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May. 4th, 2003 11:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
out_thereConsidering my current lack of love for SV, and the fact that I was playing Kestral's vids, and longing for my days of Utena fandom... (Utena - it's got everything I want in a series. Pretty boys who are absolute sluts, crossdressing girls, surreal symbolism, fast cars, swordfights... Heh. Really, really enjoyed that series. *g*)
So, decided to try to track down the site that used to have the episodes available for download. It's no longer working. *grrr* And everytime I search for Utena downloads, I inevitably come to a link for the site, stating how wonderful it is.
I really like Utena as a series. I loved what it said about gender and heroics, and still find myself thinking about it. I like the idea that a Prince is someone who helps another when they can't help themselves. It the person who comes to your rescue when you need it, but it's not a role that is permanent. Even a Prince needs a Prince occasionally. Likewise, the "female" archetypical roles were intriguing - the Princess and the Witch. The Princess who suffers for her Prince, who like the Rose Bride, gives everything for the Prince, her life itself if that is what is necessary to protect him. It's interesting that the Princess is the Witch, or more correctly, that the Witch is how the Princess appears to outsiders.
What I also loved about the series was it's total gender-bending. Not just the obvious case of Utena dressing in the guys' uniform, or being engaged to the female Rose Bride, but also a case of the further the series develops the more obvious it becomes that the Prince and Princess role are not defined by gender. Utena can be both a Prince and a Princess at times. The Rose Bride can be male, and towards the end of the series, even one of the most masculine guys, Saionji, acts as Touga's Bride/Princess. The roles are defined by personality and circumstance.
Plus, there's the fun of sexuality. It's interesting that most of the characters are, if not gay, then certainly bisexual. The seducers, Akio and Touga don't let gender stop them. Similarly, we see Saionji seeing two girls, and know that he slept with two guys. Regardless of Utena's involvement with Akio or Touga, I think that the attraction and caring between her and Anthy is very clear. Juri is certainly gay, and considering that Miki didn't discourage his music teacher, and that his intentions towards Anthy were always highly chivalrous, I believe that Miki's gay too. Hence, out of our inner cabal of duelists, the only definately straight one is Nanami, and that's more from lack of proof either way. *g*
The other interesting factor is sex itself. It's very clear that the most manipulative and successful people in Ohtori are sluts (Akio, Touga, even Miki's sister). They use sexual politics to get what they want, to influence others, and use physical seduction to seduce them mentally. (Seriously, how much play does Akio get in his Sports Car of Slutdom?) It's interesting to see sexual activity as a powerful force, and it's nice to see that it is not a case of double standards. The guys who use these sexual tactics fall harder than Miki's sister, as they should, as they use it far more deviously.
There's also the lovely Black Rose saga whcih delves so deeply into what you remember, into what creates the person that you are, and what you suppress in order to fit in. Really, those episodes revolve around the theme of denial. It shows how you can become trapped by denying who you are, and what you did. It proves again and again, that everyone must face their deepest secrets, and themselves, in order to grow and be free.
*sigh* It's not only gorgeous, it's also filled with wonderfully fleshed out, psychologically explained characters. Plus, it's wonderfully surreal and symbolic. It's the type of series you can watch with friends and then actually discuss afterwards and try to work out what it actually meant. Without a doubt, it's my favourite anime series (and I will probably be pimping it until the end of time). And on that note, I'm going to bed.
Quick rec: Another Man's Treasure is a Saionji POV on Touga. A little dark, but certainly not outside the realms of the series.
So, decided to try to track down the site that used to have the episodes available for download. It's no longer working. *grrr* And everytime I search for Utena downloads, I inevitably come to a link for the site, stating how wonderful it is.
I really like Utena as a series. I loved what it said about gender and heroics, and still find myself thinking about it. I like the idea that a Prince is someone who helps another when they can't help themselves. It the person who comes to your rescue when you need it, but it's not a role that is permanent. Even a Prince needs a Prince occasionally. Likewise, the "female" archetypical roles were intriguing - the Princess and the Witch. The Princess who suffers for her Prince, who like the Rose Bride, gives everything for the Prince, her life itself if that is what is necessary to protect him. It's interesting that the Princess is the Witch, or more correctly, that the Witch is how the Princess appears to outsiders.
What I also loved about the series was it's total gender-bending. Not just the obvious case of Utena dressing in the guys' uniform, or being engaged to the female Rose Bride, but also a case of the further the series develops the more obvious it becomes that the Prince and Princess role are not defined by gender. Utena can be both a Prince and a Princess at times. The Rose Bride can be male, and towards the end of the series, even one of the most masculine guys, Saionji, acts as Touga's Bride/Princess. The roles are defined by personality and circumstance.
Plus, there's the fun of sexuality. It's interesting that most of the characters are, if not gay, then certainly bisexual. The seducers, Akio and Touga don't let gender stop them. Similarly, we see Saionji seeing two girls, and know that he slept with two guys. Regardless of Utena's involvement with Akio or Touga, I think that the attraction and caring between her and Anthy is very clear. Juri is certainly gay, and considering that Miki didn't discourage his music teacher, and that his intentions towards Anthy were always highly chivalrous, I believe that Miki's gay too. Hence, out of our inner cabal of duelists, the only definately straight one is Nanami, and that's more from lack of proof either way. *g*
The other interesting factor is sex itself. It's very clear that the most manipulative and successful people in Ohtori are sluts (Akio, Touga, even Miki's sister). They use sexual politics to get what they want, to influence others, and use physical seduction to seduce them mentally. (Seriously, how much play does Akio get in his Sports Car of Slutdom?) It's interesting to see sexual activity as a powerful force, and it's nice to see that it is not a case of double standards. The guys who use these sexual tactics fall harder than Miki's sister, as they should, as they use it far more deviously.
There's also the lovely Black Rose saga whcih delves so deeply into what you remember, into what creates the person that you are, and what you suppress in order to fit in. Really, those episodes revolve around the theme of denial. It shows how you can become trapped by denying who you are, and what you did. It proves again and again, that everyone must face their deepest secrets, and themselves, in order to grow and be free.
*sigh* It's not only gorgeous, it's also filled with wonderfully fleshed out, psychologically explained characters. Plus, it's wonderfully surreal and symbolic. It's the type of series you can watch with friends and then actually discuss afterwards and try to work out what it actually meant. Without a doubt, it's my favourite anime series (and I will probably be pimping it until the end of time). And on that note, I'm going to bed.
Quick rec: Another Man's Treasure is a Saionji POV on Touga. A little dark, but certainly not outside the realms of the series.
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no subject
Date: 2003-05-04 09:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-04 04:15 pm (UTC)