Revolutionary Girl Utena - Awe inspiring sountrack with equally confusing story

music

this is my first review on my anime page. ik its been 2 years, im a little ashamed it took this long for me to get inspriation to write about my favorite things. but im here now!

these reviews are going to be more like info dumps. i have no backing to make claims about if a show is good or not, im just here to tell you the things i like :D

the main thing that inspired me to write this was the soundtrack, including the ops, eds, and even the ost used in the show. I have been listening to Rinbu Revolution for years now, but I suddenly discovered an alternate version of the song called the red rose version. Why has no one told me about this before????. The rock elements make it much more receptive to my own tastes in music, even though the original was already one of my favorite songs.

anyways, this is a great song, but there are other gems in this show's soundtrack too. Virtual Star Embryology is a super interesting song. The meter changes between 3/4 and 4/4 frequently and the melody sometimes feels more like a ritualistc chant than a 90s song.

and some days, i just want to sing my heart out to Truth.

the part of the OST that stuck out to me was the very first duel song Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku. without the bizzareness of this track, the duels would be this exciting triumphant moment. the soundtrack reminds you that there is something very wrong with the environment our protagonist is put in, so i think the uncomfort is necessary and adds to the story. but its just so bizzare. dont get me wrong, i still love it. i want someone who is smarter about music to tell me whats going on

plot

MINOR SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT

i cannot explain the plot to you. youre gonna have to go to this tumblr blog for that. I just wanted to talk about things that stuck out to me in the story

Revolutionary Girl Utena is profound, but only one sub-plot moved me to tears. This was the story between Juri and Shiori. Juri is a supporting character in the series. She didn't get much screen time by herself apart from this subplot. Shes characterized as stoic, independent, and unfathomably strong. She only had one weakness: a woman named Shiori.

the episode baits you into thinking shes in love with this strong guy. the realization is that she was actually in love with her friend, who then realizes and hurts her deeply because of it. the plot is relatively simple to the rest of the show, but its what i remember the most. I had already experienced yearning for a straight person. The pity I felt for Juri, and by extension myself, brought me to tears.