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Chapter II: Saionji, Chased Off By 14 Year Old Girls Last time we decided that we would live our lives heroically, that we would live our lives with style.  So we decide to get into a guy's face. A much, much bigger guy. Let's see how this goes. Patter Song: Hitting a girl like that...you call yourself a man?  This is a completely fair reaction for Saionji to have, to be fair. We've never met him before and we're walking up to him confronting him and challenging his manhood. That said, Saionji always seems stunningly clueless that the entire cast seems to hold him in contempt, and it looks like we've voted for young Protagonist Us to do the same. Patter Song: I'm Patter Song, a transfer student! Saionji: Kindly mind your own business.  We're sassy. I like it.  Saionji: Why are all transfer students this vexing? I think this is a continuity error. As we will see later in this post when I profile her, Utena is a transfer student to Ohtori in both the manga and movie canons, but in the anime, she's an established student with a fanbase and relations to the faculty, as seen right from the first episode.  Soundtrack: Scarlet of the Campus (Utena's Theme)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykMzAhogJ7E  Speaking of the devil. Utena Tenjou's flower color is pink, as this image is making abundantly clear, so assume pink dialogue flowers are her talking.  Anthy: "Utena-sama..." Utena: Stay away from Himemiya, Saionji! Saionji: You again? Hmph! Fine then. Soon I'll duel you and take back the Rose Bride. Anthy, please endure until then. Exit Saionji.  Kyouichi Saionji: A Character Study The script will resume after this brief digression into Saionji's character, so if you want to just keep on with the LP, just skip it.  Utena characters change in each iteration of the story.  None of them really seem flat or one-dimensional. None should just be written off as a one-trick pony.  But holy hell is it tempting with Saionji. In each and every version of the Utena story, Utena's call to adventure is horror at the mistreatment of Anthy Himemiya at the hands of their upperclassman, Student Council Vice-President Kyouichi Saionji, who is exclusively referred to by his surname. Saionji, in all three cases, serves as a sort of starter antagonist, an entry-level villain, an embodiment of the most crude and obvious forms of patriarchal power: possessiveness and cruel, open violence towards women. Saionji is far from the most dangerous antagonist Utena will encounter, but he is the most openly violent and basic one. Kyouichi Saionji, like most Utena characters, has a super-ultra-aristocratic name, and a more famous one than most. He is named after Prince Saionji, a major Japanese politician in the first half of the 20th century and one of the genro, a small group of super-elite nobles who guided Japan through the late Meiji era into the Taisho era. Saionji is a deeply traditional person, as befits his name, and his passions include pretty much everything with trappings of old Japan and Japanese tradition. He is the captain of the Kendo Club and a master of Japanese-style swordsmanship, and his interests include things like traditional tea ceremony. I would not be surprised if he turned out to also be obsessed with poetry, although that's never explicitly stated. Chiho Saito, the author of the Utena manga, had this to say about him in a 2001 interview (full interview here, http://ohtori.nu/creators/a_chihohime.html) Chiho Saito posted:He probably is a representative of the old fashioned Japanese male. And because of that, he goes through a lot of hardships... It's difficult to be behind the times... I have a lot of sympathy for him. Saionji is straightforward, blunt, and idealistic in his own twisted way. This means he's easily manipulable by the craftier characters (meaning, in his case, literally the entire cast), especially Touga, Akio, and Anthy. Saionji is obsessed with seeking eternity and hates that most things in life are temporary. Saionji is madly obsessed with Anthy, both seeing her as desirable in herself and in the power possession of her promises. Saionji is delusional enough to think that Anthy loves him. Saionji is 17 years old, an August 25th birthday (meaning he's a Virgo, if you want to pick our love interests based on astrology), has O blood type (if you want to pick our love interests based on crazy Japanese blood type astrology), and his chosen color is green. Finally, for all his faults, the man looks damned fine in an apron.  This concludes our digression into the life of Saionji.Soundtrack: The Sunlit Garden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQzaHyVqHag When we left off, Saionji had just left the scene, leaving Protagonist Us alone with Anthy and Utena.  Anthy: Yes, I'm fine, Utena-sama.  Patter Song: Patter Song. I transferred in as a middle school second-year today. Japanese middle schools are 7th-9th, so Patter Song is an 8th grader, much like Utena and Anthy. Utena: Yeah? I'm Utena Tenjou. This is Anthy Himemiya. And that love-struck idiot from before was... Don't worry, Utena, I just explained to everyone who he was, you don't have to.  Utena: Oh, right. I hope we end up in the same class. See ya! Exeunt Utena and Anthy. Patter Song: Ah...wait a minute! They already left. (So cool...and the girl with the glasses was cute, too.)  Text in parenthesis is Our Protagonist's internal monologue, not spoken dialogue. So far, Patter Song has fallen hard for Saionji, Utena, and Anthy, just like a true Ohtori student is meant to.  Relations bonus with Utena! A major one, too. The number of flowers indicates the size of the boost, and two is a pretty big deal. Sadly, we cannot yet see our compatibility with people until we meet all of them. Until then, it looks like this:  This screen will be very important later on, but for now, it looks like this. Anyway, this boost ends this scene, so it's that time again already: Character profile of Anthy Himemiya  Anthy is supposedly the secondary female lead of Revolutionary Girl Utena, but I like to think of her as co-protagonist.  Anthy is the Rose Bride, the keeper of immense power of a legendary (?) heroic prince named Dios, and the literal living sheath of Dios' sword.  The reigning champion of the dueling contest organized by a shadowy entity named The End of the World gets to be "Engaged" to Anthy. What that means and how literally that should be taken...varies a bit from version to version, but the idea is that at the end of this dueling contest, the Engaged will obtain incredible power, the Power of Dios, the Power To Revolutionize the World. Utena, in every version of the story, has no idea that that's the case at the start, is horrified at Anthy's position of servitude to the terrible Saionji, and is repelled by Anthy's passivity at first, chiding her to stand up for herself. That's where the various versions of the story start, but they go in different directions. Anthy Himemiya is "14," born on February 29th (!), making her a Pisces. She has Type AB blood (!!). She has a non-Japanese name (Anthy isn't even easy to pronounce in Japanese, so all the characters default to Anshii) and a non-Japanese complexion (!!!). Anthy throws up so many I'm Significant flags that it's impossible to miss. (Rarest possible birthday and rarest possible blood type?) Her features are Indian, right down to her bindi (much more prominent in her movie characterization) and her red Indian-style wedding dress, which seems to come down to Chiho Saito associating Indian characteristics with sexy and exotic. Are Anthy and Utena an item? They very clearly are not in the manga, and they...um...it'd be hard to deny they are in the movie. In the series, the version this game follows, Utena and Anthy is heavily hinted, but it's left ambiguous what the nature of their relationship is, while both of them have other, male love interests. That said, I think Utena and Anthy in love is a very plausible reading of the series and Kunihiko Ikuhara seems to agree, as shown in this interview http://ohtori.nu/creators/a_e37.html . Kunihiko Ikuhara and Chiho Saito posted:Saito: The thing is, the staff went on a workshop trip for the first time and we locked ourselves in the hotel. We barely got started and all Mr. Ikuhara could do was sleep! (laughter) I really wondered if he was going to do any work. I was continuously glaring at him. Anthy is seemingly passive, quiet, and reserved. She has a love of nature, gardening, and animals and a fear of crowds. Her only companion is her familiar, Chu-Chu. Or at least that's what she wants you to think. All of the above is some degree of half-truth at best. Anthy is always worth keeping a close eye on.  Now back to the update Soundtrack Lyrics of the Campus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=270vPdVVJ74  We're in class. Who knew they had class at Ohtori?  Teacher: Before you sit down, please introduce yourself. Patter Song: (A self-introduction, huh? First impressions are really important, so I've gotta do this right!)  Patter Song: I went to a public middle school, so I'm new to dorm life. I'm looking forward to finding out what it's like! Um...my dorm is... Ohtori is...generous...with housing accommodations, I'm sure you'll be fine. Teacher: Actually, your dorm hasn't been assigned yet. Please ask after school, when you go to the Chairman's Office to introduce yourself. Your bags should have arrived by then, as well. Oh, hey, we're meeting the school's Chairman! Utena didn't get to do that on her first day. Does the Chairman personally talk to every transfer student?  Let's talk to Utena, but first... Utena Tenjou Character Profile  Utena Tenjou is stylish, brash, straightforward, and uncompromising in her convictions.  Utena likes to wear boys' clothing, not because she wants to be a boy, but because she's an individual with her own style. She is bold, if occasionally a bit...dense.  She also sets up the central dilemma of the series. Can a girl be a fairy tale prince, or is she doomed to be the evil queen/witch or a helpless princess? In all three renditions of the series, Utena's quest to be a prince runs headlong into society's expectations. Manga Utena was saved from drowning as a young girl by a handsome, dashing prince she called Peropero-kun, given a ring, and told that they would reunite someday. Anime Utena had a rather more traumatic, if a bit less physically harrowing experience, and was similarly saved by a Prince who gave her a ring and told the ring would eventually reunite them. Movie Utena got her ring from a random white rose because that's how Movie Utena rolls. In all three cases, the ring was Utena's ticket into a harrowing world of duels, patriarchy, and lots and lots of roses. Utena is a brash, athletic girl, with little use for formality or delicacy. Utena is skilled at sports, individualistic, and popular, but, as the old saying goes, the nail that sticks out will be hammered down. Utena is, quite unwillingly, engaged to Anthy Himemiya, and at this point, though the two like each other, Utena is weirded out by Anthy's passivity and lack of friends, and insists she do better. Utena also hates the dueling games that trade Himemiya around like livestock, but due to her commitment to help Anthy, she is forced to participate and win them. Utena has shown very, very little interest in the Power To Revolutionize the World that motivates the other Duelists, instead fighting to defend Anthy. Utena is 14 years old. Her birthday is December 29th, making her a Capricorn, fitting her stubborn nature. Her blood type is B. Her roses are pink. Kunihiko Ikuhara posted:Ikuhara: Utena is someone I wish I could be. I want to be a fool. I want to be ignorant. I want to be naive. Anthy is, to me, the embodiment of reality. From http://ohtori.nu/creators/a_ikuhara1.html  End Utena Character Analysis  Patter Song: Oh, Utena-san... Utena: Just "Utena" is fine. In return, I'll just call you by your given name too, okay?  I have a feeling some of you are going to fall for her just for that.  Patter Song: (Getting to make friends with someone this cool on my first day is really lucky!)  Patter Song: (What should we talk about?)  Quite the thing to ask someone you just met! Are we going to ask Utena if she has a Boyfriend or are we going to ask if she has a Girlfriend? I will see you next time. Until then, The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse. Patter Song fucked around with this message at 05:28 on Aug 13, 2018 |
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Aug 13, 2018 05:06
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| # ? Apr 28, 2024 23:36 |
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Looks like you're using the first version of the translation patch. There's a major error in my pronoun use in this post, which was corrected in later releases. Sadly, the initial release is the one that got spread around the net the most and is most readily available. I shouldn't have had Protagonist call Utena "her" yet
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Aug 13, 2018 05:28
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the level of detail is amazing! ask her about her girlfriend
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Aug 13, 2018 05:32
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This video contains content from KING RECORD CO., LTD., who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds. There's a reason people often upload soundtracks elsewhere.
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Aug 13, 2018 10:46
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In the absence of an option to just avoid the subject, Team Anti-Romance thinks that asking about a Girlfriend is maybe more likely to annoy her. maybe.
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Aug 13, 2018 11:07
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I have a feeling asking about her girlfriend won't be the "progressive" answer and will instead be the "WHAT you're a GIRL but you're wearing a GUY'S uniform how WACKY IS THAT?" kind of answer. So I dunno, at this point I'd be more inclined to ask if she has a boyfriend at this point.
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Aug 13, 2018 12:26
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Going with Boyfriend. Not going to view this in the eyes of "Oh, Japan" and pretend her MANnerisms confuse us for laughs.
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Aug 13, 2018 17:27
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Clearly, we're interested, so Girlfriend
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Aug 13, 2018 18:45
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I'm going to play the update tomorrow, so if anyone wants to get in any votes, now's the time. Counting 3 for Girlfriend and 2 for Boyfriend.
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Aug 16, 2018 01:42
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Boyfriend because, eh, why not.
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Aug 16, 2018 01:52
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Girlfriend, because after that business with Anthy, wouldn't you suspect something?
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Aug 16, 2018 03:35
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Boyfriend because that sounds like the worse of the two answers and I'd like to see the route for someone other than Utena herself.
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Aug 16, 2018 04:09
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Boyfriend.
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Aug 16, 2018 05:44
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Girlfriend. Because of the number of votes.
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Aug 16, 2018 06:29
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Girlfriend
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Aug 16, 2018 09:37
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Tell us about your girlfriend Utena!!!
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Aug 16, 2018 13:38
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Despite a valiant push, Girlfriend wins 7-5. Next update should be up Saturday.
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Aug 17, 2018 04:38
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Chapter III: Is Protagonist Us Just Blind Or Something?Xander77 posted:This video contains content from KING RECORD CO., LTD., who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds. I appreciate the feedback. As the soundtrack of the game is identical to the soundtrack of the show (minus the opening song of the game) and I'm putting up the titles of the songs and it's not like the Utena soundtrack is particularly hard to find, I am not going to be uploading all of those same tracks myself and risk having people have me take them down. Just look up the song titles. Dallbun posted:Looks like you're using the first version of the translation patch. There's a major error in my pronoun use in this post, which was corrected in later releases. Sadly, the initial release is the one that got spread around the net the most and is most readily available. This upcoming bit is one of the more unfortunate things this game does. I am also disappointed that they chose Girlfriend, because choosing Boyfriend involves a nice explanation of the Prince story that isn't actually explained here. Refer to my Utena Character Profile above, but I'd be happy to replay this section on the Boyfriend route just to show it off in a supplemental tomorrow. Anyway, on with the show: Patter Song: Hey, Utena. Utena: Hmm?    Patter Song: (I'd say Utena's a pretty good-looking boy! And there's those thin, smooth legs, and his chest...Huh? Ch-...ch...chest?)  Seriously, Protagonist Us? Do you need contacts? Let's go over this. Utena Tenjou does not look like a boy.  Boys don't tend to wear bright red short shorts around, and certainly no other boy at Ohtori does. The game actually does replay this whole bit as a cutscene here, but I went and got images from the episode just because the game does it at 240p and you deserve to see it in glorious 360p like originally intended by the show. Anyway, It is absurd to mistake a long pink-haired, buxom girl with smooth, shaved legs (as Protagonist Us pointed out!) as anything but a girl. End rant. Patter Song: (Oh my god! I just made a total fool of myself! Utena looks at a loss, and all the girls around me are laughing like they're going to pass out! The only one who looks unfazed is Anthy...Oh, man...) Damned right you made a fool of yourself. Anthy, of course, isn't going to be disturbed by the idea that Utena has a girlfriend. After all, they're engaged. Anthy might actually be slightly hurt that Utena didn't mention her...But Anthy plays her cards very close to the chest early on in the series. End scene. New scene: Cafeteria  Soundtrack: After School Girlshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-G1ipZvIjE There's not really too terribly much to say about this cafeteria. Outside of episode 6, the one with the wild animals, we don't spend much time in the Ohtori cafeteria. Most Utena students seem to pack their own lunches, or get lovestruck girls to make food for them, because let's face it, it's that kind of setting.  Finally, you're curious about the actual plot. Utena: Uh...that's..  I love Anthy's line deliveries. Always so matter-of-fact. Patter Song: Huh? Anthy: Whoever wins the duels becomes engaged to me...  Utena: Hold on, Himemiya! Is it OK for you to just freely talk about this stuff? Anthy: It's fine. Anthy wants a new duelist to enter the challenges, doesn't she? Poor Anthy, so oppressed by cruel, unfeeling masters...maybe we should save her. Then, we would possess the Power to Revolutionize the World, and THEN...wait, what am I saying? Get the hell away from there, Protagonist Us. Patter Song: Duels? You mean, where you hack at each other with swords? Anthy: Yes. Using swords, whoever manages to knock the rose off the opponent's chest wins. Patter Song: Are you serious!? Utena: I know! It's unbelievable, right? Any normal person would think so. Any sane person would have thought so, maybe, but you're currently 4-0 in the duels, having beaten Saionji twice, Miki once, and Jury once. Maybe you're just as crazy as they are. Maybe you just like the excitement, the intrigue, the walking into a living fairy tale, just as much as those you criticize do, but do a better job of hiding it. Patter Song: So that guy from this morning also...?  It's just as well we didn't get a whole arc of the show where Saionji was engaged to Anthy. The first episode was enough. Patter Song: Engaged?   Anthy: I'm presently engaged to Utena-sama. Utena: Himemiya, I keep telling you to knock it off with the "Utena-sama" stuff. Anthy: But I'm engaged to you, Utena-sama. Utena: Oh, come on... It's just like an actual episode...They just had to get that in. I do think leaving the honorifics works better than trying to make it "My Lady Utena" or "Miss Utena" or whatever. Patter Song: (Duels? Rose Bride? The Power to Revolutionize the World?) Metal Gear?  Patter Song: (I might just have befriended some super-dangerous people as soon as I transferred...Maybe I should back off before I get in too deep? Here we go...)  Well? Should we back off? We can either Announce That We're Joining the Dueling Game and chase the Rose Bride and that ultimate prize: eternity, that shining thing, the power of miracles, the Power to Revolutionize the World itself, and challenge Utena Tenjou for control of the Rose Bride, the key to it all...or not. After all, we just got here. Maybe we should Change the Subject around these potentially dangerous weirdos, with their sword cult and human slavery and the rest? Or maybe we should even just Make a Joke to defuse the tension a bit...but does Protagonist Us even know how to joke? Does she know what a joke even is? An exciting three way choice for you all this time. I'm sorry this update was on the shorter side, but next one should be a doozy. We're meeting several important characters who will need introductions. Until then, The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse. Patter Song fucked around with this message at 04:32 on Aug 23, 2018 |
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Aug 23, 2018 04:23
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Dating? There's no time for that! We need to keep our eyes on the prize: the power to Revolutionize the World!
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Aug 23, 2018 04:31
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Try Making A Joke
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Aug 23, 2018 04:36
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Definitely make a joke because that seems like the safe middle ground here. Don't try to jump headfirst into these duels but don't immediately shoot down the idea of participating in them either. Keep your options open
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Aug 23, 2018 04:37
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Make a joke that couldn't go badly
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Aug 23, 2018 04:41
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I had no idea this game existed! I'm so excited! Make a joke.
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Aug 23, 2018 04:49
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I feel stupid just reading how confused Patter was about Utena. Maybe doing a joke is less insulting. The cowbell episode was hilarious, if that was the one about the animals.
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Aug 23, 2018 06:01
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Scalding Coffee posted:I feel stupid just reading how confused Patter was about Utena. Maybe doing a joke is less insulting. I meant the episode when Tsuwabuki was organizing various disasters to try to threaten Nanami. The episode with the boxing kangaroo.
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Aug 23, 2018 06:07
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CHANGE SUBJECT
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Aug 23, 2018 07:01
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If it cannot break out of its shell, the chick will die without ever being born.
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Aug 23, 2018 15:46
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Space constraints were, of course, a major factor in the phrasing of "wanna become engaged too." It looks like there was space to fit in an "I" and a space though, so I'm not sure what I was thinking. Anyway, go for engagement.
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Aug 23, 2018 23:10
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Zettai unmei mokushiroku.
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Aug 24, 2018 03:28
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Oh wow I had no idea this game existed. This show really left an impression on me when I first saw it ~20 years ago and I can't wait to see what this LP brings. About the show though . . .Patter Song posted:Can I watch the entirety of Utena legally for free in a conveniently-accessible place? It's really incredible they decided to this. One half of me wants to binge watch it, the other half of me is scared that this show won't live up to my memory of it. Does this version have the original soundtrack?
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Aug 24, 2018 08:19
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Chuu posted:Oh wow I had no idea this game existed. This show really left an impression on me when I first saw it ~20 years ago and I can't wait to see what this LP brings. About the show though . . . On a quick check, sure does.
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Aug 24, 2018 13:34
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I haven't seen Utena in ages. All I can remember is Nanami, and tbh that's probably the best thing to remember. The cow episode. The egg. "Operation Anthy is a complete weirdo who hides snails in her pencil case". Nanami is the best. Let's not avoid the main ambition of the show. Pursue the power to revolutionize the world Azza Bamboo fucked around with this message at 14:14 on Aug 24, 2018 |
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Aug 24, 2018 14:12
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Isnt Nanami also a complete psychopath? Crack a joke. Maybe the weirdos will leave us alone if we make fun of their crazy sword cult.
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Aug 24, 2018 15:21
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Chuu posted:Oh wow I had no idea this game existed. This show really left an impression on me when I first saw it ~20 years ago and I can't wait to see what this LP brings. About the show though . . . There's no "this version," it just is the show (well, they replaced the end credits animation). And the show 100% holds up. Its strange angular style of character faces actually really helps: it looks very distinctive when much anime looks very samey. The show has a lot of personality and is not really...like...other things: whether you try to categorize it with fellow Ikuhara works like Penguindrum or fellow 90s surreal psychological dramas like Evangelion or Lain, Utena is distinct and very much its own thing. Speaking of Evangelion, I think there's a strong positive comparison between the game we're playing here and the tire fire that is 1999's Evangelion 64. This game and Eva 64 came out within a year of each other and both were about critically-acclaimed and popular groundbreaking series that pushed what could be done with broadcast TV anime, and both are fundamentally character dramas. The Evangelion game is an atrocious attempt at incompetently recreating mecha fights with what are essentially QTEs. The Utena game could very easily have been a terrible Virtua Fighter clone with terrible 3D models fencing awkwardly. It would have been awful and forgotten. SEGA and the game's team realized, clearly, that Utena could not be done justice by recreating it on hardware incapable of the job, and so went with a VN format where they could leverage the Saturn's CD use and put the original soundtrack and voice acting in and tell a character-driven story. This game didn't have to be good, but it was.
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Aug 24, 2018 16:27
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Randalor posted:Isnt Nanami also a complete psychopath? Honestly, she's probably the sanest person in the series, poor thing.
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Aug 24, 2018 16:48
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Leraika posted:Honestly, she's probably the sanest person in the series, poor thing. If you ignore her thirst for her own brother.
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Aug 24, 2018 16:49
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Make an awkward joke.Leraika posted:Honestly, she's probably the sanest person in the series, poor thing.
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Aug 24, 2018 16:57
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Azza Bamboo posted:If you ignore her thirst for her own brother.
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Aug 24, 2018 17:00
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Azza Bamboo posted:If you ignore her thirst for her own brother. It kinda goes into spoilers, but that's not quite accurate. Oh, and the one thing the youtube uploads of Utena do change is remove the ending credits animation, but the song is still there. That's really not a big deal (although I do like the second ending quite a bit) but I guess it is a change.
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Aug 24, 2018 17:13
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Trying not to start a Dubs/Subs argument, but only the first few episodes are dubbed and that makes me sad, the voice work on the dub is pretty good. Nanami's voice is p great.
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Aug 24, 2018 17:19
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