prince. So when my sister’s magic faded, the prince returned to his true self.

Touga: So that’s why you set up this game…to regain the lost magic. But I’ll be the one to gain it in the end.

The “Lord of the Flies” reference clearly sets up this film’s ideas about “princes” and the patriarchy. In the book Lord of the Flies, the title “character” is just a pig’s head that one of the boys imagines talking to. Hence, the Rose Prince is just a symbol that can’t actually do anything on his own, and now ambitious people chase the power that was Anthy’s all along.

meanwhile, mickey and kozue’s relationship is way more toxic (and more obviously incestuous)

Kozue: What are you trying to gain?

Mickey: What do you mean?

Kozue: Don’t try to hide it. I know you’re doing things I don’t know about. […]

Mickey: We can’t go back to the garden where we were together. But you’ll always be precious to me.

Kozue: You traitor.

So Kozue seems to be the one trying to hold Mickey back here, as opposed to the show, where she tended to encourage his ambition.

and then we get back to touga, and probably the most disturbing scene in the movie

Touga: When I was a boy, I grew out my hair, as directed by my father. That’s what the customer wanted.

Shiori: Customer?

Touga: My new father. I was sold. I lost a lot of things, but thanks to that, I could partake in this academy dueling game.

Shiori: I know you’ll win. You won’t lose to Juri-san.

Touga: To Juri?

Shiori: Because…she’s wretched. She doesn’t think anyone knows, but I saw it.

And THIS SCENE is just playing out while Shiori’s talking about how disgusting Juri is for being gay.

There’s some debate as to whether this backstory is canon with the show (that is, if Touga’s “adoption” was simply a front for sex trafficking), and personally, I prefer not to consider it canon (for fairly obvious reasons). I mean, that might explain why he ended up recruited by Akio, but it also plays into the narrative that homosexuality is “unnatural”, and only kids that are “groomed” end up that way. Granted, that doesn’t track with Utena’s narrative, but the gay boys in general are kinda screwed over in this show.

Anyhow, back to the plot.

Shiori: Win the duel and punish Juri, please.

Touga: I don’t know. I intend to win the duel, but I can’t be cruel to Juri.

Shiori: Why…?

Touga: Duelists aspire to a higher ideal.

but not really the plot, because TOUGA is not about to fight Juri. I feel like this scene is mainly here to establish Shiori’s relationship with Juri for people who haven’t watched the series.

But now we explore a totally new setpiece, a parking garage, because cars are a major motif.

Juri: This darkness leads to the End of the World.

Mickey: That’s scary. I feel like I might get drawn in.

Juri: It will soon begin, the revolution. Why are you a Duelist?

Mickey: Because I was chosen, of course.

Juri: But you could have refused.

Mickey: I always wish to obtain more power.

Juri: How boyish of you.

Then we see a car with Kozue’s name on the license plate, and with later context, we learn that this means Kozue was turned into a car (yes, really). The movie characterizes Mickey as more of a stereotypical boy, even willing to sacrifice his sister to get where he wants in the world. On that level, he feels rather like Touga in the show, with a sister who’s so jealous and clingy.

Mickey: And you, Juri-san? You so detest the Rose Bride. Why do you participate in this game?

Juri: I want power so I can be free of everything.

Mickey: What is “everything”?

Juri: Everything that constrains me. We’re finally alone together, and here we are talking about such unromantic things.

I feel like Juri’s just uncomfortable about this train of conversation, hence why she teases him when they both know they’re uninterested in each other.

But then Shiori shows up to rile her up and point her at Utena.

Juri: What’s the matter, at an hour like this?

Shiori: I feel so lonely. I wanted to see your face, Juri.

Juri: Did something happen?

Shiori: You’re a Duelist, aren’t you, Juri-san?

Juri: How do you know that?

Shiori: I know other things, too. […] For example, about that Utena Tenjou girl.

Juri: What do you know about her?

Shiori: She likes Touga-senpai. That’s why she stubbornly dresses like a boy, so she could become a Duelist.

Juri: Playing prince because of some guy?

Shiori: It’s wrong for someone like that to get the power to revolutionize the world, isn’t it?

Juri: Granted, that doesn’t make her too likeable.

Shiori: You’ll win, won’t you? You’ll be the one to win, right, Juri? […]

Mickey: (internally) That which constrains Juri-san, huh?

i mean, this version seems to imply that juri’s just playing prince because of some girl, so i don’t think she has a stone to throw

Anyhow, back to the main ship! Utena sees Anthy sneaking out to water the roses, and naturally follows her.

Utena: Do you really do things like that with anyone who wins the duel?

Anthy: Things like what? Are you, perhaps, curious to know about Kiryuu-senpai? Perchance, is he your-

Utena: Shut up! What do you know?! it was you, wasn’t it?! Touga…Touga started acting strange because of you, didn’t he?! It was you, wasn’t it?! It was you…wasn’t it…? I thought he’d be right there, beside me…he was there when my mother and father went away…I thought he’d always be by my side, and no one else’s…we said we’d always be able to gaze at the stars together.

Anthy: Stars?

Utena: There is no prince…

And the scene alternates with a shot of a light, attracting moths, clearly implying it was the abuse Touga was suffering that changed him.

Then Anthy takes matters into her own hands, setting up a watery dancefloor for them (and initiating a lovely insert song).

And yes, Utena IS supposedly wearing all that hair under her cap.

At times, love is powerful, and at time it wounds our hearts.
However, it gives us our dreams. Within our courage, the light is always shining.
Love is powerful, and it moves the hearts of everyone. And therefore we're together.
I'm sure it's so the world can change. And so everything will become one power.

Notably, they use the word “ai” here, in a song clearly about Utena and Anthy’s relationship.

it was all worth it for this

This scene initiates a new phase in their relationship, and while Utena is still uncertain of where it’s going (or where she wants it to go), she no longer seems opposed to being in a relationship with Anthy.

So the next day, there’s evidently an assignment to pair off and draw each other. Anthy leads them up a tower for this purpose.

Utena: I’m sorry about last night. And thank you.

Anthy: For what?

Utena: Don’t tease me like that. I lashed out at you. But what you did for me-

Anthy: Think nothing of it. You are engaged to me.

Utena: Um, can you stop saying “engaged”? Anyways, I’m not going to be dueling anymore.

Anthy: You don’t like me after all, do you?

Utena: It’s not that. If we’re going to be close, let’s do it properly. Last night, after I got back to my room, while I was alone, I realized that I felt better. That was unexpected. I wondered if talking about our problems and helping each other were just the type of simple things I needed. I’d honestly wondered about that. If you don’t mind, would you open up to me a little more? I want to be your friend. We shouldn’t keep secrets from each other, like this Rose Bride stuff. But you don’t tell me anything about yourself-

Anthy: Shall we switch now?

But Anthy tries a different tactic.

Anthy: It’s important to capture the essence of your partner. We shouldn’t keep secrets, right?

Utena: All right, is this what you want? H-hey…if…if I’m the only one…being the model…it isn’t fair…

Anthy: That’s true.

And of course she starts to take her clothes off, too, despite Utena’s protestations, and then she sees a little gallery of paintings (some of which have been scattered throughout the movie).

Anthy: I’ll show you the reason why everyone wants the Rose Bride.

Then she shows a hole in her chest, possibly meant to indicate that her heart’s been removed, and definitely that she’s been irrevocably damaged. The reason it makes her desirable is that she has no desires of her own (at least in theory).

Utena: W-what is this?

Then we get a brief interlude with the Broadcast Club.

In the tradition of the show, they just throw in a random comedy sequence involving Chu-Chu and Cow!Nanami (which is her only appearance in the movie).

Anyhow, back to the plot (and the controversial changes to Akio’s character).

As you probably noticed already, Akio has a totally different VA (at least in Japanese), and in any language, he seems like more of a fop than the dangerous manipulator from the show (he LITERALLY compared himself to the Devil, after all).

E-ko: He’s such a textbook example of a prince. So young, yet competent and kind and great looking to boot!

Akio: Thank you, but you flatter me. […]

E-ko: A good-looking guy goes well with a nice car.

Akio: Oh, but this car isn’t going anywhere. I lost the key.

So he takes a taxi back home to Anthy…

E-ko: That’s right! I heard Akio-san takes care of his sister. They truly are close as brother and sister.

F-ko: But the scandal starts…starts…starts here! The surprise secret of the Rose Bride is…is…is…!

Utena: Himemiya, what is this?

Anthy: This is the secret of the Rose Bride.

It’s obviously leading into the discussion of Akio’s abuse, but first, there’s a duel with Juri.

And while we’re here, it would behoove us to consider the point of the duels in the movie, since there are only two. The duel with Saionji seems to be a duel against the abuses of patriarchy — he didn’t care about Anthy as a person, only what she could do for him. That’s presumably why there’s no fight with Mickey, because they represent essentially the same thing in the movie.

But Juri is different, because she’s framed as Utena’s foil, the Prince from different origins.

At least according to Shiori, Juri was forced into the role of the Prince…but she was never really Shiori’s prince, as evidenced by how she abandons her halfway through the duel. Utena, on the other hand, became a prince because she wanted to imitate someone she admired. And speaking of…

Juri: You’re pretty good. You’d be good against my club members. But you don’t seem to know how much playing prince halfway is going to cost you. The Rose Seal doesn’t look good on you.

Utena: I…I can’t afford to lose!

Juri: Do you love Touga that much?

Mickey: What is Juri-san talking about? Who is this Touga?

And this is when you start to realize that Touga was never really there at the academy. Perhaps he’s a “ghost”, like Mikage…or like Utena’s prince in the series.

Then we flash back to her conversation with Anthy again.

Anthy: See that? That is the Castle of Eternity.

Utena: Castle?

Anthy: I haven’t been there myself, but I hear you can have anything there. Eternity, miracles, everything that shines. It’s a place where all your secret wishes can come true. That’s what it means to win me. Even so, you’ll still throw away your Rose Seal?

It seems as if Anthy convinced her not because Utena wanted that for herself, but that she wanted her to experience it.

And unlike in the series, Utena actually beats Juri here, even if she does so by channeling the Prince. Because what Juri didn’t understand here was that Utena didn’t become a prince just because she loved Touga, but because she wanted to emulate his noble demeanor.

And then we get back to Akio.

Who is actually in the ground where he belongs!

but unfortunately, the others at the school have a different perspective

Shiori blames Anthy (because she’s the only petty girl around to blame Anthy in the movie).

Akio: You…weren’t asleep? How long? How long have you been awake? Were you never asleep to begin with? Did you always only pretend to be asleep? Hey…

Anthy: Don’t worry. You are my prince, Big Brother. You can do with me whatever you please-

Akio: Don’t talk like that! I’m not like that!

At least the movie makes it clear that the incest was NEVER consensual (because it never is) because he DRUGS ANTHY. And then stabs her. Then falls out the window!

I feel like Ikuhara was course-correcting here, making it clear that Akio was never supposed to be someone to look up to or emulate, but honestly kinda pathetic. Even in the series, he only ever controlled children, and was trying to get back a power that Anthy held all along. He was trapped at a school, refusing to grow up and make his own power.

Then Utena faces HER prince.

Utena: Touga…where is Himemiya?

Touga: Why do you want to see her? Do you also want the power to make miracles happen?

Utena: Does such power really exist?

Touga: Utena, what do you think is the meaning of the game at this academy? Everything is built entirely around the prince. Yet, there is no prince in the flesh. That’s why the game is necessary, in order to fill that void. When she became the Rose Bride, the Castle of Eternity showed up. That’s right, when she killed her brother the prince.

Utena: That’s not true. The prince was already dead all along. I’m finally starting to remember.

Even in the series, Akio could have accomplished nothing without Anthy. But this isn’t really about him. Dios, perhaps, but not Akio.

Utena: The time when you disappeared. I forgot about it for some reason when I got here. Don’t you remember, a boy drowned in the river by our school back then?

Touga: Maybe that happened.

Utena: It did. There was a girl who fell in the river from a boat. A boy jumped into the river to save the girl, and he drowned instead. Why did I forget that until now?

Touga: Utena. Won’t you come with me? I’m right here now. I’m always thinking of you. I’ll always love you until the End of the World. Isn’t that enough? Let’s be happy here.

Utena: You said that back then, too. That night, when I was crying alone in the chapel, you told me how you’d been thinking of me, and gently embraced me.

then the prologue theme starts up and i cant

Utena: Thank you. You really were my prince.

Because it was never about a specific person, but the idea of someone who’d always be there to rescue you.

And now she’s off to rescue her own princess.

Anthy: I finally found you, Utena. You were my true prince. You’re now the prince of the academy. Any miracle and all eternity are yours as long as you stay in this world.

Utena: No. Let’s go, to the outside world. Let’s go! Himemiya, let’s go! To the place outside of this world!

Anthy: No, I can’t!

prepare yourself. things about to get real crazy.

And this is the echo of the final episode, where they’re dragged apart (but not really).

And after Anthy falls, grasping only her Rose Seal, the Apocalypse Theme starts up!

and utena begins the transformation into her final form

Anthy: Utena, is that you?

Behold the Utena Car!

this movie

Anthy discovers that the Rose Seal has turned into a key, so she hops in.

Anthy: Let’s go, Utena, to the outside world!

then the shiori car comes in. this movie really goes places

Shiori: Are you surprised? If you thought you were the only one who could turn into a car, then you’re sorely mistaken. That’s right. I’m a car now, too.

E-ko: She plays rough!

Shiori: I won’t let you do something cool like escaping this world! The one who’s really cool and beautiful, is me-

Then she runs into the wall and crashes out.

After that, a veritable swarm of black cars gains on them.

But the other Duelists come to their aid.

Mickey: You can get onto the left bypass up ahead.

Anthy: Why?

Juri: You’re heading for the outside, aren’t you? Higher ideals attract good company.

Mickey: I know you can make it and find the outside. We plan on following you eventually.

Saionji: When we meet outside, I’ll be there to seduce you.

Then they approach the castle, standing between them and the exit.

Honestly, the castle is beautiful…but it’s also meant to lure them back into complacency.

The car is pretty beat up, but Anthy’s not about to give up now.

Anthy: I’m not running anymore. The exit is probably right there.

F-ko: What gives you that idea?

Anthy: Let’s go…to the outside world!

then the OP starts playing and it’s perfect

Even if I dream, even if I cry, even if I get hurt, reality keeps on coming recklessly.
I wanna find my own place, the value of being, the person I've been until now.
Let's find the strength to throw it all away. Strip down to nothing at all. Become like rose petals, blowing free!
Even if the two of us are torn apart, I swear that I will change the world.

But of course, there’s one last obstacle standing in their way: The Prince.

Anthy: Big Brother…

Akio: That’s right. It’s your prince. You don’t have to be afraid anymore. Let’s go back to that closed world where you can return to being a living corpse.

Anthy: How sad. You can only be a prince in that world. But I…and Utena, too, will leave, for the outside world.

Akio: Don’t. You’ll only end up at the End of the World.

Anthy: That may be. But we’re going of our own will. Goodbye, my prince.

Akio: I see. That’s too bad. But you both will continue to be princesses back in that world. It’s easy. You just need to be living corpses.

Anthy: Grant me the power!

Both: To revolutionize the world!

“Become like rose petals blowing free” indeed!

They only escape into a desert wasteland, but they’re still together.

Utena: So, we’re headed into a world without roads. Perhaps we won’t be able to make it there.

Anthy: Utena, I understand now. We were born in the outside world.

Utena: Then we’re returning to the place we came from. I understand now, too, why you sought me and why I didn’t reject you. We were both responsible for killing the prince.

F-ko: That’s right. The outside world has no roads. But you can always build new roads.

Utena: That’s why we must go. As we travel, the world will get bigger by that much. I’m sure.

Even today, the world of queer love is largely trackless. But that’s part of why this series has stood the test of time: Queer people face many of the same issues throughout the decades, and Revolutionary Girl Utena stands as a testament to the power of queer revolution.

I’ll be taking a little hiatus until the end of the year, and I’m still not sure if I’ve got another series in me, but thanks for joining me on this wild ride.

Until next time…