Where I watch Revolutionary Girl Utena, Episode 18

[cypsiman2]

I have to admit, I can relate to Mitsuru's plight, the child who desperately wants to be grown up and taken seriously. And I have to say, the Shadow Play girls really got the whole thing right on the nose, deconstructing the whole 'sexuality is maturity' thing that society really enforces. Seriously, I did not see the whole blood donation thing coming, but I'm glad it was there.

Still, unless Touga and/or Saiouniji come back, it seems that our 'friend' Souji has just run himself right out of options, on how to attack and defeat Utena and claim the Rose Bride's life. Unless of course, he decides to start acting directly instead of using others for his battles.

And...I'm not sure what to think about Nanami's little blush at the end, with Mitsuru. This is definitely something I'm going to have to think about before I can reach a place where I'm comfortable with it. Still, very good episode, and I appreciate that the duel was a bit longer than they've been as of late.

Comments

[oneplusme.livejournal.com]

The duels do get a bit formulaic (they are, after all, rather predictable...). It's the character development and general devious background plotting that's fun at this point, I find - it's nice to actually see the secondary characters developed for a change.

[cypsiman2.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, there's so much going on in the background and all around, it definitely makes things very, very rich indeed!

[koi-no-soshan.livejournal.com]

Ohh, so does that mean I'm never going to mature? *asexual* ;P

This arc's focus on the secondary characters is an interesting one- Wakaba's episode in particular really highlights what it must be like for the side characters in manga/anime.

Erm, what's uncomfortable about it?

[cypsiman2.livejournal.com]

Hey, as far as I'm concerned, you're plenty mature! ^_^;

Wakaba's episode is the next one indeed, and I was looking forward to it quite a bit!

Well, the whole episode is about how just doing "grown-up/sexual" things doesn't make you grown up, and there's the, it seemed to me at any rate, stronger than usual imagery used in the 'swords out of Nanami's chest' scene...so Nanami blushing at Mitsuru the way she did, it just felt...iffy to me. Or am I just reading too much into this? Because that is always a danger.

[koi-no-soshan.livejournal.com]

Thanks ^^;

Ahh, yes. Everyone's awkward reactions and reticence when remembering it makes it quite clear that it's, ah, sexual. When Miki has it done to him he's all flushed about it afterward, too...

This is one of those things that shouldn't be thought about too hard. In order to save your brain, imagine that it's just innocent Nanami/Tsuwabuki subtext?

[cypsiman2.livejournal.com]

Considering that this was his sister, who he'd always put on a pedestal of purity and perfection, yeah, Miki's reaction is definitely understandable.

Yeah, that's probably for the best. But, you know, this isn't a show that exactly encourages innocent interpretations. Which is not a bad thing at all! It just gets a bit awkward at times, that's all.